This is not a good time to travel on the railways..... engineering works on the WCML, a strike on the Central Line of the London Underground.... several strikes looming for the hard pressed Irish Railways.(Iarnród Éireann)..and price rises next year, about which Christian Wolmar gives us his views.
And in the USA, a press release from the Federal Railway Administration regarding sizable grants given to help mitigate the risks on smaller railroads when hazardous goods are carried......
Click on the links....
Headlines
UK
Rail subsidies fall 40% in five years.(FT.com)
Bank Holiday rail misery as West Coast Mainline shuts over three-day weekend.(Manchester Evening News)
Network Rail Press Release.
Passengers advised of upgrade work affecting rail services between Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Telford this bank holiday weekend.
Passengers planning to travel between Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Telford over the bank holiday weekend are being urged to check before they travel as upgrade work on the rail network will mean changes to train services.
As part of its commitment to provide a safe, reliable and efficient railway, Network Rail will upgrade signalling in the area and renew level crossings, including the Noose Lane level crossing near Wolverhampton.
Much of the work can only take place when trains are not running and to keep disruption to a minimum, lines in the area will be closed over the bank holiday weekend which is traditionally a quieter time on the railway.
The work will take place from late on Saturday night, all day Sunday and Monday with the railway reopening as usual on Tuesday. Alternative routes and bus replacement services may be used both of which could mean longer journeys than usual.
Liam Sumpter, area director for Network Rail, said: “There is never a good time to close the railway so we plan our upgrade and maintenance work to take place at a time which will cause the least disruption to the fewest number of people.
“Upgrading the signalling along this section of railway and renewing level crossings will help to provide a more reliable railway which will cause fewer delays in the future.
“I apologise for any disruption caused and advise passengers to check before they travel for the latest information.”
A further closure will be required to complete the resignalling work and Network Rail is working with affected train operators to confirm and publicise these dates as soon as possible.
For the latest information and to plan journeys visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
=======================================================Much of the work can only take place when trains are not running and to keep disruption to a minimum, lines in the area will be closed over the bank holiday weekend which is traditionally a quieter time on the railway.
The work will take place from late on Saturday night, all day Sunday and Monday with the railway reopening as usual on Tuesday. Alternative routes and bus replacement services may be used both of which could mean longer journeys than usual.
Liam Sumpter, area director for Network Rail, said: “There is never a good time to close the railway so we plan our upgrade and maintenance work to take place at a time which will cause the least disruption to the fewest number of people.
“Upgrading the signalling along this section of railway and renewing level crossings will help to provide a more reliable railway which will cause fewer delays in the future.
“I apologise for any disruption caused and advise passengers to check before they travel for the latest information.”
A further closure will be required to complete the resignalling work and Network Rail is working with affected train operators to confirm and publicise these dates as soon as possible.
For the latest information and to plan journeys visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Film emerges of 2011 Longleat train derailment.(BBC News)
Nottinghamshire railway death woman 'distracted'.(BBC News)
Wendlebury stables safety fear over Bicester rail noise.(BBC News)
Central Line Tube passengers to be hit by Aslef strike.(BBC News)
London Underground drivers to strike on Friday.(The Guardian)
Central Line Tube strike: Friday's walkout could cause 'severe disruption' for commuters (The Independent)
Network Rail announces lengthening of Edinburgh platforms in £25m project.(herald scotland)
Edinburgh Waverley
Steam trains will disrupt journeys on Borders line.(The Scotsman)
WATCH: Cambrian Coast line trains back on track after long delay.(The Daily Post)
Eurostar gears up for bank holiday getaway.(TTG Digital)
Eurostar at London St. Pancras
Christian Wolmar - Britain's Leading Transport Commentator
Don’t price people off the railways
Rail fare rises have become almost as toxic to politicians as fuel tax increases. So today’s July inflation figures, which mean that rail fares will rise by up to 5.5 per cent next January at a time when wages are only creeping up, are likely to lead to backtracking by ministers in the months ahead.
The July inflation figure is crucial because it is the benchmark for rises in season tickets and off-peak fares, regulated by the Government: for the past 10 years, the increases set by government have been at RPI plus one per cent — so 3.5 per cent next January. Consequently there has been a 23 per cent increase in fares in real terms since 1995. Last year, however, George Osborne, under pressure from commuters, announced that the average rise would be just RPI inflation only.
But the train operating companies are free to determine the other fares, such as advanced tickets and first class: some have gone through the roof. While the operators point to lots of bargains on advance purchase tickets, rises in peak-time single fares have been far greater. According to Barry Doe, Rail magazine’s fares expert, the highest increase since 1995 has been on Virgin’s London-Manchester route, where the single peak-time fare has gone up from £50 to £160.50 (the 50p seems an unnecessary extra), a rise of 221 per cent over a period when inflation has totalled 70 per cent.
Londoners are particularly hard hit. First, they are heavy users of rail. Nearly three-quarters of rail journeys in the UK either start or end in London, and for many there is simply no alternative. Commuters feel, with justification, that they are been exploited when they have no alternative way of travelling.
Second, they face a double whammy. With the integration of many national rail fares into the Oyster system, it has become more difficult to set different increases in Tube fares to national rail services. Transport for London bosses are very worried that political pressure to limit fares rises will hit their ability to continue the investment of around £1 billion per year needed to upgrade the Tube network. With the need to accommodate a cut in central funding of £220 million for next year, on a budget of around £9 billion, it is very likely that the Mayor, who ultimately decides on the rise, will stick with whatever figure the Government imposes on national rail.
The RPI plus one per cent formula was devised by the Labour government as a way of making passengers pay a higher proportion of the cost of the railways. It has worked. Whereas a decade ago around two-thirds of the cost of the network came from taxpayers rather than passengers, that ratio has been reversed: now nearly two-thirds of the revenue comes from the fare box. However, given the flak, this has now probably reached the limit of what is politically acceptable and, indeed, reasonable.
The legislation privatising the railways in the mid-1990s was supposed to protect those with no choice from greedy private companies. These regulated fares represent almost half of all rail journeys. But far from being used to protect these passengers, regulation has been employed as a way of extracting money from a captive audience. It has been convenient for governments, too, as the train operators, who are not responsible, get the blame.
This has to stop. The railways are vital to London’s infrastructure and its continued success. Yet Londoners, already suffering from soaring housing costs, are being squeezed off the railways by the continued rises. Many use buses or even coaches as an alternative, or if they can, such as in parts of outer London, drive some or all of the way to work, further clogging up the roads.
This makes no sense economically or environmentally. Building extra road capacity would be expensive and further worsen air quality. And there is no point building wonderful new lines such as Crossrail if people end up being priced off them.
With many marginal seats in London and the South-East — made even more vulnerable by Ukip, even though it has yet to make any coherent announcement on transport — the Government is unlikely to sanction a significant fares rise.
There are a couple of things the Conservatives could do. They could abolish the “flex” arrangements which allow train operators to choose which fares go up by more than the formula and which are kept down. It is supposed to balance out, but passengers do not believe it does. Labour, which abolished flex when it was in government, has already pledged to do so again if it wins the election.
Second, watch for a statement in the autumn by the Chancellor promising to keep rail fare rises to inflation. Planned higher fares rises were set aside in the past two years, so it is almost inevitable this will happen in the run-up to an election.
Watch, too, for much political posturing. Labour could steal a real march on the Tories by going further, promising to end the policy of putting more of the burden of the cost of the railways on passengers. It could even go back to the RPI-1 formula, which, ironically, was scrapped by the then Chancellor, Gordon Brown, in 2004.
Affordability is going to be a key election issue. So far Ed Miliband has only promised that “a Labour government would cap annual fares on every route”, which implies that fares rises will continue to be at inflation or even more. While there would inevitably be a cost to making this commitment to keeping fares down, a one per cent rise is only worth around £40 million in the first year, a cheap price to pay for an electorally popular policy — and a real tonic for London commuters.
Evening Shoot with Met 1 and Cravens Tube stock at North Weald
Saturday 27th September
With thanks to The Epping & Ongar Railway and with the support of Geoff Silcock from Sentimental Journeys and Simon Hopkins of Compo Club we are pleased to present a unique evening shoot at North Weald Station, featuring Met 1 and Cravens 1960 tube stock
We will commence around 6:30 finishing around 10:30pm and set up a number of cameo's featuring both Met 1 and the tube set . Met 1 wil be on a short rake of London Transport wagons (Ballast , brake and bedstead) . I've asked for Met 1 to face Ongar . North Weald will also have LT signage which is being prepared especially for the Gala that weekend
Because space is a little tight , numbers will be limited to 25 and the cost is £35
Note: this is expected to be the only shoot featuring Met 1 on the Epping & Ongar this Autumn
We will commence around 6:30 finishing around 10:30pm and set up a number of cameo's featuring both Met 1 and the tube set . Met 1 wil be on a short rake of London Transport wagons (Ballast , brake and bedstead) . I've asked for Met 1 to face Ongar . North Weald will also have LT signage which is being prepared especially for the Gala that weekend
Because space is a little tight , numbers will be limited to 25 and the cost is £35
Note: this is expected to be the only shoot featuring Met 1 on the Epping & Ongar this Autumn
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International
China:China likely to commence construction of world's biggest undersea rail tunnel in 2016. (ecns)
India: Indian-Czech railway co-operation agreement(Railway Gazette)
High-speed rail for India: Has the time finally come?(www.railway-technolgy.com)
Ireland: Minister will not intervene in rail dispute ahead of strike.(Irish Times)
Analysis:Train strike seems inevitable.(Irish Times)
Irish Rail chief to return early from holiday in advance of strike.(Irish Times)
The Railway Chronicle asked David Franks, CEO, Iarnrod Eireann for his comments on the current situation....The following paragraph sums up his observations...
The challenges for Iarnród Éireann are serious. In the short term,getting past the current issues is one thing. The need to look at closing the remainder of the financial gap which is huge following the circa 40% drop in subvention ( the largest reduction of any semi-state company) is quite another.To find more efficiencies some changes to outputs (services, routes, stations etc) will be necessary if there is no alternative government funding available.
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The Russian Railways on YouTube.
Saudi Arabia: First Haramain trainset revealed(Railway Gazette)
Tibet: Tibet railway opens to Xigaze(Railway Gazette)
USA: US DOT: Federal Railroad Administration Press Release..
Federal Railroad Administration Funds Two Grants to
Mitigate Risk among Short Line Railroads Hauling Hazardous
Materials
WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration today funded two grants totaling $350,000 to support development of a Short Line Safety Institute. The Institute will help mitigate risk associated with shipping hazardous materials by rail by working to improve the culture of safety within the short line and regional rail industry while improving its overall safety record.
“Nearly half of all short line and regional railroads handle some type of hazardous materials, and today’s grants will play an important role in ensuring those materials and all shipments reach their destination safely,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These grants are just the latest step in our comprehensive approach to improving the safe transport of crude oil and other hazmat by rail.”
The primary purpose of the Institute will be to conduct safety compliance assessments to measure compliance with federal safety standards and safety culture assessments to evaluate the steps each railroad is taking to promote safe practices internally. In addition, the Institute will provide safety education, training and development to managers and employees. Assessors from the Institute will visit member railroads, evaluate safety compliance and safety culture and document their findings in a written report. The Institute will also provide education, training and employee development following the assessments.
“Although the Short Line Industry has an excellent safety record overall, we owe it to the public and the industry to drive continuous safety improvement,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “These grants are a first step in assisting the industry to further identify and contain risks.”
Short line railroads serve as a feeder system for the larger Class I carriers, picking up or delivering one out of every four rail cars moving on the national rail network. More than 550 short line and regional railroads operate in 49 states and bring rail service to thousands of communities that would otherwise not be connected to the nation's mainline railroad system. As short line railroads are much smaller than Class I Railroads, many of them lack the resources to carry out the same kind of robust safety training and enforcement on their own that Class I carriers perform.
Today’s announcement includes a $250,000 grant to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) to begin the pilot phase of safety culture assessments. Pilot testing will begin in January 2015 and will initially focus on the safety of crude oil transportation by rail. With the grant money, ASLRRA will:
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the existing safety programs on short line and regional railroads (e.g., compliance requirements of FRA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration);
- Use tools developed by the University of Connecticut to identify areas of non-compliance and help railroads develop a culture of commitment to railroad safety; and
- Provide access to effective safety training processes, programs and resources.
- Develop large libraries of training tools, technical materials and other educational resources to assist small railroads in instilling a culture of safety.
Short lines and regional railroads account for 31 percent of U.S. freight rail mileage and 10 percent of industry employees. There are more than 550 short line and regional railroads operate in every U.S. state except Hawaii and often feed traffic to Class I railroads and receive traffic from Class I railroads for final delivery.
Rail – Moving America Forward
The mission of the Federal Railroad Administration is to
enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods for a
strong America, now and in the future.
www.progressiverailroading.com.
‘To the Edge of the World,’ about Trans- Siberian express, by Christian Wolmar(The Washington Post)
Other Railway Press Releases
www.railway-technology.com.
LU awards Northern line extension contract to Ferrovial
London Underground (LU) has awarded a £500m design and build contract for the Northern line extension to Ferrovial Agroman Laing O'Rourke.
Bombardier secures order for ten TRAXX DC locomotives
Rail technology provider Bombardier Transportation has secured a €33m contract from Akiem for ten TRAXX DC locomotives.
Costain Skanska JV excavates Crossrail tunnels at Paddington Station
The Costain Skanska joint venture (JV) has excavated new Crossrail tunnels at Paddington Station in London, UK, as part of the construction of the new station.
US DoT offers $1.28bn fund for Phase II Metrorail Silver Line extension
The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has provided a $1.28bn loan to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for Phase II of the Metrorail Silver Line extension.
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