The submission of legislation enabling the construction of Phase 2B of High Speed 2 from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds is to be delayed. The Department for Transport said this would better align the project with Northern Powerhouse Rail, and would not affect the planned completion date of 2033.
London Euston station reopened on September 3 after the final stage of a £7·2m project to replace North Wembley Junction on the West Coast Main Line was completed over three weekends. This included the complete replacement of four lines and point operating equipment, and involved a 125 tonne capacity Kirow crane.
Translink intends to commission a feasibility study and outline design for embankment strengthening works at two locations as part of a plan to remove permanent speed restrictions on the Belfast – Dublin corridor. The construction cost is estimated at £10m.
Network Rail Scotland has used a track-mounted Trimble GEDOScan three-dimensional scanner for the first time to collect gauging information. 'This system is ideally suited to tunnel surveys where irregular construction can make it difficult to locate the main pinch points', said NR Absolute Track Geometry Engineer Graham Hutchison. 'The three-dimensional scan measures the full extent of a tunnel precisely in about a fifth of the time that it took previously.'
Network Rail has appointed Dyer & Butler to extend platforms at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham and Pershore stations on the Oxford – Hereford line by December. The extensions will incorporate expanded polystyrene to minimise possession times.
Greater Anglia held its second innovation conference on September 4. Participating organisations included TechEast, IBM, Barclays Eagle Labs, Cefas, Brompton Bikes and Axon Vibe. 'This conference will give us the opportunity to listen to others, take time out from day-to-day duties to think about what we can do differently to get better', said Managing Director Jamie Burles.
Network Rail has reopened a footbridge at Nottingham station which was damaged by a fire in January. Repairs to the toilets on the southern concourse are expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
Merseytravel has unveiled a full-size mock-up of a driving car from one of the 52 four-car EMUs which it has ordered from Stadler for use on Merseyrail services. On August 31 the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Merseyrail and the RMT trade union jointly announced they had agreed in principle that trains would continue have a second member of staff on board, ‘subject to the provision and approval of an appropriate, affordable and sustainable funding package’.
This month work is due to start on a £2·5m redevelopment of Maidstone East station which will provide a 'spacious' landscaped entrance, 'attractive' glass front and new facilities including a waiting room, café, ticket office and staff room. The project is being funded through the National Stations Improvement Programme and Kent County Council's Local Growth Fund.
Alstom has awarded Global Rail Construction a design and construction package of civil and electrical and signalling works at Old Oak Common which are scheduled to be completed in February 2019.
LNER’s Customer & Communities Improvement Fund is to pay for a £90 000 modernisation of Retford station including the provision of LED lighting, drainage works, and footpath resurfacing.
Paul Griffiths is to step down as HS2 Ltd's Managing Director for Phase 2 at the end of December to become Programme Director for the Metrolinx rail expansion programme in Toronto.
Arriva Trains London has begun consulting on plans to close tickets offices at 88 London Overground stations. This would involve the redeployment of staff and changes to the grading structure.
