Railnews Magazine October 2017 Edizione posteriore

THE industrial disputes over on-train staffing have reached a new level as Railnews for October is published, with four operators affected by two 24-hour RMT strikes during the first week of the month. Railnews leads with the industrial tensions, and also includes an exclusive Guest Opinion from Rail Delivery Group chief executive Paul Plummer, who has labelled the walkouts ‘needless’.

The launch of South Western Railway is also featured in the main news, along with the energising of 74km of route between Edinburgh and Glasgow as the next step towards the launch of electrified services via Falkirk.

Other stories include a go-ahead for an upgrade for the line to the port of Felixstowe, the naming of four bidders for the next Wales & Borders franchise, a major blockade at Liverpool Lime Street, the start of tram trains running within Sheffield, a merger between the rail businesses of Alstom and Siemens and the release of up to £5 million by the transport secretary so that Network Rail can investigate digital options between Manchester, Leeds and York.

In Hot Topic, Railnews considers the outlook for performance on the Midland Main Line if bi mode trains are used on the route instead of the previously-planned electrification, and this month’s feature looks ahead to 2018, which we suggest will be a vintage year.

It’s been a busy month, and the result is a busy edition of Railnews for October.