Borders ambitions frustrated A feasibility study into extending the Borders Railway from Tweedbank to Carlisle has been put on hold, as part of the Government’s plan to close an alleged ‘funding gap’ of £22 billion in the public finances. Other railway reopening schemes on the Restoring Your Railway list have already been suspended, although work has continued on Mid Cornwall Metro, where a second platform is now being built at Newquay. The Cornish scheme escaped the Treasury axe because it is being funded with almost £50 million from the separate Levelling Up fund. The Northumberland Line is also set to reopen soon between Ashington and Newcastle. Railway to close for landslip work A section of railway in Kent will be closed for four days at the end of next month, so that work to prevent landslips can be carried out. The possession, from 31 October to 3 November, will allow engineers to build a 200m sheet pile wall near East Farleigh, and other renewals will be made while the line is closed. Buses will replace trains between Paddock Wood and Maidstone West. Greater Anglia life-saving classes Greater Anglia is showing its support for World Suicide Prevention Day today, by training more staff in suicide prevention to help keep people safe on the railway. Staff have already helped to save 20 lives so far this year by helping vulnerable or distressed people. In the last three years, 141 GA staff have completed Samaritans’ managing suicidal contacts course, and another session is being held at Norwich tomorrow, using Greater Anglia trainers.
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New ticketless travel rules in Wales Ticketless rail passengers in south Wales face a penalty fare for the first time today, as Transport for Wales extends its penalty fare zone to include South Wales Metro routes and the Welsh Marches line to Shrewsbury and Manchester. The penalty is £20, but TfW has warned that it may increase its penalty fare to £100, which would bring it in line with England. Penalty fares do not apply to passengers boarding at stations which have no ticket office or machines, but they must pay on the train as soon as possible. Motorway reopens after railway bridge work The M62 has reopened at Castleton, near Rochdale, after two weekends of work by Network Rail engineers to replace a bridge over the motorway. Network Rail is investing more than £22 million to rebuild the 42 metre, 2000 tonne structure, and the M62 has been closed over two weekends to allow the work to go ahead. A total of 120 people worked around the clock to demolish the existing bridge, on the line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale, using 11 excavators to pull the old bridge apart while the road below was closed. Manchester platforms closed Two platforms at Manchester Piccadilly will be closed until 29 September, because engineers are installing new netting under the trainshed roof. The work, which began in June, is being carried out in phases to reduce the disruption, and will continue until next month. The latest platforms to be closed are 5 and 6, and trains are being diverted to other platforms.