Four years since Britain’s rail industry issued the Rail Technical Strategy, it is actively working on how this bold vision for the future is implemented. Kevin Smith looks at progress so far and the challenges of delivering such ground-breaking change.
BRITAIN’s Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed on November 4 that services on the initial London - Birmingham phase of High Speed 2 (HS2) will be included in the forthcoming Inter City West Coast (ICWC) franchise, which is due to start in 2019.
HITACHI Rail Europe announced on November 2 that it has concluded a £60m contract with First Group and rolling stock leasing company Angel Trains for five bi-mode (diesel and electric) AT300 trains, which will be used by Hull Trains on services from London Kings Cross to Hull and Beverley.
SCOTLAND’s transport minister Mr Humza Yousef has called for Network Rail (NR) to fully transfer all responsibilities for infrastructure investment to its Scotland route following an independent review of corporate governance of major rail projects in Scotland exposed significant weaknesses in project delivery.
PRODUCTION of the first of 66 bodyshells for the new fleet of Mk 5A locomotive-hauled coaches for British train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) began at CAF’s plant at Bessain in northern Spain on October 27.
BRITISH franchisee Virgin Trains has launched an app to make it easier for passengers to find their way around stations as well as locate friends and translate signs into their own language.
EUROTUNNEL announced on October 18 that it has received an irrevocable offer from Swedish private equity group EQT Infrastructure II for the acquisition of Britain’s third-largest rail freight operator GB Railfreight (GBRf).
GERMAN Rail’s (DB) British rail freight subsidiary DB Cargo UK confirmed on October 17 that it is planning to reduce its workforce by 893 staff, including 391 drivers, blaming a “dramatic decline in core markets.”
THE Transport Committee of Britain’s House of Commons wants the Department for Transport to “get a grip” on monitoring and enforcing the troubled Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise the performance of which is described as “woeful.”
TRANSPORT for Greater Manchester (TfGM) announced on October 13 that it will expand its Metrolink network after plans for a new £350m tram line through Trafford Park were given the given the green light.
