On March 18 Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon cut the first sod to start the main works for the Belfast Transport Hub, which is being built by Farrans Sacyr JV. ‘When completed in 2025, it will be the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland and will help Belfast and Northern Ireland to grow as a modern, competitive, and confident region’, Mallon said.
Responding to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a 5p per litre cut in fuel duty on March 23, Andy Bagnall, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group, said ‘if the government is serious about meeting net zero targets it cannot make rail less competitive. Passenger and freight trains help to clean up the air in towns and cities and reduce congestion. That’s why we need an even approach to taxes, fares and charges across all modes of transport, so the cost of each reflects its environmental impact.’ Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan commented that ‘the fact rail is not mentioned anywhere in his speech or supporting documents is concerning’, adding that ’certainty and visibility for the future costs very little, but has a major impact on rail business confidence and its ability to deliver most effectively for the taxpayer’.
The Welsh government has announced the members of the North Wales Transport Commission led by Lord Terry Burns: John Parkin, Professor of Transport Engineering at the University of the West of England and Deputy Director of the Centre for Transport & Society; Ashley Rogers, Commercial Director of the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council; Dyfed Edwards, Deputy Chair of the Welsh Revenue Authority; Dr Georgina Santos, Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University; Sue Flack, Former Director of Planning & Transport at Nottingham City Council, now independent transport consultant; Stephen Joseph, former Director of the Campaign for Better Transport.
Northern has appointed Andy Marden as TrainCare Centre Manager at Leeds Neville Hill depot, a promotion from his previous role leading the operator’s Engineering Transformation Programme which included the introduction of 101 new trains and the refurbishment of 240.
Translink has awarded Thales a contract to provide a turnkey upgrade of the NI Railways fleet to TPWS MkIV.
The High Speed Rail Group has published High Speed Rail: Net Zero Voices, a report setting out the role of high speed rail in achieving net zero targets.
The Department for Transport has published The Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 (as amended) post-implementation review. The report recommends that the regulations should be amended, with three main recommendations to: issue updated guidance to provide additional clarity about how the regulations operate; explore making better use of existing provisions within the regulations; and engage further with the rail industry to develop and assess options for potential legislative changes to RIR 2011.
Avanti West Coast’s app now allows passengers to see how busy trains are and select a preferred seat when making a booking.
Caerphilly Council has appointed Grimshaw Architects to design a ‘landmark’ rail, bus and active travel interchange which is expected to serve more than of 1 million passengers/year.