Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Monday, 11th December 2023
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Monday, 11th December 2023
Hitachi’s UK operation has taken a multimillion pound writedown on the value of its plant in County Durham, as concerns mount over the future of the UK’s train manufacturing sector.
According to the article in City A.M, in its latest company accounts, Hitachi revealed a £64.8 million impairment to the value of its plant in Newton Aycliffe, citing issues including a production gap and inflation.
Britain’s train manufacturers are reeling from a slowdown in rolling stock orders. Low passenger demand and increasing home working since the pandemic have decimated rail operator’s finances across the country, restricting orderbooks.
The French giant Alstom is currently consulting on up to 1,300 job cuts at its Litchurch Lane factory in Derby, which has no confirmed workload beyond the first quarter of 2024.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has opened the capital’s first new mainline station in a decade.
An article in The Standard says Brent Cross West will be served by Thameslink train which will run to St Pancras, with journeys taking as little as 12 minutes.
Direct Thameslink services will run to Luton Airport Parkway and Farringdon, providing a link to the Elizabeth line.
Engineers are continuing to work ‘around the clock’ to stabilise a major landslip at Crewkerne – with trains now delayed until Wednesday.
An article on Greatest Hits Radio says it was hoped the line would reopen this morning – affecting trains between Salisbury and Exeter – after the problem occurred during storms last week.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “Our engineers have been working all weekend trying to remove 300 tonnes of materials from Crewkerne following a landslip on Mon 4 Dec.
“Despite our efforts we must advise passengers not to travel between Yeovil and Exeter till Wed 13 Dec.”
Direct train services between Castleford and York are due to restart after the route closed 50 years ago.
TransPennine Express (TPE) has also launched a direct route between Wakefield and Manchester for the first time since 2004.
Normanton will also have direct services to both Manchester and York.
Photo credit: TPE
