Northern Powerhouse Rail could be revived
The plan to build Northern Powerhouse Rail is reported to be back on the government’s agenda, and it could include a new railway on the alignment of HS2 between Crewe and Manchester. The Prime Minister may announce the change of heart at the Labour Party conference in September.
The transport secretary has written to train operators, giving her full support to the conclusions of a recent Office of Rail and Road report on how TOCs deal with passengers who try to evade paying fares. It had called for improvements to revenue protection, so that it becomes more consistent and fairer, and also effective.
The RMT is holding a mass meeting in Manchester today as part of its national campaign to end outsourcing on the railways. The RMT argues that all rail jobs such as cleaning, catering, engineering and station services should be brought back in-house to reverse decades of outsourcing that have ‘driven down pay, eroded conditions and undermined safety’.
Speed restrictions are being imposed on the c2c network in Essex from Monday and passengers are being warned that the timetable will change, resulting in longer journeys on some services. South Essex is the latest area where railways have been affected by exceptionally dry weather which causes the soil under lines to shrink, distorting the track on the surface.
Peak fares are to be abolished again on ScotRail from 1 September in line with a government promise, and the First Minister says that this time the change will be ‘for good’. Some fares will be reduced by almost half, with a return to Edinburgh from Glasgow coming down from 32.60 to 16.80, which is a reduction of 48.5 per cent. A return from Inverkeithing to Edinburgh will now be 7.40, rather than 12.60.
The drivers’ union ASLEF has welcomed a letter from the chief inspector of railways Richard Hines which is asking all train operators, including freight companies, to provide suitable toilets for their staff. Drivers have voiced their distress over the lack of toilets, which can be embarrassing and unhygienic.
The Office of Rail and Road has warned the Treasury that a lack of clear policy is discouraging railway investment from the private sector. The ORR has been reviewing its Rail Network Investment Framework, which sets out how third parties like private investors, local authorities and developers can work with Network Rail and the ORR to help with projects ranging from smaller improvements to larger schemes such as new stations or depots.