UK rail industry news – Page 66
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Rail Business UKWest Coast Main Line electro-diesels on test
UK: The first two of 13 Hitachi Class 805 electro-diesel trainsets ordered for Avanti West Coast services are undergoing testing on the West Coast Main Line ahead of entry into service later this year. This follows two months of dynamic testing at Network Rail’s Rail Innovation ...
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast submits revised recovery plan
UK: Inter-City West Coast operator Avanti West Coast has submitted a revised timetable production recovery plan to the Office of Rail & Road. The regulator had sought changes after the operator’s initial improvements had stalled with weekend timetables being finalised just a few days in advance. ...
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Rail Business UKSouth Western Railway operating contract extended
UK: The Department for Transport has exercised an option to extend South Western Railway’s National Rail Contract for a further two years. Directly-awarded NRCs are intended as an interim step between the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements which were put in place during the pandemic, and the ...
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Rail Business UKAlstom opens national training academy in Derby
UK: Local Member of Parliament Dame Margaret Beckett opened Alstom’s £250 000 National Training Centre at its Litchurch Lane factory in Derby on February 7. The company plans to take on 120 apprentices and graduates in the UK this year, with all spending time at the ...
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Rail Business UKMorgan Sindall awarded Surrey Quays station works contract
UK: Transport for London has appointed Morgan Sindall Infrastructure as main works contractor for the construction of a second entrance at London Overground’s Surrey Quays station. This will provide more direct access to nearby developments and the existing shopping centre, with a ‘spacious’ ticket hall and ...
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Rail Business UKRail impact of minimum service legislation to be investigated
UK: The House of Commons Transport Committee has launched an inquiry into how the government’s proposed Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill would apply in practice to the rail sector. If passed, the bill would allow the Secretary of State to make regulations setting out the minimum ...
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Rail Business UKWashwood Heath HS2 depot approved
UK: Birmingham City Council has granted Schedule 17 approval for High Speed 2’s Washwood Heath depot. The 2017 act providing legal powers for the construction of Phase One of HS2 provides deemed planning permission for the project, but Schedule 17 requires that HS2 Ltd seeks the ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.
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Rail Business UKRail reform will enhance the role of the private sector, says Harper
UK: Private sector train operators will have a key role to play in the reformed rail structure, Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper told industry leaders on February 7. Presenting the annual George Bradshaw Address hosted by industry association Rail Partners, Harper sought to set ...
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Rail Business UKUrban Transport Group’s next Chair appointed
UK: Steve Warrener, Managing Director of Transport for Greater Manchester, has been named Chair of the Urban Transport Group of city region transport authorities. This follows the end of the two-year term of outgoing Chair Laura Shoaf, Chief Executive of West Midlands Combined Authority. ‘The cost ...
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Rail Business UKPortishead railway reopening contact awarded
UK: Network Rail has awarded VolkerFitzpatrick the multi-disciplinary works contract for the reinstatement of 5·5 km of disused line between Pill and Portishead to enable the reintroduction of passenger services to Bristol. There are two phases to the contract, with the £6·14m first stage covering detailed ...
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Rail Business UKResearch to improve prediction of low-adhesion rail conditions
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board and University of Sheffield are collaborating to investigate how more detailed information on temperature, humidity and the presence of leaf layers or other contaminants can be used to predict low-adhesion track conditions caused by leaves on the line. The ...
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Rail Business UKTransport Committee to investigate accessibility obligations, enforcement and redress
UK: The House of Commons Transport Committee has launched an inquiry into transport accessibility for disabled people and those with access needs. This will examine the effectiveness and enforcement of legislation, and any gaps in it that need to be filled. The committee will also look at ...
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Rail Business UKInverness Airport station opens
UK: Inverness Airport station opened to passengers on February 3, after being inaugurated by Scottish Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth the previous day. The station 12 km northeast of the city on the line to Aberdeen is intended to improve transport links to the airport, business park ...
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Rail Business UKHima Group acquires Sella Controls
UK: Germany’s Hima Group has acquired railway and industrial automation and control technology company Sella Controls with effect from February 1. Previous owners John Blackwell and Eddy Turnock will continue to lead Sella Controls, with Chris Parr, who previously led the Process division, joining the board ...
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Rail Business UKRIA announces 2023 Unlocking Innovation programme
UK: The Railway Industry Association has announced its Unlocking Innovation event programme for 2023. The programme is supported by Network Rail and the UK Rail Research & Innovation Network. It starts with an Unlocking Innovation — Rail Freight event in Doncaster on February 22. This will ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.
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Rail Business UKFLOW footbridge aims to offer low-cost way to close foot crossings
UK: A prototype Fibre-reinforced polymer, Lower cost, Optimised design, Working — or FLOW — footbridge developed to enable the affordable replacement of foot crossings has been opened in Shropshire. The FLOW bridge was designed and funded by Network Rail’s Research & Development team in partnership with ...
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Rail Business UKOrange rail tickets get greener
UK: Magnetic stripe ticket manufacturer Paragon ID says it has reduced the environmental impact of production by 87% by switching from a solvent-based process to a water-based one. This follows a two-year project in partnership with the Rail Delivery Group and investment of £230 000. A ...
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Rail Business UKRail regulator calls for passenger-friendly approach to short-notice train cancellations
UK: Train operators need to introduce a more passenger-friendly and transparent ways of working when making late changes to services, according to industry regulator the Office of Rail & Road. Currently ‘pre-cancellations’ made via a process known as ‘p-coding’ can be confirmed up to 22.00 the ...