The Secretary of State for Transport has approved the Transport & Works Act order for the Cambridge South Infrastructure Enhancements project. This includes the construction of the planned Cambridge South station and related track works, improvements at Shepreth Branch Junction, and a new connection between existing lines at Hills Road to improve access to Cambridge station from the south.
Three UK is the first mobile network operator to sign an agreement to provide voice and data services using shared telecoms infrastructure which neutral host Cellnex UK is installing to improve connectivity along the London Bridge/Victoria – Brighton line under a 25-year contract with Network Rail.
Tyne & Wear Metro operator Nexus has capped single journeys at £2 and all-day travel at £4 for the next three months for pay-as-you-go customers who travel with a Pop smart card or an Android smartphone with the Google Pay app. Nexus said this would help passengers with the cost of living, match an equivalent government offer on buses, and encourage the take-up of Pop cards which are currently used by only one in five passengers.
Northern Ireland Railways has awarded EDM a £302 144+VAT contract to replace its signalling simulator. This will realistically model the functions of two NX panels, with the flexibility to recreate degraded working arrangements and safety related incidents within a secure, controlled environment.
On January 11 Transport for Wales said work would soon start on the construction of the new Butetown station and the redevelopment of the existing Cardiff Bay station, which will remain open for passengers while the work is taking place. Stadler tram-trains are expected to begin operation on the Cardiff Bay branch from 2024.
The Department for Transport has launched a freight innovation fund which is to award £7m over three years to support up to 36 SMEs. Particular themes will include addressing a lack of large-scale cross-industry data sharing; difficulties in intermodal transport; improving how large consignments are broken up into smaller ones; improvements in freight distribution in ports across different transport modes; and journey predictability.
Engineering and construction contractor Keltbray has agreed a £33m three-year credit facility with its principal banker Santander UK. ‘This single bank arrangement with our long-time financial supporter, Santander, directly supports our strategic plans to grow the quality and diversity of our order book’, said CFO Peter Burnside.
TransPennine Express has banned e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards from its trains and stations with effect from December 27, because of the fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries. Mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt. The risks ‘are of significant concern’, said Head of Safety & Security Iain Peacock. ‘Most of these devices are not approved for use in the UK and the batteries are often unregulated.’
Spaces for use by community groups or small businesses are to open at Altrincham, Heaton Chapel and Trafford Park stations this spring. The scheme has been set up by The Station Alliance of Northern, Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, London & Continental Railways and economic and social inclusion organisation GMCVO.
ScotRail has installed a publicly accessible bleed control kit on the concourse at Haymarket station. Donated by The Daniel Baird Foundation, which was set up by Lynn Baird after her son was fatally stabbed in July 2017 outside a pub in Birmingham, the kit contains instructions on how to help someone who is bleeding heavily and includes equipment to stem the blood flow by sealing, wrapping, or packing the wound until paramedics arrive.
Loram UK has awarded Ford & Stanley a two-year extension to its outsourced recruit contract, expanding the relationship to include training and performance management including use of the Genius performance coaching programme.
