Railnews Magazine March 2015 Back Issue

The approaching election has encouraged political parties to set out their stalls, and Railnews for March leads with Labour's pledge to widen the rail franchising system by allowing a public sector bidder and perhaps going further by putting the present structure 'in the bin', in the words of shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher.

Even so, franchising developments have involved the publication of the Invitations to Tender for Northern and Transpennine, accompanied by the first prospectus for the next Greater Anglia contract.

Meanwhile, the blockage of an important line by a landslip in the south Midlands means that more than 130 trains are being diverted every day. The slip, at Harbury Tunnel between Leamington Spa and Banbury, involves more than 350,000 tons of soil, and Network Rail has promised to reopen the route by 2 April. In an earlier but related incident, businesses in the far south west have calculated that the Dawlish sea damage a year ago may have cost the regional economy as much as £1.2 billion.

The Office of Rail Regulation has published its findings into the causes of the engineering overruns at London King's Cross and Paddington after Christmas, while a different type of deadline has been set for the Rail Supply Group which, Railnews reports, must submit its industrial strategy to the Government by July.

In other business news, the consumer group Which? has accused train operators of letting passengers down over the issue of compensation following delays.

This month's Guest Opinion is a resolute survey of rail industry trends from RMT general secretary Mick Cash, while shadow rail minister Lilian Greenwood returns to the subject of the rail supply chain in a Business Comment by pointing out the importance of the East Midlands -- particularly the 'railway city' of Derby.