In The News | 21st March 2023 | Latest Rail News

Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Tuesday, 21st March 2023

InTheNews: The latest rail news on Tuesday, 21st March 2023

Transport Secretary Mark Harper on Tuesday urged the RMT union to put a pay offer to its train company workers so next week’s rail strikes are called off.

An article in the Evening Standard says he issued the appeal after members of the RMT in Network Rail voted overwhelmingly to accept an offer to end the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

In a turnout of nearly 90 per cent, members voted by 76 per cent to 24 per cent in favour, signalling an end to the bitter row, which led to a series of strikes in recent months.

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Derby has won the race to become the new HQ of Great British Railways (GBR), according to reports.

The article on the Business Desk says the city has beaten off competition from five other cities to land the title, including Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York, says The Guardian.

If confirmed, Derby will be home to some of the most senior rail executives in the country, who will be in charge of Britain’s rail network.

From this Saturday 25 March to Thursday 6 April, Network Rail will be working to stabilise and widen a mile-long embankment on the railway to the north of Martlesham, on the East Suffolk Line.

There will be no direct trains between Ipswich and Lowestoft throughout these 13 consecutive days, with rail replacement buses operating between Ipswich and Saxmundham.

Coventry’s bid to become the UK’s first home of ‘very light’ railway is literally now on track. An innovative ultra-thin track has been installed at Whitley Depot for testing.

An article on Coventry Live says the unique track system will now be stress-tested by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) as the city hits a milestone in its bid to become the first city in the UK to have its own Very Light Rail (VLR) line as part of a £1.3 billion travel plan.

Council bosses say that by installing a short section of track at Whitley Depot, the team will be able to measure its performance under extreme conditions.

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