Indice dei contenuti per Issue 996 in RAIL

Comment rail@bauermedia.co.uk @RAIL VICTORY has a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan. It’s a line US President John F Kennedy made famous, although it’s not original to him. But it certainly applies to the UK Government’s humiliating climb-down over English ticket office closures. But rather than a hundred, it was hundreds of thousands for ticket offices. Between them, watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch received 750,000 responses to a consultation into closing almost all ticket offices run by train operators working under contracts from the Department for Transport. LTW noted that 99% of the 230,000 responses it received were objections to closure. It fell to TF’s long-serving chief executive Anthony Smith to deliver the news the Government hadn’t wanted to hear: “Transport Focus is objecting to the proposals to…

“We are glad to see the back of these ill-considered proposals. We feel certain these proposals did not come from the TOCs, but from government, which incidentally owns three of the five companies serving Northumberland stations. “They were hugely unpopular and were never going to work. Someone, somewhere should have listened to feedback from those that understand the needs of passengers before they ever hit the light of day.” Dennis Fancett, Chair, South East Northumberland Rail User Group “We listened, and we pledged that in the vast majority of cases, stations with staff today would continue to be staffed tomorrow and with similar operating hours.” Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive, Rail Delivery Group “We really hope the Government remembers that the best way to reduce taxpayer contributions is to grow the…

Electrifying the rest of the Midland Main Line as far north as Sheffield will be done (if funded) in seven sections, according to Network Rail. It is running a procurement to find suppliers for the line’s remaining unwired 378 single-track kilometres. RAIL understands that NR favours appointing framework contractors to design and construct overhead line equipment as well as delivering route clearance and enabling works, which will likely include bridge reconstruction or deck lifting, track lowering and diversion of utilities. The project will only receive government funding if NR delivers a satisfactory business case to the Department for Transport. RAIL understands that the final business case may not be sent until autumn 2025. NR is thought to be working to a price of £2.5 million per single track kilometre, suggesting…

Hitachi has been given government clearance to move forward with its £1.34 billion merger with Thales Ground Transportation Systems (GTS). European Union approval is expected to quickly follow. The announcement ends several years of concern as to whether the amalgamation will affect competition in the digital signalling market. The agreed solution is for Hitachi to sell its existing main line signalling business in the UK, Germany and France. The Competition and Markets Authority has sought reassurances about how it will affect modernisation of the London Underground, where Thales is a major participant.…

AT the Office of Rail and Road’s prompting, Network Rail plans to put more money than originally planned - £540m in England and Wales, and £44m in Scotland - into renewal of core assets in Control Period 7. However, that is less than the £550m that ORR called for in England and Wales. NR has also rejected some of ORR’s spending suggestions in favour of its own ideas. For example, NR has rejected ORR’s suggestion that the Southern Region increase property renewals by £50m to include the roof at London Victoria, although the region is planning an extra £37m spending on signalling renewals, which was not part of ORR’s suggestion in its draft determination earlier this year. ORR Head of Capital Investments Howard Taylor told RAIL that the regulator had…

Changing the way it uses its maintenance teams (its Modernising Maintenance programme) remains a key part of Network Rail’s plans for Control Period 7 and will need to be delivered successfully, according to ORR. NR’s plan continues to worry the RMT union, which represents many trackworkers. ORR notes that the plan comprises three elements: reviewing engineering standards and technology; increasing the numbers of multi-skilled staff; and reviewing the size of teams and the way they are rostered. The regulator says it supports NR’s programme, but warns against losing knowledge, capability and expertise. It says that all NR’s regions submitted plans assuring ORR that the programme would be fully enabled by the start of CP7 next April. The RMT responded to ORR’s draft determination earlier this year by suggesting that NR’s…

ENGLISH train operating company leaders are calling on the Government to offer more freedom with contracts, in order to bring more investment and revenue into the rail industry. Southeastern Managing Director Steve White told the Railway Industry Association annual conference in London in November: “Southeastern has been on short-term contracts since 2014, and some of that shows. “If you commute into London you might travel on a Networker that is the same vintage as a Ford Sierra. And I can confidently say that if I ask people to stand up in the room if you commuted today in a Ford Sierra, there wouldn’t be many standees. “We want to make this case for investment. If we invest, we support the supply chain and the wider economy. And if we do…

Coventry’s experimental lightweight railcar which is trying to pioneer low-cost urban travel in UK city centres has run successfully for the first time at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley. The battery-powered unit runs on low-cost track that can be laid just a foot deep into the road surface, avoiding the high cost of diverting pipes and cables. The £40 million Coventry VLR project has been developed by West Midlands organisations including Coventry City Council, Transport for West Midlands, University of Warwick, and the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “We’re placing our region right at the forefront of what is a tremendously innovative technology. As VLR picks up pace, we’ll be able to further reduce traffic congestion and improve our air…

A £250 million, three-year project to transform Gatwick Airport station is almost complete, with a new concourse above the tracks due to open to passengers on November 21. For decades, the cramped station has struggled to cope with 20 million passengers a year, and has failed to meet passenger expectations. It has been a notorious bottleneck on the Brighton Main Line, frequently leading to delays as dwell times extended for travellers with heavy luggage. The new concourse doubles the space for passengers. Eight new escalators, five new lifts, four new stairways and wider platforms will enable more passengers to move more quickly between train and plane. More than 40% of airline passengers now arrive by train, and the airport has ambitions to increase that percentage. “We are seeing train journey…

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is calling “in the strongest possible terms” for the alignment of HS2 Phase 2 to be protected for future needs and “not abandoned as Government proposes”. Publishing a ten-point plan after the cancellation of HS2 north of Birmingham, CILT said it “remains deeply disappointed” by the Prime Minister’s decision last month. “We believe this will do considerable harm to the economies of the North and Scotland,” said Julian Worth, speaking for the CILT Strategic Rail Policy Group. “Instead of investing in the UK’s major infrastructure scheme, a third of the money is to be spent on populist short-term tactical measures which will do nothing to address the nation’s strategic infrastructure needs.” CILT is calling for the remainder of the £36 billion released…

Open access operator Grand Union Trains is launching an industry consultation over proposals to run five services a day between Cardiff and Edinburgh. “We know CrossCountry doesn’t have seating capacity, particularly through the core, and all the signs were there that there wouldn’t be an opportunity for it to strengthen trains or run more trains through the extended contract, so we thought it is time for someone else to step in and try and put a bit of competition into what is a very expensive route to travel on,” Grand Union Managing Director Ian Yeowart told RAIL. The proposed services would call at Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Gloucester, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. The target start date is December 2025, initially using Class 22Xs.…

A plan to increase rail capacity at Cardiff, to cope with people leaving major sports and entertainment events in the city, has been quietly axed by Transport for Wales. The news was in a 56-word accountant’s footnote, at the end of its 142-page annual report, under a statement about losses and special payments. The report said: “During the year, the decision was taken to cease the Llanwern Major Event Stabling Line [MESL] project. As such, development costs of £10.54 million that had been incurred since 2018 and treated as an asset under construction are now considered irrecoverable, and as they have no foreseeable future value at this time, an impairment loss has been recognised.” TfW has refused to say when the decision was made or why it was not announced…

New train classification rules, along with changes to timetable and train path ‘ownership’, would make rail freight more economic and attractive. That’s the conclusion of former Rail Operations Group and Class 93 programme leader Karl Watts, now MD of consultancy Railmotive, who argues in a discussion paper that limited network capacity is largely a “myth”. Drawing on his practical experience of ROG’s pilot 100mph Anglo-Scottish high-speed parcels service, where Network Rail’s 5hrs 30mins planned journey was regularly achieved in 4hrs 30mins, Watts says this is typical of the network constraints. He says the network is, in theory, ‘full’ because of the many paths claimed by non-passenger operators that are not used, “preventing the railway from filling its fundamental purpose of supporting the UK economy”. Underpinning the problem is that many…

Wagon leasing company VTG Rail UK and braking specialist Knorr-Bremse are trialling a rail freight vehicle whose condition can be monitored while it is in daily service. Nine modified iwagons, launched in October, incorporate 12 digital innovations including axle lock and wheel flat detection, brake condition, handbrake status, and temperature. A four-month trial is taking place on Tarmac’s daily return service from its cement plant at Dunbar to Seaham (County Durham). Initial data will be available in January before the first wagons go into production next spring. “For the first time, we can see how axles perform on the network in real-time and see where adhesion issues are occurring,” said VTG Rail UK Managing Director Colin Denman. “The derailment of freight wagons has caused high-profile incidents in recent years in…

The Victorian Society is appealing for £30,000 to fight against the £1.5 billion redevelopment of London Liverpool Street. It follows the developers’ formal registering of the planning application at the end of October. The protest group is holding a rally at the nearby Bishopsgate Institute on November 21, to discuss its next moves to try and prevent the demolition of the terminus to create a 21-storey tower block through and over the former Great Eastern Hotel. Victorian Society President, actor Griff Rhys Jones said that Network Rail’s and Sellar’s plans mean that “no listed building is safe”. A petition has been signed by over 22,000 people, and £10,000 raised so far to pay for a legal campaign.…

The first preserved High Speed Train set, owned by the 125 Group, returned to main line action on October 28 when 43089 and 43159 worked a special trip from Ilkeston to St Pancras. The train ran first to Nottingham, then reversed and headed north to Sheffield, before re-creating a classic HST journey to St Pancras via Derby and Leicester. The return was via Nottingham and back to Ilkeston. Six of the 125 Group’s Mk 3 trailer vehicles were used. It is hoped the set will be used for other charters. On the following day (October 29), the Branch Line Society ran its ‘5.08 Sunset’ farewell to the Class 508 electric multiple units, using 508139/141, which covered most of the Merseyrail network with which the units have been associated for over…

GB Railfreight will not retain its two remaining active Class 56s once the Class 69 conversion programme is completed. The two locomotives are 56081 and 56098. One will be handed over to EMD as a replacement for 56097, which was inserted into the Class 69 conversion programme. The other will then most likely be offered for sale. There is a possibility that EMD could convert its Class 56 into a Class 69, either as a spot hire locomotive or as a demonstrator. It is also evaluating the feasibility of re-powering a Class 60 using 60014 as a potential donor vehicle. The recent outshopping of 69009/010 into traffic means the last two donor locomotives have entered the workshops for rebuilding. Because the Railhead Treatment Train season is in full swing, 69009/010…

NORTHERN has responded to a report showcasing the operator‘s poor performance, with a high number of cancellations, despite being under Department for Transport control for three and a half years. In its annual report, the Department for Transport’s ‘Operator of Last Resort’ - DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOLRH) - details its three directly run train operating companies: LNER, Northern and Southeastern. TransPennine Express (TPE) joined the ‘fold’ after the financial year’s end and is not included in the figures. For the year ended March 31, DOLRH delivered a profit after tax of £23.5 million (2022: £22.1m profit). It paid £4m in tax (2022: £5.1m). While Northern’s revenue recovery has outperformed the industry by 13% in the year, and revenue is now above pre-pandemic levels “with further growth forecast”, DOLRH CEO…

“It’s about leadership,” says Station Manager Bernadette Miamo, explaining the story behind Staines’ success at this year’s National Rail Awards. The Surrey station collected the Medium Station of the Year accolade - and there could hardly have been a more fitting way to celebrate its 175th anniversary. NRA judges said that their expectations had been “exceeded” by the category’s debutant. They continued: “It has been refurbished as a smart outer-suburban station with entrances on both sides and facilities helpfully duplicated to avoid congestion. “Both platforms have a ticket office, catering, toilets, information, and disabled access. Helpful staff are present for customer support, and a 24-hour taxi office is outside the main door.” This all represents a spectacular success for Miamo herself, who only took the reins at Staines in March…

HIGH SPEED 2 Save the alignment of HS2… and then connect it to the existing network After the Prime Minister’s announcement that HS2 Phase 2 was to be abandoned, what we are left with is basically a white elephant. Whereas HS1 takes you from central London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, HS2 has been so cut back that it has no advantage over its alternatives. Even the route from Old Oak Common to Euston will only be built if private funding can be obtained, and I cannot see a rush to fund this because the line has little value to the general public. It is difficult to believe that only a year or so ago, the Government was pushing ahead with the entire HS2 project with cross-party support in the…

WIN WELCOME to the RAILCrossword. This issue, two successful solvers can savour stunning photographs of Passenger Trains in the North of England, courtesy of Pen and Sword Transport (www.pen-and-sword.co.uk). Passenger Trains in the North of England (hardback, 152 pages, retail price £20) features 270 high-quality black and white photographs covering main line expresses, local and branch line services, and special workings. It includes steam, diesel and electric locomotives from over six decades, from 1957 through to the present day, and from Cheshire and South Yorkshire to the Scottish Borders. The stars of Passenger Trains in the North of England are of course the trains. But author John Matthews has gathered contributions from a host of top railway photographers - including the likes of Gavin Morrison and Les Nixon, whose work…

TRAIN operating companies have been left high and dry after proposals (supported by the Department for Transport) to close almost all of England’s ticket offices were scuppered by the two statutory watchdogs and then dropped by the Transport Secretary. Independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus (TF) brought the procedure to an end on October 31 by objecting to all closures, as did London TravelWatch (the body for stations in the South East). With more than 750,000 responses to a public consultation (a new record for any consultation), the plans became politically charged. “Serious overall concerns remain about how potentially useful innovations such as ‘welcome points’ would work in practice,” said TF Chief Executive Anthony Smith. “We also have questions about how the impact of these changes would be measured and how…

A ‘Best Price Guarantee’, rewards for frequent travellers in the form of Rail Miles, and a low-cost monthly public transport ticket are three asks in A fare future for rail: A blueprint for fares and ticketing reform. Launched at King’s Cross on October 31 by former Transport Minister Norman Baker, the Campaign for Better Transport blueprint calls for urgent reform to provide a fairer system with simpler ticketing, thereby making booking easier and providing better value. “We want to see a simpler, fairer, easier and better value system that makes travelling by train a pleasure, not a chore.”Norman Baker, Campaign for Better Transport “Creating a rational, easy to understand, easy to use fares and ticketing system could drive more business onto the railway more quickly and more cheaply, and should…

Freightliner has started using ‘ultra-light’ simulators at its new Operational Training Academy in Doncaster, ahead of the introduction of European Train Control System (ECTS) signalling on the southern section of the East Coast Main Line next year. Rather than a full-cab mock-up, the simulator comprises lifelike power and brake controllers attached to a normal desk, to the left and right of the trainee. Two normal computer screens are used. One at eye-level shows a simulation of the view from the cab, while another below shows the ECTS displays, including technical information and speed. The simulators can show a range of scenarios, including adverse weather such as rain, snow and fog. Once initial training on the desk-based simulators has been completed, trainees will move to one of two full-size simulators, replicating…

INFLATION has hacked back Network Rail’s five-year taxpayer fudniing package that starts next April, leaving the company with less public money with which to operate, maintain and renew the railway across Great Britain. NR’s economic regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, revealed the figures on October 31, as it published its final determination for Control Period 7 (2024-29). It gives NR a network grant from London and Edinburgh governments of £28.6 billion, which is 1% lower than Control Period 6’s grant of £28.8bn (with both sums expressed in 2023-24 prices). With this money, plus the £10.6bn in track access charges from passenger and freight operators, ORR allows NR to spend £4.3bn on operating, £5.1bn on supporting, £11.4bn on maintaining, and £19.7bn on renewing its tracks, structures, signalling and other…

Network Rail is to press on with Project Reach, which is a private sector investment in telecommunications, despite ORR suggesting the company drop the project in order to generate Control Period 7 savings. NR has cut its planned spending from £141 million to £137m, but remains determined to deliver Reach, which it says delivers benefits to passengers and society more broadly. It says the project will bring fibre communications to rural communities and will bring better mobile coverage to three main lines in places that make delivery difficult for mobile network operators. ORR notes that all of Reach’s costs will be allocated to England and Wales, because Transport Scotland does not want it deployed in Scotland. The project plans to let a private sector contractor install fibre cables along the…

Signalling renewals to bring European Train Control System (ETCS) technology to Network Rail tracks will consume £557 million across the five years of CP7, less than the £742m that NR proposed in its Strategic Business Plan. The reduction comes from £123m of rephasing on the northern half of the West Coast Main Line, pushing digital resignalling into Control Period 8 that starts in 2029. Other reductions come from the Office of Rail and Road applying a £25m efficiency challenge to the East Coast Digital Programme, which is installing ETCS cab signalling on the southern section of the line between London and Grantham. Another reduction comes by cutting £37m from CP7 spending on the southern end of the Midland Main Line at London St Pancras. Scotland plans no ETCS renewals and…

Network Rail is taking the threat of cyber-attacks that could disrupt operation of the nation’s railway “very, very seriously”, according to Chief Executive Andrew Haines. “We have the benefits of mechanical signalling which is relatively immune from a cyber-attack, right the way through to things which need much more sophisticated controls,” he told the Railway Industry Association’s annual conference. “It is one of the key areas where we benefit from world-class supply chains. And we keep extremely close to the National Security Centre.” Haines said the appointment of Ismail Amla to NR’s board in 2021 was done in part to help the organisation fend off cyber-attacks. “It is very easy for someone my age and pedigree to think ‘it’s not really happening’, but we get phenomenal amounts of low-grade economic…

New sidings at Peterborough form the latest step in GB Railfreight’s ambitious growth plans to run around 80 intermodal services a day by 2025. It follows the launch of two new intermodal services from Felixstowe - a Tuesday to Saturday service to Widnes and a Monday, Wednesday and Friday service to Daventry. Supporting the expansion, new sidings on the north side of its Peterborough yard connect its newly opened £5.75 million Maintenance Hub to the network. The culmination of three years of work between GBRf, Network Rail and contractor KGJ Price, new points have been installed, slewing existing track to create five intermodal-length sidings accessible from north and south, plus additional capacity for spare wagons. GBRf says the new sidings will be “vital in unlocking the full potential” of the…

The need to find new methods of constructing stations that are cheaper and fit for purpose has been highlighted by Western Gateway, a new body set up to look after the interests of rail users between Swindon and South Wales. Network Rail, Transport for Wales, the Railway Industry Association, and the Rail Forum joined a conference discussion on October 26 that brought together local authorities and regional bodies, and which was attended by Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland. Western Gateway’s 2050 Rail Vision calls on the Government to commit to the Swansea Bay Metro and MetroWest, and to expanding the South Wales Metro. Longer-term, Western Gateway is looking to help open up investment to fund outstanding electrification, line speed enhancements, more four-tracking, and improvements to the Severn crossing.…

IMPLEMENTATION of Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) on rail strike days will be in place by mid-December, in time to cover any disruption over the Christmas period, says Transport Secretary Mark Harper. Although ASLEF and RMT members have voted ‘yes’ for strikes in new recent ballots, as this issue of RAIL closed for press no new strike dates had been announced. The 18-month dispute over pay and conditions at the 14 train operating companies (TOCs) in England controlled by the Department for Transport continues. “Since 2019, there has not been a single day without either a strike on the railways or mandates for strikes outstanding,” said Harper. “The result has been many periods of disruptive strike action, with widespread consequences for those passengers and communities affected.” This led the Government to…

Manchester aims to bring six railway lines into its Bee Network of public transport operations, with integrated fares and ticketing trials on two routes set to begin in 2025. “There is a deal between government and Greater Manchester which articulates how rail will increasingly become part of the regional picture,” Vernon Everitt, transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, told the Rail Industry Association conference. “That includes integrated fares and ticketing. We’ve identified six commuter lines in Greater Manchester that lend themselves to being integrated with the other parts of the Bee network,” . The two lines to trial integrated ticketing and fares are Stalybridge-Southport (via Manchester Victoria) and Glossop-Hadfield-Piccadilly, while Transport for Greater Manchester has also identified Wigan-Manchester Victoria; Rose Hill-Manchester Piccadilly; Buxton-Manchester Piccadilly; Alderley Edge-Manchester Piccadilly as lines to bring…

Waterloo-Exeter passengers are experiencing a month-long upgrade of their route, beginning with a five-day blockade of the 20-mile section between Yeovil Junction and Axminster on November 6-10. Four projects are being worked on simultaneously, and a further 16 days of disruption are ahead as Network Rail contractors progress eastwards to Salisbury from November 25 to December 10. Services will be diverted via Westbury, with buses serving local stations. October 2021’s landslip at the entrance of Crewkerne Tunnel is being stabilised, with new drainage and waterlogged ballast replaced. New barriers are being installed at Broom and Axe level crossing. Weycroft river bridge is getting a repaint.…

THE first phase of the Foynes rail project is on schedule to be completed on time for delivery by 2024’s fourth quarter, an Iarnród Éireann programme manager has confirmed to RAIL. Giving an update on the project, IÉ confirmed all the existing track on the 42km (26-mile) route had been removed for disposal by early October. In addition, 2.4km of track on the mothballed cement factory Castlemungret line, which runs parallel to the route from Limerick, has been removed and will be relaid. Work continues to remove vegetation within the railway boundaries, and to erect new fencing. Substantial clearance has been completed between Adare and Foynes, and it is expected that the rest of line to Limerick will be totally cleared by the end of the year. A combination of…

THE first of 26 West Midlands Trains Class 323 25kV AC electric multiple units to be transferred to Northern has made the journey north. 323208 moved to Allerton depot near Liverpool, under its own power, in October. However, WMT has yet to put into traffic any of the new Bombardier Aventra Class 730s which are due to replace the ‘323s’. Driver training for the Class 730s starts imminently, and the units are expected to debut on the Wolverhampton to Walsall (via Birmingham New Street) route from December - provided the units have been accepted into traffic and sufficient drivers are trained on them. The WMT Class 323s due to move to Northern are 323202/203/205-210/212/213/217-220/241-243. Two more units, provisionally 323212/220, should move in mid-January, with the rest of the transfer expected…

More recently withdrawn HST power cars are being prepared for export, with Angel Trains’ 43306/307/316/320 being collected by Rail Adventure’s 43465/480 from Ely on November 1. The ex-LNER locomotives were moved to Leicester depot, prior to their transfer to Kidderminster on November 4. Once at the Severn Valley Railway’s depot, they will be prepared for export. In early November, a vessel was loaded at Great Yarmouth with several Class 43 locomotives, Mk 3 coaches and spare parts on board. Once loaded, it was due to sail to Lagos in Nigeria, to start the second export plan being facilitated by Romic Consulting Ltd and Rail Engineering Solutions LLC, who are joint partners in the sale of rolling stock globally. The latest power cars to ship are 43007-010/016/040/172/184/192, 43239/304/366 which were loaded…

Network Contributions for by far the UK’s most published column by the same author - now in its 42nd year -are most welcome from all sources. Personal observations, society magazines, website printouts and live links, transport group newsletters and media cuttings (with dates, please) are sought to maintain topicality. Please email your contributions direct to hj@howardjohnston.co.uk, or rail@bauermedia.co.uk WESTERN Maidenhead: The life-expired station lift was closed on November 6 to enable work to start on its replacement. The completion date is next autumn. Radstock: It was 50 years ago, on November 11 1973, that the freight spur to Radstock West closed as a consequence of Somerset’s last colliery at Withington closing two months earlier - a victim of the conversion of Portishead power station to oil firing (it also shut…

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Some final thoughts from the team at RAIL @RAIL Send contributions to: mike.wright@bauermedia.co.uk This issue’s first roundabout long journey was made by Stuart Esberger, and was a journey following the introduction of HSTs on the East Coast Main line. “A return journey to Edinburgh from Lincoln was arranged, and I took advantage of the chance to visit the Scottish capital,” he recalls. “On arrival, instead of returning, I caught a train to Glasgow Queen Street. Then came a walk to Glasgow Central, for a journey on the West Coast Main Line to London Euston. This included a change of traction at Preston, when a pair of Class 50s were replaced by electric traction. “On arrival at Euston, I walked to King’s Cross and caught the last service of the day…

Transport Focus objected to the proposals on the following grounds: ■ Welcome points: While there is “potentially merit in the concept of welcome points”, there is much that still needs to be developed in terms of how the arrangements would work. There is “lack of clarity and detail” on this proposal. Welcome points were not explained as part of the consultation, so passengers have not had the opportunity to comment on these plans or highlight concerns. ■ Queuing times: Transport Focus recommends that train operating companies (TOCs) introduce a robust measurement and reporting regime for queuing times at ticket vending machines (based on the existing standards at ticket office windows). If queues exceed the targets, then action would need to be taken (such as issuing staff with hand-held ticket devices…

DB Cargo is to make an unspecified number of drivers redundant “in response to the softening of some of our core markets and our recent exit from some historic, unprofitable contracts”. In a statement, the freight operator added: “This has resulted in us running fewer trains than we originally forecasted.” On November 1, DBC started a formal consultation with drivers’ union ASLEF to “make a number of traincrew roles redundant in areas where we currently have a surplus of driver resource”. The exact number of traincrew will be discussed with ASLEF during the 45-day consultation. DBC hopes to achieve the “majority, if not all” of the redundancies through “voluntary means in the first instance”. Emphasising that the action is to address a surplus of drivers, the company “does not anticipate”…

Once every five years, the Office of Rail and Road reviews Network Rail’s access charges. These are the fees NR charges train and freight operators to run services. To calculate these charges, ORR has to decide what NR must do over the five-year period (called a Control Period) and then decide what this should cost NR to deliver efficiently. From this figure, ORR subtracts the money that government has pledged to provide as a network grant and any other income NR might receive (for example, from letting property) with the remainder to come from charges. In deciding what NR should do and the targets it should achieve (for example, passenger service punctuality, freight train cancellation rates, financial efficiencies), ORR closely examines NR’s Strategic Business Plan (RAIL 984), which the track…

Control Period 7 will leave Britain’s rail network in worse condition than today, the Office of Rail and Road and Network Rail admit, as a result of reduced renewals spending and more emphasis on maintenance and heavy refurbishment. Renewals spending will fall across all NR regions except North West and Central (NW&C), which is facing track, signalling and overhead line equipment (OLE) renewals on the northern half of the West Coast Main Line. However, spending on renewing drains bucks the overall trend, increasing in all regions except (again) NW&C, which told ORR that it delivered significant improvements in CP6. Despite NR increasing maintenance spending by 7% in its four regions in England and Wales, and by 8% in Scotland, ORR says it accepts NR’s revised estimates that its ‘composite reliability…

Rail Minister Huw Merriman says the RMT union should reconsider proposals put forward by train operating companies to end the industrial dispute, in light of there being “less reform” after the Government’s U-turn on ticket office closures. “There’s a lot that goes on in terms of these matters that doesn’t go into the public domain, because sometimes you can bring things forward by the work you do. We don’t stand still and nor do those that work in the unions,” he told RIA’s annual conference in response to a question posed by RAIL. “I think some think these things play out in a public theatre or they don’t play out at all. But it doesn’t bear resemblance to what’s going on, and that’s exactly how we ended up settling between…

Bedford-Bletchley line services are ready to resume after almost a year, now that sufficient train crews have been familiarised with the replacement Class 150 diesel multiple units. Ex-Northern 150137/139/141, which are replacing ex-Vivarail Class 230s, have been rebranded in London Northwestern Railway colours. Only four trains will initially run from Mondays to Fridays in the morning and afternoon peaks, with replacement buses still running in the gaps. The frequency will be stepped up, and Saturday services resumed, as more drivers complete their three-week training. A quarter of the 24 required are already familiar with ‘150s’. The departure times from Bletchley for the 42-minute services that calls at 11 stations are 0718, 0800, 1545 and 1745, returning from Bedford at 0808, 0917, 1647 and 1847.…

Reopening of the Northumberland Line reached another milestone on October 28-29, with installation of the footbridge at Newsham station - the third stop on the line for trains from Newcastle to Ashington. Work is also progressing there on diverting the A1061 road. Further along the route, the Palmersville Dairy underpass is expected to be completed in February, while the site is being prepared for the new Seaton Delaval station. A new access road is going in at Blyth Bebside to the new platforms and park, and new level crossing barriers will be installed. Bedlington’s old platform is being dismantled for replacement, while at the northern end, activity at Ashington continues to be focused on completion of the new car park and building the new train crew signing-on point.…

The 13 Direct Rail Services Class 68s used by TransPennine Express are expected to return to their owner Beacon Rail once their hire contract with the operator ends in December. Already 68019/020/022/031 have been returned to DRS and are being used by the freight operator to support its Railhead Treatment Train operations. When TPE ceases using Class 68-hauled Mk 5 sets (the Department for Transport says the trains are too expensive), 68019-032 will all be surplus to requirements. The locomotives and coaches are expected to enter warm store, but their future looks bleak - other than possible use with an open access operator or export, as the Department for Transport is unlikely to sanction their use with a train operating company on cost grounds.…

Former Transpennine Route Upgrade advisor Mark Livock has been charged with reviving interest in a new air-rail link out of London by 2032. His appointment as the new chief executive of Heathrow Southern Railway (HSR) takes place as political and public interest grows in the stalled scheme to build a new eightmile line from the west end of Heathrow’s Terminal 5. It will enable trains to run to the airport from Paddington (Elizabeth line), Old Oak Common (for HS2), Basingstoke, Guildford and Woking. It will also provide access to Waterloo via Richmond and Clapham Junction. Livock, who replaces Chris Stokes (in charge since 2019), was franchise manager for the Department for Transport and the Strategic Rail Authority between 2004-08. Two new HSR executive directors are both from consultancy AECOM: Crawford…

Honour for Schmid Felix Schmid, Professor Emeritus of Railway Systems Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, in recognition of his contribution to education and development of human resources across the industry. Crossrail overseas bid Civil engineer Simon Bennett has moved to Crossrail Ltd as its International Associate Director, Stakeholder and Learning Legacy. He will use his knowledge of the construction of the Elizabeth line to tackle the world market. Wensleydale driver The Wensleydale Railway has its first female driver. Long-term volunteer Sue Threadgold, from Harrogate, is now qualified to drive Class 142 and ‘143’ diesel multiple units. The tourist line has three female guards. c2c head of safety Stuart Browning has become c2c’s first Head of Safety, Sustainability and Compliance. He joined the operator…

The Government’s target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 - including rail - won’t happen because half of the UK population doesn’t understand what changes need to be made to everyday lives. These are the findings of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure, which calls for action to spell out what ‘green’ policies are all about. Their joint survey reveals that 46% of people would find it difficult to use public transport more, and 56% don’t know how to switch to an electric vehicle. The report wants to know how the changes can be made more affordable, and how we can learn from other countries.…

Alstom has signed an eight-year extension to its Train Services Agreement with CrossCountry. The deal, valued at around £825 million, covers the maintenance, overhaul, servicing and cleaning of XC’s fleet of 34 four-car Class 220 Voyagers and 24 five-car Class 221 Super Voyagers owned by Beacon Rail The deal will also include the additional seven Super Voyagers that XC will take on when they are released by Avanti West Coast. The majority of the work will be carried out at the fleet’s home depot at Central Rivers, near Burton upon Trent. It includes management of all preventative and corrective maintenance, as well as any overhauls and day-to-day cleaning, plus light maintenance on the vehicles. Accident or vandalism repairs are also included. The fleet will be fitted with an Intelligent Engine…

Stroud-based charter train promoter Pathfinder Tours has announced a series of five charter trains from Shrewsbury to Pwllheli (at the end of the Cambrian Coast Line), to run in the summer of 2024. DB Cargo will operate the trains, hauling Riviera Trains’ Mk 2 air-conditioned coaches. They will be worked by a Class 67 as far as Shrewsbury, where two Class 37s (one of which at least must be a Network Rail Class 97/3s) will work forward. The Class 97s are Class 37s modified with European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) equipment - a necessity for any train working along the lines west of Shrewsbury. All trains will run on Thursdays for pathing reasons, along what is mostly a single-track route. The first train is on April 4 and starts…

South Western Railway says it “still expects to introduce the first Class 701 Arterio before the end of the year”, with the first of the new Bombardier units due to enter traffic on the Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside route. This will be followed by “a phased rollout across the rest of our suburban routes”. SWR says it is also “working hard to maximise the availability of [the] fleet”, and that and it has also retained two Class 707 units for a short period of time. It still plans to phase out the Class 455s, but there is no timescale for this.…

Another five Class 66s are being exported to the Freightliner Poland operation, with 66526 the first to move. On October 24 it was taken from Leeds Midland Road to Immingham, towed by 66413 Lest We Forget. 66526 has lost its Driver Steve Dunn (George) nameplates. It will be followed by 66529, 66599 and 66955/956, which are being prepared at Leeds. The locomotives are expected to be renumbered in the FPL 660XX number series. Previously, Freightliner has sent 66411/412/417, 66527/530/535/582-584/586/595, 66608/609/611/612/624/625, 66954. Of these, the ‘66/4’, ‘66/5’ and ‘66/9’ locomotives have been renumbered in the 660XX number series (66008-011/013-019, with 66595 not gaining a new number), while the ‘66/6s’ have gained the new numbers 66601-606 -coincidentally numbers still carried by Class 66/6s in the UK. FPL’s 66001-007 were the initial seven…

Yarm repair work Work to strengthen Yarm Viaduct is to start next April, as Network Rail plans masonry repairs and foundation strengthening for the 170-year-old structure. NR said the work on the 42-arch viaduct across the River Tees was scheduled to be done by September 2024. Recycled rubbish Recycling of rubbish collected on services to Bradford Interchange station has risen tenfold since a trial began last October. More than 1,600 bags a week are processed there by facilities management company ISS, on behalf of Northern. Derby Road directions The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership has made it easier to find Derby Road station in Ipswich, by paying for new directional signs with the distance given in metres instead of yards. GA cuts emissions Greater Anglia says it has cut…

IN over a quarter of a century of writing this column, there has been no end of scandals, mishaps, errors and general cock-ups resulting from ministerial incompetence. Yet the fiasco over the booking office closures tops them all. And it’s a very long list stretching from the insane contract given at the outset of franchising in 1996 to Virgin, which was based on developing a type of signalling system that was not in use on a busy main line anywhere in the world, through to the bizarre ‘anyone but Virgin’ policy inside the Department for Transport at the time of reletting the West Coast contract 15 years later, and on to the May 2018 timetable which proved to be unworkable. Yes, granted, there has been the HS2 debacle. But that…

A fundamental part of railway signalling is that only one train can ever occupy a section of track at the same time. Signals, train detection and interlocking exist to support this fundamental principle, with the exception of coupling trains together or sharing a platform being very closely controlled. When the principle becomes violated, trains collide. This almost happened at Wingfield (between Derby and Chesterfield) early on October 26 2022, in an incident traced back to faulty wiring within the signalling system. There was no collision at Wingfield, so no injuries. But many rail staff and managers remember the morning of December 12 1988, when faulty wiring led to two trains colliding on the approach to Clapham Junction. A third train struck the aftermath. Thirty-five people died. At Clapham, the wiring…

OpinionIndustry Insider THE Department for Transport has conceded that the instruction to the train operators under its control (either through direct management or a contractual relationship) to close ticket offices will be withdrawn, following a devasting critique by Transport Focus on the proposal’s shortcomings. Before any intellectual rigour was applied, it was pretty obvious that if a number of train operators deemed it appropriate to retain face-to-face retailing at major centres while others did not, there was something amiss. Among the standout examples was that LNER intended to retain a ticket office at Edinburgh Waverley, while Avanti West Coast chose to withdraw the retail presence at Glasgow Central. Under legal provisions established at the time of privatisation, ticket offices and their opening hours form part of the Ticketing and Settlement…