A Scottish court is set to deal today with the prosecution case against Network Rail following the fatal Carmont derailment. Three people on board a train were killed in 2020 when it was derailed by debris washed on to the track near Stonehaven on 12 August, which was a day of heavy storms. Some of the vehicles in the ScotRail HST were overturned down an embankment in the crash, which claimed the lives of 45-year old driver Brett McCullough, 58-year old conductor Donald Dinnie and 62-year old passenger Christopher Stuchbury. The charges have not been specified, but will be brought at Aberdeen High Court  by His Majesty’s Advocate under section 76 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, which applies where notice has been given that a defendant will plead guilty. HS2 viaductSolihull Metropolitan Borough Council has approved HS2’s plans for a 425m viaduct which will cross Balsall Common. The plans incorporate local feedback over environmental sustainability, integration with the landscape, the structure’s design and public access.The project is being led by HS2’s main works contractor, Balfour Beatty VINCI, supported by a Design Joint Venture of Mott MacDonald and SYSTRA and architects Weston Williamson + Partners, who have been collecting the opinions of local people. The plans include wet woodland planting with native species, woodland edge planting to provide screens and hedgerow planting to improve the conditions for wildlife. Train trips for ten penceNorthern has released a final 100,000 tickets as part of its Flash Sale, all priced at 10p. They must be bought at least seven days in advance of travel. The journeys include York to Blackpool North, Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton and Sheffield to Leeds. Northern said it was hoping to provide ’a post-summer holiday boost to visitor numbers’. Northern’s Sale began on 4 September, with five million tickets offered at fares between 50p and £2. All the offers close at 18.00 today.

An updated strategy for railways in the West Midlands over the next 30 years has been published by the West Midlands Rail Executive. The first version was published in 2018, and the updated plans take into account the Covid pandemic and the increasing attention being paid to net zero. The WMRE had carried out a fresh consultation before unveiling its proposals. They include the Midlands Rail Hub as well as a train service between Lichfield and Burton-on-Trent, which would use an existing freight line. This would include a new station on the route at Alrewas, which lost its station in 1965. Another new station is proposed at Aldridge. Rail Wellbeing Live Registration has opened for the biggest free wellbeing event for the rail industry. The fourth Rail Wellbeing Live will take place over three days from 7 November. The sessions are free, and they include evening sessions for staff on night shifts. The speakers will include TV personality and campaigner Davina McCall, Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave and physician and mental health adviser Dr Alex George. Railway Industry Association appointments The Railway Industry Association has appointed a new chair and vice chair for its London & South region. The new chair is Ryan Anderson from Ricardo Rail and the vice chair is Bryony Goldsmith from Arcadis. RIA chief executive Darren Caplan said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Ryan and Bryony as the chair and vice chair for the RIA London & South Leadership Group. Their vast experience and commitment to excellence will undoubtedly drive positive change.’

The proposed closure of most station ticket offices in England has been condemned as ‘unlawful’ by a local authority in the east of England. The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority said it had voiced its ‘deep concern’ about the effects of scrapping ticket offices, which are set to close at many major stations in London and elsewhere as well as in smaller places. The consultation closed at midnight on Friday and has attracted 680,000 responses, according to the passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, which now have the task of sifting through the responses and making recommendations by the end of October. The Combined Authority in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has sent its own response, which describes the process as ‘flawed’, which means that it is unlawful. The Authority is calling for the consultation to be restarted, because it says it fails to ‘inform the public properly of the plans’. The authority alleges that the process is unlawful because it says the plans to discontinue use of parts of railway stations do not comply with section 29 of the Railways Act 2005. It also says Equality Impact Assessments of the planned changes at individual stations should have been made available to inform anyone considering the effects of the proposals. Without these, the Combined Authority argues that the effect on vulnerable people, such as those with poor vision or limited mobility, or those who need to get the cheapest travel, can’t be properly assessed. It says: ‘Any fair consultation gives enough time and detail to enable intelligent, meaningful comment and that the information is shared in a way accessible for all would-be participants.’ It also asks for a figure to be put on staff changes at each station and says that ‘staffed, accessible ticket offices are an essential part of the rail network and must be protected’.. The Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson added: ‘As I’ve said from the start, fully staffed and properly accessible ticket offices should be treated as an essential, non-negotiable part of the rail system. ‘As a Combined Authority, we’ve made our position known to the train operators, objecting to their proposals for widespread closure, and making clear our concerns about a consultation process that risked preventing meaningful participation. ‘So much of our work is dedicated to improving public transport such that it become the obvious choice for more and more of our residents. These proposals fly in the face of that approach, as stations without ticket offices could become no-go areas for many, wilfully excluding people who require support, and denying access to those who can’t buy their tickets online. ‘This is discrimination by design and must be opposed.’ Last night the Rail Delivery Group said: ‘We appreciate all the input we've received so far from the public and stakeholders. We want all our passengers to feel supported during any transition, and train companies will now work with independent passenger bodies at a local level to take on board the feedback. ‘In the meantime, we will continue to engage with passengers, accessibility and safety groups to make a better and more robust railway.’

The number of people using London Underground and buses over the August bank holiday weekend reached its highest level since the Covid lockdowns, but was still lower than the totals for the same period in 2019. Transport for London is continuing the struggle to balance its books, and the Mayor’s proposal to axe Day Travelcards to improve revenue has sparked protests. Over the three day August holiday weekend in 2019 11.17 million people travelled by bus, and 7.2 million used the Underground. This year the figures were 10.8 million on the buses and just over 7 million on the Underground. The figures were boosted by holiday events, particularly the Notting Hill Carnival, but as London returns to normal after the break many people are still working from home for one or two days a week, which depresses TfL’s income. However, the number of trips to the office is slowly increasing again, because some large employers like HSBC are insisting that staff work at least three days in the office each week. TfL will be hoping for more income in connection with a series of events around the capital this autumn, including the well-established Open House festival between 6 and 17 September, when many private buildings and grounds allow public tours. TfL customer director Emma Strain said: ‘We have had a bumper summer with people using public transport to make the most of London’s cultural offerings, including the Notting Hill Carnival over the Bank Holiday weekend. The summer season might now be coming to an end, but there’s still plenty to see and do. This September we encourage people to take public transport, walk or cycle to explore a different side to the city with the Open House Festival, with the rare opportunity to see the inner workings of London’s buildings and sites and find out the secrets of our incredible city.’

► Consultation responses total tops half a million ► RMT stages closures protest march in Westminster ► Train services disrupted as unions strike again The number of responses to proposals to close more than 900 station ticket offices in England has topped half a million, as the time to react runs out. The consultation, which was extended at the end of July, expires at midnight tonight. The two passenger watchdogs, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, are responsible for collating and analysing the messages they have received so that they can give formal responses in the autumn. Rail Delivery Group chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: ‘Since the introduction of the smartphone, the numbers using ticket offices have dropped to historic lows and that trend is rapidly accelerating. For rail to survive and thrive long-term, like any responsible industry, we need to change and evolve with our customers. ‘We wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to have their say on the industry proposals. We are extremely grateful to everyone for taking the time to submit their views, and we will work with the passenger watchdogs to incorporate this valuable feedback into our plans. ‘The taxpayer is continuing to subsidise the railway, and we believe that now is the right time to move staff to more flexible, engaging roles so our staff can better support customers face to face with a whole range of needs, from finding the right ticket, to navigating the station and getting support with accessibility needs, while reducing costs to taxpayers. ‘We also understand that some customers have particular challenges and they should be supported in any transition.  Over the coming weeks, we will work closely with passenger watchdogs to review and adapt individual proposals where necessary.’  Objections to the closure proposals have been continuing. Meanwhile, no trains are running on most lines in England today as ASLEF stages a 24-hour strike. RMT members are set to walk out for 24 hours tomorrow, while ASLEF will simultaneously ban overtime. Again, train services are expected to be limited, with no service on some routes. The RMT staged a protest march to Parliament and Downing Street yesterday, as the deadline for responses to ticket office closures was approaching. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘We are sending a clear message to the government and profiteering rail operators that our ticket offices must not be closed. ‘The campaign to save our ticket offices has amassed widespread public support and forced an extension of the consultation. ‘However, our campaign will continue beyond the consultation deadline. We need to pressure politicians in every constituency and to highlight the critical role that ticket offices and station staff play in supporting passengers of every type to reach their destinations. ‘Closing ticket offices will lead to the widespread destaffing of stations and make the railways inaccessible to thousands of disabled, vulnerable and elderly passengers. ‘We will not quietly sit back and allow this to happen. Our members will continue their industrial campaign to save their jobs and to protect railway passengers.’

Nearly all train services in England are likely to be cancelled tomorrow, as the drivers’ union ASLEF stages a 24-hour strike. Most English operators are affected, with the exceptions of Merseyrail, Transport for London and Tyne & Wear Metro. Neither ScotRail nor Transport for Wales are in dispute with ASLEF, but cross-border services from England will also be disrupted. Tomorrow’s walkout will be followed by an RMT strike on Saturday, but limited services are expected to run some lines, although ASLEF will also be staging an overtime ban on Saturday which could mean that drivers are not available for some shifts. The RMT has made a bid to end the walkouts. Almost a week ago, the union’s general secretary Mick Lynch told the Rail Delivery Group: ’I believe that both parties are of the view that we need to navigate a way through the dispute.’ The Rail Delivery Group has yet to publish a response to this letter, but when the latest strikes were announced the RDG said: ‘The industry will be working hard to keep as many services running as possible. There is no question the strikes called by the RMT and ASLEF leaderships are deliberately designed to target passengers who want to enjoy various sporting events and festivals during the bank holiday and at the end of the summer holidays, disrupting their plans, hurting local economies and forcing more cars on to the road. ‘This, despite the RMT having repeatedly refused their memberships a vote on offers of up to 13 per cent for the lowest paid over two years, which could easily settle this dispute.’ Meanwhile, Network Rail has told its staff who joined strikes since June 2022 that they will not be receiving annual bonuses this year, which are expected to be around £300. NR said: ‘Our position was made very clear – any discretionary payments would focus on those who continued to support rail services during industrial action.’ Mick Lynch has responded that Network Rail’s decision was ‘a transparent attempt to divide the workforce’, and an online petition has been set up which calls for all Network Rail staff to be paid the bonus.

British Transport Police are investigating the death of a Nottinghamshire police officer who received fatal injuries on the East Coast Main Line near Newark Northgate station. Sergeant Graham Saville, 46, had been trying to help another man on the track who was described as ‘distressed’, when he was hit by a train. The incident, last Thursday, led to more police being called to the scene at about 19.00. Sgt Saville was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, but he died yesterday. Another man of 29 was also taken to hospital after suffering electrocution, although his injuries are not thought to be critical. Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: ‘Today is a day of mourning for the entire police family. ‘Graham was a hugely respected and popular colleague and his death in the line of duty has come as an enormous shock to us all. ‘Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to his family and we will do everything we can to support them through this unimaginably devastating time. ‘It is impossible to put into words how devastating this news is for everyone who loved and respected Graham. ‘On Thursday, he went to work to protect the people of Nottinghamshire from harm, and it is testament to his bravery and dedication as a police officer that he was fatally injured while attempting to save another man's life.’ Nottinghamshire Police Federation branch chairman Simon Riley added: ‘I cannot convey in words the sadness we all feel at this dreadful news and our hearts go out to Graham's family, all his colleagues in Nottinghamshire Police and his former colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, where Graham previously served. ‘Graham was the epitome of what we should all strive to be as police officers and his selfless act of bravery in trying to save the life of another human being will not be lost on any of us.’

The RMT union is hoping to hear from the Rail Delivery Group this week following a letter from the union’s general secretary Mick Lynch, in which he sets out a path to a negotiated settlement in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions, and which the union is describing as a ‘road map’. The dispute, which began in the spring of 2022, is set to cause more disruption later this week, when 20,000 RMT members at train operators in England are being called out for 48 hours over Friday and Saturday. Drivers belonging to ASLEF are also walking out on Friday, and will be refusing to work overtime the following day. Train operators have been warning that most lines in England will be closed on Friday and that services will be ’limited’ on Saturday, where they run at all. In his letter to the RDG, which was sent just before the Bank Holiday weekend, Mick Lynch wrote: ‘I believe that both parties are of the view that we need to navigate a way through the dispute and from the RMT’s position that would mean the following suggested stages: a 1-year pay proposal for all companies covering the year 2022-23, with an underpin, backdated to the relevant anniversary dates in 2022. A guarantee of no compulsory redundancies. An undertaking that discussions with RMT within the companies, including formal consultations and negotiations, will be deferred until the outcome and determination from the ticket office closures consultation has been provided by the Government and, in any case, that these discussions will not commence before 1 December 2023. ‘A commitment that in the interim, ahead of 1 December 2023, each Train Operating Company will provide to the RMT in writing, their full agenda, and details of “Workforce Reform” proposals for all functions and grades that they are seeking to apply within their organisations. A commitment that the existing collective bargaining structures and processes in each company will be respected and adhered to in full including consultation and negotiation as appropriate to the matters in scope and, if necessary, use of Avoidance of Dispute processes. A commitment that pay negotiations for the year 2023–2024 will commence from 1st December 2023.’ He continues: ‘In using the above staged programme, I believe that we can bring clarity to everyone in the industry, that they will receive a pay increment for the previous year 2022-23, with a guarantee  of  employment  going  forward, and  that  all  of  the  change  agenda  that the companies wish to propose will be known in full and then addressed appropriately through the respective machineries in each of the companies. ‘I am aware of your initial view of the suggested programme, but I do request that full consideration is given by the RDG and DfT to this suggested means and that you respond to this initiative next week.’ The Rail Delivery Group has yet to publish its response. 

The number of people who have responded to controversial ticket office closure proposals in England has topped 460,000, according to the passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch. The consultation period was extended to 1 September at the end of July, and the proposals have triggered a determined reaction from passengers and politicians, who often argue that closing nearly all ticket offices will discriminate against people who cannot use ticket vending machines and who may not have access to smartphones or the internet. The operators have also conceded that a small number of tickets, including railcards, cannot be bought from machines. Labour shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh has called on the government to admit that the proposals are intended to save money rather than to help passengers more effectively on station concourses and platforms. She said: ‘This sham process is being driven every step of the way by Tory ministers. It’s time they stop dodging accountability, and come clean on the damage these closures will do. Railroading this botched plan through without consideration for passengers or staff only risks exacerbating the managed decline of the rail network.’ Meanwhile, the RMT has claimed that mass closures could cause the loss of 2,300 jobs. London TravelWatch chief executive Michael Roberts said: ‘With more than 460,000 responses received already, it’s clear that there are strong views on the future of ticket offices. With a week still left to have your say, it’s not too late to submit a response about your local station.’ Over the coming weeks, the two watchdogs will continue to analyse carefully the proposals and consultation responses before they report their decisions on whether to support or object to the plans. They will be considering various factors, such as whether a station will continue to be staffed, accessibility, the alternative options for buying tickets and whether passengers will continue to be able to use lifts, waiting rooms and toilets, which are sometimes closed when no ticket office staff are on duty.

The words used by train operators when things go wrong are sometimes confusing passengers instead of guiding them, according to a new report. Passenger watchdog Transport Focus asked passengers for their opinions of advice like ‘do not travel’ on days when trains were actually running, and their responses were often critical. The reactions to problems like bad weather, infrastructure failures (pictured) and industrial action differed according to how the operators explained the situation, and passengers ‘struggled’ if the railway was still running trains but telling its customers not to use them. Bad weather in October 2021 prompted Transport Focus to examine how communications could be improved. Passengers were asked what they understood existing ‘do not travel’ messages to mean, and if they provided the right information to make decisions about attempting a journey. Some passengers will always try to make a journey even when there is disruption, because they tend to feel that their journey is not ‘deferrable’. The research also includes railway users’ reactions to potential improvements, including feedback on content, language, tone and the effect on passengers. It found that the information passengers need varies depending on where they are in their journeys. Have they started out or are they still close to home? Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: ‘Passengers can be annoyed when they know trains are running but are told not to use them. The railway should reflect carefully on when it is right to say, “do not travel”. Passengers would rather be given the facts so they can make an informed decision. ‘When there is major disruption, train companies should steer clear of baffling jargon like “ticket easement” and make sure they communicate in ways passengers will immediately understand.’ Jason Webb is customer information director and the Rail Delivery Group’s lead for the ‘Smarter Information, Smarter Journeys’ Programme. He added: ‘The SISJ Programme was pleased to jointly commission this research with Transport Focus. The research delivered new insight into how customers react to information during severe disruption. Following the research, the SISJ Programme has worked with train operators to develop and implement best practice to be used when communicating “Do Not Travel” messages. ‘This includes recommended language, good practice messaging examples and communication principles which is now being used by train operators, so customers should benefit from clearer, more consistent information.’