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

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

BBC News

• East Coast line to be put into public controlRail services on East Coast Main Line to be brought back under UK government control, Stagecoach Group says
• Govia Thameslink changes time of every train in shake-upThe time of every train on Britain's largest rail franchise, Govia Thameslink (GTR), will change as part of a major shake-up.
• Carillion board oversaw a 'rotten corporate culture', say MPsMPs have accused former directors, auditors and the government of failing to stop Carillion's collapse.

ITV News

• Passengers braced for 'biggest timetable shake-up in rail history': What's going to change?Rail commuters are being warned to get ready for what's been billed as the "biggest timetable shake-up in rail history".

Department for Transport

• LNER to run East Coast Mainline services from London to Yorkshire, the North East and ScotlandTrain services will continue to run as normal. Your tickets are still valid, your journeys won’t be affected and you do not need to change your journey plans.

The Guardian

• 'Recklessness, hubris and greed' – Carillion slammed by MPsCarillion collapsed as a result of “recklessness, hubris and greed” among directors who put their own financial rewards ahead of all other concerns, according to an excoriating report into the firm’s demise that spreads the blame between board members, the government, accountants and regulators.

Times Online

• MPs savage rotten state of Carillion [subscription]Call to investigate directors of failed company

City AM

• Southern rail owner Govia Thameslink Railway is changing the time of every train as it promises 400 new daily servicesSouthern rail owner Govia Thameslink Railway said today that it is introducing "completely new train timetables" with every single train time changing as it pledged to deliver 400 more trains running each day.
• TfL bosses face grilling over prospect of 'Tube meltdown' during weekend of the royal wedding, FA Cup final and engineering worksMembers of the London Assembly will grill Transport for London (TfL) representatives tomorrow over the prospect of "a Tube meltdown" this weekend with big events on the cards.

Mail Online

• Carillion bosses were 'too busy stuffing their mouths with gold' ‘Shyster’ bosses at failed construction giant Carillion were too busy ‘stuffing their mouths with gold’ to take proper care of the company, a devastating report has found.

The Mirror

• East Coast rail line franchise is expected to be scrapped within daysTroubled East Coast rail route will have its future decided within days, but taxpayers will be the losers

Network Rail

• Historic milestone as first ever electric train runs into BlackpoolAn electric train has travelled to and from Blackpool for the first time ever as the transformation of the railway in the north continues.

London Evening Standard

• TfL Tube delays: District and Circle line commuters face rush hour chaos as signal failure at South Kensington sparks severe London Underground delaysCommuters on the District and Circle lines faced rush hour misery after a signal failure at South Kensington station caused severe delays.
• Royal wedding 2018: 'Tube meltdown' warning as closures planned on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big dayTrack closures and engineering works have triggered warnings of a "Tube meltdown" on the day of the Royal wedding.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Transport Secretary urged to renationalise East Coast Main Line with decision expected in daysA decision on the future of the franchise to run inter-city services to Newcastle is expected any day

Yorkshire Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: Public interest must come first on East Coast Main LineTO BE fair to Chris Grayling, the management and financial turmoil on the East Coast Main Line – Yorkshire’s main rail link to both London and Scotland – precedes his troubled tenureship of the Department for Transport.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Survey results to shape plans for ‘unsightly’ fire-damaged rail stationRail officials have met with a travellers’ group to discuss its “great concern” at the progress in dealing with damage caused by a fire at Saxmundham station.

Other Regional Press

• Buckhurst Hill tube station is now step-freeA well used tube station is the first to become step-free as part of a £200m accessibility drive.
• More rail misery as passengers face FOURTH day without train service Passengers from Weymouth and and Dorchester are facing a fourth day without a rail service today after a broken down engineering train caused travel chaos.

Rail Magazine

• First electric train at Blackpool NorthThe first ever electric train to run to Blackpool North entered the station on the night of May 14, on a test run ahead of the May timetable change (when electric operation is introduced at the station).
• Grand Central submits bids for extra pathsGrand Central submitted its application to the Office of Rail and Road on May 15 to operate additional services on the East Coast Main Line.
• Work starts on new £20 million Stadler depotWork has officially started on the new Stadler depot at Kirkdale.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Digital Railway strategy sets out major upgrade targets for next 15 years  Transport secretary Chris Grayling and Network Rail boss Mark Carne will today convene in York to launch the much-anticipated Digital Railway Strategy, which will confirm that the industry will benefit from “a plan, impetus and the funding” to introduce the technology across...
• Grayling due to pull the plug on East Coast franchise this weekChris Grayling is due to scrap the East Coast franchise before the end of the week after operators Stagecoach and Virgin suffered heavy losses, it has been reported. Two sources told the Financial Times that the DfT is set to pull the plug on the failing franchise this week, a move which would...
• Edinburgh to Glasgow rail upgrade cost rises by over £100mPlans to upgrade one of Scotland’s most popular rail routes have increased in cost by more than £100m. Reports today say that improvements to the Edinburgh to Glasgow line — a move that would make the journey just 42 minutes between the cities — are now expected to cost...
• NR found guilty of safety failure after signaller breaks neck Network Rail has been found guilty of an offence under the Health and Safety Work Act following a level crossing accident. Signaller, Douglas Caddell, suffered life-changing injuries after he was struck by a car as he tried to close the level crossing gate at East Farleigh, Kent, on 24 April...
• Line manager training could reduce mental health absencesPoor line management training and support could be causing poorer mental health amongst rail staff, according to the Rail Safety and Stands Board (RSSB), as Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off. The Centre for Mental Health estimates that a total of 72 million working days are lost each year...
• Make way for the D-Train Adrian Shooter, chairman of Vivarail and former chairman of Chiltern Railways, provides an exclusive update on D-Train technology and talks about what’s in store for the rest of the year. When the ministerial announcement that all diesel trains were to be phased out by 2040 came, one...
• NR awards five-year £200m civils deal to SSEA five-year building and civils contract has been awarded to SSE Enterprise Rail for a programme of works by Network Rail. The work covers mechanical and electrical engineering services, building and fabric works and has a potential value of over £200m. The work will be completed in...
• Timetabling: badly let downPassengers have been left extremely disadvantaged by a lack of certainty around timetable changes, writes David Sidebottom, director at Transport Focus. Massive and welcome investment in the railway will bring benefits for many passengers – but future benefits can be overshadowed when...
• Alstom and Eversholt team up to fit hydrogen tanks on Class 321sAlstom has today confirmed its plans to bring hydrogen-powered trains to the UK by announcing a partnership with Eversholt Rail. The two companies will join forces to convert Class 321 electric trains to hydrogen operation by fitting hydrogen tanks and fuel cells on the existing units, which...

Railway Gazette

• Alstom and Eversholt plan fuel cell EMUs UK: Plans to fit hydrogen fuel cells to redundant electric multiple units were announced by Alstom...
• Competition is key as high speed rail keeps growingINTERNATIONAL: The global reach of high speed rail continues to expand, while at the same time...

Other News Sources

• The North-South Railway Divide: Rail revolution needed to cut journey times going northTransform Scotland has today revealed research highlighting huge disparities in rail journey times north and south of the Central Belt.
• No major improvements on rail for five years, says first ministerRAIL travellers in south east Wales are unlikely to see any “major changes” to services for up to five years, first minister Carwyn Jones has said.
• The number 20 bus service from Walthamstow Central to Debden could be reducedA bus service that is the 'lifeblood' of a town could be severely cut back leaving a large area without cover by public transport.
• Ben Houchen’s airport ownership bid enters ‘advanced’ stageTees Valley mayor Ben Houchen (Con) has submitted a formal proposal to bring Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership.