HS2 - Press Release 24th July 2013
Green light given for HS2 by Court of Appeals
24 July 2013
Work on a new high speed railway from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds will continue after the Court of Appeal today (24 July 2013) rejected further attempts to derail the scheme.
The court has given the government the green light to press ahead without delay in delivering the engine for growth.
Of the seven broad areas of challenge to the decisions on the principle of HS2 and route for phase one (from London to Birmingham), made by three sets of claimants, the Court of Appeal ruled categorically in the government’s favour on every one.
The government will be moving forward as planned with introducing legislation in Parliament later this year and getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017.
"Parliament is the right place to debate the merits of HS2, not the law courts, and we will introduce the hybrid bill for phase one before the year is out. I urge opponents not to waste any more taxpayers’ money on expensive litigation and instead work with us on making HS2 the very best it can be.
"We continue to move forward apace with the crucial business of getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017 and delivering enormous benefits for the country."
The Court of Appeal agreed it was lawful for the government to choose to rule out upgrading the existing network as a credible alternative to HS2. It also agreed with the High Court that the government’s approach to consultation on the principle of HS2 and the phase one route, and on environmental and equalities assessments, had all been carried out fairly and lawfully.
Earlier in the year the High Court ordered the claimants to pay the government’s legal costs for defending the unsuccessful grounds of challenge. The government will be seeking to reclaim costs for having to fight these appeals.
Phase one of the scheme is set to open in 2026, with the full Y-shaped route open in 2032/33.
The appeal hearings took place at the Royal Courts of Justice from 10 to 13 June.
Read the full press release on the Department For Transport website
UK Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
The court has given the government the green light to press ahead without delay in delivering the engine for growth.
Of the seven broad areas of challenge to the decisions on the principle of HS2 and route for phase one (from London to Birmingham), made by three sets of claimants, the Court of Appeal ruled categorically in the government’s favour on every one.
The government will be moving forward as planned with introducing legislation in Parliament later this year and getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017.
High Speed Rail Minister Simon Burns said:
"By dismissing all seven grounds of appeal and declining to refer the case to Europe, this is the second time in four months a court has rejected attempts to derail HS2."Parliament is the right place to debate the merits of HS2, not the law courts, and we will introduce the hybrid bill for phase one before the year is out. I urge opponents not to waste any more taxpayers’ money on expensive litigation and instead work with us on making HS2 the very best it can be.
"We continue to move forward apace with the crucial business of getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017 and delivering enormous benefits for the country."
The Court of Appeal agreed it was lawful for the government to choose to rule out upgrading the existing network as a credible alternative to HS2. It also agreed with the High Court that the government’s approach to consultation on the principle of HS2 and the phase one route, and on environmental and equalities assessments, had all been carried out fairly and lawfully.
Earlier in the year the High Court ordered the claimants to pay the government’s legal costs for defending the unsuccessful grounds of challenge. The government will be seeking to reclaim costs for having to fight these appeals.
Phase one of the scheme is set to open in 2026, with the full Y-shaped route open in 2032/33.
The appeal hearings took place at the Royal Courts of Justice from 10 to 13 June.
Read the full press release on the Department For Transport website
UK Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
Senior management changes at ORR
24 July 2013
ORR/17/13
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has today announced that Tom Taylor is to join as director of corporate operations and organisation development. It also announced that Cathryn Ross, currently director of rail markets and economics, is to leave the organisation in October to take up the role of chief executive of Ofwat.
Tom joins ORR from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where he is currently finance director. He led Defra’s contribution to the 2010 spending review and also spent time on loan to the Office of Climate Change. He previously worked at the Department for Work and Pensions. He trained as a professional economist and is also a chartered accountant and is expected to join the organisation in October.
Cathryn Ross originally joined ORR from Ofwat in August 2011 and has led the periodic review of Network Rail, working closely with programme director John Larkinson, the draft determination of which was published on 12 June.
Commenting on the changes, ORR chief executive Richard Price said:
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ORR/17/13
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has today announced that Tom Taylor is to join as director of corporate operations and organisation development. It also announced that Cathryn Ross, currently director of rail markets and economics, is to leave the organisation in October to take up the role of chief executive of Ofwat.
Tom joins ORR from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where he is currently finance director. He led Defra’s contribution to the 2010 spending review and also spent time on loan to the Office of Climate Change. He previously worked at the Department for Work and Pensions. He trained as a professional economist and is also a chartered accountant and is expected to join the organisation in October.
Cathryn Ross originally joined ORR from Ofwat in August 2011 and has led the periodic review of Network Rail, working closely with programme director John Larkinson, the draft determination of which was published on 12 June.
Commenting on the changes, ORR chief executive Richard Price said:
"Tom is joining us at an important time and will be able to build on the work which we have carried out in the last 12 months to improve our efficiency and cost effectiveness. As a regulator funded largely by the industry we have a responsibility to ensure that we provide excellent value for money. As we enter a new five year regulatory period it is essential that we are structured and organised in a way which will properly equip us for the future. I’m really looking forward to working with Tom to achieve this."He added:
"Cathryn has made a huge contribution to ORR in the last two years and her work in leading the periodic review has been absolutely crucial in helping us to set stretching efficiency and performance challenges to Network Rail over the next five years. Cathryn has also played a big part in helping us to think much more clearly about the position of customers in the rail industry and has given us a much stronger consumer focus. I’ve really enjoyed working with Cathryn and we are very sad to see her go and wish her well for the future."
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SPANISH infrastructure manager Adif has awarded a number of contracts for the extension standard gauge tracks south along the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona to Tarragona and Valencia.
THE president of Mexico, Mr Enrique Peña Nieto, has announced a massive six-year national infrastructure investment programme, which is 50% greater than the previous plan.
TRANSPORT Canada announced on July 23 that it will ban one-person train crews in response to the derailment and explosion of a freight train at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec on July 6, which killed at least 47..
GERMAN federal transport minister Dr Peter Ramsauer, the first minister of the German state of North Rhine Westphalia Mrs. Hannelore Kraft, and German Rail (DB) CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube signed a €1.5bn agreement in Bonn on July 24 to fund a major upgrade of the 73km line between the Dutch border at Emmerich and Oberhausen.
www.progressiverailroading.com US News
Crude dominates discussions at rail shipper association's summer meeting.
Read the article by Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor, Progressive Railroading, HERE
www.railway-technology.com Updates..
Atkins to manage upgrade of busiest at-grade railroad intersection in US
UK-based design, engineering and project management consultant Atkins has secured a contract from the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) to upgrade the busiest at-grade railroad intersection in the US as part of the Tower 55 Multimodal Improvement project.
Bombardier to upgrade Alicante-Barcelona Corridor with Interflo 200
Bombardier Transportation has secured a contract from Spanish railway infrastructure manager Adif to provide its Interflo 200 mainline signalling system to the upgrade of the Mediterranean Corridor between Alicante and Barcelona.
Heriot-Watt and Atkins sign MoU for high-speed rail research centre
Heriot-Watt University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UK-based design, engineering and project management consultant Atkins to create a high-speed rail research centre.
Network Rail completes upgrade in Warrington and Preston section of West Coast Main Line
Network Rail has completed major improvement work on the railway between Warrington and Preston as part of the West Coast Main Line upgrade in Lancashire, UK.
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Calif. seeks firms to scout high-speed rail route - San Jose Mercury News
Standard gauge to reach Marijampole - Railway Gazette
New passenger rail contract signed in Catalunya - Railway Gazette
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GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - Class 26 and 45 debut at Heritage Diesel Weekend!
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