Railnews Magazine Jul-18 Back Issue

AS summer warmed up, train operators and Network Rail warned that speed restrictions were inevitable.

But the heat was on in other ways as well, with no fewer than three inquiries now under way into why the 20 May timetables failed to work, leading to major disruption on Govia Thameslink Railway and Northern. Transport secretary Chris Grayling warned he might use his powers to terminate the GTR franchise unless there is a rapid improvement in performance. Meanwhile, GTR managing director Charles Horton has resigned. His successor is Patrick Verwer.

The RMT cancelled a further three days of strikes which had been called on South Western Railway during the third week of June. However, walkouts on Northern went ahead.



The number of passengers has continued to fall, driven mainly by lower season ticket sales.

Elsewhere, the Welsh Government has unveiled plans for a new £100 million depot to serve the future South Wales Metro, more electrification on the Great Western Main Line was disrupting services west of Bristol Parkway in late June and early July, and a committee of MPs has recommended that cancelled electrification schemes should be revived and placed in the ‘pending’ tray.

BTP officers are continuing to investigate the deaths of three young men at Loughborough Junction in London. Police suspect they were there to spray graffiti.

A new station opened for business at Maghull North on 18 June. In Metro news, Siemens has been chosen to build new trains for the Piccadilly Line of London Underground. However, as Railnews went to press, the award was awaiting confirmation.

Also in Railnews for July, our feature asks whether falling passenger figures should be a cause for concern, and in Guest Opinion Paul Plummer of the Rail Delivery Group explains why it is high time to untangle the ticketing jungle.