Some questions lead the way today.....Why, 10 years on from a devastating crash and multiple fatalities, is the level crossing at Ufton Nervet still open?
Will Scotland be left behind over the high speed rail link?
Why are "Oyster" users in London paying more than those using contactless payment methods?
And plenty of reading matter from www.technology.com, SmartRail World, Think Railways.. and Christian Wolmar......
Click on the links.....
Headlines
UK
Scotland 'left behind' over high speed rail link(The Scotsman)
Road and rail overhaul vital to north of England - Clegg.(BBC News)
Ufton Nervet rail crash: Why is level crossing still open?(BBC News)
FirstGroup still on track after loss of its ScotRail franchise.(herald scotland)
£250m for scheme to electrify inter-city rail link.(herald scotland)
Morgan Sindall wins place on major contracts.(insider media)
London Oyster users 'charged more' to travel in capital.(BBC News)
£4.5m work on Wolverhampton Metro to overrun - as transport bosses admit 'no date set' for completion.(Express & Star)
Network Rail Press Release.
Have your say on rail industry plans for growth in the east of England.
Plans to make sure the railway in the east of England can continue to accommodate the huge growth in demand from passengers and freight over the next thirty years have been published by Network Rail – and members of the public are being encouraged to have their say on the proposals.
The company’s Anglia route study looks at the main lines from London Liverpool Street to Norwich and Cambridge and their respective branch lines, as well as the lines from London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness and Felixstowe to Peterborough via Ely.
Forecasts show that, within a decade, demand for rail travel on the Great Eastern Main Line into Liverpool Street from stations in Essex is expected to grow by 52%, with demand from stations in Suffolk and Norfolk expected to grow by 32%. Over the same period, demand from stations on the West Anglia Main Line, which runs from Cambridge to Liverpool Street, is expected to grow by at least 18% depending on housing growth. Forecasts show that freight demand is expected to grow by an annual average of 2.9% in the next three decades.
The study looks at how to build upon improvements already planned for the coming years, including the completion of Crossrail, the rebuilding of key junctions, renewed overhead lines and upgraded signalling.
Richard Schofield, Network Rail route managing director, said: “The lines out of Liverpool Street are already benefitting from a significant programme of investment over the next five years, but there is more we will need to do to keep up with the continuing growth in demand for rail travel.
“Over the last twenty years the industry has been able to massively increase the frequency of services, but we’re fast approaching the point where there simply isn’t any more space for more trains on the busiest parts of the network. We have to look at ways of increasing the capacity of our network further, including new technology to allow more trains to run on existing tracks, and perhaps building new tracks in key locations. It is fantastic that more and more people want to travel by train and we want to provide the railway to take them where they are going.”
Among the potential options for the Great Eastern main line identified in the study are:
Among the potential options for the West Anglia main line identified in the study are:
Among the potential options for the line from Fenchurch Street identified in the study are:
The Anglia route study also looks at potential options to increase capacity on the North London Line and the line from Gospel Oak to Barking. These include additional platforms at either Gospel Oak or Barking and running longer trains on the North London line.
The study says that these options, if implemented, should provide enough capacity to cope with the expected growth in the next decade. The study also considers how the railway should meet more long-term demand and looks at options to increase capacity up to 2043 – the limit of the report.
Consultation on the draft Anglia Route Study is open until February 3 2015. After the conclusion of the formal consultation phase, the Anglia Route Study Working Group will consider further work that may be required to conclude the study, prior to publication of the final document in the summer of 2015. The study will then be used to inform the Department for Transport’s strategy for the industry’s next funding period from 2019 through to 2024.
To comment on the study please email AngliaRouteStudy@networkrail.co.uk
This draft has been put together by Network Rail on behalf of a joint industry group including the Department for Transport (DfT) and the train operating companies on the route. None of the proposals in the study are funded, but the study does include some initial costings and business case assessments.
All Network Rail’s routes will be producing route studies as part of the long term planning process. These build on the Market Studies produced last year that predict long term demand for rail travel.
Forecasts show that, within a decade, demand for rail travel on the Great Eastern Main Line into Liverpool Street from stations in Essex is expected to grow by 52%, with demand from stations in Suffolk and Norfolk expected to grow by 32%. Over the same period, demand from stations on the West Anglia Main Line, which runs from Cambridge to Liverpool Street, is expected to grow by at least 18% depending on housing growth. Forecasts show that freight demand is expected to grow by an annual average of 2.9% in the next three decades.
The study looks at how to build upon improvements already planned for the coming years, including the completion of Crossrail, the rebuilding of key junctions, renewed overhead lines and upgraded signalling.
Richard Schofield, Network Rail route managing director, said: “The lines out of Liverpool Street are already benefitting from a significant programme of investment over the next five years, but there is more we will need to do to keep up with the continuing growth in demand for rail travel.
“Over the last twenty years the industry has been able to massively increase the frequency of services, but we’re fast approaching the point where there simply isn’t any more space for more trains on the busiest parts of the network. We have to look at ways of increasing the capacity of our network further, including new technology to allow more trains to run on existing tracks, and perhaps building new tracks in key locations. It is fantastic that more and more people want to travel by train and we want to provide the railway to take them where they are going.”
Among the potential options for the Great Eastern main line identified in the study are:
- To support the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce's aspiration to reduce journey times between London and Norwich to 90 minutes, work is proposed to increase the line speed between Shenfield to Norwich to 110mph by upgrading track, signalling and overhead line equipment. Network Rail will also continue its work to close level crossings where it can to make the railway safer and increase linespeeds.
- Additional platforms at Liverpool Street to increase capacity
- Further upgrading signalling technology which means more trains can run on the existing network
- Doubling of Trowse swing bridge – this would help towards increasing capacity from Norwich to London as well as from Norwich to Cambridge
- Installing a loop (new track) at Haughley Junction and Witham to separate passenger and freight services to help achieve faster journey times between London and Norwich
- Further doubling of the Felixstowe branch line to accommodate the forecast increase in freight services
Among the potential options for the West Anglia main line identified in the study are:
- Longer trains on the West Anglia Main Line. This would require platform extensions across this part of the network
- Journey time improvements on the West Anglia Main Line
- Other options include, adding two extra tracks to the West Anglia Main Line south of Broxbourne to increase capacity and doubling the single line tunnel to Stansted Airport
Among the potential options for the line from Fenchurch Street identified in the study are:
- Adding extra carriages to existing services to meet passenger demand
- Further upgrades at Fenchurch Street station to cope with passenger demand
The Anglia route study also looks at potential options to increase capacity on the North London Line and the line from Gospel Oak to Barking. These include additional platforms at either Gospel Oak or Barking and running longer trains on the North London line.
The study says that these options, if implemented, should provide enough capacity to cope with the expected growth in the next decade. The study also considers how the railway should meet more long-term demand and looks at options to increase capacity up to 2043 – the limit of the report.
Consultation on the draft Anglia Route Study is open until February 3 2015. After the conclusion of the formal consultation phase, the Anglia Route Study Working Group will consider further work that may be required to conclude the study, prior to publication of the final document in the summer of 2015. The study will then be used to inform the Department for Transport’s strategy for the industry’s next funding period from 2019 through to 2024.
Notes:
To view the draft Anglia route study, please visit http://www.networkrail.co.uk/long-term-planning-process/anglia-route-study/To comment on the study please email AngliaRouteStudy@networkrail.co.uk
This draft has been put together by Network Rail on behalf of a joint industry group including the Department for Transport (DfT) and the train operating companies on the route. None of the proposals in the study are funded, but the study does include some initial costings and business case assessments.
All Network Rail’s routes will be producing route studies as part of the long term planning process. These build on the Market Studies produced last year that predict long term demand for rail travel.
Train travelling on the Great Eastern Main Line (Network Rail Picture)
The World's Largest Solar Bridge
The world's largest solar bridge (Network Rail on YouTube)
Did you know the roof of Blackfriars station is the world’s largest solar bridge? Over 4,400 photovoltaic panels, enough to cover 23 tennis courts, crown the roof and provide up to 50% of the station's energy, enough to make almost 80,000 cups of tea a day.
It was delivered as part of the Thameslink Programme http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/TLProgramme
Welcome to Star Track
The trainee track engineering design scheme for the engineering stars of the future (video..)
The future of Britain’s railway is looking better than ever, and your future will too with Network Rail.
Passenger numbers are forecast to grow; by 2020 another 400 million rail journeys will be made each year. The rail network is already operating near to full capacity so we need to expand and develop it to cope with the increasing demand.
Improved track designs are a pivotal part of our strategy to increase capacity, whether it is remodelling existing track layouts or adding completely new routes.
This is why the rail industry needs track design engineers to meet our commitments over the coming years.
With hugely ambitious engineering projects under way across the UK, we've created the Star Track scheme to train and develop track design engineers. Over two years you’ll study and learn through our partnership with Sheffield Hallam University while at the same time getting on the job experience and producing your own designs for track layouts and seeing them implemented.
If you’ve got good technical and maths skills and a real drive to succeed then this is a fantastic time to join us.
Passenger numbers are forecast to grow; by 2020 another 400 million rail journeys will be made each year. The rail network is already operating near to full capacity so we need to expand and develop it to cope with the increasing demand.
Improved track designs are a pivotal part of our strategy to increase capacity, whether it is remodelling existing track layouts or adding completely new routes.
This is why the rail industry needs track design engineers to meet our commitments over the coming years.
With hugely ambitious engineering projects under way across the UK, we've created the Star Track scheme to train and develop track design engineers. Over two years you’ll study and learn through our partnership with Sheffield Hallam University while at the same time getting on the job experience and producing your own designs for track layouts and seeing them implemented.
If you’ve got good technical and maths skills and a real drive to succeed then this is a fantastic time to join us.
GOV.UK
Northern Futures: improvements for northern road and rail.
As the Northern Futures Summit starts on 6 November, Nick Clegg announces better trains in the north to reduce overcrowding and cut journey times.
More than 25 million people use cross-Pennine rail routes every year, and over a third of passengers have to stand during their commute.
By 2025 the Deputy Prime Minister wants to see electrified cross-Pennine links between Liverpool and Manchester on one side and Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull on the other. This will shorten journey times to 40 minutes at most between any two of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield and end the misery of overcrowding when people journey to work.
One of the key things that comes up time and again is the need for better transport links – electrification for the rail networks connecting Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester, renovation of the dilapidated commuter lines. That is why I am pushing for a huge programme of transport improvements in the North to begin immediately.
The suggestions and ideas we have had will be debated at the Northern Futures Summit in Leeds today, and I will turn as much as I can into swift action.
London and South East has had billions of transport investment over recent years from HS1 to Crossrail to the Northern Line extension. The perfectly reasonable requests I have been hearing from the North are basics that are needed if we are to create a true economic hub in the North of England.
The North needs improved transport now. The roads and railway lines connecting our great northern cities have seen improvements in recent years, but I want more. Much more.
As we negotiate over what gets government funding in the Autumn Statement, one of my key priorities will be to change that. We need to get this started as soon as possible.
I want a fully upgraded and electrified network between Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield by 2025.
We also need to improve commuter services on lines that are not electrified. I want significant improvement – government money to buy better rolling stock to improve commuter routes in the north – also by 2025.
Ancient rolling stock and lines that have not been upgraded in 30 years are not fit for a 21st century metropolis. Decrepit trains such as the Pacers, which are literally ancient buses on rails, are not a fair way for people in the North to get to and from work. They would not be deemed acceptable on London commuter lines, and they are not acceptable in the North.
This is not just about rail. 64% of journeys in the North are by car. We need to build on the announcements already made to improve road links such as the M62. I want to go further, starting by extending the full stretch of the M62 between Manchester and Leeds to 8 lanes using the “smart” motorway model (that is, turning the hard shoulder into a fourth lane in each direction), and having a programme of improvements for the Woodhead Pass (A618/A626) between Manchester and Sheffield. I will push to see these in the upcoming Roads Investment Strategy for completion by 2025.
Northern Futures: improvements for northern road and rail.
As the Northern Futures Summit starts on 6 November, Nick Clegg announces better trains in the north to reduce overcrowding and cut journey times.
More than 25 million people use cross-Pennine rail routes every year, and over a third of passengers have to stand during their commute.
By 2025 the Deputy Prime Minister wants to see electrified cross-Pennine links between Liverpool and Manchester on one side and Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull on the other. This will shorten journey times to 40 minutes at most between any two of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield and end the misery of overcrowding when people journey to work.
Find out more about the Northern Futures Summit and watch a live stream. You can also get involved on Twitter at #NorthernFutures and vote for your favourite ideas.
Nick Clegg said: One of the key things that comes up time and again is the need for better transport links – electrification for the rail networks connecting Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester, renovation of the dilapidated commuter lines. That is why I am pushing for a huge programme of transport improvements in the North to begin immediately.
The suggestions and ideas we have had will be debated at the Northern Futures Summit in Leeds today, and I will turn as much as I can into swift action.
London and South East has had billions of transport investment over recent years from HS1 to Crossrail to the Northern Line extension. The perfectly reasonable requests I have been hearing from the North are basics that are needed if we are to create a true economic hub in the North of England.
The North needs improved transport now. The roads and railway lines connecting our great northern cities have seen improvements in recent years, but I want more. Much more.
As we negotiate over what gets government funding in the Autumn Statement, one of my key priorities will be to change that. We need to get this started as soon as possible.
I want a fully upgraded and electrified network between Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield by 2025.
We also need to improve commuter services on lines that are not electrified. I want significant improvement – government money to buy better rolling stock to improve commuter routes in the north – also by 2025.
Ancient rolling stock and lines that have not been upgraded in 30 years are not fit for a 21st century metropolis. Decrepit trains such as the Pacers, which are literally ancient buses on rails, are not a fair way for people in the North to get to and from work. They would not be deemed acceptable on London commuter lines, and they are not acceptable in the North.
This is not just about rail. 64% of journeys in the North are by car. We need to build on the announcements already made to improve road links such as the M62. I want to go further, starting by extending the full stretch of the M62 between Manchester and Leeds to 8 lanes using the “smart” motorway model (that is, turning the hard shoulder into a fourth lane in each direction), and having a programme of improvements for the Woodhead Pass (A618/A626) between Manchester and Sheffield. I will push to see these in the upcoming Roads Investment Strategy for completion by 2025.
Eurostar – jolly nice but a missed opportunity
Perhaps one of Mrs Thatcher’s most unexpected legacies was the Channel Tunnel, connecting Britain with France by rail. Not only did it seem to belie her Euroscepticism, but she was known to dislike the railways and only travelled on them a couple of times during her premiership. It’s still a surprise to remember that it was under her leadership that the decisions to build the tunnel and to make it a rail-only connection were made.
The tunnel and in particular the Eurostar services which hurtle between London and Paris (and, ironically, Brussels, the headquarters of the European bureaucracy) were intended to bring about a change in our relationship with Europe. Perhaps, the dreamers thought, passengers standing at St Pancras International station (or Waterloo, the UK’s international rail terminus until 2007) would one day be offered the same array of destinations as at Frankfurt, where there are trains to Paris and Prague, Milan and Copenhagen.
It’s certainly the case that Eurostar has made travelling to the two capitals of France and Belgium much more pleasant than before. Rail is a far more satisfying way to travel than making for one of London’s airports and flying, with Paris just two-and-a-quarter hours away on the fastest trains and Brussels a mere two hours. Eurostar, which attracted more than 10 million passengers last year for the first time, has wiped out the competition from air on its two main routes, gaining more than two thirds of the market share. It offers a city-centre to city-centre trip that easily beats the plane in terms of time and comfort. Moreover, even though Eurostar has yet to get wi-fi on its trains, people are still able to work on their laptops and smartphones as the French countryside rolls by: a key advantage for rail.
The ride is smooth, the seats relatively comfortable and the staff – who are mainly French because of the difficulty of recruiting English people with sufficiently good French to work in the bilingual environment of the trains – unfailingly polite. There is, too, the pleasure of looking out of the window to see the train far outpace even the Mercedes cars favoured by French business people on the adjoining autoroutes in Northern France. The service is also about to get better. New trains are on the way, controversially ordered from the German manufacturer Siemens rather than the French-owned Alstom. They will start coming on stream next year and will be roomier and well as having more capacity – up to 950 seats, 200 more than the current carriages.
However, that radical transformation of European travel for British passengers has not come about. Unlike most 20 year olds, Eurostar has changed little since its birth. Sure, the journey times have got quicker thanks to the opening of the high speed link between London and the Channel Tunnel in 2007, but few extra destinations have come on track and the rolling stock, now also 20 years old, is looking a bit wan, despite some recent enhancements.
Disneyland Paris was introduced as a new destination in 1996 as there is a TGV station nearby – and with fares priced as low as £69 return, it has become a destination for parents wanting to give their children the Mickey Mouse experience without the expense of a transatlantic flight. Since 1997, “snow trains” have run to Bourg St Maurice serving a number of key ski resorts in the French Alps, including Courchevel, Les Arcs and Val d’Isère. But thereafter only Avignon was added as a direct service – a summer-time stop for British tourists heading for Provence.
There are several reasons for this limited expansion. First, there are not many destinations where running a daily or more frequent train with 750 seats is justified. Channel Tunnel rules mean that the 18-coach-long trains are not allowed to be split – and operating such lengthy trains is expensive and cannot be justified to minor destinations.
Secondly, European railways are very heavily regulated. Under EU rules, operators have to pay access charges per kilometre for their trains to use the track, pushing up fares for longer journeys; there is an additional charge for going through the tunnel. Moreover, there is a limit to the length of time people are prepared to sit in trains rather than fly.
However, the biggest barrier has been red tape centred around security issues. The Channel Tunnel Act of 1987 requires train operators to screen baggage, while the Borders Agency insists that trains are run from dedicated platforms sealed off from the rest of the station to prevent illegal immigrants climbing aboard. Initially it was assumed that some of these rules could be eased and that passport checks would eventually be made on board, but this has been vetoed. As a result it is simply not cost-effective to run from many destinations.
Nevertheless, the introduction of the 10 new train sets – costing a total of upwards of £700m – will mean Eurostar becoming more proactive in developing new routes. The first sets are to be deployed on services to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille which will run all year round, starting from 1 May 2015. To meet security regulations, return passengers will board as usual in France, then have have to disembark at Lille with all their baggage, go through security and return to the train, a process that will add an hour – and plenty of hassle – to their journey. This may well deter business travellers from using the service and will also dent the leisure market.
Nicolas Petrovic, the boss of Eurostar, has lobbied hard behind the scenes to get the security services to relent but has so far failed. He admitted: “It is not ideal but we would rather get the service going and establish it, and then work to make better arrangements.”
In late 2016, direct services to Rotterdam and Amsterdam are to be introduced using the new trains – without the disembarkation at Lille – to challenge what is one of the world’s busiest air routes. Eurostar is also considering several other destinations, such as Cologne or Frankfurt, but no decision has yet been taken.
Eurostar has had a 100 per cent safety record during its 20 years of operation, with no accidents – although there have been some bad days. The tunnel itself had major fires in 1996 and 2008, caused by lorries (on trains not connected with Eurostar) and on both occasions sections had to be closed for several months, causing disruption to services. In December 2009 four trains broke down in the tunnel and numerous others were held up outside in blizzard conditions. (The breakdowns were caused by – literally – the wrong sort of snow; a large quantity of fine snow entered the power cars and was sucked through the ventilation system to the electronic control cabinets where it melted and caused a series of failures.) In all, 75,000 people had their trips delayed and the chaos at St Pancras attracted national headlines (although when compared to the regular travails of passengers at Heathrow, the public relations effect soon blew over) and in a way simply reflected the fact that Eurostar has become an essential part of Britain’s infrastructure.
The service can be good value if you book in advance – the £69 return has stayed at that price for many years. However, travelling at peak time is normally more expensive than equivalent airline flights (though the way air fares are adjusted almost minute by minute to suit the market make comparisons difficult). The basic fares with a “semi flex” ticket in Standard is normally around £305 return to Paris.
Hopes of a range of operators entering the market to rival Eurostar have not yet materialised either. A couple of years ago Deutsche Bahn announced plans to offer competing with direct services to Brussels and various destinations in Germany and one of its high speed ICE train was driven through the tunnel to St Pancras with much fanfare. However, it appears that DB have gone cold on the idea. There is as yet now no date for the start of services.
With those first passenger trains back in October 1994, Eurostar fundamentally changed our perceptions of travel to the Continent. The new services it has planned will certainly refresh our ideas, even the don’t offer the step-change that many have long hoped for. As for the future – travelling by train from Britain may never have the convenience of the cross-border hops available elsewhere in Europe, but as the rail gateway to a wider world Eurostar still has the capacity to impress.
The tunnel and in particular the Eurostar services which hurtle between London and Paris (and, ironically, Brussels, the headquarters of the European bureaucracy) were intended to bring about a change in our relationship with Europe. Perhaps, the dreamers thought, passengers standing at St Pancras International station (or Waterloo, the UK’s international rail terminus until 2007) would one day be offered the same array of destinations as at Frankfurt, where there are trains to Paris and Prague, Milan and Copenhagen.
It’s certainly the case that Eurostar has made travelling to the two capitals of France and Belgium much more pleasant than before. Rail is a far more satisfying way to travel than making for one of London’s airports and flying, with Paris just two-and-a-quarter hours away on the fastest trains and Brussels a mere two hours. Eurostar, which attracted more than 10 million passengers last year for the first time, has wiped out the competition from air on its two main routes, gaining more than two thirds of the market share. It offers a city-centre to city-centre trip that easily beats the plane in terms of time and comfort. Moreover, even though Eurostar has yet to get wi-fi on its trains, people are still able to work on their laptops and smartphones as the French countryside rolls by: a key advantage for rail.
The ride is smooth, the seats relatively comfortable and the staff – who are mainly French because of the difficulty of recruiting English people with sufficiently good French to work in the bilingual environment of the trains – unfailingly polite. There is, too, the pleasure of looking out of the window to see the train far outpace even the Mercedes cars favoured by French business people on the adjoining autoroutes in Northern France. The service is also about to get better. New trains are on the way, controversially ordered from the German manufacturer Siemens rather than the French-owned Alstom. They will start coming on stream next year and will be roomier and well as having more capacity – up to 950 seats, 200 more than the current carriages.
However, that radical transformation of European travel for British passengers has not come about. Unlike most 20 year olds, Eurostar has changed little since its birth. Sure, the journey times have got quicker thanks to the opening of the high speed link between London and the Channel Tunnel in 2007, but few extra destinations have come on track and the rolling stock, now also 20 years old, is looking a bit wan, despite some recent enhancements.
Disneyland Paris was introduced as a new destination in 1996 as there is a TGV station nearby – and with fares priced as low as £69 return, it has become a destination for parents wanting to give their children the Mickey Mouse experience without the expense of a transatlantic flight. Since 1997, “snow trains” have run to Bourg St Maurice serving a number of key ski resorts in the French Alps, including Courchevel, Les Arcs and Val d’Isère. But thereafter only Avignon was added as a direct service – a summer-time stop for British tourists heading for Provence.
There are several reasons for this limited expansion. First, there are not many destinations where running a daily or more frequent train with 750 seats is justified. Channel Tunnel rules mean that the 18-coach-long trains are not allowed to be split – and operating such lengthy trains is expensive and cannot be justified to minor destinations.
Secondly, European railways are very heavily regulated. Under EU rules, operators have to pay access charges per kilometre for their trains to use the track, pushing up fares for longer journeys; there is an additional charge for going through the tunnel. Moreover, there is a limit to the length of time people are prepared to sit in trains rather than fly.
However, the biggest barrier has been red tape centred around security issues. The Channel Tunnel Act of 1987 requires train operators to screen baggage, while the Borders Agency insists that trains are run from dedicated platforms sealed off from the rest of the station to prevent illegal immigrants climbing aboard. Initially it was assumed that some of these rules could be eased and that passport checks would eventually be made on board, but this has been vetoed. As a result it is simply not cost-effective to run from many destinations.
Nevertheless, the introduction of the 10 new train sets – costing a total of upwards of £700m – will mean Eurostar becoming more proactive in developing new routes. The first sets are to be deployed on services to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille which will run all year round, starting from 1 May 2015. To meet security regulations, return passengers will board as usual in France, then have have to disembark at Lille with all their baggage, go through security and return to the train, a process that will add an hour – and plenty of hassle – to their journey. This may well deter business travellers from using the service and will also dent the leisure market.
Nicolas Petrovic, the boss of Eurostar, has lobbied hard behind the scenes to get the security services to relent but has so far failed. He admitted: “It is not ideal but we would rather get the service going and establish it, and then work to make better arrangements.”
In late 2016, direct services to Rotterdam and Amsterdam are to be introduced using the new trains – without the disembarkation at Lille – to challenge what is one of the world’s busiest air routes. Eurostar is also considering several other destinations, such as Cologne or Frankfurt, but no decision has yet been taken.
Eurostar has had a 100 per cent safety record during its 20 years of operation, with no accidents – although there have been some bad days. The tunnel itself had major fires in 1996 and 2008, caused by lorries (on trains not connected with Eurostar) and on both occasions sections had to be closed for several months, causing disruption to services. In December 2009 four trains broke down in the tunnel and numerous others were held up outside in blizzard conditions. (The breakdowns were caused by – literally – the wrong sort of snow; a large quantity of fine snow entered the power cars and was sucked through the ventilation system to the electronic control cabinets where it melted and caused a series of failures.) In all, 75,000 people had their trips delayed and the chaos at St Pancras attracted national headlines (although when compared to the regular travails of passengers at Heathrow, the public relations effect soon blew over) and in a way simply reflected the fact that Eurostar has become an essential part of Britain’s infrastructure.
The service can be good value if you book in advance – the £69 return has stayed at that price for many years. However, travelling at peak time is normally more expensive than equivalent airline flights (though the way air fares are adjusted almost minute by minute to suit the market make comparisons difficult). The basic fares with a “semi flex” ticket in Standard is normally around £305 return to Paris.
Hopes of a range of operators entering the market to rival Eurostar have not yet materialised either. A couple of years ago Deutsche Bahn announced plans to offer competing with direct services to Brussels and various destinations in Germany and one of its high speed ICE train was driven through the tunnel to St Pancras with much fanfare. However, it appears that DB have gone cold on the idea. There is as yet now no date for the start of services.
With those first passenger trains back in October 1994, Eurostar fundamentally changed our perceptions of travel to the Continent. The new services it has planned will certainly refresh our ideas, even the don’t offer the step-change that many have long hoped for. As for the future – travelling by train from Britain may never have the convenience of the cross-border hops available elsewhere in Europe, but as the rail gateway to a wider world Eurostar still has the capacity to impress.
International
China
New Xinjiang railway security tight.(China Daily)
China Plans World's Longest High Speed Rail Line(Sourceable)
France
Alstom’s pivot to rail rewarded with rising sales.(FT.com)
Germany
German rail strike to hit events that mark fall of Berlin Wall.(FT.com)
Deutsche Bahn strike brings ‘significant disruption’ to rail freight (Lloyd's Loading List)
India
'Custodians' of India's vast rail network.(BBC Monitoring)
Ireland
Belmond to launch Irish land cruise train - Railway Gazette
USA
www.progressiverailroading.com
US HSR
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THREE FIRMS BID FOR SECOND HSR PROJECT
 $2 Billion Second Construction Segment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Three firms are bidding to build the second leg of California's $68 billion high-speed rail system, which will run from Fresno to Bakersfield.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority says three joint construction ventures submitted sealed bids by the recent deadline. |
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT - HUGE!
|
 TOD Biggest Trend of the Century Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has emerged as the most substantial development trend of the early 21st century, according to real estate experts. Releasing a new report exploring the consequences of rapid population growth in ten major North American cities, Cushman & Wakefield's industry-leading Americas Research group noted that:
"the majority of new commercial development, as well as residential development, in metro areas today is transit oriented"
The new report - entitled "Urban Development: Faster Greener Commutes Key to Sustained City Growth" - examines issues such as intensified gridlock and slow commutes that impact work productivity and quality of life, along with the transit-oriented developments helping to relieve congestion and support growth.
The cities covered in the report are Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta, Boston and San Francisco. For investors and developers, who are contributing to urban growth by building properties close to tenant talent pools, the business case for improving accessibility is clear. With publicly funded transit and transportation improvements often stalled by red tape, impact studies and lack of funding, transit oriented development has emerged as "the most substantial development trend of the early 21st century," according to Christopher B. Leinberger, chair of the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis at The George Washington University School of Business. |
VIRGINIA HIGH SPEED RAIL ADVANCES
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 Washington DC to Norfolk HSR Line A proposed high speed rail route from Norfolk to Washington D.C. might include a spur linking it to the peninsula by way of James City County.
The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization board heard the news earlier this year during an update of an ongoing study of passenger rail service of the Norfolk, Richmond and Washington D.C. corridor.
The study analyzes the potential for high-speed rail, with trains traveling up to 220 mph between Hampton Roads and Nation's Capital. At top speeds, the trains could offer passengers a two-hour trip to Washington D.C. from the peninsula. Alexander Metcalf, president of Maryland-based TEMS, Inc., the consulting firm conducting the study for HRTPO, estimated the project would cost about $7 billion. HRTPO officials said they want to begin identifying routes and conducting environmental studies. Metcalf said adding the spur between Toano in James City and Roxbury to the high-speed train route from Norfolk would boost potential revenues for a rail operator, he said. Metcalf said the Norfolk to Washington D.C. corridor has the highest population density in the southeast region, and is among the top regions in the nation considering high-speed rail corridors, with about 47,000 people per mile of track. More |
SACRAMENTO BEE-CASE FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL
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 from previous newsletter...Official makes case for California HSR
by Rick Zbur
The California League of Conservation Voters supported Proposition 1A, the 2008 ballot measure that approved the issuance of bonds to fund high-speed rail in the state. As the president of the California league, I wanted to share why I think this program is so pivotal in our efforts to "decarbonize" California and is part of our international climate leadership. Right now, there really are only two ways to travel between the mega-regions of this huge state of ours. People have to spend money on plane tickets or time in a car to travel to see family, to go on vacation or to do business. It's not only expensive and time-consuming, but all that driving and burning of jet fuel have a major impact that most do not consider - a high cost to our environment. Transportation is the single biggest contributor to climate change in California.
The state's transportation sector, according to the California Air Resources Board, accounts for 38 percent of our collective carbon footprint. That's the same as California's electric, commercial, residential and agricultural sectors combined.
Reforming how people get around our state, by introducing more environmentally friendly transportation choices, isn't just a good idea, it is absolutely essential to meeting California's world-leading carbon pollution reduction goals. As we have seen in other places where high-speed rail is already in existence, like Spain, Japan and France, it is one of the most energy- and environmentally-efficient forms of mass passenger transport there is. Studies show that when done right, high-speed rail produces only a small fraction of the pollution of an average plane or car trip over the same distance, on a per-passenger basis. In addition, California's high-speed rail system will run on renewably generated electricity, from the ample resources in California, meaning for our state, high-speed rail will reduce pollution whenever someone rides it and gives up a car or plane trip. The Mineta Transportation Institute in San Jose recently authored an analysis of the world's high-speed rail systems and found that, in similar corridors, high-speed rail would prove a very attractive option for California, securing a sizable share of trips around the state. In other words, high-speed rail, by shifting travel away from dirtier transportation modes such as planes and cars, would do wonders in reducing the transportation sector's impact on our carbon footprint. More |
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR HSR MEETINGS
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 Meetings Now Underway The Federal Railroad Administration is hosting nine public open house meetings from November 5-20 to introduce the alternatives that will be evaluated in the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northeast Corridor high speed rail project.The meetings will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the locations and dates listed. All are welcome to attend and arrive at any time during the meeting. Each open house will consist of displays outlining the NEC FUTURE program, the Tier 1 EIS Alternatives, and the next steps in the environmental review process. FRA representatives and other NEC FUTURE team members will be available to discuss the material and answer questions. Meeting Schedule |
HIGH SPEED RAIL AROUND THE WORLD
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The global high speed rail network is one of the great feats of modern engineering, and proves to be the best form of transportation ever invented. The global high speed rail network is rapidly expanding across continents world wide - delivering fast, efficient mobility to numerous nations every day.
HSR is currently in operation in more than 20 countries (including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan).HSR is under construction in more than 10 countries (including China, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, and Italy); and in development in another 14 countries (including Qatar, Morocco, Russia, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, India, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil). HSR has been in operation in Japan for 50 years carrying more than 9 billion passengers without a single fatality. More info |
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Other Railway Press
UITP
25-27 November 2014
In DOHA, QATAR.
Under the Honorary Patronage of His Excellency Jassem Bin Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti,
Qatar Minister of Transport, Ministry of Transport, Doha - Qatar
Under the wise guidance and leadership of His Excellency Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, the new transport Ministry is re-established in June’13 with a vision to provide direction on future transportation systems in the country for reaping long term sustained economic growth and enhance quality of life.
Mowasalat, as stakeholder under the Ministry is gearing up to meet with the rising demand & growth in the Public Transport & Mass transportation to contribute to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the transport sector by providing best services embracing innovation& technology to achieve the Ministry’s vision of “Highest level of community service”, and progress in line with four pillars of QNV 2030. Through hosting this PT for large events Summit & Taxi conference, we aim & aid to engage with stakeholders and experts knowledge share to learn from the past and prepare for the future for a continued development & apply best practices for successful hosting of FIFA World Cup to leave a legacy and sustained transport solutions for the future. UITP (International Association of Public Transport) will collaborate and extend their support with information & participation from its 3400 from 92 countries, acting as a global advocate of public transport and sustainable mobility, promoting innovations in the sector.
We welcome the speakers, delegates and other invitees & participants to avail the opportunity and benefit from the congress sessions, showcase& networking.
www.railway-technology.com.
Costain and Morgan Sindall win £250m Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement contract
The UK's Network Rail has signed a £250m contract with Costain and Morgan Sindall to provide physical works on the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
Test run starts on South West Rail Link in Sydney
Australia's Transport for New South Wales (NSW) has started performing test runs on the new South West Rail Link, ahead of the opening of Sydney Trains services in early 2015.
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.
Chinese-led consortium wins Mexico high-speed rail project contract
Mexico's Transport and Communications Ministry has awarded a contract to Chinese-led consortium for the construction of a multi-billion dollar high-speed passenger rail link between Mexico City and the central city of Queretaro.
SmartRail World
Could beacons light a path to greater passenger engagement?
Much has been written of late about beacon technology – the low-cost, micro-location-based technology that uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE 4.0) to connect and send signals to Smartphone users who opt in to receive messages via beacon-enabled apps. The app, once activated, enables it to receive information and content based on location. As retail giant Macy’s announces a rollout of over 4,000 beacon devices across their stores, the potential of the beacon signal technology is not only being tapped into by retailers looking to entice customers with location specific deals but also transit. Abigail Francis investigates how Chicago Transit Authority has now become the latest transit agency to test beacon technology to further increase communication and engagement with their passengers.
With the help of leading transit-based advertising firm, Titan, CTA are set to trial the latest technology in a bid to improve passenger experience. A network of Gimbal Bluetooth Smart Beacons is to be installed in rail stations across Chicago to allow riders to receive location tailored signals, specifically bus & train tracking information and improved customer service functions.
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Think Railways Transport sector might lose EUR 8.6 billion annually
The EU transport sector will lose EUR 8.6 billion every year if it doesn’t address remaining barriers, gaps and market inefficiencies in the Single Market in the next two decades, shows The Cost of Non-Europe in the Single Market for Transport and Tourism report published by the European Parliament. More
EU to help improve Portuguese and Spanish rail connections
The EU’s TEN-T Programme will invest EUR 400,000 in technical studies for the improvement of the cross-border railway infrastructure in Portugal and Spain. The project will contribute to the development of transport services between both countries and the rest of Europe. More
InfrastructurePLN 25 billion for railway and urban transport projects in Warsaw agglomeration
PKP Polish Railway Lines SA, PKP SA and the City of Warsaw have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on the implementation of railway and urban transport development projects planned for 2015-2022 in Warsaw agglomeration. More
RUB 12.5-18.7 trillion to be invested in developing Russian railways until 2030
The Russian Ministry of Transport and Russian Railways (RZD) agreed an updated version of the strategy for developing rail transport up to 2030. The conservative scenario assumes an investment of RUB 12.5 trillion up to 2030 and a 44% increase of the loading volume on RZD’s network, compared to 2013, reaching 1.78 billion tons. More
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