Grand re-opening for Newport station


Newport's ticket office and new roof


the old station, the new building is ready to cater to future passenger growth, as well as the expected influx of 2,000 extra passengers per day during the Ryder Cup. Mike Gallop, principal


programme sponsor at Network Rail, said: ‘Investment in rail is a necessity and not a luxury, and Wales relies on rail. The landmark station will transform passengers’ travel experiences and, more importantly, it will help open up new opportunities for the city as it becomes more attractive to businesses.


‘Sustained investment in rail will be vital to help unleash the economic potential in Wales.’ Mike Otlet, technical director


by Tracey Lattimore


Newport’s state-of-the-art station has finally reopened its doors, offering a new gateway to Wales. The revamped station – the


largest station transformation in Wales – leads the way for a successful partnership between local government, businesses and the rail industry in improving rail infrastructure to support social and economic developments. The new station represents a


step change in transport design, as it uses a featherweight plastic


covering that is 100 times lighter than glass, and requires a fraction of the steel and concrete support of a normal structure. The special material, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, is also used by the Eden Project. The station has also been


built with the facility to harvest rainwater for re-use, while the space in the public concourses is naturally ventilated. Newport station serves more


than two million passengers – an increase of around 30 per cent over the last five years. Twice the size of


of Atkins, the principal consultancy on the project, said: ‘Newport station is an iconic example of clever design and engineering excellence. A key consideration of the design was how to minimise the building’s energy demands and carbon emissions, and that meant our experts using state-of-the-art design tools to optimise the design. ‘We believe the building will


provide an outstanding feature for the people of Newport, as well as proving a highly efficient and interesting station for travellers to enjoy.’


New rail jobs created in Scotland by Arthur Allan


The rail industry in Scotland has received a double boost of investment from operators. ScotRail has begun to recruit


for 130 new jobs across the central belt. Meanwhile, Virgin has opened a new maintenance facility in Glasgow. The jobs are all linked to the new Glasgow-Edinburgh route via Airdrie, due to open in December. They include drivers, ticket examiners, cleaners and station staff. Seven staff will work from the


relocated Bathgate station, which opens this month. ScotRail says it will also recruit a further 56 people across the new route. Ron McAulay, Network Rail


director, Scotland, said: ‘These jobs are likely to be the first of many to be created as a direct or indirect result of the Airdrie to Bathgate link.’ Virgin has invested more than


£2m in new premises at Polmadie, south of Glasgow. The facility will be devoted to maintenance of the Super Voyager tilting trains that link Glasgow and Edinburgh with


Birmingham. Polmadie is already home to a service centre managed by Alstom to maintain Virgin’s Pendolino fleet. Virgin and Alstom say the new


development means more work can be carried out in Glasgow without the need for trains to go on to depots elsewhere. ‘Glasgow is very important to us,’ said Roy Sullivan, Alstom’s mainline operations director. At a ceremony to launch the


new facility, train driver Joe Porter named a Super Voyager train Polmadie Depot.


Southern flushed by attention to onboard toilets


A media storm has centred on Southern after it was revealed that the Toc will be introducing Class 313s onto its network, as the trains do not have toilets. Southern put out a


statement saying: ‘Contrary to reports in the media, these trains are not newly built, though they are being refreshed with an interior paint, new seats and flooring, and flexible spaces for wheelchairs and cycles making them feel “as new”. 'These trains were built


without toilets and have been used successfully for many years without them.’ The trains are usually used


for short commuter services, for example Moorgate to Hertford North, which takes 50 minutes. But Southern will be using the trains on its Brighton to Portsmouth Service, which is up to 85 minutes. However, the operator says


that its Brighton to Portsmouth stopping service is typically used by passengers whose journeys are less than half an hour and that the majority of trains on this route will still have toilets.


Anthony Smith, Passenger


Focus chief executive, said: ‘This is definitely a blow for some passengers, especially those travelling with children. Older passengers and people with conditions which require them to answer the call to nature more frequently will also struggle. However, these changes will help ease overcrowding which will be welcomed by passengers.’ The additional trains are part


of a commitment for Southern to increase its fleet capacity by 10 per cent. The 20 units are from a rolling stock cascade, which sees them passed on to Southern from London Overground, which has new Class 378 Capitalstars.


PAGE 8 OCTOBER 2010


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