Alstom has begun demobilising the production lines at its Derby factory in the absence of future work following the completion of Aventra EMU production. A spokesperson told Rail Business UK ‘we have worked constructively with the government on securing a sustainable future for Derby Litchurch Lane, but after 10 months of discussions we have run out of time, and the production lines have stopped. We will now consult with our staff, with trades unions and with our UK supply chain to provide as much certainty as we can.‘
On March 25 the Unite union called on the government to exercise options in the current Avanti West Coast train contract to safeguard jobs at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant. Work on current projects for AWC and East Midlands Railway is set to decline by October 2024, with no new contracts in place in the short term.
Commenting on the start of Network Rail’s £45·4bn CP7 delivery plan, Rail Partners’ Director of Policy Robert Girgis said on April 2 that ’the railway is facing a series of complex challenges including a delayed reform process. The funding is fair given the wider financial backdrop, but it still represents a real terms reduction.’
Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and the Campaign for Better Transport have launched the A Greener Future campaign across channels including social media, digital platforms and outdoor advertising. This aims to encourage ‘Gen Z’ people, born between the mid 1990s and the early 2010s, to choose the train over the car by explaining that just one journey by train can make a significant and positive impact.
Govia Thameslink Railway is working with Sight Loss Councils and the Thomas Pocklington Trust to extend the free Aira guiding app to eight more stations. Users can make a video call to a trained advisor who looks through the passenger’s smartphone camera to guide them around the station on speakerphone. ‘We’re always on the lookout for innovative ways to improve, and extending this app to more stations could make a real difference’, said GTR’s accessibility Lead Carl Martin.
Cisco has joined Purple Transform and Lancaster University in the Suicide Avoidance via Intelligent Video Examination project. Three separate AI-enabled technologies identify and assess individuals at risk, alerting staff, mental health professionals and the police while offering actionable advice on response.
The Global Centre of Rail Excellence has signed a memorandum of understanding with Urban.MASS, which proposes to demonstrate its concept for driverless on-demand pods at the South Wales site.
The Rail Data Marketplace run by the Rail Delivery Group is expanding the range of industry data it makes available in one place. RDG said it is benefiting from the Department for Transport including data sharing requirements in operating contracts.
A new building with an information counter, toilet and a space for a future retail opportunity was opened at Reading West station on March 19. Ticket gates have also been installed, and a bus interchange, improved cycle parking and pedestrian crossing added. Reading Borough Council worked with Network Rail and GWR to deliver the £5m project.
Testing of LB Foster’s battery-powered freestanding information screens has included blowing one up at a military site to simulate the effect of a nearby terrorist bomb. The glass did not fragment, and the structure folds rather than flying away to help avoid injuries.
Govia Thameslink Railway has awarded City Sprint UK contracts for the provision of haulage and courier services between its depots and to other destinations in the UK.
RAIB makes three recommendations to Nottingham Trams Ltd in its report into a derailment at Bulwell on June 12 2023. The first recommends a review of control room policy and procedures to ensure that clear and practical guidance is available to manage the response to engineering faults. The second relates to the improvement of risk assessments in light of this accident. The third concerns the consideration of human factors when assessing the effects of a proposed engineering change. RAIB has also identified a learning point to remind tram drivers to not make assumptions about the status of signals or indicators based on their previous experience.