South Western Railway says its new timetable from May 22 is designed to match capacity with demand, with passenger numbers at 78% of pre-pandemic levels. Peak travel has recovered to 61%. ‘While the majority of our timetable is the same as the one in place, we have made alterations to improve performance and provide better onward travel, such as in Lymington where our services will offer better connectivity with ferries’, said Performance & Planning Director Steve Tyler.
The Railway Industry Association has reached 350 member companies, an increase from 190 in 2017. CEO Darren Caplan said RIA hopes that any rail supply businesses which are not currently members will consider joining as it approaches its 150th year in 2025.
HS1 Ltd says the October 2022 introduction of regenerative braking on the Southeastern Hitachi Class 395 EMU fleet operating on the high speed line is saving £1·7m per year at current prices. The initiative was rolled out in 18 months by HS1 Ltd, Network Rail High Speed, Southeastern and UK Power Networks Services.
The Office of Rail & Road reports that punctuality and reliability continued to be the top cause of passenger complaints from October to December 2022, accounting for 18·6%. Crowding was 12·1% and issues with ticketing and refunds 9·2%. There were 26·4 complaints per 100 000 journeys.
Mechan is supplying 21 lifting jacks for West Midlands Trains’ Bletchley depot. The 18-tonne jacks will work as a set of 20 with one spare to lift five-car Alstom Class 730 Aventra trainsets.
The Railway Benefit Fund has relaunched its website to be more user-friendly and accessible. A clearer Donate button enables supporters to give a one-off or regular donation; a Useful Links section signposts users to helpful organisations; and an Events page lists ways people can get involved with the charity.