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Thursday, 26 March 2015

BBC News

• Ordsall Chord rail link approvedA viaduct connecting three Manchester railway stations is approved by the Transport Secretary.

Department for Transport

• New £50 million package of passenger benefits on South West TrainsDepartment for Transport has reached an agreement with Stagecoach Group that will lead to a package of passenger improvements.

The Herald

• Keith Brown: £10 billion spend on high-speed rail link to Scotland an EXTENDING high-speed rail to Scotland is likely to cost taxpayers up to £10 billion, the country's infrastructure minister said as he insisted the controversial project
• Better borders rail links needed, say MPs. Calls have been made for the new £294 million Borders Railway to be extended to Hawick and onto Carlisle.

The Scotsman

• Abellio tell ScotRail staff to alter old uniformsTHOUSANDS of ScotRail staff have been told to snip off old logos from their uniforms when the franchise changes hands next week because new outfits won’t be ready in time.

Network Rail

• Network Rail and Abellio make early announcement about Alliance Managing Director for ScotlandIn building on the recent announcement of the Day One leadership team for ScotRail, Network Rail and Abellio are delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Verster as managing director for the planned Abellio ScotRail/Network Rail Alliance in Scotland.
• Track improvements in Ebbw Vale to improve journeys for passengersNetwork Rail has begun working on a Welsh Government funded project to enable a more frequent service for passengers on the Ebbw Vale line.

Birmingham Post

• Labour wants new east-west rail line before completing HS2, says Ed BallsPlans for a high speed line linking Birmingham with Leeds and Manchester will take a back seat to proposals for a new east-west line under Labour, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has revealed

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• HS2 will not help North BILLIONS of pounds earmarked for the HS2 high-speed rail project would be better spent on faster routes across the Pennines, peers have suggested.

Journal Live

• Hitachi Rail Europe's Newton Aycliffe train factory connected to national rail networkRail Minister Claire Perry was on hand to help connect the last components joining the factory with the wider network

London Evening Standard

• Terrified Tube worker locks herself in office as man 'racially abuses' staff at Pimlico station Police are hunting a man after staff at a London Tube station were racially abused.
• Tube drivers (on £50k) demand pay rise, lump sum and a FOUR DAY week for 24-hour service The start of the weekend 24-hour Tube was thrown into doubt today after train drivers demanded a four day week and more money as part of a deal to operate the service.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester's Piccadilly and Victoria stations to be linked by rail as £85m Ordsall Chord gets go-aheadManchester’s Piccadilly and Victoria stations are going be linked by rail for the first time.
• Labour question whether Birmingham-Manchester HS2 route makes any sense, and plan North East linkLabour could halt the second leg of the route, which extends it to Manchester and Leeds, ahead of an east-west link between Newcastle and our region

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Labour will build high speed rail linking linking Newcastle with North West, Ed Balls announcesShadow Chancellor reveals plans to delay or scrap parts of the planned

Northern Echo

• Balls backs trans-Pennine rail plan ED Balls dramatically ripped up Labour’s support for part of the HS2 high-speed rail project – insisting faster trans-Pennine routes must be built first.

Sheffield Star

• Building HS2 link in Sheffield city centre ‘would cost £1bn more than Meadowhall’Building Sheffield’s HS2 station in the city centre instead of Meadowhall would cost ‘at least’ an extra £1 billion, project boss Sir David Higgins has revealed.

Yorkshire Post

• Ed Balls plan to end HS2 and fix east west rail links insteadEd BAlls has said he will not give the go ahead for High Speed 2 until he is satisfied east west rail links are being improved.

Bucks Free Press

• 'No convincing case for HS2', report concludes
• HS2 to be debated today after Bucks MP secures meeting A south Bucks MP will again call for a review of the controversial HS2 project today after securing an adjournment debate.

Doncaster Free Press

• Building HS2 link in Sheffield city centre ‘would cost £1bn more than Meadowhall’Building Sheffield’s HS2 station in the city centre instead of Meadowhall would cost ‘at least’ an extra £1 billion, project boss Sir David Higgins has revealed.

North Wales Live

• Ed Balls blasts Government's treatment of high speed rail projects as he says Liverpool needs a "modern link" with HullShadow chancellor warns east-west rail links should not have to wait until HS

Other Regional Press

• Soham to Ely railway plans go on display to publicNetwork Rail’s plans to double the railway line between Soham and Ely, potentially opening the way for a series of improved passengers services, were unveiled this week.
• END OF THE LINE: Anger as south Dorset misses out on rail improvements CAMPAIGNERS are furious after Weymouth and Dorchester was left out of a multi-million pound upgrade of the railways.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Crossrail 2 safeguarding updatedThe Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) have published revised safeguarding plans for the proposed Crossrail 2 route following a public consultation. While some key areas between Hackney and Chelsea have been protected from conflicting development since 1991, the suggested route has been changed several times to better serve the city’s changing transport needs. Minor changes have been made at Wandsworth Common, Chelsea, Soho Square and Angel in light of concerns highlighted during the consultation. There will also be a new tunnel entrance at Tottenham Hale, ...

Rail Magazine

• Verster appointed to new NR/ScotRail Alliance postMontgomery to stand down in May after all.

Transport Briefing (subscription)

• Manchester Ordsall Chord gets planning green lightTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has given the go-ahead for construction of the Ordsall Chord, the first part of the...

Other News Sources

• The GNGE: Joint line renaissance… There was another major milestone, but that’s not attracted the same level of attention. I’m talking about the completion of the £280 million rebuilding of the 86-mile GNGE ‘joint’ line which runs from Werrington (just north of Peterborough) through Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln and Gainsborough, reconnecting with the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster.
• HS2 is 'nine times' the cost of French high-speed railThe government has yet to make a convincing argument for spending tens of billions on High Speed 2, according to the House of Lords economic affairs select committee.
• South West Trains unveils £50 million investment plansRail franchise to introduce “smartâ€� ticketing and extra train services