News in brief...
Platform 20 at Waterloo re-opened Waterloo’s former International Terminal is coming to life with the re-opening of platform 20 six months ahead of schedule. The opening follows an agreement between the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance and the DfT that the platform, which was closed six years ago, can now be used when needed to relieve congestion at the UK’s busiest station. Preparations are continuing to
bring the platform - one of five at the facility - fully into use for timetabled services from May 2014. This will help accommodate the 108 additional carriages - set to be introduced this winter - which will provide extra capacity for around 23,000 peak time passengers every day.
Oldham to Rochdale line celebrates 150th anniversary The line opened on 2 November 1863 and operated as a heavy rail line until it closed in October 2009 for conversion to light rail. Figures taken in the first year since it re-opened in June 2012 show an increase in passenger numbers from 1,236,524 journeys between October 2008 and October 2009 to over 2,500,000 Metrolink journeys between October 2012 and October 2013. A commemorative plaque was unveiled by the Mayor of Oldham.
Electrifying NR contract for Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty has been awarded a Crossrail contract by Network Rail for the electrification of a 12.5 mile section of the Great Western Main Line. The contract covers the installation
of new overhead line electrification equipment on all lines between Stockley Junction (near Heathrow airport) and Maidenhead on the Crossrail west outer section. The new work follows the award to BB earlier this year of the track infrastructure contract for the same section.
Rail Freight Alliance launched
The formation was endorsed by the Rail Delivery Group after a framework and set of strategy objectives were agreed by the Rail Delivery Group’s Freight Group to: • deliver whole-industry cost savings • develop ‘smarter use’ of the network • establish a sustainable charging framework for freight Peter Maybury, chair of the RDG Freight Group said: ‘The creation of The Rail Freight Alliance is an important step-forward for rail freight. The Alliance will give it a stronger voice in the rail industry and give an opportunity to resolve some significant issues that remain for the sector.’ Paul McMahon, Freight director, Network Rail, said: ‘Greater collaboration between the operators and Network Rail will enable us all to better address the challenges and the opportunities that the sector faces in the next five years and beyond.’ Chris Wilson, secretary to the RDG
T
• the Rail Freight Alliance Foc’s are DB Schenker Rail
• rail freight has grown 60 per cent since privatisation and
UK, Freightliner Group, GB Railfreight, Direct Rail Services and Colas Rail
• rail freight directly contributes £870 million per
Freight Group, said the Alliance’s aims are to make the freight sector financially sustainable and encourage private investment. ‘We don’t want to put off investors for example during periodic reviews, which can be problematic, and we will work with the whole industry to make sure rail freight keeps going and is there to underpin the UK economy.’ The Office of Rail Regulation recently confirmed the charges that freight operators will pay for access to the rail network from April 2014. In its final determination, the regulator has confirmed that the framework of charges previously announced in the draft determination in June will apply with only minor changes.
Maggie Simpson, Rail Freight Group executive director, said: ‘We are pleased
that ORR has confirmed its previous conclusions, a balanced decision that is broadly affordable and fair. This document brings a conclusion to the Periodic Review 13, which has been a long and difficult process. We look forward to working with ORR and industry colleagues to now help establish a longer-term framework that will give the confidence and certainty necessary to support rail freight growth.’
However the Freight
Transport Association (FTA) said the ORR’s final determination, which will increase freight rates by 21 per cent over the control period - four per cent per year - will be a ‘major setback for promoting future growth for the sector if this is passed through in full to end users’. (See Delivering the goods Page 47)
Page 8 December 2013
• rail freight transports more than 100 million tonnes of
• the sector saves an additional 6.7 million lorry
goods - worth around £30 billion per annum
journey’s on Britain’s road network per annum - 1.4 billion lorry km or the equivalent of an additional 13,000 lorries travelling the distance between London and Manchester every day of the year.
annum to the UK economy and circa £5.9 billion per annum indirectly through the supply chains that it supports, six times its direct turnover
is forecast to double by 2043
he UK’s five major Foc’s and Network Rail have formed The Rail Freight Alliance in order to deliver a ‘sustainable and flourishing rail freight sector to the UK’.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140