International & UK Railway News Tuesday 18th November 2014

..Total Railway News

Passengers on Border Railway? A target.
Northern users would rather like some new fares, and new trains..
Economic Affairs Committee asks the questions.... 
Keeping up with Pacer news..
Step free funding for Crossrail....
And...an interesting use for used cooking oil.........


Click on the links....



Headlines
UK
Borders to Edinburgh railway: Alex Salmond sets passenger goal.(BBC News)


Study finds Stirling freight trains cause 'major disturbance'(BBC News)


McLoughlin offers Yorkshire commuters hope on Pacers.(Yorkshire Post)


Rail report calls for new trains, better stations and zoned fares.(The Northern Echo)

New delay for £60m Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train scheme.(The Star)

RMT to lobby Minister and rail boss tomorrow over N-TPE - rmt


Welsh Government | Crossrail supply chain opportunities event in Ewloe for construction and manufacturing companies

New station opens it doors.(Burnley Express)



Edinburgh Waverley.



UK Parliament





Northern cities' business leaders questioned on economic impact of HS2
The  Economic Affairs Committee question business and civic leaders from Hull, Liverpool, the North-East and Mid-Yorkshire on the possible impact of HS2 on their regions. The Committee will also take evidence via videolink from Emile Quinet, an expert on France’s high speed trains.

• Parliament TV: The Economic Case for HS2
• Inquiry: The Economic Case for HS2
• Select Committee for Economic Affairs

Witnesses

At 3.35pm on Tuesday 18 November in Committee Room 2 of the Palace of Westminster

• Emile Quinet, expert on French high-speed trains, via video-link

At 4.30pm:

• Dr Ian Kelly, Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce
• Ross Smith, Director of Policy, North East Chamber of Commerce
• Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool
• Steven Leigh, Mid-Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Questions

Questions in the first session will focus on the French experience of High Speed Trains and whether high speed rail has delivered the expected economic benefits in France.
Questions in the second session will focus on the impact of HS2 on the regions represented by the witnesses. The witnesses have different opinions with Joe Anderson having previously talked positively about the HS2’s potential impact on Liverpool while the Mid-Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce have said in written evidence to the Committee that there is no economic case for investment in HS2 as opposed to alternative railway designs.
Other areas the Committee will cover include the challenges with rail capacity in the respective regions of the witnesses, whether HS2 could help rebalance the UK economy to encourage economic growth in the North and what role improved east to west connections will play in ensuring HS2 is a success. 


GOV.UK
Government confirms step-free access funding for Crossrail
Government announces all of the stations on the Crossrail project will have step-free access.


All of the stations on the Crossrail project will now be ‘step free’ thanks to £14 million of investment announced by Transport Minister Baroness Kramer today (18 November 2014).
The government’s investment at Langley, Taplow and Iver stations will make it easier for passengers to access Crossrail trains when they start running from these stations in 2019.
Baroness Kramer said:

I am delighted to confirm the funding of these important accessibility improvements. This is another example of our commitment to build a world-class rail network that is open to all. It is only right that everyone should be able to enjoy the huge benefits that Crossrail will bring.

Crossrail will transform travel across London and the south east, and is already creating jobs and opportunities across the country. Continuing to invest in projects like these will help us build a stronger economy and a fairer society.

The government’s investment package builds on Transport for London’s announcement last month that it would fund step-free access at Seven Kings, Maryland, Manor Park and Hanwell stations. Now each of the 40 Crossrail stations will be ‘step free’.


Mike Brown MVO, Managing Director of London Underground and London Rail, said:
“It is fantastic news that the DfT has made funding available to ensure the final 3 Crossrail stations are made accessible. A fully accessible transport network is a top priority for us, so we are pleased that when Crossrail is fully operational in late 2019 all 40 stations it serves will be step free, transforming how disabled people can travel in and across the city.”


Crossrail will be fully operational by the end of 2019. The line will boost London’s rail capacity by 10%. It will provide faster journeys, with up to 24 trains per hour each carrying up to 1,500 passengers in the central section between Paddington and Whitechapel during peak hours.
When the line opens Crossrail will carry more than 200 million passengers a year between Reading and Heathrow in the west, through central London and the West End, and on to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.


The government is committed to making it easier for passengers to use public transport. Since 2006, more than £460 million has been invested in improving access to more than 190 rail stations across the country, while a further 1,100 stations have benefited from smaller scale improvements.
In addition to the improvements at stations, the new Crossrail fleet will be built to the latest accessibility standards. This includes audio-visual information systems, dedicated priority seats and spaces for wheelchairs.

FoWHL present Christian Wolmar – an illustrated talk  
ILLUSTRATED TALK: To the Edge of the World, the Story of the Trans-Siberian Express, the World’s Greatest Railway. Britain’s leading transport commentator and London Mayoral candidate, Christian Wolmar, talks about his latest book.


November 20, 2014 @ 7.45 pm – 9.00 pm

Where:West Hampstead Library
Corner of Dennington Park Road and West End Lane

International

Canada

Seeking Alpha

Norfolk Southern to acquire rail line from Canadian Pacific for $217M
Carl Surran, SA News Editor

• Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE:CP) agrees to sell the southern portion of its unprofitable Delaware & Hudson Railway to Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) for $217M.
• NSC will acquire 282 miles of track between Sudbury, Pa., and Schenectady, N.Y., with CP retaining the remaining D&H track which runs between Rouses Point and Albany in upstate New York.
• The acquisition will give NSC single-line routes from Chicago and the southeastern U.S. to Albany and its recently built Mechanicville, N.Y., intermodal terminal.

China
China opens new high-speed rail link as report claims $25bn rail investment has been approved.(Out-Law.com)




India
Now, cooking oil to power huge Central Railway locomotives.(Mid-Day)
..or, more accurately...95% diesel, 5% used cooking oil......to halve fuel costs.....


USA
www.progressiverailroading.com

NS proposes to acquire southern portion of Delaware & Hudson line from CP

Amtrak calls on STB to investigate freight-rail delays on Chicago-D.C. route

BNSF adds idle-reduction devices to 11 locomotives in Washington state

MTA proposes fare, toll increases and considers video cameras for trains

Track repairer Jack Burton marks 50 years at Alaska Railroad

MBTA opens Salem Intermodal Center; NJ Transit to serve new Princeton station

Progressive Railroading kicks off 2015 'Rising Stars Award' nomination process

Ports: Congestion in Southern California; October volume records in Georgia, Virginia

Other Railway Press/Information
SmartRail World
Hong Kong tops Urban Mobility Index but cities struggle with transit challenges.

Top 3: Hong Kong, Stockholm & Amsterdam. Bottom 3: Baghdad, Hanoi & Atlanta. 67% of the global population urbanised by 2050. The recently published, Future of Urban Mobility 2.0 study, sees Hong Kong edge out Stockholm and Amsterdam to top its index comparing 84 cities around the world. The report written by Global consultancy Arthur D. Little, together with its partner the UITP – The International Association of Public Transport – also identifies three strategic directions and 25 imperatives for cities to consider to better shape the future of urban mobility. But in assessing the world’s cities in terms of mobility maturity and performance reveals that most cities are still struggling to cope with future mobility challenges. Assessment criteria includes financial attractiveness of public transport, smart card penetration and public transport frequency.

Read more »

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CER - The Voice of European Railways Railways on track in enhancing accessibility as new European rules are adopted The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) welcomes the adoption of new technical requirements to improve train travel for persons with reduced mobility and disabled persons. Together with appropriate funding to secure a sustainable business environment for the rail sector, the new rules will help the rail sector in its continued promotion of accessibility.   More concretely, the European Commission today adopted revised technical specifications for interoperability for persons with reduced mobility (TSI PRM), after a fruitful consultation and drafting process involving passenger associations and railways.    The TSI PRM provides measures applicable to stations and trains aimed at enhancing transport conditions for persons with disabilities. The revised version extends the accessibility rules from new to existing stations and will give Member States the possibility to prioritise their construction works in existing stations in order to comply with the TSI PRM. Furthermore, according to the revised measures, all public areas of stations dedicated to rail travel will have to be compliant with the TSI PRM.   A financial commitment by public authorities to invest in accessibility is fundamental, in particular when decisions to refurbish existing stations are taken. CER, along with passenger associations, has repeatedly called upon the European institutions and the Member States to coordinate their actions and to put in place the necessary resources that will boost the accessibility of trains and stations while not hindering their economic viability.   CER is committed to the common objective of delivering a rail network that can be used by all passengers, including disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility. Together with the European Disability Forum (EDF), the European rail sector agreed in 2009 on uniform access conditions for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility. CER supports enhanced cooperation between all stakeholders at European and national level, from the exchange of best practices to the definition of concrete tools.   CER Executive Director Libor Lochman commented: “Accessibility is about making the life of all passengers easier. To learn from the experience of the customer is essential. That’s why the European railways continue to exchange best practices with passenger associations in order to further improve their services on a regular basis”. New CER study: ‘The economic footprint of railway transport in Europe’(European Railway Review)

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