In The News | 09 November 2022 | Latest Rail News

Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 9th November 2022

InTheNews: The latest rail news on Wednesday, 9th November 2022

The Scottish borders railway line will see a sizeable investment from the Scottish government as part of plans to further electrify parts of Scotland’s railway, ITV news reports.

The £120 million plans will see six new feeder stations and nine upgrades to traction power infrastructure locations across the Scottish borders, central belt and Fife, enabling introduction of electric trains on services on the borders line, to East Kilbride and Barrhead and across Fife.

Network Rail said the investment would be key to helping it meet its target to decarbonise Scotland’s Railway by 2035.

The Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) project could be a game changer for UK transport, according to a report from the cross-party House of Lords Built Environment Committee.

An article from New Civil Engineer said the Public transport in towns and cities report, published today, claims the system under development in Coventry has the potential to overcome the cost challenges associated with other light rail schemes.

The VLR technology under development in Coventry combines a battery-electric lightweight train with an innovative trackform which minimises the requirement for deep excavation, meaning the system can be installed more quickly than a tram.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), has been awarded £750,000 support its charitable activities.

An article from The Northern Echo said the heritage railway had been awarded the grant by Arts Council England to help continue its work in conservation, preservation, education and engaging communities.

Projects will include restoring visitor numbers to pre-Covid levels, expanding the railway’s dining services and improving the educational offer to school groups.

Chris Price, CEO at NYMR, said the team were ‘extremely excited’ to be one of the first operational heritage railways to receive the special funding.

Finally, a team working on the Transpennine Route Upgrade in Huddersfield has uncovered a long-forgotten railway siding, dating back to the 19th Century.

The siding at Hillhouse – used for harbouring off-duty trains – was unearthed while teams studied maps from 1850 to help inform the multi-billion-pound rail upgrade.

It is belived the siding was used to house and maintain trains, as well as transport cattle, coal and other materials across the UK when the line formed part of the Manchester & Huddersfield Railway.

Hannah Lomas, Network Rail’s principal programme sponsor said the discovery was “an amazing insight into what the siding would have looked like over a century ago.”

Read the full story here.

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