Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Thursday, 18th April 2024.
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Thursday, 18th April 2024
Scotland’s Railway has published its Climate Ready Plan which sets out how the nation’s railways will respond to the challenges of our changing climate over the next five years and beyond.
Published jointly by Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail the 109-page plan will inform investment across the railway’s infrastructure during the next five years from April 2024 to March 2029.
The plan sets out the actions Scotland’s Railway will take to improve the resilience of the railway against physical changes in the climate. It includes plans for direct investment in infrastructure as well as introducing additional climate science and adaptation capabilities to strengthen the industry’s decision-making.
The Department for Transport has announced that it intends to make further direct awards for three passenger rail contracts – East Coast, South Western and Essex Thameside – which suggests that a switch back to asking companies to bid competitively for operating contracts remains some way off.
An article on the RAIL website says all three have been direct awards since 2021, operated by LNER (a DfT subsidiary), South Western Railway (FirstGroup and MTR) and c2c (Trenitalia).
The new deals will last for 24-60 months for East Coast, and 36-96 months for SWR and Essex Thameside.
Torridge councillors have joined a new alliance dedicated to reinstating the rail link from Bideford to Barnstaple.
An article on Devon Live says the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance is backed by local Conservative MPs Sir Geoffrey Cox (Torridge and West Devon) and Selaine Saxby ( North Devon).
The group also wants to upgrade the Tarka Line connecting Exeter to Barnstaple. Torridge councillor Peter Hames (Green, Appledore) asked the council to support his motion to join the alliance as it had previously supported the revival of the rail link.
A train had a window smashed by someone using a slingshot while it was moving.
An article on the BBC website says British Transport Police was called shortly before 17:30 BST on Tuesday after reports stones were being fired towards trains near Radlett Station in Hertfordshire.
After the train was inspected at Luton, it was allowed to continue at reduced speed to Bedford where a temporary repair took place.
