Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 6th October 2021
The latest rail news on Wednesday, 6th October
A £100 million upgrade to make Tyne and Wear Metro trains more frequent will not be derailed by the network’s serious money problems, bosses say.
An article on the Chronicle Live says the promise of more regular services comes at a time when Metro operator Nexus is facing a massive budget crisis, with deficits of almost £20 million predicted in each of the two years after emergency COVID bailout funding from the government ends next April.
The huge shortfalls have sparked warnings that, unless ministers or local councils are willing and able to plug the gap, Nexus may have to make major cutbacks.
But transport chiefs says that they will still press ahead with the plan to run more trains despite the added cost of doing so.
A group of anti-HS2 protesters cost the company building the high-speed railway line £3.5 million by tunnelling under the development.
The loss was revealed as six people went on trial for offences linked to tunnels and treehouses they created in January this year.
An article in the Evening Standard says the six, all part of a group called HS2 Rebellion, dug tunnels underneath Euston Square in north London and lived inside them for a month to protest against the building of the railway line, their trial at Highbury Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday
They all deny obstructing or disrupting a person engaged in lawful activity.
An innovative and near maintenance-free footbridge has been installed in Bicester to make crossing the railway safer for pedestrians and cyclists in future.
Made from super-strong fibre-reinforced plastic, the new footbridge replaces Jarvis Lane footpath level crossing.
It’s the first new footbridge to be opened as part of the East West Rail project – which when completed will connect Bicester to Bletchley and Milton Keynes for the first time in 50 years.
Network Rail has launched a new campaign to encourage those who may be struggling with their mental health to seek help.
The article on the Greatest Hits Radio website says the Brighter Journeys campaign was created in partnership with national charity Chasing the Stigma in light of World Mental Health Day.
The campaign will visit a number of stations to help welcome back passengers during the first two weeks of October.
Photo credit: Network Rail
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