Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 8th February 2023
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Wednesday, 8th February 2023
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government is setting up a new body to take charge of Britain’s “broken” railways but they will not be re-nationalised.
In an article on the Yorkshire Post website he confirmed Great British Railways (GBR) will take charge of timetables, set ticket prices, collect revenue and manage rail infrastructure in England, and said the winner of the competition to host the state-owned organisation will be announced “before Easter”.
But he also pledged to “enhance the role of the private sector”, claiming companies will be needed to “maximise competition, innovation, and revenue growth right across the industry”, when he delivered the annual George Bradshaw address in central London.
The Tory Minister said the current system for running the railways is not fit for purpose and “needs fundamental reform”, as passenger services have become too unreliable and financially unsustainable without huge taxpayer-funded subsidies.
The company building the controversial HS2 rail line has underestimated its impact on habitats and wildlife, according to a coalition of wildlife charities.
An article on the BBC website says a report by the Wildlife Trusts found that HS2 Ltd had missed trees, ponds and hedgerows off maps.
It said the methodology used to calculate the impact on biodiversity of the project was “fundamentally flawed”.
HS2 Ltd said the trusts’ report was “not reliable”.
Building a network of high speed rail links in the UK is key to improving connectivity and delivering levelling up, according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
An article on the New Civil Engineer website says speaking at an All Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure (APPGI) reception at the ICE this week, Hunt said: “I really want to have HS3, HS4 and HS5. We have got to have much better connectivity.”
The revelation about his ambition to build a network of high speed rail link came as news that further cost concerns on High Speed 2 (HS2) could lead to scaling back of the eastern leg.
Both HM Treasury and the Department for Transport declined to comment further on the proposal for more high speed rail lines in the UK.
Merseyrail has the best customer service levels in the UK rail network, a new survey by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) has declared.
The rail company has also beaten leading brands in other sectors such as The Co-op, Audi and the Bank of Scotland in the survey, and was also ranked as the second-best transport company in the UK.
The January 2023 UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) is a national benchmark of customer satisfaction covering 281 organisations or organisation types across 13 sectors.
Photo credit: Merseyrail
0113 2082620
info@railbusinessdaily.com
15 Mariner Court, Wakefield WF4 3FL
