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

Thursday, 26 July 2012

BBC News

• Hitachi train contract will create 900 jobs in Newton Aycliffe More than 900 jobs will be created as part of a £4.5bn contract to build and maintain new inter-city trains, the Department for Transport has said.
• Great Western high-speed trains set for Thames Valley A £4.5bn contract has been signed to introduce high-speed trains on the Great Western Main line through the Thames Valley.

Financial Times

• Hitachi secures largest UK train orderBritain™s biggest and most ambitious rail transport procurement programme has been confirmed after delay of more than three years

The Herald

• £4.5bn train deal to create 900 jobsA £4.5 billion deal to replace the train fleet that operates between London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness has been announced following years of delay.

The Telegraph

• £4.5bn Intercity express train deal to create 900 jobsBritain is to get a new train factory after the Government agreed a £4.5bn deal with Hitachi that will see the Japanese conglomerate supply the UK with 596 railway carriages.

ATOC

• Train companies respond to new IEP intercity trains announcementResponding to the intercity express programme announcement, Michael Roberts,...

Birmingham Mail

• Railway chaos after power lines fail at Birmingham New Street stationRAIL services across the West Midlands were plunged into chaos when several overhead power lines failed at Birmingham’s New Street station on Wednesday morning.

Liverpool Echo

• People evacuated from Dingle homes after disused Liverpool Overhead Railway tunnel collapsesDOZENS of families were evacuated from their homes after an underground tunnel collapsed.

London Evening Standard

• London 2012 Olympics: Passengers warned your journey could take 30 minutes longer from todayTube passengers were warned today it could take more than half an hour just to get on a train at key stations during the Olympics.
• Hundreds of thousands of commuters suffer delays on Tube... as space on London's roads is squeezed by 'Zil' lanesHundreds of thousands of Tube commuters suffered major disruption today with services on four lines affected.
• London 2012 Olympics: East Midlands Trains to travel into London for Games amid three-day strike over pensionsA train company set to be hit by a three-day drivers strike has announced a special timetable to get people to the Olympics.

Sheffield Star

• BREAKING: Rail depot plan for DoncasterA DEAL for new intercity express trains which will see a maintenance depot set up in Doncaster has been given the go-ahead.

The York Press

• All aboard for jubilee train TWO historic engines gave railway enthusiasts a treat as they visited York to recreate one of the great railway journeys in the Queen™s jubilee year.

Peterborough Telegraph

• New high-speed trains for Peterborough through £4.5bn investmentA £4.5 billion investment from the Government will see a new fleet of high-speed intercity trains operating the East Coast Main Line through Peterborough by 2019.

Other Regional Press

• Protests over ticket office opening hours changes Campaigners from Action for Rail are holding a day of protest today over fears the Department for Transport will give the green light to the closure or severely-reduced opening hours of 86 of the 90 stations operated by London Midland.

Global Rail News

• Great Western franchise extended until summer as IEP signals shift in bidding processThe start of the next Great Western franchise has been put back from next April to July 21. The change of date is due to a delay in the DfT issuing invitations to tender to the various interested parties. The £4.5 billion IEP contract for 596 carriages means that there is to be a fundamental [...]
• Government announces £4.5bn Intercity train investmentThe Government has approved a £4.5 billion contract to build almost 600 railway carriages at a new factory in the north east of England. In an announcement this morning, Transport Secretary Justine Greening said the project would create more than 900 jobs and secure thousands more. Agility Trains, a consortium made up of Hitachi and [...]
• Construction of Crossrail launch shafts nears completionWorkers have reached the temporary bottom of the two huge launch shafts at Crossrail™s major tunnelling site in east London, ahead of tunnelling between Docklands and central London. The larger of the two shafts is 30 metres in diameter and will be 44 metres deep when completed. Construction has now commenced on two mined tunnels [...]
• Crossrail in pictures
• Tube cleaners to strike on opening day of OlympicsTube cleaners have called a two-day strike which will begin on the day of the Olympics opening ceremony. ISS and Initial tube cleaners and Carlisle DLR cleaners have voted for industrial action between 5.30 on Friday, July 27 and 5.29 on July 29. As well as the dispute over Olympic payments, LUL staff are being instructed [...]

Railnews

• Intercity Express gets green light at last The Government has confirmed that it is to spend £4.5 billion on a new fleet of Intercity Express trains, almost three and a half years after naming Hitachi as preferred bidder.
• Delayed Olympics travellers are told to have a beer If Olympics transport arrangements sag during the next couple of weeks, the best thing to do might be have a beer, said the Mayor of London. Boris Johnson was speaking as comparatively minor transport blips multiplied during the last few days of the Olympics countdown.

Other News Sources

• RMT secures £680 Olympics payment, pay increases and harmonisation upgrades for rail signalling contractorsPLANNED INDUSTRIAL action at signalling technology contractor Thales has been halted as a result of a massive breakthrough on pay, harmonisation and Olympics payments secured by RMT negotiators on the back of a 95% vote for action amongst the members.