Spencer Group has installed two bridges from the main station buildings to platform level at the future White Rose station in West Yorkshire.
In a post-close update on trading for the 27 weeks to September 30, FirstGroup said demand for Lumo and Hull Trains services had been stronger than anticipated owing to increased leisure travel during the summer period. The final variable fee payments due for the division’s management fee-based contracts for FY2023 have been agreed with the Department for Transport at a rate ahead of the amounts accrued in the group’s FY2023 financial statements. As a result of these factors, First Rail’s FY2024 adjusted operating profit is expected to be £12m-£15m ahead of expectations.
c2c’s Porterbrook-owned Alstom Class 720 Aventra five-car EMUs have begun entering passenger service. Features of the Derby-built trainsets include power and USB sockets at every seat, improved wi-fi, air-conditioning, toilets and open gangways.
Maryam Eslamdoust has been elected as General Secretary of the TSSA union. ‘Together we’ve done something that’s never been done before — for the first time in its 126 year history, TSSA is led by a woman, and a person of colour too’, she said. ‘Together let’s strengthen our union and ensure a laser focus on members’ jobs, pay, terms and conditions. I ran a campaign to fix the internal issues in our union and focus on protecting jobs and pay for our members. Our members are the lifeblood and purpose of this union and their interests will always come first under my leadership.’
The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership has funded signs to help people find Derby Road station in Ipswich. ‘One of the key things we can do to tackle climate change is encourage people to get out of their cars’, said Thalia Rushmore, East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership Officer. ’We hope that if more people are aware of the station, they will try a train journey.’
CrossCountry has appointed Harj Singh as Finance Director on a permanent basis from October 5. Before joining the operator in an interim role, he worked on acquisitions of rail contracts and gained significant experience of working with government bodies, including Transport for Wales and Homes England.
The School of Computing & Engineering and the Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing & Remote Sensing at the University of West London have invited applications for fully-funded PhD scholarships in topics including Track Foundations & Ballast Monitoring Using Remote Sensing & Ground-Based Non-Destructive Testing.
In its report into an October 19 2022 derailment at Petteril Bridge Junction in Carlisle, RAIB recommends that the rail industry to undertake work to understand the specific risks to freight trains in low adhesion conditions. It makes two recommendations to review Rule Book requirements for stopping and examining trains and the requirements relating to drivers looking back along their trains. A learning point reminds signallers of the circumstances in which they should stop trains for examination.