Some "firsts" to report......First track laid on Crossrail....a first train to Northallerton...
Extension progress to Broadway on the Gloucester Warwicks Railway...
New Thameslink trains in the offing...
Investment promised and sought .. but will HS2 really deliver?
And how about a TfB .....Transport for Birmingham commissioner?
An RAIB report on a Virgin Train slipping heavily through the end buffers at Chester ....
And on the international front....Belgium looks set to endure a few rail strikes in the near future (after today's, that is)
Germany's Deutsches Bahn quietly shelves plans for part privatization.
China and Mexico are speaking again after the high speed rail cancellation...
Nigeria optimistically looks forward to faster running trains..
..............plus, support for the Moscow-Beijing "Silk Route"....
Click on the links...
Headlines
UK
'Explosion' on train tracks at Charing Cross station.Video.(The Telegraph)
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway extension work begins.(BBC News)
New platform resurrects rail link between Northallerton and Dales.(The Northern Echo)
Southern selects Bombardier to supply trains for Thameslink cascade - Railway Gazette
New trains for hard-pressed rail commuter line.(ITV News)
New trains will soon be running on the Thameslink line from Bedford to London
Labour’s Ed Balls pledges support for investment in rail line.(EADT24)
Backing for multi-million pound Essex railway line improvement plans.(Essex Chronicle)
High speed rail projects far too expensive and will not solve transport problems.(Lincolnshire Echo)
West Midlands 'needs Transport for London' style regulator(Birmingham Post)
Crossrail
First Crossrail tracks laid
The first section of track to be used by Crossrail trains has been laid on a new bridge in west London.
The 120 metre long Stockley Flyover will be used by Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect services from next year and is the largest single span bridge to have been installed anywhere on the Great Western railway since the days of Brunel.It will ensure that services heading towards central London will be able to join the Great Western Main Line without delaying, or being delayed, by other trains using the route.
Matthew White, Surface Director at Crossrail said: “Installing the first section of Crossrail track is a major milestone for the project. The flyover at Stockley will provide a vital new link between Heathrow and London, significantly improving connections between the airport and the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.”
Matthew Steele, Crossrail Programme Director at Network Rail said: "The Network Rail and Carillion teams are really proud to deliver the first section of new railway for Crossrail. Once Crossrail is operational, this brand new structure will enable us to increase the number of rail services between central London and Heathrow airport. After four years of planning is it great to see this new infrastructure being brought into service, well done to everyone involved."
Crossrail services between London Paddington and Heathrow will begin in 2018. From 2019, the full route will open, allowing passengers to travel from Heathrow right through the centre of the capital without changing trains. Up to four Crossrail trains an hour will link Heathrow with central London and beyond. Passengers will be able to reach Bond Street in 26 minutes and Canary Wharf in 40 minutes.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
Buffer stop collision at Chester station
Incident date: 20 November 2013
Category: Heavy Rail
Summary:
At 12:12 hrs on Wednesday 20 November 2013 the 10:10 hrs passenger train from London Euston to Chester collided with the buffer stop at the end of the platform as it arrived at Chester station. The impact destroyed the buffer stop and caused the leading vehicle of the train to start to override the platform, demolishing a glass screen and damaging the platform. It was fortunate that there was no-one in this area at the time.
Several passengers fell over as the train stopped, but did not report injuries. One passenger was taken to hospital as a precaution and was released later the same day. The front of the train was damaged by the impact and the leading bogie was derailed.
Platform 1 at Chester station was closed until 04:15 hrs on 22 November for recovery of the train and repair of the buffer stop.
The accident was caused by the train sliding on wet rails that were also contaminated with leaf residue and traces of lubricating oil. The train was not equipped with automatic sanding equipment, which could have applied sand to the rails to improve adhesion. The train was fitted with emergency sanding equipment but the driver did not activate this until the train was too close to the buffers to be able to stop before striking them.
The train involved was a class 221 unit operated by Virgin Trains. The RAIB analysed records of low rail adhesion incidents on Network Rail infrastructure during Autumn 2013 and found several other cases of class 221 trains, and the similar class 220, encountering low adhesion when attempting to stop. In some cases the driver had to use the emergency sanding equipment. The RAIB analysis found that, per attempted stop, class 220 and 221 trains were the most likely type of train to be involved in a low adhesion incident. Almost all other types of train are fitted with automatic sanding equipment, or equivalent.
The RAIB has identified two key learning points and made three recommendations. The operators of class 220 and 221 trains are recommended to fit equipment to their trains to automatically apply sand when wheel slide is detected during heavy braking (Virgin Trains has recently informed the RAIB of its intention to fit such equipment to its fleet of class 221 trains). A recommendation is made to Virgin Trains to amend its operating instructions to drivers and a recommendation is made to RSSB to update the standard which governs the fitment of train sanding equipment.
The first learning point concerns the analysis of data from train data recorders to provide information on the location of low adhesion conditions on the network. The second learning point is that infrastructure managers need to be aware of changes in traffic patterns which necessitate the reassessment of the adequacy of buffer stops in terminal platforms.
At 12:12 hrs on Wednesday 20 November 2013 the 10:10 hrs passenger train from London Euston to Chester collided with the buffer stop at the end of the platform as it arrived at Chester station. The impact destroyed the buffer stop and caused the leading vehicle of the train to start to override the platform, demolishing a glass screen and damaging the platform. It was fortunate that there was no-one in this area at the time.
Several passengers fell over as the train stopped, but did not report injuries. One passenger was taken to hospital as a precaution and was released later the same day. The front of the train was damaged by the impact and the leading bogie was derailed.
Platform 1 at Chester station was closed until 04:15 hrs on 22 November for recovery of the train and repair of the buffer stop.
The accident was caused by the train sliding on wet rails that were also contaminated with leaf residue and traces of lubricating oil. The train was not equipped with automatic sanding equipment, which could have applied sand to the rails to improve adhesion. The train was fitted with emergency sanding equipment but the driver did not activate this until the train was too close to the buffers to be able to stop before striking them.
The train involved was a class 221 unit operated by Virgin Trains. The RAIB analysed records of low rail adhesion incidents on Network Rail infrastructure during Autumn 2013 and found several other cases of class 221 trains, and the similar class 220, encountering low adhesion when attempting to stop. In some cases the driver had to use the emergency sanding equipment. The RAIB analysis found that, per attempted stop, class 220 and 221 trains were the most likely type of train to be involved in a low adhesion incident. Almost all other types of train are fitted with automatic sanding equipment, or equivalent.
The RAIB has identified two key learning points and made three recommendations. The operators of class 220 and 221 trains are recommended to fit equipment to their trains to automatically apply sand when wheel slide is detected during heavy braking (Virgin Trains has recently informed the RAIB of its intention to fit such equipment to its fleet of class 221 trains). A recommendation is made to Virgin Trains to amend its operating instructions to drivers and a recommendation is made to RSSB to update the standard which governs the fitment of train sanding equipment.
The first learning point concerns the analysis of data from train data recorders to provide information on the location of low adhesion conditions on the network. The second learning point is that infrastructure managers need to be aware of changes in traffic patterns which necessitate the reassessment of the adequacy of buffer stops in terminal platforms.
Christian Wolmar.
New trains now, not HS3 in the vague future
It will take more than the promise of a few faster trains in some distant decade to satisfy my friends in the North. They have put up with sub-standard trains for decades and only last month were hit by a series of stealth fare rises inflicted only on the Northern rail franchise which covers most train services in the region.
Rail passengers in the North have been complaining about a particularly cheap and nasty type of train called Pacers which were introduced in the 1980s in response to a temporary shortage of rolling stock. Despite promises they were only a short term measure, more than 30 years later 140 of the 165 sets originally built still rattle along tracks in the north. They are rather like buses on wheels with hard bus-type seats and would no more be tolerated by commuters down south than the open decked cattle trucks run by the Great Western in the 1840s.
Despite long campaigning by passenger groups to see off the Pacers, a consultation document issued in January by the Department for Transport on the future of rail in the north suggested that they may still be around for another couple of decades. Rather than, as previously expected, being scrapped in 2019 because they do not comply with disability legislation, they might be ‘adapted’ to keep them operating into the 2020s and 2030s, when possibly they might connect with shiny multimillion pound new HS2 trainsets to take passengers to smaller Northern towns. The document seemed to suggest, too, that there was a trade off for rail passengers in the north between either having new trains or facing cuts on routes and massive fare rises.
As if that hadn’t angered northern rail passengers enough, they found themselves facing fare rises way above the rate of inflation last month. One of the compensations of travelling on the ancient trains is that they were cheap, especially when travelling into the big town centres for a night on the razz. However, in a little-publicised move, Abellio, the Dutch state owned train operator, under orders from the Department for Transport decided to scrap the provision of cheap return fares in the evening peak. That meant, for example, a peak return from Rochdale to Wigan rose from the previous off-peak fare of £4.20 to £11, a 162 per cent rise. Local bars, restaurants and even theatres are reporting lower patronage and the reduction in passenger numbers may lead to train services being withdrawn.
So here’s a plan to get back in the North’s good books. HS2 is an overpriced railway costing £50bn which is unlikely to bring about the promised regeneration of the North and, in fact, according to some economists may have the opposite effect of boosting investment in an already overheated London. Therefore, how about scrapping or postponing HS2 and using the money to provide new trains and faster services in the North, which might even help the Tories to an odd seat or two in the region at the forthcoming general election, since a vague promise of HS3 will certainly not do that?
Despite long campaigning by passenger groups to see off the Pacers, a consultation document issued in January by the Department for Transport on the future of rail in the north suggested that they may still be around for another couple of decades. Rather than, as previously expected, being scrapped in 2019 because they do not comply with disability legislation, they might be ‘adapted’ to keep them operating into the 2020s and 2030s, when possibly they might connect with shiny multimillion pound new HS2 trainsets to take passengers to smaller Northern towns. The document seemed to suggest, too, that there was a trade off for rail passengers in the north between either having new trains or facing cuts on routes and massive fare rises.
As if that hadn’t angered northern rail passengers enough, they found themselves facing fare rises way above the rate of inflation last month. One of the compensations of travelling on the ancient trains is that they were cheap, especially when travelling into the big town centres for a night on the razz. However, in a little-publicised move, Abellio, the Dutch state owned train operator, under orders from the Department for Transport decided to scrap the provision of cheap return fares in the evening peak. That meant, for example, a peak return from Rochdale to Wigan rose from the previous off-peak fare of £4.20 to £11, a 162 per cent rise. Local bars, restaurants and even theatres are reporting lower patronage and the reduction in passenger numbers may lead to train services being withdrawn.
So here’s a plan to get back in the North’s good books. HS2 is an overpriced railway costing £50bn which is unlikely to bring about the promised regeneration of the North and, in fact, according to some economists may have the opposite effect of boosting investment in an already overheated London. Therefore, how about scrapping or postponing HS2 and using the money to provide new trains and faster services in the North, which might even help the Tories to an odd seat or two in the region at the forthcoming general election, since a vague promise of HS3 will certainly not do that?
RMT Press Release.
24 November 2014
RMT Press Office
RAIL UNION RMT has now received a formal response from Transport Scotland to the unions demands to bring forward the target date for the ending of the filthy and disgusting practice of dumping raw sewage onto Scotland’s railway tracks.
In discussions with both Transport Scotland and Network Rail in recent weeks, RMT officials issued a call for both organisations to put pressure on Scotrail’s new operators, Abellio, to bring forward the proposed date for the fitting of retention tanks across the fleet from December 2017 to April 2016 to eradicate this scandal.
In the letter TS have confirmed that they are sticking to their current timetable but have agreed to union demands to work towards mitigating the impact on both staff and the environment in the meantime. However, those pledges are vague and RMT is pushing TS and NR to work with the union to identify the sewage dumping hotspots to enable Health and Safety evaluations to be carried out and protective measures to be put in place.
The high profile RMT campaign on the sewage scandal is clearly forcing the pace and will now be stepped up. The franchise documentation talked of 2020 as the target date for ending the dumping of effluent. Since then, following the campaign of political and public pressure organised by RMT, the Transport Minister has moved that date to December 2017 but RMT believes that April 2016 is an achievable target and would represent significant further progress. RMT will continue to push for the date to be brought forward.
The next phase of the campaign will involve RMT members across Scotland handing out thousands of leaflets demanding the earliest possible end to the disgusting and dangerous practice.
RMT has made it clear that the union does not rule out an industrial response to bring a halt to the discharge of human waste onto the tracks if there is any dragging of heels.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said ;
"It is clear in the response from Transport Scotland that they are being forced to address RMT's demands but we want more detail on what they intend to do and the union still believes that swifter action is perfectly achievable. RMT wants to know exactly what TS means by identifying "co-ordinates" and putting safety measures in place to protect staff. If that means identifying the sewage hotspots then that has been a core RMT demand of this issue, not just in Scotland but across the whole of Britain, and we should be getting on with it now.
“RMT has already made significant progress in bringing forward the date when the scandal of dumping raw sewage on Scotland’s railway tracks is brought to an end. However, the union believes that April 2016 is a perfectly realistic and achievable target for halting this filthy and disgusting practice. Abellio are set to make a fortune out of the Scotrail franchise and the very least they should be forced to do is to dip in their pockets and retro-fit the retention tanks.
“This union intends to keep the pressure on Transport Scotland and their franchise holders for the earliest possible end to this scandal on Scotland’s railways and that is why we are stepping up our campaign RMT has said all along that if it was wealthy bankers getting sprayed with sewage rather than rail workers then this scandal would be ended overnight. RMT’s campaign goes on.”
==============================================================
In the letter TS have confirmed that they are sticking to their current timetable but have agreed to union demands to work towards mitigating the impact on both staff and the environment in the meantime. However, those pledges are vague and RMT is pushing TS and NR to work with the union to identify the sewage dumping hotspots to enable Health and Safety evaluations to be carried out and protective measures to be put in place.
The high profile RMT campaign on the sewage scandal is clearly forcing the pace and will now be stepped up. The franchise documentation talked of 2020 as the target date for ending the dumping of effluent. Since then, following the campaign of political and public pressure organised by RMT, the Transport Minister has moved that date to December 2017 but RMT believes that April 2016 is an achievable target and would represent significant further progress. RMT will continue to push for the date to be brought forward.
The next phase of the campaign will involve RMT members across Scotland handing out thousands of leaflets demanding the earliest possible end to the disgusting and dangerous practice.
RMT has made it clear that the union does not rule out an industrial response to bring a halt to the discharge of human waste onto the tracks if there is any dragging of heels.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said ;
"It is clear in the response from Transport Scotland that they are being forced to address RMT's demands but we want more detail on what they intend to do and the union still believes that swifter action is perfectly achievable. RMT wants to know exactly what TS means by identifying "co-ordinates" and putting safety measures in place to protect staff. If that means identifying the sewage hotspots then that has been a core RMT demand of this issue, not just in Scotland but across the whole of Britain, and we should be getting on with it now.
“RMT has already made significant progress in bringing forward the date when the scandal of dumping raw sewage on Scotland’s railway tracks is brought to an end. However, the union believes that April 2016 is a perfectly realistic and achievable target for halting this filthy and disgusting practice. Abellio are set to make a fortune out of the Scotrail franchise and the very least they should be forced to do is to dip in their pockets and retro-fit the retention tanks.
“This union intends to keep the pressure on Transport Scotland and their franchise holders for the earliest possible end to this scandal on Scotland’s railways and that is why we are stepping up our campaign RMT has said all along that if it was wealthy bankers getting sprayed with sewage rather than rail workers then this scandal would be ended overnight. RMT’s campaign goes on.”
==============================================================
International
Belgium
Belgian rail strike disrupts intercity services, high-speed trains cancelled.(DutchNews.nl)
Eurotunnel
Groupe Eurotunnel joins the FTSE4Good index,in recognition for success of CSR programme
Groupe Eurotunnel, the NYSE Euronext Paris and NYSE
Euronext London quoted Channel
Tunnel operator, will from now on be included in the
FTSE4Good index, following its
September update. The FTSE4Good is an index for companies
with strong environmental,
social and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
performance.
Groupe Eurotunnel has always focused on CSR, whether in
terms of the environment, where
it has achieved a continuous reduction in greenhouse
gasses (Eurotunnel is the only cross
Channel operator to publish an annual carbon statement),
in a social context, with the
distribution of free shares to employees and the
signature of a series of agreements on
working conditions, or in terms of corporate governance.
These achievements and the improvement in its financial
position have enable the group to
reach a market capitalisation of €5.7 billion, at the
close of business on 21 November 2014,
firmly positioning it amongst the largest international
groups.
Groupe Eurotunnel is conscious that an increasing number
of investors consider CSR policy
to be an essential criterion for investment.
Eurotunnel and its 300,000 individual shareholders are
delighted to have been selected from
the many companies that make up the FTSE All Share index
and the Groupe will continue its
progress in this field.
Germany discreetly shelves plans for DB partial privatisation.(Lloyd's Loading List)
Deutsches Bahn Picture
In Schönberg/Vogtland
Pair of tilting railcar series VT 612 as "Franken-Sachsen-Express" Nürnberg - Dresden on the Saxon part of the "Saxony Franconia trunk" at Schönberg/Vogtl. goes through a flowering rapeseed field.
India
$4bn+ confirmed for two new Mumbai metro lines; bidders sought for construction of current phase. (SmartRail World)
Further developments within India’s urban infrastructure have been confirmed, with the announcement of two major new metro lines in Mumbai. The two lines are estimated to cost Rs 45,000 crore (just over $4bn) and are expected to be completed by 2021 at the latest. Two lines, one the 40-km long Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra-
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Mexico
Nigeria
Russia
USA
Transportation Research Board.
2015 TRB 94th Annual Meeting: Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and Team to Discuss Strategy and Key Issues at Three Sessions
Three sessions at the TRB 94th Annual Meeting on Monday, January 12, 2015 will explore priorities and key issues developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and are slated to involve top administration officials. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx will preside at the session, “U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx’s 30 Plan: A Framework for the Future,” unveiling USDOT’s efforts over the past year to create a comprehensive, long-lasting transportation plan. He will facilitate a panel discussion that includes other industry leaders to provoke a frank conversation among users, developers, managers and public officials.
Two additional sessions on safety and equity have also been organized by the USDOT. Safety remains a top priority of the department, and “U.S. DOT - Safety at the Top” will provide updates on ongoing safety work and initiatives. Access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation is central to Secretary Foxx’s agenda, and “Creating Ladders of Opportunity: US DOT’s Efforts to Increase Access for the Future” will focus on increased measures within existing planning processes and DOT programs.
To access these sessions, register today. Registration is required for all attendees, including those who plan to attend any session or workshop, visit the exhibits, or take advantage of onsite programming and services. Registration also is required to obtain full access to the TRB Annual Meeting Interactive Program and the TRB Mobile App. Register by November 30, 2014 to save up to $275.
The 2015 TRB 94th Annual Meeting, January 11-15, 2015, in Washington, D.C., covers all transportation modes, with more than 5,000 presentations in more than 750 sessions addressing topics of interest to all attendees—policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. The meeting, which draws attendees from throughout the United States and from more than 80 other countries, is the single largest gathering of transportation practitioners and researchers in the world.
For the first time in almost 60 years, the TRB Annual Meeting will be moving to a new venue, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Meeting attendees will be able to take advantage of new amenities such as free wireless Internet, expanded space for exhibits, and the convenience of all sessions taking place under one roof. As the meeting transitions to a new, modern facility, this year’s theme is Corridors to the Future: Transportation and Technology.
Two additional sessions on safety and equity have also been organized by the USDOT. Safety remains a top priority of the department, and “U.S. DOT - Safety at the Top” will provide updates on ongoing safety work and initiatives. Access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation is central to Secretary Foxx’s agenda, and “Creating Ladders of Opportunity: US DOT’s Efforts to Increase Access for the Future” will focus on increased measures within existing planning processes and DOT programs.
To access these sessions, register today. Registration is required for all attendees, including those who plan to attend any session or workshop, visit the exhibits, or take advantage of onsite programming and services. Registration also is required to obtain full access to the TRB Annual Meeting Interactive Program and the TRB Mobile App. Register by November 30, 2014 to save up to $275.
The 2015 TRB 94th Annual Meeting, January 11-15, 2015, in Washington, D.C., covers all transportation modes, with more than 5,000 presentations in more than 750 sessions addressing topics of interest to all attendees—policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. The meeting, which draws attendees from throughout the United States and from more than 80 other countries, is the single largest gathering of transportation practitioners and researchers in the world.
For the first time in almost 60 years, the TRB Annual Meeting will be moving to a new venue, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Meeting attendees will be able to take advantage of new amenities such as free wireless Internet, expanded space for exhibits, and the convenience of all sessions taking place under one roof. As the meeting transitions to a new, modern facility, this year’s theme is Corridors to the Future: Transportation and Technology.
Other Railway Press
QinetiQ's OptaSense to provide security monitoring for Saudi Arabian railway
Technology services provider QinetiQ subsidiary OptaSense and its partner TAQQAT Global of Abdulla Fouad Group have received a $12m contract to deliver security monitoring for two rail lines from Dammam to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Technology services provider QinetiQ subsidiary OptaSense and its partner TAQQAT Global of Abdulla Fouad Group have received a $12m contract to deliver security monitoring for two rail lines from Dammam to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
London's Charing Cross station reopened after fire accident
London's Charing Cross station in the UK has been reopened after remaining closed for two hours on Sunday due to fire in the front carriage of a Southeastern train.
London's Charing Cross station in the UK has been reopened after remaining closed for two hours on Sunday due to fire in the front carriage of a Southeastern train.
Sojitz and Larsen & Toubro to electrify Western DFC in India
Tokyo-based Sojitz Corporation and India's Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have been awarded a JPY50bn ($423.9m) contract from Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India for the electrification works in a section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (Western DFC).
Tokyo-based Sojitz Corporation and India's Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have been awarded a JPY50bn ($423.9m) contract from Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India for the electrification works in a section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (Western DFC).
Singapore LTA launches Bombardier's Innovia automated people mover vehicles
The Singapore Land Transit Authority (LTA) has launched its first two new Bombardier-built automated people mover (APM) vehicles into passenger service on the Bukit Panjang light rapid transit (LRT) system.
The Singapore Land Transit Authority (LTA) has launched its first two new Bombardier-built automated people mover (APM) vehicles into passenger service on the Bukit Panjang light rapid transit (LRT) system.
Peter's Railway
My boy/girl loves trains
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