Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Tuesday, 19th September 2023
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Tuesday, 19th September 2023
An article on the Daily Business website says the new Avanti contract begins on 15 October and has a minimum three-year term. The further six years until 17 October 2032 are subject to ongoing approval by the Department for Transport.
Since the introduction of the new Avanti timetable in mid-December 2022, the operator has delivered a significant recovery in operational performance, and customer satisfaction.
Meanwhile also announced this morning, Arriva Group’s CrossCountry train operating company has been awarded a new contract by the DfT which starts on Sunday, October 15, with a guaranteed core term of four years.
The transport minister has refused to say if HS2 will now only go to Birmingham after being asked repeatedly by MPs to clarify rumours that the Manchester leg is being scrapped.
An article on the Sky News website says Richard Holden MP was asked to address the “white elephant” in a terse debate in the Commons where he faced criticism for his evasiveness from both Tory and opposition MPs.
It comes as Labour committed to building the high-speed rail lines in full if they win the next general election, following confusion about the party’s position.
A decision on an £18 million bid to revive a railway station that has been shut for nearly 60 years will be made by the end of the year, the government says.
An article on the BBC website says campaigners have waited for a year after lodging a Strategic Outline Business Case to the Department for Transport (DfT) in September 2022.
If it is successful, the Stroudwater station in Stonehouse would be financed from the “Restoring Your Railway” fund.
Scotland’s Railway will use specialist trains, timetable tweaks and innovative technology to keep passengers and freight running on time throughout autumn.
Network Rail’s 18 leaf-fall teams and its fleet of seven leaf-busting trains will work around-the-clock to keep trains on the move, reducing delays during this challenging period.
Specialist rail-head treatment trains (RHTTs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) will cover more miles than ever before, visiting the Airdrie-Bathgate route for the first time and working for longer on the Highland Main Line.
Photo credit: Network Rail
