Concerns expressed by those living along the HS2 route... others temper their opposition by saying "if only.." a less used/closed route was better utilized....and rail leaders outline their shared vision.
Passengers will likely have their views sought now that the latest fare increases have been announced....
In France, routing high speed line through grape growing areas , could well lead to poorer crops...and wine.....
In India and France, observers ponder the desirability of installing high speed lines...
Click on the links.....
Headlines
UK
HS2 route: Residents along route tell of concerns.(BBC News)
HS2 opponents call for Leicestershire's Ivanhoe line to reopen.(BBC News)
Rail leaders outline shared vision for HS2.(Crewe Chronicle)
Gatwick Airport railway station revamp backed with £60m.(BBC News)
First ticket office closures on London Underground network announced.(London Evening Standard)
Lowest rail fare rise for five years.(BBC News)
Rail Delivery Group.
2.2% change to 2015 rail fares
05/12/2014
The overall price increase across 2015 rail fares will be 2.2%, the lowest for five years, the rail industry has confirmed.
From today, fares for travel from 2 January 2015 are available to check and buy.
The industry figure covers all fares, not just Season tickets and other regulated fares, which will rise by 2.5% as confirmed in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement.
Michael Roberts, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group which represents rail operators and Network Rail, said:
“Money from fares goes towards running and maintaining the railway. This benefits not just passengers and businesses but communities across the country, by improving journeys, creating employment and helping to boost the economy.
“Over the next five years, Network Rail is spending on average £27m a day on a better railway, alongside commitments made by train companies to improve services. That will mean more seats, better stations and improved journeys.
“For every pound spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe’s fastest growing railway.
“The industry is continuing to work together to get more for every pound we invest to enable government to make fares decisions which work best for passengers.”
ENDS
Notes:
-Regulated fares include Seasons, Anytime single walk-up fares around major cities and Off-Peak return fares on long-distance routes. These tickets are regulated directly by Government in line with July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation.
-The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 7 September, and confirmed in the Autumn Statement on 3 December, that for 2015 the fares that DfT directly regulates (just under half of all fares including Season tickets, walk-up Anytime singles around major cities and Off Peak return on long-distance routes), will rise by up to 2.5%, July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI). ‘Flex’, the mechanism that enables the overall average fares changes to be balanced across a ‘basket’ of fares, will be suspended.
-For other fares that are ‘unregulated’, operators have greater freedom to set prices. Discounting by train companies has contributed to the number of train journeys doubling since the mid-1990s. In 2012-13, 47% of passenger revenue came from discounted tickets, up from 36% in 2002-3.
-Governments in Scotland and Wales, and Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, can set their own level for regulated fares. RPI+0 has been confirmed by the Scottish Government for 2015 peak fares, with off peak fares frozen for the second consecutive year. The Welsh Government has confirmed RPI+0 for the fares it regulates as has Merseytravel.
-97p of every pound of revenue from fares pays for services and sustains investment in more trains, better stations and faster journeys. Train companies retain 3p from every pound in operating margin. On average, every pound of income that the railway receives goes on the items in the chart below:
To find out more about rail fares and why they are changing, visit nationalrail.co.uk/fares.
The overall price increase across 2015 rail fares will be 2.2%, the lowest for five years, the rail industry has confirmed.
From today, fares for travel from 2 January 2015 are available to check and buy.
The industry figure covers all fares, not just Season tickets and other regulated fares, which will rise by 2.5% as confirmed in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement.
Michael Roberts, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group which represents rail operators and Network Rail, said:
“Money from fares goes towards running and maintaining the railway. This benefits not just passengers and businesses but communities across the country, by improving journeys, creating employment and helping to boost the economy.
“Over the next five years, Network Rail is spending on average £27m a day on a better railway, alongside commitments made by train companies to improve services. That will mean more seats, better stations and improved journeys.
“For every pound spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe’s fastest growing railway.
“The industry is continuing to work together to get more for every pound we invest to enable government to make fares decisions which work best for passengers.”
ENDS
Notes:
-Regulated fares include Seasons, Anytime single walk-up fares around major cities and Off-Peak return fares on long-distance routes. These tickets are regulated directly by Government in line with July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation.
-The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 7 September, and confirmed in the Autumn Statement on 3 December, that for 2015 the fares that DfT directly regulates (just under half of all fares including Season tickets, walk-up Anytime singles around major cities and Off Peak return on long-distance routes), will rise by up to 2.5%, July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI). ‘Flex’, the mechanism that enables the overall average fares changes to be balanced across a ‘basket’ of fares, will be suspended.
-For other fares that are ‘unregulated’, operators have greater freedom to set prices. Discounting by train companies has contributed to the number of train journeys doubling since the mid-1990s. In 2012-13, 47% of passenger revenue came from discounted tickets, up from 36% in 2002-3.
-Governments in Scotland and Wales, and Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, can set their own level for regulated fares. RPI+0 has been confirmed by the Scottish Government for 2015 peak fares, with off peak fares frozen for the second consecutive year. The Welsh Government has confirmed RPI+0 for the fares it regulates as has Merseytravel.
-97p of every pound of revenue from fares pays for services and sustains investment in more trains, better stations and faster journeys. Train companies retain 3p from every pound in operating margin. On average, every pound of income that the railway receives goes on the items in the chart below:
To find out more about rail fares and why they are changing, visit nationalrail.co.uk/fares.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
Runaway of an on-track machine at Bryn, near Wigan, 27 November 2014
RAIB is investigating a runaway of an on-track machine that occurred at Bryn station, between St Helens and Wigan, in the early hours of Thursday 27 November 2014. At the time of the accident the line concerned was closed to normal traffic and the machine was working within an engineering possession.
At approximately 00:10 hours, the machine, an overhead line electrification wiring vehicle, ran away and travelled approximately 100 metres before colliding with two stationary road-rail vehicles (mobile elevating work platforms). Both of the road-rail vehicles sustained severe damage and one was derailed. Two people on the road-rail vehicles and one person on the on-track machine jumped clear prior to the impact. Although no physical injuries were reported, a number of the workers were nearly struck by an elevating work platform which swung sideways due to the force of the impact.
At approximately 00:10 hours, the machine, an overhead line electrification wiring vehicle, ran away and travelled approximately 100 metres before colliding with two stationary road-rail vehicles (mobile elevating work platforms). Both of the road-rail vehicles sustained severe damage and one was derailed. Two people on the road-rail vehicles and one person on the on-track machine jumped clear prior to the impact. Although no physical injuries were reported, a number of the workers were nearly struck by an elevating work platform which swung sideways due to the force of the impact.
Image of runaway on-track machine (RAIB Picture)
Our investigation will examine the factors that led to the runaway. It will consider the design, conversion, commissioning and approval of the on-track machine, in particular and its brake and control systems; it will also consider the manner in which it was being operated and maintained.
Our investigation is independent of any investigations by the safety authority or the railway industry. We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
Our investigation is independent of any investigations by the safety authority or the railway industry. We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
International
UITP- Advancing Public Transport.
| UITP International Rail Conference 28-30 October 2015,Munich,Germany |
| GO SMART - GO RAIL
The Call for Papers is still open You have until 31 December 2014
THE FLOOR IS YOURS > become a speaker during the UITP International Rail Conference > give great exposure to your smartest ideas, projects and practices > ensure that your organisation is on the conference programme |
1. Safety
2. Energy
3. Maintenace
4. Interchange and last mile
5. Mixed mode operation
HOW TO SUBMIT?
> Download the full Call for Papers HERE
> Submit your paper by using the electronic application form available HERE
MORE INFORMATION
To know more about the Conference, click HERE
Algeria
Siemens
Siemens upgrades railway line in northern Algeria for double-track operation
Munich, 2014-Dec-02
The rail automation specialist ESTEL RA, a joint venture of the Algerian national company for rail transport SNTF (Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires) and Siemens, has been awarded an order to deliver rail signaling and operations control equipment for upgrading the line between Beni Mansour and Bejaia for double-track operation. For Siemens, the order is worth about 95 million euros. The customer is the Algerian railway agency ANESRIF (Agence nationale d'études et de suivi de la réalisation des investissements ferroviaires).
Siemens will equip a line section that runs 90 kilometers through the Atlas mountains and serves nine stations with its Trainguard 100 train protection system for ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 1 operation, its Vicos automatic operations control system, as well as with nine Simis W-type electronic interlockings, GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communication Railways) digital mobile radio technology, and the RailCom Manager (RCM) communications management system. The contract also includes equipment for an operations control center in Bejaia and programs for training personnel how to use this new technology.
The Algerian railway network covers a total of about 3,800 track kilometers. As part of the nation's five-year plan, a further 6,600 kilometers are to be added to the existing network by 2015 and another 500 kilometers upgraded for double-track operation. This double-track upgrade will enable the overall maximum speed to be raised to 160 km/h. In addition to cutting journey time between the two cities, the upgrade will also increase the frequency of trains on this commuter route.Siemens has already provided ETCS signaling systems for the mainline railway links from Djelfa to Laghouat, from Boughezoul to M'Sila and to Tissemsilt, and from Mecheria to El Bayadh, as well as for Algeria's all-important rail freight line between Senia and the Port of Arzew. In the mass transit sector, Siemens delivered the entire Line 1 of the Algiers Metro as a turnkey system in 2006. This line, which is being extended to total length of about 15 kilometers, is also currently being equipped with signaling systems from Siemens.
France
'Crazy' Sauternes high speed rail plans will jeopardise noble rot, says winemaker union
(decanter.com)
Greece
EBRD connects Macedonian Railway Corridor to Turkey.(European Bank for Reconstruction & Development)
India
'Speed thrills, but kills': Why Indian Railways shouldn't launch high speed trains in haste
(Business Standard)
South Africa
Transnet seals MoU with CSR Zhuzhou - Railway Gazette
USA
Mary A. Cichanowski: High-speed rail not worth the cost.(Winona Daily News)
www.progressiverailroading.com
Other Railway Press
www.railway-technology.com
CSR and Transnet to set up manufacturing facilities in South Africa
South African freight and logistics company Transnet has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese locomotive manufacturer CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive (CSR) to build manufacturing facilities in South Africa.
Thales to deliver ticketing and revenue collection solution in France and India
France's Bordeaux Urban Community (Communauté urbaine de Bordeaux - Cub) has selected Thales to install a new ticketing and revenue collection solution for Bordeaux's public transport systems.
US Federal Government to provide $996m for Boston's Green Line extension
The US Federal Government has committed $996m for the Green Line extension (GLX) from Cambridge into Somerville and Medford, Massachusetts.
Estel to deliver signalling and control equipment for Algeria's Anesrif
Algerian railway agency Anesrif has awarded a contract to Estel Rail Automation, a joint venture between Siemens and transport company SNTF, to deliver signalling and operations control equipment.
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