Railnews Magazine July 2022 Edizione posteriore

Transport secretary Grant Shapps was becoming increasingly embroiled at the end of June in a heated war of words over the rail disputes, but he maintained that it was not for him to intervene. The RMT has not ruled out more industrial action, but it will have to give two weeks’ notice. Other unions are also involved. TSSA members at Avanti West Coast have voted for walkouts.

In other news, £3 billion has been cut from the cost of HS2 by scrapping the 21km Golborne link, the government has confirmed that the ETCS upgrade on the ECML is to go ahead, Bristol Temple Meads station is set to gain from a major revelopment, work on electrification of the Fife Circle is about to start, and £15 million has been awarded for nine Restoring Your Railway schemes.

In London, the government is giving Transport for London more financial support, but again only for a short time, while the London Overground extension to Barking Riverside is to open this summer.

There was disruption on a Scottish line after a mysterious sinkhole appeared beside the track between Kilmarnock and Ayr.

In business news, GWR has been awarded a new National Rail contract, depot maintenance firm MTMS has won a major contract with Hitachi, the Eurostar and Thalys brands are being renamed Eurostar Blue and Eurostar Red, and passenger totals rose to a new post-Covid record in late May.

The Platinum Jubilee was accompanied by the Queen’s Birthday honours, and among those recognised were three Network Rail employees and two staff members at British Transport Police.

Finally, this edition includes the concluding part of our special feature about the Elizabeth Line, and it takes the story on from 2008 to the opening of the central section in May.

Railnews for July is out now.