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Thursday, 08 October 2020

The Scotsman

• Let’s make best use of electric freight locomotives - Maggie SimpsonIn early September, Scottish Government placed rail freight squarely at the heart of the low carbon economy when they chose the Mossend International Railfreight Park to launch their new Green Investment Portfolio. The scheme aims to attract international investors for ten low carbon eco-friendly projects across Scotland, which range from hydrogen development, to advanced manufacturing and recycling.

Times Online

• Superstore carry-on leaves sour taste [Delays on the line]... At last an update on poor Keith Williams: the fellow stuck in the sidings since his rail review closed on May 31, 2019. A parliamentary answer from transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris has just tannoyed that the “Williams Review White Paper” is “upcoming” — but only when “the course of the Covid-19 pandemic allows”. Passengers are used to that sort of station announcement.
• Doubt over Leeds link as ministers signal HS2 priority for Manchester [subscription]Concerns were raised over the future of the eastern leg of HS2 today as ministers announced plans to prioritise the west coast route to Manchester.

Daily Express

• HS2 might benefit North London, but not the North, it's doomed to failure – COMMENTAt the risk of sounding like a harbinger of doom akin to a crusty Extinction Rebellion fanatic, the country is on a slow march towards economic oblivion. Of course, XR's demands amount to shuttering the economy, so perhaps its members are more sanguine about the impact of lockdown on businesses or livelihoods.

i News

• HS2 latest: Ministers face demands to commit to Birmingham to Leeds link amid fears for eastern leg of railwayMinisters are facing growing demands to commit in full to the Birmingham to Leeds link of HS2 amid fears the Government may abandon the eastern leg of the railway.

The Mirror

• HS2 rail line from Birmingham to Leeds 'probably won't go ahead'Labour peer Lord Adonis warned that the building of the beleaguered HS2 between the Midlands and Yorkshire may not go ahead after a decision on the eastern was deferred

Birmingham Mail

• Report into failings at West Midlands Trains after driver was killedInvestigation finds that no warning was sounded to anyone passing between the trains before they were 'coupled together' at Tyseley depot

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Claim that Northern Powerhouse will be a 'pipe dream' if local HS2 leg does not emerge soonTHE head of a North of England pressure group has claimed the Government’s Northern Powerhouse vision could become a “pipedream” if HS2 does not reach Leeds in the coming years, as calls to make the scheme a reality intensify today.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• HS2 reveals extension plan despite concerns on futureHS2 has announced new plans to improve connections between the Midlands and the North as concerns over the future of some parts of the line continue to mount.

Leeds Live

• HS2 extension to Leeds and Sheffield ‘will probably not now go ahead’, says Lord AdonisThe Government has deferred decisions on the design of the eastern leg of Phase 2b of the high-speed railway

Other Regional Press

• First look at Cambridge South railway station as Network Rail confirms second consultationThis is how Cambridge South railway station could look, Network Rail has revealed.

Christian Wolmar

• Who is going to save the railways?An emergency situation requires an emergency response. So far we have seen little sign of it. Passengers numbers remain at a fraction of 2019 levels and despite the change in messaging from ‘don’t use the railways’ to ‘use them if you are careful’, they are likely to remain depressed for many years to come.

New Civil Engineer

• Operator told to improve depot safety after driver killed between two trains West Midlands Trains has been told that it must review and improve its safety measures after a train driver was killed at the Tyseley depot after becoming trapped between two trains.
• HS2 | Manchester station alterations tabled in revamped plan for the NorthDesign changes to High Speed 2’s (HS2) proposed stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly have been revealed as part of a revised plan for the northern section of the route.

Other News Sources

• £12m project to bring disused railway tunnel back into use is on trackWork is ongoing on a £12 million project to convert a disused railway tunnel into a state-of-the-art vehicle testing facility.
• A level crossing: should Scotland be on the HS2 railway line?An influential group is calling for Scotland to be included in the route for the UK’s High Speed 2 line if the government wishes to meet its recent pledges to “level up” the region. Greengauge 21 CEO Jim Steer explains why this is important and what needs to be done to achieve it.