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Wednesday, 19 June 2019

BBC News

• Swanage Railway appeals to restore T3 class locomotiveAn appeal to restore a Victorian steam locomotive has been launched by a heritage railway line. Swanage Railway in Dorset hopes to raise £350,000 to return the London and South Western Railway T3 class locomotive to full working order.
• South Western Railway workers begin five-day strikeCommuters and Royal Ascot racegoers are hit as South Western Railway staff start a five-day walkout.

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Trams: Big pay rise for boss despite £10million lossEdinburgh’s trams recorded a loss of almost £10 million last year – while the managing director was handed a 33 per cent pay rise.

Times Online

• Activist lashes out at ‘cynical’ First GroupThe battle between First Group and its largest shareholder has intensified after the activist investor trying to replace more than half the company’s board accused it of being “dishonest and cynical”.

Northern Echo

• New rail freight service is to be launched from port in regionA NEW rail freight service has been launched from a North-East port. PD Ports, which has its headquarters in Middlesbrough, has launched a dedicated rail freight service between Teesport and Doncaster in partnership with GB Railfreight, for its major customer Containerships - Intra-European leader of multimodal transport.

Other Regional Press

• 'Boris Johnson's HS2 opposition means Cheshire East needs plan B'BOROUGH chiefs are being urged to have a ‘plan B’ for Cheshire East’s economy in case the next prime minister pulls the plug on HS2.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 boss reveals 'high speed' was almost dropped from project nameHigh Speed 2 (HS2) chair Allan Cook has revealed that High Speed 2 was almost rebranded to reflect it solving a capacity challenge rather than speed.

Rail Advent

• Transpennine Express launch free days out for familiesTo give disadvantaged families from across the North a chance to explore some of the great cities or enjoy a trip to the seaside, Transpennine Express have teamed up with the Family Holiday Association.

Rail Magazine

• Hull Trains £60 million Class 802s to arrive from AugustConstruction of five Class 802/3s for Hull Trains remains on schedule, with the first set due in the UK on August 29.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Rail union Aslef launches 'On Track with Diversity' report at Houses of ParliamentTrain drivers’ union Aslef launched its On Track with Diversity report at the Houses of Parliament on Monday, as it looks to increase the number of female, BAME and younger train drivers employed within the industry.
• Record number of passenger journeys as UK rail revenue rises to four-year highRecord figures of rail passenger journeys have been recorded in England, Scotland and Wales, according to the most recent quarterly report by the Office of Rail and Road.

Railway Gazette

• Cardiff – London open access planUK: Grand Union Trains has applied to the Office of Rail & Road for a track access agreement which would enable it to launch a Cardiff Central – London Paddington open access passenger service from late 2020. The proposed hourly service would call at Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway, then run non-stop to London Paddington. Trains would also call at the future Cardiff Parkway station once it opens.

EIN News Subscription

• Why this German city plans to make public transport freeCitizens in Monheim will be able to ride buses without a ticket from April 2020, regional newspaper the Rheinische Post has reported. The radical plan is a bid to reduce air pollution by encouraging more people to ditch their cars and take public transport. The move comes after the German government last year said it was considering free public transport “to reduce the number of …