IT IS being claimed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to hold a meeting in secret as soon as today at which plans will be agreed to axe much of Northern Powerhouse Rail, including a high speed line across the Pennines which has been dubbed ‘HS3’. The reason is said
Tag: Northern Powerhouse Rail
Northern Powerhouse Rail plans submitted on eve of Budget
WHAT are being described as ‘final’ recommendations for Northern Powerhouse Rail have been made by leaders in the region, who are urging the government to give its support. Transport for the North has sent its official plan to Westminster, saying that ‘now is not the time to scale back on ambition’. Two
Politicians clash over Transport for the North funding
Concern grows over Northern Powerhouse Rail
A DELAY in publishing the Department for Transport’s Integrated Rail Plan is causing more concern at Transport for the North, whose board is set to be told that improvements to the region’s rail services are also being affected by the uncertainty. TfN had already reacted with dismay in January when cuts
Network Rail Announces Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) Works
Network Rail says the railway line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale/Stalybridge will close for 16 days in the summer to allow improvement works to take place under the Transpennine Route Upgrade umbrella. The Transpennine route, which measures 122km (76mile) in length, connects York with Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield. The works
Alstom urges closing of ‘green gaps’ in British urban transport
ALSTOM has published a report which recommends new tram systems in a number of British cities as a way of making urban transport greener. This would be alongside the introduction of up to 400 hydrogen-powered trains. The areas identified by Alstom range from Tees Valley in the north east to Plymouth
Monday essay: a high speed problem
Widespread Dismay over National Infrastructure Commission HS2 Proposals
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published a report commissioned by the government entitled Rail Needs Assessment for the Midlands and the North. The report presents five different packages that sit within three different budgets for Government to consider. Two of the packages that go beyond the baseline budget propose prioritising regional
Changing Rail Industry, Digital in the North
Like most industries, the rail industry is experiencing a tidal wave of digital transformation like never before. From IoT sensors and smart monitoring to paperless records and ticketless gate lines, all kinds of digital breakthroughs are allowing for better network performance, improved safety and enhanced efficiencies. Although not the only initiative
HS2 Ltd Launches Public Consultation on Proposed Changes to Phase 2b
HS2 Ltd has launched a public consultation on the suggested design changes to be made to HS2 Phase 2b. The consultation will remain open until 11:45pm on 11 December 2020. The proposed changes include more platforms at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, a new rolling stock depot in Annandale, Scotland, and
HS2 eastern spur to Leeds ‘in doubt’ as Manchester takes the lead
DOUBTS are growing about the future of the eastern branch of HS2 to the East Midlands and Yorkshire, after HS2 and Northern Powerhouse minister Andrew Stephenson said the government was ‘considering the best approach to get the most benefit for Leeds, the North East, and the East Midlands’, while also
Government asked to invest £5bn in northern England
TRANSPORT for the North has unveiled its initial plans for a £5 billion ‘Northern Infrastructure Pipeline’, a 30-year investment programme which would support ‘greener’ growth in the region and boost Northern Powerhouse Rail. Some of the projects, which include railways but also roads, active travel and smart ticketing, could be started
£589 million to kick-start rail upgrades across the North
Improvements to rail services in the north of England will get a £589 million kick-start, the government has announced. The cash injection will go towards electrifying the line between Manchester and Leeds, and doubling the number of tracks on the most congested sections in and around Leeds and Huddersfield. The most
Transport leaders in north call for 20-year investment plan
MEMBERS of Transport for the North are urging the National Infrastructure Commission to include a 20-year sustained programme of rail improvements for the English north and midlands in the forthcoming Integrated Rail Plan, rather than ‘piecemeal’ upgrades. The Commission is providing evidence to the government as the Plan is prepared. TfN says
Notice to Proceed and Coronavirus – HS2 in 2020
Railway-News: First of all, congratulations on receiving the Notice to Proceed after HS2 got its approval in February. Since the coronavirus pandemic really stated impacting life in the UK in March, can you give us an overview of how the circumstances have affected HS2 so far? HS2 Ltd: Thank you. Notice
Notice to Proceed and Coronavirus – HS2 in 2020
Railway-News: First of all, congratulations on receiving the Notice to Proceed after HS2 got its approval in February. Since the coronavirus pandemic really stated impacting life in the UK in March, can you give us an overview of how the circumstances have affected HS2 so far? HS2 Ltd: Thank you. Notice
UK Budget: What It Says about Rail
Manchester-Leeds Leg The current journey time between the two cities is 46–58 minutes. Once Northern Powerhouse Rail is implemented, this would be cut to 25 minutes. Frequency of hourly services will also go up by 50 percent, from four to six. A further leg of the project would connect Liverpool Lime Street
It’s official: Johnson’s Cabinet gives HS2 the green signal
PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson has announced that HS2 is going ahead, and reaction has been coming in. However, he has criticised the management of HS2 Ltd, particularly in its approach to local communities. Mr Johnson said: ‘The Cabinet has given High Speed Rail the green signal. We are going to get this
Doubts grow over future of HS2 between London and Birmingham
THERE are renewed concerns from council leaders that Boris Johnson could be poised to scrap Phase 1 of HS2 between London and Birmingham, diverting the money to other transport projects further north. The eastern spur from Birmingham to the East Midlands and Leeds could also be at risk. A meeting of
West Coast looks forward with Avanti
By Ben Jones NEW trains, more services and a better customer experience are the priorities for Avanti West Coast (AWC), which replaced Virgin Trains on December 8. First-Trenitalia’s West Coast Partnership joint venture will operate the country’s busiest inter-city railway until March 31, 2031, during which time it will
Leaked draft confirms Oakervee support for full HS2 route
An early draft of the Oakervee Report – leaked to national media in November – confirms the expert panel will recommend High Speed 2 (HS2) should proceed, despite worries the revised £88billion budget could be exceeded. Supporters had been concerned that parts of the ‘Y’-shaped route could be scrapped to
HS2 should go ahead despite costs hike, says review
Peak rail fares could soar unless HS2 is built, says leaked report
13 September: news in brief
RMT announces industrial action on Underground and CrossCountry THE RMT has said limited industrial action will begin on the District Line of London Underground later this month. The action has been called in protest at what the RMT said are ’growing levels of violence and anti-social behaviour at work’. From 27
Calls for HS2 building works to continue despite being over-budget
The building of HS2 should continue despite being behind schedule and over-budget, a business group has claimed. Confederation of British Industry director of infrastructure Tom Thackray admitted the problems facing the high-speed railway are disappointing but insisted it “promises to bring huge economic benefits across the country”. Photo: Steve Parsons/PA Wire He went
UK Government Launches Oakervee Review into HS2
The High Speed 2 project, which would connect London to the North of England via Birmingham, received a blow yesterday (21 August) as the UK government announced it was opening up an independent review “into whether and how to proceed with the […] project”. Douglas Oakervee, a retired engineer who was
Review to consider whether and how to proceed with High Speed 2
UK: The terms of reference and timeline for an independently-led government review of whether and how to proceed with the High Speed 2 project were published by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps on August 21. The ‘independent, thorough and objective’ review is to be chaired by Douglas Oakervee, whose
HS2 make or break decision looms
Prime Minister Boris Johnson backs HS3 route
Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Just a few days after taking office, new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to fund a faster rail route between Leeds and Manchester, which he claimed would “turbo-charge” regional growth. Speaking in front of Stephenson’s Rocket at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, Mr Johnson said: “I
UK railway news round-up – August 1
Sheffield City Region rail vision launched
UK: An ‘ambitious’ Integrated Rail Plan for the Sheffield City Region was launched by Mayor Dan Jarvis on July 18. The plan was produced by the region’s local authorities supported by organisations including Transport for the North. The proposals include a Barnsley Dearne Valley station in Goldthorpe on the Northern Powerhouse
New CAF Trains for Northern to Enter Service on 1 July
United Kingdom: On 1 July the first nine trains of Northern’s new fleet for local services will enter service. A Class 331 Civity EMU for Northern by CAF © Northern The trains will operate services between Cumbria and Manchester Airport, Liverpool and Manchester Airport, and Doncaster and Leeds. In total, Northern’s new fleet
Changes signalled for HS2 route in North
THE government is reconsidering the route of HS2 between Crewe and Manchester and also between Birmingham and Leeds, which are jointly known as Phase 2b. A consultation has been launched on proposals to use HS2 as a regional route, by providing two new junctions so that Northern Powerhouse Rail services could
Opportunities amid uncertainty in the UK rail market
UK: Rail Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan sees good opportunities for UK firms in both the home and export markets, despite a period of uncertainty. Speaking to Railway Gazette at the Railtex exhibition in Birmingham on May 15, Caplan stressed that the record £48bn settlement for Network Rail’s Control
HS2 has ‘fundamental flaws’ says Lords committee
THE project to build high speed lines linking London with the midlands and north of England needs a ‘major rethink’, according to the Economic Affairs Committee of the House of Lords. The Committee has criticised HS2 on previous occasions, and its latest report casts new doubts on the scheme, which it
RIA at Railtex: Bringing the Rail Industry Together
By Katherine Anchorena, Marketing & Events Manager, Railway Industry Association Katherine Anchorena Every two years, the rail industry meets in Birmingham for Railtex, the UK’s leading exhibition of railway equipment, systems and services. The exhibition has been running since 1993, and since the very beginning RIA has been involved as an important partner.
HS2 alternatives report is ‘fantasy and fiction’
THE TaxPayers’ Alliance has published its latest arguments against HS2, saying that there are 28 local and regional transport infrastructure projects that could be funded if the High Speed project was scrapped. Former cabinet minister David Davis is launching the TPA report today, which says the latest evidence suggests the costs
Transport for the North Chief Executive Visits Hitachi Rail
United Kingdom – The chief executive of Transport for the North, Barry White, visited Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe facility in County Durham. He was interested to learn how Hitachi Rail is investing in the engineers of tomorrow. A Hitachi Rail Class 800 Azuma at Gleneagles © Chris Watt Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe facility opened
Cost of UK electrification could be cut by half
UK: Better planning of projects, wider adoption of best practice and a long-term commitment to a rolling programme could reduce the cost of overhead line electrification by between 33% and 50%, according to a report published by the UK’s Railway Industry Association on March 14. The Electrification Cost Challenge review was
Cost of UK electrification could be cut by two-thirds
UK: Better planning of projects, wider adoption of best practice and a long-term commitment to a rolling programme could reduce the cost of overhead line electrification to between 33% and 50% of current prices, according to a report published by the UK’s Railway Industry Association on March 14. The Electrification Cost