Overcrowding
++


There
were
scenes
of
confusion
and
crowding
at
London
Bridge
during
last
night’s
rush
hour,
because
all
trains
had
been
stopped
after
a
trespasser
was
seen
on
the
line.
Passengers
complained
of
panic
and
long
queues
for
escalators.
In
a
Twitter
message,
Southeastern
managing
director
Steve
Wight
said:
‘This
is
the
second
time
that
crowd
control
has
been
required
at
London
Bridge
recently.
The
last
occasion
was
when
a
points
failure
caused
disruption.
Tonight’s
disruption
was
due
to
an
emergency
call
stopping
all
trains
due
to
a
trespasser.
A
review
will
be
held.’
Southeastern
has
already
been
under
fire
for
changing
its
rush
hour
timetables
last
month,
which
mean
fewer
direct
services
run
to
and
from
Cannon
Street.

Drivers’
strikes
++


Special
strike
day
timetables
are
set
to
be
published
by
National
Rail
tomorrow,
as
ASLEF
drivers
prepare
to
strike
on
two
days
next
week.
The
walkouts
will
affect
14
train
operators
in
England
on
1
and
3
February,
and
the
RMT
has
also
called
out
its
driver
members
on
the
same
days.
The
Rail
Delivery
Group
said
many
lines
will
have
no
services,
and
where
trains
do
run
they
will
start
later
and
finish
earlier.
Services
on
the
days
after
each
strike
may
be
disrupted
for
a
while,
because
some
trains
will
have
been
left
out
of
position,
and
in
some
cases
trains
may
also
be
affected
during
the
evenings
before
each
walkout.
The
RDG
has
estimated
that
about
30
per
cent
of
the
usual
services
will
run
during
the
strikes.

New
trains
++


Transport
for
Wales’
£800
million
fleet
of
Class
197
units
is
being
officially
launched
by
the
Welsh
Government’s
minister
for
rural
affairs
and
north
Wales
Lesley
Griffiths,
at
a
ceremony
in
Llandudno.
Built
in
Newport
by
CAF,
the
77
trains
will
be
used
on
many
routes.
They
have
leather
seats,
air
conditioning,
wider
doors
and
information
screens.
The
first
197s
entered
service
on
the
Conwy
Valley
line
last
month,
but
today’s
ceremony
marks
the
formal
launch.