Crossrail meets IK Brunel at London Paddington....light rail operators met in Manchester last week to discuss safety...
In Japan, fast is getting faster... and China and India get together....
Plenty will be meeting at InnoTrans Berlin from tomorrow...
Some people having been getting far too close for comfort on the Tube....
And every cloud has a silver lining... Bakken crude meets pipeline obstacles, so the railroads see more business and dollars......
For more details, click on the links....
Headlines
UK
Crossrail Press Release
Crossrail uncovers Brunel’s railway heritage
· Victorian-era rail infrastructure excavated near Paddington as part of the UK’s largest archaeological programme
· Engineering marvels of the Great Western Railway are uncovered for the first time in more than 100 years
· Click here to download images
Remains of structures built by celebrated engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel for his Great Western Railway have been unearthed near Paddington in west London.
Newly excavated by Crossrail as part of the UK’s largest archaeological programme, findings include foundations of a 200 metre long engine shed, a workshop and train turntables. The structures were used for Brunel’s famous broad-gauge railway, which first ran steam trains through the area in 1838.
The Crossrail archaeology team is documenting the remains using laser scans, creating 3D models of the buildings which date from the 1850s and were levelled in 1906 to make way for a goods storage yard. These records will help historians understand the early development of railways in the UK and the methods of Brunel, widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest engineers.
Jay Carver, Crossrail’s Lead Archaeologist said: “Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Western Railway is the most complete early mainline railway in the world. Whenever we expose parts of the original infrastructure it is vital to record these for posterity and the history of rail in this country. Using the latest 3D scan technology provides a permanent and accurate model Brunel’s distinctive architectural legacy.”
The remains were found on a construction site known as Paddington New Yard, to the east of Westbourne Park Tube station. From 2018 the area will accommodate Crossrail tracks, turn-back sidings, an elevated bus deck and cement factory, which had to be temporarily relocated to accommodate the building of Crossrail. The works at Paddington New Yard are being undertaken by Costain.
The engine shed shows evidence of the change from 7 foot wide broad-gauge train tracks used by Brunel’s Great Western Railway, to the standard gauge tracks prescribed in an Act of Parliament in 1846 and widely implemented by the 1860s. Brunel initially resisted this change in the so-called ‘Gauge Wars’.
To date, Crossrail’s archaeology programme has discovered over 10,000 items spanning 55 million years of London’s history across 40 construction sites. Notable finds include Roman remains, plague pits, the Bedlam hospital burial grounds and a Tudor manor house.
Ends
IK Brunel at London Paddington
Liverpool mayor takes HS2 campaign to party conferences.(Liverpool Echo)
Tackling sexual harassment on public transport.(BBC News)
This BBC report on BBC Inside Out looks at what is being done to tackle sexual harassment on buses, trains and trams.
In 2013 there were 129 reports of sexual offences or harassment, on public transport in the West Midlands.
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Looming London transport crisis 'risks sparking riots', says TfL chief.(The Guardian)
High rail fares could spark riots in London unless they come down, warns London transport chief.(Mail Online)
Related item from 15th September 2014
Campaigners respond to Thameslink fares rise(Campiagn for Better Transport)
Press Release..
15 September
Campaign for Better Transport welcomed planned improvements to services on the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise but called for an end to above-inflation fare rises.
Campaign for Better Transport welcomed planned improvements to services on the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise but called for an end to above-inflation fare rises.
Martin Abrams, Public Transport Campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport, said:
"Passengers who currently use Thameslink trains will feel they are being unfairly singled out by Government for higher fares. The franchising process was introduced to encourage competition to ensure passengers would receive the best train service whilst keeping fares affordable. If huge fare increases are being implemented through the back door on top of already high fares, then passengers will ask whether they're really getting value for money. We need an end to above inflation fares rises and a commitment to getting fares down in the future."
"Passengers who currently use Thameslink trains will feel they are being unfairly singled out by Government for higher fares. The franchising process was introduced to encourage competition to ensure passengers would receive the best train service whilst keeping fares affordable. If huge fare increases are being implemented through the back door on top of already high fares, then passengers will ask whether they're really getting value for money. We need an end to above inflation fares rises and a commitment to getting fares down in the future."
..and see also..
Department for Transport announces improvements as part of new rail franchise: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rail-franchise-to-transform-londons-busiest-routes.
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Overcrowded and getting busier: why new train lines can't come fast enough for London.(The Guardian)
How accessible is Eastbourne Railway Station?(Eastbourne Herald)
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)
19 September 2014
Metrolink provides safety example for European experts
Light rail experts from across Europe visited Greater Manchester this week to
explore new ways of keeping tramways safe in urban areas.
Visiting various street-running sections across the Metrolink network such as Eccles, Droylsden, Oldham and the city centre, participants were able to learn from Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) experience and safety record.
The visit was part of a project entitled ‘Operation and safety of tramways in interaction with public space’, which is funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).
The project aims to review the safety of tram systems in traffic and pedestrian areas to maximise safety on both the transport system and street areas.
TfGM Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing, said: “I am delighted that Manchester was chosen to host such an important event.
“Metrolink has an outstanding safety record and has operated alongside other road users and near pedestrians in the city for more than 20 years now.
“Accidents involving trams are very rare and we are determined to keep it that way. Projects like this, where we get to share examples and evidence of best practice are key to achieving that.”
Project Chair, Laetitia Fontaine, of French tram safety authority STRMTG, said: “The visits were interesting and we were shown many safety innovations that can be used to help further improve safety on European tram ways.”
Maarten Duhoux from Brussels Transport Operator in Belgium said: “The Metrolink network has grown beautifully over the last twenty years and has exciting plans to develop further.
“It is an excellent example of how a tramway can be a regional express network, eliminating transfer times by running into and through the city centre.”
Thirty one participants from Poland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria and Israel and the UK attended the three-day event, which began on Wednesday 16 September.
Manchester Metrolink. Courtesy pteg
Visiting various street-running sections across the Metrolink network such as Eccles, Droylsden, Oldham and the city centre, participants were able to learn from Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) experience and safety record.
The visit was part of a project entitled ‘Operation and safety of tramways in interaction with public space’, which is funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).
The project aims to review the safety of tram systems in traffic and pedestrian areas to maximise safety on both the transport system and street areas.
TfGM Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing, said: “I am delighted that Manchester was chosen to host such an important event.
“Metrolink has an outstanding safety record and has operated alongside other road users and near pedestrians in the city for more than 20 years now.
“Accidents involving trams are very rare and we are determined to keep it that way. Projects like this, where we get to share examples and evidence of best practice are key to achieving that.”
Project Chair, Laetitia Fontaine, of French tram safety authority STRMTG, said: “The visits were interesting and we were shown many safety innovations that can be used to help further improve safety on European tram ways.”
Maarten Duhoux from Brussels Transport Operator in Belgium said: “The Metrolink network has grown beautifully over the last twenty years and has exciting plans to develop further.
“It is an excellent example of how a tramway can be a regional express network, eliminating transfer times by running into and through the city centre.”
Thirty one participants from Poland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria and Israel and the UK attended the three-day event, which began on Wednesday 16 September.
Manchester Metrolink. Courtesy pteg
International
Germany
In the Rhine Valley, Clamoring for Relief From Ramped-Up Rail.(NYTimes)
Metrans receives Bombardier locomotives.(IRJ)
India
The 'mobile gatekeepers' of India's railways.(BBC News India)
11,500 of the more than 30,000 railway crossings in India are unmanned. Nearly 40% of train-related accidents and two-thirds of deaths on railway tracks - usually happens when people are crossing them - take place at these unmanned crossings. This report shows how Indian Railways is coping with this situation....."mobile gatekeepers"...
India and China sign high-speed MoU.(IRJ)
Japan
Bullet trains now travel faster than ever.(Inside Japan Tours)
USA
Dangers Aside, Railways Reshape Crude Market.(WSJ)
Shipping Crude by Rail Expands as New Pipelines Hit Headwinds and Train Companies Reap Revenue...
www.progressiverailroading.com.
For railroads, the good news out of the Bakken Shale keeps on flowing
Potomac Express.
RAIL Magazine Editor Rich Sampson shares his perspective on the latest news, trends and ideas in passenger rail. Includes discussion on all forms of passenger rail: high-speed and intercity, commuter rail, heavy rail metros and subways, light rail, regional rail, streetcars, trolleys, monorails, people movers and airport rail systems, along with important topics such as rail-oriented development, intermodalism, station facilities, infrastructure and investment.
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Analysis: The Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2014.
Other Railway Press
www.railway-technology.com.
Hong Kong plans $110bn investment for rail network expansion
Hong Kong Transport and Housing Secretary Anthony Cheung has announced an estimated $110bn future rail expansion plan as part of the Railway Development Strategy 2014 recommendations.
Virgin Trains to invest £50m to improve services on West Coast
UK railway operator Virgin Trains has decided to invest £50m to upgrade its onboard and station facilities in West Coast Main Line.
Australia's Victorian Government enters into the next stage of Avalon Airport Rail Link
Australia's Victorian Government has announced the plan for the next stage of Avalon Airport Rail Link from Melbourne to Geelong.
DHL to start new freight rail service from China to Europe
DHL Global Forwarding is set to start a new weekly block train service from Suzhou, China, to DHL's intermodal hub in Poland, effectively linking China to Europe.
see also related article..
Intermodal Europe-China service launched; 14 days total journey time.
(SmartRail World)
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