International & UK Railway News Sunday 12th October 2014

..Total Railway News



First Great Western's franchise extension award.....Network Rail apologizes for delays on the Great Western mainline...  Work underway on the Borders' Railway.... The 4th Railway Package....eventually... maybe...    Steam in Scotland.....
And 50 years of the Shinkansen........


Click on the links....






Headlines
UK


Abellio planning steam trains for Scotland.(The Scotsman)


Seaside railway posters go under hammer in New York.(BBC News)


Lichfield could access a slice of £30m through HS2 ‘support funds’.(Lichfield Mercury)


Twenty vehicles vandalised in Severn Valley Railway wrecking spree.(Shropshire Star)


First Great Western offered new franchise deal.(BBC News)



FGW Service at Dawlish.


First Great Western welcomes Network Rail apology after cancellations and delays to services to London Paddington this week.(Bath Chronicle)


Related:  
Network Rail comment on this week’s disruption on the Great Western Main Line


A Network Rail spokesperson, said: “We are sorry for the problems that have affected train services on the Great Western Main Line this week. Performance has been well below the standards passengers deserve and expect.

“We are acutely aware of the frustration and inconvenience felt by passengers when things go wrong. We are working constantly across the rail network to improve the reliability of train services, investing billions over the next five years across the West's rail network to improve signalling, replace old equipment and bring in new modern technology and new trains to provide more reliable train services.

“This week we have not been able to provide the reliability passengers expect for which we apologise. We are wholly focused on delivering a new, modern, reliable rail network for London and the West. “

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Lincolnshire commuters to have their say on railway policing.(Lincolnshire Echo)




Mainline Steam Schedule

Railway Herald - Railtours

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Monday 13th October 2014

Lord Of The Isles & Caledonian Statesman: Day 3 (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Class 47 Inverness (pu) - Aviemore (pu) - Preston (sd) - Wigan North Western (sd) - Warrington Bank Quay (sd) - Crewe (sd) - Stafford (sd) - Wolverhampton (sd) - Rowley regis (sd) - Stourbridge Junction (sd) - Kidderminster (sd) - Worcester Foregate Street (sd) - Great Malvern (sd) - Ledbury (sd) - Hereford (sd) - Abergavenny (sd) - Cwmbran (sd) - Newport

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Tuesday 14th October 2014

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Wednesday 15th October 2014

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Thursday 16th October 2014

The Cathedrals Express (Steam Dreams)

• 70000 Newbury (pu) - Aldermaston (pu) - Reading (pu) - Slough (pu) - Ealing Broadway - Cambridge (sd) - Ely
• 70000 Ely (pu) - Cambridge (pu) - Ealing Broadway (sd) - Slough (sd) - Reading (sd) - West London
• WCRC Class 47/57 West London - Aldermaston (sd) - Newbury

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Friday 17th October 2014

West Highland & Jacobite Statesman (Day 1) (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Class 47 & 57 High Wycombe (pu) - Princes Risborough (pu) - Haddenham & Thame Parkway (pu) - Bicester North (pu) - Banbury (pu) - Leamington Spa (pu) - Coventry (pu) - Birmingham International (pu) - Tame Bridge Parkway (pu) - Wolverhampton (pu) - Stafford (pu) - Crewe (pu) - Preston (pu) - Shap - Carlisle - Beattock - Mossend - Criagendoran Jn - Crianlarich - Fort William

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Saturday 18th October 2014

The Autumn Highlander: Day 1 (Compass Tours)

• WCRC 47/57 Holyhead (pu) - Llanfairpwll (pu) - Bangor (pu) - Llandudno Junction (pu) - Colwyn Bay (pu) - Rhyl (pu) - Flint (pu) - Chester (pu) - Delamere (pu) - Northwich (pu) - Knutsford (pu) - Alrincham (pu) - Stockport (pu) - Manchester Victoria (pu) - Bolton (pu) - Preston (pu) - Carlisle (pu) - Aviemore (sd) - Inverness

The Thames Clyde Express (PMR Tours)

• WCRC Class 47 Nottingham (pu) - Alfreton (pu) - Chesterfield (pu) - Sheffield (pu) - Normanton (pu) - Hellifield
• 46233 Hellifield - Settle - S&C - Appleby - Carlisle (break/rev) Carlisle - Appleby - S&C - Settle - Hellifield
• WCRC Class 47 Hellifield - Normanton (sd) - Sheffield (sd) - Chesterfield (sd) - Alfreton (sd) - Nottingham

The Dartmouth Express (Railway Touring Company)

• WCRC Class 47 Poole (pu) - Bournemouth (pu) - Southampton Central (pu) - Eastleigh (pu) - Salisbury (pu) - Westbury (pu) -
• To be confirmed Westbury - Taunton - Exeter St. Davids - Newton Abbot - Torquay - Paignton - Kingswear
• To be confirmed Kingwear - Paigntoin - Torquay - Newton Abbot - Exeter St. Davids - Taunton - Westbury
• WCRC Class 47 Westbury - Salisbury (sd) - Eastleigh (sd) - Southampton (sd) - Bournemouth (sd) - Poole

West Highland & Jacobite Statesman (Day 2) (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Steam Fort William - Mallaig (break) - Fort William

The Western Streak (Vintage Trains)

• 47773 Tyseley Warwick Road (pu) - Birmingham Moor Street (pu) - Galton Bridge - Kidderminster - Worcester Shrub Hill - Evesham - Charlbury - Oxford - Didcot Parkway
• 4464 Didcot Parkway - Swindon - Chippenham - Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads
• 4464 Bristol Temple Meads - Cheltenham Spa - Bromsgrove - Lickey Incline - Kings Norton - Five ways - Birmingham New Street (sd) - Tyseley Warwick Road

Sunday 19th October 2014

The Autumn Highlander: Day 2 (Compass Tours)

• WCRC Class 47 Inverness (pu) - Kyle of Lochalsh (break/rev) & return

West Highland & Jacobite Statesman (Day 3) (Statesman Rail)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Crianlarich - Craigendoran Jn - Mossend - Beattock - Carlisle - Shap - Preston (sd) - Crewe (sd) - Stafford (sd) - Wolverhampton (sd) - Tame Bridge Parkway (sd) - Birmingham International (sd) - Coventry (sd) - Leamington Spa (sd) - Banbury (sd) - Bicester North (sd) - Haddenham & Thame Parkway (sd) - Princes Risborough (sd) - High Wycombe (sd)

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Borders Railway (Graeme Bickerdike- The Engineer)

A progress report on the Borders Railway project which is reinstating 30 miles of the former Waverley line from Edinburgh to Tweedbank.


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International
Europe
Ministers discuss 4th railway package.(The Parliament Magazine)


See also:
www.cer.be (CER - The Voice of European Railways)

Rail sector urgently needs adoption of Technical Pillar of the Fourth Railway Package

Monday, 06 October 2014

On 8 October, EU Transport Ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss the Fourth Railway Package. In view of this important meeting, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Industry Association (UNIFE) reiterate the European rail sector´s concerns on the lack of action on the Package’s Technical Pillar (i.e. the revision of the Regulation establishing a European Railway Agency, the Directive on rail interoperability and the Directive on rail safety). Broad consensus has long been reached on this part of the Package and, thus, the sector urges the Italian Presidency and the Council to begin trialogues on the Technical Pillar between the Council, Parliament, and the Commission to expedite its adoption.

The adoption of the Technical Pillar will enable the rail sector to realise the benefits of more efficient procedures for vehicle authorisation and safety certification, both in terms of time and cost. Currently, it often requires months and years before new vehicles can enter into service and market entrants still face huge administrative burdens when applying for the required safety certificates. The Technical Pillar provides a new legal framework that will enhance the free and safe movement of passengers and freight on the European railway network, and help create a more competitive and fair market for rail products. This is why the Technical Pillar, and its promotion of true European processes for authorisation and safety certification is urgently needed to overcome the current cumbersome situation, and to ensure that the railway sector regains competitiveness in Europe.

The Italian Presidency has an opportunity to negotiate the Technical Pillar during its term and the European railway sector hopes that the Presidency will seize this chance to support the competitiveness of the European railway operators and the European rail industry.

CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “The rail market opening is an important challenge. However it will not deliver if the technical and operational means are not available for a reasonable price within the reasonable time. Therefore, the first part in this process is to proceed with the Technical Pillar as quickly as possible. It is high time to dedicate all resources available and to open trialogue discussions right away. We cannot wait any longer!”

UNIFE Director General Philippe Citroën asserted, “There has been widespread agreement throughout the sector on the reforms set forth in the Technical Pillar of the package. In order to continue to push modal shift and make railways more competitive and attractive, the efficiencies that would be created by the Technical Pillar are desperately needed and I urge the European institutions to split the Package and swiftly initiate the trialogues!”

 

Download(s) 141006 CER UNIFE press release Transport Council 4RP

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UIC - International Union of Railways


Information published on 7 October 2014 in the UIC electronic newsletter "UIC eNews" Nr 418.

50 years of High Speed Rail

On 1 October 1964, Japanese Railways started operating the “Shin-kan-sen” (literally the “New Train Line”) between Tokyo and Osaka.

The 515 km of brand new line, the spectacular new train (whose nose looked like an airplane and obviously quickly nicknamed “Bullet Train”), with maximum line speeds of 210 km/h, the new (“Shin”) stations and the new concept of service, were the starting point of a long history of unfinished success – a history which represents the survival of long-distance rail passenger transport.


The success of the new concept of train services and system was extended step by step. First in Japan, then in Europe since 1981 (even if impressive performances were achieved before by some European and American passenger trains on upgraded existing lines), then increasing the speed, from 210 to 240, 260, 270, 300 and (up to now) 320 km/h, then Korea, then Turkey, then China, then America, then Morocco and Saudi Arabia...


On 1 October 2014, exactly 50 years after that essential milestone for rail passenger transport, high speed trains are operated around the world, with over 23,000 kilometres of high speed lines (and 13,000 more under construction), more than 2000 high speed trains run every day at 250 km/h or more (and almost 1000 more are being manufactured), 1.3 billion passengers use high speed every year and 15 billion people have already travelled on these types of trains without any fatal accidents at more than 200 km/h.


And on 1 October 2014, exactly 50 years after that essential milestone, the UIC Intercity and High Speed Committee met in Paris for one of its regular technical meetings. It was a very good occasion to celebrate half a century of the birth of a new transport mode, essential for sustainable transport in many regions of the world.

 UIC High Speed cannot yet celebrate its 50th anniversary (of course) but has been working for almost 20 years, producing reports, organising workshops and conferences and organising the World Congress on High Speed.


The celebration of the 50th anniversary of High Speed in the world was held just after the working lunch, in the presence of UIC General Director, Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, and was attended by all the members of the working group, including its Chairman, Michel Leboeuf and the Director of the UIC Passenger and High Speed Department, Iñaki Barrón.







Canada
CSX rebuffs CP's overture Eli Hoffmann, SA News Editor

• Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE:CP) reportedly approached CSX Corp. (NYSE:CSX) during the past week about a potential merger that would unite two of North America's largest railroad operators.
• The approach was rebuffed; it is unclear whether CP has since shelved the effort.
• A deal would create an industry giant with a combined market cap of $62B.
• Any deal would be subject to review by the  U.S. Surface Transportation Board, which has a history of intervening.
• Source: WSJ

India
Railways fast-tracks construction of Talcher-Bimalgarh and Barkot-Jharsuguda lines.(domain-b.com)


Railways to install warning system to stop high-speed trains in 20 secs.(Times of India)


Modi makes railways an attractive investment destination.(Vancouverdesi)


Russia
Li's visit to strengthen China-Russia practical cooperation.(Xinhuanet)