Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Tuesday, 25th October 2022
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Tuesday, 25th October 2022
A rail union has announced nearly a week of industrial action, including strikes in November in their ongoing dispute over pay, job security and conditions.
An article in The Guardian, thousands of members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association at Network Rail will strike on Thursday 3 November, Saturday 5 November and Monday 7 November, while members at individual train companies will take strike action and action short of strike on 3, 7 and 8 November.
Members at five rail operators – South Western Rail, Southeastern, West Midlands Trains, Northern and Great Western – will take action short of strike action for the whole of November, and those at a sixth company, TransPennine Express, will join them from 7 November.
Members involved in the action include staff in ticket offices, stations, control rooms, and other support roles across Britain.
Network Rail and the British Transport Police now have an eye in the sky when it comes to tracking down wrong-doers on the network.
Using drone technology to provide a bird’s eye view of the railway, officers are able to help keep passengers safe, and prevent delays.
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “We’re already seeing the benefits of having this technology, in terms of finding people quickly and reducing the length of delays for passengers.”
Rail travel is now the most popular way to travel between London and Edinburgh, overtaking flight journeys.
An article on the Mail Online says the triumph of trains over planes is due in part to a cheaper rail service between the two capitals.
Train operator Lumo, with average prices of £37, has been running for a year, while its rival company LNER also saw an increase in passenger numbers.
From April to August, more than half (57 per cent) of journeys between Edinburgh and London were by train, compared to 35 per cent pre-pandemic, according to analysis of figures from the Civil Aviation Authority and Lennon, rail industry’s ticketing system.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has been awarded the prestigious ‘App of the Year’ award at the UK Business Tech Awards 2022.
The UK Business Tech Awards celebrate the UK’s finest tech business and rewards innovative and exceptional application of technology to transform and grow businesses.
Judges praised LNER for the creativity and implementation of the project in creating the app, alongside the impressive improvements of the platform based on consumer research and insight.
Photo credit: Network Rail
