Southeastern given a franchise extension.. which doesn't please everyone.. and there are the expected responses from commuters affected by overcrowding , following yesterday's urgings for the train companies to do something about it...
The Crossrail development moves on.. as does TBM Ellie on a tricky part of the tunnelling remaining... and more upgrade work on the Midlands Mainline.
If you think some of the UK's railways are more suited to "cattle trucks"( a Mail Online description!) spare a thought for the millions who will be travelling in China over the next holiday period. Lixin Fan's film offers an insight into the ramifications .."Last Train Home"....
Click on the links....
Headlines
UK
Southeastern Video -Meeting The Challenge
GOV.UK ...Department for Transport.
New deal to boost rail services in London and the south east
Tough targets and £70 million investment to ensure major improvements under new South Eastern franchise deal.
Tough performance targets to ensure rail passengers see real improvements to their journeys have been agreed as part of a new franchise deal between the government and Southeastern today (11 September 2014).
The deal means Southeastern will continue to operate services between London, Kent and parts of East Sussex until June 2018, and make major improvements to customer service, passenger satisfaction and train punctuality across their network. The deal will include more than £70 million investment in better customer information systems, additional staff and maintenance to stations and trains along the route.
Rail Minister Claire Perry said:
I know passengers on this route haven’t always received the service that they deserve, which is why I am absolutely determined that today marks a fresh start for the South Eastern franchise. This decision has been taken after careful work by the Department for Transport with Go-Ahead Plc, to ensure that the franchise can genuinely improve its services against a challenging backdrop of vital improvements to the tracks and stations on which their trains operate.The contract will deliver thousands of extra seats, new services between key destinations, and a commitment to roll out Oyster to additional stations.
Given these challenges, we believe that continuing the franchise rather than entering into a new one at this point will provide passengers with the best service for the next 3 years as well as offering the best value to all of us who help fund the railway through our taxes.
But I am determined that through this contract passengers will get more seats on improved trains, better journey connections, upgraded stations and overall more focus on their needs in London and the south east with the change starting from today. My job, and the job of the department, is now to make sure that Southeastern delivers.
Southeastern will work with Network Rail and other operators on a major rebuild of London Bridge station, as part of the government’s £6.5 billion Thameslink programme, which is due for completion in 2018. This franchise will ensure continuity of service during these complex works, to protect passengers from unnecessary delays and disruption.
The new franchise will deliver:
- more space
- more than 95,000 extra seats across the network, including 1,000 extra seats on Southeastern’s high speed services every day
- better services
- improved connections between London, North Kent and East Kent thanks to a new hourly high-speed service via Gillingham, Ramsgate, Dover and Ashford
- high speed services calling at Snodland, Martin Mill and Walmer for the first time, along with extra high speed services for Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate
- a peak-time Hastings Business Express service providing faster journeys into London, saving up to 10 minutes on the current journey times
- new direct services between Maidstone East and Blackfriars, and between Sheerness-on-Sea and London Victoria
- extra evening and weekend services between Dartford and London Victoria
- better ticketing
- a commitment to work with TfL to roll out Oyster acceptance to Dartford and Swanley, and to introduce Oyster on the high speed service between St Pancras and Stratford International
In order to improve satisfaction and security for passengers, Southeastern will invest in new digital display screens at key stations. There will also be more passenger facing staff who will be equipped with tablets so they can pass on service updates and journey planning advice as required. CCTV monitoring will be extended and The EyeWitness service, which allows customers to instantly report anti-social behaviour, will also be improved.We’re looking forward to delivering these plans and are wholly committed to improving performance and services for customers and our local communities. New managing director David Statham will be joining next week and will lead the company through this mission. We’re proud of our team at Southeastern and know they’re ready to take on the challenge of supporting our customers through the major Thameslink upgrade work.
In addition, more than 300 trains will be refreshed, including toilet upgrades and accessibility improvements on some trains, self-service ticket machines will be installed at more stations with ticket gates at Swanley and Staplehurst, and opening hours at Cannon Street station will be extended so the station is open for 21 hours a day to accommodate additional services.
The contract is the seventh direct award to be delivered by the department following the re-launch of its franchising schedule in March last year. It is in line with the recommendations by industry expert Richard Brown’s independent review into rail franchising.
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Passengers FUMING as Southeastern bags new deal to run Kent trains until 2018.(Isle of Thanet Gazette)
Cattle truck UK: Overcrowding row on trains as more than half of passengers are forced to stand.(Mail Online)
London Euston to Crewe 'was most overcrowded train'.(BBC News)
A London Midland service approaches Wilmcote.
Britain's most crowded train revealed.(The Telegraph)
Sheffield ‘has most-overcrowded railway station outside London’.(Sheffield Telegraph)
Cyclist killed by train on level crossing had headphones and was looking wrong way, inquest told.(road.cc)
Cable theft delays on railways fall sharply.(BBC News)
11 September 2014
PRESS RELEASE
Crossrail begins last east London tunnel
· Tunnel machine Ellie begins final lap from Limmo Peninsula to Victoria Dock
· One of Crossrail’s shortest but most complex tunnel drives
Tunnel machine Ellie has started her 900 metre journey from Limmo Peninsula, near Canning Town, towards Victoria Dock Portal in east London.
Over the next three months the 1,000 tonne machine, named after four-time Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds OBE, will complete one of Crossrail’s shortest but most complex tunnels, in close proximity to the Jubilee line, Docklands Light Railway, River Thames and River Lea.
The drive will complete tunnelling on Crossrail’s southeast spur, which stretches from Stepney Green to Abbey Wood. Ellie’s sister tunnelling machine, Jessica, completed the first of the two twin-tunnels from Limmo to Victoria Dock earlier this summer.
Crossrail will complete its rail tunnels next year when tunnel machines Elizabeth and Victoria, currently in Whitechapel, reach Farringdon in central London. Crossrail’s new rail tunnels are 83 per cent complete and the project remains on time and within budget.
Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail Chief Executive said: “Huge amounts of planning go into every tunnel drive, and this one is no different. We are deploying some of the world’s best engineering talent and machinery to safely build these new tunnels.”
Ellie has already successfully completed a tunnel from Pudding Mill Lane, near Stratford, to Stepney Green. The tunnel machine is 150 metres long and 7.1 metres in diameter and is staffed by teams of 20 people. The concrete and steel tunnel segments are made in Chatham, Kent and transported to Limmo by river barge.
Joint Venture Dragados Sisk is constructing the eastern tunnels between Pudding Mill Lane and Stepney Green, Limmo Peninsula and Farringdon, and Victoria Dock Portal and Limmo.
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. When Crossrail opens it will increase London's rail-based transport network capacity by 10%, supporting regeneration and cutting journey times across the city. Crossrail services are due to run through central London in 2018.
TBM Ellie Begins Second Tunnel Drive.September 2014
A Crossrail Picture
Ends
Work to upgrade Midland Main Line continues.
- Work to reconstruct three bridges in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire is essential to prepare the line for faster, quieter, greener electric trains
- Passengers are reminded to plan ahead and check before they travel on Sunday September 14 and Sunday September 21
Work to reconstruct three bridges between Bedford and Wellingborough stations is set to start this month, as part of a major investment to provide more reliable journeys for passengers on the Midland Main Line.
By 2020, an investment of more than £1.5bn will have electrified the line, replaced tracks, reconstructed bridges, lengthened platforms and improved signalling.The affected bridges are Hartops bridge and Radwell Moor End Lane bridge in Bedfordshire, and Harrowden Road bridge in Northamptonshire.
Phil Verster, Network Rail route managing director, said: "We are undertaking major works on the railway between Bedford and Sheffield to create a railway that is fit for the 21st century and can meet the growing demands for rail travel.
"We understand that these temporary closures will affect passengers, and people who live and work in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. However, we are working hard to minimise disruption to the public and complete the work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"We are doing this not only by working closely with local authorities and East Midlands Trains, but also by making sure that when we do close the railway, we maximise the amount of work that we do. Over the two weekends, we will also be carrying out viaduct and bridge repairs, installing a new footbridge and essential maintenance works."
David Horne, managing director, East Midlands Trains, said: "This is a major and significant investment scheme that will deliver some of the biggest improvements to our network in decades."We're committed to working with Network Rail to ensure that passengers are kept up to date with the latest information on the scheme and how it will impact on our train services. We'd advise passengers planning to travel on Sunday 14 and Sunday 21 September to check our website, eastmidlandstrains.co.uk, for details of the changes in place.
The modifications to the bridges are essential to allow the electrification of the railway between Bedford and Sheffield, which will provide a more reliable railway as Network Rail modernises the route using state-of-the-art new technology.
At present, none of the three bridges have the required height for new overhead line equipment that will be installed along the route to power electric trains, and it is not possible to lower the track beneath. By raising the height of the bridges, additional space will be created for new overhead lines.
This work will mean that sections of the railway will need to be closed over two weekends in September affecting travel on Sunday September 14 and Sunday September 21.
To complete the work, it is anticipated that existing road closures will continue until the following dates:
- Hartops bridge, up to Christmas 2014
- Radwell Moor End Lane bridge, late November 2014
- Harrowden Road, early December 2014
Network Rail has worked closely with Bedford Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council to agree diversionary routes.
Notes:
The Midland Main Line runs from St Pancras to Sheffield, via Luton, Bedford, Kettering, Corby, Leicester, East Midlands Parkway, Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield.Anticipated timeline:
- Electric trains to Corby (by December 2017)
- Electric trains to Derby and Nottingham (by December 2019)
- Electric trains to Sheffield (by December 2020)
Benefits of electrification:
- Electric trains are longer, helping to deal with overcrowding and the growing demand for the railway
- Improved reliability and performance as we modernise the route using new state-of-the-art technology
- Faster and quieter trains and improved journey times
- Greener trains enable the carbon footprint to be reduced by up to 11,000 tonnes - equivalent to annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1,828 passenger vehicles
- Stimulating and supporting economic growth as we connect the region's biggest economies.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to contact Network Rail's 24 hour helpline on 08457 11 41 41
Work commences on the final section of walkway at Dawlish
Network Rail’s ‘orange army’ has reached an important milestone at Dawlish by starting improvement work on the final section of walkway between Rockstone and Coast Guard footbridges.
Once completed, this improvement work will mean that every section of the walkway from Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth is once again open to the public. The work includes building a new wall in front of the existing sea wall to provide further protection against any future extreme weather, and reconstructing the walkway so that its height is level with the sections on either side. This will mean that it can be used in all tidal conditions, whereas historically this section was not accessible during high tides.
To undertake this extensive work and ensure the railway can continue to operate as normal, a temporary barge has been set up on the beach, next to the railway line, to act as a base from which the ‘orange army’ can work. Next month, a second barge will be installed in order that the work can be completed as expediently as possible.
Tom Kirkham, project manager at Network Rail, said: “Commencing our construction on this last section of walkway marks a significant step in the progress of our work to repair the damage caused by the storms and make the area more resilient for the future.
“I would like to thank the local community for their continued patience and support, and reassure them that our staff are working round-the-clock to complete this essential work as quickly and safely as possible.”
It is anticipated that the improvement work on this section of walkway will continue until early next year. During this time, the walkway will remain closed and the high tide diversion route via Exeter Road will remain in place.
Detailed below are the latest updates on the other work continuing to take place at Dawlish:Dawlish Warren to DawlishThe overflow car park at Dawlish Warren station is now fully open for public use.Teignmouth to Smugglers LaneTo accommodate cliff stabilisation work between Teignmouth and Smugglers Lane the walkway will continue to be closed overnight on Saturdays. Overnight closures may also occur on some mid-week days, but only if essential.
To undertake this extensive work and ensure the railway can continue to operate as normal, a temporary barge has been set up on the beach, next to the railway line, to act as a base from which the ‘orange army’ can work. Next month, a second barge will be installed in order that the work can be completed as expediently as possible.
Tom Kirkham, project manager at Network Rail, said: “Commencing our construction on this last section of walkway marks a significant step in the progress of our work to repair the damage caused by the storms and make the area more resilient for the future.
“I would like to thank the local community for their continued patience and support, and reassure them that our staff are working round-the-clock to complete this essential work as quickly and safely as possible.”
It is anticipated that the improvement work on this section of walkway will continue until early next year. During this time, the walkway will remain closed and the high tide diversion route via Exeter Road will remain in place.
Detailed below are the latest updates on the other work continuing to take place at Dawlish:Dawlish Warren to DawlishThe overflow car park at Dawlish Warren station is now fully open for public use.Teignmouth to Smugglers LaneTo accommodate cliff stabilisation work between Teignmouth and Smugglers Lane the walkway will continue to be closed overnight on Saturdays. Overnight closures may also occur on some mid-week days, but only if essential.
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Bradford firms encouraged to get on board the HS2 express.(Telegraph & Argus)
GOV.UK.
Who will build HS2?
How to deliver HS2 in a way which is a credit to the UK.
Good morning.It is fantastic to be back at the Institute for Civil Engineers and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Begg and Transport Times for organising today’s (11 September 2014) conference.
Looking at the agenda for today’s event, I’m sure the discussion is going to be just as incisive as the contents of the magazine.
After the deepest recession in our peacetime history, the economy is growing once again.
Business investment is increasing.
And unemployment is falling.
But the global economy is changing.
Partly as a result, demand for transport is increasing.
For example, businesses increasingly rely on just-in-time delivery to keep costs down and people are commuting longer distances than in the past.
So when businesses are deciding where to invest or people are deciding where to live the reliability and the extent of the transport connections nearby are absolutely critical.
Good rail connections are a vital part of that mix.
The good news is that, since privatisation, Britain’s railways have been a huge success story.
From an industry that once was thought to be in terminal decline.
Today the railway carries more people than ever before and huge amounts more freight.
And the projections are that demand will increase further over the coming years.
By 2026 peak demand will be 2 and a half times the capacity at Euston, twice the capacity at Birmingham New Street, and nearly twice the capacity at Manchester Piccadilly.
That is why, as part of our long term economic plan, we are investing £38 billion over Control Period 5 to improve and expand our existing railway.
And it is why, in just 3 years’ time, we will start building High Speed 2.
HS2 will provide the capacity required to move the people and goods that will be needed in the future.
And it will provide the connectivity that’s needed - particularly for the great cities in the north - to grow and thrive.
As today’s organisers have suggested, the debate on HS2 is moving on from whether it should happen to how we deliver the project in a way which is a credit to the UK.
I am pleased to say that there is a broad political consensus behind HS2.
When the hybrid bill for the first phase of HS2 was before Parliament in April we had a resounding victory: 452 votes in favour and just 41 against.
But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped listening to those with concerns about the railway.
Building a project of this scale will affect a large number of people and we need to consider their concerns very carefully.
Now the bill is in the committee phase, where - quite rightly - MPs will carefully consider our plans and hear from those with concerns.
We received just under 2,000 petitions in total, though some of those have since been withdrawn or removed.
We are making good progress through the bill committee process and have already managed to address a number of the concerns people have raised.
We will keep listening and where we can make the bill better, we will do so.
But we will also keep up our momentum.
We will keep the process moving forward.
An important milestone will be setting out our plans for the redevelopment of Euston.
The Secretary of State has asked HS2 Ltd to look again at the plans for Euston as we believe they could be more ambitious.
I was asked to consider how HS2 can be delivered in a way which is a credit to the UK.
When you think about that, you recall that some places have become a byword for quality.
There’s Switzerland for watches, Wimbledon for tennis, or Yorkshire for cricket or indeed just about anything!
Well, we want HS2 to make Britain synonymous with world class high speed rail.
For that to happen, I think we need to do 3 things.
First, we need to build HS2 on time.
Second, we need to build it on budget.
And, as Sir David Higgins has said, the best way to do that is to get on with the job.
Unfortunately, this country has had an ignominious tradition of dithering and delay when it comes to major infrastructure projects.
But, thanks to many people in this room, that’s changing.
Take just 2 recent examples.
Reading station.
A vital artery, one of the busiest on the network outside of London.
Rebuilt on budget and a year ahead of schedule while keeping the station open and without compromising on safety.
You may have seen that Her Majesty the Queen opened the new Reading station.
Just as she also recently opened the Heathrow’s new Terminal 2.
Her Majesty actually opened Reading station when it was last rebuilt in 1989.
Just as she opened the last Terminal 2.
So I’m very pleased to say, that Her Majesty’s actually outlasting the infrastructure!
As well as Reading, there’s also Crossrail.
A £15 billion investment in the country’s future.
Now some people worry that they are their own worst critic.
I don’t.
But then not everyone has the luxury of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC’s) watchful eye.
Now we all know that Margaret Hodge and the Public Accounts Committee are not the government’s biggest cheerleaders.
That’s why I was delighted that, according to the PAC, Crossrail is not only an example of world-class engineering it is also an example of ‘textbook’ project management that ‘is on course to deliver value for money to the taxpayer’.
The third thing that is needed to make HS2 a credit to the UK, is for it to be of the highest quality.
We mean it when we say we want it to make the country proud.
Like Gresley’s Mallard, McAlpine’s Glenfinnan viaduct and Barlow’s train shed at St Pancras we want HS2 to show what Great British design and engineering can achieve.
That doesn’t mean a blank cheque.
We are very conscious of the need to protect taxpayers’ investment.
That’s why we are determined to deliver a railway that provides real and lasting value for money but not to pinch the pennies.
Just a couple of years ago, this country showed the world how to stage an Olympic games.
If you have a moment later do take a look at the paintings in the café bar and lower foyer of this building.
They have a series of pictures commissioned by the Institute that show the major construction and infrastructure projects that were needed for the success of London 2012.
The London Olympics became a badge of honour for those that were involved.
And we want the people and businesses who will build HS2 to be just as proud of their work.
And we want being involved with HS2 to establish their reputation for quality overseas.
HS2 is a huge project.
Our most up to date estimates indicate that while HS2 is being built it will create around 25,000 full-time equivalent construction and maintenance jobs, excluding jobs in the supply chain.
HS2 have listened to you and have developed their outline procurement strategy as a result of your feedback.
They will shortly be setting out how they are going to approach the market and will give you an indication of when you will see work packages.
They’ll also be setting out their position on joint ventures and alliancing.
Businesses will be able to win well over £10 billion of contracts to help HS2 Ltd deliver Phase One of Britain’s new high speed railway.
Part of the challenge will be ensuring that you have the people with the skills that are needed.
Crossrail has shown the benefits of investing in training.
There are over 400 new apprentices in trades and professions from construction to accountancy and quantity surveying to business administration.
We want to use HS2 to build the long term skills base of the country.
That’s why I was delighted that Terry Morgan is advising us on the creation of the new high speed rail college.
It will equip the engineers of the future with the skills they need.
Ensuring UK firms have the people and the reputation that comes from building a world class railway to successfully compete for the 30,000 kilometres of high speed rail that are planned or under construction around the world.
Last week I met Steve Scrimshaw and I know Siemens are keen for their new national training academy for rail to become to a spoke to the high speed rail college hub.
I think that’s a great example of how Siemens and the rest of Britain’s rail industry is leading the way investing to improve skills and creating good jobs.
If you want to find out more about the £10 billion of supply chain opportunities that are coming with HS2 the next HS2 supply chain conference will take place in London on 17 October and Manchester on 23 October.
When visitors from overseas come to Britain, they often remark on the quality of our rail heritage.
And I think it is something we are quite rightly proud of in this country.
We want HS2 to make people come here to admire Britain’s rail future.
For it to be something that showcases just what Britain can do.
And we want it to establish the reputation of the people who build it.
That means it needs to be delivered on time and on budget and for it to be an example of world class design and engineering.
My ambition is for that to happen.
I’m sure it is yours too.
So let’s get on with the job.
And build a brilliant railway.
Thank you for listening.
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International
China
China steps up railway construction.(China Daily)
92.7 mln railway trips expected for golden week.(People Daily)
Lixin Fan's excellent documentary Last Train Home(2010) follows a Chinese Family as they leave their daughter and family to look for work in more industrialized areas. They leave the country side and begin working in a cheap clothing factory. The film spans over two years observing the family's struggles for money as they attempt to keep their relationships intact..
Get you copy Here
Saudi Arabia
Spain
USA
Other Railway Press Releases
Stadler set to deliver double-decker train to Aeroexpress
Stadler Rail is set to deliver the first six-carriage double-decker trains for the Russian railway company Aeroexpress through a ship route from Muttenz BL through Amsterdam to the Baltic Sea.
Stadler Rail is set to deliver the first six-carriage double-decker trains for the Russian railway company Aeroexpress through a ship route from Muttenz BL through Amsterdam to the Baltic Sea.
Balfour Beatty wins Crossrail's new Woolwich station contract
Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has been awarded a four-year £70m contract to complete and furnish the new Crossrail station at Woolwich, UK.
Train operators urged to resolve overcrowding on rail network in England and Wales
UK Transport Minister Claire Perry has called on train operators to take action in order to resolve the overcrowding issue on the rail network in England and Wales.
Network Rail to start consultation on railway between Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations in Manchester
UK infrastructure operator Network Rail is set to launch a public consultation on the development of the railway between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road stations next week
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Save the date for the next UITP Seminar on Smart Cities and Integrated Mobility Plans: 22 January 2015, Brussels, Belgium.
Numerous cities worldwide are thinking of, or have already written Integrated Mobility Plans (IMPs). They provide a vision for successful urban mobility and ensure that people and places can connect, now and in the future. In order to be succesful, IMPs need to be effectively delivered and to turn them into reality five key principles have been clearly identified:
> A shared vision> Effective governance
> Long-term political commitment
> Strong links with land-use planning and economic development
> Long-term funding commitment
Featuring an interactive breakout session and panel discussions, this one-day Seminar will also address the barriers to Smart Cities and Open Data and give participants insight on how to develop strong partnerships with industry. Successful approaches to Smart Cities will be drawn from an expert debate, offering practical advice on how to move forward with your own Smart Cities strategy.
Featuring an interactive breakout session and panel discussions, this one-day Seminar will also address the barriers to Smart Cities and Open Data and give participants insight on how to develop strong partnerships with industry. Successful approaches to Smart Cities will be drawn from an expert debate, offering practical advice on how to move forward with your own Smart Cities strategy.
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