Dispute ends ++ The white-collar TSSA union has accepted a two-year pay deal from 14 train operators in England, bringing the prospect of further strikes by more than 3,000 of its members to an end. The offer is worth a 5 per cent increase or a minimum increase of £1,750 whichever is the greater in year 1, and a further 4 per cent increase in year 2. Compulsory redundancies are ruled out until the end of next year, but the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme will continue. Although the dispute is over, the union said it will continue to oppose ticket office closures. The Rail Delivery Group said the settlement is a ‘positive breakthrough’, and the Department for Transport agreed, adding that the decision involved reforms which were ‘vital’ to get the railway ‘back on a financially sustainable footing’. However, the TSSA warned that it would ‘continue to hold the train companies and the government to account as we go forward because Britain needs a fully functioning rail network at the heart of our green industrial future, and as a means of rebuilding our economy in the wake of the Covid pandemic.’ Meanwhile, four more RMT walkouts still set to be staged on on 16, 18 and 30 March, and 1 April. Metro vandalism ++ The first new train for Tyne & Wear Metro was daubed by graffiti vandals before it reached Tyneside. The unit has been built by Stadler in Switzerland, and arrived in Britain via the Channel Tunnel. Metro operator Nexus said the damage had been done somewhere in southern England, because the defaced train was seen passing through Peterborough on its way north. Nexus said: ‘This kind of pointless vandalism is sadly part of modern life,’ and that the graffiti would be removed at the new Gosforth depot.

The delayed Luton DART line, a people mover connecting Luton Airport Parkway on the Midland Main Line with London Luton Airport, is expected to have a ‘soft’ launch on 10 March, with full services set to follow ‘around the end of March’. The DART was visited by the King on 6 December, an event which recalled the previous visit to the area by his mother the late Queen, when she opened Luton Airport Parkway station in 1999. When the new link has opened fully, the existing bus link between the station and airport will be withdrawn. Luton Airport Parkway is served by two fast East Midlands Railway services from St Pancras International each hour, as well as Thameslink trains. From 10 March, the council-owned airport company Luton Rising expects that the people mover will run for about four hours a day, in preparation for a 24-hour service from the end of the month, and the opinions of passengers will be invited. The single fare will be £4.90, compared with £2.50 on the bus. A council spokesman said: ‘The fare is based on independent assessment and sound rationale, reflecting the value of time saved and convenience and the quality of what we are providing compared to what went before.’ Until the end of March, passengers who have a ticket for the existing bus transfer will be invited to take the DART at no additional charge. The cost of the project has risen from a planned £225 million to £300 million, and the opening will come two years later than originally planned. Luton Borough Council leader Cllr Hazel Simmons said: ‘The Luton DART is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Luton and promises to put our town and our airport firmly on the map for all the right reasons. Electrically-powered, energy-efficient, and future-proofed to support sustainable growth of the airport, it is a vital sign of our commitment to encourage more passengers to take the train rather than individual car journeys to and from our airport.’

Regulated rail fares in Wales will rise by 5.9 per cent next month, in line with the change in England. The Welsh Government has blamed the ‘disappointing’ budget settlement from the UK government, saying that it meant a fares freeze or even a lower rise could not be funded. In a written statement, deputy minister for climate change Lee Walters said: ‘We understand this is a significant increase for passengers in the current cost of living crisis but we have tried to keep the increase as low as possible. Unfortunately given the disappointing budget settlement from the UK Government we cannot afford to deliver a lower increase or a wholescale freeze of rail fares in Wales. ‘Our budget settlement from the UK Government, combined with a reduced farebox income post pandemic, means we face some difficult choices if we are to maintain the current level of provision of rail services in Wales.’ Around 45 per cent of fares are regulated. They include season tickets, some off peak returns on longer journeys and some Anytime fares. They are grouped into ’baskets’, and the 5.9 per cent increase will be applied to the total of these baskets from 5 March. The result is that individual fares may go up, while others will stay the same and some could be reduced. Lee Walters continued: ‘We recognise rail fares are far more complicated for passengers than they need to be. That is why we have asked Transport for Wales to deliver simple, integrated ticketing to help make public transport easier and more affordable. In addition, despite the challenging financial position, Transport for Wales are retaining a range of cheaper fares for passengers, including free travel for children when they travel with a fare paying adult. ‘Despite the constraints to our budget we are continuing our £800 million investment on brand new trains as well as improvements to passenger facilities and comfort. These new trains are coming into operation now and we are confident that they will encourage more people to use rail.’ Meanwhile, Northern has attributed a fall in the number of penalty fares to last month’s increase on National Rail from £20 to £100. The operator, which is nationalised, said the number of people travelling without tickets or a similar authority had come down by 10 per cent to 3,831 during the first month of the higher charge. Commercial and customer director Mark Powles said: ‘A sudden 10 per cent reduction in the number of penalty fares being issued would suggest the increase to £100 has been effective in terms of a deterrent. Of course, this is only the first month, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.’

Service restored ++ Two railways in southern England damaged by landslips have been repaired by Network Rail, and both are set to reopen this week. Services between Oxford and Worcester have been restored this morning after a landslip on 10 February at Yarnton near Oxford, which demolished a wing wall of a bridge over the railway. Further landslips continued nearby, and the railway between Oxford and Kingham had to be closed. A more serious landslip near Hook in Surrey on 14 January meant that two of the four lines were blocked when their foundations collapsed, and services have continued to be disrupted. Network says normal services should be running again on Friday. Southern contract ++ Network Rail has chosen four partners for an alliance to carry out the Southern Region’s £9 billion programme of renewals over the next 10 years. The companies named are VolkerFitzpatrick, for buildings and civils, Octavius for electrification and plant, VolkerRail for track and Atkins for signalling. The arrangement will cover Control Period 7, from next year until 2029, and Control Period 8 from 2029 to 2034. The renewals budget for CP7 is not yet decided, because Network Rail is still discussing the final settlement with the rail regulator. Pier strengthened ++ The line along Ryde pier on the Isle of Wight should reopen this spring, after work to strengthen the 686m Victorian structure had been delayed by winter weather. Network Rail had closed the pier in October last year. The strengthening is part of a wider programme of maintenance and improvements on the pier. South Western Railway will soon begin platform improvements at Ryde Esplanade as well as track maintenance as part of the joint project.

A consultation has started on the government’s controversial proposals to make minimum service levels a legal requirement during industrial disputes affecting railways. The idea is being opposed by rail unions, who have condemned plans to restrict the ability to stage a strike.  When the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was unveiled last month, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch had said: ‘This is an attack on human rights and civil liberties which we will oppose in the courts, Parliament and the workplace. One of the most important things in any democratic society is to have free trade unions.’ However, in a Commons statement yesterday, rail minister Huw Merriman said: ‘Passengers, through no fault of their own, have been subject to severe disruption on the railways due to sustained industrial action. This has had a nationwide impact. It has stopped key workers getting to work, children going to school, and restricted people’s access to essential services such as hospital care. ‘The government recognises the importance of workers’ ability to take strike action, and this will be protected.’ The Department for Transport said it is seeking views from the ‘public, rail sector, trade unions and wider industries’ on how minimum service levels might apply to passenger railways to reduce disruption caused by strikes. The consultation will run until 15 May.

The Rail Delivery Group has welcomed the announcement that the TSSA is to put the latest pay offer to its members, by holding a ballot. The union said: ‘We have fought for months on pay, job security and conditions in the face of a cost of living crisis and intransigence from government ministers. ‘What is on the table now is a result of careful negotiations and the commitment of our members in their determination to demonstrate our collective industrial strength. ’Though the offers represent progress on a number of fronts we will continue to ballot for further industrial action as the dispute remains live.’ The Rail Delivery Group responded that the union’s decision was ‘encouraging’. It continued: ‘We hope that our TSSA colleagues will consider carefully, vote for the deal and end this dispute. ‘We listened to the union’s concerns in response to our initial offer and we have addressed them – including increasing our offer on pay. If they vote yes, TSSA members’ pay will increase by at least 9 per cent over two years – rising to 13 per cent for the lowest paid. ‘Having negotiated at length with the TSSA to agree this best and final offer, we hope that our colleagues look carefully at what is on the table and work with us to bring an end to this dispute. We can then work together to secure a thriving long-term future for a railway we can all be proud of.’ Meanwhile, members of the RMT are set to walk out again on three days in March, and also on 1 April. The RMT rejected offers from the employers earlier this month, saying ‘they did not meet the needs of members on pay, job security or working conditions’. 

Members of the RMT are set to walk out again on three days in March, and also on 1 April. The union represents a total of 40,000 workers in Network Rail and train operators. It rejected offers from the employers last week, saying ‘they did not meet the needs of members on pay, job security or working conditions’. A 24-hour strike involving most English operators and Network Rail has been called for 16 March, with further walkouts by the staff at operators set to follow on 18 and 30 March, and again on 1 April. There will also be overtime bans at Network Rail, which will include no rest day working and no non-rostered Sunday shifts. Maintenance staff will take action a week at a time, from 17 to 23 March, again from 31 March to 6 April and for a third week between 14 and 20 April. Operations staff will ban overtime from 26 March to 1 April, from 9 to 15 April and from 23 to 29 April. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Rail employers are not being given a fresh mandate by the government to offer our members a new deal on pay, conditions and job security. Therefore, our members will now take sustained and targeted industrial action over the next few months. ‘The government can settle this dispute easily by unshackling the rail companies. However, its stubborn refusal to do so will now mean more strike action across the railway network and a very disruptive overtime ban. ‘Ministers cannot continue to sit on their hands hoping this dispute will go away as our members are fully prepared to fight tooth and nail for a negotiated settlement in the months ahead.’ Transport secretary Mark Harper responded: ‘Just days after denying its members a say on their own future, the RMT leadership is now trying to make them lose multiple days' wages through yet more strikes.’ The Rail Delivery Group said: ‘This latest round of strikes is totally unjustified and will be an inconvenience to our customers, and cost our people more money at a time they can least afford it.’ The RDG is also accusing the union of ‘reneging’ on an earlier agreement that the industry needs reforms to fund pay increases. Network Rail was also critical. Its chief negotiator Tim Shoveller said: ‘Thousands of employees are telling us they want the improved offer that we have tabled, an offer worth at least 9 per cent over two years, rising to over 14 per cent for the lowest paid, provides job security with no compulsory redundancies and 75 per cent discounted rail travel. ‘But instead of offering members a democratic vote with a referendum, the RMT leadership is hiding behind a sham “consultation”.’ 

Battery trains ++ Great Western Railway has bought equipment from battery train manufacturer Vivarail, which went into administration in December. The purchase has included rolling stock, FastCharge systems and other items. Nine former Vivarail staff have also joined GWR, as it continues to prepare for using a battery unit on the West Ealing to Greenford branch. GWR engineering director Simon Green said: ‘There have clearly been some setbacks that mean we will need to review the existing plans and timescales, but we will continue to work with Network Rail and the Department for Transport to get the project back on track.’ Cheaper tickets ++ Govia Thameslink Railway has launched two initiatives in a bid to attract more passengers during the traditional rush hours on Mondays and Fridays. GTR’s division Southern is offering peak hour Advance tickets on these two days discounted by up to 15 per cent between East Croydon and London Victoria, and also from the Eastbourne and Chichester lines as far as Three Bridges. GTR said that on Monday mornings around 40,000 fewer people (210,000 in all) catch rush hour trains compared with the middle three days of Tuesday (250,000), Wednesday (230,000) and Thursday (240,000). The new tickets can be bought up to the day before travel, but the number is limited. GTR has also launched a loyalty scheme, which will provide points for every pound spent on fares which can be used for various rewards, such as cinema tickets. On average, travel by Southern commuters remains at 70 per cent of the total before the Covid pandemic. Modal shift ++ Midlands Connect has unveiled new research about railway improvements which it says would boost rail travel in the Midlands by 48 million kilometres a year. The scheme, to improve connections from Birmingham to the east Midlands, the south west and south Wales, could reduce car travel by almost the same amount. The Outline Business Case for the Midlands Rail Hub was sent to the government by Midlands Connect and Network Rail towards the end of last year. The £1.5 billion project would include two new chords in Bordesley and the reinstatement of platform 4 at Snow Hill, which is no longer needed for trams. There would also be new freight loops between Nuneaton and Leicester to increase the capacity of that route.

Battery trains ++ Great Western Railway has bought equipment from battery train manufacturer Vivarail, which went into administration in December. The purchase has included rolling stock, FastCharge systems and other items. Nine former Vivarail staff have also joined GWR, as it continues to prepare for using a battery unit on the West Ealing to Greenford branch. GWR engineering director Simon Green said: ‘There have clearly been some setbacks that mean we will need to review the existing plans and timescales, but we will continue to work with Network Rail and the Department for Transport to get the project back on track.’ Cheaper tickets ++ Govia Thameslink Railway has launched two initiatives in a bid to attract more passengers during the traditional rush hours on Mondays and Fridays. GTR’s division Southern is offering peak hour Advance tickets on these two days discounted by up to 15 per cent between East Croydon and London Victoria, and also from the Eastbourne and Chichester lines as far as Three Bridges. GTR said that on Monday mornings around 40,000 fewer people (210,000 in all) catch rush hour trains compared with the middle three days of Tuesday (250,000), Wednesday (230,000) and Thursday (240,000). The new tickets can be bought up to the day before travel, but the number is limited. GTR has also launched a loyalty scheme, which will provide points for every pound spent on fares which can be used for various rewards, such as cinema tickets. On average, travel by Southern commuters remains at 70 per cent of the total before the Covid pandemic. Modal shift ++ Midlands Connect has unveiled new research about railway improvements which it says would boost rail travel in the Midlands by 48 million kilometres a year. The scheme, to improve connections from Birmingham to the east Midlands, the south west and south Wales, could reduce car travel by almost the same amount. The Outline Business Case for the Midlands Rail Hub was sent to the government by Midlands Connect and Network Rail towards the end of last year. The £1.5 billion project would include two new chords in Bordesley and the reinstatement of platform 4 at Snow Hill, which is no longer needed for trams. There would also be new freight loops between Nuneaton and Leicester to increase the capacity of that route.

Arriva UK Trains, which is owned by Deutsche Bahn and was the last private sector operator of Northern, has called for an industry summit about the future of open access. Arriva’s move has followed the George Bradshaw Address last week, in which transport secretary Mark Harper spoke of the government’s commitment to reform, including the possibility of more open access services. Arriva UK Trains managing director David Brown said: ‘We have long called for reform which builds on the very best of what the rail industry does and delivers cost-effective, modernised services for customers and communities. ‘It is welcome news that the focus has moved from diagnosing well-understood challenges to delivering action for the post-pandemic age, including through change that doesn’t require legislation and ensures customers quickly experience improvements and the taxpayer benefits. Arriva are ready and willing to help the railways grow and generate revenue to reduce taxpayer subsidy through our commercial expertise and understanding of what customers want. ‘It is particularly pleasing to see government commitment to supporting more open access services where it benefits passengers and taxpayers. We know through our stewardship of Grand Central and by watching other open access operations, the innovation and customer-focused improvements that can be delivered through such services. ‘We are calling for an Open Access Summit bringing together government, the regulator, industry, Network Rail and the Great British Railways Transition Team to collectively work through the barriers and blockers and agree practical steps for unleashing more of these innovative services, including through making best use of unused capacity on the network.’ The original plan for railway privatisation in the 1990s had envisaged a ‘right of access’ which could have meant almost unlimited open access, but this idea was abandoned at a very early stage in favour of ‘moderation of competition’ to protect those operators who had a government franchise. Arriva UK Trains owns open access operator Grand Central. It also currently operates Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry under risk-free contracts with the government after franchises were abolished in September 2020, during the Covid pandemic.