Table of contents for Issue 822 in RAIL

“We are living in uncertain times. Nobody knows the impact that Brexit will have on this country, but building HS2 will help.” February 23 was a truly historic day for the UK, as Her Majesty the Queen gave Royal Assent for HS2 Phase 1. A project that has been discussed for almost a decade, and which has cross-party support, has been rubber-stamped - essentially, it has been given planning permission. Construction starts this spring (albeit initially on small, somewhat unglamorous but essential works), and trains will be running in nine years’ time (see our six-page special on pages 6-11, and a special guest column from Greengauge 21 Director Jim Steer in HS2 Matters, pages 36-37). Celebrations were muted, with a few press releases from industry bodies welcoming the scheme and…

Initial construction work will be preparatory, HS2 Ltd has told RAIL . Following the granting of Royal Assent on February 23, this initial work will include ground investigation, ecology surveys and site clearance. The company said it aims to sign contracts (worth £5.4 billion to £8.6bn) with the main contractors in the summer, and that “major works would start in mid-to-late 2018”. Spokesman Alastair Cowan told RAIL : “Having taken lessons from major infrastructure projects around the world, HS2 has been doing some of the prepatory works already.” He said this was possible due to the High Speed Rail Preparation Act (known as the Paving Act), which was enacted in 2013. Cowan added: “The spring will see this preparatory activity increase in scale, and also the start of our archaeological…

Some 25,000 people are expected to be employed during the construction of HS2, reaching a peak in the early 2020s. HS2 Ltd spokesman Alastair Cowan confirmed to RAIL that most will be employed by subcontractors, and that recruitment has already begun - for example, on early works and ground investigation. In February 23’s Royal Assent announcement, the Government trumpeted that 2,000 apprenticeships would be created by the building of HS2, while in a statement, High Speed Rail Industry Leaders said that figure would be 9,000. “Our plan is for 2,000 full-time apprenticeships,” said Cowan. “Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean 2,000 people - you could have many more if you make the apprenticeships part-time. The exact mix will be down to the contractors.…

London Underground facilities at London Euston will be significantly enhanced to meet the increased capacity demands, according to HS2 Ltd. Spokesman Alastair Cowan told RAIL : “Passengers will benefit from greater space and connections to services including a new ticket hall and direct subway to Euston Square station, effectively integrating Northern, Victoria, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines into one station.” Currently passengers must leave the main line station and walk along Euston Road to reach Euston Square. This new ticket hall would allow for better east-west connectivity, said Cowan.…

On the day of HS2’s Royal Assent, the Government launched community schemes worth some £70 million. These are Homeowner Payment schemes available to property owners in rural areas living between 120 and 300 metres from the HS2 line, wherever it is not in a deep tunnel. Eligible property owners can apply for £7,500, £15,000 or £22,500, depending on proximity to the line. Two funds worth £40m are open for bids. These are the Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF). The CEF will help to enhance community facilities, improve access to the countryside and conserve the natural environment, while BLEF will help to support local economies in areas where businesses may experience disruption from the construction of HS2. The DfT said these will be…

The original terminus of the 1830 Liverpool & Manchester Railway was in Edge Hill, on the eastern outskirts of Liverpool city centre. Construction of a station in Lime Street began three years later, and a twin-track tunnel was dug into the sandstone from Edge Hill to transport building materials. Liverpool Lime Street opened in 1836. Due to the steep incline on the approach, locomotives were initially halted at Edge Hill and carriages taken down to Lime Street through the tunnel by gravity with a brakevan, and hauled back up by rope. Subsequent station expansions took place, with both of the current train sheds complete by 1879. The tunnel was opened up into a four-track cutting by 1882.…

THE House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has accused Network Rail of failing to properly plan infrastructure work on the Great Western Route Modernisation (GWRM) programme, and says that it is “not clear” whether the work can be delivered by December 2018 for the revised cost of £2.8 billion. The findings are contained in the PAC’s Modernising the Great Western Railway report, published on March 3. The Committee also says that the Department for Transport “failed to challenge NR’s plans effectively despite the very significant sums of public money at risk”, and that the DfT failed to integrate all the elements needed for passengers successfully at the planning stage and did not manage the programme in a “joined-up” way. This refers to the introduction of new trains depending on…

London Underground Fleet members of the RMT union took industrial action from March 7 over what the union calls “numerous unresolved breaches of agreed machineries and agreements by LU management”. In a ballot, 67% of members voted for strike action and 88% for action short of a strike. RMT members have been instructed not to work overtime or attend training courses outside normal working hours, not to carry out any higher grade duty work, or change shifts or work locations to assist with maintenance. Trainers have been instructed not to carry out training for anyone on a job that is not their substantive role, and staff have also been told not to work if there are not valid safety assessments in place or a first aider on site. The RMT…

A part of the UK rail network remains closed as a result of the widespread disruption caused by Storm Doris on February 23. The Conwy Valley Line is shut until further notice, after a tree felled by high winds disturbed vegetation and a rock face next to the railway between Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Rail replacement bus services were still in operation as this issue of RAIL went to press. Other routes nationwide were also heavily affected by either speed restrictions or fallen debris, as the storm rapidly swept across the UK bringing gusts of up to 94mph and heavy snowfall in Scotland. Normal service was largely resumed once the storm had abated. An amber weather warning had been put in place by the Meteorological Office before Doris made landfall…

Passenger fares now account for more than half of the rail industry’s £18.4 billion income, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which released detailed figures for 2015-16 on February 22. Fares from franchised and open access operators for the financial year rose to £9.4bn (51% of the total). Government funding of NR was the next highest contributor, standing at £4.3bn (23% of the total), followed by Government funding of train operating companies of £2.4bn (13%). For franchised train operators, fares accounted for 74% of income (£9.2bn), with Government support accounting for £2.4bn and £800 million coming from other activities such as on-board catering and car parks. Unregulated Standard Class fares provided 32% of train operators’ income, with Regulated Season tickets and unregulated Standard Class Anytime fares each…

Transport for All, a charity that represents disabled and older travellers in London, has joined the attempt by the Brighton-based Association of British Commuters (ABC) to hold a Judicial Review into the Government’s handling of the Southern Railway dispute. Transport for All wants to submit witness statements expressing failures to assist disabled people during Southern’s tenure. It argues that the Government should have done more to ease disruption. ABC applied for the Review in January and is awaiting a decision from the Royal Court of Justice about whether it may proceed. A spokesman said: “The Southern Railway crisis caused disruption and misery to disabled and older people, leaving many unable to travel to work and increasingly isolated. Yet throughout the strikes the DfT has remained silent.” The Department for Transport…

MANCHESTER Metrolink’s Second City Crossing opened on February 26, completing the £1.5 billion ‘Big Bang’ expansion of the network that began in 2009. The 0.8-mile route across Manchester city centre runs from the Deansgate-Castlefield stop to Exchange Square, where it joins a section to Victoria that opened in December 2015. The 2CC route also uses a new stop at St Peter’s Square and runs along Cross Street. “Having chaired a strategy group from 1982, which developed the Metrolink concept, I am extremely proud- 35 years later - to see the completion of the Second City Crossing, and with it our phenomenal and multi-award-winning ‘Phase 3’ expansion programme,” said Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Committee Chairman Andrew Fender at the opening. TfGM Metrolink Director Peter Cushing said: “The Second City Crossing…

South West Trains Managing Director Christian Roth has stepped down from his role, and been replaced by Stagecoach Supertram MD Margaret Kay. Roth had been with SWT for nine years. He took over the MD role in February 2016, having previously been Fleet Director. He joined SWT from Siemens in 2008. Kay will be in place until the end of the current franchise this summer. She has worked for Stagecoach since 2000, initially as HR Director at SWT and then at East Midlands Trains, before being appointed MD at Stagecoach Supertram in 2012. She will be replaced by Tim Bilby, who will become Interim MD of Stagecoach Supertram. He is currently Supertram’s Head of Finance and Commercial. Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of Stagecoach Group’s UK Rail Division, said: “Margaret is…

Like-for-like retail sales at Network Rail-managed stations between October and December 2016 grew by 3.7%, compared with the corresponding three-month period in 2015. Almost £185 million was spent in the period. The highest growth was recorded at Manchester Piccadilly (21.6%), followed by London King’s Cross (15.9%), Cannon Street (9.1%) and Paddington (6.8%), after a large number of retail openings at the stations. Birmingham New Street, Leeds and Edinburgh also grew sales above the national average in the final quarter of 2016. Full-year retail sales were £743m, an overall growth rate of 3.5%. This compares with British Retail Consortium figures for the High Street of 0.6%.…

Freight moved is measured in net tonne kilometres and shows the amount of freight which is moved on the railway network, taking into account the weight of the load and the distance carried. It is split into seven categories: coal, metals, construction, oil and petroleum, international, domestic intermodal and other. In addition to those seven commodities, the amount of goods used for engineering work is reported under the ‘infrastructure’ category. This is not included in the totals published in the freight moved tables and charts. Freight lifted is the mass of goods carried on the rail network measured in tonnes, excluding the weight of the locomotives and wagons. Unlike freight moved it takes no account of the distance travelled. Freight lifted information is sourced from the four major operators (DB…

Tyne and Wear Metro passengers say they support the fitting of London Underground-style linear seating on a fleet of new trains being proposed for the light rail network. More than 3,000 people responded to a consultation exercise undertaken by Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive Nexus, which is completing a business case to fund new trains in a £540 million investment for the Metro network. The results of three strands of research carried out by Transport Focus, academics from Newcastle University’s Open Lab and Nexus show a clear preference for linear seating - it allows more space when trains are busy and more room for wheelchair users and people with buggies, luggage or shopping. Respondents also said the proposed design would help make passengers feel more secure, discourage littering, and…

The National College for High Speed Rail is starting a promotional campaign across social media, local newspapers and radio stations in the Midlands and Doncaster, to encourage students to sign up for courses. The college is due to open its campuses in Birmingham (Dartmouth Middleway) and Doncaster (Carolina Way) this September, and will offer higher apprenticeships, Higher National Certificate and Continued Professional Development courses. It is estimated that the UK will need at least 182,000 people with engineering skills every year until 2022. Potential students who have expressed interest in courses are being encouraged to complete their applications.…

The first three-car Greater Anglia Class 170/2 arrived at Crewe LNWR for internal refurbishment on February 27. Owned by Porterbrook, 170208 ran from Norwich Crown Point. It is the second in the programme to visit the facility, and replaces two-car 170270, which returned to Norwich on February 24. All 12 Class 170s used by Greater Anglia will undergo the work, which is being funded by Porterbrook. It involves refurbishing seats and fitting new cushions, seat backs and covers. New carpets are being installed, and the vestibule areas are being repainted. New flooring is being installed in the toilets, while the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are being refurbished. New wall panels are being fitted, while grab handles and grab rails are being repainted. The trains are also receiving a deep…

The first of seven new Class 70s for Colas Rail arrived at Seaforth Docks in Liverpool on February 24. The Class 70s are being built by GE Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania, and then shipped to the UK. Colas tends to use its ‘70s’ on National Supply Chain (NSC) trains for Network Rail, as well as cement traffic from Aberthaw to Moorswater. The ‘70s’ are the most powerful diesel locomotive in the UK, which makes them attractive for duties such as NSC work. The locomotive (70812) joins 70801-70810, which are already in traffic.…

As this issue of RAIL went to press in early March, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) had reduced the number of Class 442 duties to just one return trip per day. The five-car electric multiple units will be sent off-lease upon the delivery to Thameslink of sufficient Class 700s, allowing an internal cascade of EMU fleets which in turn will enable GTR to withdraw the non-standard ‘442s’. GTR withdrew 18 trains last year, following the delivery of the Class 387/2s for Gatwick Express, but retained six for Southern services. Their last duty is the 0732 Brighton-London Bridge and 1757 return, which was due to end as this issue of RAIL went to press. Most of the ‘442s’ are stored at Potters Group yard in Ely, while a decision on their future…

Two Class 37/6s have been added to the Harry Needle Railroad Company fleet, after HNRC acquired 37607 and 37612 from Direct Rail Services. Both are serviceable, and remained in traffic on the day the company announced their purchase. HNRC Managing Director Harry Needle told RAIL their purchase means that three Class 31s will be made available for sale later this year, along with two ‘20s’ and two ‘08s’. While the identities of the ‘08s’ and ‘20s’ have yet to be decided, Needle said that 31235/255/285 would be put up for sale. They will be made available only to preservationists, and will be sold on wheelsets capable of running only on heritage lines. Needle said the same terms would apply to other locomotives being put up for sale, adding that, realistically,…

I also clearly remember that Friday and the ghastly Saturday. Friday was bad enough, but when the sun rose on Saturday to reveal the full horror of Grayrigg, the media mood went from noisy to incandescent. Sky News sent a crew to Loughborough, and I did hourly live news inserts from the Great Central Railway into a volatile media. An elderly lady (Margaret Masson) had died, so the search for ‘who’s to blame’ was well under way. Visually, the accident was appalling, and the death meant the mood was febrile, especially as faulty points loomed large as the most likely cause. The RMT claimed that “nobody knew who had last maintained the points”, which wasn’t the case - NR had taken maintenance back in-house so the answer was, in all…

For many years, the railway industry has been able to rely on the fact that it received all-party support for its investment programme, which makes it relatively secure. However, there is always the risk that the tide might turn and suddenly railways will no longer be the flavour of the month. There was a worrying sign in an astonishing statement from Transport Minister Andrew Jones. While responding to a question on funding for rural bus services at the UK Bus Summit in February, he said: “We shouldn’t be having an industry which relies endlessly upon public subsidy… an industry which requires public subsidy is not an industry which has a healthy, robust, sustainable future.” Jones may have been speaking about the bus industry, but clearly that view could equally apply…

In RAIL 816’s The Fare Dealer , I criticised the outdated information screens at Harrow-on-the-Hill, which don’t say where Chiltern services are going and omit to say they don’t call at Moor Park (they haven’t done since 1993). Passing through again in January, I was surprised to see new versions installed - although this is London Underground, so expect an oddity! The destination is ‘Chiltern Service’. Beneath it scrolls through the calls as far as Chalfont & Latimer, adding “then all stations from Amersham”. So there’s no way of knowing where the train is actually going or what its calls are once it leaves LU terrain to venture into the great unknown of rural Buckinghamshire. You’ll never know if it’s for Aylesbury or Aylesbury Vale Parkway, let alone Milton Keynes!…

CONSTRUCTION of Britain’s newest main line starts this spring, after Royal Assent was granted to High Speed 2 on February 23. The High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Act 2017 gives the green light to construction of a railway between Euston and a junction with the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre in Staffordshire, with a spur from Water Orton to Curzon Street in Birmingham. The railway will open in 2026. “Getting the go-ahead to start building HS2 is a massive boost to the UK’s future economic prosperity, and a further clear signal that Britain is open for business,” said Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling. “HS2 will be the world’s most advanced passenger railway and the backbone of our rail network. “Royal Assent is a major step towards significantly…

MANUFACTURERS hoping to win the £7 billion deal to build HS2 rolling stock welcomed the Royal Assent decision. On February 23, Nick Crossfield, Managing Director for Alstom UK & Ireland, said: “At Alstom, we live and breathe high speed rail, and it is clear to us that HS2 is the most important investment in Britain’s railways for over 100 years. “It will bring huge benefits to passengers. But even more crucial is the legacy of skills, apprenticeships and jobs it will create, all over the country. With the widest range of trains and infrastructure solutions on the market, Alstom stands ready to help make this brand new railway a reality.” Jo Hensher, Bid Director, HS2 Rolling Stock at Siemens, said: “As a long-time supporter of HS2, Siemens is delighted that…

Camden Council’s claims that construction work in the Euston area will be ongoing for 17 years were confirmed by HS2 Ltd on March 7. The development will be carried out in three stages, said HS2 Ltd spokesman Alastair Cowan. First will be the construction of six new high speed platforms and a concourse area that will be built to the west of the existing station, to support the Phase 1 services. This work will begin this year and be complete in 2026, ready for the start of services. In the second phase, five existing platforms will be closed, to be rebuilt as high speed platforms including an extended concourse to support Phase 2 services. This work will be carried out from 2026 to 2033. The third phase is that with…

It is too early to say if the decision to leave the European Union will have an impact on HS2. HS2 Ltd spokesman Alastair Cowan told RAIL : “Whatever happens, we have a longterm need to build skills and experience within the UK, and the establishment of the National College for High Speed Rail is a key part of that process.” Regarding Brexit’s possible impact on the supply chain, he said: “Again, until we know the terms of the exit, it’s too early to say. Whatever happens, we aim to work with the best companies from around the world to ensure that we learn from the latest experience of building high-speed rail.”…

“Here we go again. The same old bunch of failures, chancers and overseas rip-off merchants are lined up to plunder the East Midlands franchise with the UK public ownership option ignored once again.” MICK CASH RMT General Secretary comments on the shortlisted bidders for the East Midlands franchise. “London’s voice must continue to be heard to make a success of Brexit.” EDDIE CURZON CBI London Director says new infrastructure is key to UK’s ability to compete. “Across the country there are about 3,200 rail volunteers who work 250,000 hours per year, helping to improve stations and reduce vandalism. ” PAUL MAYNARD Rail Minister travels on special TransWilts train to honour the role of community rail. “NR must quickly get a grip of their…

The cause of the structural failure of the cutting wall near Liverpool Lime Street may have been complicated by the location of a labyrinth of tunnels. The Williamson Tunnels were built between 1810 and 1840 by eccentric local businessman Joseph Williamson under the Edge Hill area of the city, including the railway alignment. Little is known about the tunnels’ locations or purpose because Williamson never left a map and heavily restricted access, although archaeological investigations were carried out in the 1990s and parts of the network are now open to the public. It is speculated that his motive may have been to create work for unemployed labourers.…

The Severn Valley Railway is appealing to members of the heritage railway community for support in raising the final £75,000 of its endowment fund. To date the SVR has raised £425,000 in donations. The Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed to match all donations up to £500,000, taking the maximum total up to £1 million. Funds are being raised for the Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust, which was founded in 2013 to ensure the long-term preservation of infrastructure and rolling stock on the heritage railway.…

Trio move up at Alstom Three new appointments have completed Alstom’s UK & Ireland senior team. Susan Evans becomes Managing Director, Urban & Services; Piers Wood has been promoted to Managing Director, Regional and Intercity; and Jason Baldock will be the Director of High Speed Rail. Donovan takes over Reece Donovan is to be Nomad Digital’s new chief executive from March 1, after Andrew Taylor stepped down from the role. Donovan is currently chief operating officer at the company. NR backs community Residents of Willingdon Trees in Eastbourne are to vote on how to spend up to £10,000 of community funding from Network Rail. Three community projects are competing for funding.…

I was attempting to travel from London to Glasgow on the day Storm Doris hit. By the time I arrived at Euston at about 1200, the concourse was heaving - every spare corner seemed to have someone sitting on their suitcase. To their credit, Virgin Trains staff were out in their red jackets trying to give what advice they could in the circumstances. But there’s a limit to the comfort you can give to people with nowhere to go and who are not sure where they’re going to be spending the night. It very quickly became apparent that I was not getting to Scotland, so I walked over to King’s Cross to try and get back to RAIL’s Peterborough offices instead. But…

THE RMT union has increased its opposition to Driver Only Operation (DOO), with strikes due on Southern, Merseyrail and Northern on Monday March 13, after this issue of RAIL went to press. It is the 30th day of strike action on Southern in the past year, and the first on the other franchises. The union said that although the strikes were separate, they were being co-ordinated for maximum impact. Members working on Merseyrail have also been declining to work overtime on rest days indefinitely from March 7. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said the action “sends out the clearest possible message that the union is prepared to stand up and fight for public safety and the guard guarantee”. 81% of RMT members at Merseyrail and 83% at Northern voted for…

British-built trains are better than those in use on Japanese suburban networks, says Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling. Speaking in a transport debate in the House of Commons on February 23, Grayling told Shadow Transport Secretary Lilian Greenwood of his ambitions for UK train manufacturing. Talking about Bombardier’s recently delivered Aventra train for Crossrail, Grayling said: “I have an ambition to see that train deployed in other countries as well. “I have already told the Japanese Transport Minister that although he has good trains on the suburban network in Tokyo, our Bombardier trains from Derby are better and that he should buy some for his network.” Greenwood had asked that following the sales of Aventra to Greater Anglia, whether the Minister shared her hope that the train would…

Regulators on both sides of the Channel have called on Eurotunnel to improve the presentation and transparency of applicable charging principles, and of the resulting charges for use of the Channel Tunnel by train operators. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Autorité de Régulation des Activités Ferroviaires et Routières (Arafer) are responsible for the Channel Fixed Link. They made their call on February 24, following the publication of Eurotunnel’s 2018 Network Statement. It is the duty of ORR and Arafer to ensure that access conditions for the Link, which is managed by Eurotunnel, are transparent and fair for all operators. This is designed to increase the confidence of existing users and attract new operators.…

Rail operating profits at Go-Ahead Group for the six months from July 1 to December 31 2016 fell by 35% to £26.9 million - but group profits still rose by 3% to £1.7 billion. In its interim statement issued on February 28, the company said that long-running industrial relations issues at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) “have introduced additional costs and delays to expected efficiencies, which will result in lower than anticipated profits in the full year”. Go-Ahead says it is in discussion with the Department for Transport on a range of contractual variations on those issues. Total rail revenue for the half-year was £1.26bn, up from £1.24bn in the same period in 2015. London Midland reported 5.9% passenger revenue growth and 4.3% passenger journey growth, while Southeastern revenue rose by…

Northallerton extends Network Rail has started a £900,000 programme to extend Northallerton station’s Platform 2 by 20 metres, to cater for Virgin Trains East Coast’s Class 800/801 trains. The work is due to be completed on August 22, and there is expected to be no disruption to passenger services. Meter fitted to ‘456’ Ciesse (Italy) and Onyxrail (Britain) have installed a new type of energy meter onto a South West Trains Class 456. The EcoS unit measures traction energy consumption as well as ‘enhanced real time vehicle diagnostics’. Proctor to lead CILT Robin Proctor is to become the next president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, succeeding Will Whitehorn on May 12. The presidency is a one-year appointment.…

London will grind to a halt without Crossrail 2. That was the claim made by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, during a speech at the London Transport Museum’s annual fundraising dinner in February. Khan said Transport for London modelling showed that at least 17 stations would be overcrowded without the new route, and that thousands of passengers arriving at Euston on HS2 Phase 2 would lose time saved on journeys due to queuing at Underground stations. “Crossrail 2 is crucial,” he said. “It’s crucial to meeting our ambitious targets for new affordable homes. It’s crucial to unlocking future economic growth in the aftermath of the EU referendum. It’s crucial to ensure that Euston station keeps running smoothly when HS2 opens. And it’s crucial if we are to prevent Waterloo, Victoria…

THE rail sector is at a “crucial turning point” and must embrace change. That was the message from Chris Burchell, Rail Delivery Group Chairman and Managing Director of UK Trains at Arriva, in his speech delivered at the annual George Bradshaw address on February 28. Warming to his theme of the need for the railway to embrace change, he continued: “Unless we manage change, embrace change and lead change now, our industry will go backwards… the railway has no right to exist in perpetuity - we must continue to justify our existence amidst this maelstrom of economic, technological and societal change.” After highlighting the rail sector’s contribution to the UK economy, Burchell underlined the challenges passengers face when services are disrupted, and warned: “Some of the things we have done…

The Peninsula Rail Task Force (PRTF), the campaign group seeking rail upgrades in southwest England, says Rail Minister Paul Maynard has confirmed that the region is “a priority” for future government investment in rail. At a meeting in London on February 28 to discuss the PRTF’s Closing the Gap 20-year investment plan, Maynard told the delegation that its findings were “compelling” and “very much in line with our thinking”. Also at the meeting were local MPs Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) and Gary Streeter (South West Devon). Discussions took place about resilience improvements at Dawlish, Teignmouth and Cowley Bridge Junction, as well as the case for reopening the Exeter-Okehampton-Tavistock-Plymouth route and creation of an enhanced diversionary route between Castle Cary and Yeovil Junction. Speaking after the meeting, PRTF Chairman…

More than eight out of ten businesses view the proposed Crossrail 2 scheme as being vital to London’s successful expansion, according to the Confederation of British Industry’s February 2017 London Business Survey. Of those surveyed, 12% said they would be ‘happy’ to contribute financially to the development of Crossrail 2, 35% said they were ‘not sure’ or that it is ‘too early to tell’ whether they could contribute financially, and 32% were against contributing. A further 22% said they would contribute but that they were ‘somewhat reluctant’ to do so.…

WESTERN Bristol Parkway: Network Rail has submitted a planning application to South Gloucestershire Council for a new fourth platform at the station and to extend the others. Donyatt Halt: Around £10,000 has been raised to restore the former Taunton-Chard line wooden station shelter, which was severely damaged in an arson attack on November 2015. The community building is a meeting place on the public footpath and cycleway. Lydney: The car park at the Forest of Dean station has been doubled in size to 200 spaces. EASTERN Queensbury: The prospects of reopening the tunnel as part of the Bradford-Keighley-Halifax walkway are fading, because 10% of the structure is considered unsafe. A new opening would cost £25.6 million, which is £10m cheaper than repairs. Seaburn: Three 1920s coaches incorporated into the Pullman…

Newly preserved 37688 Kingmoor TMD will be repainted into Trainload Construction livery and regain its Great Rocks nameplate. It will also be refitted with the Buxton TMD depot plaques and ICI crests it carried when used on stone trains from Peak Forest in the late 1980s/ early 1990s. It is expected that the ‘37’, which is still in traffic with DRS, will be repainted at the end of this year or early next year, ready for the 2018 gala season. The D05 preservation group also has a home agreed for the ‘37’, subject to conclusion of legal contracts.…

Direct Rail Services 88001/003-005/008 were all dispatched from Spain on February 23. The dual-mode locomotives were built in Valencia by Stadler, and will enter traffic later this year. They join 88002, which arrived in January and which has been undergoing commissioning and training at Carlisle Kingmoor depot. Still be delivered are 88006/007/009/010. They will replace pairs of Class 68s on intermodal trains, as well as being employed on other duties. DRS will thus be able to withdraw older fleets.…

LORAM UK has won a maintenance deal with Rail Operations Group. The first part of the contract involves a major exam for 47847, which will undergo work to return it to operational condition. This includes a bogie swap with 47848, and will enable ROG to have four main line-worthy Class 47/8s as it expands its operations. Already in traffic with ROG are 47812/815/843, while 47847/848 are operational but have had little use. ROG has also bought 47813 from Direct Rail Services, but has yet to take delivery of the locomotive.…

“With Phase 1 Parliamentary powers now secured with a strong political consensus, it is time to proceed to implementation and to progress the next stages of the high-speed programme, broadening its value to serve the whole country.” WITH last month’s granting of Parliamentary powers for the first phase of HS2, attention now rightly turns to delivery. A decade from first outline conception to a clearly defined and approved plan is surely a rate of progress to be admired and commended. It was in 2007 that Greengauge 21 published the first suggestion for the idea, naming it High Speed Two (www.greengauge21.net/publications/high-speed-two-a-proposition-bygreengauge-21/). The report was a response to a question we had set ourselves: if we are to have a national high speed rail network, where was it best to start? To…

Brighouse has 40 years’ experience in the rail industry. He was formerly managing director at Chiltern Railways, where he was responsible for the operation and safety of the passenger rail service between London and the West Midlands. He first joined Chiltern in 2000 as projects director, leading the Evergreen 1 and 2 infrastructure projects and also the building of Chiltern’s Wembley depot. He went on to lead the Chiltern/MTRC joint venture bid for London Overground, and became deputy MD in 2007 before returning to Chiltern as MD in 2011. He is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and holds an MBA from Aston Business School. He took up his current role as a non-executive director at NR in January 2016, and is a member of the committees for…

The Victorians who built the magnificent viaducts along the Settle-Carlisle Line would be amazed to know that it has been possible to build a structure of similar size and complexity entirely underground. Eden Brows slipped in a very big way during the line’s construction. The movement in early 2016 was far less severe, thanks to Victorian interventions and constant attention over the years since. This new underground viaduct should ensure that Eden Brows has become ‘as solid as a rock’.…

London Liverpool Street is the third busiest station in the UK for passenger numbers, but the busiest overall when footfall is taken into account (those who pass through the station without using a train). A few years ago, Network Rail Anglia Route Managing Director Richard Schofield raised the idea of a new station at Shoreditch, to help alleviate capacity. Now the focus has shifted to the existing station. He says: “We could do Platform 0 at Liverpool Street, or we could do two or three platforms in between Platforms 10 and 11. But that would be a road scheme, so it is not easy. We could build another platform, and Liverpool Street will be redeveloped.” He mentions that while the roof is listed, NR could build a ramp above the…

If approved, Crossrail 2 will serve the southern section of the West Anglia Main Line. Transport for London is leading the project, but it could affect the WAML upgrade in terms of the work required. NR Anglia Route Managing Director Richard Schofield says: “We absolutely support Crossrail 2. It’s a number of years away. As part of our CP6 plans we are supporting funds for CP7 (April 1 2024-March 31 2029) for it. In our West Anglia upgrades we are three-tracking the railway, so we are making it future proof.” He says that if you build something, the passengers will use it, and that it’s about enabling people to plan connectivity. “People are prepared to move.”…

The advertisement’s director, Neil Gorringe, explains why certain locations have been used for the filming of the RDG’s new advert: “Little corners and vistas of Britain, which at first appear empty, are magically brought to life by the sound of a passing train. “The people and things that appear remind us what role rail plays in our lives - a trip to the seaside, goods for purchase or the commute into work. These scenes unfold in a contemporary way. “The voiceover informs us that investments and improvements will be made to support the increasing demand. “Ultimately, this film will make you feel good about the railway.”…

People now recognise HS2’s wider potential to help get the best out of Britain through improving connectivity between our major cities, so creating new jobs at a local level in the process. And for most people that is now the legacy they want most from HS2. And it is that realisation of the wider role of HS2 that has been key to taking the project from the ‘discretionary spend’ some viewed it as to being a core part of the nation’s efforts to equip itself for a post-Brexit world. Just as the original Victorian railway formed a spine that allowed the country to make a quantum leap in the way it travelled and traded with itself, so can HS2 - building on the revitalisation of the railway in the last…

HS2 Ltd has responded to criticism from Lord Berkeley, following the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report into the Great Western Main Line electrification (see pages 14-15). Berkeley said: “In January, during the Committee Stage of the HS2 Bill, I quoted Michael Byng’s calculation that using the same RMM suite for the whole of Phase 1, the cost would be £54 billion rather than the £24bn quoted in a Written Answer to me on December 21 2016. “How can the first 8km from Euston, albeit with an expensive station, possibly be one-third of the cost of the whole 200km of Phase 1, which also includes expensive tunnels, stations, junctions and viaducts?” HS2 Ltd spokesman Alastair Cowan told RAIL on March 7: “Phase 1 is all about capacity. That’s why…

One-third of HS2’s passengers are expected to change at Old Oak Common, when the station is built. It will have six platforms and connections to Crossrail and the Great Western Main Line. HS2 Ltd spokesman Alastair Cowan told RAIL the company expects passengers changing at the west London station “to continue their journeys into central London (particularly west London and the City) via Crossrail”. Regarding the new Bombardier depot being constructed at the site for maintenance of Crossrail trains, Cowan dismissed informed rumours that the depot may be demolished despite not actually being open yet. He told RAIL on March 7: “We don’t need to demolish the Crossrail depot to deliver this. The wider redevelopment of the site is being led by the Old Oak Development Corporation.”…

ALL train services to and from Liverpool Lime Street were suspended for more than a week after a section of ten-metre-high retaining wall collapsed on the station approach. An estimated 200 tonnes of debris fell onto the tracks and pulled down overhead wires at approximately 1745 on February 28, blocking all four running lines between the city’s Lime Street and Edge Hill stations. Network Rail reopened the station in the early hours of March 8 following an extensive repair programme. The precise cause of the structural failure is yet to be formally announced, but early indications and aerial images pointed to several cabins filled with concrete and other heavy materials (including washing machines) as the likely culprits, placed by a third party near the top of the Victorian-era cutting. These…

The safe evacuation of hundreds of passengers trapped for hours in tunnels outside Liverpool Lime Street station on February 28 underlines the importance of a safety-trained guard on every train, according to the RMT union. The RMT is currently in dispute with operators Merseyrail, Northern and Southern over the introduction of Driver Only Operation trains (see pages 18-19). Both Northern services halted by the wall collapse had conductors on board. The union subsequently warned of “potentially lethal consequences” if they had not done so. The RMT said the guards were trained to deal with emergencies and evacuations, leaving drivers free to deal with communications and control.…

Operating profits for Eurotunnel Group before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 7% in 2016 to 514 million euros (£440.8m). However, depreciation, finance charges and other costs led to the company declaring net profits of 200 million euros (up 125 million from 2015’s restated figures). The growth in profits was driven by strong growth in the truck shuttle business, where revenues rose by 57 million euros to 603 million euros. The number of trucks carried increased by 11% to 1.64 million vehicles, while the number of cars transported rose by 2% to 2.6 million. Coach traffic declined by 8% to 53,623 vehicles. Eurostar passenger numbers fell by 4% to 10.01 million in 2016, blamed on terrorist attacks. However, Eurotunnel says this trend reversed in the final quarter with…

The rail industry held a roundtable meeting with Minister for Exiting the EU David Jones and Rail Minister Paul Maynard on March 1, to discuss issues that will affect the sector when Britain leaves the European Union. Board level representatives from train operators, suppliers and infrastructure providers attended the meeting, including Arriva, British Steel, Eurostar, FirstGroup, Freightliner, MTR, Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and Rail Freight Group. Topics included market access, cross-border services, the supply chain, safety, technical standards, trade, customs, and research and innovation. A joint statement issued by Jones, Maynard, the chief executives of the RDG and Railway Industry Association and the industry chairman of the Rail Supply Group said: “The Government and industry will work closely together to ensure that our railways - including our international…

The London Assembly Labour Party has admitted it mistakenly claimed that 590,000 Southern commuters could miss out on compensation for poor service. In fact, 84,000 Southern passengers are eligible for enhanced refunds equivalent to four weeks’ travel costs. Around 300,000 passengers travel on Southern services each weekday. The Government announced compensation packages in December for season ticket holders. Labour had claimed that 590,000 Oyster card or contactless bank card passengers travelled on Southern between December 11-17. Because they used pay-as-you-go systems, it claimed those passengers were excluded from the enhanced refund scheme. Southern said: “Those who travel on normal single journeys can already claim under our normal Delay Repay compensation scheme, including those using Oyster or contactless cards.” They are entitled to up to 25% of the cost of a…

Rail activities contributed to a £10 million rise in full-year operating profits (to £48.8m) for Morgan Sindall Group in 2016. The group’s rail operations won (in joint venture) an eight-year framework contract on London Underground’s Future Stations civil engineering and tunnelling works programme in December 2016, as well as the Central Enabling Works contract for High Speed 2 (again as part of a joint venture) in November 2016. Morgan Sindall is also playing a major role in the £250m Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme.…

Deutsche Bahn is still interested in operating an ICE service from Germany to London, but has not given a start date. The German operator explained that the trains were not yet ready, and that they needed to run in Belgium and France before running to the UK. It also confirmed that the economics have to be right for the service to start. In a statement to RAIL on March 3, DB said that while it was pleased to have been granted an operating certificate to run passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel, the start date for ICE services depends upon the delivery of ICE Class 407 trains. “As the homologation for the new ICE trainsets Class 407 for Belgium and northern France is behind schedule, we still do not have…

Cambrian Heritage Railways (CHR) has secured approval for a Transport and Works Act Order to reinstate community and heritage railway services on the Gobowen to Blodwel line. Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling approved the transfer of statutory powers and obligations of the railway from Network Rail to CHR on February 28. The decision paves the way for reinstatement of services over the 8.3-mile route from Oswestry to Gobowen, on the National Rail network. Concerns raised by the Office of Rail and Road about level crossings over the A5 and A483 roads have led to a decision preventing the railway from crossing them on the level. CHR has presented alternatives to this. CHR plans a staged expansion of its operations until alternatives to the A5 and A483 level crossings…

THE total volume of rail freight lifted in the third quarter of 2016-2017 (Q3, October-December 2016) was 4.42 billion net tonne kilometres (ntk), down 2.8% on the corresponding period in 2015-16. Figures released by the Office of Rail and Road on February 23 highlighted that construction and domestic intermodal between them accounted for more than 60% of total freight lifted. Both commodities have been rising year-on-year, said ORR. Indeed, domestic intermodal set a new record for the highest amount of freight moved in any quarter since the start of the series (Q1, 1998-19), with 1.72bn ntk - a 5.2% increase on the same period last year. Five of the seven commodities recorded an increase compared with Q3 in 2016-17. International traffic rose 14.4% to 0.11bn ntk, construction was up 6.6%…

Hull Paragon station is being refurbished, with new toilets and a new waiting room. The station’s former Pumpkin cafe is being converted into toilets, while a glass-fronted waiting room will extend from the front of the existing building. TransPennine Express is spending £1.4 million on the work, with both new facilities due to be completed in the spring. There will also be ticket office improvements, including removing counter screens to make it easier to interact with staff. Four retail units will also be built, while a customer information point will also be opened in a part of the station that was formerly redundant. A new arrivals and departures board will also be installed.…

Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf says the Department for Transport should rethink proposed cuts to the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grant system, which he says could result in the number of cross-border freight flows being halved from six to three. Speaking at the Rail Freight Conference in Edinburgh on March 1, Yousaf said: “This arrangement has worked well since the introduction of MSRS in 2010, and the services themselves have delivered substantial environmental benefits as well as reducing congestion on our roads. “The Scottish Government has ensured that the budget for 2017-18 includes sufficient provision for continuing with the same level of support as in previous years, demonstrating the priority we place on these services and the benefits they accrue.” He added that he has written to Transport Minister…

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has released what it calls a ‘Brexit Manifesto’ outlining what the logistics sector needs to make a success out of Britain leaving the European Union. Its recommendations include forging new trade deals with leading and emerging economic powers, ensuring the UK has the right systems in place within the World Trade Organisation to ensure there is no disruption to trade after Brexit, and the development of infrastructure. UK-registered transport and logistics companies should also have “seamless access” to the European Union market.…

THE first Pacers will be sent off-lease from Northern on September 15 2018, with the final trains released on October 12 2019. In the franchise competition eventually won by Arriva, the Government had announced that the Class 14x fleet in use by Northern would have to be withdrawn, with the disabled access deadline of January 1 2020 acting as the catalyst. The withdrawal dates were revealed when the Department for Transport released the Northern franchise agreement on March 1. First to be released will be five two-car Class 144s owned by Porterbrook. The final two-car ‘144s’ will be withdrawn on January 5 2019, while the ten three-car ‘144s’ (144014-144023) will be released on March 31 2019. The first of Northern’s 79 Class 142s will be sent off-lease to Angel Trains…

Construction of the 66 Class 345/0 Aventras for Crossrail will take another two years. Bombardier Commercial Director Des McKeon told RAIL on February 23 that work was progressing, and that they would all be finished by 2019. This comes as the second train to be released for main line testing (345005) was dispatched to Ilford on March 6. The seven-car electric multiple unit had been at Asfordby for tests, before being sent to the Essex depot for mileage accumulation and training. TfL Rail will start using ‘345s’ this May on Shenfield-London Liverpool Street services, running as seven-car trains. The first nine-car trains enter traffic next year between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport, replacing the current Heathrow Connect service. Bombardier has released 345001/002/005 as seven-car trains, while 345018 has been released…

BOMBARDIER Aventras will enter traffic with Greater Anglia from March 2019, the operator has confirmed. GA has 665 electric multiple unit vehicles on order from Bombardier, with the first due to be delivered in December next year for testing. The EMUs are to be used on commuter routes south of Ipswich, although some will reach Norwich. They are designed to replace the Class 317, ‘321’ and ‘360’ EMU fleets that the operator currently uses. GA spokesman Lucy Wright told RAIL that the main maintenance facility for the Aventras will be at Ilford, and that they will enter service before the first of 378 Stadler vehicles that are due in traffic from May 2019. Wright explained this is because it will be the first time Stadler trains have entered traffic in…

Eight Class 707s are now in the UK, after South West Trains 707007/ 008 were delivered to Clapham Junction for commissioning on February 24. The five-car electric multiple units were ordered in a £210 million deal in September 2015. They are being built by Siemens in Krefeld (Germany), and following testing at the company’s Wildenrath facility they are being moved to the UK via the Channel Tunnel. Owned by Angel Trains, the EMUs will enter traffic from mid-April, running between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside (including the Hounslow Loop and Weybridge via Brentford). Thirty ‘707s’ are on order (150 vehicles) and all will be in traffic by November. They are not replacing any trains within the SWT fleet. Instead, an internal cascade will involve two-car ‘456s’ transferring to…

Greater Anglia is spending £4.7 million on the refurbishment of 17 Class 317s and 53 Class 321s. These will include electric multiple units cascaded from Govia Thameslink Railway. The work involves fitting new carpets, seat covers and dado panels, carrying out a deep clean throughout the EMU, and interior repainting. The ‘321/4s’ cascaded from GTR have extra First Class accommodation compared with GA ‘321s’, and this will be reduced to create the same capacity as the existing fleet. GA said the ‘317’ programme will be finished by the end of the year, with the ‘321s’ finished in spring 2018. GA Managing Director Jamie Burles said: “This investment will help to bring all our remaining Class 321 trains up to a higher standard, more in line with our 30 Class 321…

THE first Intercity Express Programme Class 801 electric multiple unit has arrived in the UK. Built in Kasado (Japan), five-car 801101 was delivered to Hitachi Rail Europe’s Doncaster depot in late February. HRE is contracted to deliver 12 five-car Class 801/1s and 30 nine-car Class 801/2s. Both fleets (330 vehicles in total) will be used by Virgin Trains East Coast, operating alongside 13 nine-car Class 800/1 and ten five-car Class 800/2 bi-mode trains. In total, VTEC will have 497 IEP vehicles, with the first entering traffic next year. HRE was also supposed to build 21 Class 801/0 EMUs for Great Western Railway, but these nine-car trains are instead being built as bi-mode Class 800/3s due to the delays in the Great Western Main Line electrification ( RAIL 802). The first…

“At the end of the day, our mistakes as a company killed someone, and many more suffered terrible injuries. But we did at least show the world it was possible for a company to take responsibility for its actions.” A Friday evening on a blustery February day in 2007 (much like the one that recently marked Grayrigg’s tenth anniversary). A new restaurant had opened near my home, and I was sitting down for dinner with my partner. The wine had been ordered, and we were perusing the menu when my mobile phone rang. “Sorry, I won’t answer that,” I said, before I noticed John Armitt’s name appear on the screen. “Errr, actually I’ve got to answer that.” John was Network Rail’s chief executive. He bore the news that every railway…

HS2 trains: danger signs Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling says hundreds of jobs will be created in building and maintaining the new trains for HS2, “representing a great opportunity for British-based businesses and suppliers” (RAIL 819). Perhaps he needs a warning. If Bombardier doesn’t get this order, it’s quite possible it will shut up shop in Derby and end train-building in the UK, simply building a small facility in the south of England to maintain trains it has already built, or even renting out space in a current rival’s facility. The company cannot keep losing orders for British trains to overseas companies and be expected to stay in business. And any suggestion that trains are BUILT in Newton Aycliffe is surely meant as a joke. Parts are manufactured…

“Remember that cinemas have survived the introduction of TV, that books have survived the invention of Kindle (which has become a niche product), and that vinyl is making a comeback despite the dominance of digital music. Railways have thrived because they offer a better experience than the alternative.” CHRIS Burchell’s theme for his lecture at the annual George Bradshaw Address, the most prestigious railway speech of the year, was that as we live in a rapidly changing society, accordingly railways have to adapt constantly. Burchell, Rail Delivery Group Chairman and Managing Director of UK Trains at Arriva, argued that we are in the midst of a technological revolution as earth-shattering as the first Industrial Revolution. “Railways have no right to exist in perpetuity,” he stressed. Therefore: “We must continue to…

“For an organisation often accused of micro-management, this lack of interest in NR’s activities is strange. DfT cannot afford to do the same with HS2.” THERE’S an incredible amount of detail within the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Act 2017 - better known as the HS2 Act. It weighs in at 452 pages, and provides a description of what must be done to build the new line from Euston to Curzon Street station in Birmingham. Within the Act itself, all this is described in words - separately are the plans and sections that show graphically what’s to be done. If you were minded to flick through the hefty document, you’d see that it updates the punishment available under 1840’s Railway Regulation Act for obstructing an officer of a railway company…

FOR some time now, a reader from Drumry has been complaining about the fares from his station to Edinburgh. He has got nowhere, and the responses he has received from ScotRail make little sense. The lines going west from Glasgow Queen Street and Central Low Level stations join at Partick, then split again at the next station (Hyndland). One route goes via Yoker and the other via Westerton, until they re-join at Dalmuir. They then continue to one of my favourite towns (Helensburgh), with the West Highland Main Line to Mallaig leaving just before the penultimate stop of Craigendoran. Our reader travels from Drumry, the second stop east of Dalmuir on the Westerton loop (the first is Singer). The Anytime Day Return to Edinburgh is £31. It is also £31…

“Efficiency savings will be a requirement in the competitive market for funding.” The amount of revenue support for secondary and rural rail services is largely obscured, as a result of routes being part of larger franchises making premium payments. If profit and loss figures for individual lines were in the public domain, the gap between fare box income and operating costs would reveal significant losses. There has been little talk of rail services closing on financial grounds, because economists in the industry have skilfully built up a value system for external economic benefits - these include providing access to employment, reducing congestion, and cutting the level of exhaust pollutants from motor vehicles. Much of this logic can also be applied to bus services outside major population centres, but a recent…

A regular topic of conversation for Network Rail and ministers alike is Ely North Junction. Situated where the lines from March, Kings Lynn and Norwich meet, it is a pinchpoint for the region. Freight and passenger trains fight for space, and with ambitions for more traffic, the junction needs improving. NR Anglia Route Managing Director Richard Schofield says that along with the doubling of the line through Soham, Ely North Junction is “top of the list for Control Period 6. It is so intrinsic not only for freight capacity, but also Govia Thameslink Railway, East Midlands Trains, CrossCountry and Anglia.” He adds, however: “Whatever we put in CP6 where does the capacity go?” NR Chief Executive Mark Carne has previously raised the issue of third-party funding, and Schofield is keen,…

Schofield was appointed RMD for the Anglia Route in February 2013, following a year spent as director, route asset management. He is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the Anglia Route, and for overseeing the performance, enhancements and safety of the route. Prior to joining the Anglia Route, Schofield held the post of area general manager for High Speed 1, having also held a series of positions in CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) and later Network Rail when the line opened to passenger traffic. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer, having begun his career on the British Rail Civil Engineering Graduate Scheme where he gained Chartered status. Schofield is a Crystal Palace supporter and plays the euphonium in a brass band. “If you were offered my job 20 years…