Major milestone reached in improving accessibility at Llanelli station

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Major milestone reached in improving accessibility at Llanelli station

Network Rail has successfully installed the main span for the footbridge which will provide step-free access between the two platforms at Llanelli station.

Contractors AmcoGiffen installed the span overnight on Saturday, while the station was closed to passengers, with a temporary road closure of Great Western Crescent in place to allow access to the site.

The process of lifting and placing the span took two hours, and it followed recent work to install the landings and stairs on both platforms.

The next milestone at Llanelli station will see the lift shafts installed in the coming weeks as the project gathers pace.

Theo Smith, Network Rail Wales and Borders lead portfolio manager, said: “We’re really pleased to see the work progressing well at Llanelli station with the successful installation of the bridge span, following on from the recent installation of the staircases and landings.

“I’d like to thank passengers and residents for their patience while we continue making these important improvements. I look forward to seeing the completion of this work, which will provide a fully accessible station and more comfortable journeys for all rail users.”

Llanelli is one of six stations in Wales and Borders becoming step-free and more accessible, with the improvements being funded by the Department for Transport as part of the UK Government’s Access for All programme.

Image credit: Network Rail

Knottingley line reopens following landslip disruption

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Knottingley line reopens following landslip disruption

Rail passengers in Knottingley are being thanked by Network Rail for their patience and understanding during recent disruption to train services as work is completed to repair a landslip in the area.

The line between Knottingley and Pontefract Monkhill has reopened this morning following seven weeks of round-the-clock work by Network Rail engineers to rebuild an embankment after it slipped in early-March.

More than 2,000 tonnes of stone has been installed along with a new 30-metre retaining wall structure to strengthen the land. Sixty metres of track has been removed and replaced, with engineers also carrying out signalling and telecommunications work.

Teams have been working around the clock to reopen the line for local communities, with Network Rail thanking passengers and residents for their patience and understanding while the work has been carried out.

The landslip is believed to have been caused by the recent prolonged period of wet weather. However, during investigations, minor voids were discovered beneath the railway embankment that are believed to relate to historic mineral mining in the area. This has meant that the work to reopen the line has taken longer and has been more complex to complete.

Extensive work has since been carried out to fill the voids while engineers have also worked to reinstate the railway infrastructure above to allow the line to be reopened.

Engineers will continue to monitor the embankment to make sure that the land remains safe for trains to run over, with a temporary speed restriction in place through the area.

A rail replacement service has operated by Northern throughout the closure to keep passengers connected.

Over the next five years, Network Rail is investing £60m in Yorkshire and the North East to help tackle disruption brought by severe weather, with major drainage schemes taking place throughout the region and the creation of new dedicated drainage roles on the organisation’s North & East route.

Jason Hamilton, route director for Network Rail’s North & East route, said: “I want to say a huge thank you to our passengers and lineside neighbours for their understanding, patience, and acceptance during the disruption they have faced and of the need to work around-the-clock close to their homes.

“I’m delighted that we have completed this major repair work so that the people of Knottingley and the surrounding areas can once again travel freely by train.

“Our engineers have worked incredibly hard over the last seven weeks to carry out this work as quickly and as safely as possible and I want to thank them, also, for their dedication and work ethic.

“We will continue to monitor the embankment to make sure trains can continue to pass safely through the area.

Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, added: “We’re delighted to be able to resume services on the line between Pontefract Monkhill and Knottingley. Our colleagues at Network Rail have worked round-the-clock to make the line safe for our customers and we appreciate the patience and understanding shown by the people affected by this issue over recent weeks.”

Image credit: Network Rail

Passengers warned of bank holiday disruption between London and Birmingham

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Passengers warned of bank holiday disruption between London and Birmingham

Passengers travelling on the West Coast main line between Birmingham and London over the early May bank holiday are being urged to check before they travel.

Track and drainage improvements are being made which will help to make journeys more reliable for passengers and freight services in the future.

Journeys on the Chiltern Railways route between Aylesbury and Marylebone will also be affected while HS2 work continues in the area.

The improvements between Birmingham New Street and Euston, and on the West Coast main line to London, will mean:

  • From Saturday 4 to Monday 6 May, trains between Coventry and Birmingham New Street will be diverted and rail replacement buses will be in operation while 400 metres of drainage is replaced in the Berkswell area.
  • Euston station will be closed to main line train services on Sunday 5 May while major track upgrades take place at Wembley, Leighton Buzzard and Stafford. Trains to and from the south on the West Coast main line will start and finish at Milton Keynes.

The improvements on the Chiltern Railways route between Aylesbury and Marylebone will mean:

  • On Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May, there will be changes to journeys between Great Missenden and Aylesbury while HS2 engineers continue work to prepare for a new 350m viaduct being built over the existing railway in Wendover

Network Rail and train operators Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, West Midlands Railways, and London Northwestern Railways are advising passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel as journeys could take longer, there might be fewer available seats, and they may need to use rail replacement buses.

Martin Colmey, operations director for Network Rail’s Central route, said: “We have been making great progress on major rail improvements this spring and I’d like to thank passengers for their continued patience while we carry out more must-do work between 4 and 6 May.

“We have seen extremely wet weather this winter and the replacement of the drainage between Birmingham and Coventry will help to keep train services reliable for both passengers and freight. The work at Great Missenden is vital as part of the ongoing construction of HS2.

“We know there is never an ideal time to shut the railway but bank holidays continue to be the least disruptive time for us to carry out this essential work. Our advice is to plan ahead and check before you travel with National Rail Enquiries or your train operator.”

Image credit: Network Rail

Start selling tickets further in advance say passengers

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Start selling tickets further in advance say passengers

With less than three months until the start of the summer holidays, Campaign for Better Transport and rail passengers are calling on train companies to change the way they sell advance tickets to encourage more people to travel by rail.

The transport charity wants to see the ‘official booking window’ – currently 12 weeks ahead of travel but could be less depending on where you purchase your ticket – changed to 16 weeks to encourage more people to take the train rather than fly or drive.

To enable this to happen, Campaign for Better Transport is calling for Network Rail’s deadline for publishing timetables to be extended from 12 to 16 weeks, and for all train companies and ticket retailers to start selling all tickets at least 16 weeks in advance.

Michael Solomon Williams from charity Campaign for Better Transport said: “With less than three months until the summer holidays begin, holidays, hotels and event tickets can be booked, but many train tickets simply aren’t available yet. Having such a small booking window makes planning train journeys harder than it needs to be and is reducing rail’s competitiveness with other modes of transport like flying and driving. It’s time all train companies and retailers offered passengers a bigger booking window so that people can plan their travel further in advance knowing they are getting the cheapest ticket available.”

Booking windows vary widely by train company, ticket type and time of travel, with open tickets available further in advance from certain retailers, in some cases with the proviso of the booking being subject to change once the timetable is confirmed. Out of 20 train companies, Campaign for Better Transport found that only eight facilitate booking advance tickets more than 12 weeks ahead (Caledonian Sleeper, Grand Central, GWR, LNER, Lumo, and Hull Trains, Northern and TransPennine Express). However, on some of these, this is only available on weekday services.

Campaign for Better Transport argues that this inconsistency is creating confusion for passengers, damaging trust in the railways and making rail less competitive with flying and driving at a time when it is vitally important that sustainable travel is made as simple as possible for all.

David Murray from Falkirk, Scotland, is planning a train journey to Norwich in September with two bicycles. He said: “Tickets for the Peterborough to Norwich leg of our journey are not available until 12 weeks before departure and trains only carry two cycles. At the moment we don’t know if we can travel on our intended dates, yet in order to obtain accommodation at the best places it may be necessary to book months in advance. This makes a mockery of environmentally friendly travel and low impact tourism. It is little wonder people drive.”

John LeGrove from Glossop, Derbyshire, said: “The narrow booking window is frustrating and off-putting for folk intending to go on long-distance trips, especially where air travel is a practical alternative.”

Only a handful of train companies and booking websites are currently selling cheaper advance tickets for journeys beyond the middle of July. This means that people planning to attend major tourist events this summer, including the Edinburgh Festival, the Great North Run, Leeds and Reading Music Festivals, England’s cricket matches with Sir Lanka and Australia, horse racing’s St Leger Festival and the Tour of Britain cycling race, could find themselves unable to book their train tickets or having to buy more expensive open tickets.

Jeremy Bartlett from Norwich said: ” Every year I book a holiday cottage early in the year but can’t book a train until much nearer the time. I book the Caledonian Sleeper in advance but can’t book tickets to London to connect with the sleeper train yet. It’s ridiculous. It puts people off travelling by train.”

Whilst domestic rail passengers are restricted by the current narrow booking window, Eurostar and European trains are bookable much further in advance meaning that those planning to travel by train to Europe from the UK, or vice versa, are unable to book their entire journey in one go.

Julia from Scotland said: “I have already booked the Eurostar and my onward trains to Germany, but I cannot book the trains to and from London, so I have to hope that I get a good and cheap ticket. It’s fairly ridiculous – in Germany you can book trains up to 15 months in advance.”

Campaign for Better Transport is calling on train companies to end this inconsistency and make things simpler for passengers. To help extend the booking window and ensure that journeys can be booked up to 16 weeks ahead of travel, the transport charity is calling on Network Rail to better manage repairs and upgrades and set its engineering works timetable at least 16 weeks in advance to enable passengers to plan their journeys and train companies to sell tickets without the need to worry about possible changes.

Image credit: Campaign for Better Transport

Great Northern and Thameslink help SEND teens navigate railway

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Great Northern and Thameslink help SEND teens navigate railway

Cambridge and Peterborough-based teenagers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have been shown the ins and outs of train travel by Great Northern and Thameslink.

The ‘Try A Train’ event, hosted by station teams from St Neots and Stevenage, formed part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Preparing for Adult SEND Festival: My Life: My Future that runs until 3 May.

Station Manager Karen Chudovsky, Station Assistant James Francis, and Accessibility Engagement Manager Antony Merlyn gave 13 youngsters from Lime Academy Orton in Peterborough and Castle School in Cambridge a guided tour of both stations.

They showed them how to find out when trains are leaving, how to buy a ticket, the importance of keeping behind the yellow line and the help and support staff are there to provide.

They also handed out goodie bags which included printed copies of parent company Govia Thameslink Railway’s ‘Easy train travel guide’ that is specially designed for customers with learning disabilities.

During the 25-minute train journey between St Neots and Stevenage, Karen and Antony demonstrated the different features of the train. At Stevenage, after an overview of the station, everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch in one of the waiting rooms.

Emma Boughen of Lime Academy, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for our young people to get out about in the community and experience train travel. They were looked after all day and felt safe and confident throughout.

“It was made very clear that Great Northern and Thameslink value and prioritise travellers with special needs and learning difficulties.”

Antony Merlyn, railway accessibility engagement manager at Govia Thameslink said: “We want everyone to have the confidence to use our services. This tour has the potential to make a real difference to these young people as they prepare for adulthood and the next stage in their lives. We were delighted to be able to help.”

The council has linked the Try a Train session to its Regions of Learning Digital Badge. Individual young people and schools can download the badge which highlights achievements and skills gained from the sessions, such as confidence, motivation, listening, participation and independence.

Copies of Thameslink and Great Northern’s Easy Travel Guide and other helpful support tools can be found at either one of the companies’ websites on their Assisted Travel page.

Image credit: Govia Thameslink Railway

Porterbrook to electrify Long Marston test track

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Porterbrook to electrify Long Marston test track

Having secured the purchase of the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire last month, rolling stock financier and asset management company Porterbrook has confirmed its latest plans for the site to renew and electrify the 3.5km track.

Once completed at the end of 2025, the major development will take the company’s total investment in the centre to over £75 million since 2021.

“With the future of Long Marston now confirmed we’ve wasted no time starting the next phase of the site improvements to reinforce our commitment to being a long-term partner for the rail industry” said Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook.

“Substantial replacement of life-expired vehicles is needed over the next decade, and the track upgrades mean that we can deliver the best level of service with our manufacturing partners to provide a full turnkey solution for new rolling stock entering service.”

Trains will be able to test at speeds of up to 50mph, with the capability to support new European Train Control System (ETCS) in cab signalling, and compatibility with other forms of traction including hydrogen, battery and diesel.

Porterbrook has overseen a transformation of Long Marston since it took over the operations in 2021, including significantly improved roads, enhanced training services, refurbished offices, and a £3 million Asset Management Facility.

Image credit: Porterbrook

SAVE THE DATE – RailStaff Awards 28.11.24

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SAVE THE DATE – RailStaff Awards 28.11.24

It’s that time again – the countdown to the RailStaff Awards has begun, and although 2023’s event set the bar impossibly high, this year it will be bigger and better than ever!

Last year’s extravaganza wowed everyone in attendance. From rail managers to customer service assistants, apprentices to training managers, the full breadth and depth of the industry’s workers was represented.

The Awards become more impressive each year, and last year saw a party like no other. The evening’s theme was ‘Effervescence’, a celebration of everything that oozes glitz and glamour, and attendees dressed to the nines for a night of indulgence. Star of TV and Radio Gethin Jones compèred the evening’s events, guiding guests through the night with his easy charm, making the special occasion all the more memorable.

Every year, the RailStaff Awards gains more attention, more nominations, and more positive feedback, but what is the key to its success?

While the industry has its fair share of awards evenings, only the RailStaff Awards, which began in 2007, stand out as being completely different from the rest.

One major difference is that the Awards are solely for the industry’s amazing staff – the people that keep the wheels turning. Firms can encourage their employees to enter and even help them through the process, but at the end of the day, the individual takes home the prize, not the company.

The RailStaff Awards recognise those who go the extra mile, whether that’s supporting their co-workers, making the railway safer, helping society at large, or just making peoples’ days a little brighter.

In short, they’re the people who work beyond their jobs, setting aside their precious time for others, and teaching us all to show a little more humanity.

If you work alongside a colleague who deserves some recognition, nominate them in one of our 19 categories today.

THE CATEGORIES IN FULL:

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN, CLICK HERE

Show your appreciation
The most common feedback we receive is when nominees express their appreciation for those who’ve put them forward for an award. By nominating a railway superstar you’re recognising the amazing work they do and the impact they have on those around them. Past winners and finalists all agree that hearing their name read out on the night is one of the proudest moments of their lives.

Individuals and teams can be nominated by colleagues, co-workers, management, friends, union reps, and even the public. Anyone can nominate, but there’s one rule – you can’t nominate yourself.

Once all the nominations are received, public voting commences. Anyone and everyone can go onto the Awards’ website and cast their vote, whether that’s for an entry that really captures their imagination or just to show support for a friend or acquaintance.

With all the public votes in, details of the top nominees in each category are sent to an independent judging panel composed of industry leaders. The judging teams choose a winner and up to two ‘highly commended’ entries for each category.

Enjoy the evening
The RailStaff Awards is always a spectacular event but, more than that, it’s a celebration of the people that make the industry great. It’s an evening when the whole railway family comes together to honour its brightest stars. Winners and finalists come from all levels of the industry to mix and mingle and have a fantastic time.

Join us on 28 November for a spectacular evening. Enjoy a delicious meal and spectacular entertainment and, once the Awards ceremony is over, dance the night away with your friends and colleagues.

If you’ve never attended the RailStaff Awards, make 2024 your year. It’s not a ball, it’s not a networking event, and it’s not a corporate event – it’s all of those things and more.

Memorial to WW2 railway hero set at York station

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Memorial to WW2 railway hero set at York station

LNER, the British Transport Police (BTP) History Group, ‘Raids Over York’ heritage project, and Normandy veteran Ken Cooke have joined together to commemorate the life of Robert Smith, an LNER railway police constable who served at York Railway Station during World War Two.

A memorial and dedication service took place at York Cemetery on Monday 29 April, where a wreath was laid at the site of a new headstone, which will act as a lasting reminder of the life of Robert Smith. The police officer, along with another LNER worker William Milner, were among 94 people who lost their lives during the Baedeker air raid in York during the early hours of 29 April 1942.

Hundreds of people were injured in the Luftwaffe raids which hit historic targets, with York one of five English cathedral cities bombed. Warning of an imminent air-raid attack had already been given that night as the late running 22:15 London King’s Cross to Edinburgh sleeper service arrived at York station. Eight hundred passengers had been safely evacuated from the train when the first bomb fell.

This was closely followed by another near the parcel office, together with a shower of bombs across the station buildings. Debris from the roof soon set fire to the station and was further fuelled by hundreds of gallons of paraffin in the lamp-room. Robert Smith was working in the station’s post room and was killed. William Milner also lost his life.

Until now there has never been a memorial stone for Robert, however in 2017, the BTP History Group unveiled a wooden cross for Robert and his family on his resting place. Now, 82 years on, LNER has arranged for a permanent headstone to be placed at his previously unmarked grave.

David Horne, managing director at LNER, said: “With no family of his own having been located, to see Robert Smith’s railway family come together for his memorial service ensures that we will never forget his immense courage and bravery. There is now a lasting memorial to a dedicated LNER colleague and family man, who sacrificed his own life to save others.”

John Owen from BTP History Group, added: “Robert’s story was first uncovered when researching the Roll of Honour of fallen railway police officers. When we realised he had received very little recognition, we worked on finding out more about his life. His grave at York Cemetery had been unmarked and unkept for many years. Now there is a fitting tribute for everyone to pay their respects to a former colleague and to honour Robert’s life.”

Image credit: LNER

West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry sign new long-term maintenance contract

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West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry sign new long-term maintenance contract

West Midlands Trains (WMT) has signed a new long-term maintenance contract with CrossCountry to continue maintaining the long-distance operator’s Class 170 fleet at WMT’s Tyseley depot in Birmingham.

The contract, which started this month, secures jobs in the region through to 2031 and reaffirms the partnership between the two train operating companies. It will see WMT continue to maintain, service and clean the Class 170 fleet.

John Doughty, engineering director at West Midlands Trains, said: “Servicing, maintaining and cleaning the Class 170 fleet has been, and continues to be, an important part of Tyseley depot’s workload and we are delighted to have signed this new contract with CrossCountry.

“The Class 170 fleet provides services connecting regions running from Cardiff and Gloucester in the west through Birmingham to Derby, Leicester and Nottingham in the East Midlands and onwards to Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport in the east.

“The fleet shares many synergies with West Midlands Trains’ own class 172 fleet and the contract ties in perfectly with our commitment to investing in new infrastructure at depots.”

Adrian Hugill, CrossCountry’s fleet & engineering director, said: “It’s fantastic to announce our renewed contract with West Midlands Trains who have looked after our regional Class 170 fleet so carefully for many years already. With Tyseley so close to the hub of the CrossCountry network in Birmingham, not only does this decision make perfect operational sense, but it’s important for us to support the communities and economies in Tyseley and wider Birmingham with many more years of planned work for the West Midlands Trains depot.”

As part of infrastructure investments, in addition to a completed new stores building and an already improved fuelling and servicing facility, Tyseley depot is undergoing major upgrades.

The work includes the installation of four new high level mobile gantries and hoists, a synchronous lift facility to lift a full length unit, a package of environmental improvements including shore supplies to reduce diesel engine running, extensions to two of the maintenance buildings and the introduction of an Automatic Vehicle Inspection System (AVIS).

Image credit: WMT

Trenitalia c2c’s Electrostar trains clock up 150 million miles

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Trenitalia c2c’s Electrostar trains clock up 150 million miles

East London and South Essex rail firm Trenitalia c2c Ltd (c2c) is celebrating a major operational milestone as its fleet of 357 Electrostar trains clock up 150 million service miles.

C2c’s fleet of 357 ‘Electrostar’ trains have recently completed an incredible 150 million service miles – that’s an average of 2 million miles per unit and roughly equates to a trip from Earth to Mars!

357 trains were introduced to the c2c line in the early 2000s, replacing the ‘slam-door’ trains which had served the route with British Rail for many years beforehand.

One million miles (on average per unit) were passed in 2013, and the combined fleet total of 100 million was achieved in 2017. Since 2016, the fleet has operated more than seven-million-unit miles each year, that’s an incredible 175,000 trips between Shoeburyness and London Fenchurch Street.

Commenting on the 150 million miles milestone, c2c Operations and Engineering Director Laura McEwen said: “Our trusted and recognisable 357s have been synonymous with c2c and our route since they were first introduced over 20 years ago.

“Each year c2c continues to achieve some of the best punctuality and reliability figures of any train operator in the country, and it is no coincidence that our fleet of 357 trains are behind these excellent results.

“Our award-winning engineering and maintenance teams work around the clock, seven days a week, to ensure our 357s are ready to serve the tens of thousands of customers they carry each day.”

c2c’s 357 ‘Electrostar’ trains are recognised by the wider industry as being one of the most trusted and reliable trains in the country, and have led to c2c being awarded prestigious ‘Golden Spanner’ and ‘Golden Whistle’ awards in recent years.

Laura added: “Our 357 trains have plenty of life and millions of miles left in them yet, and they will continue to serve our customers – supported by our new Aventra Class 720 trains – for years to come.”

Image credit: c2c

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