Railnews Magazine November 2013 Back Issue

The development of HS2 reached a critical point during October, and the new edition of Railnews has reaction to the Commons vote which approved funding for the next stage of the project. Also making industry news is the ORR announcement that Network Rail will have total funds of £38.3 billion for five years starting in April 2014 – if the company accepts the decision. But why did so many media reports quote this figure as £21 billion? Railnews irons out the confusion and provides the headline totals for each category of spending. One important job ahead over the next five years is the conversion or improvement of hundreds of level crossings. Our feature for November examines the difficult issue of level crossing safety, and looks at the development of radar-based obstruction detection systems. Other stories making the news include a bleak assessment of the Thameslink Programme by a House of Commons Committee, as well as the latest on the industry’s battle to reduce the number of railway suicides each year. On a happier note, read about the Network Rail man who has played a leading role in launching the Army Reserve, as well as the author who has written a novel about her favourite train journey – aboard the Night Riviera sleeper from Cornwall. Finally, after reports of seagulls making themselves at home on railway property this year we go up in the world, because the latest feathered trespasser is a peacock. We reveal where he is.