The Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation has started work to renovate a former Midland Metro T69 tram donated by the UKTram trade association last year. Built by AnsaldoBreda in 1998, the T69 cars were replaced by CAF Urbos 3 cars in 2015-16, and all but one were disposed of. Tram 16 is to be converted to battery operation by BCIMO to support projects being undertaken as part of its Clean Futures Accelerator programme.
The Office of Rail & Road has approved an application from The Rail Academy to become an ORR-registered Train Driver Training & Examination Centre following a review of its activities under the Train Driver Licences & Certificates Regulations 2010. TRA Managing Director Cath Bellamy said she was ’absolutely delighted to receive this recognition. Training Train Drivers is necessarily tightly regulated and it must be done properly by people who are experienced, qualified and capable. As the UK’s only independent ORR-approved centre on the register, we now offer the rail industry a brand new choice in how it trains its drivers.’
ChangeGroup has secured a contract to offer a range of currency exchange services at London Liverpool Street station. This includes fast travel cash in all major currencies, international bank transfers, and debit or credit card cash advances. The company already has branches at several UK airports and at London St Pancras International.
LNER has made live journey information accessible from a passenger’s seat via a seatback QR code. The tool has been developed by Whoosh, and will include options for users to give feedback to the operator about their journey and to sign up for the LNER Perks loyalty programme.
West Midlands Railway put its Alstom-built Class 730 Aventra EMUs into revenue service on the Cross-City line in Birmingham on April 15. The three-car units will run in pairs, giving each train a capacity of more than 1 000 passengers, WMR said. Over the next few months, the Class 730s will gradually replace the Class 323 EMUs used on the busy route between Lichfield, Birmingham, Redditch and Bromsgrove for the past 30 years.
Network Rail’s lead contractor Story has installed a new footbridge at Dumfries station as part of a £3·6m accessibility enhancement scheme that also includes provision of lifts. The bridge and lifts are expected to open later this year, according to NR. The 51 tonne bridge was fabricated locally by M&S Engineering and incorporates elements from the original footbridge at Dumfries station, including a saltire design on the parapet and curved detail on the deck.
The New River Line Community Rail Partnership, Greater Anglia and the Campaign for Real Ale have launched a Rail Ale Trail covering 18 pubs along the Hertford East – Broxbourne line.