Busy holiday resort station remains closed after fire
The Devon holiday resort of Paignton could be without trains during the start of this year’s peak summer season, after the station was badly damaged by a fire. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the cause was suspicious, and three boys aged 13, 15 and 16 have been arrested on suspicion of arson.
Network Rail has imposed speed restrictions on some lines in the east of England, after prolonged dry weather caused the soil under the railway to shrink. Engineering work to repair the uneven railway which results will be causing some timetable changes from early August.
The RMT is to stage protest strikes at East Midlands Railway on the first three Saturdays in August as the operator continues to struggle with problems affecting its fleet of new Class 810 Aurora trains, built by Hitachi. EMR has cut back its intercity and regional services so that the number of trains available matches the advertised service more closely, with the intention of making last-minute cancellations less likely.
A new passenger information system is being tested on 38 ScotRail trains in the Glasgow area. Dubbed the On Train Passenger Announcements system, it has been developed by Network Rail, train operators and the Rail Delivery Group.
Fewer East Midlands Railway intercity services are running from today, because of problems with the operator’s new Hitachi Class 810 Aurora trains, as well as holdups in maintaining the long-standing Class 222 Meridian fleet, for which Hitachi is now responsible. The Class 810s should have replaced the 222s, but the transition has not gone smoothly, partly because the 810s started to arrive three years later than planned.
The first trains to carry the new Great British Railways identity for Anglia have been unveiled at London Liverpool Street station. The event confirmed that regional identities will be carried on GBR trains.
Merseyrail may run only an emergency service this weekend if the RMT stages a strike over pay. Only the Southport line could have a 15-minute service on Saturday and Sunday, to take spectators to the Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale, which started on Sunday.