UK railway news round-up

The latest addition to the Readypower Scotland fleet is a Mitsubishi Canter RRV Welfare Unit. Up to 15 people can travel to and from worksites in a warm and dry environment. It has a tool store, toilet and hand wash facility, secure under-seat storage and a mess area with sink, water heater and microwave. It can tow up to 10 tonnes on rail, and has air and hydraulic braking. It can also power 110 V tools without needing a standalone generator.

Transport for Wales announced on December 6 that it would delay planned increases in services on the Liverpool – Chester and Ebbw Vale routes from December 10 until January. TfW said storms in November had led to several trainsets suffering wheel damage, and repairs would take most of December to complete. 

The Office of Rail & Road has given the go-ahead for open access operator Grand Central to call at Peterborough. ORR said it supports new open access ‘where it delivers competition for the benefit of passengers and can fit alongside existing services without unduly impacting performance on the network’, and had taken into account the impact on government funds and the effect on other users of the railway.

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence has signed a memorandum of understanding for engineering and consultancy firm Xrail to provide strategic advice on international business. GCRE CEO Simon Jones said Xrail had ‘a global reputation for engineering excellence and breaking into new overseas markets’, and its knowledge of Europe and the Middle East would ’give us a unique opportunity to take the GCRE service offer to countries across the world, with important benefits for everyone involved’.

Transport for the South East has awarded Steer and partners Arup, Atkins and City Science a two-year framework contract covering support for a refresh of its transport strategy, the creation of a regional centre of excellence, scheme development support and taking forward its freight and logistics strategy.

SPL Powerlines UK is the latest principal contractor to begin using Tended’s wearable geofencing technology to improve the safety of its trackside workforce. An online dashboard will be used to map out safe working areas ahead of staff going onsite in Bedfordshire and the East Midlands. This will include access points, working zones at safe distances from open lines, and areas where electrical current has been isolated.

The Office of Rail & Road has authorised the use of the £15m East Linton station on the East Coast Main Line ahead of its expected opening on December 13. ‘ORR plays a vital role in enforcing common rules and standards on the nation’s railway infrastructure. We’re pleased to have played our part in the opening of this station’, said ORR Deputy Director of Engineering & Asset Management Steve Fletcher on December 5.

Northern is to use 2San’s Clean Zero product for the interior cleaning of its trains. The operator said it undertakes 695 000 carriage cleans each year, using 32 759 microfibre cloths, 10 300 sponges, 1 724 litres of toilet cleaner and 2 265 litres of floor and surface cleaners.

Network Rail has appointed Hawkins\Brown to assist with developing a masterplan for the redevelopment of land around Cardiff Central station. NR is working with Cardiff Council, Transport for Wales and Rightacres to regenerate and open up the site, improve connectivity and build homes in a new mixed-use neighbourhood.

HS2 Ltd has begun the process of appointing a contractor to lead enabling works for the 2·2 km elevated automated peoplemover planned to link the future Interchange station, the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham International station and Birmingham Airport. The estimated £2m contract will include surveys and ground investigations.