Transport for Greater Manchester, Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority are seeking feedback on proposals for a new station at Golborne before a final business case is submitted to the government. It would ‘vastly improve public transport connectivity for people in Golborne, Lowton and Leigh, as well as the broader borough of Wigan, bringing significant economic and environmental benefits’, said TfGM’s Head of Rail Simon Elliott.
To mark World Braille Day on January 4, Greater Anglia ticket offices are offering free clear braille stickers which can be applied to help passengers differentiate between smart cards in their wallets. ‘These stickers will enable braille readers to differentiate their Greater Anglia smart card from other cards but also serve as a useful tactile identifier for people with sight loss who do not read braille’, said accessibility & Inclusion Manager Rebecca Richardson. ‘We have a large number of smartcards already in circulation and this is a sensible, green initiative to continue to use those rather than reissue a fresh card.’
Govia Thameslink Railway is working with not-for-profit Energy Garden to install 932 solar panels on the roof of its Bedford depot. These are expected to generate 322 MWh/year, enough to power 120 homes. GTR will buy half the power produced, with the surplus being sold to help fund community projects.
Network Rail is assessing market interest and capability to blend new ballast with up to 50% used material. A supplier must have rail-linked facilities and relevant permits.
ScotRail says it expects to recruit a further 160 people before the end of March, for a variety of roles including drivers, conductors, ticket examiners and engineers.
Platforms, escalators and tickets halls at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street stations now have 4G and 5G mobile coverage via Boldyn Networks carrier-neutral infrastructure, with all of the Elizabeth Line including the tunnels due to be covered by the end of spring.
ScotRail is spending £1·6m to triple the number of body-worn cameras to tackle anti-social behaviour, hire more people to double staff late-night trains in known problem areas and introduce a team of revenue protection officers. This follows £2m spent on improved CCTV cameras with intelligent video analytics.
Southeastern is the first train operator to sign a tripartite agreement with Network Rail and the British Transport Police to create a joint plan and pool resources to tackle antisocial behaviour and improve customer and staff safety and security.
A joint initiative by Govia Thameslink Railway and the Thomas Pocklington Trust took a group of blind or partially sighted Sight Loss Council members on a Try A Train event at London King’s Cross, Finsbury Park and St Pancras International. These stations were selected because they are particularly busy which can make them difficult to navigate. Supervisors showed the facilities and assistance available, including where to find staff, toilets and lifts.
