International & UK Railway News Sunday 16th November 2014

..Total Railway News

A retrospective look at "Reshaping the Railways"...Wolverhampton has its sinkholes...
HS2 benefits "made up"...


A strategic look at the next few UK railway years...


More high speed lines in China...
And, how fast is fast? Ask Japan's maglev travellers!!


Click on the links...






Headlines
UK
'Bomber Beeching': Undo vandalism & get Britain back on track.(Russia Today/RT)
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT..or The Railway Chronicle)


Centro: Mineworkings hit Wolverhampton Midland Metro track refurbishment.


HS2 benefits 'essentially made up', economists tell MPs - Telegraph


GOV.UK
London Underground Northern Line extension: decision letter(DfT)
This letter from the Secretary of State for Transport responds to an inspector’s report on the London Underground (Northern Line Extension) Order. The letter states that the Secretary of State has decided to make the order with modifications and give the planning direction, subject to conditions outlined.


Speech: Transport: the driver of Birmingham's success.(DfT)
Highlights the government's transport investment at the launch of Birmingham's 20-year vision for improving transport across the city.


Network Rail

Strategic business plans 2014-19

A better railway for a better Britain
In the summer of 2012, the Government published its vision for Britain's railway, the High Level Output Specification (HLOS). This detailed what it wanted the rail industry to deliver in Control Period 5, 2014-2019.
Working with our industry partners, we carefully considered how we could best deliver against these requirements and the Government’s wider economic objectives. The strategic business plans are our formal response to the Government, setting out our strategy and detailing the schemes we think should be taken forward in that period.
At the same time we have also published A better railway for a better Britain. This looks at the longer term, the challenges that we face and makes clear Network Rail’s commitments in ten key areas that will bring benefits for our customers and tax payers.

An unprecedented demand for rail

The last decade has seen unprecedented growth in demand for rail travel. One million more trains run every year than ten years ago. More passengers arrive on time than ever before and our safety record is one of the best in Europe. Alongside this, public subsidy for rail has reduced, almost halving from its peak in 2006.
Against this backdrop, the strategic business plans outline how we will address the estimated growth in passenger volumes while meeting our ongoing commitments to running a safer and greener railway. Amongst others it identifies opportunities to deliver:

• 700 extra trains a day linking key northern cities
• A 20% increase in available seats on peak commuter services in London and the South East
• New lines to increase capacity in Scotland
• Electrifying far more of our railway, and introducing modern signalling.

Find and read the relevant documents....Here





Mainline Steam Schedule

Railway Herald - Railtours

Listing offered in good faith. No guarantees offered or implied.
Please confirm runnings with operators.
Please observe Network Rail photographic guidelines.Thank you.

Saturday 22nd November 2014

A Christmas Shopping Day Out With 46233 (PMR Tours)

• WCRC 47/57 pool Sheffield (pu) - Chesterfield (pu) - Derby (pu)
• 46233 Derby - Burton upon Trent (pu) - Tamworth High Level (pu) - Birmingham New Street (pu) - Coventry - Rugby - Miilton Keynes Central - Watford Junction - London Euston
• 46233 London Euston (pu) - Watford Junction - Milton Keynes Central - Rugby - Coventry - Birmingham New Street (sd) - Tamworth High Level (sd) - Burton upon Trent (sd) - Derby (sd)
• WCRC Class 47/57 Derby - Chesterfield (sd) - Sheffield

The Christmas Cheshireman (Railway Touring Company)

• 34067 Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Filton Abbey Wood (pu) - Cwmbran (pu) - Abergavenny (pu) - Hereford - Ludlow - Shrewsbury - Gobowen - Wrexham General - Chester (break/rev) & return

The Cathedral Express (Steam Dreams)

• 4464 (60019) London Euston (pu) - Milton Keynes Central (pu) - Northampton (pu) - Nuneaton (pu) - Lichfield Trent Valley (pu) - Chester (break/rev) & return

Additional Tour Information

26/10: 4464 replaces 70013 which is unavailable

Added 14:23 on Sunday 26th October 2014

Manchester & The Christmas Markets (UK Railtours)

• EMT HST London St. Pancras International (pu) - Luton Airport Parkway (pu) - Bedford (pu) - Kettering (pu) - Leicester (pu) - Chesterfield - Hope Valley - New Mills - Manchester Piccadilly (break/rev) & return

Thursday 27th November 2014

The Bath Christmas Market (Railway Touring Company)

• 34067 Poole (pu) - Bournemouth (pu) - Brockenhurst (pu) - Southampton (pu) - Salisbury (pu) - Bath Spa (sd) - Bristol Temple Meads (break/rev) & return

The Cathedrals Express (re-dated To 4th December) (Steam Dreams)

• 4464 (60019) London Kings Cross - York (break/rev) & return

Postponed

Saturday 29th November 2014

The Festive St. Nicholas Express (Compass Tours)

• 40145 Southport (pu) - Burscough Bridge (pu) - Wigan Wallgate (pu) - Westhoughton (pu) - Bolton (pu) - Manchester Victoria (pu) - York (break/rev) & return

The Cleveland Potter Mini-tour (Compass Tours)

• 40145 York (pu) - Middlesbrough - Saltburn
• WCRC 47/57 Pool Saltburn - ECML
• 40145 ECML - York

The Festive Portsmouth Explorer (Pathfinder Tours)

• DRS Class 37 (Pair) Stafford (pu) - Tame Bridge Parkway (pu) - Stourbridge Junction - Kidderminster (pu) - Worcester Shrub Hill (pu) - Cheltenham Spa (pu) - Stonehouse (pu) - Stroud (pu) - Swindon - Didcot - Reading West - Basingstoke - Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour (break/rev) & return

The Marches Castle (Pathfinder Tours)

• To be confirmed Eastleigh (pu) - Southampton Central (pu) - Romsey (pu) - Salisbury (pu) - Warminster (pu) - Westbury (pu) - Trowbridge (pu) - Bradford-on-Avon - Bath Spa (pu) - Bristol Temple Meads (pu) -
• 5029 Bristol Temple Meads - Abergavenny - Hereford - Ludlow (sd) - Shrewsbury
• 5029 Shrewsbury (pu) - Ludlow (pu) - Hereford - Abergavenny - Bristol Temple Meads (sd) -
• To be confirmed Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa (sd) - Bradford-on-Avon (sd) - Trowbridge (sd) - Westbury (sd) - Warminster (sd) - Salisbury (sd) - Romsey (sd) - Southampton Central (sd) - Eastleigh

The Worcester Christmas Market (Railway Touring Company)

• steam tbc London Paddington (pu) - Slough (pu) - Reading (pu) - Oxford - Evesham - Worcester Shrub Hill
• steam tbc Worcester Shrub Hill (pu) - Cheltenham Spa - Stroud - Sapperton - Kemble - Swindon - Reading (sd) - Slough (sd) - London Paddington

Edinburgh Christmas Statesman (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Class 47 & 57 Cambridge (pu) - Ely (pu) - March (pu) - Peterborough (pu) - Grantham - Doncaster - York (pu) - Edinburgh Waverley (break/rev) & return

The Cathedrals Express To Ludlow Medieval Fayre (Steam Dreams)

• WCRC 47/57 pool London Paddington (pu) - Slough (pu) - Twyford (pu) - Reading (pu) - Swindon (pu) - Gloucester
• 2 x Black 5 Gloucester - Chepstow - Abergavenny - Hereford (sd) - Ludlow (sd) - Shrewsbury
• 2 x Black 5 Shrewsbury (pu) - Ludlow (pu) - Hereford - Abergavenny - Bristol area
• WCRC 47/57 pool Bristol area - Swindon (sd) - Reading (sd) - Twyford (sd) - Slough (sd) - London Paddington

The Solent Victorian (UK Railtours)

• SWT Class 159 x 2 London Waterloo (pu) - Woking (pu) - Guildford - Portsmouth Harbour (break/rev) & return

International


China
Stretch of New High-Speed Rail Opened in Restive Western China.(New York Times)




India
Changing track: For railways, it's easier said than done.(dna)


Meet the the voice of Mumbai's local trains (dna)


Japan
First passengers on Japanese maglev train travel at speeds of 311 mph.(Independent)