Enjoy the latest news, in-depth features and much more, all from your favourite monthly modern railway magazine.
Commonwealth Ambition
MALCOLM HOLMES, Executive Director at West Midlands Rail Executive, and DENISE WETTON, Central Route Director at Network Rail, tell PHILIP SHERRATT how this summer’s Commonwealth Games will be a major milestone in the region’s post-Covid recovery
PHILIP SHERRATT
Curzon Street transforms Birmingham
High Speed 2’s station in central Birmingham is set to transform the city’s rail architecture while recognising its history. ANDY RODEN examines the plan for this major architectural statement on Britain’s new railway
Andy Roden
Table-toppers improving
Reliability growth in New Train TIN-watch is slow, but there are more graduates on the horizon
ROGER FORD
Gosforth gets ready for new Metro fleet
The first phase of the rebuild of the Tyne and Wear Metro depot has been completed
Freight EMU operations poised for growth
RAIL OPERATIONS (UK) Ltd’s Orion subsidiary began rail freight services on 23 November, when the company’s first Wembley to Shieldmuir (Glasgow) run for Royal Mail was made.
New Year, New Network
Following the resumption of regular services, what difference will the Dartmoor line make to the community in Okehampton?
Vicki Pipe
TfW diesel Flirts may start on Rhymney line
First new Stadler train arrives in Cardiff
Rhodri Clark
Process delays £4m fleet sanding pilot
■ Salisbury highlights lack of urgency
■ Dual Variable Rate Sander offers adhesion-agnostic braking
■ Four months spent haggling over Class 323 fitment contract
■ Earlier ScotRail bid rejected
Reasons to be cheerful – part two
In the January 2009 issue I thought I would lighten the mood by listing the best things about the UK railway. Thirteen years on, it seems a good time to try that again
Ian Walmsley
ECML upgrade: DfT jumps the shark
◾ IRP forecasts imply London to Edinburgh 3hr 35min timing
◾ Other timings equally improbable
◾ Benefits of 140mph overstated
◾ Final infrastructure upgrades completed by 2037
Signalling – competition review hits market reality
◾ ETCS focused
◾ Siemens the dominant player
◾ Limited new entrants available to challenge incumbents
◾ Hitachi sweeps up alternative potential ETCS suppliers
Rail is green - but do passengers care?
Transport Focus has investigated attitudes towards sustainable transport. Chief Executive ANTHONY SMITH questions whether simply being ‘green’ will be enough to persuade people out of their cars
North of England rails against disintegrated plan
Integrated Rail Plan lets down the North of England, says our columnist
ALAN WILLIAMSTrackwatch - January 2022
A digest of the main changes on Network Rail, London Underground and Northern Ireland Railways infrastructure during October 2021; compiled by Martyn Brailsford of the Branch Line Society (www.branchline.uk).
Martyn Brailsford
Threat of ‘managed decline’ without TfL funding
Fleet replacements would be postponed and enhancements abandoned
MML wires may soon reach Wigston
TRANSPORT SECRETARY Grant Shapps announced investment of £249 million in the Midland main line on 18 November as he published the Integrated Rail Plan.
DfT outlines future role for operators
■ First PSC tendered next year – let in 2024
■ Includes responsibility for train procurement
GCRE promises to be testing gamechanger
Progress is being made with the Welsh Government’s plans to build a world class rail testing centre at the Nant Helen surface mine and Onllwyn coal washery at the head of the Dulais and Tawe valleys, with around £80 million pledged of the approximately £200 million needed to build the facility.
James Abbott
Half-term success for Staycation Express
Rail Charter Services reported good loadings on its tourist trains on the Settle and Carlisle line, which returned during the autumn half-term holiday at the end of October.
From little ‘Okes’ could mighty routes bloom?
Could the Okehampton reopening provide a template for other projects?
Andy Roden
A REVOLUTION FOR THE PICCADILLY LINE
A new generation of trains for the Piccadilly Line is now under construction. Siemens Director of Major Programmes DAVE HOOPER and TfL Programme Delivery Engineer SIMON FORD talk to ANDY RODEN about the challenges in designing and introducing them
Andy Roden
Siemens challenges HS2 train contract award
▄ Preferred Joint Venture bid failed on technical assessment
▄ Injunction sought to halt ministerial approval
▄ Third legal challenge after CAF and Talgo