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For Chris Grayling trains are always about ideology, not passengers | Christian Wolmar
The leak of the transport secretary’s letter shows he is willing to take out his political frustrations on London’s mayor – and Southern rail commutersWhen the railways were privatised in the mid-1990s, ministers took it in turns to say this would mean that government would no longer be able to interfere. Tell that to Chris Grayling, the Conservative transport secretary, who is set to be the most politically motivated of recent transport ministers, and seems to be spending most of his time playing with trains.
Sadiq Khan outlines plans to save Transport for London £3bn in four years
TfL might also sell their unique Oyster card technology to other countries to bring in money
Hitachi unveils the first batch of its new Durham-made trains
The new trains are being manufactured at the state-of-the-art £82m facility in Newton Aycliffe
Friday, 09 December 2016
BBC News
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- Sadiq Khan publishes plan to cut waste at 'flabby' TfLLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan sets out plans to cut costs from
- Southern drivers' strike to go ahead after court rulingA strike by train drivers on the Southern rail network will go ahead next week after a court ruling.
ITV News
- Hitachi launch first Intercity Express built in DurhamHitachi will launch its first Intercity Express train built at its manufacturing plant in County Durham.
Financial Times
- HS1 owners consider sale of UK’s high-speed rail lineStrategic review could lead to £3.6bn sale of 109km concession
- Southern train drivers closer to more strikesOperator fails to persuade court that walkout breaches EU laws
- GWR warns of slower journeys on new trainsCritical Network Rail keeps to timetable to electrify services, operator says
- The drawn-out quest to fix Britain’s railwaysThe government must show that new plans will lead to improvement
The Guardian
- Court rejects bid to halt Southern train drivers' industrial actionOwners of Southern railway had argued overtime ban and strikes broke European law guaranteeing people’s right to travelThe high court has rejected an attempt by the owners of Southern rail to prevent train drivers from taking industrial action.The operators of Southern, Govia Thameslink Railway, had argued that the action by members of the Aslef union, which includes an overtime ban as well as impending strikes, was contrary to European law guaranteeing the rights of people to travel and of companies to invest, with GTR being partially owned by the French firm Keolis. Continue reading...
- For Chris Grayling trains are always about ideology, not passengers | Christian WolmarThe leak of the transport secretary’s letter shows he is willing to take out his political frustrations on London’s mayor – and Southern rail commutersWhen the railways were privatised in the mid-1990s, ministers took it in turns to say this would mean that government would no longer be able to interfere. Tell that to Chris Grayling, the Conservative transport secretary, who is set to be the most politically motivated of recent transport ministers, and seems to be spending most of his time playing with trains.
- Desperate commuters, it’s time for a rebellion the government can’t ignore | Polly ToynbeeSouthern rail’s appalling service means people are losing jobs, while in the north lines are left to rot. Train users must take action nowPoliticians foolish enough to search for “Britishness”, those ineffable qualities and values that define who we think we are, conjure up strings of imagined characteristics, virtually all of which have turned out to be wrong.No, we are not the tolerant, moderate folk we pretend: the Brexit vote put an end to that notion, as we, the country that has taken a tiny number of refugees, vote to keep out foreigners at any price, however self-harming. As the Germans...
The Herald
- Stagecoach refuse to rule out bid for ScotRail franchiseSTAGECOACH has attributed the performance of its UK rail business, as a result of network issues, for a 17 per cent fall in pre-tax profits and chief executive Martin Griffiths said he was open to giving franchise holders a role in managing the rail network.
Times Online
- Rail chaos looms after judge backs strike by drivers [subscription]One of Britain’s busiest rail networks is expected to grind to a halt next week after train bosses lost a High Court challenge to strike action.
London Evening Standard
- Rerun 'politically spiteful' decision not to hand suburban routes to Mayor, PM is urgedTheresa May came under pressure today to order a rerun of the decision not to hand over control of suburban rail routes to London.
- Sadiq Khan invites union barons for tea and Tube talks Sadiq Khan has invited union chiefs for "cups of tea" at City Hall even as they planned more strike action on the beleaguered Southern rail network, it emerged today.
- Sadiq Khan outlines plans to save Transport for London £3bn in four yearsTfL might also sell their unique Oyster card technology to other countries to bring in money
- Southern strikes: Rail firm loses court bid to stop fresh industrial actionSouthern Railway bosses have lost their High Court bid to halt a series of crippling strikes by train drivers.
- Southern strikes: Commuters warned disruption will continue even after walkout endsLong-suffering Southern Railway commuters are facing days of further chaos on the railways even after this week's strike ends.
Newcastle Evening Chronicle
- Hitachi unveils the first batch of its new Durham-made trains The new trains are being manufactured at the state-of-the-art £82m facility in Newton Aycliffe
Wales Online
- Why it's going to take 28 YEARS to get the rail network in Wales up to standard Network Rail has warned the Welsh Government there is a massive backlog of work needed
Other Regional Press
- Railway’s World Top 10 Status Boosts Mid Wales Tourism PotentialTourism businesses have been urged to capitalise on the international publicity generated by the Cambrian Coast Railway being name in the world’s top 10 epic train journeys.
- A Note of Caution From the FTAThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) has responded to the Government's announcement of changes to the structure of the rail network, but they strike a note of caution.
- Better rail & roads would mean expanding Risborough flourishesAdding around 2,000 more homes to Princes Risborough could be a real opportunity, if it's done properly.
Rail Technology Magazine
- Rail industry leaders launch joined-up plan to tackle rail skills shortageRail industry leaders have announced the launch of the Rail Sector Skills Delivery Plan, which aims to tackle the rail industry’s growing challenge in finding and training new recruits. The plan, developed in response to the government’s Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy...
- Underground set to undergo biggest capacity expansion everThe Underground is set to see the biggest increase in its capacity in history as Transport for London (TfL) published its plans for the coming year. The papers, published along with its business plan ahead of a board meeting on 15 December, reveal plans to achieve a peak service of 36 trains an...
- High Court allows Aslef Southern strikes to go aheadThe High Court has ruled that Aslef train drivers’ strikes on Southern Rail can go ahead from next week, after Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) legal challenge failed. GTR, the operator of the Southern franchise, had sought an injunction to stop industrial action by Aslef...
Railway Gazette
- Siemens completes ETCS Baseline 3 interoperability testsSWEDEN: With assistance from open access train operator Hector Rail, Siemens undertook two weeks of...
Other News Sources
- 27 railway crossings in Suffolk set to be closed to pedestriansNetwork Rail is to press ahead with proposals to shut pedestrian crossings across the region in a bid to improve safety on the lines.
- First train to roll off the line at County DurhamThe first UK-built Intercity Express will be unveiled later in our region - with Hitachi showcasing the train at its factory in County Durham.
- Southern Railway owners lose High Court bid to avert strike action The owners of Southern Railway have lost their High Court bid to halt a series of crippling strikes by train drivers.
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