Railnews Magazine August 2014 Back Issue

The August issue of Railnews leads with the Growth Fund announcement from the Government which includes many new rail schemes. We also report the related development of growing views that HS2 has the potential to transform the country. In other news, a report from Network Rail has set out the possible options for improving the resilience of the railway to the far south west. Network Rail has included five inland lines, all avoiding the vulnerable sea front at Dawlish, but at this stage it is making no recommendations. August sees a series of weekend blockades so that an overdue £81 million upgrade of the West Coast Main Line in the Watford Junction area can be progressed, and we have the details. Railfreight terminals have also been hitting the headlines, because a massive expansion to the existing international facility at Daventry has received the go-ahead, while permission for a new terminal at Radlett in Hertfordshire has aroused local protests. There is growing concern about railway trespassing and we have news of several new initiatives involving British Transport Police and Network Rail. A number of professional football clubs in England are now also helping to spread the message that trespassing on the track is a deadly game which kills a number of people every year. More happily, we have a report and pictures of the Queen opening the new station at Reading, while our feature looks at the fall – and rebirth – of tram systems in Britain. This and much more is in the very busy edition of Railnews for August.