Table of contents for Issue 1003 in RAIL

Comment rail@bauermedia.co.uk @RAIL OVERCROWDED and 15 minutes late. No, not my train over to Liverpool for Transport for the North’s annual conference on February 5, but the start of the conference itself. It was worth the trip to hear Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham explain what he wants from rail services: local public control. That matters, because Burnham is one of the few ‘big beasts’ of the Labour party talking about railways. He’s held high office as a secretary of state in the last Labour government, so will likely wield influence with the next one. And while RAIL remains politically neutral, all the recent opinion polls suggest we’ll have a Labour government just as soon as the next General Election’s votes are counted. Officially, Labour is reviewing its rail policies,…

A proposal to extend electrification from Bristol Parkway to the Temple Meads station in the city centre has taken its first step, although there are no timescales yet. The section was curtailed from the previous Great Western Main Line electrification scheme, as one of a series of cuts after costs significantly overran. Members of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) have now agreed to part-fund the £575,000 cost of progression of the Filton Bank electrification project to outline business case (OBC) stage. WECA recommended that £200,000 is contributed to the OBC cost, using Mayoral funding. This leaves £375,000 “required from others” to enable Network Rail to progress the project to OBC stage. No work will be undertaken until the full funding requirement is met. Electrification would enable the existing…

Rail Freight Group Director General Maggie Simpson has warned of “wholescale loss of traffic back to road”, following partial abolition of the freight ‘mode shift revenue support scheme’ operated jointly by the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland. The scheme provides customers with a small grant to support freight services that otherwise would not be able to compete with road. Writing for RAIL’s Briefing newsletter on February 7, Simpson advises that the 2024-25 budget for the cross-border freight flow support scheme has been abolished by the Scottish Government, meaning that claimants will only be able to get grant support to the Scottish border from England. “This risks the wholesale loss of traffic back to road if the grant is not sufficient to cover the financial gap,” she argued. Calling for…

Rail Minister Huw Merriman pledged to protect fares, following a question from RAIL at Transport for the North’s annual conference in Liverpool on February 5. RAIL asked the minister what assurances he could give to people that he would protect regulated tickets such as long-distance, off-peak ones, and prevent operators withdrawing them. Merriman replied: “We are determined to protect the fares that people need most.” His comments came on the day that Department from Transport subsidiary LNER withdrew long-distance, off-peak tickets between London and Newcastle, Berwick and Edinburgh. Merriman continued: “I fundamentally believe that we do need fare reform, and we also need to see technology utilised to help people find an easier journey at their station. “So, pay-as-you-go, which is a great way of offering the best-value ticket to…

Siemens Mobility says it now expects to assemble up to 79 of its 94 Piccadilly Line trains at its new plant in Goole, having previously committed to assembling half the fleet there. It is shifting assembly work from Vienna, which (it told RAIL) gives it more capacity there for the rest of its global order book. Siemens is now testing the first train of the fleet and expects to deliver it to London this summer. Passengers should be riding the trains from 2025.…

ASLEF drivers at five companies have voted to continue industrial action. Union General Secretary Mick Whelan said: "Drivers obviously wouldn't vote for industrial action, again and again and again, if they thought [they had] a good offer." ASLEF has not put last year's offer to a vote but instead had held ballots for strikes and action short of strikes. The five latest ballot results come from Chiltern, c2c, East Midlands Railway, Northern and TransPennine Express.…

Transport for London has published plans for a tunnelled cross-river extension of the Dockland Light Railway from Gallions Reach to new stations at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. A six-week public consultation has started and will close on March 18. A report on the outcome will be published “later in the year”. “We are still in the early stages of design and planning, and will consider all feedback to this consultation when deciding whether to continue with the scheme,” TfL added. Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside lack direct rail services, and the DLR would support up to 30,000 new houses. The extension would also provide better connections and quicker journeys across the river Thames to London City Airport, Stratford, the Abbey Wood Elizabeth line station, and Canary Wharf. It would also improve…

Rail accident investigators have issued a ‘learning point’ for Network Rail after reopening their inquiry into the death of a pedestrian in Surrey. The 85-year-old woman was struck by an out-of-service passenger train at Lady Howard footpath and bridleway crossing, between Ashtead and Epsom, on April 21 2022. She had been walking on the crossing with a dog and pushing a wheeled trolley bag, and was considered unlikely to be a regular user of that crossing. She started crossing the tracks shortly after a train from Horsham had passed, but was struck by a second train travelling in the opposite direction. She was apparently unaware that the second train was approaching when she made the decision to cross, as her view of it was blocked by the first train. The…

TO underpin its prosperity and that of future projects, the rail industry demands a skilled workforce. According to the report Engineering UK: The state of engineering, between 2019 and 2024 the UK economy required an estimated 124,000 engineers and technicians with core engineering skills. A further 79,000 roles required a mixture of engineering knowledge and skills. But the report estimated a shortfall of between 37,000 and 59,000 workers, owing to shortages in the supply of talent coming through education. Large infrastructure projects such as East West Rail, HS2 and the Transpennine Route Upgrade have highlighted the industry thirst for a continuous flow of technicians and engineers to make projects a reality. Apprenticeships are now returning to the fore, fast-tracking many young careers into skilled industries. For some, they’re a means…

Govia Thameslink Railway has recorded a 50% increase in the number of female apprentices starting with the company in the past year. There were 176 new applicants in 2023, of which 60 are female. In 2022, GTR welcomed the highest number of female applicants for train driver roles in five years, describing it as a positive reflection of rail becoming more inclusive and its commitment to diversifying its workforce. And the number of employees taking on an apprenticeship increased by 22% last year.…

Recruitment specialist Coleman James has opened a new office in Doncaster, following its expansion in the rail sector. The company, which partners with businesses including AmcoGiffen (part of Renew Holdings PLC), VolkerRail, Motion Rail and RES Group, says its rail division had a record year in 2023, with turnover growing to £4.5 million. The move to larger premises follows what it describes as a ‘boom’ in the industry for the next generation of engineers and technicians, on the back of large-scale projects such as HS2, the Transpennine Route Upgrade and East West Rail.…

HS2’s civils contractors doubled their total spend with companies that have 250 or fewer employees in 2022-23, compared with the previous financial year. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for over 70% of HS2’s supply chain, shared £942 million -against the previous year’s £456m. HS2 Ltd says the cash injection delivered a boost for construction companies across the country which are faced with rising inflation and supply chain pressures linked to the pandemic and the Ukraine war. The scale and momentum of HS2’s construction also reached a new peak in 2022-23, with a workforce topping 30,000. “From the outset, we put robust targets in place to ensure UK-based SMEs would benefit from HS2’s vast construction programme,” said HS2 Supply Chain Lead Robin Lapish. “Our contractors, through their own procurement…

A dozen DB Cargo Class 60s look to have been acquired by Land Recovery - a company new to rail. RAIL understands that it has bought the vehicles with the aim of having some overhauled to run its own trains in association with construction of High Speed 2. The Alsager-based company has been involved in materials recovery from infrastructure projects and currently uses a road fleet. Land Recovery has a siding at Longport near Stoke which recycles ballast and sometimes receives aggregates from other sources, such as Penmaenmawr and Redcar. Colas is its current haulier although GB Railfreight has also done work for the company. DB Cargo offered for sale the 12 locomotives (60012/032/036/037/048/052/068/077/078/084/089/093) a year ago. Their condition varies, and they are understood to have been heavily robbed by…

The Scottish Railway Preservation Society is looking to sell three Mk 1 coaches (TSOs 4215 and 4844 and BSK 35405) as surplus to requirements. “A recent review of our collection, which contains around 60 coaches alone, has identified these vehicles as surplus to requirements both operationally and in terms of museum display,” said the SRPS. “While we would like to maximise any financial outcome from this tender process, these disposals are not driven by financial need. We would rather see the vehicles well looked after elsewhere rather than to deteriorate at Bo’ness.” If you are interested in receiving the tender pack, email andrew. fowler@srps.org.uk with the subject ‘Mk 1 Coach Disposals’.…

The tenth of 11 Class 66s being sourced by GB Railfreight from Europe arrived in the UK on February 8, when CC77505 docked at Immingham and was taken by road to Loughborough. It is expected to become 66315. That leaves just one locomotive (29003) to arrive. It is expected in the UK in April, to be reinstated as 66316. Meanwhile, the first two of the 11 ex-Euro Class 66s finally entered traffic on February 7. 66306 SCS Logistics ran light from Doncaster to Eastleigh, while 66307 Ipswich Town worked from Doncaster to Whitemoor and back. Also on February 8, fellow ex-European Class 66, newly painted 66310, was taken from Loughborough to Doncaster Roberts Road.…

Retro Railtours, Rail Adventure and the 125 Group are working together in conjunction with Chiltern Railways to run an HST special using two RA Class 43/4 power cars. Forming part of the 125th anniversary of London Marylebone station, the train will be formed of the 125 Group’s rake of HST trailers. The ‘Master Cutler’ is set for Friday March 15, and is a nod to the famous named train that originally ran along the Great Central route from Yorkshire to the capital. Because most of the original Great Central route has long been closed and lifted, the train will run via the Midland Main Line as far as Leicester, before heading southwest towards Birmingham, and then taking the Chiltern Main Line to Marylebone. On arrival at Marylebone, there will be…

A start has been made on withdrawing Merseyrail’s 21 remaining Class 507s and sending them for scrap. On February 5, Rail Operations Group’s 37800 Cassiopeia took 508104 and 507004 from Crewe to Newport. That leaves just 507001/003/007/009-011/013-018/020/021/023/028-033 in traffic with the operator. No date has been agreed for the final use of Class 507s, as well as what (if any) special trips might be planned. Angel Trains’ 507001 is now back in BR blue and grey for its final few weeks in traffic. Meanwhile, a handful of new Class 777s have been moved to Long Marston for store - and not for modification, as has been speculated. A Merseyrail spokesman said: “The Class 777s at Long Marston have not been delivered and accepted by us yet, so they are going…

Transport for Wales expects to have trains running to Treherbert from February 29 following the line’s upgrade, with driver training continuing as this issue of RAIL went to press. The service will be two trains per hour to and from Cardiff Central using Class 150 diesel units, with TfW promising to introduce its new Stadler Class 756 stock from this summer. Next winter, TfW says Class 398 tram-trains should start on the line, using the new overhead line equipment to operate electrically. During the upgrade, TfW has replaced the branch line’s token signalling system, built new platforms at Treherbert, Ynyswen and Dinas Rhondda, added passing loops between Ynsywen and Treherbert, Ton Pentre and Ystrad Rhondda, and between Porth and Dinas Rhondda, and erected overhead line equipment. It has also adjusted…

“WE told you so” is a fair summary of the opening paragraph of the Public Accounts Committee’s latest report into High Speed 2, published on February 7. It says: “This Committee has reported regularly on progress with the High Speed 2 programme over the last decade. Our first report was in 2013 and even at that early stage we were warning about an emerging pattern of costs increasing, benefits decreasing, and the apparent lack of the necessary commercial expertise to oversee the programme. “We continued to report our concerns over the years - for example, being critical about the lack of transparency over increasing costs, about some of the decisions taken by management, and about engagement with the people, communities and businesses near the route.” The report makes grim reading…

Some final thoughts from the team at RAIL @RAIL Send contributions to: mike.wright@bauermedia.co.uk The Railway Children charity is urging members of the rail community to swap their warm beds for a night on a cold station floor, by supporting its Sleepout event on March 14. The event will take place in locations, including Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Derby, Leeds, Swansea, Birmingham New Street, and at London stations Waterloo, Liverpool Street, St Pancras and London Bridge. Proceeds will support the charity’s work with vulnerable children around the world. Participants can register to join by choosing from one of its 12 venues and raising a minimum sponsorship of £100. The charity said: “Although the event doesn’t replicate the hardship faced by many children around the world, who are often deprived of shelter…

MAYORS Andy Burnham and Andy Street expect to set out their options for improving rail connectivity between the West Midlands and Greater Manchester in a meeting with Transport Secretary Mark Harper later this spring, possibly as soon as March. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street outlined three options at a press briefing in Birmingham on February 7, during which he also said he wanted to stick with HS2’s planned 2041 Manchester opening for his alternative plans. The first option is to enhance the West Coast Main Line to improve some of its most constrained sections. Street said this had minimal capital cost and relatively little advantage. The second option would have bypasses built around WCML constraints such as Stafford. The first bypass might be formed by extending HS2’s Phase 1 line…

Reopening the Portishead Line, with passenger trains to Bristol, depends on certainty of costs after rising prices forced a project re-appraisal, and on the Department for Transport picking up any over-spend. All eyes are now on Network Rail producing an updated market estimate for construction costs “in mid-February”, to support the project’s Full Business Case submission “programmed to be issued at the end of February”. At its January 26 meeting, regional transport body the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) approved £9.66 million previously allocated from its Investment Fund. However, this is “subject to the DfT approving the project Full Business Case, addressing any remaining project capital funding shortfall, and formally committing to taking on any future capital cost risk on the project”, said WECA. The MetroWest 1 scheme, which…

Hitachi Rail and Mer Mec have signed a stock ‘put option’ agreement for the sale of Hitachi Rail’s main line signalling business in France, as well as its signalling business units in Germany and the UK. In October 2023, the European Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority approved Hitachi Rail’s acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Systems (GTS), provided that Hitachi Rail divested its main line signalling businesses in France, Germany and the UK. The agreement with Mer Mec is a step to address the conditions set or the closure of Hitachi Rail’s acquisition of Thales GTS. Hitachi Rail will retain its other operations in the UK, including its rolling stock and maintenance business.…

Transport for the North Chief Executive Martin Tugwell has highlighted the “importance of allowing the North’s political and business leaders to decide and deliver on transport needs, and how the reliance on ‘one size fits all’ for investment appraisal is holding the region back”. Opening TfN’s annual conference in Liverpool on February 5, Tugwell told delegates: “We must invest in new concepts and strive for better outcomes if we are to deliver economic growth that is sustainable and inclusive for the longer term.” Guest speaker Rail Minister Huw Merriman responded: “I understand that government doesn’t always know best - that it is mayors, TfN and local leaders who are best placed to make decisions that affect people’s lives. “Most of the North is now covered by Metro Mayors, armed with…

NETWORK Rail is to build two new platforms for Darlington station, in a £99 million project. Platform 5 will be a southbound through platform for long-distance services and Platform 6 a bay platform serving the lines to and from Eaglescliffe. Both will sit outside the station’s current trainshed, but will be linked to it by a new bridge that will be installed as part of work that is under way to build a new eastern concourse. Steelwork for the concourse is now appearing as part of a £150m project masterminded by the Tess Valley Combined Authority. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said in January: “Darlington deserves a top-class station to mark its rise as a civil service and technological powerhouse,” adding that it was remarkable to see how quickly the…

Boden Rail Engineering has completed its move of assets and locomotives to its new depot at Colwick, close to Rectory Junction (near Nottingham) on the line to Grantham. The move was made necessary after the lease on the Eastcroft site at Nottingham was not renewed. East Midlands Railway needed the extra capacity to maintain its diesel multiple unit fleet. BRE carries out the maintenance on Colas Rail’s Class 37 and ‘56’ fleets, as well as looking after its own locomotive - 50050 Fearless.…

Network Rail has received planning consent for the modernisation of Transport for London’s Peckham Rye station. Renovation of the listed Victorian station building is to include a new station concourse at ground level with lifts and stair access to platforms, accessible toilets, wider platforms, and additional gate lines. An entrance from Dovedale Court is also proposed. NR says the improvements would “dramatically improve the passenger experience and safety, particularly for people with luggage, wheelchairs and pushchairs”, and “provide scope for any potential future expansion”. It is expected to submit an Outline Business Case soon, partnered with a £40 million funding request for the next detailed design stage which it hopes to complete by summer 2025.…

Greater Anglia Duty Traincrew Manager Terrence Farmer says he is reaping the rewards after moving to a career on the railways. Previously a landscaper, Farmer (43) now oversees the tasks of more than 800 GA traincrew, after completing a Customer Service Level 2 apprenticeship provided by Realise. He says he felt overwhelmed by technical jargon when he started on the railways, but now feels competent and part of a team, adding: “It’s never too late to take advantage of opportunities and develop your skillset.” GA has around 200 staff members working towards qualifications through apprenticeships - in administration, engineering, customer service, conductor, and train driver.…

A cross-party coalition of councillors has voted to move ahead with plans to build a second line for Edinburgh’s tram system, starting with a public consultation on the route. This first step is simply that, as with outline estimates of a £2 billion total cost, there is no funding in place. Instead, the council describes the move as showing its “intent to move forward”. A timescale for the line’s construction and opening has yet to be determined. Also, the council says it has “no funding allocated at present” for developing an Outline Business Case and Final Business Case (and all other associated pre-construction work), which will cost “in the region of £44 million”. At a Transport and Environment Committee meeting on February 1, councillors voted to put the route to…

COMPLETION of the £7 billion East West Rail line could be seriously delayed if Bedford Borough Council succeeds in its bid to force a complete rethink of the alignment where it meets the Midland Main Line. The final choice for the central section through Bedford to Cambridge was announced last May after several years of discussion, and design work is reaching a final stage. However, the authority has now spent £40,000 on its own professional survey to get changes made. At a lively special meeting on February 7, Conservative Bedford Mayor Tom Wootton defended spending taxpayers’ money, presenting new facts and figures which suggest that six-tracking the Midland Main Line north of Bedford is unnecessary. EWR’s public consultation is due to open in June, to speed forward with a project…

LNER and Network Rail have supported the ‘Never Mind The Gap’ initiative - the work experience which highlights opportunities for women in the rail industry. Through a joint partnership with Women in Rail, ‘Never Mind The Gap’ provides training and placements for women who want to get their career ‘on track’ after a period out of work, either following career breaks or redundancy. This year, women from York and Doncaster have taken part in the scheme, some of whom previously worked in the health and media industries. Training includes hands-on work experience, interview skills, and CV writing tips.…

Despite Direct Rail Services standing down its Class 37s, pending sale, 37407 Blackpool Tower has remained in traffic. On February 8, 37422 Victorious was resurrected and joined 37407 on a snowplough test run from Crewe Gresty Bridge to Stockport, then to New Mills South Junction and back, before returning to Crewe. The same day, 37424 Avro Vulcan 558 was collected from Carlisle and transferred to Crewe to join the other ‘37s’ that have been offered for sale (37419 Driver Tony Kay, 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob, and 37716). It was conveyed inbetween 68017 Hornet and 68014 as the 0700 Carlisle Kingmoor-Crewe Gresty Bridge.…

All three Deltic Preservation Society Class 55s could be together at the Great Central Railway this summer - the first time they will be in operational condition and hauling trains at the same heritage line. “2024 is shaping up to be a momentous year in that all three DPS locomotives should be in operational order for the first time in decades. Indeed, D9015 has not run for 27 years,” said the DPS. “The plan is to have all three, 55009, D9015 and 55019, on the Great Central Railway for a ‘Deltic Fest’ - the first time all three will have been together at the same location in operational order.”…

Meteor Power is working on converting a Class 08 and Class 37 to alternative fuels, as well as looking to source a Class 60 to establish the viability and feasibility of converting a heavy Type 5. The company is already modifying ex-BR shunter 08649 to run on a low-emission hybrid traction package based on automotive technology. It also acquired 37207 to assess the same technology on main line locomotive. Meteor Power CEO Mike Edwards said: “We currently have one ‘08’ and one ‘37’ that we have swapped power train and control systems on. “We are also trying to acquire a Class 60 which will also act as a test bed for the Class 66 power train. “The ‘08’ was sidelined with a broken crank and the ‘37’ had a rather…

THE new Class 730 commuter trains have finally gone into service in the West Midlands. The electric multiple units are set to replace some of the Class 350s and the Class 323s on Birmingham’s Cross City Line. Built in Derby by Alstom, they are part of a £700 million investment in new fleets and infrastructure by West Midlands Railway, and bring a significant capacity increase on the trains they replace. The trains also feature open gangways between carriages, accessible toilets, digital information screens, air-conditioning, underfloor heating, WiFi, and power points at every seat. In all, 48 three-car trains and 36 five-car trains have been ordered (324 carriages). The three-car trains have capacity for 199 passengers, while five-car units can take 406 passengers. “These modern electric trains represent a huge upgrade…

The Harrier Hydro Shunter project took a major step forward at Kidderminster shed in late January, when it took delivery of the biggest component yet - the baseplate. Weighing 3,500kg, it will have the batteries, fuel cell, hydrogen tanks and many other electrical components mounted on it. It will also act as a ballast weight replacing some of the weight of the now-gone diesel engine. The ground-breaking initiative aims to help reduce the railway’s carbon footprint. The team is carrying out the work on ex-EWS shunter 08635 - now renumbered H3802. The project is a joint venture between the Severn Valley Railway and Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions, based at the University of Birmingham. It involves the creation of the UK’s first-ever conversion of a Class 08 diesel shunter to run…

AT the back end of last year, I attended the 30th anniversary reunion of the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF), the organisation charged with privatising Britain’s railway passenger services. Seeing many of my former colleagues again was a chance to relive some of those singular days, and it made me reflect on what history will record of what might now go down as the privatisation experiment. My joining in February 1996 coincided with two things: ■ The start of operations of the first franchise.■ Alanis Morrisette releasing her career-defining Ironic. People often mistake coincidence for irony -as Alanis did, because Ironic contains no irony, only coincidence. The answer, then, to her catchy refrain “Isn’t it ironic?” is “Well, no, actually,” - which is indeed ironic. Despite the lack of…

CONSIDER you’re a government minister who wants to draw London, the Midlands and the North closer together, making it easier for goods and people to move between those major centres of industry and population. You would have various options. You might think that more flights are the answer, which in turn implies a need for more or bigger airports- or perhaps a network of helicopter pads. On land you might consider widening motorways - or building more of them. Rail has much the same prescription: new lines or improved lines. The public (voters) will have a view on whether air, road or rail is the better option. I’ve no doubt that roads would chime with people when you consider Britain’s level of car ownership. But would this enthusiasm endure as…

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee suggests High Speed 2 now offers poor value for money, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cancellation of its planned lines beyond Birmingham. In a report published on February 7, the committee also questions whether the Department for Transport has a plan for the line, now that it’s been shorn of its northern legs. Committee Chair Dame Meg Hillier said: “The decision to cancel HS2’s northern leg was a watershed moment that raises urgent and unanswered questions, laid out in our report. “What happens now to the Phase 2 land, some of which has been compulsorily purchased? “Can we seriously be actively working towards a situation where our high-speed trains are forced to run slower than existing ones when they hit older track? “Most importantly, how can…

Chester station should be re-modelled to increase capacity as the first in a three-step approach to electrify the North Wales Main Line, reports the North Wales Transport Commission. However, investigations by RAIL have revealed that no one is leading either project. And with the Welsh Government signalling its lukewarm interest in the schemes, it leads to concern of ‘project drift’. It also shines a light on the very complex structure - especially around Chester, with stakeholders including train operators, Network Rail, the Welsh Government, Liverpool City Region, Transport for the North, Network North, and Great British Railways Transition Team. Established in March 2022 by the Welsh Government, the NWTC was created to provide recommendations to “realise a sustainable integrated and multimodal transport system in North Wales”. Publishing its final report…

NORTHERN faces the prospect of being split into smaller operations if Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s call for “local public control” becomes wider policy. His call came at Transport for the North’s annual conference in Liverpool on February 5, with Burnham asked how rail could be transformed in the North. He replied: “I think there’s a simple answer to the question from both an infrastructure point of view and an operations point of view. And it’s three words: ‘Local public control’. “We would deliver the infrastructure. We did that with Metrolink, so it’s not just an idle boast. We delivered the extension to the Trafford Centre - the new Trafford Park line - ahead of timetable and on budget. We’ve done that with building Metrolink, so we know we can…

ScotRail is planning to tackle anti-social passenger behaviour across its network through a £1.6 million investment. It has tripled the number of body-worn cameras by staff (from 350 to 1,000). It also plans to increase the number of frontline staff, particularly on late night trains on key routes for added security. Body-worn cameras were introduced in 2017, with ScotRail finding that customers positively changed their behaviour when they were informed that they were being recorded. In providing evidence about assaults on staff, the devices also result in successful prosecutions.…

The RMT union started 2024 pay talks with Network Rail on February 13, having submitted what it describes as a pay claim for a “substantial increase in rates of pay and improvements to conditions of service in line with members’ aspirations”. A bitter dispute with NR over its 2022 and 2023 pay claim led to multiple strikes and deadlock, but it was resolved in March 2023 after NR dropped its ‘modernising maintenance agenda’ which the RMT would not endorse.…

Three ten-car Class 701 Arterios have now been used in a trial that entails one train running each weekday on two return trips between Waterloo and Windsor. If follows the first unit entering service with South Western Railway in January, more than four years late (RAIL 1002). RAIL submitted a request to the Department for Transport under the Freedom of Information Act to discover the cost to the taxpayer of the four-year delay. The DfT confirmed that it held the information but refused to release it, saying that release with be prejudicial against SWR’s commercial interests. Seventy-one of the 90 trains have now been accepted from Alstom by the train operator, with the final 19 still to be received. SWR expects rollout of the full fleet, along with training 769…

CUSTOMER Service Assistant Wedian Rajab described the moment he knew Staines had won the Medium Station of the Year prize at RAIL’s National Rail Awards: “When it was announced, it was an extremely elating victory making us all feel rewarded as a team. We have been acknowledged for all of our hard work and effort that goes into the exceptional customer service that we provide here at Staines on a daily basis.” Melanie Harvey, Great Western Railway station manager for Mid-Devon, spoke of the positive publicity Okehampton had received after being named Small Station of the Year. “Having our award on display at the station makes everyone in the town and surrounding area feel very proud that their railway has national recognition as the best small station in the country.”…

The RMT union has voiced its concern at Avanti’s plans for its onboard catering facilities to be made cashless. The union says the decision will discourage passengers without bank accounts, customers with lower incomes, and the elderly from the using the railway. It claims it could lead to job losses for cash-handling catering staff and an end to the service if its use declines. Avanti defended the plan, saying it strongly refuted any claim that its plan would lead to job losses.…

In September 2023, two new apprentices joined Network Rail’s East Coast route. Ellie Lamb’s level three apprenticeship in finance lasts for three years. She tells RAIL: “I’d previously tried going to university and found that the way of learning didn’t suit me. I learn more effectively through practical learning and applying knowledge to real-life experiences, and I’m keen to learn directly from the experts. “It’s my job to match people up in the organisation with their cost centre and help different business functions manage their budgets. “Sometimes, with the work I do, it makes me feel a bit like a detective, trying to figure out what goes where. But I really enjoy working with different teams and advising them on how best to spend their budget efficiently. “Eventually, I would…

Northern is seeking apprentices to join its 7,000-strong workforce. The operator currently has more than 660 colleagues on apprenticeship programmes across its driving, conducting, engineering and business support operations. And this year is planning to enrol a further 467 into its apprentice scheme. The operator says its apprenticeship scheme is always oversubscribed, with more and more roles offered every year. It is aiming to recruit apprenticeships on a 50/50 gender split. According to drivers’ union ASLEF, fewer than 7% of train drivers in 2021 were women. Successful applicants will share a mix of onsite learning at Myerscough College (near Preston) and training in maintenance depots, offices, control centres, at stations and on-board trains.…

ScotRail and Inverness Airport remain upbeat about the number of passengers passing through the Highland station, which celebrated its first anniversary on February 2. More than 50,000 passenger journeys were made at Inverness Airport interchange last year. The £14 million station, constructed by Network Rail, is located between Inverness and Nairn and meets current ‘Access for all’ mobility requirements, with step-free access to both platforms via a lift for passengers and cyclists. The station is also a commuting option for locals travelling by rail into the nearby city centre, although RAIL’s former fares and services expert Barry Doe led the criticism of the 18-minute (uncovered) walk from the station platform to the terminal building (The Fare Dealer, RAIL 975). Contributors to RAIL’s Open Access pages also suggested that passengers would…

Wokingham signal box closed in the early hours of February 10, having signalled trains with its 40-lever frame since 1933. Basingstoke ROC will now control services running over Wokingham Junction towards Reading, Guildford or Ascot, when Network Rail reopens the railway following further engineering work that runs until the early morning of February 19. The box’s closure marks the final stage of Network Rail’s four-year, £116 million Feltham area resignalling project. In the week’s work following the box’s demise, NR was renewing the junction’s switches and crossings, converting the manual level crossing at Wokingham to be overseen by CCTV and upgrading Easthampstead Road level crossing.…

Transport for Wales is to reintroduce hourly rail services between Chester and Liverpool via Runcorn, Helsby and Frodsham. Planned services will double from 15 to 30 a day (15 in each direction), served by Transport for Wales’ new Class 197 diesel multiple units built by CAF at its factory in Newport, as part of an ongoing £800 million transformation of the network. Services on this route via Runcorn, Helsby and Frodsham were launched in 2019, connecting Liverpool John Lennon Airport via the station call at Liverpool South Parkway.…

Locomotive Services Limited has announced a series of eight three-day West Highland Pullman trains to run this summer and autumn, using an HST. Over the series of eight trains, there will be pick-ups from 75 different stations. These trains, which are in addition to the Midland Pullman trains already announced, will travel north on the Friday to Fort William, returning on the Sunday. The Saturday features a trip to Mallaig. Passengers need to book their own accommodation. They start on August 16-18 running from Romford. The following weekend (August 23-25), the train runs from Cardiff. The September 13-15 trip is from Slough, while on September 20-22 it is from Watford Junction. On October 11-13, the train starts at St Albans, and then a week later from Stoke-on-Trent. October 25-27’s trip…

Clayton to visit KESR A Class 17 Clayton’s first ever visit to the Kent & East Sussex Railway is set for April 12-14, when sole-surviving locomotive D8568 arrives from Kidderminster to star at the line’s diesel gala alongside resident Class 14 D9504 and recently arrived 20087. ScotRail ‘37’ at SVR Locomotive Services Limited’s 37409 Loch Awe, recently repainted in BR ScotRail livery, will be attending the Severn Valley Railway’s May 16-19 diesel gala. It will bring with it a rake of air-braked stock. Class 730s moved Rail Operations Group’s 37510 Orion moved 730030/031 from Old Dalby to Soho on February 8, for preparations for entry into traffic with West Midlands Railway.…

Rail Operations Group is declining to discuss the ongoing issues with getting its Stadler Class 93 tri-mode locomotives accepted for traffic. 93001 arrived in the UK at Portbury Docks on June 28, but could not be moved by rail from the docks due to paperwork issues. Two days later it was taken by road to Worksop, where it has been at the Harry Needle Railroad Company depot ever since. It has had one outing on the national network when it was hauled dead from Worksop to Crewe for static tests, but planned main line tests on the West Coast Main Line did not happen, and the locomotive was returned to Worksop. All ten locomotives are built, with 93002 in Romania for testing and 93003-010 still at the Stadler factory in…

THE second of three Network Rail HST power cars, 43062 John Armitt, has returned to traffic after overhaul by Loram at Derby. It follows 43013 Mark Carne CBE, which was the first of the trio to be overhauled. That leaves just 43014 The Railway Observer to be treated. They are undergoing G-exams and being fitted with European Train Control System (ECTS) cab signalling equipment. Their return could allow NR to return one or both of 43290 and 43299 to Porterbrook. These have been working the New Measurement Train as cover while the NR trio of Class 43s were overhauled. Both have had extension exams as they were overdue ‘G-exams’, and they were expected to go to Colas Rail on handback. However, that may now have been overtaken by the XC…

Contributions for by far the UK’s most published column by the same author - now in its 43rd 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 Gloucester: Local MP Richard Graham has visited the station to view progress on the multi-million-pound redevelopment, which includes removing the blind corner, the underpass, and improvements to the southern car park which has been closed since October. The work has been hampered by the presence of a high-voltage National Grid cable that provides back-up power to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Westbury: Colas has built a small covered locomotive maintenance facility in the Down…

I’VE seen many damning reports by various Parliamentary committees and agencies (such as the National Audit Office) over the years. But few, if any, have been as coruscating as the recent Public Accounts Committee on the cutting of the Birmingham-Crewe section of HS2. In particular, this all-party group of MPs has been scathing about the decision-making process, which has resulted in the Department for Transport having no ideas as to how “HS2 will operate as a functioning railway following recent changes”. Of course, those of us who follow the rail industry knew that by the way the decision was made. Far from being based on weighty assessments of the project’s value, it was a cheap political stunt. And not even a very good one - an announcement by railway-sceptic Prime…

Opinion Industry Insider TRADITIONALLY, spontaneity made up a large element of how rail journeys were made. Demand modelling suggested a frequency of service that made it unnecessary to have to refer to a timetable as the way to attract spur-of-the-moment travel. Away from the drudge of commuting, the rail offer was largely based on decisions to make journeys without a reservation, or on an elaborate plan to travel using a ticket bought in advance, with popular destinations marketed with products such as cheap day returns available on the day. Booking in advance was confined to seat reservations which were not linked to having a ticket. In fact, this brought the problem of people making multiple reservations, which was an issue for business travel where passengers were uncertain about the time…