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

Friday, 15 June 2018

BBC News

• 'New' trains made of old London Underground carriagesDecades-old former London Underground carriages are being refurbished and turned into trains to be used elsewhere in the country.

The Guardian

• Fall in UK rail passenger numbers casts doubt on viability of franchisesRail passenger numbers in the UK fell last year to 1.7bn in the biggest decrease since privatisation in the 1990s, casting fresh doubt on the viability of struggling franchises.
• Northern rail accused of prioritising north-west over north-eastBeleaguered operator is asked to ensure north-east does not ‘become a permanent dumping ground for older trains’
• The private-public model is still the best option for our railwaysLonger franchises are key to reforming the railways, says Ian Jones; Paul Plummer of the Rail Delivery Group wants to evolve the role of the private sector; and John Bird says we must protect small businesses in railway arches

Times Online

• Rail patronage falls amid strikes and overcrowding [Subscription]The number of journeys on Britain’s railways has fallen as a result of strikes, price rises and overcrowding, the rail regulator said.

City AM

• Siemens Mobility lands £1.5bn TfL contract to design and make new Piccadilly Line trainsTransport for London (TfL) has announced that Siemens Mobility has landed a £1.5bn contract to design and build the next generation of Tube trains for the Piccadilly Line.
• South Western Railway passenger journeys dropped by 18m last year as franchises veer off trackEmbattled train operator South Western Railway (SWR) saw a dramatic drop of 18m passenger journeys over the past year as it grappled with engineering works at Waterloo, a switch in franchise ownership and industrial action.
• These are the 10 emptiest Tube stations on the London Underground networkYou may recall that we shared back in April that Waterloo had lost the top spot as the busiest Tube station last year to King's Cross St Pancras.

Manchester Evening News

• The four possible sites of massive HS2 ventilation shafts in south Manchester - one of them in the Christie car parkHigh Speed Rail bosses are planning to dig four large ventilation shafts in south Manchester - and one is on The Christie Hospital car park.

Rail Technology Magazine

• 'Still too many' delays and cancellations, despite interim Northern timetableThe north of England depends on a “resilient and reliable transport network,” Transport for the North (TfN) has said, as rail disruptions rumble on across the region. The comments came as members of the TfN partnership board met in Manchester this week to discuss the issues regarding...
• ORR launches independent inquiry into timetable chaosThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has formally launched its independent inquiry into the widespread timetable disruption suffered on the railway since the new timetable was rolled out on last month. Instead of delivering benefits to the rail network as intended, the new timetable, which came...
• NR awards £20m signalling contract for Highland mainlineSiemens has been awarded a £20m re-signalling contract by Network Rail. The contract will see sections of the Highlands mainline re-signalled as part of the £57m, Scottish Government-funded investment in the line, which links the Highland Capital and the Central Belt. The work will...

Other News Sources

• Greater Anglia and Network Rail slammed by Essex MP for 'dangerous' days of cancellationsPassengers have also criticised the service, as Network Rail continue to work on repairing the fault