Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Monday, 15th April 2024.
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Monday, 15th April 2024
Millions of people across Britain will have access to new train services under rail industry plans. The article on Yahoo News says open access services on seven routes are being developed in a bid to boost connectivity, increase competition and reduce fares, analysis by the PA news agency found.
And the UK Government is planning measures to encourage further proposals. Open access operators set their own fares, take on all revenue risk and receive no taxpayer-funded subsidies.
In deciding whether to approve new open access applications, regulator the Office of Rail and Road assesses factors such as the benefit to passengers, whether sufficient new revenue will be generated, and the impact on the punctuality of existing services.
Rail minister Huw Merriman said the UK Government was working to provide more certainty over the duration of the application assessments, reconsidering the required balance of costs between taxpayers and operators, and ensuring all unused track access slots were made available.
A group of contractors has won places on three Network Rail frameworks for the delivery of capital works in the North West & Central Region, covering both structural and geotechnical engineering.
An article on the Ground Engineering website says Network Rail Infrastructure has divided the Control Period 7 (CP7) North West & Central Region frameworks into three categories.
The framework lots covering geotechnical works are filled as follows:
– Framework A multi-disciplinary lots – Kier Infrastructure & Overseas, Octavius Infrastructure, Skanska Construction and Story Contracting
– Framework B civil engineering lots – Story Contracting and QTS Group
– Framework C civil engineering lots – Amalgamated Construction, J Murphy & Sons and Story Contracting.
Transport for Wales (TfW) has completed its future timetable review following a change in rail travel demands post-covid.
An article on Wales 24 7 says following a comprehensive review of current rail demand and predicted future growth, TfW has developed a new long-term strategy to better align with the new travel habits and requirements of customers, whilst becoming a truly multimodal operator.
As a result of the review some rail routes will see more services and longer trains with more seats, particularly during seasonal peaks. Other routes will see slightly different calling patterns better targeted to current needs.
However, TfW has had to make some tough decisions to ensure it provides capacity where most needed, grows revenue and ultimately reduces public subsidy.
Network Rail engineers have restarted work at the site of a landslip in Baildon.
Services through the town have been suspended since February 9, and after repair work was paused due to complex issues on site, work that will allow trains between Ilkley and Bradford to resume is now well underway.
The volume of work required means that the line is expected to reopen at the end of June.
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