The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is gearing up to fight provisions in the House Republicans’ long-awaited surface transportation bill that would allow states to increase truck size and weight limits.
The bill to improve the nation’s “crumbling” transportation infrastructure would accelerate road and bridge damage and result in taxpayer subsidies to the trucking industry, said AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger in a prepared statement.
The truck size and weight provisions — proposed as part of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a five-year, $260 billion transportation bill unveiled by House Republicans today — would allow states to increase the truck weight limit to 97,000 pounds from the current 80,000-pound limit, and would allow double- and triple-trailer trucks to travel over longer distances.
“Americans don’t want 97,000-pound trucks or huge multi-trailers up to 120 feet long on our nation’s highways,” Hamberger said. “Nor is it fair that even more of the public’s tax dollars will be used to pay for the road and bridge damage inflicted by massive trucks.”
Currently, heavy trucks pay only a fraction of the cost to repair the nation’s highways damaged by truck transport, he said. An 80,000-pound, five-axle single truck pays about 80 percent of the maintenance cost it inflicts on roads; a 97,000-pound, six-axle single truck would pay about 50 percent of the damage it causes, he said.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the additional cost of repairing bridge damage caused by raising truck weights to 97,000 pounds could be as much as $65 billion, he added.
“Rather than increasing the taxpayer burden, this bill should ensure that all modes of transportation pay their fair share,” Hamberger said, noting that the freight railroad industry pays for its maintenance of the nation’s rail network with private capital.
Meanwhile, there are rumblings among rail lobbyists that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will take up the bill on Thursday. In a Jan. 27 email, the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) told its members that the committee was "set to vote on SAFETEA-LU reauthorization legislation that would allow for an increase in truck size and weights as a state option as well as allow longer combination vehicles nationwide" as early as Thursday, Feb. 2, adding that "the bill is then expected to be on the House floor for a vote as early as the week of Feb. 13."
Terming the measure a "very serious threat," RSI asked its members to call their congressmen and senators to urge them to oppose "any bill or amendment that allows for an increase in truck size and weight regulations."
However, the head of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is at least “encouraged” that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a U.S. Senate Banking Committee have introduced bills this week that address public transportation.
“Our initial analysis of both the House and Senate bills shows that they include positive policy changes that the public transit industry sought,” said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. “These include improvements in project delivery, innovative financing and public/private sector partnerships.”
Still, both the House and the Senate “will need to address the financing required to support the legislation,” Melaniphy added.
January 31, 2012
Great British Railway Journeys - Series 3 - 22. Goes to Ireland - Enfield to Drogheda (BBC) 31st January 2012
Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
This week he crosses the Irish sea, to discover the rich railway history of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, following the unfurling 19th century expansion of the tracks from Dublin to Londonderry.
Today Michael explores the extensive railway network within the Bog of Allen, discovers the Victorian secrets behind the amazing Boyne Viaduct, and travels underground, into the vast Irish Zinc mines.
Available on BBC iPlayer until 5:59PM Fri, 10 Feb 2012
VSLC Newsletter 31st January 2012
2012 is now in full swing and this year will be a big one for us and the
V499 project. As well as continuing to build support and strength within
the railway preservation industry, we will be visiting several events
across Victoria to promote the V499 Project. The first of these will be at
the Steamrail Open Weekend on March 11-12 at Newport Workshops. We'd love
to see you there.
Please find attached within this email your copy of the February edition
of The Compound Chronicle. If you wish to read the past editions, you can
download them from our website right here:
http://www.vicsteam.com/news
We have added a few new pages to our website and as the months roll on we
will be updating them when required. Keep checking for photos of the 5inch
gauge V499, which you will read about in TCC #4.
Thank you once again for your interest in the V499 Project, and your
future support.
Warm Regards,
www.progressiverailroading.com US Railroad News. 31st January 2012
Harrell hired as HRT president, CEO
Pershing Square schedules meeting to stress need for CP management changes; CP leaders book road trip to tout progress to investors
18 transportation unions band together to oppose FAA reauthorization bill provisions
LACMTA OKs targeted hiring program for construction projects
Valley Metro's ridership grew 4 percent in 2011
GO Transit launches service at Allandale Waterfront station
Grade separations advance in California, crossing projects advance in Ohio and North Carolina
KCSM opens new transload center in Mexico
Pershing Square schedules meeting to stress need for CP management changes; CP leaders book road trip to tout progress to investors
18 transportation unions band together to oppose FAA reauthorization bill provisions
LACMTA OKs targeted hiring program for construction projects
Valley Metro's ridership grew 4 percent in 2011
GO Transit launches service at Allandale Waterfront station
Grade separations advance in California, crossing projects advance in Ohio and North Carolina
KCSM opens new transload center in Mexico
www.railway-technology.com News Updates.... 31st January 2012
UK's Paddington Crossrail station main work to start next monthConstruction of the new Crossrail station at Paddington in London, in the UK, will enter next phase of development in February with excavation commencing for the station box.
RailCorp begins installation of digital train radio systemSydney rail network operator RailCorp in New South Wales, Australia, has begun construction of the first of 250 towers required for its new digital train radio system (DTRS) network.
Saudi Arabia preparing to award LandBridge rail projectThe Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) is preparing to award contracts for the construction of the $7bn LandBridge rail project.
Ethiopia seeks Indian loan for Ethio-Djibouti railwayEthiopia is seeking another $300m loan from India for its Ethio-Djibouti railway project, estimated to cost a total of $1.2bn.
RailCorp begins installation of digital train radio systemSydney rail network operator RailCorp in New South Wales, Australia, has begun construction of the first of 250 towers required for its new digital train radio system (DTRS) network.
Saudi Arabia preparing to award LandBridge rail projectThe Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) is preparing to award contracts for the construction of the $7bn LandBridge rail project.
Ethiopia seeks Indian loan for Ethio-Djibouti railwayEthiopia is seeking another $300m loan from India for its Ethio-Djibouti railway project, estimated to cost a total of $1.2bn.
The Future of European Rail 31st January 2012
As the industry works hard to mitigate the effects of a challenging economic climate, leading figures will gather at this forum to discuss how to shape the European rail freight sector for recovery and growth. Speakers will consider a variety of issues including the significance of the first railway package and also look at the role that rail freight corridors will play in broadening the appeal of rail. Transport 2050 has highlighted the EC's support for a modal shift of freight to rail. This conference will offer the opportunity to discuss how rail can successfully compete with the road to realise this goal.
Elsenham statement (ORR) 31st January 2012
Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) statement following today’s first hearing of the ORR prosecution against Network Rail for breaches of health and safety law which led to the deaths of two teenage girls, Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson, at Elsenham station footpath crossing in December 2005.
A spokesperson for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said:
Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) statement following today’s first hearing of the ORR prosecution against Network Rail for breaches of health and safety law which led to the deaths of two teenage girls, Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson, at Elsenham station footpath crossing in December 2005.
A spokesperson for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said:
"The Office of Rail Regulation's prosecution of Network Rail for breaches of health and safety law which led to the deaths of Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson at Elsenham station footpath crossing in December 2005 had its first hearing today at Basildon Magistrates' Court.
"Network Rail pleaded guilty to two charges under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and guilty to one charge under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
"The court has committed Network Rail to Chelmsford Crown Court where a sentencing hearing will take place on 15 March 2012.
"Our thoughts are with the families of Olivia and Charlotte. ORR will do everything it can to ensure that the prosecution proceeds as quickly as possible."For further information about the prosecution, please see the press notice issued at the start of the criminal proceedings against Network Rail on 25 November 2011: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.10715
Victoria Line Signalling Closures (TfL) 31st January 2012
Find out more about the work being done to the Victoria line as we put in a modern signalling system for our new trains
Rolling Stock for Disposal (GWSR) 31st January 2012
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is disposing of the rolling stock listed below. Some of these vehicles are owned by the company (GWSR Plc) whilst others are privately owned and are being offered for sale/lease by the company on the behalf of their owners, with their permission. The sale or lease of privately owned vehicles will be concluded directly with the owners once an acceptable offer is received through the company.
Viewing is strongly recommended as the vehicles are in varying conditions. Viewings can be arranged by contacting:
Richard Drewitt, Traction & Rolling Stock Director: richard.drewitt@gwsr.com Mobile: 07813 603706
Click here to download a PDF version of this document.
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Digging for victory: contracts signed for embankment repair (GWSR) 31st January 2012
Work is about to start on repair of the collapsed railway embankment at the so-called 'Chicken Curve' on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, just north of Winchcombe station.
Contracts for the repair work were signed at Winchcombe Station on Thursday 19 January following several months of monitoring, examination of soil samples, repair design, drainage works. Negotiations with nearby landowners have also been concluded, to allow access by heavy plant, equipment and vehicles to both sides of the railway.
Work will start on site early in Feburary, initially to lay the temporary roads from the B4632 road.
Total cost of the project is expected to reach around£670,000. Because of the previous embankment collapse at Gotherington two years ago, the railway has been unable to secure further insurance against such risks
This means that the railway has had to find the money itself.
The collapse, which happened at the beginning of January 2011, severed the railway in two. This disaster came at a time when the railway was still repairing a similar embankment failure at Gotherinton which had stopped trains from reaching Cheltenham Racecourse. Added to that, the railway lost about £60,000 in revenue when heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures curtailed the railway's 'Santa Special' services in December 2010.
Malcolm Temple, GWSR Plc chairman, says: "The combination of these three serious setbacks placed considerable financial strain on the railway. 2011 was, literally, a 'make or break' year for our entirely volunteer-run business."
EngineersThe consulting engineer and project manager is Jonathan Symonds of Birmingham-based David Symonds Associates, who also managed the Gotherington repair. Main contractors are George Law of Kidderminster while specialist soil nailing will be carried out byM & J Drillingof Tipton. The geotechnical consultant is Julian Hughes of Wolverhampton-based GIP.
Darren Fairley, the railway's volunteer properties director and a Network Rail expert in railway infrastructure, says that extensive geotechnical surveying has determined the structure of the embankment and the soil underneath it, providing a '3-D' picture of what is happening within and below the earthworks.
"That, combined with on-going monitoring to determine the extent and direction of movement, has enabled us to develop a detailed design for the repair which was used to obtain tenders for the work.
"In addition, we have carried out extensive repairs to existing drainage and will be installing additional drainage as part of the repair work. This will mean that both the embankment and the land on which it stands will be better drained than perhaps they ever have been.
"This has taken time but it means that we have a cost-effective solution that we expect will fix this troublesome embankment for good," Darren adds.
The project is divided into three work areas over a distance of about 300 metres. The most serious section - which amounts to over a third of the affected area - requires the embankment to be dug out and terraced back with new material. The survey shows that movement extends beneath ground level and this will need piling to prevent the rebuilt embankment from sliding out again. The back of the main collapse will be stabilised with soil nails while at the other end, next to the B4632 road bridge, continuing movement may also require soil nailing.
Work will start on 6th February. Neil Carr, the railway operations manager will be overseeing the work on a day-to-day basis.
"This is a complex project that aims to finally overcome the geological problems that have dogged the railway for almost a century," he says.
"The work should continue for about four months and it will involve movement of lorries and civil engineering equipment -however, we will seek to keep disruption to a minimum for local people. Inevitably there will be some additional heavy goods traffic on the B4632 but, as far as possible, they will avoid the historic town of Winchcombe itself,"
He points out that after the wok is completed, the track will need to be re-laid and ballasted and the signalling reconnected.
Target completion - early Autumn 2012Commenting on the work schedule, Neil says: "Given continuing response to the appeal, fair weather and no unforeseen geological difficulties we hope to be running trains once again over the embankment by early Autumn 2012.
"That will re-unite the two separate railways we have been operating throughout 2011 and will continue to do so until the work is finished."
However, Neil stresses that while work is starting, there is still a financial gap to fill.
"Given the economic difficulty that is affecting families and businesses, response to our £1m appeal has been quite amazing," he says. "But we are still at least £170,000 short to complete the work and how quickly this comes in will determine how quickly the work is finished.
"I believe that when people see the machines digging into the embankment it will help give additional emphasis to the final financial boost we need," he adds.
History of the embankmentThe railway's Chicken Curve embankment has been problematical since at least 1925, when the Great Western Railway, which had opened the line less than 20 years earlier, suffered landslips here. That entailed using steel piles in an attempt to prevent the embankment from moving and installing special 'counterfort' drains cut into the embankment, which can still be seen.
Darren points out that the embankment was constructed using a structurally poor mixture of clay and other materials, "Not only that, the embankment crosses boggy land which has seen the whole structure settle and move ever since it was built.
"The original piles seem to have sunk or rotted away because there's little trace of them today. In addition, changes in land use and diversion of a stream some way away from the railway have led to the embankment becoming increasingly wet over the years. The stream diversion, and a dam downstream of the railway, have now been corrected.
"This quite substantial earthwork gave problems to British Rail as well and it was here that movement beneath the track led to derailment of a freight train at this point in 1976. After that the line was closed; the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway taking over in 1981."
The final financial pushRailway chairman Malcolm Temple says that the response to the appeal from individuals, fund-raising groups and especially from the heritage railway community has been magnificent.
"As a result, we are within sight of reaching our £1 million fund-raising goal. Part of that has paid the balance for the Gotherington collapse and the rest - about £670,000 of which at least £170,000 remains to be raised - will pay for the Winchcombe repair and associated drainage improvement works and laying new track.
"But we now need to raise that remaining sum as quickly as possible," Malcolm adds. "Financially, the railway has been 'running on empty' for the past year although the commercially successful two sections of railway: steam between Winchcombe and Cheltenham and diesel multiple-unit operation out of Toddington, has given us breathing space.
"I can't emphasise enough that successful completion of the Winchcombe repair work over the next four months or so needs that last effort to bring the money in. Our minds have been focussed for so long on the appeal but we are now within sight of completion.
"Once that is put behind us, we can concentrate once again to pressing on with our expansion plans to reach Broadway and, in the longer term, Honeybourne."
The railway welcomes donations, which if made through the
The railway welcomes donations, which if made through the GWR Trust (there is a 'Donate' button on the homepage) attract Gift Aid; and investment by buying shares.
Share ownership brings voting and travel privileges and every investment of £1,000 or over qualifies shareholders for the '300 Club'. Benefits include a 'Golden Pass' providing free lifetime travel on the railway.
Adds Malcolm: "Many people have invested on behalf of their children, affording them a lifetime of enjoyment of the railway. To me, that represents a far better return than almost any other type of investment!
Contracts for the repair work were signed at Winchcombe Station on Thursday 19 January following several months of monitoring, examination of soil samples, repair design, drainage works. Negotiations with nearby landowners have also been concluded, to allow access by heavy plant, equipment and vehicles to both sides of the railway.
Work will start on site early in Feburary, initially to lay the temporary roads from the B4632 road.
Total cost of the project is expected to reach around£670,000. Because of the previous embankment collapse at Gotherington two years ago, the railway has been unable to secure further insurance against such risks
This means that the railway has had to find the money itself.
The collapse, which happened at the beginning of January 2011, severed the railway in two. This disaster came at a time when the railway was still repairing a similar embankment failure at Gotherinton which had stopped trains from reaching Cheltenham Racecourse. Added to that, the railway lost about £60,000 in revenue when heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures curtailed the railway's 'Santa Special' services in December 2010.
Malcolm Temple, GWSR Plc chairman, says: "The combination of these three serious setbacks placed considerable financial strain on the railway. 2011 was, literally, a 'make or break' year for our entirely volunteer-run business."
EngineersThe consulting engineer and project manager is Jonathan Symonds of Birmingham-based David Symonds Associates, who also managed the Gotherington repair. Main contractors are George Law of Kidderminster while specialist soil nailing will be carried out byM & J Drillingof Tipton. The geotechnical consultant is Julian Hughes of Wolverhampton-based GIP.
Darren Fairley, the railway's volunteer properties director and a Network Rail expert in railway infrastructure, says that extensive geotechnical surveying has determined the structure of the embankment and the soil underneath it, providing a '3-D' picture of what is happening within and below the earthworks.
"That, combined with on-going monitoring to determine the extent and direction of movement, has enabled us to develop a detailed design for the repair which was used to obtain tenders for the work.
"In addition, we have carried out extensive repairs to existing drainage and will be installing additional drainage as part of the repair work. This will mean that both the embankment and the land on which it stands will be better drained than perhaps they ever have been.
"This has taken time but it means that we have a cost-effective solution that we expect will fix this troublesome embankment for good," Darren adds.
The project is divided into three work areas over a distance of about 300 metres. The most serious section - which amounts to over a third of the affected area - requires the embankment to be dug out and terraced back with new material. The survey shows that movement extends beneath ground level and this will need piling to prevent the rebuilt embankment from sliding out again. The back of the main collapse will be stabilised with soil nails while at the other end, next to the B4632 road bridge, continuing movement may also require soil nailing.
Work will start on 6th February. Neil Carr, the railway operations manager will be overseeing the work on a day-to-day basis.
"This is a complex project that aims to finally overcome the geological problems that have dogged the railway for almost a century," he says.
"The work should continue for about four months and it will involve movement of lorries and civil engineering equipment -however, we will seek to keep disruption to a minimum for local people. Inevitably there will be some additional heavy goods traffic on the B4632 but, as far as possible, they will avoid the historic town of Winchcombe itself,"
He points out that after the wok is completed, the track will need to be re-laid and ballasted and the signalling reconnected.
Target completion - early Autumn 2012Commenting on the work schedule, Neil says: "Given continuing response to the appeal, fair weather and no unforeseen geological difficulties we hope to be running trains once again over the embankment by early Autumn 2012.
"That will re-unite the two separate railways we have been operating throughout 2011 and will continue to do so until the work is finished."
However, Neil stresses that while work is starting, there is still a financial gap to fill.
"Given the economic difficulty that is affecting families and businesses, response to our £1m appeal has been quite amazing," he says. "But we are still at least £170,000 short to complete the work and how quickly this comes in will determine how quickly the work is finished.
"I believe that when people see the machines digging into the embankment it will help give additional emphasis to the final financial boost we need," he adds.
History of the embankmentThe railway's Chicken Curve embankment has been problematical since at least 1925, when the Great Western Railway, which had opened the line less than 20 years earlier, suffered landslips here. That entailed using steel piles in an attempt to prevent the embankment from moving and installing special 'counterfort' drains cut into the embankment, which can still be seen.
Darren points out that the embankment was constructed using a structurally poor mixture of clay and other materials, "Not only that, the embankment crosses boggy land which has seen the whole structure settle and move ever since it was built.
"The original piles seem to have sunk or rotted away because there's little trace of them today. In addition, changes in land use and diversion of a stream some way away from the railway have led to the embankment becoming increasingly wet over the years. The stream diversion, and a dam downstream of the railway, have now been corrected.
"This quite substantial earthwork gave problems to British Rail as well and it was here that movement beneath the track led to derailment of a freight train at this point in 1976. After that the line was closed; the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway taking over in 1981."
The final financial pushRailway chairman Malcolm Temple says that the response to the appeal from individuals, fund-raising groups and especially from the heritage railway community has been magnificent.
"As a result, we are within sight of reaching our £1 million fund-raising goal. Part of that has paid the balance for the Gotherington collapse and the rest - about £670,000 of which at least £170,000 remains to be raised - will pay for the Winchcombe repair and associated drainage improvement works and laying new track.
"But we now need to raise that remaining sum as quickly as possible," Malcolm adds. "Financially, the railway has been 'running on empty' for the past year although the commercially successful two sections of railway: steam between Winchcombe and Cheltenham and diesel multiple-unit operation out of Toddington, has given us breathing space.
"I can't emphasise enough that successful completion of the Winchcombe repair work over the next four months or so needs that last effort to bring the money in. Our minds have been focussed for so long on the appeal but we are now within sight of completion.
"Once that is put behind us, we can concentrate once again to pressing on with our expansion plans to reach Broadway and, in the longer term, Honeybourne."
The railway welcomes donations, which if made through the
The railway welcomes donations, which if made through the GWR Trust (there is a 'Donate' button on the homepage) attract Gift Aid; and investment by buying shares.
Share ownership brings voting and travel privileges and every investment of £1,000 or over qualifies shareholders for the '300 Club'. Benefits include a 'Golden Pass' providing free lifetime travel on the railway.
Adds Malcolm: "Many people have invested on behalf of their children, affording them a lifetime of enjoyment of the railway. To me, that represents a far better return than almost any other type of investment!
BBC Railway News 31st January 2012
31 January 2012
Hereford & Worcester / NEW 1 hour agoThe Severn Valley Railway is celebrating 150 years since the first train left Worcestershire for Shrewsbury. Kidderminster Railway Museum is showing…
Gloucestershire / NEW 1 hour agoWork has begun to repair a heritage railway line embankment in Gloucestershire which collapsed in January 2011. The embankment just north of Winchcombe…
January 30, 2012
Great British Railway Journeys - Series 3 - 21. Goes to Ireland - Bray to Dublin (BBC) 30th January 2012
Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
All this week he crosses the Irish sea to discover the rich railway history of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, following the unfurling 19th century expansion of the tracks from Dublin to Londonderry.
Today Michael observes the amazing engineering feat involved in building the railway along Dublin's treacherous East coast, explores 19th century crime and punishment in a Victorian jail, and finds out how the lions of Dublin Zoo changed the fortunes of the railways.
Available on BBC iPlayer until 5:59PM Fri, 10 Feb 2012
www.progressiverailroading.com US Railroad News. 30th January 2012
House transportation committee to consider long-term reauthorization measure on Thursday, Mica says
AAR: Class Is budget record $13 billion for capex, seek more than 15,000 new hires in 2012
Florida officials broke ground on SunRail commuter-rail project last week
In memoriam: Railway Association of Canada leader, transportation industry champion Cliff Mackay
Hiawatha ridership reached record level in 2011
Cleveland port authority awards rail loop contract, notes 2011 traffic gains
Tie production and purchases dropped in December, RTA says
Teamsters ratify CN contract; BLET and UTU advance short-line agreements
Updates from Talgo, RailComm and Parsons Brinckerhoff
AAR: Class Is budget record $13 billion for capex, seek more than 15,000 new hires in 2012
Florida officials broke ground on SunRail commuter-rail project last week
In memoriam: Railway Association of Canada leader, transportation industry champion Cliff Mackay
Hiawatha ridership reached record level in 2011
Cleveland port authority awards rail loop contract, notes 2011 traffic gains
Tie production and purchases dropped in December, RTA says
Teamsters ratify CN contract; BLET and UTU advance short-line agreements
Updates from Talgo, RailComm and Parsons Brinckerhoff
International Railway Journal. Headlines... 30th January 2012
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www.railwaygazette.com Headline News 30th January 2012
30 January 2012
Chinese locomotives on their way to Belarus
BELARUS: The first of 12 Class BCG-1 electric locomotives being built for Belarus Railway was completed at CNR’s Datong plant in December. Ordered in October 2010 at a cost of... more
29 January 2012
Railway Directory 2012 now available
With 736 pages, the 117th edition of Railway Directory includes listings and contact details for almost 4500 companies and organisations around the world, covering every sector of... more
28 January 2012
Rail Industry Training & Recruitment in Brief
Led by President Claire Porter, a delegation from the Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers has undertaken a tour of Hong Kong and mainland China as part of an... more
27 January 2012
Network Rail plans alliances with train operators
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail formally announced plans to form 'alliances' between its operational regions and franchised passenger train operating companies on January... more
26 January 2012
Moscow - Berlin Talgo agreement
RUSSIA: RZD President Vladimir Yakunin and Patentes Talgo President Carlos Palacio Oriol signed an agreement on January 25 that will see the Spanish manufacturer work with the... more
January 29, 2012
Mainline Diesel Railtours in February 2012 (RailTourInfo) 29th January 2012
Always check with tour operator to confirm running and timing....
Mainline Steam Tours in February...(UKsteamInfo) 29th January 2012
| Week 05 | ||
| Sat 04-Feb | THE WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS [p-Times]  London Euston-Carlisle (WCRC) [wcrc]45305 (/70013): Preston-Settle-Carlisle-Shap-Carnforth [Class 86 Euston-Preston and Carnforth-Euston] | RYTC |
| Week 06 | ||
| Sat 11-Feb | THE WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS London Euston-Carlisle (WCRC) [wcrc]70013 (/45305): Preston-Settle-Carlisle-Shap-Preston [Class 86 Euston-Preston and return] | RYTC |
| Sun 12-Feb | THE VALENTINE EXPRESS Tyseley Warwick Rd-Castle Donington (TY01) [wcrc]4965: Tyseley-Leicester-Castle Donington-Burton-Tyseley | VNTL |
| Sun 12-Feb | THE CATHEDRALS EXPRESS London Paddington-Bristol 6024: Paddington-Reading-Swindon-Bath-Bristol and return | |
Always check with operator to confirm running and timings....
BBC Railway News 29th January 2012
28 January 2012
Surrey / NEW 15 hours ago… will be positioned at key locations along the cycle route or at railway stations to give directions, provide information and encourage spectators…
Devon / NEW 20 hours agoPlans to close the level crossing in Paignton for two weeks have upset businesses in the town. Network Rail is installing a new crossing, additional…
Africa / 28 January 2012… in Ethiopian factories and China is also building a light railway across Addis Ababa.…
27 January 2012
Essex / 27 January 2012A £2.2m upgrade of a mainline railway station in north Essex has been officially unveiled. The work at Marks Tey includes a new station building…
January 28, 2012
The Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express.....Today! 28th January 2012
If it were nor for the catenary stanchions, this could almost be a 1960s shot... Stanier 'Black 5s' 44871 and 45407 make an assault on the climb towards the Lune Gorge at Hairdrigg, on the West Coast Main Line with the 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express'on 28.01.12. The train was running around 10 minutes down by this point, having been held up by a late-running Pendolino and Transpennine 185 - disgraceful! The sun, which had been full-bore at the allotted time, had all but disappeared when the train finally showed - but the snow on the surrounding fells made up for it!
(C) Andrew Fowler 2012
The Railway Touring Company ran The Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express tour from Manchester Victoria over Shap and returning to Manchester Victoria later that afternoon...(C)Stephen G Thompson
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Get fired up at Britain's biggest rail celebration (Heritage Railway Association) 28th January 2012
Get fired up at Britain's biggest rail celebration
Tickets are now on sale for Britain's biggest rail celebration, with 9 exhilarating days of amazing activities for all ages†. Experience a grand gathering of over 30 record breaking locomotives from the past and present including Flying Scotsman, City of Truro, Tornado, locos from the modern industry and many more.
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Value for money in the railways – what Europe can learn from Great Britain (ATOC) 28th January 2012
ATOC
Britain’s experience in developing Europe’s first liberalised passenger rail market can help inform rail policy for other EU countries, a conference at the European Parliament will hear.
A conference being jointly held at the European Parliament by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) will explore how Sir Roy McNulty’s May 2011 report into value for money in Britain’s railway can provide lessons for other European countries on infrastructure reform.
EU stakeholders will hear how Britain’s experience of operating in a liberalised environment on rail for more than 15 years can play an important role in the European Commission’s consideration of new legislation on rail market opening and on the sensitive question of structural models, which is due by the end of 2012.
Britain is known for having implemented a strict separation between infrastructure and operations in the 1990s. While Sir Roy McNulty’s report highlighted the considerable successes of the Great Britain (GB) model, it also identified where the sector lacks efficiency which has led to infrastructure costs that are on average 30% higher than those in the rest of Europe. One notable recommendation of the report is to carry out a “re-alignment” between operators and the infrastructure manager – thus suggesting that Europe’s search for truly efficient models for a competitive rail sector is far from over.
ATOC Chief Executive Michael Roberts said: “The McNulty report highlights that much has been achieved by Britain’s railways since privatisation, such as major growth in ridership, and historic levels of safety, punctuality and passenger satisfaction.
“But the whole industry has recognised for some time that costs need to come down. Sir Roy rightly identified the current barriers to efficiency such as the lack of alignment on objectives and incentives, and too much government involvement in the detail of the industry’s affairs.
“The way forward now for railways in Britain is to improve on the GB model of liberalisation, not least through reforms which lead to smarter, more output-based franchises."
CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “The McNulty report raises questions that are important for all European countries. What steps can be taken to achieve greater cost efficiency? How can one ensure that the incentives of infrastructure managers and operators are effectively aligned so as to improve the efficiency of the rail sector as a whole?
“The case of Great Britain demonstrates the need for sufficient flexibility to allow Member States to develop national rail sector models that truly deliver.”
‘Britain’s Rail Value for Money report - An inspiration for future EU Rail Policy?’ will be held on Wednesday 1 February from 18:00-19:45 at the European Parliament. Hosted by MEP Brian Simpson (S&D, UK), Chair of the EP TRAN Committee, the event offers an opportunity to hear from Sir Roy McNulty on the conclusions of his report and what the report’s implications could be for the Commission’s forthcoming proposals.
In addition to presentations from Sir Roy, Michael Roberts and Libor Lochman, the conference will hear from Keir Fitch, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commission for Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, outlining the Commission’s response to the report.
Britain’s experience in developing Europe’s first liberalised passenger rail market can help inform rail policy for other EU countries, a conference at the European Parliament will hear.
A conference being jointly held at the European Parliament by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) will explore how Sir Roy McNulty’s May 2011 report into value for money in Britain’s railway can provide lessons for other European countries on infrastructure reform.
EU stakeholders will hear how Britain’s experience of operating in a liberalised environment on rail for more than 15 years can play an important role in the European Commission’s consideration of new legislation on rail market opening and on the sensitive question of structural models, which is due by the end of 2012.
Britain is known for having implemented a strict separation between infrastructure and operations in the 1990s. While Sir Roy McNulty’s report highlighted the considerable successes of the Great Britain (GB) model, it also identified where the sector lacks efficiency which has led to infrastructure costs that are on average 30% higher than those in the rest of Europe. One notable recommendation of the report is to carry out a “re-alignment” between operators and the infrastructure manager – thus suggesting that Europe’s search for truly efficient models for a competitive rail sector is far from over.
ATOC Chief Executive Michael Roberts said: “The McNulty report highlights that much has been achieved by Britain’s railways since privatisation, such as major growth in ridership, and historic levels of safety, punctuality and passenger satisfaction.
“But the whole industry has recognised for some time that costs need to come down. Sir Roy rightly identified the current barriers to efficiency such as the lack of alignment on objectives and incentives, and too much government involvement in the detail of the industry’s affairs.
“The way forward now for railways in Britain is to improve on the GB model of liberalisation, not least through reforms which lead to smarter, more output-based franchises."
CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “The McNulty report raises questions that are important for all European countries. What steps can be taken to achieve greater cost efficiency? How can one ensure that the incentives of infrastructure managers and operators are effectively aligned so as to improve the efficiency of the rail sector as a whole?
“The case of Great Britain demonstrates the need for sufficient flexibility to allow Member States to develop national rail sector models that truly deliver.”
‘Britain’s Rail Value for Money report - An inspiration for future EU Rail Policy?’ will be held on Wednesday 1 February from 18:00-19:45 at the European Parliament. Hosted by MEP Brian Simpson (S&D, UK), Chair of the EP TRAN Committee, the event offers an opportunity to hear from Sir Roy McNulty on the conclusions of his report and what the report’s implications could be for the Commission’s forthcoming proposals.
In addition to presentations from Sir Roy, Michael Roberts and Libor Lochman, the conference will hear from Keir Fitch, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commission for Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, outlining the Commission’s response to the report.
www.rail.co News Headlines. 28th January 2012
Rail.co
- Invensys Rail wins major contract in Turkey Turkish State Railways has awarded Invesys Rail and its Turkish joint venture company Fermak, a รข‚¬76m signalling contract. The contract consists of installing ERTMS signalling and communications systems on a 310km line stretching from Bandirma to Menemen. Invensys Rail will also install automatic train stop equipment, GSM-R voice and data communications and a Central Traffic [...]
- DfT issue invitation to tender for the West Coast rail franchise An invitation to tender for the West Coast franchise has been issued by the Department for Transport. Although the successful bidder will have to provide principal first and last trains, along with a minimum number of station stops per week, they will also be given, from December 2013, the freedom to vary timetables on individual [...]
- Major UK Rail companies sign up to the Network Rail Fair Payment Charter The charter, which has been signed by the biggest construction and engineering companies in the rail industry, is aimed at increasing liquidity through the rail supply chain as Network rail spend £7bn on renewals over the next two years. Network Rail will reduce its own payment terms from 56 to 21 days and asks its [...]
- Tram extension for Nottingham Nottingham's tram network is set to double in size with a similar boost to the tram fleet after funding was agreed. Work on the five mile extension to Clifton and the six mile route to Beeston starts soon. The new services should be running by 2014. Tramlink Nottingham has taken over the running of the [...]
- RMT secures Olympics pay deal for DLR The RMT said it has ‘secured a ground breaking’ pay deal for the Olympics on the Docklands Light Railway. The ‘deal’ is worth £2,500 per staff member and includes an attendance bonus of £900 and guaranteed overtime payments. RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said “This is a truly groundbreaking deal raising the bar in the [...]
- ˜Urgent action"needed to control rail cable theft A group of MPs have said anyone trying to sell scrap metal should have to prove their identity. The MPs want ‘urgent action’ to be taken on scrap dealers buying stolen metal in a bid to cut theft from the rail network. In a report, the Transport Select Committee said the government needed to test the [...]
Steam Trains | Great British engines, railway journeys and steam enthusiasts (BBC Archive) 28th January 2012
.In this collection of television and radio programmes we celebrate the craftsmanship inherent in steam trains and the beauty of the British countryside through which these locomotives have passed.
These broadcasts also acknowledge the dedicated enthusiasts who have saved this important part of British heritage for the enjoyment of generations to come.
BBC Archive. Steam Trains 28th January 2012
BBC Railway News 28th January 2012
28 January 2012
- Africa / NEW 3 hours agoChinese-funded projects. Chinese cars are being made in Ethiopian factories and China is also building a light railway across Addis Ababa.…
27 January 2012
- Essex / NEW 17 hours agoA £2.2m upgrade of a mainline railway station in north Essex has been officially unveiled. The work at Marks Tey includes a new station building…
Leeds & West Yorkshire / NEW 19 hours agoPeople's views are wanted on how a railway station named "one of the worst in Britain" could be improved. Some refurbishment has already taken…
Beds, Herts & Bucks / NEW 20 hours ago… deal with the controversial Agora shopping centre a high priority. Wolverton is a Victorian town, purpose built by a railway company to. Residents…
NEW 21 hours agoA Shropshire man has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence after admitting throwing another man against a moving train.
Essex / NEW 21 hours ago… relocated to St Martin's Square. A new public square would be created at the town's railway station, along with a "transit mall" for buses and…
Shropshire / NEW 22 hours agoA man who threw another man against a moving train at a railway station has been given a suspended jail sentence. Daniel Peter Worgan, 24, of…
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