In The News: 28th August

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Demolition work is underway at a disused railway works in Kent to make room for a new train maintenance facility.

The old Chart Leacon depot in Ashford closed in 2014 and has lain empty since then.

Now, Network Rail and contractors Balfour Beatty are taking it down in order to make room for five new railway sidings, where trains can be stored and undergo light maintenance.

This will also allow for the direct creation of 50 new jobs in the town alongside numerous other indirect jobs associated with activities on the site.

A fire caused by a freight train derailing and spilling diesel into the surrounding area has been extinguished.

That’s according to an article on the BBC that says investigations are under way to determine what caused the accident which happened in Llangennech in Wales.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes and diesel, which was being carried by the freight train, flowed into a nearby river.

Police have issued a handful of fines to people for not wearing a mask on public transport – despite claims one in ten passengers were breaking the rules.

Just 38 notices were issued by police forces since the introduction of rules making face coverings mandatory in June, data from the National Police Chiefs’ Council shows.

That’s according to an article in The Sun newspaper that says a total of 32 fixed penalty notices were issued by British Transport Police, four by West Midlands Police and one each by Lancashire and Cumbria constabularies.

Finally, and a leader in major infrastructure delivery has been appointed to help drive forward Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM).

Working on a part-time consultancy basis, Simon Wright OBE, joins Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority at an important phase.

He will provide strategic input to the development of a ‘One CAM’ strategy which is bringing the programme’s component projects together in an integrated scheme.

Photo credit: Network Rail

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