The equivalent of more than 7 000 food parcels are being delivered to staff of Ukrainian national railway Ukrzalinytsia and their families using £106 000 raised through the Rail Partners with Ukraine event held in London in September. This supports wider international efforts by the Global Ukraine Rail Task Force. Delivery was arranged by the charity WE Aid and the Union of Railway Workers & Transport Builders.
Tyne & Wear transport agency Nexus has appointed Turner & Townsend to its two latest frameworks for project and cost management for capital schemes. The contracts run for three years with the possibility to extend by one year.
Network Rail and contractor Murphy have renovated the elaborate Victorian platform canopies at Great Malvern station. Work included replacing overhead glazing, structural strengthening and repainting. The project was supported by West Midlands Railway and Wychavon District Council and part-funded by the Railway Heritage Trust.
The number of Passenger Assist bookings in the year to March 2023 was up by more than 60% on the previous year, according to ORR data. ‘We know that the service isn’t perfect every time, but we are committed to creating a more inclusive and accessible railway for disabled passengers’, said Rail Delivery Group CEO Jacqueline Starr.
Northern Trains and Leeds-based charity Specialist Autism Services have organised trips to help hundreds of people with autism to access the railway. ‘Using public transport is the thing which if positive, can be so instrumental in empowering individuals to develop social and sensory tolerance, increase opportunities, widen experiences and build valuable independence skills, so these passes are hugely important for development and learning’, said SAS Service Manager Lucy Struthers.
Transport for Greater Manchester, Northern Trains and Network Rail are to undertake a £10m refurbishment of Irlam and Daisy Hill stations to provide step-free access, funded by Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Govia Thameslink Railway is trialling short-stay parking rates at Brighton, Eastbourne and Lewes stations, where there are daytime and evening attractions. Parking was previously aimed at commuters, but demand is lower since the pandemic and they have usually left by the early evening.
Northern Trains is seeking 18 engineering apprentices who ‘have a can-do attitude, are great at problem solving, have a questioning mind and enjoy working in supportive team environments’. They will be based at Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Hull and Newcastle, with a starting salary of around £17 500. The four-year programme leads to a Level 3 qualification as a Rail Engineering Technician on Traction & Rolling Stock.