Avanti West Coast used a Hitachi Class 807 electric trainset in passenger service for the first time on October 26 as part of shakedown tests ahead of formal entry into service in November.
Transport for Wales services on the Cambrian Line restarted on October 28 following the fatal collision west of the passing loop at Talerddig on October 21. TfW has established a helpline to provide assistance to the 41 passengers who were on board the two trains, with the offer of counselling services alongside welfare checks, and is providing support for the staff affected.
Customer groups have visited mock-ups of the future High Speed 2 trainsets in Derby to provide input on options for boarding, grab rails and the layout of the toilets. Manufacturing is scheduled to start around 2027, with bodyshell welding and electrical installation led by Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant before interior fit-out by Alstom in Derby.
Spring manufacturer Spinks and train seat manufacturer Quantum Seating have unveiled the EcoSeat developed using a research grant from the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s First of a Kind programme. It is designed to exceed comfort standards (RSSB GMGN2696) while offering durability and fire safety without using polyurethane foam which cannot be easily recycled.
Network Rail and key suppliers QTS, Rail Systems Alliance Scotland, VolkerRail, Taziker, Story, AMCO, SPL Powerlines and Siemens Mobility will be hosting a networking event in Glasgow on November 13 for SMEs keen to learn more about work available across Scotland’s Railway over the next five years. ‘We want to help make it easier for new companies to enter the rail sector and we hope to use these sessions to broaden our engagement and better understand what SMEs need from us too’, said Stuart Lee, head of procurement for Network Rail Scotland.
Clayton Equipment has announced a fully battery powered CB50 shunting locomotive, designed as an ‘ideal replacement’ for Class 08 and 09 locos that are now coming to end of their lives. The company says battery traction is becoming increasingly attractive as the performance and costs have significantly improved in recent years and the CB50 can be built to a customer’s specification including a lithium or lead acid battery or a hybrid version if preferred.
Transport for London has awarded Telent a five-year contract to maintain fire safety assets within stations, depots and buildings across the Underground, Elizabeth Line, Overground and London Trams networks. This includes 700 fire panels, 33 000 call points and detectors, 3,000 sprinklers, 90 hydrant systems and 25 000 extinguishers.
Heritage clock makers Smith of Derby installed new mechanisms to replace the 30 to 50 year old and water damaged workings of three historic clocks at Newcastle station. LED back lighting has also been installed so times can be read at night. The £21 000 restoration was funded 60:40 by Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust.
Tees Valley Combined Authority has awarded Ove Arup & Partners a contract to provide design support services on a call-off basis for five-year programme of station enhancement schemes.
Molly Neal is to join Network Rail from National Grid in January as Group Communications Director. ‘There’s an incredible opportunity to bring track and train together under Great British Railways, and communications will have a critical role to play in delivering the significant transformation ahead’, she said. She replaces David Leam, who has moved into the role of Chief of Staff for Network Rail.
Northern has appointed John Lombard as Head of Architecture within its IT department.
RAIB makes three recommendations to South Western Railway in its report into a collision between a road-rail vehicle and a trolley near Brading on the Isle of Wight in November 2023. The first is to review how it manages safety during infrastructure work on the Island Line. The second is to review its assurance processes and the third is to provide its infrastructure maintenance staff and contractors with accurate information about its infrastructure. Three learning points reinforce the importance applying industry codes of practice in the event of an incident involving on-track plant, promptly reporting notifiable accidents to RAIB and well-established procedures for dealing with post accident or incident evidence collection and testing.
