Network Rail uncovers startling fly-tipping figures
Network Rail has discovered that 23 per cent of people in Britain don’t know that fly-tipping is illegal, according to the results of a new survey of 2,000 people. Fly-tipping is classed as a form of vandalism because it is not only unsightly but can also delay trains or even cause accidents.
The Northumberland Line connecting Ashington and Newcastle gained a third station this morning, when Newsham opened to passengers. A local councillor has predicted that the demand will be so great that Northern will have to lengthen its trains.
The RMT has called off industrial action on Avanti West Coast, which had involved train managers and threatened to disrupt services on Sundays until May. The dispute had been about payments for rest day working. Nine out of ten members voted, and 86.5 per cent accepted a proposed settlement.
Rail Partners to close, passengers favour open access, Midlands Connect gains support, Scottish green fuel trials and a story about bats and birds. Click for Friday news roundup.
A revised business case for completing Phase 1 of HS2 will not be ready before next year, the Department for Transport has warned. The project’s recently-appointed chief executive Mark Wild had previously conceded that ‘the programme is in a very serious situation that requires a fundamental reset to enable it to be delivered to the lowest feasible cost’.
Planning permission for a major freight hub in Leicestershire catering for 775m trains has been refused by the transport secretary. Heidi Alexander said the expected benefits of the scheme were outweighed by potential negative factors.
Virgin is reported to be making another bid to stay in the rail industry. This time, it is looking at international trains through the Channel Tunnel, and seeking to raise 700 million pounds for potential routes between London and cities like Paris and Brussels, in competition with Eurostar.