The sea wall at Dawlish is to be raised, and further improvements are needed on the Barnstaple to Exeter line.
Northern leaders are to discuss high speed rail, but the Telegraph suggests that they think in terms of a mega metro to link the key cities...a Northern Tube....
The contribution of the railways to the national economy is discussed in a report from the Rail Delivery Group.
China may have an amazing 6,800 mile high speed network, but since most trains run at a loss, why build more...
And worrying reports about the high speed terminal in Hong Kong.
The critics may have a point regarding US high speed rail, but work on California's line is due to start on Monday!
Today's edition also includes "Raildate", looking at the past week....and future railway heritage events.
Thanks to Howard Sprenger.
Click on the links for the full stories...
Headlines
UK
Storm-hit Dawlish rail line: Sea wall to be raised.(BBC News).
Call for further improvements to the railway line between Barnstaple and Exeter.(North Devon Journal).
Forget high-speed rail, we need a Tube system in the north.(The Telegraph).
Council leaders to discuss high speed rail.(The Northern Echo).
Worcestershire Parkway railway station wins funding.(BBC News).
Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway
Rail Delivery Group.
Rail sector contributes billions to UK economy – new report
09/07/2014
The size and value of the rail industry to the UK economy are detailed for the first time in a report published today by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
Prepared for the RDG by economic consultants Oxera, the report highlights the importance of the rail industry to UK plc, showing how:
Between 2006 and 2010, rail journeys in the UK increased faster than in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland even though the decline in GDP here was greater than all of those countries except Italy.
Oxera estimates further that the way rail services are operated in the UK, a partnership between the public and private sectors, could have benefited the economy by as much as £7.2bn in 2013. As well as encouraging more growth in volumes of rail freight, it may have generated additional growth in passenger journeys of between 0.5% and 1.5% per year since the mid 1990s.
Commenting on the report, Martin Griffiths, chairman of the RDG, which brings together Network Rail and passenger and freight operators, and chief executive of Stagecoach Group, said:
“We have the best railway in Europe. Now we know how important the railway and its supply chain are to every household in the country, creating employment, paying taxes and increasing economic output.
“Like the UK, other European countries have invested heavily in their railways but none has come close to matching our industry’s success because they do not benefit from the winning combination of private sector innovation and government investment.
“Even though our economy shrunk more than many on the continent, our railway defied previous recessions and grew, maintaining a key public service during the worst downturn in decades. Our railway has been transformed in the last 15 years into the best in Europe, and our aim is to make it even better for passengers and businesses.”
ENDS
The size and value of the rail industry to the UK economy are detailed for the first time in a report published today by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
Prepared for the RDG by economic consultants Oxera, the report highlights the importance of the rail industry to UK plc, showing how:
- the railway and its supply chain have an economic footprint of £9.3bn, employ 212,000 people and pay £3.9bn a year in tax, offsetting nearly all of the £4bn the industry receives from government;
- rail services increase the output of the rest of the economy by as much as £10.2bn a year – equivalent to £386 for every household in Britain – mainly by reducing road congestion and increasing productivity; and
- travel by rail reduces carbon emissions by up to 7.4m tonnes annually and prevents as many as 950 serious and fatal accidents per year
Between 2006 and 2010, rail journeys in the UK increased faster than in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland even though the decline in GDP here was greater than all of those countries except Italy.
Oxera estimates further that the way rail services are operated in the UK, a partnership between the public and private sectors, could have benefited the economy by as much as £7.2bn in 2013. As well as encouraging more growth in volumes of rail freight, it may have generated additional growth in passenger journeys of between 0.5% and 1.5% per year since the mid 1990s.
Commenting on the report, Martin Griffiths, chairman of the RDG, which brings together Network Rail and passenger and freight operators, and chief executive of Stagecoach Group, said:
“We have the best railway in Europe. Now we know how important the railway and its supply chain are to every household in the country, creating employment, paying taxes and increasing economic output.
“Like the UK, other European countries have invested heavily in their railways but none has come close to matching our industry’s success because they do not benefit from the winning combination of private sector innovation and government investment.
“Even though our economy shrunk more than many on the continent, our railway defied previous recessions and grew, maintaining a key public service during the worst downturn in decades. Our railway has been transformed in the last 15 years into the best in Europe, and our aim is to make it even better for passengers and businesses.”
ENDS
How much better off is Britain following the 1993 Railways Act?
10/07/2014
- Up to a third of the 4% average annual increase in rail journeys since the mid 1990s has come from the changes to the industry model; combined with growth in freight, this was worth as much as £7.2bn to the UK economy in 2013, according to Oxera.
- The railway and its supply chain return £3.9bn in tax to the Exchequer a year, offsetting nearly all of the £4bn that rail receives in government funding.
- Passenger rail services performed with markedly more resilience during the most recent economic downturn than in previous recessions with journeys increasing by 5% while the economy shrunk by around 6%. In previous recessions rail journeys dipped further than GDP or effectively stopped growing.
ENDS
- Up to a third of the 4% average annual increase in rail journeys since the mid 1990s has come from the changes to the industry model; combined with growth in freight, this was worth as much as £7.2bn to the UK economy in 2013, according to Oxera.
- The railway and its supply chain return £3.9bn in tax to the Exchequer a year, offsetting nearly all of the £4bn that rail receives in government funding.
- Passenger rail services performed with markedly more resilience during the most recent economic downturn than in previous recessions with journeys increasing by 5% while the economy shrunk by around 6%. In previous recessions rail journeys dipped further than GDP or effectively stopped growing.
ENDS
London St Pancras and London King's Cross
UK Heritage
Half price travel for kids over summer holidays (Preston)
Timetable | North Yorkshire Moors Railway :: A steam train adventure through the stunning Yorkshire Moors.
What's on - Plan a visit - National Railway Museum
International
China
China should not expand bullet train network: Expert (ZeeNews.India).
Deep cracks found in ceiling of Hong Kong high-speed railway terminus.(South China Morning Post).
6,800 miles of fast track - Inside China's incredible high speed rail system - CNNMoney.
France
Sénat approves French railway reforms - Railway Gazette
Temple station map - Paris Metro
4th July 2014.
President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin sums up Company's performance during 1H 2014.
During a conference call on 4 July 2014, Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, summed up the railway network's operational performance during January-June 2014.
According to Yakunin, in the first half of 2014, tariff turnover increased by 5.6% due to a 7% increase in the average distance over which freight was transported and a reorientation of freight traffic to ports, with the highest increase being recorded in Russia's Far Eastern region. During January-June, the railways shipped 599.5 million tons of freight, 1% less than during the same period in 2013. From the beginning of the year, the largest decline in loading volumes occurred with construction goods, which fell by 15.2%, black coal, down by 0.9%, cement, down by 6.2%, and imported goods, which dropped by 16.4%.
"The completion of a number of major investment projects, in particular the construction of the Olympic facilities and the development of Sochi, was reflected appropriately in the growth rates of loaded building materials," said Vladimir Yakunin.
The slowdown in exports was caused by the deteriorating conditions on foreign markets. In the near future, a slowdown in loading of oil and petroleum-related products is also predicted due to repairs at a number of refineries.
At the same time, Russian Railways has increased the efficiency of its cargo complex on quality indicators of rolling stock use, such as routing speed, the average weight of the freight trains and the average daily productivity of each locomotive. In addition, a reduction in the specific consumption of electricity and diesel fuel across the whole network has been achieved.
"In June 2014, the block speed of loaded wagons was 524 km/day, 4 km/day more than last year," said Vladimir Yakunin. "At the same time, the block speed of freight trains without excluding train standing time for reasons outside the control of Russian Railways, was 569 km/day, while the block speed of container trains was 892 km/day, an increase of 1.6%. The block speed on the project "Transsiberian in 7 days" was 1,084 km/day, an increase of 3.1% compared to last year."
"It should be noted that we have ensured a positive trend in increasing freight delivery times - in June we exceeded 300 km/day. Among other things, that proves that we have reduced losses at marshalling yards and freight stations," said Yakunin.
The block speed of a freight train takes into account the speed on the stretch, as well as the time spent standing at intermediate stations, time spent on operations at technical stations, such as a change of locomotives and locomotive crews, and technical inspections of the wagons.
Delivery times from the sender to the final recipient also take into account the speed at which the freight moves and all types of standing time, including at marshalling yards and loading and unloading stations.
USA
California High-Speed Rail—the Critics' Case.(The Atlantic) .
First high-speed rail demolition set for Monday.(visaliatimesdelta).
Other Railway Press
Raildate
RAILDATE - your free weekly guide to what's happening, what's new and what's on
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NETWATCH
It's been a few years since I mentioned Joe Peralta. He combines his interest in Amercian
railroads with motor-biking and mountain-biking to give very individual accounts of his various
exploits. Start here:http://gazette9.com/index.htm
Mike Morant has been busy with a wide variety of uploads to his web galleries:
Overseas trams in colour and a solitary (Bombay) bushttp://mikemorant.smugmug.com/
AT&SF - Santa Fe Railway - nearly all pre-war including a spectacular derailmenthttp://mikemorant.smugmug.com/
Cuban sugar mills steamhttp://mikemorant.smugmug.com/
The last of his 1950s own Brownie 127 negatives finally sorted outhttp://tinyurl.com/og3bhdu
The Ulster steam archive that used to be on his Fotopic web sitehttp://mikemorant.smugmug.com/
Mike's Irish narrow gauge negatives 64 of which have never had a public showing on the web:http://mikemorant.smugmug.com/
Modelling Bakewell Station - DMU Camhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
(Spotter: Nick Wheat)
Carrying The Load - London Midland & Scottish Railway Documentaryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
48151 with the Fellsman, 10th Julyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
British Rail modern traction locomotive classes - Wikipedia articlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Steam locomotives of British Railways - Wikipedia articlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
(Spotter: Ted Millward)
"Tornado" over Shaphttp://www.
Railhead rotational planinghttp://www.therailengineer.
Rebuilding the "Varsity" linehttp://www.therailengineer.
Railway equipment exhibitionhttp://www.therailengineer.
Holiday cottage with private halthttp://www.snowdoniamanor.co.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Video of Trawsfynydd branch and FR around Blaenauhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Footbaths on Japanese Shinkansen trainshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
(Spotter: Neil Kearns)
Nottingham City centre the mid 1960s - with trolleybuseshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Live webcam for Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, in North Platte, Nebraskahttp://visitnorthplatte.com/
Safety in Paradise - Air New Zealand safety videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
(Spotter: Richard Buckby)
See Where They Rust: 1966 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1Ahttp://bringatrailer.com/2014/
(Spotter: Alan Rushworth)
Red Arrows founder member Henry Prince on 50 years of flying highhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
A short history of British Standard Colourshttp://cpwstonehouse.com/
============
IN THE NEWS
Battle for UK’s railways has only just begunhttp://tinyurl.com/qxerm7z
Should we renationalise the railways?http://www.theguardian.com/uk-
Network Rail in record £53m fine for late trainshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Network Rail fine to help pay for faster train wi-fi (possibly using transmission capacity
reserved for ERTMS cab signalling)http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Who, what, why: What's happening to wi-fi on trains?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Plans for railway line between Tavistock and Plymouth to push aheadhttp://tinyurl.com/o6ybkz2
http://tinyurl.com/kxrz8zn
http://tinyurl.com/nspyxx5
Call for further improvements to the railway line between Barnstaple and Exeterhttp://tinyurl.com/n9uqjof
Giant mural unveiled on historic Brunel Shedshttp://www.bucksfreepress.co.
Campaign to reopen Winchester-Didcot railwayhttp://tinyurl.com/q9acba4
Funding plan for £10m Thanet Parkway railway stationhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Trains delayed after lorry is involved in accident on railway bridge in Trowsehttp://tinyurl.com/ox5d2eo
£15m boost for railway station cycling facilitieshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Daventry freight terminal expansion approvedhttp://www.globalrailnews.com/
First glimpse of new Wolverhampton railway stationhttp://tinyurl.com/nhs5fvr
East Midlands Airport rail project to bypass local planning officershttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Partnership is just the ticket for Peak District travelhttp://tinyurl.com/opn54o9
Two in court over 'Freedom Rider' Sheffield train protesthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Sheffield railway worker to raise £100,000 for Poppy Appealhttp://tinyurl.com/oeoeqxc
Compensation offer after Merseyside railway delayshttp://tinyurl.com/nv92xe3
Rail worker hurt as hole collapses in Staffordhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
RAIB report on trackman hit by a train near Redhill in Junehttp://www.raib.gov.uk/
ITV News link to the above incident shows the now withdrawn Gatwick Express class 460 stock!http://tinyurl.com/m999wcl
Double fatality on level crossing near Lincolnhttp://home.bt.com/news/
Closure of Barry signal box marks the end of an erahttp://tinyurl.com/km4dfpf
Free public transport threatened in Northern Irelandhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
DfT makes English regions geography blundershttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
£1m grant for GCR reunificationhttp://www.gcrailway.co.uk/
Country house with its own railway station goes on sale for £425,000http://tinyurl.com/nuunsdv
Funding agreed for Midland Metro expansionhttp://tinyurl.com/oergo27
Eurotunnel train stopped in Channel Tunnel by power faulthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
NS: Off the railshttp://www.dutchnews.nl/
Train travellers cross about 'basic fee' on smartcardshttp://www.dutchnews.nl/news/
Boeing 737 fuselages damaged in train derailmenthttp://tinyurl.com/ob6c5cc
Cuba completes Mariel port rail linkhttp://tinyurl.com/k5r9xh4
Narendra Modi faces uphill task to put Indian Railways on trackhttp://tinyurl.com/ksf5cdl
Edinburgh trams will continue to sound bells for public safetyhttp://www.globalrailnews.com/
Trams with surfboard racks to enter service in Queenslandhttp://www.globalrailnews.com/
Krakow orders new tramshttp://www.globalrailnews.com/
Transport for London makes capital's buses cash-freehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Bus accident on Putney Bridgehttp://www.itv.com/news/
New £2.9m Andover bus station nears completionhttp://tinyurl.com/nejfpwz
60mph motorway speed limit plan shelvedhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Motor races could be held on public roads says Cameronhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal storm repairs completehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Torpoint ferry suspended as part of Public Sector pay & pensions disputehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Portsmouth miniature ships launch for charityhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Car carrier’s cargo gets tossed in heavy seashttp://gcaptain.com/watch-car-
Costa Concordia: Countdown to Refloating and Removal Has Begunhttp://gcaptain.com/costa-
£2bn to move wild-life for Thames Estuary airporthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
New Scottish Easy Jet routeshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
RAF Waddington runway to be rebuilthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Planes in 'near miss' at Barcelona airporthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Avianca's return to Heathrowhttp://www.flightglobal.com/
RAF Rivet Joint completes first in-flight refuellinghttp://tinyurl.com/nt7k2dk
Jersey aircraft register law passedhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Abandoned fleet of WWII fighter planes lie rotting in the backwoods of Ohiohttp://tinyurl.com/o7ts2ss
The airborne panopticon: How plane-mounted cameras watch entire citieshttp://tinyurl.com/n7zlecj
Venezuela's airport 'breathing' taxhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Miller Argent welcomes £12m Aberthaw coal investmenthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Ted Millward, Reg Nerps, Mike Price, Alan Rushworth,
Pete Yarlett
============
TV and RADIO
12/07/14 Channel 5 2000-2100
"MH370: the Flight that Vanished"
13/07/14 Channel 4 1900-2245
"Titanic" The 1997 movie (in case you missed it...)
13/07/14 BBC4 2000-2100
"Ford's Dagenham Dream"
14/07/14 Channel 5 1900-2000
"Supersyscrapers: Shanghai Tower"
15/07/14 BBC4 2100-2245
"Made in Dagenham" 2010 comedy drama set at the car plant
15/07/14 BBC4 2245-2345
"Ford's Dagenham Dream"
16/07/14 BBC4 2000-2100
"Indian Hill Railways" 1/3 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
16/07/14 BBC2 2100-2200
"The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway" The Crossrail story 1/3
17/07/14 ITV1 2240-2340
"Robbie Coltrane: B-Road Britain" In a 1950s car 3/3
17/07/14 BBC2 2320-0020
"The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway" The Crossrail story 1/3
18/07/14 Channel 5 2000-2100
"On the Yorkshire Buses" East Yorkshire Motor Services 2/8
============
EVENTS
All details are correct to the best of my knowledge, but no responsibility is accepted for
inaccuracies or changes.
12/07/14- Swanage 35 Gala
13/07/14 http://www.swanagerailway.co.
12/07/14- Hartlepool Model Railway Club: 2014 Hornby Live Exhibition
13/07/14 Hartlepool College, Stockton Road, Hartlepool, Durham, TS24 7LB
1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun)
Adult: £6.00, Concession: £5.00, Child: £4.00, Family: £18.00
13/07/14 Romsey Signal Box open day in association with La Ronde Gardens tour of Romsey
Admission free (donations welcome!)
1000-1800
off Latham Road, Romsey, SO51 7DB
Parking available at the Nightingale Surgery near the top of Greatwell Drivehttp://www.romseysignalbox.
13/07/14 Great Central Railway: Leyland Society Annual Eventhttp://www.gcrailway.co.uk/
14/07/14 Newbury and District Transport Group
The Community Space, Kennet School, Stoney Lane, Thatcham, RG19 4LL
1915 for a prompt 1930 start
"50 years of Road Transport" by Steve Wimbush
Non-members welcome
Admission and car parking free, but donations towards expenses welcome
19/07/14 Railway Film Show
St Mary's Church Hall, Thornhill Road, Ponteland, Newcastle, NE20 9PZ
Archive films (BTF films shown with the permission of the BFI)
Admission free, retiring collection, doughnuts at the interval
1500 and 1930http://ponthistsoc.blogspot.
http://www.pontelandstmary.co.
19/07/14 The Battlefield Line: Anstey Royale Chalfort Morris Dancershttp://www.battlefieldline.co.
19/07/14- Rushton, Higham & Wellingborough Railway: Teddy Bears Picnic
20/07/14 http://www.rhts.co.uk
19/07/14- World Heritage Discovery Day Railway Exhibition
20/07/14 Also Railway Walk and Butterley Gangroad Project Update
No 28 Community Hall, Market Place, Belperhttp://tinyurl.com/la2vzvy
19/07/14- Foxfield Railway: Steam Gala
20/07/14 http://www.foxfieldrailway.co.
19/07/14- Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Classic Transport Weekend
20/07/14 http://www.e-v-r.com
20/07/14 Mid-Hants Railway: Alton Bus Rallyhttp://www.watercressline.co.
20/07/14 Wimborne District Society of Model Engineers: Open Dayhttp://wdsme.co.uk/
22/07/14 Winchester: Chesil Railway and Tunnel Tourhttp://
22/07/14- Great Central Railway: Teddy Bears Picnic
24/07/14 http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/
25/07/14- The Battlefield Line: Rails & Ales
27/07/14 http://www.battlefieldline.co.
26/07/14 Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum: Gathering Saturday Trolleydayhttp://www.sandtoft.org
27/07/14 Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum: Sandtoft Gatheringhttp://www.sandtoft.org
28/07/14 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: British Legion Dayhttp://www.e-v-r.com
Cheers, Howard.
editor(at)raildate.co.uk replace (at) with @
Raildate may be freely distributed without permission as long as no changes whatsoever are made
to the original document distributed by the Editor
You can subscribe to Raildate here: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/
Facebook discussion group: http://www.facebook.com/
Issues of Raildate up to 18th December 2009 are archived at: http://www.raildate.co.uk
This page includes a master catalogue of items that have appeared in previous editions
(C) Howard Sprenger 2014
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