Railnews Magazine January 2014 Back Issue

The turn of the year has seen major disruption caused to the rail network by repeated winter storms and tidal surges, and the problems may not be over yet. Railnews for 203 rounds up the effects of the weather in December and early in the New Year. The lead story, however, looks ahead with the news that a taskforce has been set up by the Government to consider which lines should be electrified next. Controversy has already broken out because the users of one route fear they are being ignored. December saw a major change to the status of Network Rail, which from September this year becomes a public body as the result in changes to the rules about how its debt should be dealt with. The HS2 saga continues, and there is also news about the Whitacre Link, a long-closed railway in the West Midlands. Railnews reports exclusively which foreign country is set to become involved in a possible reopening of the line. Bombardier in Derby has celebrated the completion of the 1000th S-Stock car for London Underground, and we also have an exclusive article from outgoing Network Rail chief executive David Higgins, who is calling for a change of stance at the Office of Rail Regulation. All this, plus a major feature on plans to improve the railways in East Anglia, is in Railnews for January.