New
trains
for
the
Piccadilly
Line
of
London
Underground
built
by
Siemens
are
being
tested
in
Germany
and
Austria.
The
procurement
has
been
running
behind
time
because
a
new
Piccadilly
Line
fleet
had
been
intended
to
enter
service
almost
10
years
ago,
but
the
plan
was
frustrated
by
the
failure
of
the
Underground’s
Public-Private
Partnerships.
One
of
the
new
trains
is
on
the
Siemens
test
track
at
Wildenrath,
near
Düsseldorf,
while
three
cars
are
being
assessed
inside
a
cold
chamber
in
Austria
to
make
sure
that
the
cars
would
function
during
severe
winter
weather
on
surface
sections
of
the
Piccadilly
Line.
Siemens
Mobility
is
building
94
trains
for
Transport
for
London,
and
about
half
are
set
to
be
assembled
at
Goole
in
Yorkshire
from
next
year.

Merseyside
devolution
proposals

Liverpool
City
Region
Mayor
Steve
Rotheram
signed
a
‘trailblazer’
Memorandum
of
Understanding
about
rail
devolution
with
transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
during
the
official
opening
of
Headbolt
Lane
station
in
Kirkby.
The
MoU
opens
the
door
to
closer
links
between
Network
Rail
and
the
City
Region,
which
could
gain
more
control
over
investments
to
improve
the
Merseyside
network,
including
stations.

HS2
Euston
debate

Liberal
Democrats
on
the
London
Assembly
have
clashed
with
the
Conservatives
over
concerns
about
the
effects
of
HS2
between
Old
Oak
Common
and
London
Euston,
following
the
Prime
Minister’s
announcement
on
4
October.
During
Mayor’s
Questions,
Liberal
Democrat
London
Assembly
Member
Hina
Bokhari
said
local
businesses
in
Camden
have
been
affected
by
the
pausing
of
construction
at
Euston.
Over
70
businesses
were
forced
to
move
because
of
the
work,
while
hundreds
more
have
lost
some
of
their
customers.
According
to
Assembly
Member
Bokhari,
both
residents
and
businesses
in
Camden
could
now
face
decades
of
disruption
amid
concerns
over
the
private
sector’s
ability
to
fund
the
project.

Castle
commemorated

A
new
Class
197
unit
built
by
CAF
for
Transport
for
Wales
has
named
by
schoolchildren
in
a
ceremony
at
Carmarthen
station.
The
trains
are
being
used
first
between
Swansea
and
Carmarthen,
but
there
are
plans
to
extend
their
service
area
westwards
to
Milford
Haven
and
Fishguard
Harbour.
The
name
‘Carew
Castle
Express’
was
chosen
by
year
5
pupil
Rhys
Protheroe
from
Johnstown
primary
school
in
Carmarthen,
and
it
commemorates
an
ancient
landmark
in
Pembrokeshire.