New Network Rail chief executive named
Network Rail has announced that Jeremy Westlake will be its next chief executive, after Sir Andrew Haines retires later this year. Mr Westlake is currently chief financial officer, and he will take over in October after a period of working alongside Sir Andrew.
Eurostar is proposing to invest 69 million pounds in upgrading and enlarging Temple Mills depot in East London, where capacity is in short supply. It is also urging the industry and government to work together to encourage private investment in new or upgraded depots for more international trains in south east England.
Competition to provide more trains between Bradford and London is being stepped up, as Grand Central continues to lobby for paths to provide two extra London trains a day from Bradford Interchange.
A lobby group representing manufacturers and a major bank is urging the government to think again about the abandoned sections of HS2 to Manchester and Leeds. A survey claims that 89 per cent of the companies questioned were in favour of building the rest of HS2, while a similar proportion supports faster connections between Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Hull and Newcastle.
The c2c National Rail Contract owned by Trenitalia ended at 02.00 on Sunday, as the operator became the second to be renationalised by the Labour government. The RMT has welcomed more renationalisation, but has renewed its call for outsourcing to be brought to an end as well.
A new study into restoring the railway between Oxford, Eynsham and Witney and continuing west to Carterton has concluded that the investment would reduce road congestion and bring other benefits. The study was commissioned by West Oxfordshire District Council.
The government has announced a new collaboration with France on cross-Channel transport, saying the aim is to take ‘ambitious action’ over decarbonisation, confirm a new regulatory framework following Brexit and encourage more rail operators to run international services.