Railnews Magazine April 2021 Back Issue

MORE trains are running as lockdown restrictions are eased, while operators are still concentrating on keeping their trains and stations as clean as possible in their continuing bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. Further service increases are expected in May, according to the Rail Delivery Group, but the uncertainty over the survival of Eurostar has continued, although international travel restrictions to at least some countries could be eased from 17 May.

In other news, it has been revealed that a Merseyrail driver had made an emergency brake application just before the train collided with the buffers at Kirkby station in March, ticket examiners on ScotRail have voted in favour of strikes in a dispute over pay and two reports have been published by Network Rail, accompanied by a new warning that climate change is posing a ‘substantial’ threat to railway infrastructure.

Still with infrastructure, track has been slewed and signals replaced on the Midland Main Line between London and St Albans, as the project to build a new station at Brent Cross West is stepped up, while a musician who posed on a railway for a photograph has apologised and is urging others not to risk their lives by making the same mistake.

Short-term funding from the government has been accepted by Transport for London. There will be £260 million in ‘base funding’ plus additional support of around £225 million.

Trains are returning to Okehampton in Devon, after funding worth £40.5 million was confirmed to restore passenger services from Exeter St David’s.

The government should launch a 30-year programme of railway electrification if it is to meet the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to MPs, and Northern is creating ‘autism-friendly’ hubs at Leeds, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria.

Railnews for April is out now.