UK rail industry news – Page 140
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
LNER ran a ‘preview’ service to Harrogate using an Azuma bi-mode trainset on December 3, ahead of the planned start of Azuma services to the town with the timetable change on December 15. The trains will operate electrically on the East Coast Main Line between London and ...
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Rail Business UKLuton Airport peoplemover bridge installed
UK: A bridge that will carry the future Luton DART peoplemover over the A1081 road has been slid into place by contractor VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier. The 80 m long, 1 000 tonne structure had been assembled off-site over eight months, and was then moved around 900 m to its ...
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Rail Business UKEast Coast Trains open access recruitment underway
UK: FirstGroup subsidiary East Coast Trains Ltd is recruiting a management team for the launch of its planned London – Edinburgh open access services by May 2021. Appointments are expected to be announced early next year, Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of FirstGroup’s First Rail division, told Rail ...
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Rail Business UKPower supplies overcome hiccup problems
SIGNALLING: PULS Power has obtained Network Rail certification for five of its PULS QS Series DIN-Rail power supplies to be used in signalling equipment in environments not exceeding 95% relative humidity. Three of these feature the PULS Hiccupplus overload protection mode, which the supplier said overcomes problems ...
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Rail Business UKNova 2 enters service at last
UK: The third new type of train being procured by TransPennine Express under its £500m fleet expansion programme entered passenger service on November 30, when a Class 397 ‘Nova 2’ EMU worked the 08.10 train from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh.
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail seeks feedback on product acceptance
UK: The Railway Industry Association has launched a survey on behalf of Network Rail to find out how the industry views the infrastructure manager’s product acceptance process and to seek suggestions for further improvement. ‘Our product acceptance process is all about ensuring we have safe, compatible, reliable, ...
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup amends management structure
UK: Ahead of the launch of the West Coast Partnership franchise with Trenitalia on December 8, FirstGroup announced a number of changes to its UK rail leadership team on November 29. With effect from January 6, the current Managing Director of the South Western Railway franchise, Andy ...
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Rail Business UKRail Forum Midlands sets out election wish-list
UK: Regional trade organisation Rail Forum Midlands has published a manifesto setting out what the supply chain would like to see following the general election. It has four key points: a commitment to rail playing a major role in the de-carbonisation and clean air agendas; completing ...
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast sets out plans for West Coast franchise
UK: Avanti West Coast was officially unveiled as the brand name for the new West Coast Partnership franchise on November 27. Joint venture partners FirstGroup and Italian national operator Trenitalia explained that ‘Avanti is Italian for “Forward!” and reflects a mission to deliver an innovative railway service ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
LNER has announced ‘the first major change’ to its Hitachi Azuma fleet, with additional floor mounted racks for large items of luggage to replace some non-reservable seats on the nine-car trainsets in the new year. ‘We’re pleased to be able to respond to customer feedback by increasing ...
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Rail Business UKLosing Track
Subtitled ‘an insider’s story of Britain’s railway transformation from British Rail to the present day’, this ‘semi-autobiographical’ book by John Nelson reflects on how Britain’s passenger railway has evolved over the past 50 years, with a view to informing the current Williams Review into the future ...
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Rail Business UKParagon fleet supports Hull Trains’ ambition to be the ‘greatest train operator’
UK: ‘My vision is that Hull Trains will be the greatest train operator in the UK’, Managing Director Louise Cheeseman told Railway Gazette International at the unveiling of the open access operator’s first Hitachi AT300 trainset on November 25. ‘Other operators will come and look at ...
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Rail Business UKTransPennine Express launches Nova fleet
UK: Marking the completion of a £500m investment programme, TransPennine Express formally launched its new fleet of 44 Nova trainsets with an event at Liverpool Lime Street station on November 22. Working with different leasing companies and manufacturers, the FirstGroup-operated franchise has procured three builds of new ...
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Rail Business UKTrain toilet bioreactor on test
UK: What supplier Protec says is the first bioreactor train toilet in the UK is being tested in service on a Class 334 electric multiple-unit which ScotRail leases from Eversholt Rail. The bioreactor uses bacteria to break down waste while the train is running, with a heater ...
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Rail Business UKGreater Anglia rolls out disabled-led accessibility training
UK: All 2 500 of Greater Anglia’s frontline staff are to receive accessibility awareness training delivered by a team of trainers who have disabilities themselves. The team was put together by consultant Sarah Rennie, who said the trainers would ‘bring a level of lived experience into the ...
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Rail Business UKBusiness Travel Association sets out investment priorities
UK: The Business Travel Association has published a pre-election wish-list of its long-term infrastructure investment priorities. For the rail sector, this includes delivering High Speed 2 ‘as currently planned with no reductions in rail links or service provision’, Northern Powerhouse Rail ‘to improve connectivity across the North ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
The Freight Transport Association has called on the government to secure the future of High Speed 2 and reassure businesses of its commitment to infrastructure investment. ‘FTA and its members are excited about the prospect of HS2 and what it can deliver for the logistics industry. With ...
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Rail Business UKSunday service ‘revolution’ coming to Wales
UK: Transport for Wales has announced a ‘Sunday railway revolution’, with the December timetable change due to bring a 40% increase in services as a step towards ‘a truly seven-day railway.’ The 186 additional services will include increased frequencies on the Valley Lines, the introduction of Sunday ...
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Rail Business UKRail Industry Ambassadors wanted
UK: The Young Rail Professionals networking and educational association is recruiting volunteer Rail Industry Ambassadors to visit schools, colleges, universities and career fairs to raise awareness of the ‘fantastic’ career opportunities available within the rail industry. Ambassadors are sought from all levels of the industry, from frontline ...
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Rail Business UKFire-damaged Saxmundham station to be rebuilt
UK: Greater Anglia has obtained planning approval to restore the main building at Saxmundham station, which lost its second floor, roof and chimneys in a fire in February 2018. Work will start early next year to remodel the structure as a single-storey building incorporating an air-conditioned ...