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In the News 17.11.21
Welcome to the railway news round-up.
In today’s headlines, the Government has announced £360 million will be invested to radically reform and improve passengers’ experience of fares, ticketing, and retailing on the railways.
Contactless ticketing will be introduced at more than 700 stations across the country outside London and the South East, benefitting more than 400 stations across the North.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said passengers across the North and Midlands have waited “far too long” for the convenient ticketing system that the investment is the “first phase” of efforts to overhaul the rail network to improve journeys for passengers across the country.
Read the full story at: https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/360m-investment-to-transform-rail-ticketing-across-the-country/
Network Rail says it has saved £70m in costs on the East West Rail project by removing a flyover which crosses the West Coast main line at Bletchley, reports the Milton Keynes Citizen.
Instead of replacing the old flyover like-for-like with five supporting columns in between the tracks, engineers used modern methods of construction to build a protective ‘box structure.’ which avoided the need for closing the line, one of the busiest in passenger and freight routes in Europe.
Mark Cuzner, East West Rail Alliance project director, said the approach had reduced the project’s onsite workforce by 60% and completed the work six months faster than originally planned.
Costain Skanska JV (CSJV) was taken off works at Bond Street station because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Crossrail Ltd chief executive Mark Wild.
In an interview with the New Civil Engineer, Mr Wild said that while Crossrail had generally handled the pandemic well, the Bond Street project had provided specific challenges meaning it wasn’t possible to practise a safe stop and restart, and a contract termination with the JV was instead agreed.
The station cost is now forecast at £660m, almost £550m more than its original £111m estimate, with Crossrail now self-delivering the station. Mr Wild said the team has since “caught up a huge amount of ground” on the works.
Finally, Community Rail Lancashire and Avanti West Coast have teamed up to tell a tale, of what they believe to be the most successful women’s football team of all time, to a new generation.
The Dick, Kerr Ladies team was formed at a munitions factory of the same name in 1917 and played charity matches to raise money for wounded soldiers, going over 200 games without defeat and became acknowledged as World Champions in 1937 after winning a match against Edinburgh Ladies.
Funded through Avanti West Coast’s Community Rail Project Fund, Community Rail Lancashire will work with young people to create postcards about the team to highlight their historic significance and spread their story, as part of Preston Station’s World War One Remembrance Service.
That’s it from today’s round-up. For the latest in rail news, visit news.railbusinessdaily.com
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