In The News | 8th March 2022 | Latest Rail News

Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Tuesday, 8th March 2022

InTheNews: The latest rail news on Tuesday, 8th March 2022

Great Western Railway (GWR), Network Rail (NR) and the British Transport Police (BTP) have teamed up to celebrate women in the rail industry for International Women’s Day.

A host of activities are taking place including the launch of a new film entitled ‘A Woman Belongs’ which features the breadth and variety of roles now carried out by women from GWR, NR and BTP, in what have traditionally been seem as male dominated industries.

Elsewhere, HS2 has announced free construction training and paid work placements to help women develop a career in construction and LNER has released research that looks at the bias experienced by women working to develop and progress their careers.

Network Rail is planning wholesale changes to the way it maintains the railways with up to 2,600 maintenance jobs said to be at risk in a major cost-saving drive.

An article on Construction Enquirer says talks are due to start on Thursday with unions about plans to reduce operation costs as Network Rail chiefs prepare to transition to Great British Railways next year.

The article says that according to union TSSA, representing professional, clerical and managerial workers, the rail infrastructure company is proposing large cuts from its maintenance and works delivery workforce.

The new rail station in Coventry should open at the end of this month.

An article on Coventry Live says the £82 million station was supposed to open in the new year but was delayed due to a leak.

It has been created to bring Coventry’s railway services – and the passenger experience in particular – in line with 21st century standards and will serve as an addition to, rather than a replacement, for the existing railway station.

Network Rail has used laser scanners and drones to map every inch of the iconic Whalley railway viaduct in Lancashire to secure its future for passengers and freight.

The 21^st century technology is being used by Network Rail to plan essential maintenance over the next six to eighteen months which will secure the 19^th century structure for the future.

A total of 300 scans were taken of the 48-arch viaduct which carries the Blackburn to Clitheroe railway line 550 metres across the Ribble Valley.

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Photo credit: Network Rail

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