Network Rail has awarded Hitachi Rail and Linbrooke a 12-month contract to design a digital Signalling Command Control system for the Gloucester area. Based on the Wayside Standard Platform, this will replace the current switch panel installed in the 1960s. The contract announced on October 12 ‘is a significant milestone for Hitachi Rail’s signalling business in the UK’, said Nick Hughes, Sales Director UK & Ireland.
Simon Blanchflower is to retire as CEO of East West Railway Co in March 2022. He joined in 2018, having previously been Thameslink Programme Director. ‘When I joined, the whole team could almost fit in one meeting room’, he said. ‘Since then, the programme has created more than 1 000 jobs, and funding for the first phase is secure. By March next year, we will have banked our first year of construction, and have chosen the alignment to complete the route from Oxford to Cambridge.’
The Dartmoor Line to Okehampton is to reopen for year-round services on November 20, with trains from Exeter every 2 h, increasing to hourly from May 2022. The £40m project involving DfT, Network Rail, Great Western Railway, Devon County Council and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership is the first reopening under the government’s Restoring Your Railway programme.
Heathrow Express and Distribusion Technologies have worked with Google Maps to offer information on journey times and fast access to tickets within the Google Maps journey planner. Using mobile payment such as Apple Pay, a ticket transaction can be completed in under a minute.
Hunter Apparel Solutions has a three-year, six-figure contract to produce ‘ethical and sustainable’ uniforms for London – Edinburgh open access operator Lumo, which required the clothing to stand out from previous industry designs. ‘We have even consciously moved away from the word ‘uniform’ because our approach isn’t uniform, it’s unique and thoughtful, and we wanted garments to reflect that’, said Lumo Managing Director Helen Wylde. ‘We wanted gender-neutral apparel options that showcase our wholistic and inclusive approach to business.’
East Midlands Railway has introduced an account function to its website to make it easier for passengers to apply for a Delay Repay refund. Personal details are prefilled, and season ticket holders can save their ticket details and skip having to add a new journey each time they claim. Compensation can be paid by BACS, credit or debit card, Amazon vouchers or PayPal. Alternatively, customer can opt to donate their compensation to Samaritans.
