Total Railway News
Infrastructure news...improvements to Folkestone West, the restoration of the Connaught Tunnel (Crossrail), flood defence works....and HS3??
Australia has its Rail Safety Week, and in the USA, Oregon seeks more safety resources for crude by rail..
Click on the links...
Headlines
UK
Liverpool must have High Speed train or lose out to rival cities (Liverpool Echo)
Borders to Edinburgh railway: Galashiels traffic changes in place.(BBC News)
Glimpse of Edinburgh's Haymarket railway tunnel works.(BBC News)
Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss shown Rivers Parrett and Tone flood defence works.(BBC News)
George Osborne's commitment to HS3 rail link questioned.(London Evening Standard)
‘Work to be done’ if success of
HS3 plan
assured. (The Yorkshire Post)
Labour cast doubt on Government's HS3 intentions.(BBC News)
GOV.UK.
Baroness Kramer opens Folkestone West station improvements
£1.7 million investment in station building and car park.
Transport minister Baroness Kramer visited Kent today (29 July 2015) to see how £1.7 million of investment has transformed Folkestone West station, providing more comfort and convenience for passengers.
Baroness Kramer officially opened the new facilities, which include a new waiting room and booking office, and an expanded car park providing an extra 200 spaces. Additional bike racks have also been installed, and the customer information system has been upgraded.
Baroness Kramer said:
These improvements at Folkestone West will transform the passenger experience, providing greater comfort and convenience, and making it easier for people to travel to work and leisure opportunities.
As part of our long-term economic plan, we have invested £1.7 million at this station and we are committing £38 billion over the next 5 years to improve and maintain the UK’s rail network, in order to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of passengers using the railways, and the work at Folkestone West is a great example of this.
Work to the car park started earlier this year and has boosted the number of available spaces to 270, in order to accommodate the increasing number of passengers using the station now and in the future.
The station also has a new forecourt area with a customer drop-off point, and a new ticket office designed to meet accessibility requirements. A new ticket vending machine and information monitors have been installed, along with an upgraded public address system.
Charles Horton, managing director of Southeastern, said:
The new car park and booking hall at Folkestone West provides a more welcoming station environment for our passengers and offers us room for growth.
We chose to develop the facilities at this station in response to calls from passengers for more parking spaces and have worked with our industry partners to deliver facilities that are fit for the future. At a time when rail passenger numbers are rocketing and we’re expanding high speed services through the station, this investment offers a welcome boost to Folkestone.
The work has been funded by the Department for Transport and Network Rail through the National Stations Improvement Programme and Station Commercial Project Fund (SCPF).
During her visit to Folkestone, Baroness Kramer also travelled on Southeastern’s high speed train to see first-hand how the service is providing improved connections to London and benefiting the local economy.
Crossrail.
Restoration of derelict Victorian rail tunnel complete
Docklands rail tunnel built in 1878 to be brought back into use for Crossrail
Three years of work to widen and strengthen the tunnel ready for modern trains
Work to breathe new life into the Connaught Tunnel – a disused rail tunnel in Docklands – has been completed as part of the Crossrail project.
The 550m long tunnel runs below the Royal Docks next to ExCeL London, close to London City Airport. The tunnel was built in 1878 and has not been in passenger use since December 2006.
Work was required to deepen, strengthen and widen the structure and to remove 135 years of coal and soot from the steam trains that originally used the tracks. Last summer, 13 million litres of water were drained from the dock that runs above the tunnel to allow Crossrail workers to access the structure from above. The work in the tunnel has featured in BBC2’s documentary
The Fifteen Billion Dollar Railway, the third and final episode of which will be broadcast at 9pm on Wednesday.
The rail tunnel originally served the Royal Docks when they formed the largest enclosed docks in the world, serving large ships from all over the globe. It survived a hit from a bomb during WW2 and is the only existing tunnel that will be re-used for Crossrail.
Linda Miller, Connaught Tunnel Project Manager said: “It’s great to know that, thanks to our work, this 135 year old tunnel will once again have a vital role to play in London’s transport network. Once Crossrail opens in 2018, up to 12 trains an hour will pass through the tunnel beneath the Royal Docks, hugely improving links between southeast London and the rest of the capital.”
The tracks, overhead cables and communications systems required to run the trains will begin to be installed next year. Up to 12 trains an hour in each direction will pass through the tunnel, reducing journey times and supporting the wider regeneration of the Royal Docks.
With Crossrail, the journey from Abbey Wood to Bond Street will be around 20 minutes quicker and passengers travelling to Heathrow will be able to cut around 40 minutes off their journey.
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Plans to close little used stations in North Yorkshire.(The York Press)
Protests over rail franchise consultation.(The Northern Echo)
The new freedom riders: Yorkshire pensioners continue crusade to win back free local rail travel.(The Independent)
Railway misery warning.(Blackpool Gazette)
International
Australia
Rail Safety Week (RSW) is a TrackSAFE/Australasian Railway Association (ARA)/ initiative that has been running since 2006 and aims to improve national education and awareness on railway level crossing and track safety issues.
AustRailAssoc on YouTube
Canada
CN Rail CEO asks government not to impose heavier regulatory burden.(Seeking Alpha)
France
Bombardier to Deliver 22 Additional Francilien Trains for STIF and SNCF in France - Bombardier
Turkey
Turkey: High-speed train breaks down on first day.(BBC News)
USA
www.progressiverailroading.com
Crude by rail: Oregon seeks more safety resources; NS files suit to stop Maryland from publicly releasing shipment info
Canada's rail system is ready for the next harvest, CN says
Denver's Union Station reopens to serve commuters, visitors
Puget Sound council study cites economic impact of proposed BNSF-served coal terminal
Detroit's streetcar construction officially under way
Texas agency appoints Suarez COO
Upgrades on tap for UP line in Kansas; improvements on agenda for four crossings in Ohio
Rail supplier news from Thales, Ansaldo STS, RailWorks, SNC-Lavalin, Wabtec, Alstom and Skelly and Loy (July 29)
Detroit streetcar breaks ground - Railway Gazette
Other Railway Press Releases
www.railway-technology.com
Construction begins on Detroit's M-1 light rail project
Construction has started on the $140m M-1 light rail project in Detroit, US, which is also known as the Woodward Avenue Streetcar.
Chicago Transit to rebid $2bn rail car procurement project
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the Chicago Federation of Labour (CFL), has launched the 'Build Chicago' partnership to rebid a $2bn project to add 846 new 7,000-series railcars.
MBTA to equip commuter rail lines with new Wi-Fi system
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the US has signed a new licence agreement with inMOTION Wireless to install a new Wi-Fi system on its commuter rail line network.
US DoT opens Phase I of Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has opened Phase I of the $3.14bn Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which is also known as Silver Line.
Future Rail Issue 17 August 2014
The possibility of a high-speed rail link along Australia’s eastern corridor has been under consideration for more than 30 years, yet little progress has been made. We take a look at a new report making the case for such a network and ask what it could do for the country.
We also take a look at the new Riyadh metro system under construction as part of a massive public transport project in Saudi Arabia’s capital, find out how operators in Barcelona are tackling fare dodgers with an artificial intelligence system and speak to a design veteran about the challenges and best practice in designing public transit maps.
Moreover, take a look at Siemens’ new Class 700 Desiro electric train for the London Thameslink network and speak to the sponsors of a design competition which seeks the next generation of rolling stock.
