Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Tuesday, 9th January 2024. Sponsored by Petards Rail
InTheNews Sponsored by Petards Rail: The latest rail news on Tuesday, 10th January 2024
Great Western Railway (GWR) says it plans to run direct services between Bristol and Oxford for the first time in more than 20 years.
An article on the BBC website says GWR said it hopes to run two return Saturday services between the cities from 14 September, in a trial, as a response to an increase in demand.
The service will also include stops at Bath Spa, Chippenham and Swindon.
North Somerset Council is due to hold a meeting which will decide proposals for the Full Business Case being developed for the Portishead to Bristol railway line.
The article on the North Somerset Times website says the proposals, which will be heard at the Full Council meeting today will give the leader of the council and Executive Member for Major Infrastructure Projects, Cllr Mike Bell, authority to finalise the case ready for submission to the Department for Transport (DfT).
The business case submission is expected to take place at the end of next month.
A rail user group has said Northumberland could be hit by potential cuts to planned infrastructure investments as well as services.
An article on the Northumberland Gazette says if the draft measures by operators such as LNER and the Network Rail body come into effect, the South East Northumberland Rail User Group (SENRUG) says this will “make it harder to introduce the hourly all-station local service between Newcastle and Berwick, desperately needed for communities such as Widdrington and Chathill”.
As previously reported, the draft East Coast Main Line timetable that would be introduced in December 2024 if confirmed would result in fewer weekday departures at its Northumberland stations (Alnmouth, Berwick and Morpeth) in order to add a third train per hour between London and Newcastle.
Acting General Manager Lee Kenny has been chosen as the new permanent General Manager for the East Lancashire Railway.
An article on Rail Advent says Lee has been the Acting General Manager for eight months and the railway says he has impressed during this time.
The former diesel traction engineering fitter was a regular sight in the traction and rolling stock department before becoming head of the department 12 years ago and originally joined the ELR aged just 12.
