Railnews Magazine April 2022 Edizione posteriore

MORE details have emerged about the plans to create Great British Railways, after Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines gave evidence to the Commons Transport Committee, and what he had to say is the lead story in Railnews for April. In related news, the Railway Industry Association has set out five ‘tests’ for GBR, in a bid to support the supply chain.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has reported that drains which overflowed and washed debris on to the track at Carmont, derailing an HST, had not been built according to the approved design. In the wake of that report, this month’s Feature asks how safe can trains be?

Railway passenger figures made a strong recovery in March, but rail minister Wendy Morton sparked a union backlash when she told a conference that railway rosters based on a five day week, with Sunday shifts remaining voluntary, no longer suit today’s seven-day railway. Meanwhile, London Underground staff are receiving a wage rise of 8.4 per cent this month, in line with a four-year pay deal which links pay and inflation.

Former operator Southeastern, owned by Govia, has been fined £23.5 million for multi-million pound shortfalls, and it was the end of an era stretching back to March 1997 when ScotRail returned to public ownership at the start of April.

In other news, Network Rail staff will be working at 530 sites over Easter, the rebuilt £80 million station at Coventry has been formally opened, Gatwick Express services were returning from 3 April, the first rails were laid on the restored railway to Levenmouth, and an HS2 manager has rented a 180-bed Polish hotel to shelter Ukrainian refugees.

We were sad to report the death of Railnews chairman Cyril Bleasdale, at the age of 87. This issue includes a full Obituary.