Pont Brewit bridges reopens after some delays, Edinburgh launches an "oystercard", Network Rail's change of status doesn't please the unions, London Bridge station works progress in a timelapse video....and more.
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Headlines
UK
New Pont Briwet rail bridge over Dwyryd estuary opens.(BBC News)
Edinburgh ‘Oystercard’ launched for buses and tram.(Edinburgh Evening News)
Unions demonstrate as Network Rail passes to public sector.(Railnews)
Kings Cross, London
And so the Great British Railway Rake-Off rolls on.(The Guardian)
OPINION: Sir Howard Bernstein - Manchester Evening News
"I have backed the compelling case for HS2 more than once in this column because it is something I believe in passionately. But equally important, ......"
Network Rail Press Release..
Timelapse and pictures: Thameslink Programme on track as new platforms arrive on time at London Bridge station
Network Rail opened two new platforms at London Bridge station this morning (Monday) as a nine-day part closure of the railway was successfully completed on time.
The rebuilding of the station is at the heart of the massive Thameslink Programme which will increase capacity and reliability on one of Europe’s busiest rail routes.
Over the past nine days, over 1,200 engineers have worked around the clock through one of the wettest and coldest bank holidays on record, to bring two new platforms into service, lay new track and install a complex, state-of-the-art signalling system. At the same time a triple-track Victorian bridge on the approach to the station has been completely rebuilt, and a new connection to the east coast mainline to the north of St Pancras International has been brought a step closer.
Simon Blanchflower, Network Rail's major programme director, said: “The huge amount of work we have completed in the last nine days is an essential part of the jigsaw that will eventually give passengers new more spacious trains running at tube like frequency through central London, and connecting them to more destinations that ever before.
"We try our best to minimise the impact on passengers and do most of the work behind the scenes, but there are big pieces of work that can only be completed when the railway is clear of trains and people.
"We do this at the quietist times, such as the August bank holiday, but we understand the impact our work has on the daily lives of passengers we’d like to thank them all for bearing with us whilst we got it done.”
The team that helped passengers find their way around London during the London 2012 Olympics also helped passengers find alternative routes during the part-closure of London Bridge. Their focus now turns to raising awareness of the next period of service changes on 20 December when another part closure is needed to bring two more platforms into service. In January 2015 work to start the rebuild of the second half of the station begins with longer term service changes commencing.
Passengers are encouraged to visit ThameslinkProgramme.co.uk for more information and to register for regular updates.
David Scorey, Operations Director at Southern said “We’d like to thank our passengers for their patience over the last nine days whilst the works continued at London Bridge. We had extra customer service staff and volunteers available throughout to ensure passengers could get to where they needed to.”
Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “Thameslink is a key feature of the record levels of investment we are making in our railways as part of our long-term economic plan.
“Last week I visited London Bridge and saw for myself how hard everyone in the Thameslink family has worked to reach this major milestone. I know this work has disrupted passengers’ journeys and I would like to thank them all for their patience while this important work was underway. Once the Thameslink project is completed it will transform travel across London and the South East for hundreds of thousands of passengers who travel into the capital every day.”
ENDS
Notes:
Completed work includes:• Two new platforms (12 & 13) have been brought into use – they are wider to give passengers more space and longer to accommodate 12 car trains. Passengers are now protected from the elements by strikingly designed canopies of steel and undulating glass, and will benefit from the latest information systems and more seating.
• Two old platforms (10 & 11) have been taken out of service. They have already been demolished to create space to lay new lines that will increase the number of trains able to travel onwards into central London.
• New track and new signalling equipment has been installed on the approach to London Bridge, making journeys more reliable and reducing frustrating waits outside the station.
• A triple track Victorian railway bridge has been completely rebuilt
• A new junction to the north of St Pancras International is continuing to be installed, ready for use in 2018 when it will enable services to run directly from Gatwick and the south coast to the destination to the east such as Cambridge and Peterborough for the first time.
Thameslink Programme – transforming north-south travel through London
The government-sponsored £6.5bn Thameslink Programme will transform north-south travel through London.
When complete in 2018 it will give passengers:
New spacious trains running every 2 to 3 minutes through central London in the peak
Improved connections and better options to more destinations on an expanded Thameslink network including Cambridge and Peterborough
Robust new track and signalling systems offer more reliable journeys
A completely rebuilt London Bridge station with more space and great facilities
Much has already been achieved, including:
Platforms extended across the route allowing 12 car running
Frequency increased from 8 trains per hour to 12 trains per hour
Rebuilt Farringdon station, including preparation for shared ticket hall with Crossrail
Transformed Blackfriars station – first station to span the Thames, doubling and lengthening the tracks
New depots and stabling in Hornsey, and Brighton
New operating centre at Three Bridges
A viaduct across Borough, doubling track capacity north of London Bridge
Key facts
Over 117 million people a year go to London Bridge or through it to Cannon Street and Charing Cross – 54 million start or end their at London Bridge itself
Platform 6 is the busiest in Europe serving 18 trains per hour
The new concourse at London Bridge will be bigger than the pitch at Wembley, increasing passenger capacity by 65%
The redeveloped station will be longer than the Shard is tall (from end of platform 1 to the opposite end of platform 15)
Between St Pancras and Blackfriars up to 24 trains per hour will run each direction, during the peak – a train every 2 to 3 minutes,
Between St Pancras and London Bridge, up to 18 Thameslink trains an hour will run in each direction, during the peak – currently there are none between 7.30 and 9am
178 years old – London Bridge is London’s oldest surviving rail terminus, first opened in Dec 1836
The expanded TSGN franchise will have 1,400 new electric carriages, providing 50% more capacity and 10,000 extra seats every weekday into central London during the morning peak
8000 new jobs created due to the programme.
First trains arrive at new London Bridge platforms
Network Rail Picture
www.parliament.uk
Letter from Patrick McLoughlin MP to Louise Ellman MP regarding the Transpennine Express Rail Franchise Competition
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International
Australia
Fourth W-Class tram to be restored. DTPLI on YouTube
China: China inaugurates new rail-lines in Tibet.(The Hindu)
China: China's summer railway passengers set record.(CCTV.com)
New Zealand: Challenging and frustrating year hits KiwiRail - Railway Gazette
Russia:
Russian Railways on YouTube
This is the Paris-Berlin-Moscow train departing from Moscow. Btw we’ve recently added a special tab with all the useful information about this train. Check out here http://goo.gl/7sqw49
USA
Transportation Research Board Transportation for Sustainability–An International Conference: Call for Presentations and Posters Due October 15, 2014 | |
Other Railway Press
UITP - Advancing Public Transport.
UITP is the international association representing public transport stakeholders. In the European Union, UITP brings together more than 400 urban, suburban and regional public transport operators and authorities from all member states and is consequently recognized as a key interlocutor for the European institutions and other bodies.
UITP represents the perspectives of short distance passenger transport services by all sustainable modes: bus, regional and suburban rail, metro, light rail and tram and waterborne. These services are often organised in integrated public transport networks covering metropolitan areas and other specific territories.
Read the latest news from UITP HERE
SmartRail World
How drones are already being deployed by railways around the world.
A report from Arup earlier this Summer, Future of Rail 2050 unveiled their vision of the future of rail travel in light of trends such as urban population growth, climate change and emerging technologies.
“The global urban population is growing rapidly and by 2050, around 75% of the world’s population will live in cities. This places huge pressure on transport infrastructure and resources, but also creates a significant opportunity for rail, which relies on passenger density to function most effectively” said Colin Stewart, global rail leader, Arup on the release of the report.
One of the most eye-catching developments featured in this fascinating study is the projected use of unmanned aerial vehicle's (UAV's), commonly known as a drones for predictive maintenance and security on the railway network.
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Read more »
www.railway-technology.com Network Rail opens new platforms at London Bridge station UK infrastructure operator Network Rail has opened two new platforms at London Bridge Station after completing nine days of renovation work. Alstom's Citadis Compact starts service in Aubagne Alstom's first Citadis Compact tram has started revenue service in the tramway line of the Pays d'Aubagne et de l'Etoile, an urban district in France. California Blue Line station to undergo major renovation programme The California Blue Line station is set to undergo a major renovation programme from 4 September to 16 October, as part of the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) 'Your New Blue' upgrade project in the US. US FTA opens Cleveland's Cedar-University Rapid Station The US Department of Transportation's (DoT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has officially opened Cleveland's Cedar-University Rapid Station, formerly known as the University Circle Rapid Station. |
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