More infrastructure news....Crossrail's Thames Tunnel is unveiled....Croydon's Tennison Road Bridge is being replaced, and work has started on the Galashiels transport interchange.
France is experiencing the fall out of a rail strike... and who knows whether Alstom will be facing UK bribery charges.
And take a look at Christian Wolmar's video presentation of his 2010 book "Engines of War"..
Click on the links for the full stories...
Headlines
UK weighs bribery charges against Alstom.(FT.com).
HS2 National High Speed Rail College shortlist announced.(BBC News).
Network Rail.
Tennison Road bridge, near Norwood Junction, Croydon, will be closing from June 16 until spring 2015 to allow Network Rail to completely replace it with a bigger and better structure.
The bridge, which has spanned the main lines from London Bridge and Victoria to East Croydon since 1922, has to be replaced as it has reached the end of its life.
A main span of the new structure, which will be hydraulically pushed into place next Christmas, will be approximately 3.5 metres wider to allow for wider footways, safer cycling and a wider carriageway. It is due to open for public use in spring next year.
Network Rail’s enhancements manager for the South East, Mike Smith, said: “The old structure is past its use-by date and this is a great opportunity for us and Croydon Council to put something better in its place.
“We have already built a temporary footbridge so there will still be pedestrian access across the railway and it will also allow vital services, such as electricity, gas and water, to continue undisrupted while the old bridge is demolished in the coming months.
“We thank drivers and residents in the area for bearing with us as we do this vital work.”
Councillor Kathy Bee, cabinet member for transport and environment at Croydon Council, which is part-funding the replacement, said: “This is an important and necessary undertaking.
“Unfortunately, it appears there will be an overlap of these planned works with the current closure of Spring Lane bridge, which is due to be fully reopened in late July.
“However, the long-term benefits to local people and all who use the Tennison Road bridge outweigh the unavoidable inconvenience they experience while the replacement work is carried out.”
Demolition of the bridge will be a gradual process and there will be some changes to train services at various weekends during the autumn to allow for the safe removal of the existing bridge.
The main span of the new bridge will be pushed into place in one piece over Christmas and Boxing Day this year.
The bridge replacement will be carried out by contractors Graham Construction. For more information and contact details see www.graham.co.uk/tennisonroadbridge
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A main span of the new structure, which will be hydraulically pushed into place next Christmas, will be approximately 3.5 metres wider to allow for wider footways, safer cycling and a wider carriageway. It is due to open for public use in spring next year.
Network Rail’s enhancements manager for the South East, Mike Smith, said: “The old structure is past its use-by date and this is a great opportunity for us and Croydon Council to put something better in its place.
“We have already built a temporary footbridge so there will still be pedestrian access across the railway and it will also allow vital services, such as electricity, gas and water, to continue undisrupted while the old bridge is demolished in the coming months.
“We thank drivers and residents in the area for bearing with us as we do this vital work.”
Councillor Kathy Bee, cabinet member for transport and environment at Croydon Council, which is part-funding the replacement, said: “This is an important and necessary undertaking.
“Unfortunately, it appears there will be an overlap of these planned works with the current closure of Spring Lane bridge, which is due to be fully reopened in late July.
“However, the long-term benefits to local people and all who use the Tennison Road bridge outweigh the unavoidable inconvenience they experience while the replacement work is carried out.”
Demolition of the bridge will be a gradual process and there will be some changes to train services at various weekends during the autumn to allow for the safe removal of the existing bridge.
The main span of the new bridge will be pushed into place in one piece over Christmas and Boxing Day this year.
The bridge replacement will be carried out by contractors Graham Construction. For more information and contact details see www.graham.co.uk/tennisonroadbridge
Price hoping crossing threat will bridge gap with rail firm.(Oxford Mail).
Borders to Edinburgh railway: Galashiels transport interchange work starts.(BBC News).
Edinburgh Waverley
Chancellor unveils Crossrail’s new tunnels under the Thames
The ‘Thames Tunnel’, part of the £14.8bn Crossrail project, stretches for almost two miles and will help to significantly improve connections between southeast 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.
“Crossrail is not only providing extra speed and capacity for London’s passengers, but also supporting new housing, jobs and businesses."
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, 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.”
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 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.
Rail minister Stephen Hammond 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.”
Terry Morgan, Crossrail Chairman 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.”
Mike Brown MVO, Managing Director London Underground and Rail said: “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.”
Shortlist announced for National College for High Speed Rail
Four locations across the country have been shortlisted to become the home of the National College for High Speed Rail.
Four locations across the country have been shortlisted to become the home of the National College for High Speed Rail, Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock announced today (13 June 2014). The new College ‘hub’ and a number of ‘spokes’ based across the country will provide training to the next generation of engineers working on the HS2 project and beyond.
The areas shortlisted for further development are Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster and Manchester. The quality of responses was very high overall with strong bids from many locations. All bids were assessed against a range of criteria including the size and availability of a suitable site, accessibility, and the potential to develop strong links with employers and providers already operating in the sector.
Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said:
I was extremely encouraged by the level of interest that has been shown by areas across the country in being part of meeting the high speed rail skills challenge. We received a number of very strong proposals, and not all can be taken forward to the final stage. However, it is clear that there is already some excellent partnership activity taking place between education providers and the rail industry across the country which is resulting in the delivery of some outstanding provision.Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said:
For the college to be a success, it will need to bring together this expertise so we can achieve high quality skills provision in this important sector. We hope that all those locations that responded to the consultation will develop strong links with the main college site, so that as many learners as possible have access to the opportunities that HS2 and other rail engineering projects will create.
“HS2 is a vital part of our long-term economic plan, providing and safeguarding tens of thousands of jobs. The new College will equip the engineers of the future with the skills they need to secure these jobs and similar ones in the UK and across the globe.
“This new national college will operate with a ‘hub and spoke’ model, so there is huge potential for towns and cities across the country to benefit from the opportunities it will bring.”
To ensure the success of the college, BIS has appointed Terry Morgan to advise on its development. Terry Morgan is the chairman of Crossrail, chair of the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering and was previously chief executive of Tube Lines and group managing director for BAE Systems. His first task was to oversee the selection of the shortlist and he will be involved in final phase of the selection process.
Terry Morgan said:
“Engineering skills are vital to the rail industry, and I am hugely excited to be given the opportunity to help shape the design and development of the new college. We need to ensure that the college can deliver the top class training and qualifications needed, both for high speed rail and other future infrastructure projects across the country.
“I came from a vocational background, and I think the high speed rail college is a fantastic opportunity to inspire a new generation of motivated young people to follow this pathway”.
Representatives from Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster and Manchester have been invited to give presentations to an Advisory Group on Friday 27 June in order for a final decision to be made in July. The group will consist of Terry Morgan, officials from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport as well officials from HS2 Limited.
The High Speed Rail College is the first specialist National College to be developed and plans are in place to create more including in nuclear, coding and energy, in the coming years.
The development of the National College for High Speed Rail is in line with the government’s Industrial Strategy. This will help the UK economy and businesses to compete and grow as well as secure jobs and increase skills for future generations.
UK Heritage
Audley End Railway · http://www.audley-end-railway.co.uk
GCR 2015 Calendar now available | The UK's Only Main Line Heritage Railway
Swinging Sixties | North Yorkshire Moors Railway :: A steam train adventure through the stunning Yorkshire Moors
Bluebell Railway - Summer Festival 2014
National Railway Museum(NRM)
All Clear for our signal weekend
GCR 2015 Calendar now available | The UK's Only Main Line Heritage Railway
Swinging Sixties | North Yorkshire Moors Railway :: A steam train adventure through the stunning Yorkshire Moors
Bluebell Railway - Summer Festival 2014
National Railway Museum(NRM)
All Clear for our signal weekend
On the 21 and 22 of June 2014, we will be hosting a signalling weekend. The event will take place as part of the York Festival of Ideas and involve talks, tours, demonstrations and theatre performance about railway signalling.
RAILDATE - your free weekly guide to what's happening, what's new and what's onhttp://groups.yahoo.com/neo/
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Courtesy: Howard Sprenger.
Christian Wolmar - Engines of War
“Engines of War” – Christian Wolmar
How Wars Were Won & Lost On The Railways
On 28th July 2014, the world will recall
the 100th anniversary of the start
of World War 1.
With over 37 million casualties, the war proved to be truly devastating
for Europe, and indeed, the world.
In his 2010 book “Engines of War”, Christian Wolmar
argues convincingly that railways changed the very nature of war. And he takes
a close look, not at just the First World War, but earlier wars in the 19th
century which utilized the railways to
conduct their campaigns…such as the American Civil War, which was the first war
to be fought making extensive use of the railways.
In the following
“Steam Tube Productions and TRFF” collaboration, Christian Wolmar
outlines the main points of his argument.
“Engines of War” changed the world forever… never
again would the railways be viewed
solely as a benign benefactor to the world’s
progress… but as a weapon to be used to further national aspirations….
France
Eurostar unaffected ..so far
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