Zig Zag Railway
Due to safety and security concerns, Zig Zag Railway Bottom Points area is currently completely out of bounds. This includes interested and well-meaning members.
Due to suspicious persons coming onto the reserve all locks have been changed. Broken windows and burnt out doors have been replaced or boarded up. There is no accommodation at Bottom Points anymore, and until alternative arrangements ha...ve been made, only authorised people will be allowed on site. As systems are developed, and the site made safe, will we be able to slowly start arranging work days to repair and clean up. We do apologise for this inconvenience, but we have a duty of care when it comes to matters like these and we simply cannot risk harm to anyone. Bear with us, and keep an eye on this site for details.
Due to suspicious persons coming onto the reserve all locks have been changed. Broken windows and burnt out doors have been replaced or boarded up. There is no accommodation at Bottom Points anymore, and until alternative arrangements ha...ve been made, only authorised people will be allowed on site. As systems are developed, and the site made safe, will we be able to slowly start arranging work days to repair and clean up. We do apologise for this inconvenience, but we have a duty of care when it comes to matters like these and we simply cannot risk harm to anyone. Bear with us, and keep an eye on this site for details.
Some of the equipment destroyed in the fire includes these "big ticket" essential items:
2 x lathes 24" swing over gap and 16" over table
1 x surface grinder 400mm high 700x300
1 x geared drill machine floor mount
1 x 12" grinder floor mount
1 x 8" bench grinder
1 x universal milling machine 2000 x 500mm table 1500mm travel
1 x turret milling machine 800 mm x 350mm table
If anyone can help with the replacement of any of these items we'd love to hear from you. Unfortunately, as insurance will only cover contents up to a certain value, we'll have to fund most of these ourselves somehow as most of the insurance payout will go towards repairing the buildings.
For those wishing to donate, here is a link to our website. Also, our bank details are as follows:
Bank: Westpac Lithgow
Zig Zag Railway M & P Account
BSB: 032 829
Account: 104692
http://www.zigzagrailway.com.au/donation.php
This is a selection of photos of The Zig Zag Railway (from David Suter)
Christian Wolmar - Britain's leading transport commentator
Jumping on a high speed train at Seoul station a couple of weeks ago was strangely familiar. The doors were operated by handles you flick across, the lay-out of the coaches only provided tables, which folded in half to allow you onto the seat, for the middle two groups of fours and the toilets were extremely cramped, though the controls were not quite as unfathomable as those on Eurostar (those buttons one pushes which give hot air rather than water!).
Of course, the familiarity was a result of the fact that the trains were none other than slight altered French TGV stock, built for when Korea’s high speed line opened in 2004. The train was well used, a lunchtime departure for the 500km journey from the capital to Busan, the country’s main port and the second largest city after Seoul, although by no means full. Prices are very reasonable. South Korea is a relatively prosperous country, modern and in the middle income bracket of the world’s nations, and so the £30 one way fare is certainly within the reach of most of its citizens. The on board service, a trolley full of both exotic sweets and instant Korean lunches as well as familiar products like the ubiquitous Coca Cola, was excellent, too.
Korea is very proud of its use of technology and the conductor went through the train checking the passengers – who all have to book – electronically, without having to ask for tickets. The catchment area of the high speed line, known as KTX, encompasses nearly three quarters of the country’s population of 50 million and expectations were high when the line first opened with estimates of daily usage of 200,000, rising to around 300,000 by now. In fact, despite the cheapness of the tickets and the fact that the railways have managed to take much of the market share from aviation, numbers are running at around half the predicted levels.
The finances of the high speed line are somewhat opaque. The initial assessment of the cost, in 1988 prices was around £3bn but now the estimate for the whole 255 mile line has increased to £12bn at current prices. The increase is, as ever, the result of various factors including greater than expected difficulties with geological conditions, concerns over the environment particularly of a tunnel through wetlands which led to delays, repeated protests by a Buddhist nun who went on repeated hunger strikes and the usual technical changes.
KTX is now the major part of the Korean railway. It brings in revenues of around £1bn annually, three times the income of the conventional lines. And that appears to be the basis of why the Korean government is anxious to break up the railways and part privatised them. I was invited out to Korea to speak at a trade union conference on privatisation which was a response to a very complex and opaque attempt at fragmentation and privatisation. Although the recently elected ruling Saenuri party which is a conservative amalgam of various other parties, had promised during the hustings that it would not privatise the railways, it has now put forward plans to break them up in what looks like a move towards privatisation.
Korea has a small railway of just over 2,000 route miles, forcibly isolated from the rest of Eurasia’s network by North Korea – formerly, there were connections through to China and Russia. Just as in the UK it was for a time seen as a declining industry, but is now seen as a vital part of the nation’s economy. The risks of breaking up railways was highlighted, in fact, just a couple of days after I returned to the UK when there was a train crash further down the very line on which I had travelled.
Talk of privatisation was first mooted following the 1997 Asian foreign exchange crisis but but opposition from the public and, in particular, the trade unions resulted in moves towards the sale of the railway being dropped. Instead, in 2005, the government split up the railways to the Korean Rail Network Authority to build new lines, and the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), to run the trains, which now, in turn, is itself being split up. The government is proposing the creation of a new structure which is a kind of mishmash of various railway systems across Europe. This involves the creation of a holding company with a series of subsidiaries covering freight, rolling stock, the infrastructure and passenger transport which is, in fact, split with KTX, along with the airport line, being in a different company than the rest of the network. The government denies this is preparation for privatisation, but there seems little other motive than to prepare the industry for sale. All this, remember, is in a railway that is very small compared with major European networks.
A particular concern of the unions is the way that the KTX services, which represent such a large proportion of the railway revenues, are being separated from conventional services which are heavily loss-making. There are understandable fears that without the direct cross subsidy, these minor lines will be slated for closure.
At the conference I attended, several times fears about safety were expressed. While one has to be extremely careful about such allegations, there is no doubt that the rail privatisation process caused such upheaval in Britain’s railways that it contributed to all the four major crashes in its aftermath – Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield and Potter’s Bar – and it is no coincidence that the subsequent changes have led to a much safer railway. So it was rather shocking to hear, just two days after returning from Korea, that there had been an accident on the very line on which I had travelled involving a collision between a KTX train and a regional service.
The KTX trains share the tracks with conventional services for part of the time and the crash seems to have been caused by the regional service crew misreading a red signal, perhaps because the lay out was confusing – reminiscent of Ladbroke Grove. The unions afterwards suggested in a statement that the fragmentation of the railways contributed to the accident: ‘The separation of operations and infrastructure has caused a lack of clarity about who is responsible for measures to ensure safety and created a fundamentally inadequate safety system’.
The motive behind the government plan is ostensibly to bring in private capital. Already Korea has, though, had a bad experience with a privately built railway. The airport express (fare, incidentally, just £3 for the 80km hour long ride on a new train) was built privately but after demands from the private operator for extra subsidy, it was nationalised, though oddly the government is now seeking to reprivatise it. This shows that private investors need to be rewarded and their involvement is likely to make the railway more expensive to operate and therefore more loss making overall. As in Britain, the hidden agenda may well be to break up the unions but the Korean workers, who are quite used to being dismissed or even thrown in gaol for their union activity, are a hardy and canny bunch who will strongly resist these changes.
All this backs up my central point rooted in my scepticism about privatisation. Just as in the UK, the Korean plans for rail privatisation have no basis either in railway history and are not at the core of a plan to make services better for passengers and freight carriers. Instead, they seem to be rooted in an ideological fervour with the same old tired arguments that private is better than public. And there is no doubt, too, that just as in the UK, one of the motives is to smash the trade unions, though, again, that is unstated. Being in Korea was, therefore, rather like going back in time to the UK in 1992 when the privatisation plans were first set out in a White Paper and, remember, there were no immediate plans for the sale of Railtrack. We all know what happened next, which rather justifies the concerns of the Korean trade unionists
Railways not weaned from subsidy
The recent figures released by the Office of Rail Regulation on the railway’s finances, ably analysed by Steve Broadbent in the previous issue, show how difficult it is for government ever to free themselves of the burden of subsidising the railways. This shows that in a reversal of recent trends, overall subsidy has increased to £5bn in the most recent financial year, a rise of nearly half a billion since 2011/2.
This is despite the fact that franchisees now pay a premium overall to government of £420m, rather than being in receipt of subsidy but actually this is only notional since it does not take account of the huge grant made directly to Network Rail of £3.8bn. This is supposed to cover investment but, in fact, includes aspects of renewal and maintenance, making the economics of the railway rather opaque, a perennial complaint in this column. Maintenance, renewal and enhancement are not easy to distinguish on the railways.
The subsidy figure reflects the government’s huge investment programme in the railways but leaves the railways vulnerable. However, the key point is that despite the McNulty report which wanted a clampdown on excessive costs and despite the shift from subsidy to fares income which means passengers now pay more than 2/3rds the cost of the railway, government support is still rising. The good news is that this demonstrates continued government support for the railways and, perhaps, an understanding of their overall importance to the economy. The bad news is that in these austere times, this massive investment programme in the railways will be vulnerable to cutbacks and there will be continued pressure to increase fares.
All views expressed are those of the author!
Subterranean Railway (Atlantic Books, 2012)
A social history of the tube
The Subterranean Railway celebrates the fantastic achievement of the Underground’s pioneers who created a transport system that was not only unique in the world but also was vital in creating the London we know today. Read more >>
Network Rail
Passengers warned of major disruption to rail services on Monday
Passengers should expect significant disruption to rail services on some routes on Monday owing to the severe storm which is due to cross the southern half of the country on Sunday night and Monday morning.
The safety of passengers and rail staff is paramount. As a result, trains will not be allowed to run until the worst of the storm has passed and engineers have been able to check railway lines in daylight for fallen trees, branches or any other debris which may have blown onto or damaged the infrastructure.
The timing and trajectory of the storm mean that services are unlikely to be able to start up until 9am on many routes in the south-east of England, though there is a chance that trains from Hampshire and Surrey towards London may be able to operate slightly earlier as the worst of the weather heads eastwards. Network Rail will be monitoring conditions constantly and will endeavour to clear routes for trains as quickly as possible once the worst of the weather has passed.
Once routes have been cleared as safe to run trains, many operators will be running a reduced or altered service as speed restrictions remain in place to ensure trains can run safely. There may also be issues with staff – many of whom rely on roads or rail – being unable to get to work as a result of transport disruption.
Passengers can log onto nationalrail.co.uk or sign-up for free Twitter alerts to find out how their train service is running.
Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director of network operations, said: “Passengers will, I hope, understand that their safety and the safety of our workforce has to be the rail industry’s number one priority during such severe weather. We will be monitoring conditions on the ground throughout the night and into the morning, but we simply cannot allow trains to run until the storm has passed and we have been able to make sure that the railway is safe and free of damage or obstructions.
“If the forecast proves to be correct then the timing of this storm could not be more challenging, with the worst of the weather coming right at the start of the Monday morning rush-hour for many people. Once the storm has passed we will have a better idea of the work needed to get the railway back up and running safely and I assure passengers that all available resources will be put towards that effort.”
Michael Roberts, director general of Rail Delivery Group, said: "Passenger safety is our top priority which is why services cannot run when there is any risk for customers. We do appreciate the inconvenience caused by cancelled and reduced services, and operators and Network Rail will be working closely together to get trains back up and running as quickly as possible.
"We will do all we can can to keep passengers informed and strongly advise people to check latest updates before setting off and to allow longer for journeys.”
Passenger informationTo get the latest real-time rail travel information, passengers should use the National Rail Enquiries (NRE) service, which they can access on the move.
Passengers can:
• Download the free NRE apps for iPhone and Android smartphones, giving access to real time running information, journey planning and information on any disruption.
• Visit the nationalrail.co.uk website to access live train departures boards and journey planners and to search for local operators’ trains.
• Follow NRE on Twitter or their train company.
• ‘Like’ NRE’s dedicated Facebook page.
Rail Delivery Group
RAIL INDUSTRY CREATES UNIFIED VOICE
Network Rail, train operating companies and freight operating companies have agreed the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) will assume responsibility for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the rail industry.
To advance this objective, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) will combine its communications and policy functions with complementary resources from Network Rail and support from other RDG members, to operate in future for the RDG as a whole. Michael Roberts, ATOC’s chief executive, becomes the director general of the RDG, succeeding Graham Smith who has stepped down from the role.
The creation of an expanded executive team will strengthen the RDG’s capabilities to develop policies which benefit rail users and taxpayers, and enable it to provide the railway with a unified voice.
The combination of resources from ATOC and Network Rail also signals the RDG’s intent to work increasingly in partnership and with common purpose, mirroring developments elsewhere in the industry.
Commenting on the changes, Tim O’Toole, RDG chairman and chief executive of FirstGroup plc, said:
"Britain's railways have been transformed over the past 20 years, delivering record levels of growth and performance. Greater coordination among the train operators, freight companies and Network Rail is the next logical step for the industry to evolve to the next stage of capability. The combination of ATOC resources with Network Rail will provide clear, unified leadership for the industry and ensure it is best placed to build on its unmatched record of success."
Sir David Higgins, RDG deputy chairman and Network Rail chief executive, said:
"A better railway brings significant economic and social benefits to passengers, taxpayers and the public. The industry's commitment to work more closely is delivering real improvements to safety, service quality and efficiency. A more effective, better resourced, RDG will help us achieve more for those we serve."
Michael Roberts, RDG director general, said: "The new arrangements are an exciting opportunity to work even more closely with colleagues across the industry. The team and I very much look forward to supporting group members in their passion to drive forward solutions that benefit passengers, freight users and taxpayers."
25 October 2013
Rail industry responds to East Coast prospectus
Responding to the publication of the prospectus for the East Coast rail franchise, Michael Roberts, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group, said:
"Successive governments working through Network Rail to invest significant sums in infrastructure combined with commercial operators focussed on encouraging more rail use has been crucial to the successful transformation of the railway. This partnership between the public and private sectors is a winning formula that is delivering for passengers, businesses and the taxpayer."
European Commission - Press Releases
Speech: Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission.A new era for European transport: filling the gaps, joining East and West.
Transport: New EU infrastructure policy
The timing and trajectory of the storm mean that services are unlikely to be able to start up until 9am on many routes in the south-east of England, though there is a chance that trains from Hampshire and Surrey towards London may be able to operate slightly earlier as the worst of the weather heads eastwards. Network Rail will be monitoring conditions constantly and will endeavour to clear routes for trains as quickly as possible once the worst of the weather has passed.
Once routes have been cleared as safe to run trains, many operators will be running a reduced or altered service as speed restrictions remain in place to ensure trains can run safely. There may also be issues with staff – many of whom rely on roads or rail – being unable to get to work as a result of transport disruption.
Passengers can log onto nationalrail.co.uk or sign-up for free Twitter alerts to find out how their train service is running.
Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director of network operations, said: “Passengers will, I hope, understand that their safety and the safety of our workforce has to be the rail industry’s number one priority during such severe weather. We will be monitoring conditions on the ground throughout the night and into the morning, but we simply cannot allow trains to run until the storm has passed and we have been able to make sure that the railway is safe and free of damage or obstructions.
“If the forecast proves to be correct then the timing of this storm could not be more challenging, with the worst of the weather coming right at the start of the Monday morning rush-hour for many people. Once the storm has passed we will have a better idea of the work needed to get the railway back up and running safely and I assure passengers that all available resources will be put towards that effort.”
Michael Roberts, director general of Rail Delivery Group, said: "Passenger safety is our top priority which is why services cannot run when there is any risk for customers. We do appreciate the inconvenience caused by cancelled and reduced services, and operators and Network Rail will be working closely together to get trains back up and running as quickly as possible.
"We will do all we can can to keep passengers informed and strongly advise people to check latest updates before setting off and to allow longer for journeys.”
Passenger informationTo get the latest real-time rail travel information, passengers should use the National Rail Enquiries (NRE) service, which they can access on the move.
Passengers can:
• Download the free NRE apps for iPhone and Android smartphones, giving access to real time running information, journey planning and information on any disruption.
• Visit the nationalrail.co.uk website to access live train departures boards and journey planners and to search for local operators’ trains.
• Follow NRE on Twitter or their train company.
• ‘Like’ NRE’s dedicated Facebook page.
Rail Delivery Group
RAIL INDUSTRY CREATES UNIFIED VOICE
Network Rail, train operating companies and freight operating companies have agreed the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) will assume responsibility for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the rail industry.
To advance this objective, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) will combine its communications and policy functions with complementary resources from Network Rail and support from other RDG members, to operate in future for the RDG as a whole. Michael Roberts, ATOC’s chief executive, becomes the director general of the RDG, succeeding Graham Smith who has stepped down from the role.
The creation of an expanded executive team will strengthen the RDG’s capabilities to develop policies which benefit rail users and taxpayers, and enable it to provide the railway with a unified voice.
The combination of resources from ATOC and Network Rail also signals the RDG’s intent to work increasingly in partnership and with common purpose, mirroring developments elsewhere in the industry.
Commenting on the changes, Tim O’Toole, RDG chairman and chief executive of FirstGroup plc, said:
"Britain's railways have been transformed over the past 20 years, delivering record levels of growth and performance. Greater coordination among the train operators, freight companies and Network Rail is the next logical step for the industry to evolve to the next stage of capability. The combination of ATOC resources with Network Rail will provide clear, unified leadership for the industry and ensure it is best placed to build on its unmatched record of success."
Sir David Higgins, RDG deputy chairman and Network Rail chief executive, said:
"A better railway brings significant economic and social benefits to passengers, taxpayers and the public. The industry's commitment to work more closely is delivering real improvements to safety, service quality and efficiency. A more effective, better resourced, RDG will help us achieve more for those we serve."
Michael Roberts, RDG director general, said: "The new arrangements are an exciting opportunity to work even more closely with colleagues across the industry. The team and I very much look forward to supporting group members in their passion to drive forward solutions that benefit passengers, freight users and taxpayers."
Rail industry responds to East Coast prospectus
Responding to the publication of the prospectus for the East Coast rail franchise, Michael Roberts, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group, said:
"Successive governments working through Network Rail to invest significant sums in infrastructure combined with commercial operators focussed on encouraging more rail use has been crucial to the successful transformation of the railway. This partnership between the public and private sectors is a winning formula that is delivering for passengers, businesses and the taxpayer."
European Commission - Press Releases
Transport: EU grants of almost €1.6 billion to support key TEN-T infrastructure projects
The European Commission has selected a total of 172 projects that will benefit from almost €1.6 billion in EU co-financing from the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) Programme for improving transport infrastructure across Europe. 89 projects selected from the 2012 Multi-Annual Call and 83 from the 2012 Annual Call will use this financial support to help realise TEN-T network development – ranging from preliminary studies for new projects to top-up grants aimed to help assist on-going construction initiatives, in all transport modes.
Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, noted: "Trans-European networks in transport are some of the best examples of the value the EU can bring to its Member States. A well-functioning network is essential to the smooth operation of the single market and will boost competitiveness. These projects will also assist Europe in moving to a more sustainable future and allow the same market access to all our regions."
The 2012 Multi-Annual Programme Call provided €1.348 billion of funding to projects financing the highest priorities of the TEN-T network, focusing on six modal areas:
- Air Traffic Management (ATM) - 3 projects selected, €58.8 million in funding
- European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) - 14 projects selected, €68.33 million in funding
- Intelligent Transport Systems/European Electronic Toll System (ITS/EETS) - 2 projects selected, €3.58 million in funding
- Motorways of the Sea (MoS) - 13 projects selected, €169.37 million in funding
- River Information Services (RIS) - 4 projects selected, €3.43 million in funding
- Priority Projects (PPs) - 53 projects selected (39 new projects, 14 ongoing projects), €1.044 billion in funding
The 2012 Annual Programme Call gave financing for a large number of smaller projects covering the different modes of transport. This Call granted €247.20 million in total funding in four main priority areas:
- Priority 1 - Acceleration/facilitation of the implementation of TEN-T projects (inland waterways, multimodal, maritime, rail, road) – 67 projects selected, €211.36 million in funding
- Priority 2 - Measures to promote innovation and new technologies for transport infrastructure - 6 projects selected, €13.74 million in funding
- Priority 3 - Support to Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and innovative financial instruments: 3 projects selected, €5.75 million in funding
- Priority 4 - Support to the long term implementation of the TEN-T, in particular corridors: 7 projects selected, €16.35 million in funding
The individual funding Decisions will be gradually adopted by the European Commission during the months of October and December 2013. In the framework of the TEN-T days 2013 in Tallinn, 32 of these individual Decisions will be handed over to the Ministers and Secretaries of State that will be present.
The projects will be monitored by the TEN-T Executive Agency, working together with the project beneficiaries across the Member States and under the auspices of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission.
Speech: Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission.A new era for European transport: filling the gaps, joining East and West.
Transport: New EU infrastructure policy
In the most radical overhaul of EU infrastructure policy since its inception in the 1980s, the Commission has today published new maps showing the nine major corridors which will act as a backbone for transportation in Europe's single market and revolutionise East–West connections. To match this level of ambition, EU financing for transport infrastructure will triple for the period 2014–2020 to €26 billion.
Taken as a whole, the new EU infrastructure policy will transform the existing patchwork of European roads, railways, airports and canals into a unified trans-European transport network (TEN-T).
European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: "Transport is vital to the European economy. Without good connections Europe will not grow or prosper. This new EU infrastructure policy will put in place a powerful European transport network across 28 Member States to promote growth and competitiveness. It will connect East with West and replace today’s transport patchwork with a network that is genuinely European."
The new EU infrastructure policy
The new policy establishes, for the first time, a core transport network built on nine major corridors: 2 North–South corridors, 3 East–West corridors; and 4 diagonal corridors. The core network will transform East–West connections, remove bottlenecks, upgrade infrastructure and streamline cross-border transport operations for passengers and businesses throughout the EU. It will improve connections between different modes of transport and contribute to the EU's climate change objectives. The core network is to be completed by 2030. The availability of funding will depend on the successful conclusion of negotiations on the overall MFF 2014-2020.
Financing for transport infrastructure will triple for the period 2014–2020 to €26 billion. This EU funding will be tightly focused on the core transport network where there is most EU added value. To prioritise East–West connections, almost half the total EC transport infrastructure funding (€11.3 billion from the "Connecting Europe Facility", or CEF) will be ring-fenced only for cohesion countries.
The new core transport network will be supported by a comprehensive network of routes, feeding into the core network at regional and national level. The comprehensive network, will ensure full coverage of the EU and accessibility of all regions. The aim is to ensure that progressively, and by 2050, the great majority of Europe's citizens and businesses will be no more than 30 minutes' travel time from this comprehensive network.
Taken as a whole, the new transport network will deliver:
- safer and less congested travel
- smoother and quicker journeys.
The €26 billion (current prices) allocated to transport under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) of the MFF (multi-annual financial framework) will effectively act as "seed capital" to stimulate further investment by Member States to complete difficult cross-border connections and links which might not otherwise get built. It is estimated that the cost of implementing the first financing phase for the core network for 2014–2020 (see attached list of projects) will cost €250 billion. The core network is to be completed by 2030.
The new core network – the figures
The core network will connect:
- 94 main European ports with rail and road links
- 38 key airports with rail connections into major cities
- 15,000 km of railway line upgraded to high speed
- 35 cross-border projects to reduce bottlenecks
This will be the economic lifeblood of the single market, allowing a real free flow of goods and people around the EU.
A map of the core TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network) and the nine major corridors is attached below. For more information see MEMO/13/897 or http://ec.europa.eu/transport/index_en.htm
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