Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 26th May 2021
The latest rail news on Wednesday, 26th May 2021
A £401 million funding boost will help rail services in the North of England and the Midlands become “faster, greener and more reliable”, the government has said.
The article appears on the ITV website saying that the Department for Transport (DfT) said £317 million would be invested in the Transpennine Route Upgrade to improve “punctuality, reliability and connectivity” for passengers travelling between York, Leeds and Manchester.
A further £69 million of funding would go towards increasing freight capacity between the Port of Southampton and the Midlands.
The DfT also announced that £15 million from the New Stations Fund would go towards the construction of new stations at Marsh Barton in Exeter and White Rose and Thorpe Park in Leeds.
The Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) annual review of Network Rail’s progress in delivering against the five-year plan for Control Period 6 (CP6, which runs from 2019 to 2024) find that its plans are broadly on track.
But the regulator raises concerns about the remaining levels of risk funding, particularly in Scotland, and that continued focus is also needed to deliver renewal work.
In response, Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive, said: “It’s been a challenging year for the railway industry but we remain on track to deliver what we set out, as we safely welcome back passengers and help the country recover from the pandemic.”
The Tyne and Wear Metro has appointed a new operations director, who brings three decades of railway industry experience to the role.
John Alexander has taken over the responsibility for managing day-to-day services on the Metro network following a successful recruitment process.
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, said they had found the best candidate as the service recovers from lockdown – and prepares for the arrival of its new train fleet from 2023.
Finally, a Darlington’s Head of Steam railway museum has opened a new exhibition to welcome visitors back after the COVID-19 lockdown.
The article on The Northern Echo says “All Aboard” at Darlington’s Head of Steam museum is set to celebrate children’s railway stories from The Railway Children to Thomas the Tank Engine, allowing people of all ages to find a story from their childhood.
Photo credit: Nexus
0113 2082620
info@railbusinessdaily.com
15 Mariner Court, Wakefield WF4 3FL
