All articles by Rail Business UK – Page 99
-
Rail Business UK
Option enables SWR to expand Class 701 fleet
UK: A contract amendment has been agreed which gives South Western Railway an option to acquire up to five more Class 701 Aventra electric multiple-units from Bombardier Transportation through leasing company Rock Rail. The original £895m agreement between First MTR South Western Trains Ltd and Rock Rail ...
-
Rail Business UK
Rail Needs Assessment to prioritise major projects in Midlands and north
Photo: Tony Miles UK: The National Infrastructure Commission published an interim report on July 15 setting out how it will undertake a Rail Needs Assessment to inform the government’s Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and northern England. Announced by the government in February, the IRP will ...
-
Rail Business UK
UK railway news round-up
A Faresin Eco Telehandler electric forklift supplied by plant hire company Flannery is being trialled by HS2 main works civils contractor Skanska Costain Strabag to assess the fuel, carbon and cost savings and the reduction in noise and the need for refuelling vehicles. ...
-
Rail Business UK
Stobart Rail & Civils bought by Bavaria Industries
UK: Stobart Group Ltd has sold its Stobart Rail & Civils plant hire and civil engineering business to Bavaria Industries Group, a München-based family holding company that acquires majority interests in companies where it believes there is potential for improvement. A total of 188 employees transferred as ...
-
Rail Business UK
Flexible ticket trial as Transport for the North plans contactless roll-out
UK:· A smart card-based carnet-style ticketing product valid for travel on Northern services between Leeds and Harrogate has been launched, enabling passengers to buy a bundle of 10 tickets each valid for a day of unlimited travel which can be used at any time during the next ...
-
Rail Business UK
Architecture competition aims to shape the future of smaller stations
UK: An international competition which aims to ‘shape the future of Britain’s railway stations’ has been launched by Network Rail and the Royal Institute of British Architects. Architects, engineers and designers have been asked to ‘reimagine’ the 2 000+ small and medium-sized stations which make up around ...
-
Rail Business UK
Rail export opportunities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand
INTERNATIONAL: Business opportunities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be discussed in the next two in the series of webinars which the UK Department for International Trade and the Railway Industry Association are running to assist British railway suppliers looking to win export orders. The event ...
-
Rail Business UK
Face coverings to be compulsory on trains in Wales
UK: The Welsh Government has announced that three-layer face coverings will be mandatory on public transport in Wales from July 27. Face coverings are already mandatory on trains in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Speaking at the daily Welsh Government coronavirus briefing, First Minister Mark Drakeford explained ...
-
Rail Business UK
Renationalisation mooted as government exerts greater control over TOCs
UK: The Department for Transport is looking to ‘reset’ its approach to railway operations and funding with the introduction of 18-month Emergency Remedial Measures Agreements in September to replace the current Emergency Measures Agreements, according to senior rail sector insiders.
-
Rail Business UK
Messaging rethink urged as rail faces slow recovery
UK: Rail industry insiders are urging a rethink of government messaging to avoid using public transport, amid suggestions that a recovery of rail traffic to pre-Covid levels may not be achieved within two years.
-
Rail Business UK
Network Rail opens £14m depot in Doncaster
UK: Network Rail has opened a £14m depot in Doncaster where almost 600 people will be based. Mallard House, named after the steam locomotive, features gender neutral toilets and changing rooms as well as lifts for accessibility. Rob McIntosh, Managing Director for Network Rail’s Eastern Region, said ...
-
Rail Business UK
ONS reviews sector classification of Train Operating Companies
UK: The Office for National Statistics is assessing whether the government’s Emergency Measures Agreements mean Train Operating Companies’ debts should be included on the national balance sheet. The result of the review of the sector classification of TOCs will be announced as soon as possible, ONS said ...
-
Rail Business UK
UK railway news round-up
HS2 contractor Skanska Costain Strabag JV has awarded 3Squared a three-year contract to supply its RailSmart software to provide visibility of its complex freight supply chain, with live performance, cost management information and operational control data in real-time. This will include bespoke enhancements for terminal management, ...
-
Rail Business UK
Franchise support to be extended by 18 months
UK: The government is preparing for a further 18 months of financial support for passenger train operators once the existing Emergency Measures Agreements expire on September 20, industry insiders have confirmed. A formal decision is expected to be announced by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps ...
-
Rail Business UK
Snowdon Mountain Railway takes delivery of diesel-battery locomotives
UK: The Snowdon Mountain Railway has taken delivery of two 800 mm gauge diesel-battery hybrid Abt rack locomotives ordered last year from Clayton Equipment, which specialises in the production of bespoke designs for specialist railway, metro, mining and tunnelling applications. Thanks to the hybrid drive, the ...
-
Rail Business UK
Battery traction agreement signed as Hitachi sees market for more than 400 trains in the UK
UK: Hitachi Rail and battery company Hyperdrive Innovation have signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of a battery pack suitable for powering trains, and a roadmap towards a manufacturing agreement which would cover any future orders. The battery packs would ...
-
Rail Business UK
Welding gantry supplied to Bombardier Transportation’s Derby factory
UK: KM Tools has supplied Bombardier Transportation’s Derby factory with a custom welding gantry for the production of rolling stock bodyshells. Bombardier required a new gantry that closely matched the ones already operational, so KM Tools reverse engineered a new machine to the required specification and with ...
-
Rail Business UK
Nine factors to consider when designing future stations
UK: Design Council has published ThinkStation, a report which was commissioned by Network Rail to provide a framework for the future design of ‘local’ stations. These are defined as Network Rail categories D, E and F, the smaller stations which make up around 80% of the total. ...
-
Rail Business UK
SNCF catenary design adopted as HS2 begins electrification procurement
UK: HS2 Ltd has launched the process to procure overhead line equipment for the high speed railway now under construction between London and the West Midlands. The project delivery company announced on July 2 that it was seeking to award two railway systems contracts in a single ...
-
Rail Business UK
UK railway news round-up
Horden station on the Durham Coast line was opened on June 29. It is initially being served by one train per hour each way, calling at all stations between Newcastle and Middlesbrough. The £10·55m project was led by Durham County Council and Network Rail, supported by £4·4m ...