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Saturday, 28 February 2015

BBC News

• New rail bidders 'must scrap Pacers'Companies wanting to run rail franchises in the north of England must scrap Pacer trains, the Department of Transport confirms.
• Stray Tube cat gets island habitatA stray cat found wandering in a London Underground station gets a new home on the Isle of Wight.
• Tube worker 'sacked over epilepsy'A London Underground worker was sacked for having epilepsy, Labour MP Kate Hoey says.

The Herald

• New East Coast livery to be unveiled in Edinburgh as Stagecoach-Virgin group take over rail franchisePASSENGERS travelling on the East Coast Main Line will get their first glimpse of the franchise's new livery on Monday when a Virgin branded train completes its inaugural journey from London to Scotland.

Network Rail

• Transparency update – February 2015Network Rail has today published new and updated information on its online transparency portal, including spend on procurement, staff salaries breakdown, and a list of suppliers. It has also published a series of infographics detailing the investment during 2013/14 on areas such as track and bridge renewals, telecoms units and level crossings.
• Passengers in Machynlleth set to get easier accessGlyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, visited Machynlleth station to see how Network Rail is increasing accessibility to give passengers a better travelling experience.
• Road changes to support development of new High Street rail bridgePeople in Lincoln are being advised to double-check their journey plans as new traffic restrictions come into place from 9 March.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Decrepit Pacer trains to be axed - but not for another five years RAIL passengers are celebrating after plans for big fare hikes across the district were dropped - and they were promised the decrepit ‘Pacer’ trains will finally go.

Northern Echo

• End of East Coast Main Line in public hands to be marked by protests UNION bosses have organised a series of protests along the East Coast Main Line to mark the final day of its operation in the public sector.
• Scrapping 'cattle truck' trains will be “poor value for money” and bring “relatively few benefits” THE warning from the department of transport’s top civil servant could not be more explicit, as he urges ministers to keep those awful Pacer trains.
• 'Government has listened' say rail users as announcement spells end of hated Pacers THE North-East is to get new trains after ministers

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds rail passengers promised better trains and new servicesLEEDS rail passengers were today promised a fleet of new trains as the Government asked companies to bid for the right to run services across the North.

Sunderland Echo

• More seats, more services and new trains - the way ahead for our railwaysPLANS to give rail passengers in the North of England more seats, more services and a new fleet of modern trains were unveiled today.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New plans made for north England’s rail franchisesAs part of a move spearheaded by deputy prime minister and Sheffield MP Nick Clegg, the government has laid out goals for companies that hope to run the Northern Rail and Transpennine franchises when the current contracts expire. The requirements include replacing the old and outdated Pacer trains on Northern Rail services, as well as providing a plan to tackle overcrowding across the region’s trains. Mr Clegg said: “Today’s plans include a new fleet of trains and improved services that will better connect our great northern towns and cities. Modernising rail in t...

Railway Gazette

• Invitations to tender issued for Northern and TransPennine franchisesUK: The invitations to tender for the next Northern and TransPennine Express passenger franchises...
• Hands-free mobile ticketing demonstrationTICKETING: A proof-of-concept smartphone rail ticketing app which would not require passengers take...