Table of contents for Issue 819 in RAIL

“This trend towards overseas state railway ownership of our franchises is undeniable - DfT must decide if it wants this trajectory to continue” Back in late November 2014, when the c2c franchise was awarded to National Express, I attended a press briefing about the new deal at which significant new and interesting passenger benefits - automatic compensation payments, for example - were unveiled. In the discussion, I pointed out that National Express was now operator of a single, modest franchise, and therefore appeared to be on its way out of the UK franchise business? This very large owning group had operated 12 TOCs (not all at the same time): c2c, East Coast, ScotRail, West Anglia Great Northern, ‘one’, Gatwick Express, Silverlink, Central Trains, Midland Mainline, Wales & Borders, Valley Lines…

FirstGroup and Trenitalia UK Ltd are to bid together for the East Midlands and West Coast Partnership franchises, which are due to be awarded in 2018. As First Trenitalia East Midlands Rail Ltd, the companies submitted an Expression of Interest for that franchise to the Department for Transport on January 24. First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd will bid for the West Coast Partnership franchise. First Rail Managing Director Steve Montgomery said: “Both ourselves and Trenitalia have extensive expertise of running commuter, regional and long-distance services such as those that make up the East Midlands franchise. “Similarly, Trenitalia has transformed the customer experience on Italy’s railways through its high-speed Frecciarossa routes. They will be a world-class bidding partner as we develop proposals to deliver excellent services for West Coast passengers…

Alex Hynes is to replace Phil Verster as ScotRail Alliance Managing Director. Currently MD of Northern, Hynes will move north of the border later this year, after Verster leaves his current post to take over leading the construction of the East West Rail project. Hynes has been in his current role for three and a half years, covering two franchises (the current Arriva-owned Northern franchise began on April 1 2016, replacing the Abellio/Serco-owned franchise). He called the Alliance a ‘cutting-edge arrangement’, adding that it was “delivering one of the largest programmes of investment, change and modernisation since the railway was built. To be part of that, and the plans to vastly improve services and capacity for customers, is hugely exciting for me.” Network Rail Chief Executive Mark Carne said: “This…

TALKS to avert further industrial action on Southern Railway were continuing for a sixth day as this issue of RAIL closed for press. Previous attempts to reach a deal with drivers’ union ASLEF had not lasted even six hours. TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady and Andy Meadows, human resources director at train group Abellio, were jointly chairing the talks at the TUC’s offices. Their only public comment after the fifth day was: “Progress continues to be made.” ASLEF suspended three days of strikes scheduled for January 24, 25 and 27, and lifted the overtime ban that had been in force since December 6. The RMT union, which represents conductors and a small number of drivers at Southern, was not involved in the peace talks. Its 24-hour strike by conductors went…

Southern Railway has defended its new policy towards wheelchair users, following the introduction of On Board Supervisors in place of traditional conductors. James Wellings, a wheelchair user who commutes from Crawley to Horley, was unimpressed. Crawley is a staffed station; Horley is not. “You worry for the whole journey if anyone is at the platform,” he said. “You worry if they have been contacted to get me off, and will there be an On Board Supervisor available as a back-up. There no longer has to be an OBS on every train. So we have to pray there is one on the next one instead.” Disability campaigner Ann Bates has worked with rail companies to improve access for more than 20 years. She tried to return home to Worthing on January…

Fifty MPs have backed an attempt to introduce a new law to restrict the impact of strikes on the railway. Croydon South Conservative MP Chris Philp has proposed legislation to protect rail, tram and bus operations as well as the NHS. Philp said a High Court Judge should adjudicate on the proportionality and reasonableness of action, and determine a minimum level of service on public transport that must be provided during any strike. He did not suggest how that level of service would be defined, or which members of a striking union would be legally obliged to work. The proposal, known as a Ten Minute Rule Motion, is not expected to succeed.…

The National Infrastructure Commission will issue its final report into the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor later this year. David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury, said in a Parliamentary debate on January 17 that the report would contain delivery options for transport that the Treasury will consider. The Autumn Statement ( RAIL 815) detailed plans for a £100 million investment to accelerate construction of the East West Rail line. Gauke was responding to David Mackintosh (Conservative, Northampton South), who had asked what steps were being taken to develop the corridor.…

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke has backed Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling’s decision not to allow Transport for London to take over parts of the Southeastern franchise (RAIL 816). TfL had delivered a business case involving a takeover of Metro services from Charing Cross and Cannon Street. Grayling decided against this, and instead called for greater TfL involvement in the new Southeastern franchise. Conservative Elphicke, speaking in a Parliamentary debate on Southeastern on January 12, said: “My constituents in Kent are deeply concerned that, for too long, London has acted as a selfish city seeking to benefit itself at the expense of the people of Kent and the other home counties.” In the same debate, Grayling defended the decision to Matthew Pennycook (Labour, Greenwich and Woolwich), who had said:…

A £100,000 virtual reality training facility has opened at Arriva Trains Wales’ (ATW’s) driver training centre in Cardiff. Developed by Virtual Reality Simulation Systems, the simulator is used by conductors and station staff to recognise behaviours and identify potential risks and hazards to passengers in a controlled environment. ATW Human Resources Director Gareth Thomas said: “In the last five years, 15 people have been killed in platform-train interface incidents across the UK and another 254 have suffered major injuries. “The well-being of our passengers is vitally important to us, and that is why we have invested heavily in developing the virtual reality cave. It will help train our staff to identify potential risks and hazards faster so they can react quicker and reduce the number of accidents across our network.”…

Vegetation clearance on parts of the former South Staffordshire Railway has heralded the start of construction of the proposed Midland Metro extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill. The work began in the week beginning January 16 and was expected to take a fortnight. The Midland Metro Alliance anticipates work on the route to begin properly in 2019, and that the route will open in 2023. “While this is not the formal start of work on the extension, it is the first step towards it,” said Roger Lawrence, lead member for transport for the West Midlands Combined Authority. “Once it is complete the Black Country and wider region will reap the economic rewards of having an extended modern tram system running through it.”…

Work has started on development of the £17.95 million Newton-le-Willows interchange, following completion of the first phase of car park development by Merseytravel last year. Initial works involve preparations for construction of a new subway. A new main station entrance and ticket office will be built on the south side of the station, with improvements including step-free access, new toilets, a bus interchange, 400-space car park, better waiting facilities and extra cycle parking. The project is expected to be completed by March 2018.…

Overall satisfaction for long-distance passengers remained stable in the latest National Rail Passenger Survey, with a rating of 86%. Five areas recorded improvement, with none showing decline. Efforts to improve stations appear to be bearing fruit, with satisfaction levels rising for station upkeep (up 2pp to 82%), facilities and services (up 4pp to 74%), and availability of seating (up 3pp to 58%). On trains, satisfaction with toilet facilities rose by 4pp to 56%, and comfort of the seating area by 3pp to 79%.…

THE cause of the fire that damaged Vivarail’s prototype D-Train during main line testing on December 30 2016 is “not immediately obvious”, the company’s interim investigation has concluded. Published on January 13, the investigation was commissioned by Vivarail Chief Executive Adrian Shooter in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which brought the three-car diesel-electric multiple unit to a halt at Kenilworth ( RAIL 818). A blaze started in one of its detachable engine modules (gensets) at approximately 1300. Ten staff from Vivarail and operator West Coast Railway were all safely evacuated, although the stationary Class 230 did cause more than 300 delay minutes to services between Coventry and Nuneaton, until it could be moved at approximately 1700 from the single-line section it was blocking. The incident was reported to the…

Rail Minister Paul Maynard has told fellow MPs that he hopes capacity concerns on the West Anglia Main Line will be tackled. Sir Alan Haselhurst (Conservative, Saffron Walden) highlighted the problems facing the route during a question to the House of Commons on January 16. He said: “In view of the increasing number of passengers and employees using Stansted Airport, the growth of the Cambridge biomedical campus, the prospect of Crossrail 2, the announcement of major housing developments and the welcome prospect of new, high-performance trains, what plans has my Hon. Friend for increasing track capacity on the West Anglia line to take advantage of those factors?” Maynard said Haselhurst was right to highlight the concern, and spoke of work carried out by the West Anglia Taskforce. He added: “We…

Plans for a major upgrade of Ilford station for Crossrail have been approved by Redbridge Council. A new building, larger ticket hall and new lifts will be built to serve the expected increase in passenger numbers. The new station building will have a glass façade designed to let more natural light into the station. The station will also gain longer platforms, improved lighting and signage, customer information points, CCTV and overhead information screens. Detailed design work will now take place, with Network Rail expecting to award the construction contract this year, work starting in 2018, and completion in 2019.…

The Centre for Policy Studies (CfPS) has said that ramping up competition on Britain’s railways would generate more journeys, lower fares and increase passenger satisfaction. The conclusions were outlined in its 88th Economic Bulletin, published in late-December. The think tank, which was founded in 1974, claims that competition on the UK’s passenger railways effectively ends after the franchising process, highlighting the fact that the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) only approved four out of 19 open access proposals from 2000 to 2014. However, while in favour of greater on-rail competition, the CfPS points out that a recent OECD study found competition in Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy had not generated efficiencies. A further study in the Netherlands suggested that open access may be unsuitable. “On track competition is…

Network Rail is investigating how three track workers were almost struck by a train during engineering works at Ladbroke Grove on December 30 2016. RAIL understands that two tracks were reopened for empty stock workings from Old Oak Common following the initial blockade, but that the three workers from Alstom involved in the incident may have been unaware of the development prior to almost being struck by an empty train at 0935. NR spokesman Grete Luxbacher said: “An internal investigation is under way to understand how our people came to be in such a position.”…

WESTERN Didcot: The present station could be relocated, under Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Council’s plans to create a new garden town with up to 15,000 extra homes over the next 20 years. If relocated to the Orchard Centre area, it would better serve the Oxford Line. Williton: The West Somerset Railway station, where the goods shed is already home to the Diesel & Electric Group locomotive fleet, is being considered for a Brunel-themed exhibition centre. Winchcombe: Aviva Insurance has donated £25,000 towards the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s new visitor centre at the station. The £300,000 stone building will also be available for community use. EASTERN Darlington: The main steel beam from a locomotive turntable buried next to the East Coast Main Line has been lifted out and…

HITACHI Rail Europe 385102 made its main line debut overnight on January 12/13, on main line testing between Gourock and Wemyss Bay. The four-car electric multiple unit is the first of 70 Class 385s destined for ScotRail, and had been unveiled to invited parties at Glasgow Shields Road on December 11 ( RAIL 816). On its main line debut it ran in a signal protected zone (SPZ) with DB Cargo UK crewing it. Initial tests are predominantly to collect EMC and EECS data to satisfy the safety case for the trains. This involves testing the electrical and radio interference. Testing had been due to start before Christmas. Hitachi Rail Europe AT100/200 Programme Manager Andy Radford told RAIL : “I can confirm categorically that a train fault did not prevent the…

COLAS Rail has bought two Class 67s that were offered for sale by DB Cargo UK last year ( RAIL 815). The 125mph locomotives, which were owned by DB subsidiary Locomotive 6667 Limited, will be used for hauling high-speed test trains operated by Colas for Network Rail. Class 67s were tasked with this job when DB operated the infrastructure monitoring contract for NR, but when Colas took over in 2015 it used Class 68s hired from Direct Rail Services instead. The two ‘67s’ will be the first of the 30 that were delivered to EWS in 1999-2000 to be sold. They were built by Alstom in Valencia, Spain, under licence for General Motors, and were designed to replace life-expired Class 47s on parcel and charter traffic. However, the loss of…

The 41st of 115 Class 700 electric multiple units (EMUs) was delivered to Siemens’ Three Bridges depot on January 12. Eight-car 700031 arrived in the UK from Germany, where it was built at Krefeld by Siemens and tested at Wildenrath, before being dispatched to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). It follows 700024, which arrived on January 10, and 700029, which arrived on December 29. Both are eight-car trains. As it stands, 36% of the fleet ordered by the Department for Transport has been delivered to the UK. Following the latest deliveries, there are now 26 eight-car Class 700/0s (208 vehicles) and 15 12-car Class 700/1s (180 vehicles) - which together have the same number of vehicles as the 96 four-car EMUs that they are replacing. The ‘700s’ will replace 86 four-car…

Reprieve for DRS ‘37’ Direct Rail Services 37409 Lord Hinton , which had been destined for withdrawal, is set to be retained after DRS extended its contract with Greater Anglia. A modern Prometheus Direct Rail Services 88002 has been named Prometheus . The nameplates were attached in Valencia, where the dual-mode locomotive has been built by Stadler. Repairs start on ‘37/0’ Repairs have begun on 37250, with the aim of returning the Weardale Railway-based Class 37/0 to traffic in 2018. It has been sidelined since 2014.…

Modified 92023 and 92033 were taken from Brush Traction Loughborough to Crewe on January 17. The work has involved: re-specifying some of the internal electronic settings of the current and low frequency monitoring systems; complete removal and testing of all electronic boards and diodes in the gate drive units (there are 34 per ‘92’); cleaning, testing and replacing all 174 optical fibres per ‘92’; replacing all emitters and receivers; carrying out overhauls of valve sets; and undertaking a comprehensive inspection of all cabling and harnesses. The overall value of the contract to modify the Caledonian Sleeper locomotives is worth £3 million, with ten to be treated (92006/010/014/018/023/028/032/033/043/ 044). First to be treated was 92014 last year, and this completed 50,000 miles in traffic before a failure. The fourth (92018) is…

THE Government has confirmed that it will not make compulsory purchase orders for land to be used at regeneration projects adjacent to HS2. This follows recommendations made by the House of Lords Select Committee report (RAIL 818), which described this as “undesirable and unnecessary”. It means that the Government will not be able to acquire land unrelated to the HS2 scheme, although in its response it did point out the drawback of losing this power: “The onus must therefore lie with local authorities to ensure that opportunities for regeneration arising from Phase 1 of HS2 are not missed due to any failure to use their own similar powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 or to work collaboratively across boundaries.” Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling published…

 David Waboso joined Network Rail in June 2016. He is an engineer and project manager who has worked for engineering and consulting firms on infrastructure programmes. “We would want our specification for Level 2 to be upgradeable to Level 3 wherever possible, and at very small cost.”David Waboso, Digital Railway Managing Director, NR He led the upgrade of the Docklands Light Railway and the completion of the trains and signalling systems for the Jubilee Line Extension. He worked on Thameslink and train safety programmes, led cross-industry programmes on ERTMS at the Strategic Rail Authority and, from 2005 to 2016, he was the engineering director (then capital programmes director) at London Underground, leading its £10 billion upgrade programme. Waboso is a chartered engineer and a fellow of the Royal Academy of…

“No single organisation is capable of delivering the Digital Railway alone, it requires the supply chain to work together with the Digital Railway team, Network Rail and the TOCs and FOCs in collaboration.”David Taylor, Mainline Rail Account Director, Thales In the UK, passenger numbers are continuing to increase alongside customer expectations for a ‘right time railway’ with no train, signalling or infrastructure failures or delays. For operators this continual growth, coupled with the need to meet the expectation of a 24/7 railway, is highly challenging. Today’s passengers quite rightly expect an on-time service, and plan their lives around their train departing and leaving on time. They want real-time information at each point of their journey - from planning it at home or work, arriving at the station and throughout the…

IT is some time since I discussed my oft-asked (and never answered) question: ‘What is franchising for?’ The peg, of course, is that yet another foreign state-owned company has entered the market, with Trenitalia’s takeover of the c2c franchise from National Express (RAIL 818). There are two significant aspects to this. Firstly, that an Italian company joins French, German and Dutch state-owned businesses operating trains in the UK. Indeed, the TSSA union has put out an amusing film (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvagsSOlAy4), suggesting that the people of those countries are grateful for the fact that profits from these franchises are helping to subsidise their own rail services. While the amounts of money are not really sufficient to make much difference, it certainly makes an apt point that will cause embarrassment, especially to keen…

“To enhance rail capacity most effectively, we need top-down and bottom-up visions to meet” SOMETIMES we make simple things sound difficult. Take this phrase from a recent report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE): “On-demand door-to-door mobility solutions”. For context, the report is talking about ways to increase rail capacity, and rail’s place in the wider transport system. The phrase makes walking to a station to catch a train sound highly complicated. Or jumping into your car to drive. Walking to the end of the street to catch a bus to the station adds something that could go wrong but, at heart, is still pretty simple. To my mind, the IMechE’s phrase - and I must declare an interest as an associate member - conjures something altogether more complicated,…

GOVERNMENT launched the process to build new trains for HS2 on January 20, confirming it is seeking a deal worth £2.75 billion for up to 60 trains capable of 225mph running. Royal Assent for Phase 1 of the railway (between London and Birmingham, due to open in 2026) is expected soon. Building work is due to begin on the Birmingham-London section this spring. “Launching the hunt for a manufacturer of these trains is a major step towards Britain getting a new railway which will carry over 300,000 people a day, improve connections between our great cities, generate jobs, and help us build an economy that works for all,” said Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling. “Hundreds of jobs will be created in building and maintaining these trains, representing a…

Following the announcement, Alstom, Hitachi and Siemens all confirmed they would be bidding for the contract. Speaking on January 20, Alstom UK & Ireland’s Managing Director Nick Crossfield said: “A fantastic new train service for Britain has moved another step closer today. “Alstom has the widest range of high speed trains in the world, combining high-tech features with extraordinary passenger experience. We are hugely committed to the UK already, investing in a new industrial facility and training centre at Widnes that will provide 15,000 days training a year. This is a massive opportunity for companies like ours to step up our commitment to UK jobs, skills and training even further.” Alstom launched its new high speed train in London last May ( RAIL 802), and it is expected that any…

Rail Minister Paul Maynard has urged the Scottish Government and Scottish MPs to engage in the devolution of Network Rail routes, rather than call for the full devolution of NR to Scotland. In a Parliamentary debate on NR on January 12, Chris Law (SNP, Dundee West), said: “The Reform Scotland think-tank published a report in November calling for Network Rail to be devolved. The Minister will also be aware that an ever-growing list of people advocate further rail devolution, so will he do the right thing and commit to a date for opening discussions with the Scottish Government on this matter?” Maynard responded: “Devolution does not just occur within Governments and within Whitehall, and between Whitehall and Scotland. “A significant amount of operational devolution is occurring within Network Rail as…

A committee of MPs has pressed Rail Minister Paul Maynard to say whether Govia Thameslink Railway was in default of its contractual obligations. The Transport Select Committee (TSC) demanded to know whether the company’s claims of “force majeure” - events beyond its control - had been processed. TSC Chairman Louise Ellman said: “GTR’s claims for force majeure were made ten months ago. The Department [for Transport] must state publicly whether the company is in default of its contract. At the last forecast, the Department had already incurred losses of £38 million in revenue. Ministers cannot duck this issue.”…

Southern has stepped up a recruitment campaign to attract new drivers. The company aims to have a pool of 200 people in training, saying this will reduce reliance on overtime and rest day working. Since December, the overtime ban by members of drivers’ union ASLEF led to one in five services being cancelled each day. Southern said it also needed to replace staff who leave, as many of its drivers are approaching retirement age. The company also wants to encourage applications from people seeking part-time employment, as more flexible working would widen the range of people wanting to drive trains. Drivers receive a salary of £25,000 during training, rising to £49,000 when qualified. They work a four-day, 35-hour week. ASLEF claimed Southern had never employed sufficient drivers. It said 300…

“ Franchising has been instrumental in improving the railways for passengers and as part of the enormous growth in rail usage since privatisation 20 years ago. ” CHRIS GRAYLING Transport Secretary replies to a question in Parliament regarding the future role of the public sector in the railway. “Southern are the absolute worst of a bad bunch when it comes to Britain’s rotten privatised railways. ” MICK CASH RMT General Secretary, talking after Which? report gives Southern a 21% satisfaction rating. “ High speed trains showcase the very best of modern technology and have the potential to completely transform the passengers’ experience of rail. ” HSRIL SPOKESMAN The High Speed Rail Industry Leaders group welcomes the launch of procurement for HS2 trains. “The ScotRail Alliance is delivering one…

Abellio won the long-term Greater Anglia franchise last year, having operated the deal across two Direct Awards. It initially took over in February 2012, with the deal extended in the summer of 2014. The long-term deal was announced on August 10 last year ( RAIL 807), following delays caused by Brexit. Abellio will invest £1.4 billion in new trains for the region between 2018 and 2021 with a complete fleet replacement. It needs to repay £3.7bn in premium payments by the end of the franchise.…

BRITAIN has welcomed its first freight train from China. It arrived at Barking via the Channel Tunnel on January 18 after a 7,456-mile trip first mooted three years ago ( RAIL 732). Operated by the InterRail Group and carrying mainly clothing, sections of the train were hauled by DB Cargo. It left Yiwu in the coastal province of Zheijang (Eastern China) on January 1 with 44 containers. It arrived in the UK with 34, ten having been unloaded in Duisburg (Germany). Due to differing gauges through Russia, the train changed wagons twice. It ran on standard gauge wagons from China to Russia, before being put on wider gauge vehicles to travel through Russia and Kazakhstan. KTZE hauled the train from Dostyk in Kazakhstan to Brest in Belarus, where DB Cargo…

Passengers in Manchester will soon be able to use a single smartcard for all journeys made on buses or trams in Greater Manchester, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed. From the summer, TfGM’s get me there smart ticketing system will be extended to make multi-modal bus and tram travel possible for the first time. Get me there is currently limited to buses and Metrolink passengers with concessionary passes and a mobile ticketing app. TfGM Committee Chairman Andrew Fender said: “Passengers have already been taking to the smarter travel options we’ve introduced, and I’m delighted we’ll be extending this offer still further. “We want to make travel easier to everyone in Greater Manchester and simple-to-use. Joined-up smart ticketing is one of the ways we can make a big difference.” TfGM…

THE number of passengers satisfied with their rail journeys dropped to 81% in the autumn 2016 National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS), compared with 83% a year ago. Transport Focus published the results from its latest bi-annual survey on January 24. It describes the fall in satisfaction from autumn 2015 levels as “significant”. Growing dissatisfaction with punctuality and reliability of services was demonstrated by a drop of five percentage points (pp) in this category - to 73%, and the biggest decline nationally. Passengers were happier with four categories of service areas - station facilities and services, the overall station environment, availability of station seating, and sufficient room on trains on a national basis. Facilities and services at stations recorded the biggest rise (2pp). However, there were declines in satisfaction in nine…

Regional operators endured a decline in overall passenger satisfaction in a wide range of categories in the autumn 2015 National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS), with seven categories showing a decline of four percentage points (pp). At stations, the categories of overall satisfaction, ticket buying facilities and shops and catering all recorded 4pp declines. On trains, upkeep, toilet facilities, exterior cleanliness and the way operators deal with delays also fell by 4pp. Satisfaction with provision of information at stations, station upkeep, facilities, staff availability and provision of waiting shelters all fell by 3pp. On trains, punctuality and reliability, information provision, helpfulness of staff, seating comfort, personal security and availability of staff also all fell by 3pp.…

Vivarail Chief Executive Adrian Shooter has told RAIL that the fire-damaged D-Train (230001) will be repaired and returned to operational condition within the next two to three months. He added that much of the fire damage was superficial, and that a mechanical remedy has already been implemented to prevent a reoccurrence of the fire that broke out in one of its engines on December 30 2016. Vivarail is also hopeful that a new operator will step forward to run the D-Train once it receives safety certification, after London Midland withdrew from an eight-month trial in the wake of the fire. “We know the exact cause, and we will be listing a number of individual things in the final report due on January 31 that will stop this ever happening again,”…

CCTV footage showing misuse at level crossings has been released by Network Rail and the British Transport Police. The two incidents happened just weeks after NR and BTP issued warnings regarding safety at crossings, after a man was nearly killed at Ducketts level crossing, near Leeds. The first incident happened at Grove Park level crossing in Chiswick, west London. The barriers were coming down while the lights were flashing, but once the barriers were down a pedestrian pushed through the barrier, followed by a second. In the second incident, which happened at 1830 on New Year’s Eve, two adults climbed a six-foot-high locked gate at Seamer station before passing a toddler over the gate and running across the tracks in front of a train as it arrived at the station.…

New trains for the next wales & Borders (w&B) franchise, which starts in 2018, should be ‘tagged’ onto existing rolling stock orders at other franchises, according to the welsh Affairs Committee’s report into the operation. The report calls for new rolling stock, claiming that the current Arriva Trains wales (ATw) fleet has an average age of 27 years, with some vehicles up to 40 years old (although analysis published in RAIL 818 suggests the average age of the ATw fleet is actually 25.4 years). The committee notes that accessibility regulations coming into force from 2020 will require new rolling stock, and says the UK and welsh governments should work together to identify current orders onto which trains for w&B can be tagged. when existing rolling stock is released by other…

Network Rail is surveying local residents about the future of the Exeter-Barnstaple branch line service, following a 165% increase in passenger numbers over the past decade. Known as The Tarka Line, the 38½-mile route, which carries 670,000 passengers annually, will have refurbished trains with air-conditioning and WiFi from summer 2018 ahead of an hourly weekday service being introduced in December of the same year. NR is working with Great Western Railway, the Tarka Line Association, North District Council, Devon County Council and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership to form a North Devon Line Strategy Group that will look to shape the line’s future. David Northey, senior strategic planner at NR, said: “It’s vital that we engage with the communities in North Devon, Torridge and mid-Devon to understand the educational,…

Crossrail’s IT disposal Crossrail has selected EOL IT Services to dispose of redundant information technology hardware, as the project moves towards completion in 2018. The number of computer users on Crossrail is decreasing as the opening date draws closer. Tweedbank hub opens A new customer service hub has opened at Tweedbank station. It offers refreshments and toilets at the Borders Railway terminus for the first time, and has created two full-time jobs. Points work at Thirsk A £6 million investment project to renew points at Thirsk begins this month. The 11-week upgrade work starts on February 26 and ends on May 14.…

The Department for Transport (DfT) should ensure that the next Southeastern franchise, which starts in 2018, provides similar improvements to those delivered by Transport for London (TfL) on London Overground and TfL Rail, London Travelwatch (LTW) has said. The demands were made on January 9 when much of the London Underground network was disrupted by industrial action. It follows last year’s decision not to devolve London commuter operations to TfL. LTW Chairman Stephen Locke said: “The Government has decided that the best way to ensure the interests of London’s commuters are taken into account in the 2018 Southeastern franchise is through the current franchising framework. But at the end of the day, what matters most is that passengers get a good deal in terms of things like station improvements, more…

Running more trains on Boxing Day would cost the taxpayer money and hinder Network Rail’s ability to carry out maintenance and renewal work, according to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). On December 26 2016, six operators ran trains, as well as Eurostar, London Underground and Tyne & Wear Metro. Calls were voiced for more services to be operating on the bank holiday, which in recent years has been one of two days (the other being Christmas Day) when no trains ran. A spokesman for the RDG told RAIL : “Operating a normal train service on Christmas Day and Boxing Day would cost the taxpayer money as only a fraction of the normal number of passengers would be travelling. It would also make it harder and more expensive to carry out…

Construction has started on Metrolink’s £350 million Trafford Park line. Due to open in 2020-21, the 3.4-mile route is being built from the existing stop at Pomona, and will have six stops serving the intu Trafford Centre, Old Trafford football ground, more than 1,300 businesses on Trafford Park industrial estate, and other visitor attractions such the Imperial War Museum North. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has awarded the contract to MPact-Thales and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, having already worked with the same consortium on previous network extensions to MediaCity UK, Manchester Airport and Rochdale, and the construction of Manchester’s Second City Crossing. A ground breaking ceremony was performed by Mayor of Greater Manchester Tony Lloyd, Trafford Council Leader Sean Anstree and intu Trafford Centre General Manager Richard Paxton near the intu…

Freightliner Intermodal has started to introduce pairs of Class 90s on its Daventry-Mossend intermodal trains, replacing single Class 70s in the process. The operation depends upon GB Railfreight (GBRf) no longer requiring up to four of FL’s nine serviceable Class 90s each night. GBRf hires the ‘90s’ from FL in place of its own Class 92s, which are undergoing reliability modifications before they are returned to Caledonian Sleeper duties. So far, 92014 has been modified and returned to traffic, with 92023/033 to follow shortly. RAIL understands that two ‘90s’ will remain with GBRf until the modified ‘92’s’ reliability has been fully resolved. FL uses 90016/042-049, and 90041 is being stored at Leeds Midland Road while its components undergo a comprehensive overhaul before they are fitted to a second FL ‘90’.…

Colas Rail 37146 will move from the Wensleydale Railway to Barrow Hill for overhaul and a return to the main line, once 37207 is released. Harry Needle Railroad Company is returning the ‘37s’ to operational condition for Colas. It is close to completing 37207, which was withdrawn by EWS in September 1996 and has not worked a train since. When that is completed, HNRC will be left with 37146 and 37188 to overhaul. All have been preserved, but none have hauled a train since EWS withdrew them. They all require fitting with the latest safety equipment. HNRC has returned 37057/099 and 37254 to main line condition, and is contracted to maintain the Colas Rail ‘37’ fleet, which also contains 37116/175, 37219 and 37421. The freight company currently also hires preserved…

The first of 85 new box wagons ordered by VTG Rail for DB Cargo have been delivered to the freight operator. Built by Astra Rail in Romania, the vehicles have high strength side walls, floors and cant rails, designed to make them more resilient to damage than older models. They also have lighter bogies and a higher payload. Mick Tinsley, head of sector BIC for DB Cargo, added: “These wagons will further improve our box wagon fleet to support the continued growth in the construction market for rail, and the deal supports DB Cargo’s longterm strategy to provide the most efficient wagon solutions for our customers.” DB and VTG both believe there is a burgeoning market for freight trains supporting the construction sector. Billions of pounds of infrastructure projects have…

A CLASS 40 that has hauled one passenger train since August 2010 is almost ready for traffic again, with its owners making one final fundraising attempt. The Class 40 Appeal (CFA) has spent some £40,000 on 40012 Aureol in the past two years. The CFA’s Paul Hill told RAIL that the group needs a further £5,000 to complete work that would enable it to visit other railways again. “So far we have spent money overhauling the two radiators, thermostatic valves, replacing various water hoses and clips,” he said. “Brand new windscreens and engine room rubber have been fitted, a full set of reconditioned batteries has been installed, new engine oil and filters have been bought, intensive body work and cab interior rebuild has been carried out, a full repaint into…

Merseyrail directions I am encouraged to learn that our recommendations were taken into account in the procurement of Merseyrail trains and the planned modifications to platforms. However, your article (‘£460m deal approved for 52 new Merseyrail trains’, RAIL 817) incorrectly states that the Rail Accident Investigation Branch recommended Driver Controlled Operation on the Merseyrail network, following an investigation into a fatal accident at James Street, Liverpool. Our report recommended that Merseyrail should evaluate equipment and operational arrangements that allow the person responsible for train dispatch to observe the platform and train without interruption for as long as possible (ideally until the train has left the platform), and to allow them to stop the train directly and quickly in an emergency. It would be wrong to conclude that DCO is the…

“If NR, suppliers and operators can all agree, then a lot of complexity in Digital Railway starts to fall away.”Jonathan Willcock, Systems, Signalling and Infrastructure MD, Alstom UK & Ireland On December 7 2016 Network Rail published its Digital Railway Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) Report as the latest step in developing a rollout strategy for the forthcoming digital modernisation of the network. Behind its innocuous-sounding title, the report collates the combined views of international suppliers such as Alstom, who had been asked by Digital Railway MD David Waboso, shortly after his appointment last summer, to help shape the programme’s deployment strategy. And the message from the supply chain came back loud and clear, in complete agreement with NR’s preferred policy of empowering its suppliers to play a more active part…

 The ill-conceived regulatory settlement for Control Period 5 (CP5, 2014-2019) has prompted another intervention by the Department for Transport, to provide more money for Network Rail’s Operations, Maintenance and Renewal (OMR) expenditure. “The results challenge the general perception that electric rolling stock is more reliable.” An injection of £300 million is to be made, to enable works to be carried out on the Brighton Main Line including track renewals, improved drainage and measures to reduce the risk of landslips. Fencing will also be a priority, to reduce trespass and the potential for suicides. This follows an earlier injection of £20m to improve maintenance of ‘golden assets’ and response times to incidents. This in an indictment of the performance of the then-Office of Rail Regulation, which (without sufficient engineering knowledge) imposed…

Northern has signed for eight Class 319s fitted with diesel engines. The rest of the fleet has yet to find a home, but discussions have taken place between various operators and rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook. With various Network Rail overhead line electrification schemes delayed, there is the opportunity for the ‘319s’ to be deployed on routes where diesel multiple units currently operate under the wires. Certainly, in the North, the likes of Windermere could be served by a ‘319’ running under electric power for the majority of the journey. Likewise, they could prove a useful option for Northern when the trans-Pennine route is wired via Huddersfield, certainly when that route is shut and they can run via the Calder Valley. But it’s not just Northern that can deploy them.…

I have just written a chapter on transport for a major new biography of John Major, and re-reading Terry Gourvish’s brilliant reference work on British Rail brought home to me what we had lost by allowing our rail service to be broken up and sold off for what were nakedly ideological reasons. After a long section explaining the details of the privatisation process, Gourvish, an impartial academic, asks rhetorically: “Was it really worth all the trouble and risk to dismantle what the two Bob Reids [the last two chairmen of BR before privatisation] achieved?” There is a big irony here. Major could have pushed through a much better version of privatisation, re-creating some version of the Big Four which existed from 1923 to 1948, but he was talked out of…

The Department for Transport has released its prospectus for the West Coast Partnership (WCP) franchise, which will take over InterCity West Coast operations from 2019 and run High Speed 2 services when the new route opens in 2026. The new franchise is tasked with shaping HS2 services in preparation for their launch (acting as ‘shadow operator’), as well as recasting the West Coast Main Line (WCML) timetable once high speed trains start operation. The winning bidder will also be tasked with improving existing operations on the WCML before HS2 services begin. A key part of this aspect will be to manage the impact of HS2 construction work on passengers. In preparation for HS2, the franchisee will have a “major role” in the internal design of HS2 trains, and develop a…

SCOTTISH Minister for Transport and Islands Humza Yousaf wants decisions about the operation of Scotland’s railways to be made north of the border. Yousaf says further devolution of Network Rail under a unified management structure will improve efficiency and effectiveness of railway operations in Scotland, and save around £100 million a year. He had been due to make the announcement in a speech at the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on January 18, but was unable to attend due to illness. In a statement, he said Network Rail is responsible for 54% of ScotRail delay minutes. He wants capacity planning, major projects delivery, timetabling and legal and property management relating to Scotland to be devolved, believing this is in the best interest of the Scottish people and the public purse.…

“They are flogging off Britain’s transport assets like Derek Trotter at some dodgy car boot sale. ” MICK CASH RMT General Secretary on Abellio’s decision to sell a 40% stake in its Greater Anglia franchise to Mitsui. “The Scottish Government has been arguing for greater accountability of Network Rail in Scotland - we fund and set out its objectives, yet as an organisation it remains unaccountable to Scotland’s Parliament. That position is simply untenable.” HUMZA YOUSAF Scottish Transport Minister calls for devolution of Network Rail to Scottish Government “I will not take the Hon. Gentleman seriously until I hear him condemning those strikes and telling the workers to go back to work. ” CHRIS GRAYLING Transport Secretary responds to shadow SoS Andy Macdonald regarding TfL’s takeover of Metro…

Southern restored a full timetable from Tuesday January 24, a week after ASLEF suspended its strikes and overtime ban. It was the first full service day since early December. The company said 95% of services ran, with a small number of trains cancelled due to staff sickness and “a train planning error”. However, several passengers said the disruption was worse than Southern was admitting, reporting on social media that train crew blamed staff shortages. For most of last year the company rarely succeeded in running a full service, due largely to a shortage of staff. Faced with hundreds of unplanned cancellations a day, it ran an emergency timetable from July 11 to October 31, deliberately removing up to 350 trains each day (representing 15% of services). It said this would…

House price growth along Southern routes has been less than half the national average since October, a report indicates. HouseSimple.com found that average increases along the Brighton Main Line was 1%, compared with a national figure of 2.5%. Chief Executive Alex Gosling said prospective buyers have “understandable concerns” over the reliability of Southern services. Growth in home rental prices has also slowed or dipped in areas where commuters have been affected by the Southern strikes, according to a report by property investing service Landbay. It said rents in Surrey towns such as Dorking started to fall in the second half of 2016. The rate of growth slowed slightly in East and West Sussex. Average rents across the South East as a whole grew during the year. Chief Executive John Goodall…

ABELLIO UK is selling 40% of its Greater Anglia rail franchise to Mitsui & Co Ltd. This is the first time a Japanese company has become a shareholder in a UK train operating company. The deal is subject to final regulatory approvals, and meets Abellio’s long-standing objective of finding a suitable partner to run GA in a 60:40 joint venture. RAIL understands that the deal is expected to be rubber-stamped within the next couple of months. Abellio retains overall control of the franchise. Abellio and Mitsui worked together in a joint venture to bid for the West Midlands franchise last year, along with East Japan Railway Company. “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Mitsui,” said Abellio Managing Director Dominic Booth. “With the introduction of Mitsui’s knowledge and experience,…

London Victoria’s North ticket hall reopened on January 17, as a £700 million project to upgrade the Tube station continues. The entrance onto Victoria Street leads to the ticket hall and the Victoria Line. It means passengers no longer need to cross busy road junctions. The project to rebuild the station will be completed next year, by which time the station will have doubled in size. Tunnels connecting the new ticket hall with the District and Circle lines open this summer.…

The Government does not accept Transport for London’s potential costs for surface access provision for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, according to Transport Minister John Hayes. TfL predicted in its Landing the Right Airport March 2016 report that upgrades to surface access will cost between £15 billion and £20bn, and Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrats, Richmond Park) had asked in a Commons Written Question what assessment Government has made regarding the implications of policies on the financial viability of the runway. Hayes said of the TfL findings: “It is not clear on what basis they were derived, and appear to go far beyond work which might be necessary to support the construction of a new northwest runway at Heathrow Airport. “The specific surface access arrangements will need to be determined…

The Government says it agrees with almost all of the recommendations made by the Transport Select Committee (TSC) in its inquiry into rail technology, signalling and traffic management. Although Britain has voted to leave the European Union, the Government says that in response to European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) becoming a global standard, it recognises ERTMS has benefits beyond interoperability. The TSC said that claims of a 40% capacity uplift created by ERTMS should be met with scepticism. It added that the Department for Transport and Network Rail should make a realistic assessment of how much capacity can be created, and that associated works such as station upgrades should take place simultaneously with signalling improvements. Government has agreed with this, and that development of business cases “will include a…

London and South East passengers are more satisfied with their stations than a year before, with overall satisfaction, ticket buying facilities, upkeep, general facilities, staff helpfulness, the overall environment and seating availability all showing improvements in satisfaction ratings in the latest National Rail Passenger Survey. Only the choice of shops and catering facilities showed a decline, down by three percentage points (pp) to 45% of passengers claiming to be satisfied. Regarding train journeys, punctuality, frequency, speed and information provision all showed falls in satisfaction, with that of punctuality showing the biggest fall (see main story). Happiness with train frequency fell by 3pp to 73%, journey times by 2pp to 80%, and information 2pp to 68%.…

Southern has recorded a customer satisfaction rating of just 21% in Which?’s annual rail survey, compared with a score of 44% in 2015. Some 2,218 commuters were surveyed during October and November 2016, compared with 2,590 commuters in the corresponding months of 2015. When the survey was carried out in August 2014, Southern’s satisfaction score was 46% (2,969 commuters surveyed). In Which? s latest survey, the results of which were published on January 17, Merseyrail came first with a 72% satisfaction rating, followed by Virgin Trains East Coast and East Midlands Trains. “After months of disruption, it’s no surprise to see Southern at the bottom of our customer satisfaction survey,” said Which? Director of Campaigns and Communications Vickie Sheriff. “Though Southern have performed particularly badly this year, the whole sector…

The Government is committed to electrifying the railway to Swansea, welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said on January 19. However, he gave no firm commitment for a date when the overhead line electrification would be ready. Cairns was replying to a Commons witten question from Chris elmore (Labour, Ogmore), who had asked what recent discussions the Government had had regarding the overhead line equipment to South wales. Cairns said: “The Secretary of State for Transport and I hold regular discussions on the Government’s ambitious programme of investment in our railway infrastructure, most recently during a joint visit to Cardiff Central station on January 13. “The Government is committed to improving services for passengers on the Great western line, from Paddington to Swansea. we are continuing to invest £2.8 billion on electrification…

Retail sales at Network Rail-managed stations over the 2016 festive period grew by 9.5% compared with the same period in 2015, with total sales calculated at more than £83 million. Some 106 million people visited NR stations between November 19 and December 24, a rise of 10% year on year. Food and drink outlets are said to have performed “particularly well”, with the top five outlets in stations recording average growth of 50%. The biggest increases were recorded at Edinburgh Waverley (up 41%), Birmingham New Street (26%) and Leeds (15%).…

THE Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is calling for greater investment in rail capacity in order to increase the number of train services and meet anticipated demand. In its Railway Capacity Report, the institution calls for Britain’s rail network to embrace concepts such as moving block signalling (European Train Control System Level 3) to create more train paths. It argues that the industry should “accelerate the development of the Closer Running research workstream” into advice given to Government for Control Period 6 to ensure sufficient funding. In light of 2016’s referendum vote to leave the European Union, the IMechE also says the Department for Transport (DfT) and other government agencies should “ramp up” research and development investment, because Britain could be leaving pan-European research projects. It adds that conventional solutions…

Full-time staff and volunteers alike were recognised for their services to the railways in the New Year’s Honours list, announced on January 1. The head of the UK delegation to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, Caroline Wake, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Transport Safety and the Community in Kent. Hugh Wark, who was previously project director on the Borders Railway, was also awarded an OBE for Services to Transport and the Economy in Scotland. Network Rail’s Team Organiser for the Romford Maintenance Delivery Unit, Katherine Liddell, was awarded an MBE for Services to Transport in the East of England. On receiving her award, she said: “I feel really honoured that I have been chosen. I couldn’t quite believe it at…

A JOINT venture between Keolis and Amey will take over operation of Greater Manchester’s Metrolink network this summer, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced. KeolisAmey, which already operates London’s Docklands Light Railway, beat three other shortlisted bidders. It will replace current operators RATP Dev and MPT in July. The partnership has been awarded a contract running for up to ten years on a 60-mile network that hosts 37 million journeys a year. The network is also expanding, with Manchester’s Second City Crossing due to open later this year, followed by an extension to Trafford Park in 2020-21. KeolisAmey inherits a fleet of 120 trams. It is contracted to deliver 300 new jobs (including drivers and apprentices), an increased staff presence to enhance customer service and security, and to source…

Five lucky RAIL readers have each won a copy of Martin Pearson’s new book The Settle-Carlisle Railway 1850-1990: The Building and Saving of a Great Railway, courtesy of the author, by correctly answering the question we ran alongside an extract of the book in RAIL 817. The answer to the question “In what year was the line reprieved from closure?” was a) 1989. Paul Gibson (Galashiels), Mick Murphy (Uckfield), John Howie (Horley), John Eales (Carterton) and Yisroel Sinason (Salford) should all receive their copies shortly.…

Deliveries of Great Western Railway Class 387/1 electric multiple units will continue throughout the year, the operator has confirmed. Twelve of 45 Electrostars that are on order will have been delivered to GWR by the end of January (after this issue of RAIL went to press). Engineering Director Andy Mellors told RAIL on January 17 that a new EMU will be delivered to GWR approximately every week or two. The most recent arrival was 387141, which arrived at Reading on January 17. The EMU will need to be hauled to North Pole depot for use on the Hayes & Harlington-London Paddington trains. Mellors pointed out that only two pairs of Class 387/1s are currently required to operate electric services from London, although that number will rise as electrification is extended…

The first Class 319 earmarked for storage at Long Marston was moved from Wolverton Works on January 17 by Rail Operations Group. Former Govia Thameslink Railway 319452 was taken to the former MoD site for secure storage. The dual-voltage electric multiple unit had been sent off-lease by GTR following the delivery of Class 700s on the Thameslink route. All the Class 319s are owned by Porterbrook. The leasing company is sending any EMUs not leased to London Midland or Northern to Long Marston, pending developments.…

Single-car Class 153s are to be removed from the Northern franchise. The diesel multiple units (DMUs) will be withdrawn at the same time as Pacer Class 14x DMUs. The introduction of Class 195 DMUs built by Construcciones y Auxiliar Ferrocariles (CAF) and due to be delivered in 2018, together with the Class 331 EMUs built by CAF and the transfer of Class 170s from ScotRail, will cause a cascade of Class 150, 156 and 158 Sprinters that will render the ‘153s’ surplus. Northern operates 18 Class 153s. Angel Trains owns 153301/304/307/315/317/328/331/351/352/378 while Porterbrook owns 153316/324/330/332/358-360/363. The introduction of the ‘331s’ will allow Northern to hand back three Class 321/9s and five Class 322s to Eversholt Rail Group.…

Having been stored in January 2015, Direct Rail Services (DRS) 37194 has moved to C F Booth’s scrapyard at Rotherham for disposal. The Class 37/0 was stripped of all reusable components at Derby RTC, before being sent for scrap. DRS 37413, which was never used by the company after being bought in April 2015 for refurbishment, has been moved by road to Barrow Hill for final component recovery before it is scrapped. The ‘37/4’, which was withdrawn by EWS in December 2000, had been bought from preservation, but unlike 37407 and 37424, is not destined for a main line return. It donated parts to its ‘37/4’ classmates before being sent for scrap. They follow DRS 37682 and 37718, which were both also scrapped last year.…

Class 33 D6501 (33002) will visit the Spa Valley Railway for the summer, with its first appearance scheduled for the March 11/12 gala. That event will also feature the final runs of Class 14 D9537 before it leaves the railway. A second visiting locomotive, Class 20 D8188 (20188), has been confirmed for the railway’s gala on August 3-6. It will operate alongside Drewry 2591 Southerham , Class 10 D3489 Colonel Tomline , D6501 (33002), 09026 Cedric Wares , 31289, 33063 and 73140, as well as Class 207 diesel electric multiple unit 1317.…

 CUMBRIA has a mix of railways. Tilting trains link London and Glasgow at one extreme and, at the other, diesels plod around the coast, taking two-and-a-half hours to travel the 86 miles between Carlisle and Barrow. “The county’s most capable route is the West Coast Main Line, but it is constrained by having just two tracks.” Lying geographically between the two is the Lake District, a wonderful land dotted with high peaks and expansive lakes that draws tourists by the car and coachload. Rail tourists are constrained to arrive only at Windermere, the terminus of a ten-mile branch from Oxenholme, which lies on the West Coast Main Line. There’s a line from Carnforth along the northern edge of Morecambe Bay to Barrow-in-Furness, with links onward to the coastal route. Finally,…

ETCS is a signalling system that relies on central interlocking issuing movement authorities (MAs) to drivers of trains via either trackside balises (in Level 1, which usually also features signals) or by radio (in Levels 2 or 3). The MA tells the driver how far he can travel (in the same way that a yellow aspect tells a driver he can only proceed as far as the next signal). On-train equipment calculates how fast the train can go according to how long its MA is. Calculating the speed depends on factors such as gradient, train weight and braking performance. In Level 2, trackside detection equipment such as track circuits or axle counters tells the central interlocking where the train is. In Level 3 this is removed and the train calculates…