Railnews Magazine

Railway accessibility, or the lack of it, is making the headlines in Railnews this month.

Two reports have criticised the problems faced by less able people when travelling by train, and a four-page feature examines the barriers they have to overcome – or stay at home. The latest Railnews podcast goes live at 12.00 today, and we hear from Ruth Cadbury MP, who chairs the Commons Transport Committee. We also hear from a disability consultant who says many websites are difficult for some people to use. www.railnews-business.co.uk/podcasts

Trespassing is also in the news, after a Network Rail survey revealed that almost two out of five people don’t realise that walking on electrified railways can be lethal.

The Northumberland Line gained a third station on 17 March, when Newsham opened, Arriva Group is to lease nine new battery hybrid trains for Grand Central, and older diesel trains on GWR in Devon and Cornwall are to be replaced by Class 175 units which were originally built for north Wales.

The Transpennine Upgrade is to receive a further £415 million, new images of Cardiff Central reveal how it could look after a investment of up to £140 million, and ScotRail fares rose on 1 April. Opposition politicans spoke of ‘dismayed’ passengers.

Easter means engineering, and Network Rail will be investing £86 million at 300 worksites.

Trains will return to Ryde Pier Head from 2 May, and a temporary terminus has been laid on the Birmingham Eastside Metro Extension.

The controversy about the Eurostar depot at Temple Mills deepened after an ORR report said there was spare capacity which other operators could use, and more potential international open access services are being proposed.

Finally, Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines is to retire from the company in October.

Railnews for April is out now.