Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Thursday, 27th April 2023
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Thursday, 27th April 2023
Network Rail has made £850M less than it projected to over the 2022/2023 financial year, according to a report from the New Civil Engineer.
The owner of the UK’s train network said its financial performance for the last financial year had worsened by roughly £850M.
This was “largely due to costs incurred as a result of industrial action and the extremely hot weather during summer 2022,” the minutes for the organisation’s board meeting in January stated.
A major rail infrastructure project near Bicester has been temporarily put on hold with a councillor saying he hopes it is the end of the line for such an “ill-advised” scheme.
Oxfordshire Railfreight Ltd (ORL), the company behind the strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) being built around junction 10 of the M40 has decided to pause work on the project “to allow for a thorough review to take place.” an article from the Oxford Mail said.
Councillor Ian Corkin is concerned about the limitations to the capacity of the rail line, as well as the project’s impact on nearby villages.
He called the project “an opportunistic proposal to build a massive, traditional distribution centre on a green field site.” And said: “for the sake of the surrounding villages, I really hope this is the end of the line for such an ill-advised scheme.”
Councillors and officers from Dorset Council, Richard Drax MP, Chris Loder MP and the managing directors for South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail have officially opened the new Weymouth station.
The multi-agency partnership-led improvement scheme which completed last summer includes a refreshed car parking layout, collection and taxi points, improved bus links, a new bus shelter and bus information, more secure bicycle storage plus new pedestrian areas and walking routes.
The railway station forecourt now has a landscaped planting scheme, new lighting, and CCTV to deter antisocial behaviour.
Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “We want to give our customers the best experience and these improvements will make sure everyone who visits Weymouth has a fantastic first impression.”
Finally, TransPennine Express (TPE) has been recognised for its work in supporting and keeping safe the most vulnerable members of society.
The rail operator has secured Safeguarding on Rail Accreditation from British Transport Police (BTP) and Department for Transport (DfT) for its efforts in supporting vulnerable people using the rail network.
TPE said it has recorded 125 interventions in the past six months and has intervened in more than 10 attempts by vulnerable people looking to harm themselves.
Kathryn O’Brien, Operations and Customer Experience Director, at TPE, said the accreditation is “a reflection of the important work so many colleagues have done to ensure we have the right training to spot, support, and assist anyone who may be at risk.”
