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

Thursday, 12 April 2018

BBC News

• Famous train makes comeback after 46 yearsOne of the country's best known electric trains is being brought back to life, 46 years after it last carried passengers.
• Great Western Railway accounts breachedThe firm has reset all customer accounts after discovering about 1,000 had been illegally accessed.
• Londonderry £27m transport hub approvedPlans to redevelop a former Victorian railway station in the city have been given the go-ahead.
• London Underground worker 'pushed' on to tracks at VictoriaBritish Transport Police said it was
• FirstGroup train and bus operator rebuffs offer from ApolloFirstGroup, owner of Great Western Railway in the UK and Greyhound in America, rebuffs offer from US firm.

The Telegraph

• Private equity firm Mobeus invests £14m in HS2 supplierMobeus Equity Partners, the private equity backer of Virgin Wines, has written its biggest ever equity cheque to buy a stake in a supplier to the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project

Times Online

• First Group rejects takeover offer from US private equity giant Apollo [subscription]One of the world’s largest private equity firms has failed with a bid for First Group, which the transport company rejected with a claim that the approach undervalued its business.

City AM

• One of London's busiest stations has been taken over by Network Rail for major redevelopment plans to ease congestionOne of the capital's busiest stations is being taken over by Network Rail as part of plans to deliver significant redevelopment and cut congestion.
• Great Western Railway warns hackers may have gained access to customers' accountsGreat Western Railway (GWR), which operates routes from London to areas around Bristol, Plymouth and Exeter, has warned customers that hackers have targeted some of their accounts.
• South Western owner First Group rejects "opportunistic" bid from private equity giant ApolloFirst Group, the London-listed transport firm which owns brands such as South Western Railway and Greyhound, revealed this afternoon that it has rejected an "opportunistic" bid from private equity firm Apollo.

This is Money

• Bus operator FirstGroup is targetted by US private equity firm FirstGroup, which owns Greyhound buses and Great Western Railway, has been approached by private equity firm Apollo Global Management.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail train timetable changes for the Grand National 2018 The Aintree festival will see thousands attend the three-day event, here is all you need to know about how to get there by train

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Urgent repairs close part of Glasgow to Fort William railway lineA gap in the track near Ardlui caused closure of the line from Crianlarich to Glasgow Queen Street, with Network Rail issuing engineers to the site to carry out repair works.

Other Regional Press

• MP Ranil Jayawardena's delight at rail service U-turnSOUTH Western Railway (SWR) plans to maintain vital services for residents living in North East Hampshire after a proposed change to the rail networks timetable.
• GWR trains cancelled in Worcestershire because drivers had not been taught to operate themDELAYS and cancellations to train services have been slammed after Great Western Railway (GWR) admitted that many drivers are not trained to drive the new trains.
• New trains will be a huge boost to the town It has been reported that Northern is finalising the timetable for a new train service to Gainsborough Central, due to start in December.

Rail Technology Magazine

• NR takes over Guildford and Clapham Junction stations to aid redevelopment Network Rail has taken over Guildford and Clapham Junction stations in order to support the major upgrades planned for both structures as part of its wide-reaching Railway Upgrade Plan. Guildford station has had a £150m redevelopment approved by the planning inspectorate, and Network Rail...
• Investigation launched after train missed track workers by just 2 secondsThe Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has launched an investigation into a near-miss at Primrose Hill which left several people “very distressed.” The incident occurred last month between South Hampstead station and Primrose Hill tunnels on one of lines into London Euston...
• Siemens appoints new UK rolling stock bossSiemens has announced the appointment of Will Wilson as its new managing director for its rolling stock business. The appointment, which comes into effect on 1 May, will see Wilson replace the current managing director, Vernon Barker, who will leave the company at the end of the month. Wilson...
• GWR warns 1,000 customer accounts may have been breachedAround 1,000 Great Western Railway (GWR) customer accounts have been compromised and a warning email sent out to customers. GWR has today sent an email to all its online account holders, warning them to reset their password as a precaution, although it has offered reassurance that it believes...

Railnews

• District Line strike ˜unnecessary™ says TfL A planned 24-hour strike on London Underground on Friday will reduce the frequency of trains on the District Line, Transport for London has warned. The walkout affects ASLEF drivers, and has been called as the result of London Underground™s alleged ˜failure to follow agreed policies and procedures™ when a recently qualified driver was apparently involved in at least one SPAD.

Other News Sources

• Network Rail has awarded Balfour Beatty a £115m contract for the supply, operation and maintenance of tamping machines.The seven-year contract is for Balfour Beatty to make available its fleet of 13 track maintenance vehicles, known as on track machines or tampers, to Network Rail.