UK passenger train operator news – Page 17
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Rail Business UKWest Coast Partnership Development MD to retire
UK: Caroline Donaldson is to retire as Managing Director of West Coast Partnership Development at the end of March, FirstGroup announced on November 25. WCPD is the ‘shadow operator’ for High Speed 2, providing HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport with design and development services ...
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Rail Business UKDartmoor reopening returns regular trains to Okehampton
UK: GWR began operating regular passenger services between Exeter and Okehampton on November 20, with the ‘Dartmoor Line’ from Crediton being the first route to be reopened under the government’s ‘Restoring Your Railway’ programme.
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Rail Business UKSODOR enters the space race
UK: The Satellites for Digitalisation of Railways project has been launched to demonstrate how constellations of communication satellites could be combined with terrestrial telecoms networks to provided passengers and train operators with better onboard connectivity, including in stations and tunnels. SODOR is being developed by a ...
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Rail Business UKTransPennine Express to trial inter-city battery hybrid train
UK: Hitachi Rail, Angel Trains and TransPennine Express have agreed in principle to retrofit a traction battery to a five-car Class 802 Nova 1 electro-diesel trainset to create a trimode unit for trials.
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Rail Business UKWheelslide likely cause of Salisbury collision, finds RAIB
UK: Wheelslide, ‘almost certainly a result of low adhesion’, was the most likely cause of a collision between Great Western Railway and South Western Railway diesel multiple-units at Fisherton Tunnel in Salisbury on October 31, according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
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Rail Business UKIsle of Wight’s Island Line reopens following £26m modernisation
UK: The Isle of Wight’s Island Line reopened on November 1, following a £26m renewal programme including the introduction of a replacement fleet of electric multiple-units rebuilt from former London Underground trains. ‘We are so excited to welcome our customers back onboard having completed the ...
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Rail Business UKTicket sales ahead of expectations as low-cost Lumo launches
UK: FirstGroup reports that initial ticket sales at its newly launched London – Edinburgh open access operator Lumo are ahead of expectations, with weekend services proving to be particularly popular. ‘We have always said we intend to reimagine rail travel and we are glad people ...
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Rail Business UKCompensation sought in legal action over London zone boundary tickets
UK: Legal claims have been brought against current and past South Eastern and South Western franchisees over claims that passengers were overcharged because fares from the London zone boundaries to stations outside the zones were not readily available for purchase by Travelcard holders. The Competition Appeal Tribunal ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern takes full control of Neville Hill depot
UK: Northern has taken over full control of the Neville Hill depot in Leeds, which it previously managed jointly with East Midlands Railway. Around 550 engineers, technicians and train presentation staff are employed at the site. ‘We are delighted to welcome our ...
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Rail Business UKSE Trains takes over Southeastern services
UK: Southeastern services were transferred to the SE Trains subsidiary of the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort when the directly-awarded management contract held by Govia’s London South Eastern Railway expired at 02.00 on October 17. DfT had an option to extend the contract to ...
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Rail Business UK‘Compromise’ timetable agreed in Manchester as policymakers demand investment commitments
UK: Following fraught political negotiations and public consultation, agreement has been reached on the introduction of a post-pandemic timetable for the Manchester area from December 2022.
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Rail Business UKGlasgow Queen Street station rebuild completed
UK: The completion of a £120m four-year project to rebuild Glasgow Queen Street station was officially marked on October 4, with a celebration attended by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Delivered as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, the modernisation of Scotland’s third-busiest station was ...
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Rail Business UKVirtual reality simulation aims to ‘empower people to use public transport’
UK: A virtual reality simulation is being developed to enable disabled passengers to take simulated journeys where they can experience trains and stations, and interact with on-board staff to find out about the support available. Northern’s Commercial & Customer Director Mark Powles said the aim is ...
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Rail Business UKHull Trains MD appointed
UK: David Gibson has been appointed as Managing Director of open access operator Hull Trains with effect from October 1. Gibson left the Royal Air Force in 2003, joining Hull City Council as Assistant Chief Executive before moving to Capita’s Consulting & Transformation division as a ...
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Rail Business UKOperator of Last Resort to take over Southeastern after ‘£25m breach of franchise agreement’
UK: The Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort is to take over the running of Southeastern services after Govia’s current management contract expires on October 16. The government’s decision follows an investigation of profit sharing agreements, which found that more than £25m of historic taxpayer ...
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Rail Business UKScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper Emergency Measures Agreements extended
UK: The Scottish government has extended the Emergency Measures Agreements for the ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper franchises until December. The EMAs put in place in March this year ran from April 1 to September 19. Under the extended agreements the two operators will continue to receive ...
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Rail Business UKThameslink test confirms ETCS backwards compatibility
UK: A significant milestone has been reached in the East Coast Digital Programme, with the testing of a Great Northern Class 717 EMU over the Thameslink core between London St Pancras and Blackfriars stations using ETCS Level 2. The Siemens Mobility-built Class 717s are equipped ...
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Rail Business UKOn-train air quality standards to be reviewed following RSSB research
UK: The Department for Transport has ordered a review of regulations governing exposure to air pollution on trains and at stations, after research commissioned from the Rail Safety & Standards Board found that air quality was ‘poorer than desired’ on some trains using diesel power. RSSB’s ...
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Rail Business UKDirect awards agreed with Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains
UK: The Abellio-led Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains businesses have agreed directly-awarded National Rail Contracts with the Department for Transport, ahead of the expiry of their Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement contracts on September 19. Both business are currently run as joint ventures between Abellio and ...
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Rail Business UKFatigue and stress led to Hitachi train cracks, finds ORR
UK: Both fatigue and stress corrosion led to the cracks that resulted in Hitachi-built Class 80x trainsets and Class 385 EMUs being withdrawn from service earlier this year, according to an interim review released by the Office of Rail & Road.