A 4 day strike in Germany ahead of the 25th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall... and a ceremony at King's Cross, London to remember the fallen of the First World War....
HS2's potential to make the north " a powerhouse"....
..and the surprising news from Mexico that the contract with China for a high speed line has been suddenly cancelled over fears that the process was flawed somehow....
And take a look at the Children's Railway, Budapest, film..... delightful.... and inspiring...
Plus reports from other respected railway press sources...
Click on the links....
Headlines
UK
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has announced plans for better trains in the north to reduce overcrowding and cut journey times. Mr Clegg is calling for electrified cross-Pennine links between Liverpool and Manchester on one side and Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull on the other by 2025.
Picture: Courtesy (C) Edinburgh Trams
Runaway of trolleys and subsequent near-miss at Raven level crossing, Garnant, Carmarthenshire, 1 November 2014
At around 21:40 hrs on 1 November 2014, a pair of special trolleys (known as ‘ironmen’) were being used to transport a 16 metre (52 foot) length of rail, weighing approximately 0.9 tonnes, from an access point at Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen to Raven level crossing. While the ironmen were in transit they ran out of control for a distance of more than five miles along the Garnant Branch line. Two track-workers travelled with the runaway ironmen (one on each) as far as Raven level crossing, where they shouted a warning to four colleagues who were in the process of removing road panels from the level crossing, before jumping off. As a result of this warning the men working on the level crossing were able to move away shortly before the ironmen ran through their site of work. One of the men who had travelled with the ironmen required hospital treatment for injuries he sustained when he jumped clear; there were no other injuries.
The runaway ironmen following the incident (RAIB picture)
The ironmen subsequently ran through three further road crossings (two of which were automatically operated) and two footpath crossings before they had slowed sufficiently for a Network Rail manager to be able to stop and secure them near the town of Ammanford. The ironmen were not equipped with lights.
Reports indicate that the runaway occurred during a period of intense rainfall.
Network Rail documents show the average gradient of the line between Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and Raven level crossing as being 1 in 40. The RAIB observes that the gradient of the line is not uniform and that it therefore exceeds 1 in 40 for parts of this distance.
A second pair of ironmen, which was being used to transport a similar load, was following the first pair. The three track-workers who were with these ironmen struggled to retain control of them, but eventually succeeded and brought their load to Raven level crossing as planned.
The RAIB’s investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events and will include consideration of the planning of the work, the design and maintenance of the brakes on the ironmen, the rules governing the use of manually-propelled wheeled plant on gradients and the effect of the weather conditions. It will also take into consideration the findings from other similar incidents that the RAIB has investigated, including trolley runaways on the Larkhall Branch line in the Hamilton area on 2 November 2005 and near Haslemere in Surrey on 10 September 2011 (RAIB reports 20/2006 and 14/2012).
The RAIB’s investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry, Office of Rail Regulation and British Transport Police.
The RAIB will publish its findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of its investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.
Reports indicate that the runaway occurred during a period of intense rainfall.
Network Rail documents show the average gradient of the line between Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and Raven level crossing as being 1 in 40. The RAIB observes that the gradient of the line is not uniform and that it therefore exceeds 1 in 40 for parts of this distance.
A second pair of ironmen, which was being used to transport a similar load, was following the first pair. The three track-workers who were with these ironmen struggled to retain control of them, but eventually succeeded and brought their load to Raven level crossing as planned.
The RAIB’s investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events and will include consideration of the planning of the work, the design and maintenance of the brakes on the ironmen, the rules governing the use of manually-propelled wheeled plant on gradients and the effect of the weather conditions. It will also take into consideration the findings from other similar incidents that the RAIB has investigated, including trolley runaways on the Larkhall Branch line in the Hamilton area on 2 November 2005 and near Haslemere in Surrey on 10 September 2011 (RAIB reports 20/2006 and 14/2012).
The RAIB’s investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry, Office of Rail Regulation and British Transport Police.
The RAIB will publish its findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of its investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.
Train struck lineside equipment in Watford tunnel, 26 October 2014
The RAIB is investigating a collision between a train and the door of a lineside equipment cabinet within Watford tunnel on Sunday 26 October 2014. The accident occurred at approximately 07:20 hrs, and involved the 06:42 hrs service from Milton Keynes to London Euston, operated by London Midland.
The train comprised a four-car class 350 electric multiple unit and was travelling at 88 mph when the door of the cabinet struck the underframe of the third coach of the train. The impact caused the cabinet door to become detached and it subsequently hit the side of the tunnel and then a door on the rear coach of the train. This caused significant damage to the train door and penetrated the window, causing some small glass debris to enter the passenger compartment. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported by anyone travelling on the train.
The train comprised a four-car class 350 electric multiple unit and was travelling at 88 mph when the door of the cabinet struck the underframe of the third coach of the train. The impact caused the cabinet door to become detached and it subsequently hit the side of the tunnel and then a door on the rear coach of the train. This caused significant damage to the train door and penetrated the window, causing some small glass debris to enter the passenger compartment. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported by anyone travelling on the train.
Images of damaged train © Network Rail
When the train’s door was damaged by the impact the door control system detected that the door was no longer securely closed and the brakes were automatically applied, bringing the train to a stand outside the south end of the tunnel, not far from Watford Junction station.
The RAIB’s preliminary examination has established that maintenance had been taking place overnight (25/26 October) on the signalling equipment contained within the cabinet. The train which struck the cabinet door was the first train to operate over that line after the maintenance activity had been completed.
The RAIB’s investigation will consider the sequence of events that led to the accident, including the planning and execution of the work associated with the signalling equipment in the cabinet that night. It will also review the way in which the operational risk to the railway was considered during the design of the cabinet and the product acceptance processes applied to it.
The RAIB’s investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or the Office of Rail Regulation.
The RAIB will publish its findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of its investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.
GOV.UK
Train takes centre stage at a ceremony of remembrance
Secretary of State for Transport joined military personnel to welcome the ‘For the Fallen’ at Kings Cross Station.
A ceremony of remembrance was held at King’s Cross Station to mark the centenary of the First World War today (7 November 2014). Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin was joined by 100 serving and retired military personnel who gathered to greet East Coast locomotive 91111 For the Fallen.
The nameplate of the newly-renamed train bears the crests of regiments local to the East Coast route, and the train’s livery depicts soldiers, artefacts and tributes commemorating the contribution they made to the war efforts.
The For the Fallen locomotive was met by servicemen and women lining the platform at King’s Cross. The Secretary of State for Transport gave a short speech in a ceremony that included a multi-faith act of remembrance followed by the playing of the Last Post.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
The nameplate of the newly-renamed train bears the crests of regiments local to the East Coast route, and the train’s livery depicts soldiers, artefacts and tributes commemorating the contribution they made to the war efforts.
The For the Fallen locomotive was met by servicemen and women lining the platform at King’s Cross. The Secretary of State for Transport gave a short speech in a ceremony that included a multi-faith act of remembrance followed by the playing of the Last Post.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
World War 1 is also known as the railway war because of the significant role trains played in the conflict. Trains transported supplies and soldiers to and from the frontline and kept the country going. The railways are just as important to the nation now as they were was 100 years ago.
Today’s ceremony and the For the Fallen locomotive are a moving reminder of the sacrifices made by our forefathers in the Great War and in wars since. It is important that we remember their sacrifice, and that we never forget the lessons of the past. I am honoured to have been able to commemorate their work today.
When war was declared on 4 August 1914 the railway helped troops to mobilise, and by the end of that month dedicated military supply trains were arriving at Southampton every 12 minutes throughout the day. Thousands of railway workers enlisted to fight, and women stepped into many of their roles on the Home Front, eventually performing most of the railway tasks.
It is estimated that the railway lost 20, 000 men during World War 1, and many main line stations in Britain have a memorial to their sacrifice, listing the names of those who worked on the railway but never returned to their jobs when peace was restored in 1918.
Chairman of East Coast and Chief Executive Officer of Directly Operated Railways Michael Holden said:
It is estimated that the railway lost 20, 000 men during World War 1, and many main line stations in Britain have a memorial to their sacrifice, listing the names of those who worked on the railway but never returned to their jobs when peace was restored in 1918.
Chairman of East Coast and Chief Executive Officer of Directly Operated Railways Michael Holden said:
The rail industry is rightly marking the centenary of World War 1. The ‘For the Fallen’ locomotive is East Coast’s individual tribute to those who went to war: it also commemorates those who gave their lives, including the 20,000 rail workers who signed up for the war, never to return.
The For the Fallen locomotive takes stories, images, facts and history behind the 5 regiments, and the Great War, to millions of our passengers across the country. We worked on the detail of the livery with 5 regiments on the East Coast route, including the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC).
The locomotive is a powerful and poignant symbol of commemoration by our railway industry for all those who did not return from the Great War. Lest we forget.
Loco 91 111 For the Fallen joins sister East Coast electric locomotive 91 110 ‘Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’, which features the insignia of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (RAF BBMF) and its 3 famous World War 2 aircraft – the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster.
Christian Wolmar
Rail 759: The tragic toll on the railways
It’s the railways’ hidden story. While rail is indeed the safest form of travel, every year they still result in the deaths of over 300 people, almost one a day and by far the greatest number are suicides. The recent tragedy at Slough where a woman and her son were killed in an apparent when she grabbed him and jumped in front of a train highlighted the issue but most go largely unreported and only come to the notice of those affected by the delays.
The problem is considerable and, sadly, growing. The latest statistics show that there were 279 suicides on the national rail network in the year up to April 1 2014, an increase of 11 on the previous year and 55 more than in 2011, a rise of almost a quarter in that three year period. Add in, too, around 50 on the London Underground and it works out at almost one per day. This, of course, is a societal rather than a railway matter as unemployment, the cuts under the austerity programme particularly to mental health services and other factors.
In the past, the railways were reluctant to talk about this issue or indeed do anything about it. Suicide was seen as a societal matter, which was ‘none of our business’. But that has changed because it is now recognised it is very much the railways’ business. These tragedies result in awful trauma for the staff, result in major delays and will occur more often if nothing is done to prevent them. It is partly about saving some of the £34m cost to the railways of these incidents but also about the railways playing its part in avoiding these tragedies. As one insider put it, we need an approach that is both ‘hard-headed but compassionate’
Therefore a National Suicide Prevention Group – which includes Network Rail, the Samaritans, the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the British Transport Police and several others – has been set up. While there is now an acceptance that simply ignoring the issue does not work, one area of concern has been to avoid the wrong sort of publicity will lead to copycat tragedies and the group has issued guidelines to the media. For example, the guidelines counsel against reporting too much detail, as that is seen as an encouragement, and wants reporters to avoid mentioning specific locations as that can point vulnerable people to specific spots. Prominent reporting on the front page or with big headlines, is also discouraged and terms such as ‘killed instantly’ and ‘died immediately’ are also no-nos as ‘such phrases may give the impression to vulnerable people that deaths on the railways are painless or quick’.
This is a much more sensible approach than simply trying to ignore the issue as happened before. I remember in the 1990s being rung up by senior people in London Underground asking me – without success – not to run a story in The Independent about suicides because of fears it would encourage others. The media are bound to cover the story so it is much better to try to work with journalists, rather than attempt to impose a ban which would be ignored.
Unfortunately, the numbers have risen but this has to be seen in the wider context of a rise in all types of suicide. Suicides on the railways represent around 4 per cent of the total, and that has been consistent – the phenomenon has been a problem for the railways since their very creation in the 19th century. The press release on the partnership attempts to put a positive gloss by suggesting that ‘rates based on the population must be considered’ and that the proportion of suicides on the railway compared with the overall number has remained around the same. However, there is little disguising that the numbers remain high.
Each incident is a tragedy and can cause immense trauma for drivers and other staff. On the basis that there are around 30,000 drivers on the network, almost one in a hundred is likely to experience a suicide – or a trespass death of which there are around 30 annually – in any one year, and consequently there must be few experienced drivers who have not being involved in such an incident.
The key question is what to do about it. Interventions must be worthwhile. In the past there were concerns that putting up posters, for example, would merely encourage more people to jump in front of trains. Now research has shown that posters are, in fact, helpful in reducing numbers. The same goes for the mid platform fencing that has been installed on 50 stations on the West Coast Main Line, to separate passengers waiting for trains on the slow line from the fast tracks. Despite concerns that people would simply walk round the fencing, or go through the gate, the fact that potential suicides do not want to draw attention to themselves has meant their introduction has been successful. More security type lighting is, too, a good idea but other ideas, such as installing blue lighting, which supposedly has a calming effect, has been shown to have no effect.
A key part of Network Rail’s collaboration with the Samaritans is in running courses, both as preventative work and for staff who have been involved in an incident. Around 6000 railway staff have completed the managing suicidal contacts course which is designed to give delegates the skills and confidence to identify and approach a distressed person to try to resolve the situation safely. More than 1100 people have undergone the Trauma Support Training course aimed at helping managers understand trauma and to identify and manage those affected by it. Whereas in the past, staff were expected to just get on with the job after experiencing an incident, there is now much more support and help available
One problem is that there are not many discernible patterns to suicides. The type of area likely to be feature in suicides cannot for the most part be predicted by societal factors such as deprivation or demographics apart from the occasional exception notably at Slough and Southall where the high number of female suicides have been associated with domestic abuse among the local Asian community.
In terms of the victims, there are more men than women, and the key age group is between 30 to 55, mostly lower income groups. Therefore the advertising produced by Network Rail and displayed throughout the network features a soldier, a boxer and a builder, and gives a contact number for the Samaritans in the expectation the type of person in trouble is unlikely to have discussed his problems.
All this represents a step change in attitude within the industry. Resources are being invested in prevention and much training is taking place. The biggest barrier seems to be the industry’s bureaucracy. Even getting a poster put up can take months because of rules around which sites are available to NR and work around the fencing on the West Coast took ages to be agreed. Everyone in the railway needs to recognise that there are enormous benefits to this sort of preventative work.
High speed take up has been in the slow lane
Japan has just celebrated 50 years of the inauguration of its bullet train, the world’s first high speed line between Tokyo and Osaka introduced just in time to serve people attending the 1964 Olympics. It had, actually, been long in gestation and might well have been built in the 1940s had the Second World War not intervened. It was conceived, like most high speed lines, to deal with capacity shortages, not to speed up journey times, though that was an important side effect.
Given the success of the Japanese Shinkansen, and subsequently of the French TGV services, introduced almost twenty years later, it is perhaps surprising that by now the world can only boast some 17,500 miles of high speed line, half of which are in China. Sure, there are lines under construction in several countries and lots of other projects are being mooted, but progress has been slow, a mere 350 miles per year. Compare this, for example, with the growth of the railways where in Britain there were 6,000 miles line just 20 years after the opening of the Liverpool & Manchester in 1830, and in the USA where, on average, 3,100 miles of railway was opened every year between 1830 and America’s entry into the First World War in 1917.
So high speed may be a fantastic boon and is helping to sustain rail travel in several countries, but it is not quite the revolution which it is sometimes portrayed. The reasons are varied. First, the economics of high speed lines dictates that they should only be built on intensely used routes. China and to some extent Spain have rather ignored this, but the realeconomics of railways has limited the spread of lines.
Secondly, operating high speed lines is for the most part not a profitable exercise. Recently a leaked memo from SNCF shows that profitability of the TGV network is declining because the Network Rail equivalent – RFF – is demanding ever higher access charges, largely to pay interest on the debt resulting from their construction. Sadly governments remain myopic about the value of railways which are still expected to pay their way, despite all the other advantages they confer on society.
Therefore the economics of high speed lines looks bad, even though their societal value is great.
Thirdly, there are often objections to their construction. This was even the case in Japan where it took a long time to build the second line because of environmental objections from local people. So here is a prediction from Mystic Wolmar that unfortunately he will not be around to ascertain whether it is borne out or not: over the next 50 years, the mileage of high speed lines across the world will double but not triple.
The problem is considerable and, sadly, growing. The latest statistics show that there were 279 suicides on the national rail network in the year up to April 1 2014, an increase of 11 on the previous year and 55 more than in 2011, a rise of almost a quarter in that three year period. Add in, too, around 50 on the London Underground and it works out at almost one per day. This, of course, is a societal rather than a railway matter as unemployment, the cuts under the austerity programme particularly to mental health services and other factors.
In the past, the railways were reluctant to talk about this issue or indeed do anything about it. Suicide was seen as a societal matter, which was ‘none of our business’. But that has changed because it is now recognised it is very much the railways’ business. These tragedies result in awful trauma for the staff, result in major delays and will occur more often if nothing is done to prevent them. It is partly about saving some of the £34m cost to the railways of these incidents but also about the railways playing its part in avoiding these tragedies. As one insider put it, we need an approach that is both ‘hard-headed but compassionate’
Therefore a National Suicide Prevention Group – which includes Network Rail, the Samaritans, the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the British Transport Police and several others – has been set up. While there is now an acceptance that simply ignoring the issue does not work, one area of concern has been to avoid the wrong sort of publicity will lead to copycat tragedies and the group has issued guidelines to the media. For example, the guidelines counsel against reporting too much detail, as that is seen as an encouragement, and wants reporters to avoid mentioning specific locations as that can point vulnerable people to specific spots. Prominent reporting on the front page or with big headlines, is also discouraged and terms such as ‘killed instantly’ and ‘died immediately’ are also no-nos as ‘such phrases may give the impression to vulnerable people that deaths on the railways are painless or quick’.
This is a much more sensible approach than simply trying to ignore the issue as happened before. I remember in the 1990s being rung up by senior people in London Underground asking me – without success – not to run a story in The Independent about suicides because of fears it would encourage others. The media are bound to cover the story so it is much better to try to work with journalists, rather than attempt to impose a ban which would be ignored.
Unfortunately, the numbers have risen but this has to be seen in the wider context of a rise in all types of suicide. Suicides on the railways represent around 4 per cent of the total, and that has been consistent – the phenomenon has been a problem for the railways since their very creation in the 19th century. The press release on the partnership attempts to put a positive gloss by suggesting that ‘rates based on the population must be considered’ and that the proportion of suicides on the railway compared with the overall number has remained around the same. However, there is little disguising that the numbers remain high.
Each incident is a tragedy and can cause immense trauma for drivers and other staff. On the basis that there are around 30,000 drivers on the network, almost one in a hundred is likely to experience a suicide – or a trespass death of which there are around 30 annually – in any one year, and consequently there must be few experienced drivers who have not being involved in such an incident.
The key question is what to do about it. Interventions must be worthwhile. In the past there were concerns that putting up posters, for example, would merely encourage more people to jump in front of trains. Now research has shown that posters are, in fact, helpful in reducing numbers. The same goes for the mid platform fencing that has been installed on 50 stations on the West Coast Main Line, to separate passengers waiting for trains on the slow line from the fast tracks. Despite concerns that people would simply walk round the fencing, or go through the gate, the fact that potential suicides do not want to draw attention to themselves has meant their introduction has been successful. More security type lighting is, too, a good idea but other ideas, such as installing blue lighting, which supposedly has a calming effect, has been shown to have no effect.
A key part of Network Rail’s collaboration with the Samaritans is in running courses, both as preventative work and for staff who have been involved in an incident. Around 6000 railway staff have completed the managing suicidal contacts course which is designed to give delegates the skills and confidence to identify and approach a distressed person to try to resolve the situation safely. More than 1100 people have undergone the Trauma Support Training course aimed at helping managers understand trauma and to identify and manage those affected by it. Whereas in the past, staff were expected to just get on with the job after experiencing an incident, there is now much more support and help available
One problem is that there are not many discernible patterns to suicides. The type of area likely to be feature in suicides cannot for the most part be predicted by societal factors such as deprivation or demographics apart from the occasional exception notably at Slough and Southall where the high number of female suicides have been associated with domestic abuse among the local Asian community.
In terms of the victims, there are more men than women, and the key age group is between 30 to 55, mostly lower income groups. Therefore the advertising produced by Network Rail and displayed throughout the network features a soldier, a boxer and a builder, and gives a contact number for the Samaritans in the expectation the type of person in trouble is unlikely to have discussed his problems.
All this represents a step change in attitude within the industry. Resources are being invested in prevention and much training is taking place. The biggest barrier seems to be the industry’s bureaucracy. Even getting a poster put up can take months because of rules around which sites are available to NR and work around the fencing on the West Coast took ages to be agreed. Everyone in the railway needs to recognise that there are enormous benefits to this sort of preventative work.
High speed take up has been in the slow lane
Japan has just celebrated 50 years of the inauguration of its bullet train, the world’s first high speed line between Tokyo and Osaka introduced just in time to serve people attending the 1964 Olympics. It had, actually, been long in gestation and might well have been built in the 1940s had the Second World War not intervened. It was conceived, like most high speed lines, to deal with capacity shortages, not to speed up journey times, though that was an important side effect.
Given the success of the Japanese Shinkansen, and subsequently of the French TGV services, introduced almost twenty years later, it is perhaps surprising that by now the world can only boast some 17,500 miles of high speed line, half of which are in China. Sure, there are lines under construction in several countries and lots of other projects are being mooted, but progress has been slow, a mere 350 miles per year. Compare this, for example, with the growth of the railways where in Britain there were 6,000 miles line just 20 years after the opening of the Liverpool & Manchester in 1830, and in the USA where, on average, 3,100 miles of railway was opened every year between 1830 and America’s entry into the First World War in 1917.
So high speed may be a fantastic boon and is helping to sustain rail travel in several countries, but it is not quite the revolution which it is sometimes portrayed. The reasons are varied. First, the economics of high speed lines dictates that they should only be built on intensely used routes. China and to some extent Spain have rather ignored this, but the realeconomics of railways has limited the spread of lines.
Secondly, operating high speed lines is for the most part not a profitable exercise. Recently a leaked memo from SNCF shows that profitability of the TGV network is declining because the Network Rail equivalent – RFF – is demanding ever higher access charges, largely to pay interest on the debt resulting from their construction. Sadly governments remain myopic about the value of railways which are still expected to pay their way, despite all the other advantages they confer on society.
Therefore the economics of high speed lines looks bad, even though their societal value is great.
Thirdly, there are often objections to their construction. This was even the case in Japan where it took a long time to build the second line because of environmental objections from local people. So here is a prediction from Mystic Wolmar that unfortunately he will not be around to ascertain whether it is borne out or not: over the next 50 years, the mileage of high speed lines across the world will double but not triple.
International
Germany
Hungary
The Soviet-Era Railways Run By Children(slate.com)
Gyermekvasutas klip / Children's Railway participants
Snap shots from participants' lives at the Children's Railway. Both on and off duty.
© MÁV Zrt. Széchenyi-hegyi Gyermekvasút, 2013http://www.gyermekvasut.hu
© MÁV Zrt. Széchenyi-hegyi Gyermekvasút, 2013http://www.gyermekvasut.hu
India
Italy
Mexico
USA
Federal Railroad Administration Strengthens Training Requirements for Railroad
Safety Employees
that strengthens training
requirements for railroad employees and contractors who perform safety-related
work. The rule, which was mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) of
2008, ensures safety-related employees are trained and qualified to comply with
any relevant federal railroad safety laws, regulations, and orders.- Minimum training standards for each type of safety-related railroad employee;
- FRA review and approval of each employer’s training program to ensure employees will be qualified to measurable standards;
- Greater use of structured on-the-job and interactive training;
- Methods for each employer to review and improve training programs annually with a focus on closing performance gaps; and
- A streamlined, nation-wide approach that bolsters training for operators of roadway maintenance machines equipped with a crane that work across multiple jurisdictions.
Rail – Moving America Forward
The mission of the Federal Railroad Administration is to
enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods for a
strong America, now and in the future.
SA Breaking News
Norfolk Southern +3.5% as Ackman says CP Rail may buy competitor to CSX • 8:46 AM
Carl Surran, SA News Editor
- Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) +3.5% premarket after Bill Ackman said Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE:CP) might be interested in a rival to one-time target CSX Corp.
- While Ackman did not name NSC in his comments yesterday, he appeared to have the company in mind by describing his takeover candidate in relation to CSX, as the two carriers go head-to-head in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.
- “I think something happens,” Ackman said, noting that CP CEO Hunter Harrison believes "pro-competitive" railroad mergers will be permitted by regulators.
Other Railway Press
www.railway-technology.com
Belmond to launch luxury train service in Ireland
UK-based company Belmond has revealed plans to launch a luxury train service in Ireland in mid-2016.
Corys to supply e320 simulator for Eurostar
High-speed rail service provider Eurostar has awarded a contract to Grenoble-based Corys for the delivery of a replica desk simulator of the new e320 electric multiple unit.
UK's northern cities to receive major rail upgrades by 2025
The cross-Pennine links between Liverpool and Manchester, UK, will be electrified and journey times from Manchester to Leeds and Sheffield will be reduced by 2025, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said.
Manchester's Metrolink line to Trafford Park set to start in 2016
The UK's Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has received funding for the £350m Metrolink line to Trafford Park, as part of the Manchester devolution agreement.
In our latest free-to-view Real-Time Passenger Information Supplement, representatives from Cardiff Bus, West Berkshire Council and the Strasbourg Transport Company take a look at their new developments and technology updates. (eurotransport magazine)
Europe's Railways In Transition
(Railway Gazette International)
As part of European Union’s vision for transport between now and 2050, rail is expected to play an increasing role in moving freight and passenger traffic across the Single Market, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, facilitating European competitiveness and boosting economic growth.
But how is this to be achieved in practice?
- Will the legislative proposals in the Fourth Railway Package for further liberalisation and technical harmonisation contribute to greater efficiency?
- Will on-rail competition lead to better services for passengers and freight shippers, or is greater co-operation a better way to provide a comprehensive range of services?
- What is the best way to ensure efficient management of rail infrastructure and greater transparency in railway finances?
- What impact will the globalisation of trade have on Europe’s railways, and how can European companies harness opportunities in other parts of the world?
Railway Signalling.eu
Download PDF @ http://goo.gl/pft7Wd
The global statistics suggests that over 4.2 billion people reside in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region which constitutes over 61% of the total world population. Thus passenger traffic would become very high in the near future. The expansion of existing transport modes is the only solution to meet the increasing demand. The increasing population has caused heavy traffic densities in the developing countries over roadways. The railway service provides an efficient transportation solution over the large geographical region. Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and others show a revolutionized growth in the smart railway market.
The global statistics suggests that over 4.2 billion people reside in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region which constitutes over 61% of the total world population. Thus passenger traffic would become very high in the near future. The expansion of existing transport modes is the only solution to meet the increasing demand. The increasing population has caused heavy traffic densities in the developing countries over roadways. The railway service provides an efficient transportation solution over the large geographical region. Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and others show a revolutionized growth in the smart railway market.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tell us your Railway News!