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Wednesday, 30 November 2016

BBC News

• £300m Cardiff rail upgrade to disrupt Christmas travelRail services will be disrupted across south Wales over Christmas due to
• Humza Yousaf: 'Commuters will benefit from rail improvement plan'The Scottish government publishes a rail improvement plan designed to encourage ScotRail Alliance to provide a better service.
• Call for improvement as ScotRail improvement plan publishedScotland's transport minister has called for "immediate improvement" in rail services as a major improvement plan for ScotRail was published.
• Virgin cancels East Coast Main Line services after derailmentRails services between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross face disruption due to a derailment at a depot in Edinburgh overnight.
• London Underground staff vote for industrial actionLondon Underground office staff vote for industrial action in row over ticket office closures.

The Guardian

• London Underground station staff vote to strike in row over safetyTSSA, which represents 540 station staff, says 67% of votes cast supported walkout after ticket office closures and job losses

The Herald

• ScotRail tensions spill into openTENSIONS within the unique alliance running Scotland’s railways spilled into the open yesterday, as one of the two partners publicly attacked the other at a conference.

Times Online

• All change! Rail bosses given list of improvements [Subscription]Scotland’s railway managers have been told to make almost 250 changes to the way they operate, from putting up more fencing to improving signalling, to make sure more trains run on time.

Liverpool Echo

• Transport Secretary cites Widnes technology centre in Brexit debateChris Grayling highlights Alstom facility being built in Halebank

London Evening Standard

• Southern Rail strike to be even worse than feared thanks to driver overtime banHundreds of thousands of Southern Railway passengers face even worse disruption than forecast from next week because of a ban on train driver overtime, it was revealed today.
• More Tube staff set to walk-out in fresh strike, TSSA union announcesMore Tube staff are set to walk-out in a fresh strike, a union announced on Tuesday.
• Swiss Cottage Tube station evacuated after fire alertSwiss Cottage Tube station was evacuated at the height of rush hour after a fire alert.

The York Press

• Nigel Adams takes Church Fenton HS2 complaints to Chris GraylingA NORTH Yorkshire MP has called for a meeting with the Transport Secretary over residents’ anger at the HS2 rail plans.

Wales Online

• Plans revealed for huge new development and train station in Cardiff that could create 15,000 jobsThe project would see a new train station and nearly one million square feet of new office space
• Train services will be disrupted over the Christmas period as improvement works take placeNetwork Rail is undertaking ‘essential modernisation work’ in the South Wales area

Global Rail News

• Alstom announces details of Belfort rescue dealAlstom and the French government have provided more information about a rescue package announced in October to protect the future of the manufacturer’s site in Belfort.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Former minister backs calls for Network Rail devolution in ScotlandAn independent Scottish think tank has called for a bold ‘strategy for the future’ to fix Scotland’s unsatisfactory railways in a new report, including by backing calls to devolve Network Rail in the country. The report, ‘Track to the Future’, written by Reform...
• Severe delays on Piccadilly Line as union urges total closure until fleet is fixedPassengers on the Piccadilly Line are suffering from severe delays as Transport for London (TfL) carries out urgent repairs on rolling stock – but RMT has called for the line to be closed altogether. TfL said it has to take the trains out of service because the wheels are locking on tracks...
• Weekend closures between Preston and Blackpool expected in January Passengers between Preston and Blackpool have been warned to expect service closures at weekends in the New Year as Network Rail carries out upgrade work. Trains between Preston and both Blackpool North and Blackpool South stations will be replaced by buses for 10 weekends from 21 January. The...
• Inspiring the next generation of engineersA new initiative has been launched by London Transport Museum (LTM) to help tackle the UK’s shortage in engineers by encouraging children as young as three to consider a career in the sector. The museum’s ‘Enjoyment to Employment’ programme offers children and teenagers...
• ScotRail publishes 249-point improvement planScottish transport minister Humza Yousaf has called for “immediate improvement” in Scotland’s rail services as ScotRail’s performance improvement plan was published in full. The Scottish government had come under pressure from opposition parties, including Scottish Labour...

Railway Gazette

• Alstom update on Belfort rescue packageFRANCE: Timescales for the government-backed rescue package for Alstom's Belfort plant which had...

Other News Sources

• GRADE A HERTS LETTING FOR ALSTOM TRANSPORTAlstom Transport has struck a deal to take more than 14,000 sq ft at a grade A office building in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.