Railnews Magazine September 2017 Back Issue

RAILNEWS for September is a busy edition, with several key stories leading the way. One of these is the forthcoming increase in regulated fares in January, which was announced as 3.6 per cent, while Railnews has launched a new campaign, “It’s time to get real about railˆ, to combat media criticism.

Also in the news was the start of the South Western Railway franchise run by FirstGroup and MTR. The RMT has declared a dispute with SWR over future plans for train staffing, and there was more controversy when a transport summit was held in Leeds but the transport secretary was not invited. The Mayor of Manchester said leaders in the region had ’run out of patience’ after more cutbacks in electrification.

Preparations for new trains continue, and a major project to upgrade power supplies on the East Coast Main Line reached a crucial stage in late August, while the first Intercity Express crossed the border into Scotland on a test run. Another major project, the upgrading of London Waterloo, was also carried out during August, when some platforms were lengthened and the track remodelled.

Elsewhere, a line blocked by a freight derailment near Ely reopened on 21 August after extensive repair work, while a landslip near Watford last year which caused two trains to exchange glancing blows was caused by a lack of proper drainage, said the RAIB.

British Transport Police are seeking two men who carried out separate sexual assaults on a 17-year old girl on board an evening train from Newquay to Plymouth, but a suggestion that ‘Ladies only’ accommodation could be reintroduced on trains has been greeted by a backlash of derision.

In Metro news, Edinburgh’s tram route could be extended from the city centre to Newhaven if councillors give thumbs up to a new report, and urgent safety messages warning children not to play on railways have been given a boost with artwork designed by a nine-year old girl.

See all this, and much more, in Railnews for September.