The Rail Delivery Group has announced that the 26-30 Railcard will be available to all 26 to 30 year olds by end of the year. It will be sold for £30 through a smartphone app, and will offer one-third off fares, subject to time restrictions and minimum fares.
Network Rail is to investigate the possibility of developing and deploying a CCTV analytics system to reduce the risk of road users becoming trapped on level crossings. NR envisages that this would assist the signaller by displaying coloured borders and highlights when an object is in the crossing area, and require an intervention if the object is not observed by the signaller.
LNER has awarded ECR Retail Systems a contract to supply 216 ECR Go2 hand-held mobile electronic point of sale devices with RailPoS software for use by staff providing at-seat services. They will manage orders, stock control and supply chain requirements, integrating with systems used by catering supplier Rail Gourmet.
Greater Anglia has completed a review of contingency plans for when services are disrupted on its West Anglia route. The updated plans are intended to help manage disruption more consistently, provide better information and improved alternative arrangements for passengers. ‘The new plans are being briefed out to staff in a much more accessible format’, said David Hillhouse, Customer Experience Route Strategy Manager, West & South. ‘This means that during disruption staff will know what kind of service will be running and the steps they need to take to get people to their destinations with minimum fuss.’ The next stage of the review will focus on the Great Eastern area, followed by the South area.
AMCO commissioned Lanes to rehabilitate a 900 mm diameter circular culvert on Rannoch Moor, where Network Rail Scotland required the 11 m long liner to be 16 mm thick to give a design-life of 100 years and work had to be completed in a 10 h possession. 'Meticulous planning was key', said Lanes Pipe Rehabilitation & Lining Division Manager Simon Bull. 'We selected ultraviolet cured in place pipe lining as the most appropriate methodology, especially given the time constraints. UV lining requires less equipment, less operational space to deploy, and can be completed faster than other CIPP methodologies, all key benefits, given the transport and time constraints with this project.'
Overhead electrification on the route from Larbert through Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa is scheduled to go live from November 4, ready for testing and safety validation ahead of the introduction of electric trains later this year.
Greater Anglia has completed a £58 000 renovation of buildings at Ely station, supported by a £10 000 grant from the Railway Heritage Trust. The work undertaken by contractor RG Carter involved removing badly patched render on the outside of the buildings, leading to the discovery that the steelwork beneath was corroded. New stainless steel mesh was installed, covered with lime render and a porous paint applied.
Network Rail has selected sole bidder Photo-Me International as concessionaire for the provision of photobooth services at its 19 managed stations.
The Department for Transport has published the fourth edition of its Rolling Stock Perspective document, setting out its aspirations for the rail sector as a whole. It said the aim is to make DfT act as a better client, drive improvements in passenger quality and offer improved information and transparency for stakeholders.