Office of Rail & Road news – Page 5
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Rail Business UKFatigue and stress led to Hitachi train cracks, finds ORR
UK: Both fatigue and stress corrosion led to the cracks that resulted in Hitachi-built Class 80x trainsets and Class 385 EMUs being withdrawn from service earlier this year, according to an interim review released by the Office of Rail & Road.
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Rail Business UKRail emissions down as services reduced during pandemic
UK: The reduction in train services during the coronavirus pandemic unsurprisingly led to a reduction in network-wide diesel and electricity consumption in 2020-21, although the collapse in ridership meant an increase in CO2 equivalent per passenger-km. The Office of Rail & Road has published its latest ...
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Rail Business UKBetter Value Rail Toolkit launched to assist project sponsors
UK: An online Better Value Rail Toolkit has been launched to help organisations sponsoring rail projects make the right decisions at the early stages, ensure that rail is the best option and save time and money during the process. The website has been jointly developed by ...
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Rail Business UKORR calls for Network Rail action on drainage, structures and track worker safety
UK: The Office of Rail & Road published its latest annual assessments of railway safety in Great Britain and of Network Rail’s performance on July 13. ‘Our reports highlight the need for Network Rail to focus on the interlinked fundamentals of safety, managing assets, delivering efficiently ...
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Rail Business UKPassenger information lessons learned from the cracking crisis
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has released a review into the impact on passengers from the emergency withdrawal of all Class 80x Hitachi trains and the way the crisis was subsequently handled by operators Great Western Railway, LNER, TransPennine Express and Hull Trains. The investigation ...
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Rail Business UKORR issues updated guidance on level crossing safety
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has published Principles for Managing Level Crossing Safety, setting out new guidance for Network Rail, heritage and other railways and local authorities. The guidance emphasises the reduction of risk through level cross design, providing alternative ways of crossing the ...
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Rail Business UK‘Lessons learned’ review of Hitachi train crack issue
UK: The Office of Rail & Road is undertaking a review to understand the lessons the industry can learn from the discovery of cracks on Hitachi Rail AT200 (Class 385) and AT300 (classes 800, 801 and 802) trainsets during May. ORR said it would work with ...
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Rail Business UKDigital Railway offers opportunity to address signalling competition concerns, says ORR
UK: The Office of Rail & Road says it intends to take action to improve competition in the signalling market, with Network Rail’s Digital Railway programme presenting an opportunity to diversify the supply chain, drive innovation and provide better value. Last November ORR launched a study ...
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Rail Business UKTrain operators improve website accessibility
UK: Reviews undertaken by the Office of Rail & Road and disability charity the Shaw Trust have lead to train and station operators improving the accessibility and provision of information on their websites. ORR’s requirements include providing information on assisted travel, and working towards achieving Website ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail to reduce third-party works fees
UK: Network Rail is to reduce the risk fees applied to third-party work from April 1, in a move which the Railway Industry Association said would open up the opportunity for more organisations to work near railway lines. In an effort to encourage outside investment, Network Rail ...
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Rail Business UKJohn Larkinson confirmed as ORR Chief Executive
UK: The appointment of John Larkinson as Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Rail & Road has been confirmed. Larkinson had been interim CEO since October 2018, and was appointed on a permanent basis following a public competition and the required approval from the Prime ...
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Rail Business UKGrand Union’s London – Cardiff open access plan rejected
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has rejected Grand Union Trains Ltd’s application to introduce an open access passenger service between London Paddington and Cardiff Central. Grand Union had hoped to operate seven return services a day from December 2021 using Class 91 electric locomotives, ...
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Rail Business UKEurostar to make cash refund option clearer
UK: International high speed train operator Eurostar has agreed to make it clearer that passengers have a right to cash refunds for cancelled services, following an intervention by the Office of Rail & Road. ORR said Eurostar’s service cancellation e-mails to passengers had provided prominent information about ...
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Rail Business UKBusiest station saw 7·3 million fewer passengers in 2019-20
UK: Falls in the number of people using stations during the 2019-20 financial year can be partly explained by the coronavirus pandemic, the Office of Rail & Road said when its published its annual estimates of station usage on December 1. The statistics cover April 2019 to ...
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Rail Business UKORR demands action on lack of wheelchair access at Liphook station
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has issued a formal Improvement Notice instructing South Western Railway to comply with its legal duty to ensure that people using wheelchairs can board and alight from trains at Liphook station. This action was taken after the regulator identified that ...
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Rail Business UKRegulator opens study into competition in the signalling market
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has opened a study into whether the market for the supply of signalling systems is fair and competitive. The regulatory body closed a previous study in April to enable it to focus on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, ...
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Rail Business UKHS2 ‘only opportunity this century’ to grow rail freight, warns Logistics UK
UK: Trade association Logistics UK has stepped up pressure on the government to ensure that the freight sector benefits from capacity released on the conventional network by the opening of the first phases of High Speed 2.
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Rail Business UKClass 230 variants approved for passenger service
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has given authorisation for battery and diesel-battery versions of Vivarail’s Class 230 D-Train multiple-units to be used in passenger service. Battery set No 230 002 is a demonstrator trainset powered only by batteries which was completed in 2018 and is ...
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Rail Business UKRail regulator proposes changes to delay compensation process
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has begun consultation on a proposed licence condition which would require train operators to follow a new code of practice for delay compensation payments. This would include requirements to provide passengers with clear information about compensation entitlements both before and ...
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Rail Business UKCompany fined after ORR brings its first prosecution for fatigue management failures
UK: Renown Consultants Ltd has been fined £450 000 with £300 000 in costs after being convicted under the Health & Safety at Work Act for failing to ensure that two of its workers were sufficiently rested to work and travel safely. The track workers employed on ...