UK news – Page 8
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NewsReview to consider whether and how to proceed with High Speed 2
UK: The terms of reference and timeline for an independently-led government review of whether and how to proceed with the High Speed 2 project were published by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps on August 21. The ‘independent, thorough and objective’ review is to be chaired by Douglas ...
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News
East Midlands Railway announces three brands
UK: Abellio officially launched East Midlands Railway as the new operator of the East Midlands franchise on August 19, the day after it formally took over from Stagecoach which had operated the services for 11 years under the East Midlands Trains brand. More than £600m is to be spent ...
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News
Consultation on trans-Pennine route modernisation
UK: Network Rail is to begin public consultation this summer on plans to rebuild and electrify a 13 km section of the trans-Pennine corridor between Manchester and York via Leeds. The plans form part of the infrastructure manager’s £2·9bn Transpennine Upgrade programme, which is intended to modernise the ...
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News
Ataer Holdings named preferred bidder for British Steel
BRITISH STEEL: The Official Receiver named Ataer Holdings as preferred bidder for the whole of the British Steel business on August 16. Heads of agreement have been signed, triggering a two months of exclusive talks and detailed due diligence ahead of the planned sale of the Scunthorpe-based steel maker and ...
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News
UK railway news round-up
Northern officially retired the first of its Class 142 Pacer DMUs on August 12. A further six will be put into storage but remain available for use ‘if required’ for special events and during the autumn low adhesion season. ‘They will be maintained and looked after, but ...
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Organisations
Trenitalia UK
Trenitalia , a subsidiary of Italian state railway group FS, acquired the c2c franchise from National Express Group in February 2017. On August 14, 2019 in partnership with First Group , Trenitalia was announced as winner of the West Coast Partnership , covering inter-city services from London to ...
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News
First Trenitalia awarded West Coast Partnership
UK: The consortium of FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) has been selected for the West Coast Partnership franchise to operate intercity services on the West Coast Main Line and the first phase of High Speed 2, the Department for Transport announced on August 14. Final award is ...
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News
Snowdon Mountain Railway orders battery-diesel locos
UK: Snowdon Mountain Railway has ordered two battery-diesel hybrid locomotives from Clayton Equipment Ltd, which specialises in the production of bespoke designs for specialist railway, metro, mining and tunnelling applications. The 800 mm gauge railway runs steam and diesel locos up the highest mountain in Wales ...
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News
Levenmouth reopening moves forward
UK: The Scottish Government has given the go-ahead for detailed design work to support the proposed reopening of the 6·5 km railway serving Levenmouth at an estimated cost of £70m, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure & Connectivity Michael Matheson confirmed on August 8. The rail link had been identified ...
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News
UK railway news round-up
The Department for Transport is to provide £10m to support the construction of stations at Darlaston and Willenhall on the Walsall – Wolverhampton line. Planning applications are due to be submitted this year, with a view to reopening the line to passengers by the end of 2021. Further funding ...
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News
UK in Interrail and Eurail ticketing dispute
UK: The Rail Delivery Group will cease to be a member of the Eurail Group of railway companies with effect from January 1 2020, ending the ability of visitors to Great Britain to use the Interrail and Eurail pass schemes. RDG offers its own its range of BritRail passes. ...
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News
South Eastern franchise competition cancelled pending Rail Review
UK: The Department for Transport terminated the competition for the next South Eastern franchise on August 7, saying it had ‘significant concerns’ that continuing with the process ‘would lead to additional costs incurred to the taxpayer, with no certainty that this would deliver envisaged benefits for passengers in a timely ...
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News
Azuma launches on Flying Scotsman
UK: East Coast Main Line operator LNER launched its Hitachi-built Class 800 Azuma trainsets on Anglo-Scottish services on August 1, deploying one of the electro-diesel units on its flagship 05.40 Flying Scotsman service from Edinburgh to London King’s Cross and the 17.30 return working. Class 800s have been ...
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News
UK railway news round-up - August 1
On July 25 TransPennine Express accepted the first of the Nova 2 branded Civity EMUs which are being supplied by CAF and Eversholt Rail. The five-car Class 397 units will enter service later this year on TPE’s services from Manchester and Liverpool to Edinburgh and Glasgow via the West ...
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News
Nine recommendations for rail in northern England
Nine recommendations are set out in a review of the Rail North Partnership between the Department for Transport and Transport for the North which manages the Northern and TransPennine Express passenger franchises. UK: Nine recommendations are set out in a review of the Rail North Partnership ...
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News
Abellio orders East Midlands inter-city fleet
UK: Hitachi Rail has been selected to supply a fleet of 200 km/h inter-city trains to operate on the Midland Main Line, as part of the new East Midlands Railway franchise, where Abellio is due to take over from incumbent operator Stagecoach on August 18. The NS subsidiary announced ...
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News
Stadler bimodes enter service at Greater Anglia
UK: The first of 38 three- and four-car electro-diesel multiple-units being supplied by Stadler to operate regional services in East Anglia began revenue operation on Abellio's Greater Anglia routes from Norwich to Lowestoft and Yarmouth on July 29. The first Stadler multiple-units to operate in the UK, the Class ...
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News
Accessible travel policy guidance updated
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has published updated guidance designed to enable train and station operators to provide older and disabled people with greater confidence when travelling by rail. The Accessible Travel Policy replaces ORR’s Disabled Persons’ Protection Policy and broadens its scope. Updated requirements include: ...
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News
Trans-Pennine ETCS procurement begins
UK: Network Rail has begun the process of appointing a contractor to supply and maintain ETCS Level 2 for the line between Stalybridge near Manchester and Cottingley near Leeds as part of the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade Programme. The selected contractor would be expected to maintain the ETCS equipment ...
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News
UK railway news round-up
Grant Shapps was appointed Secretary of State for Transport in new Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet on July 24. The Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield succeeds Chris Grayling. The Office of Rail & Road published its annual Network Rail Monitor assessment of the infrastructure manager’s performance on ...
