NEWS
Rail North in devolution partnership with DfT
A partnership has been agreed between Rail North and the DfT for the renewal of the Northern and TransPennine franchises.
The new franchises will be “collaboratively designed”, with a new single integrated structure to manage them. The new franchise process is due to begin in mid- 2014, with operators expected to be confirmed in late 2015 and to begin service in February 2016. Although the DfT will keep a major
stake in the specification and procurement of the franchise, Rail North is likely to play a larger role in its actual management once awarded. The process is due to begin in mid-2014, with operators expected to be confirmed in late 2015 and to begin service in February 2016.
Rail North’s objectives include multi-modal smart ticketing, replacement of life-expired trains, additional
capacity and station improvements.
The PTEs and councils involved in
Rail North have welcomed
the DfT’s decision, though the partnership
they have been
offered is a less radical change than some originally wanted.
Sir Richard Leese, vice chair of the
Stoke demands HS2 station
to run through to Manchester up to seven years earlier, the council claims.
Its leader Cllr Mohammed
Stoke-on-Trent has issued ambitious proposals to re-route HS2 and site a major new station in the city to help address the north-south divide.
The city council has submitted plans to the government’s consultation on the route between Birmingham and Manchester proposing a high speed station that could double the size of Stoke’s economy and provide wider connectivity benefits across the whole region.
The proposed route, run alongside the WCML from Stone to Manchester, could knock £5bn off the costs of HS2 and allow trains
Pervez said: “Our proposals for an international high speed rail interchange connecting us to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool will put Stoke-on-Trent at the centre of a powerful economic super-region which can begin to counter London’s inexorable pull on resources, jobs and talent.
“HS2 needs to serve the regional economies, not bypass them.”
Centre for Cities senior economist Paul Swinney said: “The building of any new rail
stations to
serve a city…should ideally be located
within, or as close
as is practicably possible, to city
centres. Improving the connectivity of our city centres is an important element of making them good locations to do business.”
10 | rail technology magazine Feb/Mar 14
Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said: “I’m delighted that the Secretary of State has been able to give his seal of approval to the work done by Rail North and the DfT to make this partnership a reality. We believe that a devolved railway will focus more on the places of the North, their prosperity and passengers. The railway has a key role to play in a more robust north of England economy, and sustainable economic growth must be supported by improved connectivity across the north.
“The joint working between the north of England authorities builds on the
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “I am determined to give local people a greater say in running their railways and this will make sure they are at the heart of these decisions. Officials will now work hard to take these proposals forward as we get set for the competitions for the Northern and TransPennine franchises from 2016.”
priorities and approach taken in making the case for the Northern Hub and the north of England rail
electrification infrastructure projects.”
There will be an interview with David Brown, chief executive at Merseytravel and chair of pteg, about Rail North in the April/May edition of RTM.
New courses launched to promote careers in rail
The Smallpeice Trust has launched two new residential courses to encourage young people to consider a career in the rail industry.
The residential courses for 15 to 17 year olds will be held at the University
of Birmingham and
the University of Huddersfield and are sponsored by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) and NSARE.
Students will explore the technical and operational sys- tems needed to create a high speed
rail network, including
aerodynamics, vehicle dynam- ics, crashworthiness, radio communications, and railway
control and signalling systems.
They will be challenged to design and build rail vehicles to see which performs best on track, in a wind tunnel, and in a crash test.
The trust stated: “On each course, students will meet and talk to young engineers who are following a path in these exciting fields, giving them a greater understanding of the roles they undertake and the wide range of career prospects that are available.”
More about efforts to engage schoolchildren and students with the rail industry on pages 72-77.
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