Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Monday, 10th July 2023
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Monday, 10th July 2023
TransPennine Trains Limited and Angel Trains have awarded Hitachi Rail an eight-year contract to continue maintenance of 19 intercity Class 802 trains.
The Hitachi built ‘Nova 1’ fleet has proved very successful since its introduction in 2019, providing an extra 161 seats per train on TransPennine Express journeys between Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
Hitachi has been rewarded for its impressive maintenance and reliability, with the Nova 1 fleet currently 70 per cent more reliable than the industry average.
Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) have announced that Ryde Pier Head station has reopened to customers today (Monday 10 July), following a programme of vital upgrades.
Today marks the reopening of Ryde Pier Head station which has been closed to Island Line services since last October (2022), providing a timely boost for tourism and the local economy during the Island’s busy summer holiday season.
Over the past nine months, engineers have braved the elements and worked around the clock to strengthen the 143-year-old, 686-metre-long Victorian pier and return the steel structure to its former glory.
Neil Grabham has been named as the new managing director of Merseyrail.
Currently the customer services director for East Midlands Railway, Neil brings a wealth of experience both from the rail sector and beyond, having previously undertaken senior leadership roles for Greater Anglia, Signet Jewellers and Lidl.
Neil replaces Andy Heath, who left Merseyrail earlier this summer and Jane English who has been acting managing director for the last ten months.
The launch of the Luton DART rail system has “simply been a gamechanger for the airport,” said the boss of Luton’s popular hub, amid plans to expand its passenger cap to upwards of 19m.
Speaking to City A.M. Alberto Martin, London Luton’s CEO, said that the new rail transit system will also play a “pivotal role” in the airport’s future plans for sustainable growth, with connection to the airport now “as good as, if not better than,” than other London hubs.
Photo credit: Merseyrail
