Railnews Magazine Nov 2020 Back Issue

THERE was an eleventh hour reprieve for Transport for London on 31 October, as the government agreed new funding which should keep TfL going until March. The lead pages of Railnews were especially held after the usual press time to report this breaking news in full.

Away from London, English tram and light rail systems are also getting more financial help as their revenues continue to sag as a result of increasing coronavirus restrictions. There has been renewed funding for Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams as well, but a senior Strathclyde councillor has described the level of support as ‘disappointing’.

Arriva has proved to be the first train operating company to confirm a contract with the Department for Transport which is longer than the current Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements. The German-owned company will now continue to run CrossCountry until October 2023.

Lockdown has returned to England from 5 November, but the relaxation of lockdown over the summer was matched by a disturbing rise in railway trespassing, according to Network Rail and British Transport Police.

The last month has been busy in other ways too. Doubts have been voiced about the prospects for the Leeds spur of HS2, with the Manchester route appearing to be given priority, the fleet of Hitachi trains on order for East Midlands Railway has been given a new name, and work has started to explore the ground conditions on a Northumberland railway which is being proposed for reopening. Meanwhile, trains were calling at Kintore in Aberdeenshire on 15 October for the first time since December 1964.

Finally, an exhibition was staged at London Euston during October in commemoration of the man who was the first to successfully challenge racial discrimination on British Rail, and Captain Sir Tom Moore has been presented with the first Veterans’ Railcard.