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

Saturday, 02 September 2017

BBC News

• BBC South - Heathrow Southern Railway A new plan to build a railway line from the south into Heathrow Airport is getting of the ground .... [Segment begins 6 mins 1 second into the programme]
• Bristol Parkway railway station shut for two weeksA major railway station in the West of England has been shut for two weeks for engineering works.
• Northern, Merseyrail and Southern rail staff strikeThe industrial action affected thousands going to Blackpool for the Illuminations switch-on.

The Herald

• Borders Railway hit by delays and cancellationsONE in seven trains on the new Borders Railway has been cancelled or delayed since the service opened.

Times Online

• Hundreds of trains cancelled or delayed since Borders Railway opened [Subscription]One in seven trains on the new Borders Railway has been cancelled or delayed since the service opened, it has emerged.

Birmingham Post

• FIVE new Midland Metro stops revealed in £149m extensionDepartment for Transport backs Edgbaston extension of city's tram network as exact locations are revealed for five more stops
• This is how the Midland Metro will look in the future Our handy gallery rounds up some of the CGIs which have been released showcasing what the city's tram network could look like in a few years' time

Bolton News

• MP hits out at 'extremely disappointing' rail strikesTWO days of strike action by rail staff has been condemned by Bolton’s Conservative MP.

London Evening Standard

• TfL's masterplan to beat leaves on the line... spray glue from trainsSpecialist trains will spread glue over tracks on the Piccadilly line to try to stop the annual commuter nightmare of "leaves on the line".

Sheffield Star

• 'Outrageous' lack of railway investment in Sheffield slammed by councillors Greater investment has been demanded to improve Sheffield's rail links as councillors condemned the Government's 'outrageous' track record.

Other Regional Press

• Staff on the new South Western Railway franchise will vote on whether to strike in a dispute over the role of guards Workers on the new South Western Railway franchise are to be balloted for strikes in a dispute over the role of guards.

Train Operators

• ‘Mobile’ rail tickets now available across Greater Anglia networkPaperless ticketing is a step closer for Greater Anglia rail passengers as the train operator completes its roll out of mobile tickets.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Two specialist engineering trains lead the charge against leaf fall on the Piccadilly lineA robust action plan to tackle leaf fall on the Piccadilly line is well underway for the Autumn months, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today. It follows the publication of an independent report, commissioned by TfL, into leaf fall issues on the Piccadilly line that have led to delays and disruption on the line over the past two years.   Two 1973-stock trains have been converted into specialist engineering trains which will travel on the Piccadilly line treating rails to reduce the risk of poor adhesion. The adhesive material they dispense helps the train wheels grip the tracks dur...
• Midland Metro extension gets £59.8 million green light from government A key metro extension linking Birmingham city centre with Edgbaston and the city’s growing Westside area has been given the go-ahead thanks to a multi-million pound funding pledge from the Department for Transport. Five new stops will be served by up to 10 trams an hour at peak when the 2 kilometre extension of the Midland Metro, from Grand Central, outside Birmingham New Street station, to Edgbaston opens in March 2021. The £59.8 million boost from the Department for Transport completes the total £149 million funding for the project, with another £84 million having ...
• Crossrail publishes 2017 Environment Report Improving air quality, reduction of energy consumption and the reuse and recycling of construction waste, are at the heart of Crossrail’s 2017 Environment Report. The 2017 report focuses on the key environmental initiatives implemented during the final construction stages for the Elizabeth line: • Improving air quality by increasing the proportion of construction machinery fitted with diesel particulate filters or cleaner engines • Crossrail on target to reduce energy consumption during the construction of the railway by 15 per cent, surpassing original target of 8 per cent ...

Rail Magazine

• First HST for ScotRail arrives in ScotlandFirst two of 54 power cars move to ScotRail
• RMT to ballot staff over cleaners’ working conditionsRMT to ballot members of pay and working conditions at two TOCs

Rail Technology Magazine

• Carne: I'm determined for private sector to directly invest in railwayI have always firmly believed improving Britain’s railway is vital for economic growth, jobs and housing. The railway has been growing by 3-4% for 20 years, representing the fastest level of growth in the last hundred years – and passenger numbers could double over the next 25 years....
• Midland Metro extension work to start 'within weeks' as DfT funds securedThe Midland Metro expansion that will link Birmingham city centre with Edgbaston has been given the green light by government after the project’s funding was formally confirmed. The 2km-long extension, which forms the last stretch of the tram network’s Line 1, will receive almost...
• Thameslink replaces last of 30-year-old Class 319 fleetThameslink has reached a major milestone this week after replacing the last of its Class 319 fleet with the new Siemens-built Class 700s. GTR, which operates Thameslink between Bedford, Brighton, Wimbledon, Sutton and Sevenoaks, said that on Sunday 27 August units 319217 and 319435 were coupled...

Other News Sources

• Farewell to the last of Thameslink's old fleet of trainsTHAMESLINK - operated by Govia Thameslink Railway between Bedford, Brighton, Wimbledon, Sutton and Sevenoaks - has reached a major milestone in its transformation of the railway by replacing the last of the 29-year-old Class 319 train fleet with modern Class 700 trains.