Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Tuesday, 08 April 2014

BBC News

• Reading railway station shops delayed until summerThe opening of six new shops at Reading station has been delayed by several months.
• New services for Cambrian and Heart of Wales linesNew peak hourly trains between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury will be among extra services to be funded by the Welsh government on the Cambrian and Heart of Wales rail lines.

Network Rail

• Local school pupils learn about railway safety ahead of East West Rail upgradeA team from Network Rail’s East West Rail programme are visiting schools in Bedford, Bletchley and Bicester to help children and young people in the local areas understand railway safety.
• Rose Grove to Colne line reopens after upgrade and investmentThe line between Rose Grove and Colne has reopened after improvement work was carried out to provide a better railway for passengers.
• New £4.5m Shore Road bridge opens six weeks earlyTransport Minister Keith Brown was joined by some of Riverside’s oldest and youngest residents today (Monday, April 7) to officially open the new Shore Road bridge.
• Network Rail and The Office Group announce next phase of growth for The Station Office Network joint ventureThe Station Office Network, the joint venture between Network Rail and The Office Group, has announced that it will open a further three drop-in work spaces in 2014 following the successful launch of its flexible office product at Paddington station in mid-2012.
• Flyover to boost capacity and reliability on one of Europe’s busiest rail routesPlans for a new railway flyover which will help provide increased capacity and improved reliability on the Stafford to Crewe section of the busy West Coast main line have been given the go-ahead.

Birmingham Post

• Former whip Michael Fabricant to lead rebellion against HS2 Tory Vice-Chairman Michael Fabricant urges Labour MPs to back his attempt to block high speed rail legislation

Derby Telegraph

• Boss of Derby train-maker Bombardier Francis Paonessa to join Network Rail THE man who helped guide train-maker Bombardier to a £1 billion contract that secured the future of its Derby site is to leave the company to take up a role with Network Rail.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram bosses use Father Ted slogan for safetyA SAFETY crackdown inspired by a cult television comedy has been launched with the aim of preventing tram-related road deaths.
• Tram bosses use Father Ted slogan for safetyA SAFETY crackdown inspired by a cult television comedy has been launched with the aim of preventing tram-related road deaths.

London Evening Standard

• A rainbow over St Pancras: vivid new sculpture unveiled at transport hubThe skies might be grey but a rainbow of colour was cast across St Pancras station today when a new sculpture was unveiled high above the platforms.

Northern Echo

• National Railway Museum and Hornby up for award THE National Railway Museum and model-maker Hornby have been shortlisted for an award at a national celebration of arts and business.

The York Press

• Unions launch legal bid over East Coast reprivatisation RAIL unions are looking to launch a legal challenge against the Government's plans to reprivatise the East Coast Main Line.

Doncaster Free Press

• Unions join forces to challenge government over East Coast Main LineThe Rail Unions ASLEF, RMT and TSSA have launched an application for Judicial Review to challenge the government over InterCity East Coast and the direct award of rail franchises.

Other Regional Press

• Historic tiles make their return to Normanton Railway StationA piece of heritage and a new display have been unveiled at Normanton railway station. A replica of the historic North Eastern Railway tiled map has been installed at the station alongside a plaque of the Normanton Town Council coat of arms, created by artist Harry Malkin.

Global Rail News

• Bombardier boss to lead Network Rail IPBombardier’s current managing director, Francis Paonessa, is to become the new head of infrastructure projects at Network Rail. Paonessa will succeed Simon Kirby in the summer, who leaves Network Rail
• Work starts on €16.3bn Riyadh MetroPrince Khalid bin Bandar has broken ground on line 4 of the Riyadh Metro two months ahead of schedule. The governor of Riyadh province was joined by Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz,[...]
• Delivering the Downtown LineIn December 2013, rail passengers in Singapore were welcomed onto the first 4.3-kilometre stretch of what will be the city’s fifth metro corridor – the Downtown Line (DTL). Opening in[...]
• Siemens hands over last domestic ICE 3 train to DBSiemens has delivered the eighth and final new high-speed ICE 3 trainset to operate domestic services for Deutsche Bahn (DB). The German manufacturer is delivering 17 new Series 407 sets[...]
• Bombardier and DB agree maintenance contractDeutsche Bahn (DB) has enlisted Bombardier to carry out maintenance on hundreds of vehicles operating in Germany’s Lower Saxony region. Bombardier will repair and maintain wheelsets, brake components and bogies[...]
• Project manager sought for central section of California’s high-speed railwayThe authority leading the construction of California’s new high-speed railways has issued a request for qualifications to project manage the delivery of a 60-mile central section of the route. The $45[...]

Railnews

• HS2 'should be slower' -- and may cost more The cost of HS2 could rise by almost a quarter by 2019 according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The forecast has come amid calls for the speed of trains on HS2 to be reduced to 300km/h. A new report from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee says that
• Unions mount challenge to East Coast plans Rail unions have launched an application for a judicial review of the government's plans to reprivatise the East Coast franchise, and also the current DfT policy of making direct awards to get the franchising timetable back on track. ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said: œIt is imperative that we raise the genuine concerns of all stakeholders but, especially, the employees before this is rushed through. We cannot, in good conscience, allow the mistakes of the past to happen again.�

Other News Sources

• New Redhill platform and more train seats in £2.3bn rail investmentExtra carriages also promised for some South West Trains routes as Network Rail announces five-year plan
• Ring-fenced budget needed for HS2 environmental impact, MPs warnThe environmental impact of HS2 should be overseen by an independent body, with a separate ring-fenced budget, according to an influential committee of MPs.