Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Thursday, 24th March 2022
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Thursday, 24th March 2022
The driver of the Croydon tram which crashed killing seven people is being prosecuted by the railway watchdog.
An article on the BBC website says Transport for London (TfL) and the operator, Tram Operations Limited, are also facing action for breaches of health and safety law, the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) says.
Alfred Dorris was driving the tram when it overturned in November 2016. The crash was ruled accidental by an inquest jury and TfL paid compensation to victims’ families.
ORR’s Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser CBE said: “We’ve made a fair, independent and objective assessment about what happened, and it is now for the court to consider if any health and safety law has been breached.”
Network Rail has been forced to change its approach for procuring a contractor for its Forth Bridge Experience, after its initial tendering round resulted in no relevant bids being accepted.
Similar to walks over Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, The Forth Bridge Experience will allow visitors to walk across the iconic structure for the first time in its 132-year history.
The article in New Civil Engineer says a procurement round for a design and build contractor commenced in summer 2020, but Network Rail has now revealed that it received no bids within the £35 million funding envelope that it had advertised and therefore terminated the process.
In a prior information notice, Network Rail also announced a change of approach to the job. There is now only one visitor centre planned rather than two, and the works have been split into two packages: “off-bridge” (the visitor centre) and “on-bridge” (the walkway).
EKFB is the first joint venture to attain a new sustainability status awarded by the Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS).
The status is part of a recent programme within the School’s Plant Charter which recognises the actions taken by construction organisations to lower emissions on construction sites, resulting in improved air quality and a cleaner working environment.
The restoration of the oldest surviving ‘Black Five’, Seaton Tramway and a young Kent and East Sussex Railway volunteer all took away top honours at Heritage Railway Association (HRA) annual awards.
Nearly 250 heritage railway volunteers and staff from right across the UK came together in Birmingham earlier this month for the return of the HRA Annual Awards evening.
Photo credit: HS2 Ltd
