news
cumbrian floodS
EnErgy
consumption
provoke rapid
falls at
southErn
Southern Railway claims it has cut
rail reSponSe
energy consumption by almost 11
per cent over the last year, on top of
a 17 per cent reduction the previous
year.
A new hourly rail service
Introducing regenerative braking
ork Rail
now links the two halves of
on its entire fleet of Class 377
Netw
Workington, Cumbria, thanks
Electrostar trains has led to a saving
to government funding for the
of 8,400 tonnes of carbon each
lease of an extra train.
year, the equivalent of 14 tonnes of
And in a further boost for
carbon for each train. The company
residents, all train services
says it buys 90 per cent of its
between Workington, the new
electricity from renewable power
temporary Workington North
sources.
station, Flimby and Maryport
The statistics are contained in
were made free of charge until
Southern’s corporate responsibility
the end of the year.
report. Southern claims the saving is
During December, Northern
about the same as the entire annual
Rail operated its normal
emissions of 1,500 households.
weekday timetable, with
The report also says that crime on
additional carriages on some
Southern has fallen.
The temporary station at workington.
trains, and a three-carriage
hourly shuttle service, operated
by John Clarke much of the footbridge were then by Cumbrian rail operator
Work progressed at lightning built overnight, and the entire DRS on behalf of Northern
nat ex to loSe eaSt
speed to build a temporary rail structure was finished in a matter Rail, ran between Maryport,
anglia and c2c
station serving the communities of days. Flimby, Workington North and The east anglia and C2C
‘cut off’ on the north side of the Meanwhile telecoms cables Workington. franchises, both run by national
River Derwent in Workington, from the flood-damaged Calva Heidi Mottram, managing express, will not be extended
after devastating floods closed 25 Bridge in Cumbria were diverted director of Northern Rail, said: when the current contracts end
roads and 16 bridges. over the nearby unaffected ‘We initially ran many extra in 2011.
Network Rail used its own Workington rail bridge, the only services between Maryport and national express gave up its
standard design for temporary means of crossing the river for Workington to carry a record east Coast franchise in December
stations. The southbound 17 miles. number of customers and then 2009. Transport secretary lord
platform, constructed from Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s the new shuttle service provided adonis said it was unacceptable
scaffolding and wooden boards operations and customer even more capacity. for the operator to continue to
with a non-slip surface, was services director, said: ‘This is ‘I would like to thank our run other parts of the railway,
completed first, along with the just another example of how employees for the huge effort but stopped short of taking back
car park. everyone pulls together in times they have made to help the its other franchises early.
The northbound platform and of trouble.’ people of West Cumbria.’
council rejects barriers railtEam claims grEatEr rail awarEnEss
sheffield City Council has rejected east Midland Trains’ proposals to put An alliance of the seven main delivered a number of key
ticket barriers at entrances to the city’s railway station. high-speed rail operators in improvements including a
The automatic gates, which had been strongly opposed by nearby Europe, Railteam, has reported ‘hop on the next train’ facility,
residents and councillors, would have closed off pedestrian through- significantly improving which greatly improves service
routes that link areas behind the station to the city centre via the station, awareness of the pan-European continuity in disrupted
avoiding busy roads. high-speed rail network since its transfers.
The barriers, rejected on the grounds they would spoil the character of launch in July 2007. Through fares are now offered
the buildings, were a franchise commitment required by the DfT. As well as simplifying by a number of members
connections, Railteam has working in pairs.
JANUARY 2010 : rail professional 5
RPJan10 pp04-05 News.indd 5 10/12/09 17:09:33
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