Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 24th August 2022
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Wednesday, 24th August 2022
Eurotunnel passengers had to wait for hours in a service tunnel underneath the English Channel after their train broke down on Tuesday afternoon.
An article in the Evening Standard says the passengers were transferred to a cargo train but complained of being stuck in the sub-sea tunnel for nearly five hours, citing issues with the replacement transport.
The initial breakdown late on Tuesday affected the 3.50pm Eurotunnel Le Shuttle service from Calais to Folkestone and led to hundreds of passengers being ushered into a service tunnel.
Videos on social media showed holidaymakers walking through the alternate tunnel alongside the 31-mile rail route between Britain and France, some with suitcases and dogs.
Abellio UK and Nederlandse Spoorwegen have announced a management buyout — resulting in a UK-run transport company that will operate four of the country’s rail passenger operators and over 50 London bus routes by the end of this year.
The affected rail companies are East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Merseyrail and West Midlands Railway.
A management buyout from the state-owned rail company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen will pave the way for a new UK-based company to take over all Abellio UK’s existing services, serving millions of rail and bus passengers in London, Liverpool, the Midlands and East Anglia.
The new company will be called Transport UK Group Limited.
Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has launched a new campaign to communicate the benefits of the multi-billion-pound programme.
Called ‘On Track to Better’, it will explore how TRU is set to transform the railway between York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester.
The marketing campaign, that consists of digital, TV, radio, digital billboards, web, social and in-station, marks the first major multichannel campaign to promote TRU and the benefits of the landmark work to consumers.
Unique rail-related experiences are up for grabs as the industry collaborates to raise funds for British Ukrainian Aid to fund life-saving equipment.
Among the prizes being offered for a £10 raffle ticket includes a trip for two to the top of the iconic Forth Rail Bridge, cab rides with Avanti, Freightliner, ScotRail and MTR, and behind the scenes tours from Hitachi, Northern and Siemens.
Natasha Hanson, organiser of the Railway Family Prize Draw, said: “The draw was launched in 2021, amidst a time of uncertainty and concern for the rail industry. The aim was to bring people together for a worthy cause and to remind us that when we unite, there is simply no industry that compares.”
Photo credit: Greater Anglia
