Rail safety features in some headlines today. The Lac-Megantic lawsuit alleges that Ottawa failed to ensure safe operations...Perhaps attending the Rail Safety Summit in April might be a good idea..
An interesting feature asks "What Are Alternatives to Private Monopolies On The Railways?"
And the UK Government extends the Thameslink franchise by 6 months...
HS2 gets some more positive comments, whilst the US equivalent in California struggles to get going. Nevertheless, the USHSR Summit in a week's time will get behind the need for high speed rail in the US.Yet some analysts predict that high speed travel will experience a surge, especially through the Channel Tunnel, given the rival offerings soon available by other operators.....
Meanwhile, repairs to the sea wall at Dawlish , and elsewhere, continue as the weather appears to let up for a while...
Read On....
Headlines
UK storms: Race to repair damaged Devon tramway.(BBC News)
Rail services resume at Harbury Tunnel landslip site.(BBC News)
£9.6m boost for The Haymarket site in Edinburgh.(BBC News)
Fife firm plans to double turnover after Scotrail win.(heraldscotland)
Thameslink and Southern train services need 'urgent improvement', says Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake. (This Is London)
Which country has the best trains? (The Guardian)
New Tube showdown looms as Bob Crow says no to driverless trains.(Evening Standard)
DLR sets record performance. (Global Rail News)
Eurostar at St Pancras International,London.
The UK's Network Rail has confirmed that the reopening of the South West's main Dawlish rail link will be delayed by further two weeks, due to the impact of damage caused by storms.
Hillside repair work to disrupt Sheffield and Chesterfield services
Network Rail has decided to close one of the two tracks through Unstone, Derbyshire for safety reasons, after the hillside above the railway near Chesterfield became unstable due to recent heavy rains.
Philippines' DOTC anticipates lifting of LRVs addition order
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) of Philippines is anticipating the removal of a court order that blocks it from adding 48 new light rail vehicles (LRVs) to the Metro Rail Transit III (MRT-3) system.
KiwiRail to begin seismic improvement work at Wellington station
New Zealand state-owned enterprise KiwiRail Holdings is planning to begin seismic strengthening work at Wellington Railway Station, as part of its plan to make the station more earthquake resistant.
South Dakota governor no longer opposes DM&E line sale to Genesee & Wyoming
Oberman wins election as Metra's chairman
Rail, enhanced bus options recommended for Minneapolis Midtown Corridor
Houston's METRO exceeds ridership projections on new North Line
USDOT preps for TIGER VI funding round
Ohio short lines: New owner for Youngstown & Southern, new operator for Jackson railroad
Santa Clara VTA begins work on third light-rail track near Levi's Stadium
Summit Starts Next Week!
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THE number of passengers using high-speed services between Britain and mainland Europe could increase from just over 10 million in 2013 to nearly 13.5 million by 2020, according to a study carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers..
BAVARIAN Railway Authority (BEG) has published a tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union for a contract to operate the Nuremberg Diesel Network regional concession for 12 years from December 2018.
FIRST Capital Connect has been awarded a six-month extension to its Thameslink franchise while Britain's Department for Transport (DfT) assesses the bids from five companies for a new larger franchise which is due to start in September.
Other News
18/02/2014
Patrick Kron, Alstom Chairman and CEO learned about rambling articles published by some branches of the media, on his arrival in China. He reminds that Alstom has a clear strategy, based on its growth on international markets, the promotion of its technologies and its operational excellence. Its fundamentals are solid with leading positions for the majority of its activities as notably demonstrated by its order backlog of more than €50 billion (representing more than 2.5 years of sales).
Some markets are however, impacted by a relative slow demand linked to uncertainity regarding the morose economic climate, in some geographical areas. Alstom has consequently launched an ambitious programme to improve its competitivity which plans a significant reduction in costs and the adaptation of its capacities to the demand, where this is considered necessary.
Alstom has put in place a process to dispose of non-strategic assets and to sell a minority stake in Alstom Transport in order to reinforce its financial structure and to improve its strategic mobility. In this context, no capital increase will occur.
Some markets are however, impacted by a relative slow demand linked to uncertainity regarding the morose economic climate, in some geographical areas. Alstom has consequently launched an ambitious programme to improve its competitivity which plans a significant reduction in costs and the adaptation of its capacities to the demand, where this is considered necessary.
Alstom has put in place a process to dispose of non-strategic assets and to sell a minority stake in Alstom Transport in order to reinforce its financial structure and to improve its strategic mobility. In this context, no capital increase will occur.
Nantes - Châteaubriant tram-train launches this month (Railway Gazette)
What we are up to presently.maunsell.org.uk
Passengers on track to receive multi-billion pound improvements to services
Government has agreed a deal with First Capital Connect to continue running important rail commuter services for the next 6 months.
key milestone in delivering the multi-billion pound transformation of London’s rail services was reached today (18 February 2014) as the government agreed a deal with First Capital Connect (FCC) to continue running vital commuter services for the next 6 months.
TSGN will transform rail travel into and out of London as part of the government’s £6.5 billion Thameslink Programme. Once operational it will be the largest franchise on the network, carrying over 280 million passengers every year from Kings Lynn, Peterborough, Bedford, Southampton and Brighton into London on a fleet of new state-of-the-art electric trains.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
We have embarked on one of the biggest programmes of rail modernisation ever with more than £38 billion being spent to maintain and improve our railways over the next 5 years.This agreement demonstrates that the government’s new franchising schedule is on track, a schedule that is delivering value for money for the taxpayer and supporting the ongoing multi-billion pound investment in our railways with new and improved rail franchises.
This contract is a major step towards boosting services for the 150,000 passengers who use these routes every day as well as the national and regional economies.
The new contract with FCC represents the best deal for passengers and taxpayers. It ensures the continuity of the existing service and guarantees the completion of the ongoing Thameslink programme.
The government announced its new franchising schedule in March 2013 following an independent review by industry expert Richard Brown, which endorsed the Department for Transport’s overall franchise strategy. He also advised that competitions should be staggered to make them more deliverable. The government has announced a programme of direct awards, a process where it agrees a new contract with the existing train company, to deliver this.
Today’s (18 February 2014) announcement is part of the continued successful roll out of the new rail franchising schedule. This is the fourth direct award to be delivered by the department following the negotiations with Virgin Trains on the West Coast Main Line franchise, the award made to c2c for the Essex Thameside franchise and an agreement with First Great Western for the Great Western Main Line franchise.
The department has also released invitations to tender for the Essex Thameside and Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchises.
Issue 1 2014 is now available(Euro Railway Review)
The new high-speed train has been successfully operating on the Deutsche Bahn (DB) rail network since December 2013. Four trains have already been delivered to DB, with four more due to follow by the end of March 2014. The Velaro D features increased energy efficiency and flexibility as well as enhanced comfort. The aerodynamic characteristics of the train, for example, have been further optimized to reduce energy consumption, reducing air resistance by a total of about 20 percent compared with the predecessor model. The Velaro D is also the first DB high-speed train to be fitted with a lift for wheelchair users on either side of the train. The many other innovative features of the new ICE 3 were highlighted by Dr. Jürgen Wilder, CEO of the Siemens High-Speed and Commuter Rail Business Unit and Andreas Busemann, Head of Production at DB Bahn Long Distance, on a presentation run from Frankfurt (Main) to Cologne. "We've been able to successfully meet the challenges, especially in the certification process, and are very pleased to see the new ICE 3 now in operation on the German rail network," said Wilder.
Courtesy: Siemens Press Pictures
The Rail Safety Summit
28th April 2014. The Royal College of Physicians, London.
Now in its 5th year, the Rail Safety Summit has become THE conference for rail safety executives, infrastructure owners, train operators, rail stakeholders and training professionals. Leading figures from the rail safety, security, risk assessment and training professions are all expected to attend.
An advisory board comprising senior executives from ORR, RAIB, RSSB, Network Rail, London Underground, Crossrail, Bombardier, FirstGroup, Carillion, Bridgeway Consulting, RMT Union and Rail Media, met last month and together have come up with an agenda within the following key areas, under the conference theme Making Sense of Safety.
1. Setting the scene
Introduction by our Keynote speaker (tbc) and a review of the current rail safety issues and performance.
2. Controlling safety risks
Including LUCAS and Sentinel integration, managing passenger behaviour and the management of safety policies across suppliers.
3. Occupational Health
How staff data is being utilised to improve staff welfare and combat fatigue.
4. Learning lessons
Understanding the use of the Rail Management Maturity Model, finding the root cause of incidents and what lessons can be learnt.
To complete the day, there will be a panel session, comprising of speakers and advisory board members led by Conference Chairman Colin Wheeler.
Tickets for the event are just £199 + VAT which includes entrance to the conference, refreshments and lunch and a copy of all the presentations.
We are also creating the Rail Safety Guide, which will contain the conference agenda, details of exhibitors and a range of safety features. If you wish to promote some of your company’s safety initiatives, please contact tom@rail-media.com.
We look forward to seeing you there.
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