Infrastructure is in the news.... Network Rail reports a £1billion profit, and outlines how it spends its money across the network. Although some say that there is a north - south divide, given, apparently, the 20 years older coaching stock endured in the north of the UK.
And Crossrail unveiled its latest tunnel under the Thames....2 miles long and 2 and a half years to complete..
Bombardier Unveils Its New High Comfort OMNEO Premium Train for Intercity Journeys..
And Siemens and Mitsubishi pair up to acquire Alstom's energy business, hopefully...
We shall see....
Click on the links for the full details to these stories...and more....
Headlines
UK
Dyan Crowther named as Chief Operating Officer for TSGN franchise - Go-Ahead Group plc
HS2 petitions to be considered from July.(Bucks Free Press).
Borders to Edinburgh railway: Galashiels transport interchange work starts.(BBC News).
Ebbw Valley line upgrade done by 2016 - Carwyn Jones.(South Wales Argus).
Lincoln East-West Link Road gets Department for Transport go-ahead.(BBC News)
East Anglia: Rail passenger numbers continue rapid increase.(EADT24).
Profits at Network Rail pass £1bn but punctuality falls.(The Independent) .
Network Rail sees its profits hit more than £1bn.(heraldscotland).
Edinburgh trams probe to be ‘swift and thorough’.(The Scotsman).
Northern passengers forced to use trains more than 20 YEARS older than in the South.(The Mirror).
Network Rail.
Have your say: East Coast Main Line level crossings.
People who live near the south end of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) are being encouraged to come and find out more about Network Rail’s plans for level crossings in their area.
The company is carrying out an extensive consultation to help inform a study which will look at potentially closing or diverting crossings on the ECML. Closing crossings along the route will improve safety and connectivity within local communities.
The exhibitions will give details of the options being considered for the level crossings on the ECML south of Doncaster.
Phil Verster, Route Managing Director, said: “These exhibitions events give local people a chance to tell us how our options for closing level crossings may affect them or their community.
“We are only at the proposal stage. This means this is a great opportunity to have your say on our plans. You can also find out why closing level crossings is important to us all. I encourage as many people as possible to get involved so that we can reach the best possible option for each crossing."
The current feasibility studies cover level crossings on the East Coast Main Line from London to Doncaster. Crossings north of Doncaster, such as Arksey, are not included.
The events which take place on a weekday run from 2 until 8pm, and those on Saturdays run from 10am until 4pm.
People who come along will be able to speak to Network Rail teams and see plans.
Details of the events and further high level information about the consultation can be found on the dedicated webpage for the level crossing consultation.
Specific details on individual level crossings will start to become available on the website over the coming weeks. A list of crossing dates is available via the link HERE
£3m invested every day in the railway serving Yorkshire, the north east and East Midlands, Network Rail full-year results reveal
Over £1bn was invested in improving the rail network connecting London and the home counties with the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the north east over the past 12 months, Network Rail revealed today in its full-year results for the 2013/14 financial year.
As well as these significant milestones, nationally, over 5,000 projects have been completed over the course of the past five years (control period 4 – CP4 – 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2014). These smaller, but just as important projects aimed at making incremental improvements to the railway for the benefit of passengers, and have seen:
On the LNE & EM route, other work during the same time period (1 April 2009 to 31 March 2014) includes:
The exhibitions will give details of the options being considered for the level crossings on the ECML south of Doncaster.
Phil Verster, Route Managing Director, said: “These exhibitions events give local people a chance to tell us how our options for closing level crossings may affect them or their community.
“We are only at the proposal stage. This means this is a great opportunity to have your say on our plans. You can also find out why closing level crossings is important to us all. I encourage as many people as possible to get involved so that we can reach the best possible option for each crossing."
The current feasibility studies cover level crossings on the East Coast Main Line from London to Doncaster. Crossings north of Doncaster, such as Arksey, are not included.
The events which take place on a weekday run from 2 until 8pm, and those on Saturdays run from 10am until 4pm.
People who come along will be able to speak to Network Rail teams and see plans.
Details of the events and further high level information about the consultation can be found on the dedicated webpage for the level crossing consultation.
Specific details on individual level crossings will start to become available on the website over the coming weeks. A list of crossing dates is available via the link HERE
£3m invested every day in the railway serving Yorkshire, the north east and East Midlands, Network Rail full-year results reveal
Over £1bn was invested in improving the rail network connecting London and the home counties with the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the north east over the past 12 months, Network Rail revealed today in its full-year results for the 2013/14 financial year.
The London North Eastern & East Midlands route covers the entire East Coast Main Line from King’s Cross to the Scottish border, the Midland Main Line from St Pancras International to Nottingham and Sheffield and many regional and freight lines in-between.
More than £3m a day was spent on providing a bigger, better railway across the route. Projects include the new station at Wakefield Westgate and improvements for passengers at Nottingham, Derby, Newcastle, Peterborough and Chesterfield among many others. The transformation of King’s Cross was completed with the opening of King’s Cross Square in front of the station.
Long-term investments to remove bottlenecks on the East Coast Main Line were completed at Peterborough, Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace, North Doncaster and Hitchin. On the Midland Mainline, a new timetable offering passengers faster journeys was introduced.
Phil Verster, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “Our railway is a vital part of our national infrastructure. Rail services connect homes and workplaces, businesses and markets; they create jobs, stimulate trade and support the growth of a balanced economy.
Phil Verster, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “Our railway is a vital part of our national infrastructure. Rail services connect homes and workplaces, businesses and markets; they create jobs, stimulate trade and support the growth of a balanced economy.
“The railway is transporting record numbers of passengers between our cities and towns which is being matched by record investment.
“Passenger numbers are expected to increase by 16% by 2019. We are planning for that demand by continuing to invest, wisely and efficiently. We are committed to implementing these plans whilst maintaining a safe service and making the improvements in performance passengers rightly expect.”
LNE & EM figures and investment highlights:
LNE & EM figures and investment highlights:
- Capital expenditure was £1,029m
- Revenue was £552m
Investment highlights:
- More reliable and faster services delivered with the successful completion of the £100m resignalling and modernisation of Nottingham station and its approaches
- Faster journeys for passengers along the Midland Main Line connecting Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and other towns and cities to London as a result of a £70m improvement programme
- Completion of a new £47m flyover at Hitchin, improving reliability on the East Coast Main Line.
As well as these significant milestones, nationally, over 5,000 projects have been completed over the course of the past five years (control period 4 – CP4 – 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2014). These smaller, but just as important projects aimed at making incremental improvements to the railway for the benefit of passengers, and have seen:
- Over 2,000 miles of track renewed
- Improvements at over 500 stations across the country
- Almost 200 lifts installed at stations
- Over 140 platforms lengthened across London and the South East
- £600million invested in to the East Coast Mainline to unlock bottlenecks and allow more trains to run
- 242 Level crossings closures, with new bridges replacing crossings at Thrislington, Bolton on Dearne, Moorthorpe, Woodlesford, Normanton, Thorne South and Uttoxeter station. South Milford station crossing was closed in September and pedestrians now use an existing subway. Reduction in risk by 29.3% ahead of target of 25% (fatality weighted index reduced from 4.661 to 3.225).
- Increase of nearly 15,000 freight trains per year from the last year of CP3
- Just under £100m (£96.3) spent on 105 station improvements, including Huddersfield, Bingley, Rotherham, Wakefield Kirkgate, Shipley, Alnmouth, Morpeth, Middlesbrough, York and the Metro Centre stations, and the new station
Crossrail
Chancellor unveils Crossrail’s new tunnel under the Thames
Latest Crossrail tunnel will slash journey times from south-east London and support the construction of new housing.
On Friday (13 June 2014), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP, unveiled London’s newest tunnel under the River Thames.
The ‘Thames Tunnel’, part of the £14.8bn Crossrail project, stretches for almost 2 miles and took 2 and a half years to complete. It will help to significantly improve connections between south-east London and the rest of the capital when it opens in 2018. As a result of the new link journeys times will be cut by up to half from Abbey Wood to Canary Wharf, Bond Street and Liverpool Street.
The Chancellor was joined 15 metres below ground under the river Thames at North Woolwich by Crossrail Chairman Terry Morgan and Crossrail apprentices who have worked on the tunnels.
Speaking from the site the Chancellor said:
As part of our long term economic plan we are investing in infrastructure around the country to create a more balanced, resilient economy.Since 2008 there have been planning applications within a kilometre of Woolwich Crossrail station for 4,286 new homes, over 70,000 square feet of new office space and 114,000 square feet of new retail space.
Crossrail is not only providing extra speed and capacity for London’s passengers, but also supporting new housing, jobs and businesses.
Crossrail will also develop almost 500,000 square feet of residential development above the new station. Berkeley Homes is currently constructing 631 new homes above Woolwich Crossrail station, of which 265 (42%) will be affordable.
It is estimated that Crossrail will generate at least 75,000 business opportunities and support the equivalent of 55,000 full time jobs around the UK. Three out of five businesses currently winning work on the project are based outside London and over half (58%) are small and medium sized enterprises.
In January, the Crossrail project reached the half-way point in construction on time and on budget.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
Rail minister Stephen Hammond said:London is the engine room of the UK and projects such as Crossrail are helping to drive our country’s economy in the right direction. Completion of The Thames Tunnel is yet another important chapter in the Crossrail story - a tale that perfectly highlights how investing in major transport schemes can trigger development and unlock the potential for thousands of new jobs and homes.
Terry Morgan, Crossrail Chairman said:Crossrail will transform travel for millions of passengers across London and help regenerate communities along the route. The planned Woolwich station is already delivering on that promise and is transforming the southeast of London, attracting investment from businesses and developers, and supporting our plans for long-term economic growth. This is a major milestone in the Crossrail project and demonstrates that our plans to build a world-class railway are firmly on track.
Mike Brown MVO, Managing Director London Underground and Rail, said:Crossrail will help to transform this part of London, boosting the local economy, creating new transport links, reducing congestion on existing rail services and supporting wider regeneration. We have now completed over 21 miles of new rail tunnels beneath the streets of the capital and are more than half way through the project.
The completion of this tunnel under the Thames marks another key milestone in the construction of Crossrail which when it opens will boost rail capacity in the capital by 10 per cent. Cities are the engine of the UK’s growth and continued investment in infrastructure improvements is vital to create jobs and stimulate growth across the UK.
UK Heritage
Volunteers relaunch Weardale Railway's heritage line (From The Northern Echo).
France
Bombardier Press Release
Bombardier Unveils Its New High Comfort OMNEO Premium Train for Intercity Journeys..
June 13, 2014 Paris Transportation,
Inspired by French standards of luxury, the design and the quality of furnishing meet the expectations of both business and leisure passengers.
The spacious double-deck cars offer travellers an elegant interior design, in particular the highly comfortable, wide reclining seats with individual armrests, tablet, footrest, reading light and electric power supply.
The self-regulating air conditioning system and the low noise and vibration levels contribute to a quiet atmosphere ideally suited for intercity services. Focusing on passenger comfort, the architecture of the train provides extra-wide cars of 3 m width while storing the technical equipment on the roof to gain space and thus improve comfort in the passenger areas further.
With its wide doors, the train offers level access from the platforms of every major train station. This train is equipped with a dedicated space for people with disabilities and offers a universally accessible toilet and an access ramp so passengers in wheelchairs can travel in full autonomy.
With a capacity of 400 to 475 seats, depending on the interior layout of its long version (110 m), the OMNEO Premium train operates at speeds up to 200 km/h. This Premium version benefits from the numerous advantages of a technical platform thanks to the Regio 2N version currently in the process of certification, which will be deployed widely in the French Regions. These advantages include delivery times, initial reliability and economies of scale for operation and maintenance costs.
The OMNEO product platform integrates BOMBARDIER ECO4 technologies such as the BOMBARDIER MITRAC permanent magnet motor which allow the highest level of energy efficiency.
“With the OMNEO Premium product, Bombardier goes beyond high comfort transportation and offers a new travel experience in tune with contemporary lifestyle demands,” said Jean Bergé, President of Bombardier Transportation France. “As the Regio 2N, the first trains of the OMNEO product platform, start operating, the OMNEO Premium train will be a step ahead in terms of delivery times and reliability. Also, maintenance and operations costs will benefit substantially from the platform model.”
BOMBARDIER OMNEO Premium intercity train- Bombardier Press Picture
- The premium version of the BOMBARDIER OMNEO double deck product platform
- A train for intercity travel at 200 km/h
Inspired by French standards of luxury, the design and the quality of furnishing meet the expectations of both business and leisure passengers.
The spacious double-deck cars offer travellers an elegant interior design, in particular the highly comfortable, wide reclining seats with individual armrests, tablet, footrest, reading light and electric power supply.
The self-regulating air conditioning system and the low noise and vibration levels contribute to a quiet atmosphere ideally suited for intercity services. Focusing on passenger comfort, the architecture of the train provides extra-wide cars of 3 m width while storing the technical equipment on the roof to gain space and thus improve comfort in the passenger areas further.
With its wide doors, the train offers level access from the platforms of every major train station. This train is equipped with a dedicated space for people with disabilities and offers a universally accessible toilet and an access ramp so passengers in wheelchairs can travel in full autonomy.
With a capacity of 400 to 475 seats, depending on the interior layout of its long version (110 m), the OMNEO Premium train operates at speeds up to 200 km/h. This Premium version benefits from the numerous advantages of a technical platform thanks to the Regio 2N version currently in the process of certification, which will be deployed widely in the French Regions. These advantages include delivery times, initial reliability and economies of scale for operation and maintenance costs.
The OMNEO product platform integrates BOMBARDIER ECO4 technologies such as the BOMBARDIER MITRAC permanent magnet motor which allow the highest level of energy efficiency.
“With the OMNEO Premium product, Bombardier goes beyond high comfort transportation and offers a new travel experience in tune with contemporary lifestyle demands,” said Jean Bergé, President of Bombardier Transportation France. “As the Regio 2N, the first trains of the OMNEO product platform, start operating, the OMNEO Premium train will be a step ahead in terms of delivery times and reliability. Also, maintenance and operations costs will benefit substantially from the platform model.”
Germany
Press Release.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries joins Siemens in evaluating a potential proposal for Alstom
Munich, 2014-Jun-11
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Siemens AG today announced that they have joined forces in evaluating a potential proposal for certain assets of the French multinational conglomerate, Alstom in order to strengthen the future position of Alstom, MHI and Siemens.
MHI and Siemens will decide on the submission of a proposal to Alstom's Board of Directors by June 16.
Shunishi Miyanaga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: "MHI has been invited by Siemens to join forces and we firmly believe that we can substantially contribute to a partnership solution for Alstom which will create value for all parties involved, including the country of France". Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens: "I appreciate MHI's commitment to join our efforts and I do look forward to working together with MHI to create a long-term oriented solution for Alstom, MHI and Siemens".
OpenETCS@ITEA2: presentation of results at the annual meeting in Munich
Munich, June 12th, 2014
The OpenETCS@ITEA2 Annual review meeting took place in Munich today (http://openetcs.org/).
ERTMS Solutions (www.ertmssolutions.com) presented the results of their work over the last months:
- Model coverage is about 65% of the EVC-related requirements
- Braking curves computation corresponds to the results provided by the ERA spreadsheet
- Software bus allow easy integration of ERTMSFormalSpecs (EFS) model in any WCF-enabled environment
- Simulated DMI for driver’s interaction
Have a look at the official presentations:HERE
Spain
Bombardier Enters ERTMS Level 2 High Speed Rail Control Market in Spain.(Market Watch-The Wall Street Journal).
Competition in the Spanish passenger market approved - Railway Gazette.
USA
High-speed rail advocates see moral victory but no funding from Legislature.(MinnPost)..
A study looks into the future of high-speed rail in the United States.(Interlochen Public Radio).
www.progressiverailroading.com.
Poll question: Keep crude-oil train routes secret?.
Obama's transportation bill introduced in the House
U.S., Canadian rail traffic jumped up in June's first week
OmniTRAX to manage, operate Brownsville & Rio Grande
UP receives 'elite' service award from Hyundai GLOVIS
BART aims to test different rail-car prototypes, approves fare for Oakland airport people mover
Operation Lifesaver awards state chapter grants for education safety campaign
Railway development association elects secretary-treasurer nominee, committee officers
Rail supplier news from Miner, Bombardier, Alstom, Keolis, Timken, Ansaldo STS and Midland (June 13)
Other Railway Press
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