Rail Business UK – Page 176
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
Greater Anglia is to suspend seat reservations on its Norwich – London inter-city services for around six months from July 13, 'to prevent confusion or misunderstandings' during the transition to its new fleet. Advance fares will still be offered for specific services. 'The new trains are much longer than our ...
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Rail Business UKLondon – Bordeaux high speed rail service ‘blueprint’
EUROPE: A ‘blueprint’ for the operation of direct high speed services to and from London was presented to the Mayor of Bordeaux and the President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on April 29. The proposals are being developed jointly by HS1 Ltd, which manages the high speed line between London and ...
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Rail Business UKRDG proposes arms-length body to oversee UK rail
UK: Greater accountability to rail users and devolved authorities is envisaged under proposals from the Rail Delivery Group published on April 30, along with the establishment of an ‘independent national organising body’ to co-ordinate and oversee the entire rail sector. Unveiling its proposals to the Williams Rail Review, which has ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail announces signalling and telecoms framework deals worth £750m
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced the award of six geographical Signalling & Telecoms framework contracts with an estimated total value of £750m on April 29. The S&T frameworks cover projects of varying value, including stand-alone level crossing works, major telecommunications works and related civil works, during regulatory Control Period ...
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Rail Business UKCaledonian Sleeper launches new CAF coaches
UK: London to Scotland overnight train operator Caledonian Sleeper put the first of its new fleet of CAF coaches into service on April 28. The Mk V vehicles built in northern Spain are initially being used on the Lowlander route from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Highlander route between ...
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Rail Business UKAventra EMU cybersecurity assessed
UK: Ricardo and Roke Manor Research are working with Bombardier Transportation’s in-house teams to produce a full appraisal of the digital security risk profile of Aventra electric multiple-units, looking at their exposure to a range of possible threats from espionage to remote hacking. This is intended to provide Bombardier Transportation's ...
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Rail Business UKStation Access Map aims to facilitate independent travel
UK: An ‘Access Map’ has been launched to provide rail users with information about accessibility at stations. This includes whether stations have step free or partial step free access; what facilities are available, including accessible toilets and changing places, and alternative accessible stations. Developed by the Rail Delivery Group, train ...
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Metro Report InternationalElizabeth Line launch planned for 2020-21
UK: A ‘robust and realistic’ plan for the launch of Elizabeth Line services through central London during a ‘six-month delivery window with a midpoint at the end of 2020’ was announced by project promoter Crossrail Ltd on April 25. The opening was originally planned for December 2018, but in August ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has launched the 'Trains fit for the future?' inquiry into the development of trains using alternative fuels such as hydrogen or batteries, and how vehicle design can be ‘future proofed’ to meet changing passenger needs. The deadline for written submissions is May 23. ...
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Rail Business UKVirgin Trains proposes airline model for long-distance rail travel
UK: A complete rethink of the way long-distance rail services in Great Britain are operated forms a key part of Virgin Trains’ submission to the government’s Williams Rail Review of the rail industry. Despite the possibility that Virgin Trains will cease operating rail services in the UK within the next ...
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Rail Business UKCo-operative proposes Wessex open access train service
UK: Ambitious plans to launch a network of open access regional passenger services in western England are being developed by independent not-for-profit co-operative society GO-OP Co-operative Ltd, which hopes to start operations in summer 2020. GO-OP is proposing to offer at least three direct trains each way per day between ...
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Rail Business UKYRP celebrates 10 years of success
Professional networking and educational group Young Rail Professionals has developed an important role in a fragmented UK rail sector. Nick Kingsley asks co-founder Paul Cooper and former Chair Sabrina Ihaddaden to reflect on the organisation’s achievements in its first decade.
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Rail Business UKSiemens Mobility submits plans for Goole rolling stock plant
UK: Siemens Mobility has submitted an outline planning application for a £200m rolling stock plant at Goole in East Yorkshire which would manufacture and commission vehicles for the UK market. This follows the signing last of November of a £1·5bn contract to supply 94 Inspiro London trainsets for London Underground’s ...
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Metro Report InternationalCrossrail Ltd culture criticised in London Assembly report
UK: Factors which contributed to the delay to the opening of the Crossrail line through London are set out in a report released by the London Assembly Transport Committee on April 23, along with recommendations intended to ensure that other large infrastructure schemes can be completed successfully. The project to ...
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Rail Business UKVivarail D-Train enters passenger service
UK: West Midlands Trains put its first Class 230 ‘D-Train’ DMU into passenger service on April 23, working the Marston Vale route between Bletchley and Bedford, which forms part of its London Northwestern Railway business unit. The Abellio-led franchise operator ordered the three two-car units from Vivarail to provide extra ...
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Rail Business UKTravel information and adverts at Stansted Airport
UK: The baggage reclaim area at Stansted Airport now has digital screens which show live car, coach and rail journey time comparisons for travel to London Liverpool Street station. The project was jointly devised and created by train operator Greater Anglia, creative agency LIDA and DOOH.com, with ads appearing on ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
Network Rail recorded 619 balloon-related incidents in the past year, many involving helium balloons getting tangled around high voltage overhead wires, with a total cost to the industry of around £1m. 'Ideally, we’d ask people not to bring balloons into our stations’, said James Dean, Chief Operating Officer for Network ...
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Rail Business UKFirm orders for Hybrid PowerPacks
EUROPE: Contracts have been signed for Rolls-Royce to supply nine MTU Hybrid PowerPacks to Ireland’s Iarnród Éireann and four to UK leasing company Porterbrook. The firm orders announced on April 16 follows letters of intent announced at InnoTrans 2018. The Hybrid PowerPacks are to be delivered between May 2020 ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
c2c has begun introducing the PICO4UK ticket issuing system, which by the end of the year will replace seven separate legacy retailing systems to integrate its ticket machines, ticket offices, website and app. PICO4UK has been developed for the UK market to replicate a system which parent company Trenitalia has ...
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Rail Business UKSouth Eastern franchise award delayed
UK: The start of the next South Eastern passenger franchise has been delayed ‘while we make a decision on the competition’, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling confirmed to parliament on April 9. The Department for Transport is negotiating a short-term extension to its current agreement with Govia. This ...