Most of the Docklands Light Railway is closed today, as two 24-hour strikes start. The dispute over pay is between the RMT and the operator Keolis Amey Docklands, which runs the system under contract to Transport for London. TfL said trains are running only between Canning Town and Beckton. A second walkout is planned for tomorrow, and there could also be some disruption early on Thursday morning. Strike law Today’s King’s Speech is expected to outline plans for a new law which will force unions to provide a 40 per cent service during rail strikes. The RMT has labelled Minimum Service Levels legislation as ‘an assault on the fundamental freedoms of working people’. General secretary Mick Lynch warned that such a law could cause more strikes, and added: ‘We believe employers have the discretion not to issue minimum service work notices. Any employer that seeks to issue a work notice will find themselves in a further dispute with my union.’ HS2 plan The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport has published a 10-point plan following the cancellation of HS2 to Crewe and Manchester. CILT said it remains ‘deeply disappointed’ following the Prime Minister’s decision last month. Its plan calls for an independent inquiry into the problems with HS2, and is also calling for land already bought for the route to Crewe to be safeguarded. It wants an ‘urgent review’ of the options for easing bottlenecks on the West Coast Main Line, and says there needs to be more emphasis on freight as well as another thousand kilometres of electrification.

Station demonstration arrests Five people were arrested for taking part in an unlawful protest after the government had banned a demonstration at London King’s Cross by Palestinian supporters on Friday evening. Transport secretary Mark Harper said: ‘While the right to peaceful protest is a key part of our democratic society, it cannot be at the expense of other people’s right not to be seriously disrupted or intimidated. That’s why I have granted consent for the British Transport Police to make an order under Section 14A of the Public Order Act 1986 prohibiting the planned protest at Kings Cross.’ DLR walkouts Two strikes are expected to disrupt Docklands Light Railway services tomorrow and Wednesday. The walkouts have been called by the RMT, which is in dispute with Transport for London’s contractor KeolisAmey Docklands over pay and conditions. Transport for London warned that the effect of the strikes could spill over into the morning of 9 November, and is advising its passengers to seek alternative routes on strike days. If any DLR services do run they are expected to start later and finish much earlier than usual. Grand Central Voyagers Open access operator Grand Central has introduced newly refurbished Class 221 ‘Super Voyager’ units on its West Riding route from Bradford Interchange to London King’s Cross. The 221s were originally ordered from Bombardier for Virgin Trains at the start of the century and were a tilting version of the Class 220 Voyagers, for use on the West Coast Main Line. Cornwall smartcards A pay-as-you-go smartcard is set to be launched in Cornwall on 15 November. The first stage of the scheme covers the west of the county, but it is due to be extended to lines in central and east Cornwall later on as part of Cornwall Council’s Mid Cornwall Metro scheme between Newquay and Falmouth, which has been approved as part of the government’s levelling-up programme. The west Cornwall scheme is only the second of its kind on GWR. Engineers’ examination An historic railway bridge which carries thousands of Tyne & Wear Metro services has been undergoing specialist inspections to prepare for a major track replacement scheme. Specially trained engineers donned harnesses and used ropes to scale the 24 metre structure and conduct a meticulous inspection of the wrought iron arches at Howdon viaduct in North Tyneside. Heart help The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that all London Underground, Overground stations and Dial-a-Ride vehicles now have public access defibrillators, which can be used if a passenger suffers a cardiac arrest. Last year, the London Ambulance Service responded to around 13,000 calls following cardiac arrests, but immediate intervention is needed if lives are to be saved.

Services are being restored this morning on the East Coast Main Line after a section of overhead was damaged by a train pantograph near Peterborough last night. When a pantograph becomes tangled in the wires, a substantial section can be dragged down before the train can be stopped. All lines were blocked as a result of the incident, and Network Rail engineers have worked through the night to repair the damage. Although the equipment has been repaired there were warnings of possible disruption to early services today, because some trains and their crews could not return to their home depots and ended up in the wrong places from which to start today’s timetable. East Coast route director Paul Rutter said: ‘We’re sorry for the disruption that passengers have faced due to Thursday’s dewirement. Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to allow for trains to operate safely again. ‘There will be some residual delays while the railway gets back to normal, so we are asking people to check before they travel.’ Meanwhile, no down trains are calling at Market Harborough on the Midland Main Line today, after a section of land which was already being watched started to move, distorting the track. Network Rail said monitoring had revealed that the land ‘now needs more intrusive work to stabilise it’. Engineers have started remedial work which will include installing soil nails to reinforce the land. Trains travelling north between Kettering and Leicester are being diverted through Corby to allow specialist earthwork teams unrestricted access to the site at Braybrooke. Engineering work in connection with electrification had already been planned for the weekend, and so work can also continue tomorrow and on Sunday to stabilise the land without any additional disruption. Rail replacement buses are running from Market Harborough as far as Leicester, for passengers travelling north. Although southbound trains are continuing to call at Market Harborough, some are being delayed or cancelled.

National Rail operators are warning of delays and cancellations to trains in England and Wales as a result of Storm Ciarán, which tracked across southern England overnight and is now affecting towns in north west France. Network Rail has despatched emergency teams to repair damage in many places. GWR has warned that there will be no trains between St Austell and Penzance today, nor on any of the Cornish branch lines. The Looe Valley line is flooded, and there are also no trains to Gunnislake, Newquay, Falmouth Docks or St Ives. Replacement bus services may not run, and GWR is advising its passengers not to try to travel west of Plymouth. In Devon, the main line is closed between Taunton and Exeter St David’s, affecting GWR and CrossCountry services, while the line is also closed between Reading and Gatwick Airport. Fallen trees and landslips are blocking railways in Kent and Sussex, while a trampoline was blown on to the line at Hastings. Govia Thameslink Railway has advised its passengers south of London that if they plan to travel today, they ‘should strongly consider’ whether their journeys are necessary, and should work from home if they can. South Western Railway routes have also been affected by the storm, with disruptions reported between Fareham and Swanwick, Horsley and Effingham Junction, Ash and Wanborough, Salisbury and Southampton Central, Guildford and Havant, and between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst. LNER is ‘strongly advising’ its passengers to avoid travelling today or tomorrow. Some LNER trains will be running, but ‘major disruption’ is likely, including severe delays, short notice cancellations and overcrowding.  Greater Anglia services are disrupted between Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Transport for Wales is warning that there are no trains on the Heart of Wales line, nor on the Conwy Valley branch, while a fallen tree is blocking the line between Quakers Yard and Abercynon. Some services on other routes in Wales may also be cancelled. Speed restrictions are affecting Northern trains between Newcastle and Carlisle. Network Rail route director Marcus Jones said: ‘We’ve brought in additional teams and contractors. If you live near the railway, please do remember that garden objects can end up on the tracks at any time if they’re not secured, but particularly when we see the strong winds that are predicted for the remainder of the week.’

The Railway Industry Association conference opens in London today, and a new poll has been published which suggests that most railway suppliers are pessimistic about their prospects for 2024. RIA says only 24 per cent of the companies which responded believe the rail supply industry will grow in the coming year, with 54 per cent saying it will contract. RIA points out that this is the highest negative rating over the past five years. Even so, 48 per cent think their own businesses will grow, but 28 per cent are expecting their turnover to contract. More than four out of five (83 per cent), think there will be a pause in rail supply contracts during the coming year, because of uncertainty over major projects or the continuing delay in setting up Great British Railways and the reforms that are due to follow. RIA said: ‘These findings represent a significant increase in negative sentiment among businesses across the sector over the last 12 months.’ Recruitment will be reduced or frozen at 44 per cent of companies, compared with 26 per cent in 2022, while 42 per cent will concentrate on the export market and 35 per cent will pause or ease back on plans to expand in the UK. A further negative figure is the 87 per cent of rail supply chain companies who do not believe that the government will achieve its decarbonisation targets of removing all diesel-only trains by 2040 and achieving a fully Net Zero railway by 2050. RIA chief executive Darren Caplan said: ‘The survey’s conclusions are deeply concerning. They show rail business leaders in the UK anticipating a contraction in the rail market at a time when Unife, the European trade association, is predicting 3 per cent rail market growth every year around the world. ‘The findings show the lowest levels of confidence among senior leaders on the growth outlook for their businesses over the next five years since 2019. Over 80 per cent forecast a hiatus in work in the year ahead, as the government has still not set out clear steps on rail reform or firm commitments and timescales for delivering major projects. This adversely impacts recruitment, expansion plans and suppliers, who will seek overseas markets where the prospects are considered better. ‘With many rail business leaders still reeling from the news that HS2 Phase 2 between Birmingham and Manchester has been cancelled, the findings from this survey support the need for more certainty from the government on what national, regional and local rail work – both track and train – it wants the railway industry to deliver in the months ahead.’

The Government has climbed down over plans to close station ticket offices in England, after the transport watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch said they would not be recommending any closures. ► Consultation revealed ‘powerful and passionate concerns’ ► Government says proposals did not ‘meet high thresholds’  ► RMT union hails ‘resounding victory’ for its campaign The watchdogs’ announcements today have followed an extended consultation which had attracted 750,000 responses, many of which ’contained powerful and passionate concerns about the potential changes‘, according to Transport Focus. The Government had wanted to see more 900 offices closed to reduce railway costs, but transport secretary Mark Harper said: ‘We have engaged with accessibility groups throughout this process and listened carefully to passengers as well as my colleagues in Parliament. The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by Ministers, and so the Government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals. ‘We will continue our work to reform our railways with the expansion of contactless Pay As You Go ticketing, making stations more accessible through our Access for All programme and £350 million funding through our Network North plan to improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.’ Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: ‘Significant amendments and changes have been secured by the watchdog – for example, reverting to existing times when staff will be on hand at many stations. Some train companies were closer than others in meeting our criteria. ‘However, serious overall concerns remain about how potentially useful innovations, such as “welcome points” would work in practice. We also have questions about how the impact of these changes would be measured and how future consultation on staffing levels will work. ‘Some train companies were unable to convince us about their ability to sell a full range of tickets, handle cash payments and avoid excessive queues at ticket machines. ’Passengers must be confident they can get help when needed and buy the right ticket in time for the right train.’ However, he added: ‘Transport Focus is supportive of the principle of redeploying staff from ticket offices to improve the overall offer to the passenger. We also recognise the extreme financial pressure facing the railways and the need to find new, cost-effective ways of working. We will continue to work with the train companies to help them resolve the issues raised by passengers during this process.’ Some industry sources are claiming that operators were privately irritated by having to make the closure proposals at all, but as government contractors they would have had little choice. Rail Delivery Group chief executive Jacqueline Starr said: ‘Train companies committed to a genuine consultation, and worked closely with passenger bodies to build and improve on the original plans. We thank everybody who participated and for helping to make our proposals better and welcome the recognition by Transport Focus that the principle of moving staff to where they can better help passengers, is the right one. ‘These proposals were about adapting the railway to the changing needs of customers in the smartphone era, balanced against the significant financial challenge faced by the industry as it recovers from the pandemic. At a time when the use of ticket offices is irreversibly declining, we also want to give our people more enriching and rewarding careers geared towards giving passengers more visible face-to-face support. While these plans won’t now be taken forward, we will continue to look at other ways to improve passenger experience while delivering value for the taxpayer. Our priority remains to secure a vibrant long-term future for the industry and all those who work in it.’ The RMT, meanwhile, had feared that thousands of jobs could be lost. General secretary Mick Lynch said it was a ‘resounding victory for the union’s campaign and a win for passengers, community groups and rail workers alike’. He continued: ‘We are now calling for an urgent summit with the government, train operating companies, disabled and community organisations and passenger groups to agree a different route for the rail network that guarantees the future of our ticket offices and stations staff jobs to delivers a safe, secure and accessible service that puts passengers before profit.’

Updated 09.30 Network Rail’s spending plans for Control Period 7, which begins in April, have been given the green light by the Office of Rail and Road. The budget of £43.1 billion consists of £38.5 billion for England and Wales, and £4.6 billion for Scotland. Network Rail has changed some of its proposals since the ORR issued its draft determination in June. Among the revisions is an additional £600 million for safeguarding its infrastructure, which is ageing and under threat, as well as improving safety and performance. Train performance covers punctuality and cancellations, and Network Rail will need to work closely on improving performance with passenger operators. The ORR said ‘targets are more challenging than originally proposed by Network Rail but are realistic’. Freight has been set ‘challenging’ targets, with growth set at 7.5 per cent in England and Wales and 8.7 per cent in Scotland. The ORR is supporting Network Rail’s plan to upgrade its structures so that more rail freight can be moved. Track access charges for freight operators will continue to be capped. Other targets for Network Rail include dealing with risks effectively, particularly those posed by financial pressures and climate change. Network Rail will be required to reduce its carbon emissions by more than 20 per cent, while biodiversity is also to be preserved and enhanced. Money will continue to be tight. The ORR said: ‘It is therefore vital that Network Rail continues to build on the success of recent efficiency initiatives, to help secure a financially sustainable railway and deliver value for money.’ The ORR’s director for economics, finance and markets Will Godfrey said: ‘I’m pleased to see that Network Rail has responded well to our challenges to its initial plans and the result is more robust and customer focused plans which we believe will deliver better outcomes for passengers and freight.   ‘The plans are challenging but achievable. Our five-year funding and regulatory settlement provides stability and a platform for the industry to plan and invest. This is important not just for Network Rail, but also for passenger and freight operators and the supply chain. ’Network Rail must now set out how it will deliver on our final determination.’ Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines responded: ‘The rail sector enjoys an almost unique level of funding certainty and that is a privilege that comes with serious responsibilities. More than £43 billion will be spent over the next five years to deliver a safer and better railway for passengers and freight customers. Today’s announcement gives clarity and certainty for the railway and our supply chain partners and will now enable us to continue building on our detailed delivery plans. ‘The UK and Scottish Governments’ funding commitment and today’s news is a significant vote of confidence in the industry’s future. The impact of inflation, tight public finances and the need to invest more to manage the impact of more frequent extreme weather on the infrastructure does mean that our funding will need to go further than ever before. ‘Throughout CP7 we are committing to delivering extensive investments across the length and breadth of the network. In addition to improvements to safety, we’ll work to boost train performance, usher in new technologies, invest significantly more funds to tackle climate change as well as make £3.6 billion of efficiency savings.’

Passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch are due to reveal their recommendations concerning ticket office closures tomorrow. Operators in England have proposed the closure of more than 900 offices, and the largest stations such as Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central and London Waterloo are included in their lists. The Department for Transport wants to reduce railway costs by closing the offices and moving the affected staff on to station concourses. The devolved governments in Scotland and Wales have distanced themselves from the DfT’s plans, and are not proposing office closures on their networks. Critics, including the RMT, have argued that no consultation would be needed to make staff outside the ticket offices redundant at a future date, and the union is predicting that thousands of jobs would be at risk. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Around 750,000 passengers have responded to the consultation, making it the biggest ever response to a public consultation with 98 per cent of passengers who have responded opposing the closures. ‘We know that watchdogs, rail companies and government have had behind closed doors discussions in recent weeks. ‘It would be a great betrayal of passengers if the response to such widespread opposition to the closures was a stitch up which still paves the way for ticket office closures and the loss of potentially thousands of railway station jobs. ‘The passenger watchdogs and ultimately the government must listen to rail passengers and abandon the ticket office closure programme, ensuring that there will be no cuts to our station staff who are so vital for passenger advice, accessibility and safety.’

The RMT has launched a broadside against third-party ticket retailer Trainline, alleging that the company is ‘profiteering’ at the expense of passengers and taxpayers. The union claims that Trainline is also set to gain from ticket office closures. The union has spoken out just days before the passenger watchdogs are due to announce their recommendations in connection with the proposed closure of more than 900 station ticket offices in England, to save costs. Under the proposals, staff would move out on to station concourses, where they could assist passengers directly, but the RMT has said that two thousand jobs would then be at risk. The union has pointed out that passengers booking on Trainline are charged a booking fee, which does not apply on the offcial National Rail web site. Trainline is also entitled to the 5 per cent commission which is granted to third party retailers. But the RMT added that Trainline’s search criteria do not give priority to the cheapest ticket, and that its system does not always retrieve all the possible fares. The company is expected to earn revenue of £200 million this year, while the RMT claims the closure of nearly all ticket offices in England will save only £100 million. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Private companies and contractors that are operating within the railways are making a killing while the government is pushing for the closure of all ticket offices. ‘Trainline has a vested interest in seeing ticket offices close and has even suggested that such a move would be a "possible tailwind" for the company. ‘Half the revenue Trainline is expected to make this year could be used to help fund the railways properly, instead of the cost cutting agenda train operators have embarked upon with the ticket office closure programme. ‘Passengers do not want algorithms in apps giving them the ticket that the companies want you to buy so they can make the most profit. ’They need ticket office staff who can recommend the best and cheapest ticket as well as making the railway a safe and secure place for all to go about their travels.’ Railnews has invited Trainline to comment.