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Friday, 24 July 2020

BBC News

• Transpennine rail upgrade to get £600m kick-startPeople in northern England
• Social distancing on ScotRail trains to be reducedScotland's principle rail operator ScotRail is to relax the two-metre rule from Monday.
• Crossrail managers blame Covid-19 for further delaysCrossrail is working on a plan for a new time frame, as plans to open in summer 2021 are scrapped.

The Guardian

• HS2 to hide tunnel vent shafts with 'country barns' in ChilternsRail project’s treatment of area contrasts with that of council estate in inner London HS2 is planning to build tunnel vent shaft “headhousesâ€� in the Chilterns disguised as barns to help appease local opposition to the high-speed rail line.Ministers had long since caved to demands for extra tunnelling so that the line should run underground for most of its passage through the picturesque Chiltern hills. Now, for the few overground structures the tunnel requires, HS2 has unveiled a design that owes more to a farmyard than a railway. Continue reading...
• Crossrail opening delayed again due to coronavirusFirst section of Elizabeth line will not open as planned in summer 2021, board saysThe heavily delayed Crossrail will not open as planned in summer 2021 because of delays caused by coronavirus, its board has said.The troubled railway, from Berkshire to Essex via central London, was originally expected to open in December 2018 but repeated delays have pushed it back. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Coronavirus: Physical distancing measures to be reduced on ScotRail trains next weCommuters and travellers will no longer have to remain two metres apart on trains and at railway stations across Scotland from Monday.

Times Online

• Little light at end of Eurotunnel [Subscription]Unable to carry anything but the most important lorries and people after the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March, Eurotunnel has seen its profits halved. The parent company of the railway under the Channel also warned that, although it expects the second half of the year to be better, it will still have a worse year than initially forecast when the outbreak struck.
• Switch to Swiss-style railway would see fewer but more timely trains [Subscription]Many commuter trains may have to be scrapped in favour of a “Swiss-style” network that relies on fewer but more punctual services, according to a rail watchdog.

Birmingham Post

• New designs showcase revamped Birmingham International stationNext stage of work has been completed in £286m regeneration project to create multi-modal transport hub

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 Chiltern tunnel: This is how vent shafts will lookHS2 has revealed the final design for the Chalfont St Peter vent shaft headhouse – the first of four structures that will be built to provide ventilation and emergency access to the high-speed rail line’s 10 mile-long Chiltern tunnel.

Other Regional Press

• Fears that level crossing closure would blight neighbourhoodTracy Brabin MP back residents concerned about possible new bridge over rail line

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• £589 million to kickstart rail upgrades across the NorthTo kickstart work on the Transpennine main line between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester, £589 million has been confirmed by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The establishment of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council dedicated to accelerating vital infrastructure projects and better connecting communities across the North’s towns and cities has also been announced. The most congested section of the route will be doubled from 2 to 4 tracks, allowing fast trains to overtake slower ones, improving journey times and reliability for passengers across the North. Most of the li...

Rail Technology Magazine

• £589m for rail upgrades across the North A multi-million-pound investment has been confirmed today by Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, to kickstart work on the Transpennine main line between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester. This announcement also comes from the newly established Northern Transport Acceleration Council (NTAC)...

Other News Sources

• £589m for rail upgrades across the NorthInvestment announced alongside establishment of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council   Transport secretary Grant Shapps will chair the new Northern Transport Acceleration Council   To kickstart work on the TransPennine main line between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester, £589m has been confirmed today by transport secretary Grant Shapps. The establishment of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council dedicated to accelerating vital infrastructure projects and better connecting communities across the North’s towns and cities has also been announced. The most congested sec...