Track laying for East West Rail between Bicester and Bletchley is now ‘99 per cent complete’, according to East West Rail Co (writes Sim Harris). The route was already equipped with track between Bicester and Calvert Junction, but this has been relaid. The formation of the rest of the route between Calvert and Bletchley was intact but disused. As a result some rails and sleepers had disappeared, and were presumably stolen for their scrap value, while the flyover which carries the route over the West Coast Main Line at Bletchley has been been replaced, along with all the track between Bletchley and the junction with the Oxford line at Bicester. But although moving forward, the project has also sustained some hard knocks. Plans to electrify the route as part of the ‘Electric Spine’ of 2012 were dropped some years ago, although passive provision is being made for a future overhead when structures are built. Meanwhile, the section of the former Great Central Main Line between Calvert and Aylesbury has been singled but still carries freight trains. Even so, the link has been removed from the current plans, meaning that Aylesbury will not gain its hoped-for connections with Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and eventually Cambridge for the forseeable future. The project’s value for money has also been questioned in a new report from the National Audit Office, which has concluded that it is ‘not yet clear’ how the benefits of the £6-7 billion scheme will be achieved, nor how it fits in with other government plans for growth in the region. The Treasury has set up a cross-government board to support the development of a ‘shared vision for growth’ associated with the scheme. The NAO is recommending that the Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities, the Department for Transport and the cross-government board should establish effective ‘cross-department governance’. Head of the NAO Gareth Davies said: ‘The rationale for East West Rail rests on its wider strategic aims of increasing economic growth in the Oxford to Cambridge region. ‘To maximise the economic benefits from its investment in East West Rail, government must ensure stronger strategic alignment between departments and with wider local growth initiatives, so that there is a shared, coherent vision for the future of the region, and the contribution that the East West Rail project will make is clear.’

The long-running conflict over funding for Transport for London has been eased, because the Government has agreed to provide £250 million in capital funding for 2024. TfL has been battling with its finances ever since the Covid pandemic, although passenger figures on the Underground have been rising and are now almost back to the totals achieved before the lockdowns. Fears that the One Day Travelcard would have to be scrapped to raise more money have also been dispelled, after TfL reached a new agreement on sharing the revenue with the Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport. The new Government funding announced today will be used for TfL investment, including the new fleet for the Piccadilly Line which is being built by Siemens in Germany and Yorkshire. Rail minister Huw Merriman said: ‘We’re investing in transport across the country and today’s agreement will have a tangible, positive impact not just for people travelling in and around the capital but also the millions who visit every year. ‘It is fair for Londoners and taxpayers, underpinning projects that will support hundreds of skilled manufacturing jobs in our vital rail sector. ‘We have invested billions into the capital’s transport system in recent years. This investment must be well managed in a way that doesn’t unfairly burden the pockets of taxpayers and motorists.’ London transport commissioner Andy Lord added: ‘Through a huge effort to reduce costs and rebuild our ridership and revenue following the pandemic, TfL is now on track to be financially sustainable in terms of its day-to-day operations. We are also able to cover the cost of the majority of our capital investment. ‘We, alongside London’s business stakeholders and others, have consistently made the case that additional government support for capital investment in transport is needed if we are to be able to continue to deliver vital improvements to London’s transport network, unlock new homes and support growth across London and the UK.’ However, the Liberal Democrats’ transport member on the London Assembly Caroline Pidgeon was critical. She said: ‘The UK Conservative Government has once again failed to adequately invest in the future of London's public transport. ‘By constantly forcing TfL to operate on a short-term basis the Conservatives are ensuring that projects will end up costing more overall and that those that require long-term funding commitments have their futures placed in doubt. ‘The UK Government cannot continue to short-change London and expect it to continue to drive growth across the UK.’ Ben Curtis of the Campaign for Better Transport gave the news a qualified welcome, saying: ‘We welcome the provision of cash for the capital’s transport network which we had previously written to the transport secretary about. Whilst this settlement will ensure the wheels keep turning, it is not helpful to the general economy of the country to keep London on such a short leash.’

The regional managing director at Network Rail Wales & Western has resigned, after a prolonged delay on the approaches to London Paddington left passengers stranded in blacked-out trains. Michelle Handforth is stepping down but will continue to work on certain projects until her successor is appointed. An incident near Paddington on 7 December damaged the OHLE, disrupting Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express and TfL Elizabeth Line services. Passengers complained that they were trapped in stalled trains for more than three hours and received no explanations from staff during the hold-up. The Office of Rail and Road had already launched an investigation into performance on Wales & Western, saying that it had continued to deteriorate while it had stabilised elsewhere. It is reported that Ms Handforth had already decided to leave before the incident on 7 December, but this has yet to be confirmed. In a letter to staff, she said: ‘It's been a real privilege to work with you all through the highs and lows of the past couple of years, and while this decision is a real wrench to me, I believe it is the right one for me, my family and the business. ‘It has been such an honour to lead this region since joining the business in August 2020. Over that time we have faced an incredible range of challenges, but your support, friendship and good humour has been consistent throughout. ’I am extremely proud of the achievements we have made together and while times feel tough right now, I know that a bright future for Wales and Western lies ahead.’

One of the councils on the abandoned route of HS2 to Crewe says the impact of the cancellation could force it into effective bankruptcy. Cheshire East Council, which covers Crewe and Macclesfield, said it had spent £11 million preparing for HS2, of which £8.6 million had been borrowed. The money will have to be found from general revenues but the budget is already under pressure, despite a number of economy measures, and had been facing a deficit of £18.7 million even before HS2 was cancelled in October. Councils facing a cash crisis can publish a ‘Section 114’ notice under the 1988 Local Government Finance Act, which is issued by the chief finance officer when it appears that a council’s spending will exceed its resources. The result is a halt in any new spending for up to 21 days, during which time the full council must meet and decide what to do next. Similar cash problems have already affected other councils, including Nottingham and Northamptonshire, although their shortfalls were not connected with HS2. Cheshire East Council said the government’s alternative ‘Network North’ plans, which are intended to use the £36 billion which would have been spent on HS2 on other rail and road projects in the years ahead, will make no difference to its plight.  The council has been holding talks with rail minister Huw Merriman. At a meeting of the full council, deputy leader Craig Browne said leader Sam Corcoran had met Mr Merriman and they had ‘agreed that a dialogue between the council and government would continue’. In a related development, it has emerged that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could face legal action over the cancellation of HS2 Phases 2A and 2B to Crewe and Manchester. New Civil Engineer reports that the campaigning Good Law Project has told the government that it is considering an application for a judicial review of the decision, which was announced by Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party Conference on 4 October. NCE quotes Good Law Project director Jo Maugham as saying the organisation has ‘sent a formal letter before action to Rishi Sunak threatening to challenge his unilateral decision to ignore what Parliament has enacted about HS2, cancel the project, and salt the earth by selling all the land. ‘We haven't yet formed a view about whether we will sue – we want to know whether affected Mayors and MPs are serious about their opposition.’ The Government has given a preliminary response, claiming that transport secretary Mark Harper rather than the Prime Minister was the ‘decision maker’, but the Good Law Group has pointed out that Mr Sunak used the words ‘I am ending this long running saga and cancelling the rest of the HS2 project’ in his speech to the Conference, and repeated ‘I am cancelling the rest of HS2’ in a post on his Twitter account later the same day. Although Mr Sunak had wanted to begin reselling the land on Phase 2A to Crewe within weeks, the Department for Transport’s permanent secretary Dame Bernadette Kelly has stated that this cannot be done without a further Act of Parliament being passed first.

Cornwall Council has given the green light to another scheme in the Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme. Mid Cornwall Metro involves the upgrading of railways so that direct trains can run every hour between Newquay, Truro and Falmouth, alongside intercity services to Newquay. In the longer term, there are plans to increase frequencies still further on the Newquay and Falmouth branches. The budget of £56.8 million will pay for a number of improvements including the lengthening of platforms at two stations in Falmouth, as well as new signalling on the Newquay line, the restoration of a second platform at Newquay, a new passing loop at Tregoss Moor to improve the capacity of the route, and other improvements at stations, including a bus interchange at Newquay and further upgrades to the stations at Newquay, Roche, Bugle and Penryn. A new accessible footbridge with lifts will also be built at Par, which is the junction for the Newquay line. The Government has contributed almost £50 million, and the remainder will come from Cornwall Council and other funders. The announcement of funding was made in January, but the Council wanted to consider and investigate the financial risks before accepting the grant. Councillors voted to proceed with the scheme at a Cabinet meeting yesterday. Portfolio holder for transport Cllr Richard Williams-Pears said: ‘We are committed to providing a thriving and sustainable Cornwall, fit for the modern world, for the benefit of our residents. ‘This initiative is absolutely key to delivering rail and active travel improvements across Cornwall both now and in the future, to enhance the lives of our residents by revolutionising how we can navigate across the Duchy. ‘The Council has already successfully bid for £50 million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, and we recognise the importance of this initiative to enable a levelling up of the local economy and future sustainable growth and investment in mid Cornwall. But we recognise too that in these straitened economic times, we have to be mindful that Cornwall Council is the accountable body for the project, and we need to keep a tight hold of the purse strings and a close eye on the project delivery. ‘As well as its green credentials and being a catalyst for economic growth and local regeneration around the stations, I see this as the beginning of a transport revolution for Cornwall with this being the Mid Cornwall section of the eventual Cornwall Metro.’ Network Rail has recently built a road bridge over the railway in Newquay, which will carry a link road to the new suburb of Nansleden. NR is hoping that some level crossings can be closed as a result, so that line speeds can be increased. General work on the Mid Cornwall Metro is due to start in the coming year, and the scheme should be completed by 2026.

East West Rail uncertainty The National Audit Office has concluded that it is ‘not yet clear’ how the benefits of the £6.6 billion East West Rail scheme will be achieved, nor how it fits in with other government plans for growth in the region. A new report says that ‘as with many transport projects, the rationale for East West Rail does not rest on the strength of the benefit–cost ratio for the project alone – which is poor – but on its wider strategic aim of overcoming constraints to economic growth in the Oxford–Cambridge region’. Formal opening of East Linton Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop has formally opened the £15 million station at East Linton on the East Coast Main Line. The Minister was joined on the platform by guests who included representatives from the rail industry, East Lothian Council, RAGES (Rail Action Group East of Scotland) and people from the local community, who saw her unveil a plaque to mark the occasion. Appointments Chiltern Railways has appointed three new faces to its management team. Tony Baxter is operations director, having joined from Northern, Andy Camp, previously with West Midlands Trains, has been named as permanent commercial and customer strategy director, and Tim Sayer is now engineering and safety director. Tim spent part of his early career at Chiltern from 2006 to 2009. Screens Northern has installed new information screens at 77 stations, as part of a wider upgrade costing £14 million. The format is clear and easy to read, and includes more information about delays. The screens have white LEDs which can be seen from further away, and the higher colour contrast makes them easier to read for passengers with limited vision. Northern has now installed a total of 387 screens at 167 stations. Glazing Network Rail will be taking advantage of the Christmas break by installing new glazing in the 25m gable ends at Stoke-on-Trent station. The Grade II* listed wooden and wrought iron frames at each end of the trainshed contain more than 200 glass panels, but they have started to deteriorate and some of the glass has been removed recently. The work has been planned in consultation with heritage experts and needed consent from Stoke-on-Trent City Council because of the structure’s listed status.

Subway arrivals The first new trains have started operating on the Glasgow Subway. Two units were slipped into service yesterday, without any ceremony. A total of 17 trains has been ordered from Stadler to replace the previous fleet as part of a £288 million Subway upgrade, and the new trains have been designed for potential driverless operation. Catering probe The Office of Rail and Road has launched an investigation into the station catering market, which it says is ‘not working as effectively as it should be’. The ORR said ‘a more competitive market would provide better options for passengers and allow station operators to increase investment in the railway’. The regulator has found that outlets can stay in the same hands for a long times because their leases are protected, and even when unprotected leases come up for renewal, the most common practice is to roll over or extend the lease without an open competition. The ORR also believed this also means that station operators may have less income to invest in improving stations and services. Digital demonstrationRail minister Huw Merriman has travelled in the cab of the 10.07 Northern City Line train from Finsbury Park to Moorgate, to see the European Train Control System for himself. His visit yesterday to the Govia Thameslink Railway line followed the launch of digital train regulation on the route on 27 November. The minister went on to Hornsey depot, where he was shown the drivers’ simulator. New station and servicesThe new National Rail timetables which came into force on Sunday included a new station at Brent Cross West on the Midland Main Line, which was opened to Thameslink services by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Meanwhile, a new service linking Castleford with York and Manchester was launched yesterday when the station’s new fully-accessible second platform was brought into use. Trains will now run four times a day between Castleford and York for the first time since the 1970s, as the result of part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. More Stadler Merseyrail trains More of the new Stadler-built Class 777 trains for Merseyrail have started running on the Southport to Hunts Cross line. The first of the new fleet was introduced in January, and units have already entered service on the Wirral Line and the Kirkby and Ormskirk branches of the Northern Line. Seven of the 53 trains in the eventual fleet are equipped with batteries and some are running on the extension to Headbolt Lane, which was opened from Kirkby in October and has no conductor rail. Planning consent for station upgrade Network Rail’s plans to modernise Peckham Rye station in south London have been given formal planning consent. If the £40 million project can be funded, the Victorian station will gain a new concourse, lifts, accessible toilets and wider platforms. The next stage in the scheme will be the submission of an outline business case to the Department for Transport in the New Year and a request for funding so that a detailed design can be prepared. It is hoped that construction, which will take two years, can start in autumn 2025.

Subway arrivals The first new trains have started operating on the Glasgow Subway. Two units were slipped into service yesterday, without any ceremony. A total of 17 trains has been ordered from Stadler to replace the previous fleet as part of a £288 million Subway upgrade, and the new trains have been designed for potential driverless operation. Catering probe The Office of Rail and Road has launched an investigation into the station catering market, which it says is ‘not working as effectively as it should be’. The ORR said ‘a more competitive market would provide better options for passengers and allow station operators to increase investment in the railway’. The regulator has found that outlets can stay in the same hands for a long times because their leases are protected, and even when unprotected leases come up for renewal, the most common practice is to roll over or extend the lease without an open competition. The ORR also believed this also means that station operators may have less income to invest in improving stations and services. Digital demonstrationRail minister Huw Merriman has travelled in the cab of the 10.07 Northern City Line train from Finsbury Park to Moorgate, to see the European Train Control System for himself. His visit yesterday to the Govia Thameslink Railway line followed the launch of digital train regulation on the route on 27 November. The minister went on to Hornsey depot, where he was shown the drivers’ simulator. New station and servicesThe new National Rail timetables which came into force on Sunday included a new station at Brent Cross West on the Midland Main Line, which was opened to Thameslink services by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Meanwhile, a new service linking Castleford with York and Manchester was launched yesterday when the station’s new fully-accessible second platform was brought into use. Trains will now run four times a day between Castleford and York for the first time since the 1970s, as the result of part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. More Stadler Merseyrail trains More of the new Stadler-built Class 777 trains for Merseyrail have started running on the Southport to Hunts Cross line. The first of the new fleet was introduced in January, and units have already entered service on the Wirral Line and the Kirkby and Ormskirk branches of the Northern Line. Seven of the 53 trains in the eventual fleet are equipped with batteries and some are running on the extension to Headbolt Lane, which was opened from Kirkby in October and has no conductor rail. Planning consent for station upgrade Network Rail’s plans to modernise Peckham Rye station in south London have been given formal planning consent. If the £40 million project can be funded, the Victorian station will gain a new concourse, lifts, accessible toilets and wider platforms. The next stage in the scheme will be the submission of an outline business case to the Department for Transport in the New Year and a request for funding so that a detailed design can be prepared. It is hoped that construction, which will take two years, can start in autumn 2025.

Third-party ticket retailers who quietly add fees to the fares they display to passengers are being warned by the Office of Rail and Road that they must be transparent when quoting prices, and not leave out a booking fee or other charges which will be added to the final fare payable. The practice of hiding fees is known as ‘drip pricing’, and some airlines have also been accused of staying silent about charging for such things as allowing passengers to book seats next to each other or taking baggage on board, only revealing the charge when the transaction is almost complete. The rail regulator has examined the trading practices of 19 third-party retailers who are licensed to sell rail tickets. They are entitled to keep 5 per cent, which is the industry’s standard commission rate. But 12 of the retailers examined also charge a fee to passengers in addition to the fare, which ranges from 45p for each ticket to £6.45 for each transaction. Some also offer to calculate split ticket reductions, but charge a ‘finder’s fee’ for this service, which is typically between 10 and 15 per cent. The ORR noted that ‘consumers are shown an initial price while additional fees are revealed later in the sales process. Consumers are often disproportionately influenced by the first headline price they see’, and that ‘UK consumer protection law requires retailers to provide people with the information they need to make informed purchase decisions’. Train operators also sell tickets via the National Rail website, but although they do not charge fees or commission on top of the official fare they can charge for such things as posting paper tickets. The ORR is calling on all retailers to make sure that any booking or finder’s fee is included in the headline price, that there is a clear breakdown at every stage, with appropriate prominence given to any additional charge, and that any additional fees are stated plainly before the booking process begins. The ORR has written to seven third-party retailers, highlighting its concerns and asking for details on how the company will address the findings. The regulator said it plans to publish its letters and the retailers’ responses on the ORR website and will consider any next steps accordingly. The regulator’s report comes at a time when the Department for Business and Trade is expected to publish its findings of a wider consultation into price transparency that highlights the risks of drip pricing. The ORR’s director of strategy, policy and reform Stephanie Tobyn said: ‘Consumers can now purchase rail tickets from a wide variety of websites and apps. This report highlights that some online retailers are not as transparent as they need to be when it comes to how they display or provide information on additional fees. ‘We want to ensure consumers are provided with timely and relevant information when making purchase decisions and that drip pricing does not undermine consumer confidence when purchasing rail tickets online.’

The RMT has published the results of a survey which says more than 90 per cent of Network Rail workers think a major railway incident is likely to happen in the next two years because of spending cuts. Network Rail budgets are determined by the Government and the Office of Rail and Road. The union said Network Rail is set to cut £1.2 billion of its budget for Control Period 7 between 2024 and 2029, ‘leading to an overwhelming majority of its staff fearing future accidents and serious safety-related incidents on the railway’. It claimed the cuts include ‘abandoning track renewals for at least the next five years’ and the permanent loss of highly specialised, skilled jobs and equipment ‘as reports of broken rails on our ageing infrastructure rise’. The union has quoted anonymous statements, such as: ‘Planned cuts have staff morale at an all time low as it’s us who maintain the railway and management aren’t listening to us about the seriousness of cutting maintenance schedules and diluting skill levels on jobs. It’s front line staff that will carry the can for any serious incidents.’ ‘Not enough staff left to complete both faults and maintenance. Maintenance is being prioritised but still goes into backlog. Faults are left for days or weeks sometimes. Signallers are already complaining about the growing list of outstanding faults.’ ‘Not enough staff even for the minimum safety maintenance work, using contractors that are not fully qualified for the jobs.’ Other findings are that 77.4 per cent of Network Rail workers think the railway is less safe than it was two years ago, and that 94.3 per cent believe performance and reliability will worsen during the next five-year Control Period. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘These shocking survey results show the real fears of our members on the front line, as the reality of funding cuts to rail becomes clear. ‘These cuts mean Network Rail will not renew a single mile of track for the next five to eight years and the permanent loss of specialist workforce and equipment currently delivering 70 per cent of Britain’s track renewals. ‘Instead, passengers will experience a planned and deliberate reduction of the railway service as reliance on speed restrictions becomes the norm to mitigate the increased safety risk posed by decrepit rail tracks. We are watching the managed decline of a national asset. ‘They must reverse these extremely damaging cuts and move to a genuine public ownership model which sees increased investment year on year and safety for rail workers and user as the number one priority.’ Network Rail told Railnews: ‘Network Rail has to work within its five-year budget set for it by Government and overseen by an independent regulator. Our settlement for the next five years – 2024 to 2029 – is some £43 billion, a substantial sum and comparable with the last five years. The needs of our railway will mean that we’ll have to spend wisely as there are challenges ahead, but substantial track renewals are planned, maintenance will be more effective through the use of new technology and innovation, and doubling our investment on tackling issues caused by climate change will help to keep our railway safe and performing well. ‘Our railway has an enviable safety record, amongst the best in the world, and that’s in a major part to the professionalism and vigilance of our people. We obviously have work to do to give them the reassurances they need, but our focus on delivering the safest and best railway we can remains steadfast.’