Transport for Wales launched regular Direct Rail Services between Ebbw Vale and Newport on January 29. ‘It has taken a long time and required a lot of investment’, said the Welsh government’s Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters. ‘At a time when we are used to big infrastructure projects going over time and over budget, we should applaud the fact this complicated project has been on time and within budget.’
Telent has become the third strategic partner of the Railway Industry Association’s Unlocking Innovation programme, which aims to understand the challenges innovators face and provide clarity for routes to market. ‘UK rail is facing many challenges — ageing infrastructure, obsolete systems, climate change — which all lead to operational uncertainty and although well-funded, UK rail is not funded sufficiently to address these issues without doing things differently’, said Kevin Bonanno, Director of Rail at Telent.
Ford & Stanley has been appointed as exclusive recruitment partner for Wolverton-based rolling stock overhaul business Gemini Rail Services. ‘With less money being invested in the building of new trains, it is expected there will be an increase in demand for modification and fleet improvement’, said F&S director Dan Taylor. ‘There has never been a more opportunistic time for those in rail seeking an exciting career move and those from transferable industries to consider a career within UK rail industry.’
Community Rail Network has partnered with media production and events company TeamBA, which will provide up to 50 h of filmmaking, graphic design, event management, production and AV support, as well as discounted rates on specialist event equipment, to assist Community Rail Network members with raising the profile of lines.
Tricia Hayes has been appointed Chair of London TravelWatch, succeeding Arthur Leathley. Her term of office runs for four years, and she will also sit as a board member of Transport Focus. Hayes is a former Permanent Secretary with 35 years’ public policy experience, predominantly in transport, and she is also a member of the British Transport Police Authority.
Rail project delivery specialist SLC has appointed Jermaine Cunningham as Head of Commercial. he previously oversaw the commercial aspects of Midland Metro Alliance’s Birmingham Eastside Extension at Colas Rail, and has contributed to signalling and telecoms projects including Crossrail.
Specialist recruiter Coleman James has relocated its Doncaster office to Wagon Works in the J3 Business Park. This will support its growth in the rail sector where it works with companies including AmcoGiffen, VolkerRail, Motion Rail and RES Group.
Northern has appointed current head of retail operations Jason Wade as its Regional Director North East, succeeding Kerry Peters who has moved to lead Northern’s services in Yorkshire, Humberside & the East Midlands.
RAIB makes four recommendations to Network Rail in its report into a GWR train striking brick rubble from a collapsed bridge wing wall at Yarnton in Oxfordshire in February 2023. These cover improvements to the specification of repair work and the quality of information available for making safety-critical decisions relating to the stability of structural defects, and the need to improve the process of evaluating defects and improve asset knowledge of wing walls. RAIB has also identified four learning points for infrastructure managers and examination contractors regarding the ability to monitor structural movement, risk mitigation measures when remedial work is deferred, the importance of clearing vegetation to allow structural examinations to take place, and the value of including comparable photographs in examination reports.