Table of contents for Issue 989 in RAIL

Nigel Harris Comment nigel.harris@bauermedia.co.uk @RAIL OVER the past few months, RAIL has frequently condemned the Department for Transport for its growing contempt for rail customers - by obsessing on cost, caring nothing for service, and having not the slightest interest in growth. To see these appalling characteristics in their naked, most pernicious, form look no further than the DfT-driven plan to close just shy of 1,000 ticket offices - including some of the largest, such as London Euston! Add to that a consultation period of just 21 days (announced on July 5), with some city mayors given just 20 minutes’ notice of the consultation launch by train operating companies (TOCs). Worse still, the Equalities & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was not consulted, and even the Office of Rail…

“I have no idea where to go, where to get help. I don’t see anything.” “It’s only if I’m lucky enough to get a member of the public who helps me that I can actually find a member of the station staff to give me the assistance I need.” Blind Royal Navy veteran Penny Melville-Brown (pictured), from Fareham, has written an open letter explaining how difficult commuting would be if ticket offices were closed. A former Commander, she was the first female barrister in the Royal Navy. She was awarded an OBE in 2009 for services to disabled and disadvantaged people. She said that the initial 21-day consultation process had been “extraordinarily inaccessible”, explaining: “It’s a very tight timescale. A lot of it is online stuff which, when you can’t…

Amey has launched a programme to help qualified, skilled and experienced STEM professionals re-enter the workplace. ReStart provides a structured 12-week, paid placement opportunity to work alongside design engineers and consultants on high-profile infrastructure projects within the road and rail sectors. It is aimed at those looking to restart their career or to transfer existing skills into the engineering sector, and become a permanent employee at the end of the programme.…

The Rail Safety and Standards Board has launched a Carbon Literacy for Rail training course to help the rail sector decarbonise. The course has been prepared by RSSB’s sustainability experts and is for anyone working in rail infrastructure, train operating companies, and the supply chain. Accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project, it aims to equip delegates with the knowledge and skills to lower their personal and organisational carbon footprint in line with rail industry standards. The first course is scheduled for September 7. More information is available via the RSSB website.…

Hydrotreated vegetable oil is a biofuel derived from animal, plant or algae remains. It is classed as a renewable energy source. Although it was initially made only from vegetable oil, it can now include a wider range of materials - including tallow (rendered animal fat) and other waste from the agriculture and food industries (including used cooking oil). It is created by either hydrogenation or hydrocracking of the oil. Hydrocracking is the process of breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones through the use of hydrogen. Hydrogenation adds hydrogen to molecules. It is not the same process as making biodiesel. HVO is classified as a “drop-in” fuel, which means it can be used in place of regular diesel without modifying an existing engine. It can also be mixed in any…

East Coast Main Line users are being reminded that buses will replace rail services between Grantham, Royston and Potters Bar/Hertford North, and between Grantham/Leicester and Ely between the late evening of August 26 and the early morning of August 28. This is to enable further upgrade work to take place to deliver the East Coast Digital Programme, which involves replacing traditional lineside signalling with digital technology. New equipment is being installed between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin, in preparation for a switchover in 2025. Meanwhile, work will also take place in Peterborough to recontrol the signalling to Network Rail’s operating centre in York.…

Network Rail is warning people about a scam that appeared on social media on August 1. It is not known who is behind the scam, which claims that for £2.35 people can buy a ‘Network Rail Transport Card’ giving free travel for a year, backed up by comments from fake ‘users’. While more savvy internet users might spot that it’s a scam, the convincing graphics and fake endorsements could easily mislead others. It is unlikely that anyone who paid the £2.35 would receive anything. It could also be a method for harvesting credit/debit card details for use in crime. A Network Rail spokesman said: “Please do not click on any link in this advert - as we hope RAIL readers will know, Network Rail does not sell tickets or railcards.…

Chiltern Railways is seeking support for its campaign to persuade the Department for Transport to supply new battery-hybrid trains on its core commuter routes, and to electrify part of its route to Birmingham. In an indication of how the balance of new train ordering has tipped since the end of privatisation, Chiltern held an event at Westminster to persuade MPs and stakeholders along its route to support the need for new trains. It wraps up its proposals in a Right Route to 2030 vision document which talks about its green ambitions. “As part of that plan, we are about to ask for proposals and prices from manufacturers for new trains to replace our 33-year-old diesel trains, and then make the business case to Government to support that investment decision,”…

HS2 Phase 1 (Birmingham-London) and Phase 2a (West Midlands-Crewe) have both been given a ‘red’ rating in the annual report from official watchdog the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). While it does not explain why a project has been given a particular rating, or what the issues are, IPA defines a ‘red’ rating as: “Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable. There are major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable. The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed.” Phase 2b (West Midlands-East Midlands) has been given an ‘amber’ rating for the second year. Two years ago, it was also rated ‘red’. Reporting to the Treasury and Cabinet Office, the IPA…

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has been asked to intervene, in a joint attempt to revive the stalled £466 million scheme at Ely that would remove one of the UK’s worst rail bottlenecks. Little has happened for over a year, despite local MP and former Prime Minister Liz Truss giving her enthusiastic public backing to the scheme. Railway Industry Association Midlands & Eastern Chairman Sekoura Benissad has joined national, regional and local business leaders in pleading for the capacity enhancements, which centre on eliminating single-track sections, speed restrictions, level crossings and signalling limitations. All agree that businesses are unable to import and export goods using rail freight, so are turning to lorries. “It is vitally important that we push on with rail schemes like Ely. It is a relatively…

Upgrade plans have been submitted to the Government to increase capacity and tackle the threat of overcrowding at Stratford station. Developed by Newham Council, Network Rail and the London Legacy Development Corporation, the proposed enhancements would also deliver 150,000m2 of commercial space and support the delivery of 10,000 new jobs and 2,000 new homes. Stratford is one of the UK’s busiest stations, having handled almost 130 million passenger movements in 2019. Served by 170 trains per hour, in 2022 it was the fifth busiest station on the national network with a 60% growth in passengers predicted by 2041. Rokhsana Fiaz, mayor of Newham, said: “This business case submitted to government outlines plans to transform the confusing, constrained and crowded layout at the station. We need a modern thriving transport…

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has instructed Transport for London to give the required six months’ notice to withdraw Day Travelcards for use on bus, rail, tram, London Overground and Tube services. Last year, some 12 million travelcards were sold, down from 27 million in 2018. A spokesman for Khan defended the controversial move as a requirement imposed by the Government in return for more than £6 billion in emergency revenue support during the pandemic. He added that TfL could “no longer afford” the £40 million subsidy provided through the Travelcard Agreement, and that its withdrawal was needed as part of mandated efforts to generate an additional £0.5bn-£1bn revenue each year. Visitors to the capital will need to use contactless payment or Oystercards on arrival instead.…

Political and business leaders say the East Midlands can be lifted out of the doldrums if just £18 million is spent to raise the line speed of the Nottingham-Lincoln line from 50mph to 75mph. Local MP and former Transport Select Committee Chair Lilian Greenwood met Nottingham City Council and the East Midlands Chamber on July 25, to press for a start on a two-year programme of work to be completed in August 2026. Midlands Connect says the upgrade only requires minor resignalling work in one location, track realignment, and structural repairs to a number of culverts.…

The Irish Government has published its draft All-Island Rail Review, for a Strategic Environmental Assessment Consultation which will close at the end of September. The report was expected to be published in the autumn of 2022, but was delayed due to the collapse of the Northern Irish Assembly. Commissioned in June 2021, it sets out 30 recommendations to transform the current rail system, with electrification, faster speeds, improved frequency, and new routes for people and freight, particularly across the west and north of the island. The review’s recommendations span 25 years, with several proposals that could be implemented before 2030. Recommendations include: ■ Increasing the frequency of services to at least hourly between major cities, and to at least one train every two hours between other centres.■ Upgrading the core…

A steady improvement in performance and safety, but for less cost, is the proposal by Network Rail’s Scotland region in its Strategic Business Plan (SBP). The £4.2 billion plan sets out what needs to be spent, as well as the work to be done to maintain the current performance of track, signalling and stations, with some modest performance improvements. It is subject to review before sign-off, so enhancements could be added. It forms the next step in the Periodic Review 2023 (PR23), which determines what the railway will deliver in return for its income -government funding and access charges paid by train operators- during Control Period 7 (CP7, April 2024-March 2029). The overall picture is one of better value for money by making more use of technology, and putting back…

Rail sector sickness levels stand at more than twice the national rate, according to the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). The biggest increase (and reason for time off work) is in the ‘unknown/not specified’ category. This accounted for 31,000 absences in 2022 - almost one in three of all reasons for time off work. The increase appears to be linked to changes in self-certification absence rules. The figure was negligible in 2019, when mental health problems were the most common cause. But while the level of the latter has risen slightly and infectious diseases (including COVID) accounted for 12% of absences, ‘unknown cause/not specified’ are now responsible for 30% of absences. Publishing its Annual Health and Safety Report for Britain’s Railways in 2022-23, RSSB covers 12 of the most…

THE Campaign for Family-Friendly Trains has welcomed changes to a rail industry document that is used to influence the design of new and refurbished trains. The Key Train Requirements document, released in July by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), includes a new clause covering people travelling with pushchairs. It highlights the need for space in carriages for unfolded pushchairs or prams, separate from areas for wheelchairs and cycles. It also recommends extending seat reservations to include pram spaces. The campaign called the updated best-practice guidance a “milestone”, with representative Joe Thomas telling RAIL: “We have received widespread support across the rail industry, including our ask for reservable space for unfolded prams.” The Key Train Requirements document is used by rolling stock procurers, specifiers and manufacturers when planning new…

THE summer recess has left the railways in limbo. We have a zombie government ekeing out its days with little purpose other than to criticise the opposition and trying to ensure that it will not have a smooth succession. Nowhere is that truer than in the matter of the railways. A serious government would have created a clear route map to sort out the railways. Ministers might not have managed to create the right long-term structure, but at least they would have set out the parameters and made a start. Instead, we have been left with a half-baked scheme that has not been given legislative time, overlaid with a series of deeply damaging cuts insisted upon by HM Treasury. Worse, we still have a financial system for the railways whereby…

Opinion SUMMER holidays provide an opportunity to take a break from work and relax for a week or two. Stepping back from the bustle of everyday gives a chance to take a wider view. For railways, this wider view presents a rosier picture than you’d think, with more work going on to reopen railways than for many years. In Scotland, new track is being laid on fresh ballast on Levenmouth’s branch line, as Transport Scotland funds the reconnection of this coastal Fife town to the rail network. Its final station closed in 1969. Over the border in Northumberland, Network Rail is in the early stages of upgrading the Blyth and Tyne freight line to carry passengers for the first time since 1964. Builder Morgan Sindall has just signed contracts to…

DISABILITY groups say government plans to close most ticket offices will “lock millions out of the rail network, violating the Equality Act”. On the final morning of the 21-day consultation period into the proposals, the Rail Delivery Group suddenly announced that the deadline would be extended from July 26 to a new date of September 1, more than doubling the period. The change followed multiple warnings of legal action relating to the consultation. Transport Focus said that more than 170,000 responses had been received by July 26, with objections to the proposals from more than 50 organisations representing people with disabilities. Led by the campaign group Transport for All, the growing number of opponents includes groups representing blind, deaf, autistic people, and wheelchair users. They argue that the plans would…

HAVING held 11 one-day strikes since July 2022 during the national rail dispute, ASLEF drivers were set to implement a fifth week-long overtime ban from 0001 on Monday August 7 to 2359 on Saturday August 12 (after this issue of RAIL went to press). The action was expected to lead to short-notice cancellations, and came as the RMT union claimed that the Government is indemnifying operators against £1 billion losses across all strike days. ASLEF’s long-running dispute with the 14 train operators in England that are under contract to the Department for Transport is over the lack of a pay rise since 2019. It affects Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South…

Govia Thameslink Railway announced that no services at all would run on the biggest day of Brighton Pride (Saturday August 5, after this issue of RAIL went to press), and that Brighton station would be closed all day and the gates locked. The train operator blamed an overtime ban by drivers’ union ASLEF. The union responded that it was “outrageous and utterly ridiculous” to blame ASLEF for problems “which are entirely of this train company’s own making”. The Pride event in Brighton is normally the biggest public event of the year anywhere on GTR’s network. Many extra trains are laid on, especially late at night. During two weeks of overtime bans by drivers, GTR planned to run an amended timetable with fewer trains than usual. In a statement, the company…

The Railway Industry Association has repeated its dismay regarding the delay in getting the Great British Railways reforms through Parliament before it broke up for its summer recess on July 20. There is also still no update on the promised Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline that was first published back in 2019… and has not been updated since. RIA is also disappointed that it has not had a response to a letter, signed by 70 rail supply companies, that was sent to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Department for Transport ministers earlier this year. “We urge ministers to come back in the autumn recharged and ready to make clear pronouncements on how it intends to take both forward,” said RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan. He added: “The communications vacuum is a…

GB Railfreight has decided against taking two Class 67s from Colas Rail, and they have been returned. Colas acquired the locomotives (67023/027) from DB Cargo via Beacon Rail in late 2016, for use on infrastructure monitoring trains which needed 100mph capability. However, since it has acquired HST power cars, the Class 67s were deemed surplus to requirement. GBRf took them on - 67027 was even repainted into its livery - for use on its Caledonian Sleeper operation to support the Class 73/9s, but while 67023 was used on a few occasions to Inverness, the reliability was not proven. A renegotiation of the traction provision for the Sleeper operations now means the ‘67s’ are no longer needed. Instead, GBRf will continue to supply two Class 73/9s for the Inverness train, a…

CHILTERN Railways has started to run services powered by vegetable oil derived from used cooking oil and other recyclable waste. It is the first time that Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) has been used for passenger services in the UK, although Freightliner has been using it to run a daily train between Southampton Docks and Crewe for months. The fuel will be used on longer-distance Chiltern services operated by its Class 68 locomotives. The company hopes that if the trial is successful, the fuel will be extended to its fleets of diesel multiple units. Chiltern claims that HVO can reduce cardon dioxide emissions by up to 90% and halve harmful particulate emissions, reducing nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. HVO is more expensive than diesel, and not as widely available, so the…

Avanti West Coast has extended the trial of its discounted Superfare tickets to ten more destinations. The Superfare ticket, which enables passengers to book for a specific morning, afternoon or evening slot at a cheaper fare, with the operator then selecting the exact time of travel, has so far been available between London and Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Preston and Glasgow. It has now been extended to journeys between London and Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Warrington, Stockport, Runcorn, Wigan and Lancaster. Prices are set at fixed amounts with a one-way journey costing between £12 and £30 depending on the destination. Bookings can be made between seven and 21 days prior to travel. Passengers are then matched to an empty seat on a quieter service with around 24 hours’ notice.…

BRITAIN’S famous ‘Harry Potter’ train - the ‘Jacobite’ - is in limbo following safety intervention by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Daily steam-hauled trains between Fort William and Mallaig, operated by West Coast Railways, were stopped on July 18 - four days after an ORR inspection concluded that the use of non-Central Door Locking (CDL) carriages was no longer permitted on ‘Jacobite’ services until “robust safety arrangements are in place”. That had followed an ORR visit on June 9, which resulted in an initial prohibition notice under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In HM Inspector of Railways Karen Barnes’ letter to West Coast on June 14, she said that the operator was “failing to ensure the health and safety of your passengers and crew, thus…

Two teenagers were arrested on August 1 following an attempted robbery on a Royal Mail train near Lockerbie. British Transport Police officers were called to the scene at 0142, after two males were spotted trying to board the train as it came to a stand at a signal on the West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle. The British Transport Police confirmed that the two males had gained access to the train, damaging signalling equipment in the process. A statement added: “Officers attended, and a 17-year-old and 18-year-old were located in the carriage and arrested. “At this stage it’s not believed that anything was stolen, but a number of parcels in the carriage had been interfered with. “Both young men have been charged with malicious mischief, theft, and threatening and…

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) and Tram Operations Limited (TOL) have been fined a total of £14 million for safety failings following the Croydon tram crash in November 2016. Seven people died and 62 were injured (19 of them seriously) when a tram travelling in poor weather at three times the permitted speed overturned on the approach to Sandilands Junction on November 9 2016. It is the highest fine to be levied following a prosecution by industry regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The next highest was a £6.5m fine for logistics firm WH Malcolm in 2021. At the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), TfL and TOL were fined £10m and £4m respectively after both pleaded guilty to offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.…

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority is the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects. It sits at the heart of government, reporting to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. IPA works across government to support the successful delivery of all types of major projects -ranging from railways, roads, schools, hospitals and housing, to energy, telecommunications, defence, IT and major transformation programmes. Its purpose is to “continuously improve the way the government delivers projects and programmes and to provide confidence that they will achieve their aims, improve public services and people’s lives”.…

Production of more than 83,000 HS2 tunnel segments has begun at a new factory at Hartlepool Docks. STRABAG was awarded the contract to manufacture the concrete segments for running tunnels in London in October 2021. Its chosen site in Hartlepool was previously used for the fabrication of oil rigs. It is well connected by road, sea and a railhead that has recently been brought back into use. More than 100 jobs have been created at the new factory, which was visited by local MP Jill Mortimer and HS2 Chief Commercial Officer Ruth Todd CBE on July 24 to mark the start of production.…

A £4.2 billion devolution deal for the North East of England could be the key to reopening the disused Leamside line, the region’s transport leaders told the UK Light Rail Conference on July 11-12. Voters from County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear will go to the polls in May 2024 to elect a mayor and cabinet who will lead the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority. Transport North East Managing Director Tobyn Hughes told the conference that public transport was a key driving force behind a long-held ambition for the region. “Transport is hugely important to this region’s identity, to have it flourish and to have it unlock its economic potential,” he said. Hughes explained how the region’s transport powers will be transferred into that new combined authority, and…

Passengers using a South Gloucestershire station that only has two services a week - both on a Saturday and in the same direction - have been left furious after some were cancelled or sped straight through. Great Western Railway has apologised for an error in the summer timetabling that resulted in the removal of HSTs in favour of IET units, which are unable to stop at Pilning (the first stop in England on the Cardiff-Taunton route). No westbound services have been possible since a footbridge was removed during electrification work and never replaced. While strikes and engineering works have compounded the problem, matters came to a head on July 1 when the early morning service ran, but the advertised afternoon service from South Wales went straight through. The following service…

A ‘draft masterplan’ for a major new development and station near Wantage (Oxfordshire) has been shared by developer Richborough. The plans, which have not yet been submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council, could lead to development of a 70-hectare site to the north of Grove, including 230 affordable homes. The brochure sets out plans for a new station at Grove, on the Great Western Main Line between Didcot and Swindon. It would be the first station in the area since Wantage & Grove was closed in 1964 under the Beeching cuts.…

IARNRÓD Éireann (IÉ) contractors have removed over half the existing track on the Limerick to Foynes rail line. John Sisk and Sons was awarded the €65 million (£55.8m) contract in January and started work in April on rebuilding the 42km (26¾-mile) line, which has been mothballed since 2001. Work started on removing the existing track in late May, and by July 31 Sisk sub-contractors had removed track from the Maigue viaduct at Adare station to Foynes station. A resident engineer managing the project on behalf of Sisk told RAIL that track lifting would be paused for a few weeks, to enable the current stockpile of material to be processed for disposal. The sleepers are being exported to Sweden for disposal, and the rails sold locally for scrap. IÉ explained that…

Testing of Glasgow’s new Subway trains is “progressing well”, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Chief Executive Valerie Davidson has told RAIL. A precise date has not been announced for the introduction of the Swiss-built rolling stock, which was originally set to enter passenger service in 2020 before this was put back to 2023. However, Davidson said: “Hopefully the city and the region will really start to see the benefits of that work quite soon.” The new Stadler electric multiple units are designed to operate without drivers, but also feature driving cab facilities which can fold away into a small internal compartment. Speaking exclusively to RAIL, SPT Subway Director Antony Smith said: “We are currently in the ‘Fault Free Running’ testing phase of the new units, which means that we are in…

Network Rail has submitted a planning application to reinstate Platform 1 at Hull Paragon. Permission is needed from Hull City Council before capacity can be increased at the Grade 2 Listed station. There are currently six platforms in use. The former Platform 1 has been out of use for 30 years, having once provided a segregated area of the station used by European immigrants travelling from Hull to Liverpool, as part of their trans-Atlantic journey to North America. The platform would need to be extended by seven metres and resurfaced with tactile paving.…

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 Babbacombe: The 722ft cliff railway linking Oddicombe Beach in Torbay with Babbacombe Downs reopened at the end of June. It had been closed since September 2022, following the death of a maintenance engineer, and has undergone a £250,000 refit. Shepton Mallet: The Railway Heritage Trust has awarded grants of £175,058 for restoration works at Bath Road and Ham Wood Viaducts, and at Windsor Hill Up Tunnel. When complete, they will extend…

A decade ago, Britain was basking in the reflected glory of London’s Olympic Games. Southeastern’s slick services from St Pancras ferried thousands to the stadium in Stratford using High Speed 1’s tracks. And Britain’s future was a high-speed future, with government backing High Speed 2 and its first phase from London to Birmingham. In January 2013, ministers revealed their preferred route for the second phase, north from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. Patrick McLoughlin was Transport Secretary at the time, and he said in the foreword to the Department for Transport’s announcement: “Aspiration is the engine of progress and HS2 is a sign of our aspiration for a better, stronger Britain. I believe that we cannot simply hope for a better future. We have to build it - together. It’s…

OpinionGuest Columnist IN mid-2016, nine men met in a small room in the typical Yorkshire town of Halifax, with a simple aim of talking through their issues and helping each other deal with the struggles in their lives. All in attendance agreed there was a magic in that room that had to be shared. This was the start of a movement that has grown faster than anyone first involved could have ever imagined. Fast forward almost seven years and ANDYSMANCLUB now has groups at more than 130 locations across England, Scotland and Wales, as well as online. ANDYSMANCLUB is a free-to-attend talking group that runs every Monday night at 1900, excluding Bank Holidays. It takes its name from Andrew Roberts, who sadly took his own life aged 23 in early…

On sale August 23 Malcolm Holmes The Great Central’s new leader talks to PAUL STEPHEN on improving links with the industry. Hotel check-out DR JOSEPH BRENNAN pays tribute to some grand - yet overlooked -railway buildings. Fast charge Great Western Railway is pushing forward with Vivarail’s battery technology. BEN JONES explains. Western drawdown HSTs have been part of the Western since 1976, but that’s soon to end. PIP DUNN takes a cab ride. Subscribe now! Get more of what you love with a Membership Join today 01858 438884 Quote AJAA See page 66-67 for details…

Some final thoughts from the team at RAIL @RAIL Send contributions to: rail@bauermedia.co.uk Dale Ward is first to respond to our request for suggestions on what classical music should be piped over the speakers at railway stations (Stop & Examine, RAIL 984). “To be played when there’s engineering work and the trains aren’t running: anything by DeBUSsey. Anything by Trackmaninoff.” Hot on Dale’s heels is Roger Backhouse, who believes that “perhaps something railway themed would be appropriate”. Roger suggests: “Among many possible pieces there is Little Train by Villa-Lobos, Honegger’s Pacific 231, and for the hardcore classicist Kurt Weill’s Railroads on Parade. “Johann Strauss’s Excursion train or Bahn Frei are probably just that bit too pacy when something more soporific is required. Since Antonin Dvorak was reputedly a puffer nutter,…

The Rail Delivery Group extended the deadline for comments from an initial three weeks by adding almost six further weeks. Stating that train companies had “listened to feedback”, the RDG said it hoped that more people would have the opportunity to have their say about how tickets are sold at stations. It added: “The responses will shape final plans so that all passengers are supported as railway retailing is updated for the smartphone era.” It said the overall aim was to bring staff out from behind ticket office windows and into new “customer host” roles which would offer staff “more engaging careers”. Sarah Leadbetter, who is blind, and wheelchair user Doug Paulley had applied for a Judicial Review on the grounds that the 21-day consultation was too short and that…

Train operators have welcomed a decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) not to allow Network Rail to make timetable changes at less than 12 weeks’ notice. A consultation had been published in late April on two proposed changes to NR’s network licence, including a reduction of the 12-week publication period (known as T-12) for timetable confirmation. But in its decision letter, ORR said it could not proceed with the licence modification “at this time” because it would “remove an important layer of visibility and transparency” for operators in particular. It added that it was also for the industry to more clearly explain any future timetable reforms and their potential impacts to passengers, so that “any future proposals to ORR are fully evaluated in advance”. A spokesman for…

GB Railfreight 66785 was named after former Cotswold Line Promotion Group Chairman John Ellis on July 15. His family, former colleagues from his long railway career, and CLPG committee members were all sworn to secrecy over the naming ceremony, organised by Great Western Railway and staff at Moreton-in-Marsh station. Ellis joined the railway in 1962 as a British Rail graduate management trainee. He went on to hold senior roles within BR, Railtrack, GB Railways and as an independent rail consultant before serving as CLPG Chairman for 12 years until May 2023. As well as unveiling his own name on the side of the locomotive, Ellis was presented with a miniature version of the nameplate and a model of the ‘66’.…

The 225 Group has named Christopher Garnett OBE as its patron. Having served as CEO and then chairman of GNER for more than ten years from April 1996, Garnett oversaw a transformation of services on the East Coast Main Line, where the InterCity 225 fleet provided the mainstay of rolling stock. He will now play a leading role in ensuring these iconic trains are represented in preservation. Garnett is also known for his work with the National Railway Museum and as a board member for the Olympic Delivery Authority, for which he was awarded an OBE in 2013.…

DB Cargo has put its last five active Class 90 25kV AC electric locomotives into storage, citing increased charges for electricity as the reason for replacing them with Class 66s on West Coast Main Line intermodal trains. It is also returning some of its dual-voltage Class 92s (currently only used on HS1) and modifying them for use on the WCML. In a statement to staff on July 24, seen by RAIL, DB Cargo said the decision was due to the “continuing high cost of energy [which] means it is no longer commercially viable to run Class 90s”, as it felt it could not ask its customers to “take on the extra financial burden”. The company added: “In the current economic climate it simply does not make sense to incur the…

RAIL: Why introduce HVO? Tim Sayer: Until this morning, we operated an all-diesel fleet - the only London operator to do so. It is primarily about “doing our bit” and starting decarbonisation in a pragmatic way. And partly it is just about being a good custodian of the railway and being considerate towards our neighbours. In terms of air quality and noise, we have not been giving a great service to residents near our London end. What benefits does it bring? It is quieter. It is slightly more economical, although not enough to move the dial massively. It reduces carbon dioxide emissions by between 85% and 90%. Depending how it is driven, it reduces particulate emissions by between 30% and 50%, and nitrous oxides are also reduced. It is more…

Drivers’ union ASLEF has reached 100 women members in Scotland for the first time in its 143-year history. The grade has long been one of the most male-dominated positions on the railway. “This is a historic day for our trade union,” said ASLEF Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay. “We are proud that we now have 100 female members and that our female membership is growing every month. This progress does speak to the success of our union in calling for increased diversity in our railway workforce. “However, we are aware that this number is still only around 5% of our membership, and that more needs to be done to ensure the workforce right across the rail industry truly reflects the diverse nature of our population.” Lindsay said that the “lack of…

Ashington staff depot Northern’s new staff depot for the Northumberland Line is to be built on the site of a former care home at the southern end of the platform at Ashington station. Staff recruitment is under way for the first services next year. DB’s digital boost DB Cargo has recruited a technology expert from the National Grid as its new Chief Transformation and Digitalisation Officer. Rohan Kapoor will lead the freight operator’s plans to introduce greater automation. Rail Europe arrival Ticket provider Rail Europe has appointed Valentine Camusot as its new general manager for the European Region, based in Paris.…

Network Rail has defended spending an average of £10,000 per week on flights for staff, rather than using its own network. Figures obtained via a Freedom of Information Request show that NR purchased 985 plane tickets for flights in the UK in 2022. A further 1,622 were purchased for international journeys. The use of domestic flights and their associated carbon footprint was heavily criticised by environmental campaigners. They included Mike Childs from Friends of the Earth, who called it “a sorry indictment” of the state of the rail industry “when industry bosses are choosing to fly”. A spokesman for NR said that 94% of the company’s business travel is by rail, but that “flying is permitted [for staff] where elements like time constraints are considered”. He added: “We are competing…

Greater Anglia’s Colchester depot has been upgraded, with new facilities to maintain the operator’s Class 755 bi-modes. Two 40,000-litre fuel tanks, a 14-tonne sanding storage tower and dispenser, plus a 10,000-litre AdBlue storage tank have been installed, along with new toilet emptying equipment. The upgrade will enable up to ten ‘755s’ to be serviced each day at the site. Previously, seven trains a day would travel to temporary refuelling facilities within Colchester station or to Ipswich or Norwich.…

Two concerns about the ‘Terms of Reference’ for a study of options to complete HS2’s eastern arm (RAIL 988) have been set out by Greengauge 21. The independent high-speed rail advocacy group, led by specialist transport consultant Jim Steer, says there is a “need to impart a greater sense of urgency”, adding that at the current rates of progress, “it is not easy to be confident that Leeds will gain HS2 services before 2050”. It also identifies the “need to help future Chancellors of the Exchequer overcome the one-sided logic in the Terms of Reference” that makes additional capital expenditure (infrastructure investment) “contingent on how well the overall economy is growing, when in reality, of course, adding high-speed capacity is crucial to delivering economic growth”. The Terms of Reference indicate…

HS2 has shifted its millionth tonne of spoil by rail from its London Logistics Hub at Willesden Euro Terminal. The material has been removed from the Old Oak Common station site, the Victoria Road crossover box in Ealing, and Atlas Road sites. It will be reused in Kent, Cambridge and Rugby. The rail freight volume is equivalent to 110,000 lorry movements, and the current flow of three 1,500-tonne trains per day will increase to seven at the height of construction of the London-Birmingham route, which has a total of five million tonnes of waste. The next major items to arrive by rail for HS2 are the approximately 83,000 concrete tunnel rings being manufactured in Hartlepool (see story above).…

Arriva is “in discussions” with the Department for Transport regarding options to add capacity to its CrossCountry network, once its High Speed Trains are taken out of service later this year. Responding to a comment from Lord Snape at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group on July 17, about the lack of seating capacity across CrossCountry’s network, Arriva UK Trains Managing Director David Brown said: “The Department for Transport specifies very clearly what train operators should operate. “We give advice as to what is required, and we have been very clear that HSTs are disappearing from the network this year, and we are in discussions about how we then provide the right amount of capacity to deliver the service.” Brown added that while he believes the Government is…

More than two-thirds of West Midlands companies surveyed believe that improvements to rail services will win them new business and enable them to retain staff and recruit more easily. Midlands Connect says this positivity helps justify its £1.5 million flagship Rail Hub project, which is intended to improve links to 30 locations from Birmingham - notably Bristol, Hereford and Leicester. Evidence was collected from companies that collectively employ 16,000 employees in a variety of industries. Thirty-one said that more than half their staff commute for longer than 30 minutes, and arrive by car because of infrequency of services and long journey times.…

The Office of Rail and Road has called for urgent action from HS1 Ltd to address missed key performance targets. According to the regulator’s annual assessment of the high-speed infrastructure operator, expectations have not been realised on escalator and lift availability, plus workforce health and safety. Train performance is also in need of improvement, says ORR, although it points out that the 7.25 seconds average delay per train on HS1 remains “much better” that the main line network. The report adds that where targets have been missed, ORR is satisfied that the company is “taking reasonable steps to improve”. It will nevertheless continue to closely monitor HS1 Ltd and its main contractor Network Rail (High Speed) to improve the situation and deliver a better experience for passengers. “Our report shows…

Manchester’s new ‘Bee Network’ could pave the way to giving the city its own version of London Overground. Danny Vaughan, Head of Metrolink, told the UK Light Rail Conference that the Bee Network is Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s vision for an integrated transport network. The first tangible evidence of the new brand will appear in September, when the city takes back control of its bus network for the first time since the bus industry was deregulated in 1986. It will enable bus timetables to be planned in conjunction with Metrolink’s for the first time. “It will bring together bus, tram, active travel and, ultimately, rail into one system,” Vaughan told the conference. “Bee Network will bring more jobs, help with social inclusion by providing access to more deprived parts…

Network Rail has submitted plans for repair work to the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct on the West Highland Line. An application has been made to the Highland Council for listed building consent, for a temporary fix to be applied to cracks at the top of one of the structure’s 21 concrete arches. The solution would involve a metal bracket being secured to the viaduct’s northern (inland) parapet, to reduce the visual impact of repairs to this much photographed 122-year-old structure. The work would be completed at night to minimise disruption to rail traffic.…

Hertford loop renewals Signalling was renewed on the Hertford loop over the weekend of July 29/30, to be followed a week later by overhead wire replacement and improvements to the tunnels between Moorgate and Finsbury Park to reduce noise and vibration. Cycle security boost TransPennine Express invited cycle owners to get their pushbikes securely marked for free at Huddersfield station on July 6. They have been logged on to BikeRegister, the UK’s national police-preferred registration scheme. Derby road resurfacing The resurfacing of roads leading to Derby station began on July 10, and will last until the end of the year. The car parks have not been affected, but there is a one-way traffic system in place. Devon goes digital The £12 Devon & Cornwall Railcard has gone digital, Passengers over…

OpinionIndustry Insider THERE may be scepticism in some quarters about the need for action to combat climate change, but very clearly the extreme heat and wildfires that have curtailed holidays in southern Europe are a fact that cannot be dismissed as a one-off statistical blip. Evidence of growing climate change has brought about a significant shift in infrastructure renewal and maintenance priorities contained in the latest Network Rail delivery plan for Scotland. The need for greater resilience to combat extreme weather events is recognised, with a new emphasis on areas such as overhead line performance in high temperatures, drainage improvement, and vegetation control. Coupled with inflation eating into what can be delivered within the £4.2 billion budget agreed with the Scottish Government, NR has not included any plans for enhancement…