Railnews Magazine

Storm Goretti arrived one day before the January edition of Railnews was due to go to press, and the lead story is a tale of disruption in many parts of Britain, as winds felled trees and heavy snow blocked the railway.

Also in the news was the departure of Office of Rail and Road chief executive John Larkinson, who will step down in April, and the award by Transport for London of a five-year cleaning contract to Mitie, which has been condemned by the RMT.

Car drivers are dicing with death by allowing their vehicles to come to a stand in a traffic queue while straddling a level crossing, and British Transport Police warned they are risking prosecution as well as their lives.

The first train providing a direct service from Seaham to London departed on 15 December, as the latest development at open access operator Grand Central, plans to restore the roof of the concourse at Lowestoft have moved ahead with the publication of drawings by Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership, and the largest engineering project to be carried out by Network Rail over Christmas was the rebuilding of the ‘railway jigsaw’ at Hanslope Junction.

Engineers at the South Eastern Railway have begun safeguarding the line through Folkestone Warren, while Transport for London said its latest public consultation on proposals to extend the DLR to Thamesmead had demonstrated ‘strong public backing’.

The four partners who will develop the Midlands Rail Hub have been confirmed, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester has named the first railways which will join the region’s Bee Network.

Northumberland County Council is bidding to improve the train service from Newcastle upon Tyne to Ashington, by continuing the line to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, and the King has honoured a number of railway staff in his New Year Awards