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

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

BBC News

• Abellio deal: Japanese firm Mitsui completes 40% Greater Anglia saleThe sale of 40% of Abellio's Greater Anglian rail franchise to Japanese firm Mitsui has been completed after Department of Transport (Dft) approval.
• Southern, Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North strikes announcedSouthern, Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North staff will walk out for 24 hours on 8 April.

The Guardian

• Grand National day rail strikes expected to cause severe disruptionSouthern, Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North operators to stage 24-hour walkout on 8 April amid long-running disputeWorkers at three rail operators are to stage a 24-hour strike on the day of the Grand National amid a long-running dispute over staffing and the role of conductors.Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Southern, Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North will walk out on 8 April, causing travel misery for hundreds of thousands of commuters. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Railway policing changes must not be rushed [Subscription]There’s not much legislation going through the Scottish parliament right now. It has just six bills before it, most of them short and with limited scope. With a minority government, the parliament has more time and opportunity than it has had in years to scrutinise and, where needed, challenge.
• Tram project staff ‘incentivised to make contract terms softer’ [subscription]Directors and staff of Edinburgh’s tram company may have been “incentivised” to negotiate “softer” terms for the transport system’s contractors, according to a leaked document.

The Mirror

• Tory plot to axe thousands of rail jobs and 'compromise and dilute safety'The RMT union said the Department for Transport has launched a new innovation competition with up to £9 million to support UK businesses in developing “technological solutions” for the railway

Network Rail

• Final phase of major Wrexham to Chester rail enhancement project to beginThe final phase of the North/South Wales Enhancement project will begin on Friday 24 March, which will deliver essential enhancements to the railway between Wrexham and Chester as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.

Birmingham Post

• New HS2 college appoints first principal Jackie Grubb takes the hot seat at new college in Birmingham which will educate the next generation of rail engineers
• Another step forward for Birmingham's answer to the Oyster card Swift card can now be used on more train routes

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail accuses union of "sinking to a new low" over Grand National strike planFirm says walkout on April 8 would damage the whole of city region

London Evening Standard

• MPs criticise Viagogo for failing to attend hearing on ticket resale abuseTicket resale site Viagogo has been slammed by MPs for failing to turn up to a parliamentary hearing on touting.

Northern Echo

• Second RMT strike confirmed on Northern RailTHE RMT rail union has confirmed a second day of strike action on Northern Rail in a dispute over guards and the possible introduction of driver-only trains.

The York Press

• 24-hour train strike looming WORKERS at three rail operators are to stage a fresh 24-hour strike on the day of the Grand National in bitter disputes over staffing and the role of conductors.
• Rare locomotive visits Moors railway

Wales Online

• We are committed to the Valleys [Letter - Mick Antoniw, Pontypridd AM]The announcement by the Welsh Government to locate Transport for Wales, the body that will oversee the Welsh rail franchise and the South Wales Metro in Pontypridd is another confirmation of Welsh Labour’s commitment to regenerating Pontypridd and the Valleys.

Kent Online

• Network Rail proposes new train line between Ashford and FavershamA brand new train line could be built between Faversham and Ashford.

Rail Technology Magazine

• RDG says 6,400 more trains to run on UK rail network Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has announced that 6,400 extra trains will run across the UK’s railway network every week by 2021.
• Bombardier's Dandenong plant rolls-out new E-Class trams for Victoria The first of 20 new E-Class trams ordered by the Victorian Government has rolled-off the production line at Bombardier’s Dandenong plant in Melbourne, Australia.
• Stadler awards £20m contract to BAM Nuttall for Kirkdale depot Swiss manufacturer Stadler has today struck a £20m deal with BAM Nuttall to construct a brand-new train depot in Kirkdale, as well as refurbishing an existing depot in Birkenhead North to bring it up to modern standards.  The announcement of the deal is the latest step in...
• Innovative engineering at Eden BrowsLast year disaster struck the iconic Settle to Carlisle railway line in Cumbria when a 500,000-tonne landslip occurred. Rhiannon Price, project manager for infrastructure projects at Network Rail, gives RTM an update on the innovative technique being used to repair the route.
• Smart and integrated ticketing in the north John Henkel, executive sponsor for the Smart North programme, looks at the economic case for smart ticketing in the north.
• Collecting safety culture data confidentiallyChris Langer, scheme intelligence manager at CIRAS, explains how confidential reporting can 'deep dive' into an organisation's safety and reporting culture to reveal what might be happening far beneath the surface, often hidden from senior management.

Railnews

• Manchester unveils station takeover plan All stations in Greater Manchester could soon be owned and run by the city, according to a new �400 million plan. It proposes the creation of �community hubs�, with surplus land released for housing and commercial development, while TOCs and Network Rail would no longer be station operators. The �Case for Change� document, which has been submitted to the Department for Transport, proposes that 94 smaller stations in Greater Manchester could change ownership within three years, with the remaining hubs at Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria and Oxford Road set to follow. The change would...

Railway Gazette

• Fehmarn Belt link 'when, not whether', as consultancy contracts signedEUROPE: Denmark to Germany tunnel project promoter Femern A/S signed two technical consultancy...
• Stadler awards Merseyrail depot construction contractUK: Stadler Rail Services UK has awarded BAM Nuttall a contract worth around �20m to build the...

Other News Sources

• Union boss quizzed by business leaders over on-going strike action THE head of a rail union locked in a 11-month dispute with management has told business leaders he isn’t prepared to ask customers whether they agree with the strike action.
• Rail firm pays out �10m compensation for poor service THOUSANDS of Southern Rail season ticket holders have been paid a total of over �10m in compensation since December for delays to services.