Table of contents for Issue 824 in RAIL

“It’s not a market when basic supply and demand cannot work to set a price.” It was hard not to feel a pang of sentiment at the loss of the South West Trains franchise by Stagecoach. Over the past 21 years it has done a good job with Britain’s busiest railway, which is extremely difficult to run. First MTR will discover that soon enough! So I must start with a wave of acknowledgment and a sincere word of thanks and appreciation to Stagecoach and its staff, for more than two decades of solid achievement. They were by no means alone in having a very rocky start (too few drivers!) in passenger train operations back in 1996, when they ran the very first train of the newly privatised era. But they…

First MTR South Western Trains Ltd has committed to: • 22,000 extra morning rush hour seats to Waterloo, and 30,000 extra seats each evening. • A fleet of 90 new trains for Reading, Windsor and London suburban services. • Refurbished Class 442, ‘444’ and ‘450’ trains by December 2018 and Class 158/159 trains by December 2020, with at-seat charging sockets and new seat covers. • More frequent and additional services across the franchise. • Simpler fare structure. • Faster journeys across the network from December 2018, including: 8 minutes faster from Southampton; 5 minutes faster from Portsmouth; 10 minutes faster from Reading; 12 minutes faster from Hounslow; 11 minutes faster from Salisbury. • Earlier first and later last trains, including between London and Twickenham, Hounslow, Windsor, Reading, Epsom, Guildford, Portsmouth…

Stagecoach ran the first privatised passenger service of the modern era: the 0510 from Twickenham on Sunday February 4 1996. An aggressive cost-cutting programme meant it was initially known as the train company that made so many drivers redundant it did not have enough left to operate all its services. Since then it has more than doubled passenger numbers to 230 million a year. It replaced slam-door trains with £1 billion worth of new rolling stock. A further £210 million of new trains follow this year. Office of Rail and Road figures show it is the only part of the national network to make an outright contribution to the Treasury when all rail costs are included: 56p per passenger journey, or 2p per passenger km. SWT regularly achieves among the…

PASSENGERS can once again ride the full length of the Settle-Carlisle Line (S&C), following Network Rail’s completion of repairs costing £23 million to a landslip at Eden Brows. The section of the S&C north of Armathwaite had been closed since February 9 2016. Once final tests were complete, the first passenger train to travel the full route was Northern’s March 31 0550 Carlisle-Leeds, which arrived on time having left Carlisle a minute late. Later that morning a celebratory railtour ran from Oxenhope to Carlisle behind 60103 Flying Scotsman. The train started at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway’s southern terminus and traversed the link between KWVR and NR lines at Keighley, before continuing north. Northern Regional Director Paul Barnfield said: “The Eden Brows engineering project has been a mammoth task…

“A stronger railway needs everyone working together to improve services for passengers, employees and businesses.” PAUL PLUMMER Rail Delivery Group Chief Executive says Britain deserves a long-term plan, following the result of the ASLEF referendum on April 3. “We wholly appreciate busy trains can be uncomfortable, and can assure passengers we are focused on delivering the value for money service they both want and deserve.” HUMZA YOUSAF Scottish Transport Minister responds to the first public list of Scotland’s busiest trains. “It is disgusting that people think it is OK to abuse the environment and dump rubbish like this on the railway.” ALLUN EDGE Network Rail Infrastructure Maintenance Protection Co-ordinator is dismayed by the 250 tonnes of fly-tipped waste NR is removing from the railway in Telford. “The railways have always…

Digital technology offers an “unprecedented chance” to fight London’s transport problems - but action is urgently needed. So claims a report issued by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), which argues that developments such as on-demand private hire and car clubs “could interact within London’s transport system to deliver positive network effects”. The IPPR report, Crossroads: choosing a future for LondonÕs transport in the digital age, argues that “a vision and framework for new transport technologies” should be built into the London Mayor’s Transport Strategy. Other recommendations include appointing a ‘chief digital officer’ for the city, as well as mandating Transport for London “to investigate the potential for a smart charging system and an integrated road pricing scheme”. According to the report, modal shift “from private to public and…

Rail Minister Paul Maynard has met Network Rail’s London North Eastern Route Managing Director Rob McIntosh, to discuss ways to improve reliability of the East Coast Main Line’s overhead line electrification. Maynard confirmed the meeting in a House of Commons Transport debate on March 30. He was replying to Rachael Maskell (Labour/Co-op, York Central), who had asked about the “urgent renewal” needed for ECML wires. Maskell had asked: “We already know that there is six times higher spend in the South than in the North on rail and transport infrastructure, but we also seem to have an east-west divide in rail - the East Coast route has received £3 billion less than that of the West. Will the Government bring forward their funding to upgrade the East Coast Main Line…

NETWORK Rail says reports of plans to cut jobs and renewals work are “ridiculous scaremongering”, and that it has no plans to cut any safety-critical jobs or work. The Independent claimed on April 1 that a letter passed to it written by Ben Brooks (someone with that name is NR’s Project Director for High Output Track Renewal) says: “Because of significant overspends in some areas, including some enhancement schemes and the fact that the routes are more expensive to run than predicted, there is simply not enough money left in Control Period 5 to continue as we have been. So the whole of NR has to cut costs.” The letter claims that high output renewals on the London North Western and Wessex routes have been cancelled, as well as work…

Network Rail has applied to close or change the use of 130 level crossings across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk. A Transport and Works Act Order application has been submitted to Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling. If approved closures and usage changes to level crossings will start in late 2018. Crossings identified for closure include those where there are private rights only, where a nearby alternative exists, or where a new public route to an alternative can be easily provided. Other crossings will be downgraded to non-motorised users, although none of these are on A or B-roads.…

Government will continue to assess all elements of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme to ensure it remains deliverable and affordable, according to Rail Minister Paul Maynard. Replying to a Commons Written Question from Kate Hollern (Labour, Blackburn) on March 21, Maynard said: “In 2015, in response to cost increases and schedule delays on aspects of Network Rail’s investment programme, Sir Peter Hendy was asked to re-plan the programme in a way that was both affordable and deliverable. “In response to the recommendations of the Bowe Review into the planning of the current rail investment period, Network Rail has undertaken an Enhancements Improvement Plan which has strengthened, among other things, cost estimation, project and portfolio monitoring, project delivery and project governance. “Four electrification projects were deferred on the Great…

A MAJOR timetable recast undertaken by Network Rail and Britain’s rail freight operators could release 3,684 unused train paths for other services. The announcement on March 31 followed a two-year industry-wide review which revealed that 50% of train paths reserved for freight trains were not being used. NR credits this to the large decline in coal traffic, as well as falls in iron and steel flows, freight operators running longer and fuller trains, and productivity improvements including running fewer part-loaded trains. In total, 4,702 redundant train paths were identified, although 1,018 of these have been safeguarded for future growth - particularly in the intermodal and construction sectors, which are growing and are predicted to continue to do so in the future. “It is important the whole rail industry works together…

PLANS for a new electrified railhead in Mossend, Scotland, were outlined at the Multimodal trade show at the NEC in Birmingham on April 4. It is hoped the £260 million Mossend International Railfreight Park (MIRP) project will deliver up to 2,700 full-time jobs and 2,200 construction jobs, and that each train could take 90 HGVs off the roads. Andrew Stirling, of PD Stirling (PDS), said: “There are 12,500 44-tonne HGVs using the M74 to Scotland and another 3,000-4,000 coming up the East Coast along the A1.” He believes some of that could “transfer to rail if the costs can be reduced by exploiting longer trains”. PDS has been talking to all the major rail freight operators to evaluate the possibility of shared services. Stirling said: “Delays in upgrading the M8,…

£40k to clear waste Network Rail has spent £40,000 to dispose of 250 tonnes of fly-tipped waste on the disused Madeley Junction-Ironbridge power station line in Telford. The waste was dumped in December 2016. Quainton VP dies Quainton Railway Society Vice President Andrew Bratton has died, aged 71, following a short illness. He joined the society in the 1960s, and served for 37 years on its Executive Committee. Auction raises £627 An auction for a train driving experience day held by Greater Anglia for Comic Relief raised £627. The highest bidder was Cambridge software developer Chris Porter.…

Ben Cox has been named Crossrail’s Apprentice of the Year, at the fifth annual Apprentice awards. The 22-year-old from Medway (Kent) is undertaking a Level 3 Infrastructure and Civil Engineering apprenticeship with Costain Skanska Joint Venture at Stepney Green. He has been hailed as “an inspiration to the whole team”. Crossrail has created 657 apprenticeships since 2009, surpassing its original target of 400. Chairman Terry Morgan said: “Apprenticeships and investment in skills and training are essential, not just to the delivery of Crossrail but also the next generation of UK infrastructure projects.”…

CONSTRUCTION work has started on a bridge over the Midland Main Line (MML) at Loughborough, as part of a wider project to reconnect the Great Central Railway (GCR) with the Great Central Railway (Nottingham). The project will create an 18-mile heritage railway over part of the former Great Central Main Line, which fully closed in 1969, after which British Rail removed the bridges over the MML and Railway Terrace, as well as much of the embankment towards Loughborough Great Central station. The start of work follows a lengthy appeal which has raised more than £2 million. The 30-metre-long structure should be in place by early autumn, and contractors are preparing the ground for construction work. Work will then focus on preparing metalwork for the bridge off-site, in addition to prefabricated…

REFURBISHMENT of High Speed Trains (HSTs) bound for ScotRail will begin this year, with Wabtec Rail contracted to carry out the work. Fifty-four Class 43 HST power cars owned by Angel Trains will be refurbished at Brush Traction’s Loughborough facility and 121 Mk 3 coaches will be refurbished by Wabtec Rail at Doncaster. The work begins in late 2017 and ends in May 2019. The sets will be formed into 17 five-coach sets and nine four-coach sets, with two spare ‘43s’. HSTs are due to enter traffic with SR from May 2018. The four-coach trains will have 32 First Class seats (four priority) and 206 Standard Class seats (24 priority). The five-coach trains will have the same number of First Class seats and 278 Standard Class seats (32 priority). The…

Infrastructure, including depots, will be upgraded in time for the introduction of the High Speed Trains. Haymarket depot shed will be extended on two roads for the 2+5 HSTs, while the depot will also have its overhead cranes upgraded outside 9 & 10 roads to enable power unit exchanges. Perth’s existing servicing facility will be enhanced for the 2+4 HST formations. The track layout at Inverness will be revised for 2+5 HST formations, while electrical shore supplies will be installed in depots and key station platforms. Additionally, Intercity Express Programme (IEP) works planned for Inverness and Aberdeen Clayhills will be reviewed and (where possible) realigned for the HSTs.…

TWO Class 73s rebuilt and re-engineered for Network Rail have been accepted into traffic more than two years after work to convert them began. The locomotives (73951 Malcolm Brinded and 73952 Janis Kong) were rebuilt by LORAM UK at Derby. They have been fitted with Cummins 755hp gen sets, replacing a single 600hp English Electric engine. They were rebuilt from 73211 and 73104 respectively, and have undergone months of testing before being accepted into traffic. Rail Vehicle Engineering Ltd (which LORAM bought last year) initially proposed the ‘73’ rebuild in 2011. NR spokesman Dan Donovan told RAIL on March 21 that they completed their first infrastructure monitoring (IM) recording trip in mid-March, at which time they were accepted into service. He said that NR was now carrying out a comprehensive…

Crossrail 345005 is expected to be the first Aventra in traffic in May. The seven-car electric multiple unit is currently being used for driver training at Ilford, and was due to be joined by its classmate 345006 as this issue of RAIL went to press. So far 345002/005 have been delivered to Ilford for testing. The former is expected to move to Old Oak Common for further testing, with 345005 the first of the production trains. Class 345s will be used initially on the London Liverpool Street-Shenfield section of the £14.8 billion cross-London project. The first 14 delivered will run as shortened seven-car trains, before being extended to nine-car formations at the end of the production run in 2018. Bombardier is building 66 trains for Crossrail, with one nine-car train…

THE first Mk 5s for the Caledonian Sleeper are due in the UK in late September. Seventy-five coaches are being built by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) in Beasain, northern Spain. As this issue of RAIL went to press on April 5, 22 bodyshells had been completed. The first five Mk 5s are due to move to the Velim test track in Czech Republic in July. Caledonian Sleeper Production and Safety Director David Simpson told RAIL that the final fleet composition will be 11 seated coaches, ten ‘club cars’, 14 PRM-TSI (Persons with Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability)-compliant Sleeper vehicles and 40 Sleeper coaches. He explained that the PRMTSI Sleeper coaches and the conventional coaches will have a mixture of en-suite and normal berths, and that the PRM-TSI…

Alstom has confirmed that its Coradia iLint hydrogen-powered multiple unit could operate in the UK in 2021 at the earliest, following the first successful tests of the prototype in Germany. The train was debuted at the Innotrans trade show in Germany last year ( RAIL 810), and will enter traffic on the Buxtehude-Bremervorde-Bremerhaven-Cuxhaven route in Germany next year. However, Alstom admits that while it is possible for the unit to operate in the UK, there are currently no plans for it to do so. The manufacturer said its introduction would depend on successful operation in Germany and for the UK to plan a nationwide hydrogen supply and delivery pipeline. During the tests on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony (Germany), the iLint reached speeds of 50mph. Extensive testing…

Main line-registered preserved 37025 Inverness TMD Quality Assured will haul two Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) charters on June 2/3 and July 1. The first leaves Edinburgh Waverley at 2200 on June 2, and runs overnight to Thurso. It will be paired with another ‘37’. The second, on July 1, leaves Edinburgh Waverley at 0715 bound for Blackpool, and will be hauled by the preserved ‘37’ and a classmate. The Class 37/0 is owned by the Scottish Class 37 Group.…

We’re delighted that Systra is one of our gold sponsors for the conference. Systra is a world leader in transport infrastructure engineering. It has more than 6,000 employees worldwide specialising in conventional rail, high-speed rail, metro, mass rapid transit, light-rail, tram-train, automated guideway and bus rapid transit. Systra has developed projects in more than 150 countries and 350 cities. The company offers the full range of multi-disciplinary technical services for the transport sector. It designs and manages transport projects throughout their entire lifecycle, from the early stages of scheme appraisal and design through to procurement, construction, operation and maintenance. Systra Chief Operating Officer Andrew McNaughton (pictured) will take to the NRC stage to talk about what the UK can expect from high speed, given the company’s experiences of high-speed rail…

“Our aim is to establish an industrial strategy for the long term - to provide a policy framework against which major public and private sector investment decisions can be made with confidence. It is therefore vital that the full development of our industrial strategy should take place with - and not just for - British enterprise. The full involvement of innovators, investors, job creators, workers and consumers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the only basis on which we can produce an enduring programme of action .” Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy…

Diskin is also one of the people spearheading the Collaborative approach to delivery of phases 4 & 5 of the North-West Electrification Programme. This project is key to the Northern Powerhouse vision. This part of the programme involves £160 million of work and will need to be completed and ready for rolling stock - an extremely challenging task. Says Diskin: The scheme has been in development for quite some time, with Carillion’s involvement around 18 months thus far. There have been a number of changes along the way which Carillion has had to adapt to, and adopt, in order to focus on our primary aims - namely delivering the design to a programme and to a fixed budget. “We’re working closely with the client, Network Rail and all the other…

“What devolution means to me is all about cutting through red tape and bureaucracy, and giving the routes the ability to do what they need to do without jumping through lots of hoops.” The best analogy for Network Rail’s ongoing campaign to embrace devolution did not come from the pithy pen of a journalist or industry commentator, but rather the proverbial horse’s mouth, during RAIL Managing Editor Nigel Harris’ candid interview with Mark Carne in RAIL 821. Having been put on the spot over persistent criticism that the organisation is still too centralised, NR’s chief executive responded: “It’s like standing on a beach waiting for the tide to turn. For ages you can’t tell whether it’s going out or starting to come in - you only see gradual progress.”…

A friend of mine was recently on a train when an elderly woman had a heart attack. Trained in first aid, he and another passenger gave CPR for half an hour until the emergency services arrived. Sadly, the lady died, but my pal has made a good point. He tried to get a defibrillator, but there was none on the train. This is something that could save lives. They cost around £500 each, which is not a vast expense even if just half a dozen people were saved each year. Of course, there are issues about where it would be kept and who would have access, but these are not insuperable. Indeed, on long-distance trains, which always have a train manager on duty, there seems no barrier to installing them…

DB Cargo has been testing an unmanned freight locomotive at Siemens’ test track in Wildenrath. And according to Asset Strategy Vice President Miroslav Obrenovic, it aims to have automatic hump-shunting locomotives (Class 290s) under test within 12 months. It also plans to automate the operation of a yard in Munich, in conjunction with infrastructure owner DB Netz. This ambition demands not just ATO locomotives, but also wagons that are able to measure and report their condition, including load and location. Whether or not wagons will have automatic couplers remains to be seen. For true automation they should have, but DB’s video of its Wildenrath trials included a traditional shunter coupling the driverless locomotive to its train. The locomotive in DB’s trial was controlled from a tablet computer which, at first…

A consortium of FirstGroup and MTR has won the contract to operate the South West Trains franchise for seven years, starting on August 20, with possible extension for a further 11 months. South West Trains has been the flagship Stagecoach business since becoming the first privatised passenger train operator in 1996. It is the only franchise to have remained in the same ownership throughout. It operates services from London Waterloo to Reading, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Salisbury, Exeter and Bristol, with an extensive suburban metro network. Its lines are the busiest in Europe, and Waterloo is by far Britain’s busiest station in terms of passenger numbers. SWT operates 1,700 trains a day, covering 200 stations, and employs 4,500 staff. It has consistently been the most lucrative rail business, in recent…

Foreign government-owned companies will now be involved in running almost three-quarters of the UK’s passenger rail routes. • MTR has a 30% stake in the new operator of South West Trains. The Hong Kong Government owns 75% of MTR. • The c2c franchise was recently awarded to the Italian state operator, Trenitalia. • Arriva, a subsidiary of German state-owned Deutsche Bahn, is involved in Chiltern, CrossCountry, Grand Central, London Overground, Northern, Tyne & Wear Metro and Wales & Borders. • French state-controlled Keolis has a stake in Docklands Light Railway, Gatwick Express, Southern, Thameslink, Southeastern and London Midland. • Abellio, the international arm of the Dutch national rail operator, is involved in ScotRail, Greater Anglia and Merseyrail. • Eurostar is part-owned by the French and Belgian state rail operators. •…

Following “ongoing speculation” about the legitimacy of a £170 million HS2 Phase 2b contract award to CH2M, the company has withdrawn its interest in the work. Chairman and Chief Executive of CH2M Jacqueline Hinman wrote to HS2 Ltd Chairman Sir David Higgins on March 29 to advise him of the company’s decision to withdraw from the Development Partner contract. CH2M cited “protracted delays and ongoing speculation [that] risk further delays to this critical national infrastructure, thereby increasing costs to UK taxpayers, as well as to the firm”. A spokesman for the company said: “CH2M has demonstrated all appropriate measures taken throughout to ensure the integrity of the procurement process. Notwithstanding these efforts, we have taken the decision to alleviate any further delays.” The company was awarded the Development Partner contract…

Network Rail considered six different options to fix the slip at Eden Brows, before deciding to build a massive concrete deck and retaining wall atop deep piles. The deck is 150 metres long and 1.5 metres deep, and sits on 226 steel-cased piles that reach 20 metres into the ground to reach into bedrock. NR and contractor Story Rail extensively re-profiled the surrounding bank to reduce the risk of further slips occurring. To install the deck, Story excavated the trackbed to a depth of four metres, in the process uncovering evidence of the repairs that the Midland Railway made to the line even as it was building it in the 1870s. This slip led to the line’s opening being delayed by two years, and points to the challenge the Midland…

RAIL and RailReview have struck a partnership with the Rail Alliance to stage Rail Live 2017 on June 21-22. Rail Live is an outdoor rail show aimed at the entire rail sector. It attracts more than 300 exhibitors who showcase a wide range of products and services in a real rail environment. A comprehensive timetable of events and demonstrations, seminars and presentations will take place in 2017. More than 6,000 visitors attended over the two days in 2016. The event has taken place at Long Marston (Warwickshire) for the past four years, but this new partnership on the unique 120-acre site will build on the success of the current show to create the UK’s biggest and best rail exhibition. One of the biggest developments this year is that, for the…

Vale of Clwyd MP James Davies has written to Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, to highlight his concern that current plans for HS2 “fall short” of providing North Wales and Cheshire with the connectivity it needs to boost economic performance. On behalf of a group of MPs representing constituencies throughout the region, Davies wrote that with sufficient investment in transport, 70,000 new jobs could be created and the cross-border economy’s gross value added (GVA) doubled to £50.5 billion over the next 20 years. He added that to deliver this Crewe would need to be made an HS2 hub, with five to seven trains calling at Crewe each hour bound for a variety of destinations including Scotland, Manchester and Birmingham. Current proposals state that just two trains would call…

Lord Berkeley has written to Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Baroness Rolfe, claiming that the cost of building Phase 1 of High Speed 2 (HS2) could be double the £24 billion quoted by ministers in December 2016. He cites analysis by quantity surveyor Michael Byng, which concludes that Phase 1 could cost £47.98bn. Byng expresses concern over the adequacy of power supply planned, the cost of building new stations at Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange and Birmingham Curzon Street, the outturn costs of signalling systems, and the provision of transport maintenance depots. Berkeley (pictured) said: “Despite spending over £1bn on consultants’ fees, HS2 has no credible breakdown of the costs of Phase 1. And despite several meetings, has produced no serious challenge on scope or rates to Michael Byng’s estimate…

VIVARAIL has confirmed to RAIL that its prototype D-Train 230001 will resume main line testing on the Cotswold Line in May, in order to achieve the safety certification required before its entry into passenger service. The news follows the completion of repairs to the three-car diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU). A fire broke out in one of its detachable engine units during testing on December 30 2016, forcing staff to evacuate the train near Kenilworth and the cancellation of a scheduled eight-month trial with London Midland ( RAIL 818). Vivarail quickly established the cause of the fire as an oil leak, and has subsequently made several design changes to the former London Underground D78 vehicles at the company’s Long Marston base. An internal investigation identified other design flaws, such as…

The long-awaited opening of Mail Rail - the underground London Post Office railway - is set for July. Tickets for the new Postal Museum, incorporating a ride through the Mail Rail tunnels at Mount Pleasant, are expected to be on sale in May. Five interactive zones will lead visitors through five centuries of postal and communications history at the Postal Museum in Clerkenwell (on Phoenix Place), giving visitors a whole new perspective on historical events. Visitors will then head over the road to descend into the old engineering depot of the 90-year-old Post Office Railway at Mount Pleasant, to board bespoke trains on a 2ft-gauge railway under London. The trains, built by Severn Lamb in Stratford-upon-Avon, are battery-operated and will carry about 15-16 passengers at a time. The railway was…

The Government expects to see closer working between Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Southeastern (SET) regarding cascades of rolling stock, to boost capacity on the latter. SET has provided Government with a plan to boost capacity. In a House of Commons Transport debate on March 30, Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: “We have had it for a week now, and are looking carefully to make sure that it all makes sense and adds up. I hope that those carriages will be hitting the network as soon as possible.” So far, eight former Thameslink Class 377/5s have been sub-leased from GTR to SET. After Robert Neill (Conservative, Bromley and Chislehurst) pointed out that passengers on crowded trains will pass ‘377s’ stored at Grosvenor Road, Maynard said: “We expect both those train…

PD Ports is looking to expand the number of trains it handles at its Teesport Logistics Park railhead, near Middlesbrough. General Manager of Business Development Alfred van Wyk said: “We currently operate five trains a week from Felixstowe to Teesport with Freightliner Intermodal [FLI], another three from Southampton with FLI, and five a week to Mossend and Grangemouth with DB Cargo. We are looking at expanding operations from Teesport to Trafford Park and somewhere south - Barking or Daventry.” The Trafford Park train would run five times a week while the ‘southern’ train would be five or six times a week. Each would carry up to 40 boxes and could accommodate both 45ft and 9ft 6in high ISO containers. “We are looking to offer multimodal services across the UK. We…

Established Scottish haulier WH Malcolm has been using rail for 16 years, and says it aims to continue these operations and expand where sensible to do so. Rail Development Manager John Holwell said: “The recession [of 2008] hit us, but traffic has slowly built back up again, although it’s plateaued of late. But we are still getting new customers. Traffic is steady.” WH Malcolm, which operates the DIRFT1 site at Daventry for Prologis, says it is pleased with the performance of its train operator DB Cargo, which took over its rail haulage from Direct Rail Services four years ago. “DB has been very reliable of late,” Holwell said. “It has a good commercial understanding and is flexible to our needs. It helps that it also operates the Mossend terminal.” WH…

The City of London Corporation paid the Department for Transport £200 million on March 30 as its contribution towards the Crossrail project. The Corporation agreed to pay the fee in 2007, in recognition of the importance of Crossrail to the city. The funding was contingent on completion of the ticket hall boxes at Lindsey Street (Farrington station) and Broadgate (Liverpool Street), the Moorgate shaft and Stockley Viaduct. With these now complete, the funding has been released. Research conducted by the Corporation suggests that an additional 63,000 jobs in the City and Isle of Dogs will be created by Crossrail.…

WESTERN Banbury: Despite protests, the 1901 Banbury North signal box was demolished by Network Rail over the weekend of March 25/26. Barnstaple: Devon County Council has received charity-based Combe Rail’s preliminary findings into installing a tramway on the alignment of the former LSWR Ilfracombe line as far as Braunton. It is 98% intact thanks to its conversion to the Tarka Trail. High Wycombe: Wycombe District Council has backed a new £100,000 study into the reopening of the railway to Bourne End (closed in 1970). There has been an increasing amount of redevelopment across the trackbed. Plymouth: Eight years after redevelopment was first discussed, 50 new homes are to be built on the disused sidings area at Tothill. Tiverton: Parkway station has 186 new car parking spaces. Worcester: The train crew…

ScotRail says the current overhaul plans for the Class 43 fleet involve corrosion repairs and a re-livery. Cab improvements to be carried out include a full repaint, refurbished driver’s seat and secondman’s seat, and fitting remote downloadable forward-facing CCTV. Automatic Train Protection (ATP) equipment will be isolated but left in-situ to operate speedometer equipment. The ‘43s’ will be fitted with a new Door Interlock Emergency Brake Override switch, to be used where the emergency door release is pulled in an unsuitable location. GWR ‘43s’ owned by Angel Trains are 43002-005/009/010/012/015-018/020-037/ 040-042, 43124-152/163-165/168-172/174-177/179/181-183/ 185-192. It has already been confirmed that 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange will not be heading north.…

Preserved 50049 Defiance stands at South Croydon on March 29. The main line-registered Class 50 was being hauled from the Severn Valley Railway (where it is based) to the Bluebell Railway (where it starred at the line’s diesel gala). The ‘50’, which forms part of the Class 50 Alliance fleet, was being hauled by 20189 and 20205, which also worked at the gala. The ‘20s’ replaced the National Railway Museum’s Class 37 D6700 (37119), which was unable to attend the event due to ongoing maintenance. The C50A planned to send 50035 Ark Royal to the gala, which ran from March 31-April 2. However, it failed and was replaced by GB Railfreight 73107/119.…

The second Class 800/0 to be assembled by Hitachi Rail Europe at Newton Aycliffe departed the northeast facility for North Pole depot on March 17. Five-car 800006 ran to the west London depot with 800004. Both are destined for Great Western Railway. The bi-mode train is the second to assembled at the site, following 800005 which was unveiled on December 9 last year (RAIL 816). Class 800 Intercity Express Programme (IEP) deliveries are scheduled to increase in frequency ahead of the introduction of the trains by GWR from October. Sets up to 800011 have been sighted at Newton Aycliffe, while by March 17 vehicles for trains up to 800025 had been delivered. The bodies are built in Kasado (Japan) using HRE’s stress-welding equipment, prior to being shipped to the UK.…

A Chiltern Railways Mk 3 Driving Van Trailer is to be the test vehicle for a new powertrain demonstrator for self-powered rail vehicles, as part of a wider competition funded by the RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board) and Artemis Intelligent Power. The vehicle will use a JDB diesel engine powering an E-dyn 96 Digital Displacement hydraulic pump linked to axle-mounted digital displacement motors on one of the vehicle’s bogies. The pump is said to respond rapidly to changes in load demand, with pressurised idle losses 90% lower than with conventional variable displacement pumps. It is due to be tested over three months from December 2017. Onboard energy storage will be provided in the form of hydraulic accumulators which store energy during braking for reuse during acceleration. This reserve can…

“We have reached a situation whereby a brand new train can be bought more cheaply than a train sitting (right now) half-finished on a production line.” STAGECOACH had expected to win. Instead it is losing its flagship franchise - a £1 billion, 230 million passengers-a-year business which has turned in steady profits throughout its 21-year tenure. First MTR offers a comprehensive overhaul of what is already regarded as a pretty slick operation. But it felt like South West Trains was suffering from ‘incumbent’s disease’ - a creeping complacency that had a slight end-of-franchise air about it. The trains are not quite as clean as they were. The seat covers are worn, the train announcements are formulaic, and the customer service is a little lacking in sparkle. Perhaps it is time…

Suspiciously hitch-free A J Slatter rightly notes the implausibly smooth, tranquil excursions by host Michael Portillo in BBC TV’s Great British Railway Journeys. Even allowing for lengthy excursions being heavily edited to fit the half-hour format, his trips do appear suspiciously hitch-free. Long-suffering UK rail passengers watch incredulously as his idyllic journeys unfurl: each uncrowded train, devoid of mobile phone idiots or screaming children, apparently arriving and departing punctually. Apart from a few unforeseen moments in the early series - one train was replaced by a bus service, and a platform was altered at short notice (occasioning an atypically gritty, jerky camera style as the crew raced across the station to catch the train) - the itinerary runs unrealistically unimpeded. Unless any obstacles are glossed over by the production team,…

“We’re not just about delivering a standalone package, we want to make sure we offer the benefits across long-term service, continued maintenance and finally its decommissioning period.”Neil Warburton, Head of Signalling Engineering, Alstom UK & Ireland Alstom already has an enviable reputation in the UK as a global leader in the manufacture and maintenance of rolling stock. The statistics speak for themselves; approximately one third of all daily rail journeys completed in this country are made on Alstom trains. The company has also built many of the network’s most intensively used fleets, including Virgin Trains’ Pendolinos, London Underground’s Jubilee Line stock and the UK’s first very high speed train - the Eurostar e300s. But Alstom has many more strings to its bow, and it is now earning a growing…

“Alstom has also developed a cantilever support system for overhead line electrification, named the CLever Cantilever. It is compatible with Network Rail’s Series 2 and Master Series ranges of electrification equipment, and has recently achieved full product acceptance by Network Rail for use on the infrastructure. “The cantilever is lightweight, has a minimal part count, and is easily installed. As such it provides a safety benefit in manual handling, minimal maintenance requirements, improved lifecycle costs and efficient installation times reduced from the conventional process.”…

The Industry Strategy consultation seeks answers to the following questions with regard to infrastructure. It states that these are intended to complement the work already under way by the National Infrastructure Commission, which issued a call for evidence earlier in the year. • Are there further actions we could take to support private investment in infrastructure? • How can local infrastructure needs be incorporated within national UK infrastructure policy most effectively? • What further actions can we take to improve the performance of infrastructure towards international benchmarks? How can government work with industry to ensure we have the skills and supply chain needed to deliver strategic infrastructure in the UK?…

“The failure of the previous Alliance, which ended two years before the intended termination date, has never been adequately explained.” Stagecoach operated the first train service of the privatised era when it commenced operations on February 4 1996, and it has held the South West Trains franchise ever since. In its first year of operation there were 95 million passenger journeys with revenue of £274 million, and a subsidy of £63m was paid by the then Office of Passenger Rail Franchising. Today, the rolling stock that passengers would still recognise are the Class 159 diesel units used on the route between Waterloo and Exeter and the Class 455 electric units diagrammed for use on suburban services. Otherwise the substantial fleet of Mk 1 vehicles has gone, replaced by the Siemens…

Frobisher is a chartered mechanical engineer. After graduating from Cambridge University he joined ICI Polyurethanes in 1990, and worked initially as Plant Engineer at ICI’s Hillhouse site, near Blackpool. He joined Railtrack in 1998 as Contracts Manager for the infrastructure maintenance contracts in the Manchester area, and has undertaken various railway roles in the past 19 years. These have included general manager for the West Coast Main Line north of Crewe, head of safety for infrastructure maintenance, and Managing Director for the East Midlands route. In February 2015 he became Managing Director for the London North Western route, which manages railway infrastructure between London and Carlisle including the cities of Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.…

Thameslink represents Britain’s first main line automatic train operation. Its trains will run under ATO in the core section through central London between St Pancras and Blackfriars. However, it has much in common with London Underground’s automatic routes because it will use uniform stock, a proprietary ATO system, and will not have other trains on its tracks. It plans a 24tph service at peak times, which equates to a train every 150 seconds. The signalling can cope with trains every 120 seconds, with the difference used to keep services punctual by allowing a margin for recovering from delays. Signalling block sections within the core will be 70 metres long, and this allows trains to run more closely together. These short sections have been replicated on Network Rail’s Hertford Loop line,…

The new operator will make premium payments of £2.6 billion over seven years. The franchise will receive £1.2bn of investment, of which £80 million will be directly funded by First MTR. The net contribution to the Treasury will therefore exceed £1.4bn. The extra capacity is expected to increase passenger revenue above the £991m earned in 2015-16. Under the terms of the deal, payments will reduce should national GDP (gross domestic product) and employment in central London fall.…

Is it sensible to change operator in the middle of the Waterloo blockade this August? We have thought very carefully about how that could be done smoothly. We will be talking to both sides to ensure a smooth handover. What did Stagecoach do wrong? We are grateful for all they have done over 21 years. It isn’t a matter of winners and losers. I cannot go into details of what their bid contained, but I regard Stagecoach as an important part of our transport landscape and I hope they will bid in times to come. The unions are worried about yet more overseas involvement in franchises. I think we can apply a lot of MTR’s Hong Kong experience. We need to bring in best practice from around the world. My…

What did you offer that Stagecoach did not? What makes this franchise different is the very large weighting given to quality improvements. 750 new carriages to deliver relief for the commuting public. New and flexible ticketing. We will offer season tickets for people who only need to travel three days a week. We are extending child discounts to 16 to 18-year-olds. However a person wants to pay for the journey, all the various options will be available for them. We are delivering mobile ticketing and linking up with the different smartcards that are offered across the region. We are improving every element of the experience. How will you achieve faster journey times - by cutting out intermediate stops? Our new and refurbished trains will be able to deliver faster acceleration.…

“Train companies are still taking far too long to deliver crucial improvements to compensation for long-suffering passengers.” ALEX HAYMAN Which? Managing Director of Public Markets says the rail industry must improve automatic compensation. “It was fascinating to see the skill and level of work being undertaken, and it certainly helps to understand the importance to the network of the Railway Upgrade Plan.” PAUL SPOONER Leader of Guildford Borough Council visits the site of railway upgrade work at Guildford. “I am beyond thrilled that customers and goods are moving again on this vital economic artery through Britain’s most beautiful landscape.” MARTIN FROBISHER Network Rail’s London North Western Route MD comments on the reopening of the Settle-Carlisle Line. “The completion of work at Sunningdale is further evidence that our Railway Upgrade Plan…

I’m absolutely delighted that the Settle-Carlisle Line has reopened following the repair of the 500,000-tonne landslip at Eden Brows. I know that a lot of local people and railway enthusiasts feared for the future of this iconic line. They need not have feared, because Network Rail is absolutely committed to this essential rail route. After a £23 million investment and 13 months we are now back in business! This was probably the most challenging repair ever undertaken by our orange army of railway engineers. We have driven 226 steel-encased piles right into the bedrock under the Eden Gorge. If you laid the piles end to end then they would stretch for over four kilometres. Those piles support a 6,000-tonne concrete shelf. We have essentially built a whole new 100-metre viaduct…

British Transport Police put out extra resources to give “additional security and reassurance” in the aftermath of March 22’s London terrorist attack. Chief Inspector Ricky Twyford told RAIL on March 30: “We increased our presence across the network, deploying additional uniformed, specialist and firearms officers following the tragic incident last week on Westminster Bridge. “The officers were deployed to provide additional security and reassurance to passengers and staff. We know that incidents such as these cause a huge amount of concern. “We have plain clothes, uniformed and specialist officers that patrol the network every day. The number of officers deployed is regularly assessed, as are our security measures. Together with other police forces and security and intelligence services, we are working tirelessly to confront the terror threat and keep the…

The ScotRail Alliance has submitted a business case for the redevelopment of Stirling station. Key to the project is remodelling the space in front of the station, which it is hoped will reduce road traffic and improve links between the station, city centre and bus station. Station facilities will also be upgraded, including better cycle parking, more retail facilities and a lounge for Caledonian Sleeper passengers. If approved, the redevelopment will be funded by the ScotRail Alliance, Stirling Council and the Scottish Stations Fund.…

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will run the Midland Metro trams from October 2018, when the current National Express-operated concession ends. TfWM is the transport arm of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). It said this move will enable it to put profits into expanding the network. National Express staff will transfer to a new subsidiary company, Midland Metro Ltd, which will be wholly owned by WMCA. The expanded network is expected to enable passenger numbers to rise from 6.5 million to 30 million in the next decade. WMCA expects this to generate £50 million in profits over the first 11 years. “Metro is a fundamental part of our plans not only for transport but for the West Midlands economy as a whole,” said WMCA Lead for Transport Roger Lawrence.…

SOUTHERN Railway drivers who belong to ASLEF have rejected the advice of their union officials for a second time, dashing hopes of an end to the long-running industrial dispute over Driver Controlled Operation. ASLEF negotiated a deal with Southern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway in January. In February that deal was rejected in a ballot, and after three weeks of further talks the two sides reached a revised agreement. In a second ballot announced on April 3, the drivers rejected it again - by a narrow margin. The result was 372 votes to 346 against the deal (51.8% against, with 48.2% in favour). Some 75% of drivers entitled to vote chose to do so. In the first ballot 54% of drivers had voted against the deal, so the margin has…

The Government is not planning to devolve Network Rail in Scotland to the Scottish Government. Alan Brown (Scottish National party, Kilmarnock and Loudoun) had asked in a House of Commons Transport debate on March 30: “As we move towards the post-Brexit world, and as the Scottish Parliament is supposedly going to get new powers, will this Government do something that is already in their gift - devolve the power in Network Rail to Scotland, so that the Scottish Government can fully take control of investment and maintenance delivery and programming in Scotland?” Rail Minister Paul Maynard rejected the plan, responding: “I am always happy to answer this question each month in Transport questions. “We looked at that issue carefully in the Smith commission - there was no consensus, and we…

The best way to ensure train operators do not profit from unclaimed compensation is for passengers to claim the compensation to which they are entitled, Prime Minister Theresa May said in response to Huw Merriman (Conservative, Bexhill and Battle) during Prime Minister’s Question Time on March 22. Merriman had asked: “The compensation paid by Network Rail to train operators for delays far exceeds the amounts that the passengers who experience the delays are claiming, because the ticket refund process can be cumbersome. Will the Prime Minister insist that train operators ring fence that money, and spend it on automated smart ticketing so that customers can tap on and tap off their train, and receive money in their bank accounts for the delays that they have been caused?” May added: “The…

GB Railfreight (GBRf) is to test Class 801 electric multiple units on the East Coast Main Line, after winning a contract from Hitachi Rail Europe which will run until April 2020. Testing of the UK-assembled trains is due to start this spring. The first two sets arrived at Hitachi’s Doncaster depot in February, ahead of the start of the test programme. GBRf has worked with Hitachi since 2013 on the test programme for the bi-mode versions of the Intercity Express Programme trains. GBRf Managing Director John Smith said: “I’m pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi, to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver improved services for rail passengers.” Hitachi Rail Europe IEP Programme Director Andy…

Freightliner (FL) says it is looking for synergies between its two businesses, Intermodal and Heavy Haul, following the latter being affected by the slump in coal traffic. FL is looking at opportunities in the bulk sector out of Teesport, especially with moving steel to the Midlands, Scotland and possibly the North West as well. It also sees more opportunities for intermodal traffic from the London Gateway port, and is expanding its operations to five trains a day from this site.…

A feasibility study is to be conducted into enhancing capacity at Ely North Junction, after funding worth £8.8 million was confirmed by two Local Enterprise Partnerships and Network Rail. The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough and New Anglia LEPs will contribute £3.3m each, while £2.2m will come from NR’s Strategic Freight Network Fund. Network Rail will undertake a detailed feasibility study to evaluate options for capacity enhancements and complete a business case. Ely is a junction for five routes, and is under pressure from increasing demand for passenger and freight paths. Enhancing capacity in the area has long been desired, but aspirations to deliver enhancements were deferred in 2015. After this decision the LEPs were approached for funding to undertake the study. New Anglia LEP Chairman Mark Pendlington said: “The Ely…

Two bridges in Chorley are the subject of closures as work continues on Network Rail’s Manchester-Preston via Chorley electrification project. From April 2, Bridge Street will close for 16 nights between 2200 and 0600 (except on Fridays), while Lyons Lane Bridge will close for 12 nights from April 22 (also except for Fridays). Parapets on both bridges are to be raised to meet clearance standards for overhead power lines being installed underneath. Fencing on both bridges will also be upgraded to improve security during the closures.…

Shakespeare Beach in Dover has reopened, following the completion of a new footbridge over the Dover-Folkestone rail line. It marks the completion of the project to rebuild the sea wall in the area, following a breach on Boxing Day 2015. While the railway was reopened in September 2016, completion of the sea defences and construction of the footbridge has taken until now to finish. The reopening of the beach was marked by the president of the Channel Swimming Association Michael Read, who said: “The beach was the traditional starting point for swims and Channel swimmers have an affection for it.”…

The fifth Class 373 Eurostar set to be sent for scrap arrived at European Metal Recycling’s Kingsbury facility on March 18. Unlike other sets taken to EMR the 18-vehicle set, with power cars 373013/014, had been stored for several months. Others had been taken straight out of traffic for scrapping. Eurostar is disposing of all but eight sets, with the ‘373s’ being replaced by Siemens Class 374 e320 Velaros. Already sent for scrap have been 373003-006/019/020, 373107/108.…

Bombardier could once again build diesel multiple units (DMUs) at its Derby Litchurch Lane facility, and is also actively considering adding bi-mode trains to its portfolio. The manufacturer last built DMUs in 2010, for London Midland. At the time it was believed DMUs were no longer an option for the UK market, with other manufacturers also pulling out. Instead, it concentrated on completing a 192-train S-Stock order for London Underground, and building electric multiple units. However, Bombardier Commercial Director Des McKeon told RAIL : “We believe diesel is a requirement again, both low-speed DMUs and low-speed and medium speed DEMUs [diesel electric multiple units], and high-speed DEMUs.” With the train operating companies as Bombardier’s primary market, McKeon added that options for the new trains included the new East Midlands, CrossCountry…

Preserved Class 46 D182 (46045) will be hired to the North Norfolk Railway this summer. The Type 4 is based at the Midland Railway - Butterley, and will move to the NNR before Easter. It will work at the NNR’s gala on June 9-11 and will remain in Norfolk for the summer. Running days will be planned for the locomotive (the first ‘46’ to visit the railway). The ‘46’ is needed because residents D5631 (31207) and 25057 are both out of action undergoing repairs, leaving D6732 (37032) as the only active member of the NNR diesel fleet. Returning to the NNR is 20227, owned by the Class Twenty Locomotive Society, and which is also main line-registered.…

Tenth GWR ‘387’ arrives Great Western Railway 387147 was delivered to Bletchley for commissioning on March 15. Built by Bombardier at Derby Litchurch Lane, the four-car electric multiple unit is the tenth ‘387/1’ from the latest batch of 14 to be delivered, with 387148-387151 to follow. Third Velaro set Siemens e320 Velaro 374025/4026 has arrived at Temple Mills depot for commissioning. It is the third of seven additional sets ordered in November 2014. Already delivered and in traffic are 374021-374024. Aventra Class 720s The 665 Bombardier Aventra vehicles on order for Greater Anglia will be Class 720s. The electric multiple units are being delivered as 89 five-car and 22 ten-car trains. They enter traffic from spring 2019.…

A £6 million project to upgrade 22 Class 320/3 electric multiple units will begin this October. Owner Eversholt Rail has signed a deal with Knorr-Bremse Rail Services for the EMUs (320301-320322) to visit Springburn Works. The work includes a full interior refresh with all surfaces being repainted, new flooring fitted and new tables and seat moquette. Additionally, there will be at-seat power sockets fitted, a dedicated cycle space, LED lighting and improved CCTV. New interior labelling and signage will also be fitted. The project is due to end in early 2019.…

2017 is a very significant year for HS2. Royal Assent means spades in the ground and the start of what was just an idea on paper turning into something tangible. This means it is a big year for the whole of the rail industry, too - enabling HS2 to integrate into the rest of the network, to make the most of the connectivity opportunities and beyond that into the wider regeneration that can be realised. Because of this significance, RAIL decided that this year’s National Rail Conference should focus on HS2 and its ability to transform Britain. We are delighted to announce that we are staging the conference in association with HS2 Ltd. Chairman Sir David Higgins will be providing the keynote speech and Commercial Director Beth West will speak…

The wiring train successfully deployed on the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme allows wiring to be carried out around four times faster than a conventional process. The advantage of the system is that the catenary and contact wire can be run out together at tension. Also, the train splits and the registration activities can then be followed up after wiring, such that a complete wire run can be handed back avoiding multiple visits. Additionally, the train can be used to install cantilevers and can run ancillary wires such as an earth wire or feeder, and as such provides a complete electrification wiring solution. The Alstom wiring train is a significant step forward in high output electrification progress. The wiring train also contributes to Alstom’s commitment to make railway construction safer by reducing…

INVESTING IN SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION - we must become a more innovative economy and do more to commercialise our world-leading science base to drive growth across the UK. DEVELOPING SKILLS - we must help people and businesses to thrive by: ensuring everyone has the basic skills needed in a modern economy; building a new system of technical education to benefit the half of young people who do not go to university; boosting STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills, digital skills and numeracy; and by raising skill levels in lagging areas. UPGRADING INFRASTRUCTURE - we must upgrade our standards of performance on digital, energy, transport, water and flood defence infrastructure, and better align central government infrastructure investment with local growth priorities. SUPPORTING BUSINESSES TO START AND GROW - we…

“We’ve established a close-knit team here with Network Rail that is, in many ways, the perfect example of a positive working environment.”David Diskin, Operations Director, Carillion Midland Main Line electrification Under the Midland Main Line electrification contract, Diskin acts as the common denominator between the Carillion’s rail business and Carillion Powerlines (CPL) teams working on the project - the former on the enhancements and civils and the latter delivering the electrification. While the whole project will involve wiring all the way from St Pancras to Sheffield, the current focus is on the section from London-Corby, due for delivery in December 2019. The project has had a difficult inception - it was paused in 2015, then ‘unpaused’ last summer. But fortunately, Carillion’s sheer size and capacity meant that it had…

“Waboso points out that it cost about half the amount to resignal the Northern Line than it did the Jubilee Line, because by then he had an experienced team who had learned from the mistakes on the Jubilee.” DAVID Waboso is unique. I’m pretty sure that no one else in the world has the title of Managing Director Digital Railway. I’m sure guests he meets at dinner parties invariably ask what on Earth does it mean. Then probably, unless they are techno-geeks, they regret having asked the question. They shouldn’t. Waboso is very articulate about precisely what the ‘Digital Railway’ means and what it does not, and it is fascinating. Though he will not say it, or criticise either his predecessor or his boss, Waboso (who has only been in…