In The News | 26th March 2021 | Latest Rail News

Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Friday, 26th March 2021

The latest rail news on Friday, 26th March 2021

Leaders from local authorities across the North met this week to discuss what needs to be done to re-start passenger traffic on the region’s railways.

Members of Transport for the North’s Rail North Committee heard that the North is ‘well placed’ to lead on recovery with a mixed-use rail network which is strongly based around leisure travel as well as commuting.

Network Rail and the region’s two main train operators, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express, also revealed details of comprehensive campaigns to help drive a return to rail when the time is right.

HS2 has today revealed shortlisted bidders for its high voltage (HV) power supply systems. The winning organisations will go on to deliver electrical systems covering 280km of the UK’s new high-speed rail link.

The contract – worth an estimated £523 million – covers the design and construction between London, Birmingham and Crewe, where HS2 trains will join the existing West Coast Mainline.

The four organisations invited to tender are – Colas/Eiffage Joint Venture; Siemens/ Costain Joint Venture; SSE Enterprise Contracting/Linxon/Arcadis Joint Venture; and UK Power Networks Services (Contracting) Ltd.

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Long distance rail operator Grand Central will return to service this weekend following a three-month period of hibernation due to the current national lockdown.

The York-based operator will welcome its first passengers tomorrow as it relaunches some services on its West Riding and North East routes, linking London King’s Cross to Bradford and Sunderland.

Grand Central has not run passenger trains since it withdrew services on January 9 in line with the wider national lockdown.

Finally, and the latest edition of RailDirector is on its way to more than 2,000 rail industry leaders and subscribers with thousands more set to read it when it goes online later this month.

Tricia Williams is the lead story for the March edition discussing life as Northern’s Chief Operating Officer. The interview comes shortly after the first anniversary of the train operating company transferring into public ownership.

It is one of several exclusive features, including an interview with Dr Sonia Zahiroddiny, HS2’s Head of Digital Engineering, talking about how technology will transform design, construction and management of infrastructure projects.

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Photo credit: Grand Central

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