While the industry takes in yesterday's news of a possible Chinese investment in HS2, the Department for Transport has announced that Virgin Trains have been awarded a further extension to their WCML franchise.
More Chinese high speed lines are planned...but the latest has drawn some unfavourable remarks...phrases like "waste of money", "vanity project", "existing lines nowhere near capacity" "it will only bring the two cities involved 30 minutes closer.."....phrases that are familiar to those following the UK's HS2 saga.
And when the under utilization of current high speed lines are mentioned, there is an interesting defence to high ticket prices.....you'll have to read the answer yourself!
Click on the links for the full stories..
Headlines
(UK) Virgin wins West Coast rail bid.(BBC News)
GOV.UK.
Better journeys for passengers on the West Coast Main Line
New contract will bring £35 million worth of passenger benefits, including 5,500 extra standard-class seats per day.
A new deal for rail services on the West Coast Main Line that will bring thousands more seats, free wi-fi and pave the way for new journeys on the route has been awarded to West Coast Trains Limited (Virgin), Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced today (19 June 2014).
The direct award contract will run for 2 years and 9 months and see the train operator continue to provide vital passenger journeys between London, Scotland and Wales as the government forges ahead with its multi-billion pound investment to improve and maintain our railways.
The new contract will bring £35 million worth of passenger benefits, including:
- 21 first-class carriages converted to standard class, delivering 5,500 extra standard seats per day across the network
- free wi-fi at stations and improved coverage across the entire fleet
- more than £20 million invested to modernise and enhance stations, including improving waiting rooms, seats and shelters
- £2.5 million to improve the interiors of the Pendolino train fleet, as well as £2.75 million spent on improving catering facilities
- improved station cleanliness and accessibility
- new targets for passenger satisfaction, train punctuality and cleanliness
- plans developed to increase car parking at Carlisle, Lancaster and Stafford
This deal will provide thousands more seats and better journeys for the tens of thousands of passengers who use these services every day. The West Coast provides a vital artery between London and Scotland and it is crucial we do everything we can to improve services on this much-used route.The deal covers a strategically important route in the UK providing commuter, leisure and business journeys between:
This is further proof of our commitment to get the best deal for passengers and taxpayers with Virgin set to pay more than £430 million to run the franchise. It’s all part of our long-term economic plan to drive forward our economy and provide better services now and great services with HS2.
- London
- the West Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Merseyside
- Strathclyde
- Lothian
Find out more about the West Coast rail franchise
The company has also committed to working with Network Rail, communities and stakeholders to look at how further improvements in journey times can be made from London to Scotland. This includes work to remodel Carstairs junction – a significant bottleneck on the network. Patrick McCall, Virgin Trains Executive Co-Chairman, said:
We’re delighted to have reached a deal after some tough negotiations with the DfT. It puts the problems of 2012 firmly behind us, and shows the clear benefits of a well-run franchise system.The company will now submit plans to the Office of Rail Regulation to extend current services from London. Under the plans Shrewsbury would have 2 services in each direction Monday to Saturday and 1 service in each direction on Sunday. Blackpool North would have 1 service in each direction Monday to Friday.
This deal is great news for passengers and taxpayers, with significant benefits for our customers as well as a big increase in the money we pay to government. We know wi-fi is high on our customers’ priorities and we’re delighted that we’re going to be able to offer them free and super-fast wi-fi. Together with thousands of extra seats and plans for new services, this deal will mean big improvements for millions of Virgin Trains passengers.
As part of the deal the company has committed to employing at least 30 apprentices, 18 traineeships, four Network Rail Track and Train graduate placements, 12 Virgin Red Track scheme participants and 12 ex-offenders through the St Giles Trust. The new agreement will run until April 2017 when a new competed long-term franchise is expected to commence.
The contract is the sixth direct award to be delivered by the department following the relaunch of its franchising schedule in March last year. Industry expert Richard Brown in his independent report into franchising had advised staggering competitions to make them more deliverable. The government announced a programme of direct awards to deliver this.
(UK) DFT urged to make best rail deal for Lincolnshire as bids come in.(Lincolnshire Echo)
(UK) ‘Depressed’ rates picking up for European intermodal operators.(Lloyd's Loading List)
(France)French rail strike enters second week.(BBC News)
(UK) Asbestos adds £1m to Didcot Parkway railway station revamp costs.(BBC News)
(UK)Maiden Newton railway work 'keeps residents awake'(BBC News)
(UK) Ramp access to Backwell and Nailsea station postponed.(BBC News)
(UK)Greater Anglia apologises over London to Norwich train disruption.(BBC News)
(UK)Glasgow 2014: Trains staff agree Games payments(BBC News)
(UK)Slowing HS2 trains 'could increase CO2 emissions'.(The Telegraph)
(UK)Shocking footage of three men jumping onto railway line just minutes before a train.(The Argus)
(UK) Network Rail
Track renewals team complete record one kilometre in one night for Network Rail / South West Trains Alliance
A team renewing the railway in Hampshire broke records when they improved more than a kilometre of ballast – the stone chippings the track sits on – in one night.
It was the first time that length of renewal had been achieved in under eight hours on the British railway network. The record, which was broken on Wednesday, June 11, was set thanks to excellent teamwork on the project and also the unique Network Rail / South West Trains Alliance.
Alliance chief executive Tim Shoveller said: “This is a perfect example of how work that would once have required a weekend closure can now be done overnight during the week – meaning fewer bus replacements for passengers. Because we work as an Alliance we were able to work with the high-output team to maximise the benefits of their skills, giving them longer on the track, while rerouting and retiming trains to keep disruption to passengers to a minimum. As a result, our customers are enjoying a more comfortable and quiet ride, and with less disruption in the long-term.”
Network Rail’s project director of high output, Ben Brooks, said: “It’s fantastic to see this team and equipment being used to its full capability and we were only able to do that thanks to the access we get from the Alliance. It’s a win-win for passengers as we are able to renew more of the railway more quickly, meaning we are actually less disruptive in the long run.”
The High Output Ballast Cleaner is one of the longest trains on the network, consisting of the cleaner itself and a string of conveyor ballast wagons. The cleaner scoops up the ballast the track sits on, before then sieving out any small, broken pieces and replacing them with the same weight in fresh stone. This provides a safe, well-drained and quiet bed for the track to sit on.
The work on June 11 took place between 9pm and 4.50am. More than 1,000 tonnes of new stone was laid from 21 wagons in just under three hours
See also: Overhead line equipment - Delays explained - Network Rail
Alliance chief executive Tim Shoveller said: “This is a perfect example of how work that would once have required a weekend closure can now be done overnight during the week – meaning fewer bus replacements for passengers. Because we work as an Alliance we were able to work with the high-output team to maximise the benefits of their skills, giving them longer on the track, while rerouting and retiming trains to keep disruption to passengers to a minimum. As a result, our customers are enjoying a more comfortable and quiet ride, and with less disruption in the long-term.”
Network Rail’s project director of high output, Ben Brooks, said: “It’s fantastic to see this team and equipment being used to its full capability and we were only able to do that thanks to the access we get from the Alliance. It’s a win-win for passengers as we are able to renew more of the railway more quickly, meaning we are actually less disruptive in the long run.”
The High Output Ballast Cleaner is one of the longest trains on the network, consisting of the cleaner itself and a string of conveyor ballast wagons. The cleaner scoops up the ballast the track sits on, before then sieving out any small, broken pieces and replacing them with the same weight in fresh stone. This provides a safe, well-drained and quiet bed for the track to sit on.
The work on June 11 took place between 9pm and 4.50am. More than 1,000 tonnes of new stone was laid from 21 wagons in just under three hours
See also: Overhead line equipment - Delays explained - Network Rail
£24m Doddle joint venture rolls out across UK
Doddle, the UK’s first fully dedicated, staffed, online shopping collection and returns service located in railway stations and major hubs has announced it will open in 300 new locations in the next three years, creating 3,000 jobs.
The unique £24 million company is partnering with some of the nation’s biggest retailers including ASOS and New Look, with many more to follow.
In addition to the pilot store in Milton Keynes station, the first Doddle shops to be opened will include London Waterloo (which last year enjoyed a footfall in excess of 100 million), Bromley South, Brighton, Chelmsford and London Cannon Street.
Open seven days a week, early until late, the Doddle shops will fit in with people’s busy lifestyles and enable them to choose exactly how, when and where they send, return and receive parcels. Many will feature changing rooms and there is an easy-to-use website and notifications service through SMS and email.
Doddle is an independent, standalone limited company, with Network Rail and Lloyd Dorfman holding equal majority shareholdings.
This is the latest venture for Lloyd Dorfman, who will act as Doddle chairman and is best known for founding the world’s largest retail foreign exchange business, Travelex. He said: “I signed the Doddle joint venture contract literally hours after signing the recent Travelex deal. We intend to take the experience of creating a challenger brand to provide a game-changing service for millions of online shoppers.”
Doddle’s research reveals 59% of British consumers, equivalent to 30 million, now use click and collect¹ (up from 45%, equivalent to 23 million, six months ago²) but they would be more likely to use the service if there was a more convenient method of making returns.
Any retailer can offer the service, with customers of the nation’s biggest online stores already selecting the Doddle option at the checkout. Leading brands offering the service include ASOS, the online fashion retailer; New Look, the leading multi-channel fast fashion retailer; and T.M. Lewin, the business wear specialist, with more brands to be announced soon. Both New Look and T.M. Lewin are using Doddle to sit alongside their existing click and collect and next day delivery services.
The Doddle service is the only one of its kind that is available to every retailer, e-tailer, parcel carrier and shipper, creating a network of dedicated single points for the collection, return and sending of parcels. This open access approach will enable retailers and carriers to enhance and complement their existing delivery offering, plus allow consumers to combine collections and returns from multiple retailers into one trip at a time that suits them or coincides with an already planned journey.
Tim Robinson, chief executive at Doddle, who was previously route managing director, Sussex at Network Rail and has been responsible for driving the development of the Doddle concept within the business, said: “We created Doddle to improve the online shopping experience. We’re not another “me too” click and collect offer, it’s a game-changing service consumers are crying out for but no one else can provide.
“We offer a premium service with contemporary shops, advanced technology and highly trained staff delivering a dedicated customer experience. It is the next major step in online shopping, providing a parcel collection, returns and delivery service that has customer choice and convenience at its very heart. What’s more, we are delivery carrier and retailer agnostic so any brand can offer the Doddle service to their customers.”
Robin Gisby, Network Rail's managing director, network operations said: "More people are travelling by rail than ever before and stations have become more than just a place to wait for, or get off a train. We've adapted to passengers' changing needs and now offer quality retail, food and drink at our biggest stations, such as London Waterloo.
"Introducing Doddle to stations will enable us to reinvest our profits back into the railway and is a natural next step to help passengers and people who work and live near stations, whose lives are increasingly busy and on the move."
Open seven days a week, early until late, the Doddle shops will fit in with people’s busy lifestyles and enable them to choose exactly how, when and where they send, return and receive parcels. Many will feature changing rooms and there is an easy-to-use website and notifications service through SMS and email.
Doddle is an independent, standalone limited company, with Network Rail and Lloyd Dorfman holding equal majority shareholdings.
This is the latest venture for Lloyd Dorfman, who will act as Doddle chairman and is best known for founding the world’s largest retail foreign exchange business, Travelex. He said: “I signed the Doddle joint venture contract literally hours after signing the recent Travelex deal. We intend to take the experience of creating a challenger brand to provide a game-changing service for millions of online shoppers.”
Doddle’s research reveals 59% of British consumers, equivalent to 30 million, now use click and collect¹ (up from 45%, equivalent to 23 million, six months ago²) but they would be more likely to use the service if there was a more convenient method of making returns.
Any retailer can offer the service, with customers of the nation’s biggest online stores already selecting the Doddle option at the checkout. Leading brands offering the service include ASOS, the online fashion retailer; New Look, the leading multi-channel fast fashion retailer; and T.M. Lewin, the business wear specialist, with more brands to be announced soon. Both New Look and T.M. Lewin are using Doddle to sit alongside their existing click and collect and next day delivery services.
The Doddle service is the only one of its kind that is available to every retailer, e-tailer, parcel carrier and shipper, creating a network of dedicated single points for the collection, return and sending of parcels. This open access approach will enable retailers and carriers to enhance and complement their existing delivery offering, plus allow consumers to combine collections and returns from multiple retailers into one trip at a time that suits them or coincides with an already planned journey.
Tim Robinson, chief executive at Doddle, who was previously route managing director, Sussex at Network Rail and has been responsible for driving the development of the Doddle concept within the business, said: “We created Doddle to improve the online shopping experience. We’re not another “me too” click and collect offer, it’s a game-changing service consumers are crying out for but no one else can provide.
“We offer a premium service with contemporary shops, advanced technology and highly trained staff delivering a dedicated customer experience. It is the next major step in online shopping, providing a parcel collection, returns and delivery service that has customer choice and convenience at its very heart. What’s more, we are delivery carrier and retailer agnostic so any brand can offer the Doddle service to their customers.”
Robin Gisby, Network Rail's managing director, network operations said: "More people are travelling by rail than ever before and stations have become more than just a place to wait for, or get off a train. We've adapted to passengers' changing needs and now offer quality retail, food and drink at our biggest stations, such as London Waterloo.
"Introducing Doddle to stations will enable us to reinvest our profits back into the railway and is a natural next step to help passengers and people who work and live near stations, whose lives are increasingly busy and on the move."
UK Office of Rail Regulation. (ORR)
Regulator publishes latest quarterly rail passenger complaints statistics
19 June 2014
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has today published a new statistical release on 'Passenger Rail Service Satisfaction' which contains information on complaints from passengers on various aspects of rail services from 2002-03 up until 31 March 2014.
Latest quarterly figures (between 01 January and 31 March 2014) show:
- There were 34 complaints per 100,000 train journeys, a decrease of 9.1% compared with the same quarter last year.
- 43.7% (72,746) of all complaints were about the punctuality/reliability of trains, with this category continuing to have the highest number of complaints. This period also saw a persistence of extreme weather conditions across Great Britain leading to a worsening of train punctuality measures.
- Email was the main method of complaint for passengers in 2013-14, and it was the most popular contact method for 15 out of the 19 franchised operating companies. For 12 of these companies over 50% of complaints were received by email.
The current methodology does not capture complaints received through social media platforms. ORR has recently surveyed train operators to understand if and how social media complaints are captured and recorded, and the regulator will publish a report on recording complaints through social media platforms later in the year.
To join the conversation and share views on Twitter at #openrail.
Read the full 'Passenger Rail Service Satisfaction pdf icon PDF, 647 Kb' statistical release.
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(Germany) Siemens and Mitsubishi submit bid for Alstom (IRJ)
(Afghanistan)
www.smartrailworld.com
U.S. military working to get Afghanistan rail network on track.
Afghanistan is a country with a very limited rail heritage and well documented political, security and infrastructure challenges. However with Mazar-e-Sharif becoming the first Afghan city to be connected to the outside world by rail, the country is beginning to see the start of a planned nationwide rail system that is seen as essential to the nation’s economic growth. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) rail advisory teams have been working for years to help Afghanistan develop the regulations and skills needed for a national rail network.
But with ISAF forces pulling out the emphasis is shifting to local officials and engineers to lead the development of a rail network. A rail network that connects not only Afghan cities but also trading points in neighbouring countries is viewed as essential for development of the country. Especially considering the country’s large mineral deposits that include iron ore, gold, coal and oil which remain largely untapped. The potential for Afghanistan is huge, according to government reports, it is estimated that there is in excess of $1 trillion of iron ore in the ground and rail is seen as essential to its transport and by extension the future of the country. Today SmartRail World gains an insight into the work of the US military with the development of Afghan rail with a guest contribution from Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Lawn (US Army) in an article originally published on a US military news website.
USA
California High-Speed Rail Finally Finds the Funding It Needs.(CityLab).
www.progressiverailroading.com.
(China)
Plans for High-Speed Rail Line Backed by Private, Foreign Money Progress.(Caixin Online).
(China)
Masses left behind with rail projects.(Ecns.cn)
(Estonia)
Baltic countries step forward on joint speed rail connections: media.(Xinhua News Agency via Global Post)
Other Railway Press
www.railway-technology.com
Stadler Rail delivers final FLIRT train to Estonia's Elron
Estonian railway operator Elron is set to take delivery of its final FLIRT train from Stadler Rail, as part of the delivery and leasing contracts signed by the two companies in 2010.
Virgin Trains to continue to run West Coast Main Line franchise
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded a contract to Virgin Trains to continue operating the West Coast Main Line, a major intercity railway route in the country.
Skytrain construction begins on North West Rail Link project
New South Wales (NSW) transport minister Gladys Berejiklian has announced that work has started on the skytrain and the new Kellyville railway station, as part of the NSW government's $8.3bn North West Rail Link project.
UK and China sign MoU for rail design and construction
UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang have agreed to allow both the countries' rail industries to work together, in order to strengthen economic growth, jobs and skills.
Think Railways
Europe’s railways absorb EUR 36 billion of public subsidies a year
UITP: Public transport use at highest level in EU since 2000
EU push for better travel planning solutions
UK Heritage
Stephenson200:world-premiere play celebrating the amazing George Stephenson 15 - 19 JULY
Stephenson200
Daily Event: 19:30 to 21:00 (BST)
Killingworth, United Kingdom
Do you have questions about Stephenson200:world-premiere play celebrating the amazing George Stephenson 15 - 19 JULY? Contact Stephenson200
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