move their goods to and from ports.'
Network Rail Consulting has signed a memorandum of understanding with RSSB to work together to secure overseas
business. The NRC says the partnership means will mean it can provide ‘an
even broader package of services around the world.’ RSSB hopes to generate new revenues to support its work, as well as development opportunities for its staff. Nigel Ash, managing director of Network Rail Consulting, said:
‘Being able to draw on the body of work and expertise in RSSB is a great addition to our portfolio, which is yielding a lot of interest across the globe. There is tremendous appetite to call on our experience as rail specialists, and it’s fitting to be able to weave in RSSB’s knowledge of cross-industry issues and make that available on an international stage too.’ Anson Jack, deputy chief executive of RSSB said: ‘All of our members – including Network Rail – invest time and money into research, development, innovation and solutions, designed specifically to benefit the British national rail system and support business performance improvements in each company. These solutions also have the potential to support development overseas, and Network Rail Consulting is an ideal partner to help promote these around the world.’
The £40 million investment is part of a scheme to increase capacity at the Port of Felixstowe that includes the new berths 8 & 9, opened in November 2011. Co-financed by the European Union Trans-European Transport Network programme, the new terminal allows the port to accommodate trains of up to 35-wagons length. Ten kilometres of new track has been laid for it, which provides nine additional tracks, making a total of 20 tracks on the port – more than King’s Cross station - and it has the only traverser at a UK intermodal terminal. Stephen Hammond, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that Felixstowe has 'long been at the forefront of efforts to promote the use of rail for container freight and thus to reduce congestion and environmental impact from HGV's.'
Disability rights group Transport for All has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority over Crossrail claims that the new line will be an ‘accessible’ railway, despite the fact that seven stations are not planned to have step-free access. Transport for All, which represents older and disabled transport users, has criticised posters displayed at stations which claim ‘When Crossrail opens in 2018/2019 it will bring you a new high frequency, convenient, accessible railway’. The charity has written to the ASA stating that the advert contravenes the CAP advertising code on truthfulness. Four stations in London
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has urged businesses in Northern Ireland to take advantage of the opportunities that
London’s £14.8 billion Crossrail project has to offer. Speaking at a visit to Dromore-based Environmental Fabrications, which has already supplied 300 tonnes of steel to Crossrail, she said: 'Crossrail presents huge business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies across a broad range of sectors. My department, through Invest Northern Ireland, is actively working to encourage firms to investigate the wide variety of contracts available.' The minister was accompanied by Crossrail chairman Terry
Morgan, who said: 'Building a new railway in London doesn’t just benefit the southeast of England – it supports jobs and creates business opportunities right around the UK. There will be billions of pounds worth of contracts coming up over the next few years so it’s vital that firms don’t miss out on the opportunities that Europe’s largest construction project has to offer.' It is estimated that Crossrail will create at least 75,000 business opportunities for UK firms and support the equivalent of 55,000 full- time jobs. More than three in five businesses currently winning work are based outside London and over half are SME's.
(Hanwell in Ealing, Manor Park and Maryland in Newham, Seven Kings in Redbridge) and three outside London (Taplow, Iver and Langley) will be out of bounds to wheelchair users and other disabled people, as Crossrail’s planned renovations do not include lifts at these stations. Hanwell, Manor Park, Maryland and Seven Kings all have more than thirty steps to platform. The complaint comes as
Transport for All launch its Crossrail: Access Denied campaign, urging people to contact their MP’s. The charity is organising an action in London for an accessible Crossrail on August 31st, one year after the start of the Paralympics. Lianna Etkind, campaigns coordinator at Transport for All, said: ‘I don’t know what definition of ‘accessible’ Crossrail is using, but accessible to everyone who’s not disabled, not old, not carrying shopping, and not using a pushchair is not accessible in the normal sense of the word. We are urging Crossrail to invest in the accessibility that will benefit all of us. Public transport isn’t public until we can all use it.’
Crossrail has stated that it ‘will continue to support the feasibility
The new North Rail terminal, which doubles rail capacity at Britain’s biggest container port, was opened recently by Prince
Andrew, the Duke of York. Clemence Cheng, CEO of Hutchison Ports, owner of the Port
of Felixstowe, said: 'Rail is becoming the mode of choice for an increasing number of shipping lines, forwarders and shippers to
Page 14 July/August 2013
work being carried out by other organisations at some of the locations for the provision of step-free access.’ Transport for All pointed out that research commissioned by
the government from transport consultancy Steer Davies Gleave estimates that for every pound invested in station access, £2.90 accrues in economic benefits.
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