On September 6 the government published a notice setting out plans to end recognition of EU certificates for interoperable rail products and entities in charge of rail vehicle maintenance for domestic freight wagons in Great Britain from January 1 2023.
The Office of Rail & Road has granted express parcels and freight start-up Varamis Rail a train operating licence with effect from September 12.
On September 7 the RMT trade union wrote to newly appointed Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan urging her to take a fresh approach to the current industrial relations dispute. In the letter, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said ’there is clearly now the opportunity for a new approach from the government to facilitate discussions between the RMT and the employers where the train companies and Network Rail are given more flexibility to secure a deal that is in the interests of workers, passengers and the country as a whole’.
HS2 Ltd has awarded PA Consulting Services a £5m contract for the provision of Innovation Independent Advisory Support services. This focuses on the technical, engineering and supply chain aspects of innovation, and providing independent technical expertise to de-risk and prove the value of an innovation to the wider HS2 programme.
Flexicon has supplied its Connectabox IP68/IP69, non-metallic circular connection box accessories and fittings, alongside extra-heavy weight, non-metallic FPAH conduit and FPAU Ultra fittings to protect cables at the train washing plant at London Underground’s Northumberland Park depot.
East Midlands Railway has worked with Trainline Partner Solutions to update its app to enable passengers to buy season tickets without being redirected to its website. A barcode option means customers can now buy and store weekly season tickets as a barcode on their mobile phone, with no need to collect a paper ticket. The website has also been upgraded, with a Price Calendar and a QuickBuy function which can accelerate the purchase process for regular customers who know what ticket they want to buy.
