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

Tuesday, 06 August 2019

BBC News

• Staff shortages lead to Wareham rail crossing closureStaff shortages at a railway level crossing in Dorset have left residents with no step-free access across a train line in the evenings.
• Heritage railway wants government help after coal banManagers of a heritage railway want government help to protect their industry from plans to phase out coal energy plants. Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) said a subsequent rise in coal prices would mean higher costs for passengers.
• Black Country railway project receives £10m fundingUnder plans, passengers could return to Darlaston and Willenhall for the first time since the 1960s.

Times Online

• Westminster ‘should fund airport rail link’ to boost Union [subscription]The British government should fund a new railway line from Glasgow Central to Glasgow airport and name it the Union Line as part of a raft of measures to “unleash the power of the Union”, a think tank has recommended.

Derby Telegraph

• Big contract win means Bombardier will build hundreds more carriagesDerby train-maker Bombardier will build hundreds of carriages as part of a multi-billion-pound contract in North Africa.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail stations to close as network gets ready for new trainsA number of Merseyrail stations will close in September and October as the next phase of work to prepare the network for a new fleet of trains gets underway.

London Evening Standard

• Rail network will do better in the next heatwaveThis summer has been a miserable one for many rail passengers. We saw not only record high temperatures across the UK but also widespread disruption on our railways. Core parts of the network did not cope in the extreme heat, and as an industry we struggled to get passengers the information they really needed in order to reach their destinations. I am really sorry for the disruption that people suffered.

Manchester Evening News

• Trains between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly on Hope Valley line will not run until 'at least' Wednesday due to Whaley Bridge dam emergencyTrains between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly along the Hope Valley line will not run until 'at least' Wednesday morning due to the Whaley Bridge dam emergency.

Other Regional Press

• These new station signs celebrate Doncaster's historyBrand new railway signs at Mexborough and Conisbrough will share points of historical interest and places to visit, with travellers to the towns.

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail presses DfT for enhancement pipelineNetwork Rail bosses have expressed concerns over the lack of a detailed enhancements pipeline. In February last year, when the funding for CP6 was announced, £10.1bn was earmarked for the design, development and delivery of enhancement projects. However, despite CP6 starting in April this year, a pipeline of projects has yet to be announced.
• HS2 and council clash over Colne Valley viaduct ‘uncertainty’High Speed 2 Ltd (HS2 Ltd) and the Chiltern District Council & South Bucks District Council (CDC&SBDC) have clashed over the financial viability of the Colne Valley viaduct, latest HS2 board papers reveal.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Reopening of Black Country rail stations given £10m fundingPlans to reopen two new railway stations on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line have moved a major step forward following the award of £10m funding from the Government.
• West Coast main line reopens after £27m overhaul of key junctionThe West Coast main line has fully reopened after the major renewal of Acton Grange junction, near Warrington, which had undergone a £27m overhaul as part of the Great North Rail Project.

Other News Sources

• New Welsh £40 million fleetThe first completed Class 175 upgraded train rolled off the line at Alstom’s Technology Centre in Widnes, Cheshire, in mid-July.
• More Merseyrail station upgrades revealed ahead of new Stadler trainsMERSEYRAIL have revealed the latest phase of upgrade works set to take place ahead of the introduction of the new fleet of Stadler trains in 2020.