Today's big UK news is that Inter City Railways (90%Stagecoach; 10% Virgin Trains) has been handed the East Coast Mainline franchise. ... a surprise announcement, given the numerous articles in the last few days suggesting that Keolis & Eurostar would probably win out....
Watch out for considered responses to this announcement over the next day or two.
Global Construction Review (GCR) takes an interesting view on the announcement from Europe that whilst Europe will contribute 21bn euros to an investment plan to kick start Europe's stagnant economy, it expects this "seeding" to encourage other governments(i.e. the taxpayer) to produce the rest of the 315bn euros needed.....
Plus the latest from UITP, Future Rail, and Think Railways....
Click on the links...
Headlines
UK
Stagecoach and Virgin win East Coast mainline rail franchise.(BBC News)
GOV.UK
More seats, more services and new trains for East Coast passengers
East Coast franchise awarded to Inter City Railways, a consortium of Stagecoach and Virgin.
Rail journeys between London and Edinburgh will be transformed by more seats, more services and new trains after the government announced its intention to award the new East Coast franchise to Inter City Railways, a consortium of Stagecoach and Virgin, today (27 November 2014).
The new deal will include a host of extra benefits for passengers:
- 23 new services from London to key destinations, with 75 more station calls a day
- plans for new direct links to Huddersfield, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Dewsbury and Thornaby
- proposals for more trains to London from Bradford, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Leeds, Lincoln, Newcastle, Shipley, Stirling, and York
- 3,100 extra seats for the morning peak time by 2020
- across the entire train fleet there will be 12,200 additional seats – a 50% increase
- 65 state of the art Intercity Express trains brought into passenger service from 2018, totalling 500 new carriages
- journey times from London to Leeds reduced by 14 minutes, and from London to Edinburgh by 13 minutes
- a £140 million investment package to improve trains and stations.
View the individual station benefits on our interactive map.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: This is a fantastic deal for passengers and for staff on this vital route. It gives passengers more seats, more services and new trains.Martin Griffiths, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said:
We are putting passengers at the heart of the service. I believe Stagecoach and Virgin will not only deliver for customers but also for the British taxpayer.
This government knows the importance of our railways. That is why they are a vital part of our long term economic plan, with over £38 billion being spent on the network over the next five years.
A passion for customers, employees and the community is at the heart of our plans for the franchise. We want to build on the quality and pride of the people who will be joining our team.Over the 8-year franchise, Inter City Railways will invest £140 million to bring extra benefits for passengers, including:
We have some fantastic ideas to deliver a more personal travel experience for customers. Investing in the committed people who will make that happen is a big part of our plans, giving opportunities for them to develop and grow into more senior roles. At the same time, we have developed major programmes to help young people, communities and small businesses along what is one of Britain’s major rail routes.
- complete refurbishment of the existing train fleet
- better wi-fi connections and onboard catering on the new Intercity Express train fleet
- improved ticket offices and 170 new ticket vending machines
- over 500 new car parking spaces
- 411 additional cycle spaces and new secure cycle facilities
- a customer and community improvement fund
- a training fund for new apprenticeships, internships and staff development.
The company will shortly begin talks with Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation to agree its plans to run new direct services from London to Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield.
It will also seek approval to run more trains to Edinburgh, Leeds, Lincoln, Shipley, Stirling, Harrogate and Bradford.
From 2018, Inter City Railways will take delivery of the new Intercity Express trains, to be assembled at Hitachi’s factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. By 2020 all of the 65 modern high-speed electric trains will be in service and will replace 39 existing trains.
In addition to more seats, passengers will benefit from cleaner, more reliable trains and faster journeys. The new franchise will provide regular journey times of 2 hours to Leeds and 4 hours to Edinburgh.
Inter City Railways has also given a commitment to reduce all long-distance standard anytime fares by 10%. This could save passengers travelling from Edinburgh to London around £15 on those journeys.
The operator will also develop its own website, smartphone and tablet apps that will make door-to-door travel easier for customers, including planning journeys and buying tickets.
Inter City Railways is a joint venture comprising Stagecoach Transport Holdings Ltd and Virgin Holdings Ltd. It will take over the franchise from Sunday 1 March 2015.
Following the announcement, and in accordance with usual procurement practice, there will be a standstill period of 10 days before the department will be in a position to enter into, and complete, the formal contractual documentation and make the award to Inter City Railways.
TSSA Press Release.
TSSA warns of higher fares under new East Coast franchise
27 November 2014
TSSA leader Manuel Cortes has accused the Tories of "sheer political spite" for selling the East Coast line to Virgin and Stagecoach.
"This has got nothing to do with improving services but everything to do with sheer political spite," he said.
"Here we have the best value franchise, which has returned £1 billion to the taxpayer over the past five years, being sold to a firm which has increased fares on the West Coast line by 245% since privatisation.*
"Rather than allow the East Coast to continue as a public sector success story, they have denied voters the chance to keep it in the public sector by voting Labour in May.
"Privately run firms have been ripping off passengers for 20 years with the highest fares in Europe. This will simply mean more of the same, especially now that Virgin and Stagecoach will have a monopoly of long distance north-south rail travel in the UK.
ends
DB Schenker Rail (UK)
Timely Service Wins Contract Extension
TSSA leader Manuel Cortes has accused the Tories of "sheer political spite" for selling the East Coast line to Virgin and Stagecoach.
"This has got nothing to do with improving services but everything to do with sheer political spite," he said.
"Here we have the best value franchise, which has returned £1 billion to the taxpayer over the past five years, being sold to a firm which has increased fares on the West Coast line by 245% since privatisation.*
"Rather than allow the East Coast to continue as a public sector success story, they have denied voters the chance to keep it in the public sector by voting Labour in May.
"Privately run firms have been ripping off passengers for 20 years with the highest fares in Europe. This will simply mean more of the same, especially now that Virgin and Stagecoach will have a monopoly of long distance north-south rail travel in the UK.
ends
Exceptional time-keeping by DB Schenker Rail UK has helped secure a two-year extension to its long-running contract with British Gypsum.
The contract involves transporting gypsum, a by-product of coal-fired electricity generation, from Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire and Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in Cheshire, to British Gypsum's plasterboard factory at Kirkby Thore in Cumbria.
Roger Neary, Head of Coal and Biomass at DB Schenker Rail UK, said: "This has been a long-standing contract, which we are very pleased to have extended. Recent delivery performance has been outstanding, with 92% of trains arriving at Kirkby Thore within 15 minutes of the scheduled time and all our services arriving within 30 minutes of the expected time. This was an important factor in retaining the contract."
Kevin Flinton, Senior Procurement Manager at British Gypsum, added: "In addition to the excellent time-keeping, DB Schenker Rail UK is collaborating with us on a number of continuous improvement activities, which made the decision to extend the contract a lot easier."
DB Schenker Rail UK is providing specialised gypsum containers for the contract. The containers are transported on FCA container flat wagons.
More than 100,000 tonnes of gypsum a year will be moved as part of this contract, with each train carrying 54 containers loaded with 17 tonnes of gypsum each.
The contract involves transporting gypsum, a by-product of coal-fired electricity generation, from Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire and Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in Cheshire, to British Gypsum's plasterboard factory at Kirkby Thore in Cumbria.
Roger Neary, Head of Coal and Biomass at DB Schenker Rail UK, said: "This has been a long-standing contract, which we are very pleased to have extended. Recent delivery performance has been outstanding, with 92% of trains arriving at Kirkby Thore within 15 minutes of the scheduled time and all our services arriving within 30 minutes of the expected time. This was an important factor in retaining the contract."
Kevin Flinton, Senior Procurement Manager at British Gypsum, added: "In addition to the excellent time-keeping, DB Schenker Rail UK is collaborating with us on a number of continuous improvement activities, which made the decision to extend the contract a lot easier."
DB Schenker Rail UK is providing specialised gypsum containers for the contract. The containers are transported on FCA container flat wagons.
More than 100,000 tonnes of gypsum a year will be moved as part of this contract, with each train carrying 54 containers loaded with 17 tonnes of gypsum each.
Pictures Courtesy (C) DB Schenker Rail (UK)
Virgin Trains driver electric shock: Investigation launched.(BBC News)
Translink 'committed' to hourly train service from Londonderry to Belfast.(BBC News)
Metrolink hauls eight under-18s before courts for dodging tram fares - and hits them with £1,700 in fines.(Manchester Evening News)
New strategy for trains in south and west.(CILT.UK)
See Network Rail 's 89 page document "Wessex Route" HERE
Network Rail
Helicopter ride: Brighton to St Pancras (Network Rail on YouTube)
Fly over the railway from Brighton to St Pancras and see all the improvements the Thameslink Programme has delivered. More on the programme at http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/ Follow Thameslink Programme on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tlprogramme
Revenue projections boost Crossrail 2 (FT.com)
International
Revenue projections boost Crossrail 2 (FT.com)
International
Europe
India
China set for feasibility study into high-speed rail project in India.(Out-Law.com)
All railway bridges are safe: Govt.(The Statesman)
All railway bridges are safe: Govt.(The Statesman)
Bridges on the Konkan Railway. Courtesy (C) Konkan Railways.
Nigeria
$US 12bn Nigerian Coastal Railway deal signed.(IRJ)
USA
Why More Northeast U.S. Travelers Take the Train Instead of a Plane, in 2 Charts.(City Lab)
Other Railway Press
www.railway-technology.com
CAF-led consortium wins railroad project in Mexico
The Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) has awarded a €690m contract to a CAF-led consortium for the 57.7km-long Mexico-Toluca intercity railroad project.
Stagecoach Transport and Virgin win new East Coast franchise
UK's Department for Transport has decided to award the Intercity East Coast franchise to Inter City Railways, a joint venture between Stagecoach Transport and Virgin.
MTR joint venture signs letter of intent for Beijing Metro Line 16
China's Beijing Municipal Government has signed a letter of intent with Beijing MTR joint venture for the investment, operations and maintenance of Beijing Metro Line 16.
Thales and Siemens win €512m contract to modernise high-speed line in Spain
A consortium consisting of Thales España and Siemens Rail Automation has received a €512m contract from Adif Alta Velocidad to modernise the control, signalling and safety equipment on the Olmedo-Ourense high-speed line section in Spain.
San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system currently runs the oldest big-city fleet in the US, with much of its rolling stock having been in operation since 1972, but the network is set to enter the 21st century with 1,000 new and improved railcars rolling out over the next three years. We take a look at the Bombardier-built 'fleet of the future'. We also check in on progress of the first fully automated network in the US, a 20-mile light rail network being developed for the Hawaiian capital of Honolulu.
Meanwhile in France, SNCF reported a 74% drop in net profit for the first half of 2014, blaming disruptions caused by strikes in early summer, but business is going well abroad. We investigate how these results could affect the French operator's future investment strategy at home and abroad. We also find out how a technology known as StreetMapper has been used to map large parts of the French rail network to provide more accurate data for maintenance tasks.
As commuter services to and from London get ever more overcrowded, with some trains carrying nearly double their intended capacity, we explore potential solutions for the capital's transport crisis. And, with Network Rail having being reclassified as a public sector body and made subject to the Freedom of Information Act, we find out how the UK operator is preparing for being more transparent and open to public scrutiny in the future.
Click here to read this issue.
SNCF reported a 74% drop in net profit for the first half of 2014 due to strikes in France but its foreign business is booming. Ross Davies asks, could the current political climate force the French company to focus on investments further afield?Read the full article.
Saving the London Commuter
As overcrowding on London's rail network increases and new capacity projects are slow to catch up, Chris Lo asks Guy Dangerfield of watchdog Passenger Focus how this key component of the UK capital's brewing transport crisis can be tackledRead the full article.
Inside the HART of Honolulu
A new light rail network in Hawaii's capital city is also set to become the first fully automated railway in the US. Ross Davies asks, will US mainland metropolises follow suit in going driverless?Read the full article.
Fleet of the Future
San Francisco's transit operator is overhauling its rolling stock for the first time since it launched in 1972. Abi Millar explores how the new railcars are being designed and what role passenger feedback is playing in the processRead the full article.
Totally Connected
As the role of automation and smart data grows, we piece together the world's most connected train from the latest innovations in communications, autonomy and securityRead the full article.
Putting France's Tracks on the Map
Hundreds of kilometres of the French railway network have been surveyed using a 3D laser mapping system developed by FIT ESIC. Frances Marcellin finds how data is captured and what benefits the project brings to safety and maintenanceRead the full article.
Cards on the Table
With Network Rail set to be covered by the Freedom of Information Act, Matt Burgess asks Justice Minister Simon Hughes and Network Rail's Mark Farrow how this will leave the operator more open to public scrutinyRead the full article.
We also take a look at Mexico's vision of a cross-border high-speed line into Texas and explore China's involvement in various major rail projects in Africa.
Moreover, we find out how Cisco's 'Connected Transport Challenge' programme is encouraging new technical, operational and commercial models for future stations, investigate the economics of ever-increasing rail fares and talk to Cranfield University about its world-first MSc in safety and accident investigation for rail transport.
Planning tomorrow’s smart city:
Nigeria
$US 12bn Nigerian Coastal Railway deal signed.(IRJ)
USA
Why More Northeast U.S. Travelers Take the Train Instead of a Plane, in 2 Charts.(City Lab)
Other Railway Press
www.railway-technology.com
CAF-led consortium wins railroad project in Mexico
The Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) has awarded a €690m contract to a CAF-led consortium for the 57.7km-long Mexico-Toluca intercity railroad project.
Stagecoach Transport and Virgin win new East Coast franchise
UK's Department for Transport has decided to award the Intercity East Coast franchise to Inter City Railways, a joint venture between Stagecoach Transport and Virgin.
MTR joint venture signs letter of intent for Beijing Metro Line 16
China's Beijing Municipal Government has signed a letter of intent with Beijing MTR joint venture for the investment, operations and maintenance of Beijing Metro Line 16.
Thales and Siemens win €512m contract to modernise high-speed line in Spain
A consortium consisting of Thales España and Siemens Rail Automation has received a €512m contract from Adif Alta Velocidad to modernise the control, signalling and safety equipment on the Olmedo-Ourense high-speed line section in Spain.
Future Rail: Issue 21
26 November 2014
In this issue: San Francisco’s fleet of the future, the first fully automated local network in the US, SNCF’s investment strategy at home and abroad, solving London’s transport crisis, 3D laser mapping for rail network maintenance and more.
San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system currently runs the oldest big-city fleet in the US, with much of its rolling stock having been in operation since 1972, but the network is set to enter the 21st century with 1,000 new and improved railcars rolling out over the next three years. We take a look at the Bombardier-built 'fleet of the future'. We also check in on progress of the first fully automated network in the US, a 20-mile light rail network being developed for the Hawaiian capital of Honolulu.
Meanwhile in France, SNCF reported a 74% drop in net profit for the first half of 2014, blaming disruptions caused by strikes in early summer, but business is going well abroad. We investigate how these results could affect the French operator's future investment strategy at home and abroad. We also find out how a technology known as StreetMapper has been used to map large parts of the French rail network to provide more accurate data for maintenance tasks.
As commuter services to and from London get ever more overcrowded, with some trains carrying nearly double their intended capacity, we explore potential solutions for the capital's transport crisis. And, with Network Rail having being reclassified as a public sector body and made subject to the Freedom of Information Act, we find out how the UK operator is preparing for being more transparent and open to public scrutiny in the future.
Click here to read this issue.
In this issue
Changing TrackSNCF reported a 74% drop in net profit for the first half of 2014 due to strikes in France but its foreign business is booming. Ross Davies asks, could the current political climate force the French company to focus on investments further afield?Read the full article.
Saving the London Commuter
As overcrowding on London's rail network increases and new capacity projects are slow to catch up, Chris Lo asks Guy Dangerfield of watchdog Passenger Focus how this key component of the UK capital's brewing transport crisis can be tackledRead the full article.
Inside the HART of Honolulu
A new light rail network in Hawaii's capital city is also set to become the first fully automated railway in the US. Ross Davies asks, will US mainland metropolises follow suit in going driverless?Read the full article.
Fleet of the Future
San Francisco's transit operator is overhauling its rolling stock for the first time since it launched in 1972. Abi Millar explores how the new railcars are being designed and what role passenger feedback is playing in the processRead the full article.
Totally Connected
As the role of automation and smart data grows, we piece together the world's most connected train from the latest innovations in communications, autonomy and securityRead the full article.
Putting France's Tracks on the Map
Hundreds of kilometres of the French railway network have been surveyed using a 3D laser mapping system developed by FIT ESIC. Frances Marcellin finds how data is captured and what benefits the project brings to safety and maintenanceRead the full article.
Cards on the Table
With Network Rail set to be covered by the Freedom of Information Act, Matt Burgess asks Justice Minister Simon Hughes and Network Rail's Mark Farrow how this will leave the operator more open to public scrutinyRead the full article.
Next issue preview
With High Speed 2 still in the planning stages, the UK Government has already proposed the next leg of the country's high-speed journey - but given the controversy caused by HS2, is it too early to think of HS3? We review the proposal and lessons learned from planning HS2.We also take a look at Mexico's vision of a cross-border high-speed line into Texas and explore China's involvement in various major rail projects in Africa.
Moreover, we find out how Cisco's 'Connected Transport Challenge' programme is encouraging new technical, operational and commercial models for future stations, investigate the economics of ever-increasing rail fares and talk to Cranfield University about its world-first MSc in safety and accident investigation for rail transport.
Planning tomorrow’s smart city:
| Turning plans into reality | ||
Looking for guidance on how to make your city ready for the challenges of the future?
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