Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Monday, 10th May 2021
The latest rail news on Monday, 10th May 2021
The government has asked the rail industry to urgently set out a comprehensive plan to resolve prolonged disruption following the discovery of cracks in Class 800 Hitachi trains.
The vast majority of Great Western Railway’s fleet and a significant number of LNER and TransPennine Express trains have been taken off the network to undergo a full and rigorous inspection, after checks of the Hitachi fleet early on Saturday morning first identified cracks on part of the chassis of some trains.
To combat the expected continued delays, Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris has requested a comprehensive plan from Hitachi to identify the extent of the cracking and whether carriages can still run safely with them.
In a statement over the weekend, Hitachi says some trains are now running again across the network and they are working as quickly and safely as possible to investigate the issue across the remainder of the fleets.
A reward has been offered for information to help catch those responsible for causing a near catastrophic incident on the main Belfast to Londonderry train line.
An article in the Belfast Telegraph says it was only for the fast reactions of Translink driver Stacey Allen that she prevented her Derry-bound train from slamming into a burning vehicle placed on the railway tracks last month.
An unprecedented coalition of organisations representing shops, offices, restaurants, venues, public transport providers and trades unions has written to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, urging him to encourage people back on to buses and trains as restrictions are lifted.
A failure to get people back onto public transport risks towns and cities where people are more reliant on buses, trams and trains being left behind, they say.
The letter, which has been coordinated by sustainable transport charity Campaign for Better Transport, has been endorsed by leading business, leisure and hospitality organisations as well as the umbrella organisations representing the rail and bus industries.
The letter calls on the Government to aid a full revival of the retail, leisure and hospitality businesses that form the beating heart of town and city centres across the country by helping to restore people’s confidence in using public transport.
Finally, Rail passengers returning to the train over the coming months will be able to feel even more in control of their journeys with the launch of a new feature that will send them the transport options to help them complete the last leg of their journey with ease.
The Alert Me by Messenger technology tells rail users how disruption and crowding may affect their journey, providing alternative routes and helping people maintain social distancing when they need to travel.
This service will also be made available to customers via WhatsApp later this spring and offered by most train companies by the end of the year.
Photo credit: Rail Delivery Group
