NEWS
Network Rail managers take industrial action
More than 2,000 rail managers are staging a three-week ban on weekend working in a row over a below-inflation pay offer.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) members called for the action, from 5 to 22 September, because managers
in Network Rail bands 1-4 were offered a pay rise of 2%. This was 1.1% lower than the figure awarded to workers in bands 5-8.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “While we understand the TSSA's position is to push for more money for their members,
we have a responsibility to drive through savings, especially as it would be British taxpayers that would foot the bill wage settlement.”
for any big
The TSSA said the action would disrupt weekend travel – but Network Rail said it would not.
Engineers ‘reconsidering’ GEML engineering work doesn't go to plan.
Network Rail has said it is reconsidering planned engineering work in Suffolk after weekend works in August overran, causing major disruptions on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML).
It was the third time this summer that engineering work has over-
run on the line, and the tenth time since December 2008.
Steven Cassidy, area director for Network Rail, told the BBC: “We're still carrying out reviews... and looking at the rest of the work to be carried out in Ipswich and the contingencies involved if it
“It's still not acceptable and we are dealing with 30-40 year old equipment and unfortunately we found issues that were unexpected.”
Ahead of works on Sunday, 7
September, Network Rail area director Andy Boyle said: “I am not going to cause carnage on the rail network over this. We will look at all the planned work and how it will be carried out.”
See the RTM website for updates on these works.
Network Rail names partners for £250m rail renewals programme routes during CP5.
The chosen suppliers will deliver 1,000 maintenance and renewals projects on the routes – improving bridges, station buildings, tunnels and footbridges.
Network Rail has named the seven successful framework applicants who will deliver £250m worth of building and civils work on the Scotland and LNE/East Midlands
If the suppliers work within budget and prove the work has been carried out safely, their contracts can be extended for another two years.
Rob McIntosh, regional director at Network
Rail Infrastructure Projects, said: “These new
frameworks represent a significant commitment by suppliers, allowing us to work closely with them so that work can be carried out more quickly and efficiently.”
The winning suppliers are: LNE & East Midlands route (Total value approx. £150m): • Structures – Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Viaducts – Taziker Industrial Ltd • Bridge reconstruction – Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Structure repairs –
Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Station footbridges –
Construction Marine Ltd • Earthworks – Construction Marine Ltd
• Station buildings – Miller Construction (UK) Ltd • Major structures – Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd
Scotland route (Total value approx. £100m):
• Structures – Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Structures repairs – Taziker Industrial Ltd
• Geotechnical (earthworks) – QTS Group Ltd
• Buildings – Story Contracting Shrewsbury and Blackpool await ORR decision
A formal application from Network Rail and Virgin has been submitted to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) that would restore direct rail services from both Shropshire and Blackpool to London.
Campaigners in Shropshire have been pressing for such services ever since the Wrexham & Shropshire direct services were axed in 2011. Even those services were slow trains into London Marylebone – it has been years
since Shropshire passengers have had a direct,
fast link to
London via the West Coast Main Line (WCML), as Virgin is now planning, while Blackpool’s direct services were withdrawn in 2003.
Assuming there are no problems, Virgin Trains expects to be able to have services operating by the end of the year. A spokeswoman said: “The date of December is certainly one we are still looking at for trains to be running from
14 | rail technology magazine Aug/Sep 14
The ORR rejected Virgin’s previous bid in August 2013. But Bethan Thomas, of the ORR, hinted that this time could be different: “Unlike Virgin’s previous proposals, this application is to extend current services to and from Shrewsbury and Blackpool rather than introducing additional trains on the very busy south end of the WCML, so the capacity and performance implications are
Shropshire to London again.”
likely to be less of an issue this time.”
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