Page 7 - Rail Express - September 2019

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NewGovernment makes

commitment to regions

The North has been The North is starting
promised ahigh speed to see newtrains
come on stream
link between Leeds and at last –and soon
Manchester. TransPennine Express
will introduce its new
EMUs, bi-modes and
By ‘IndustryWitness’ loco-hauled stock.
Here bi-mode No.
INVESTMENT in rail infrastructure 802202 passes Rainhill
outsideLondonistobea priority for on August 1witha
theGovernment formedbynew prime 5Z38/10.25 EdgeHill
minister Boris Johnson. Depot to Liverpool
The newministerialteam at the Lime Street test run
Department forTransportwillsoon via Earlestown.
receivethe findings of theWilliams Mark Youdan
Review,whichwas set up to recommend
afuturenew rail industry structure the failuretorun services planned in May and takes overfromHarrogateMP £200 million after beingbarredfromthe
that would avoid thefailings that led 2018,timetable performance remains AndrewJones. East Midlands franchisecompetition.
to the poor implementation of the May belowacceptable levels.TfN says the The decision marksthe demise of Stagecoach is also known to be
2018 timetable. potential forchangewillbepivotal in Chris Grayling, who continued to give claiming damages.
As the work hasprogressed, it has achievinga resetfor the railway andthe the impression to somethat he wasnot The disqualificationsresulted in
beenapparentthatitisconfinedtoa opportunity formoredevolutiontothe responsible forsome decisions being Abelliobeing awardedthe East Midlands
review of passenger franchisingpolicy, North’sdecision makers. made by officialsatthe Department contract, whichArrivasaysmeant the
and that Network Rail will notabsorb The proposals have the support forTransport. This included sayingthat procurement waswon or lost solely on
responsibility fortrain operations as some of the prime minister who,ina visitto barring companies from applyingfor rail theappetite to takeonrisk associated
have suggested. Manchesterwithin afew franchises aftertheir with the pensions deficitasopposed to
It hasbecome clear from Keith days of being appointed, “Abellio has ordered refusaltounderwrite thequalityand valueofthe bid. TheDfT
Williams, whoisleadingthe review,that reiterated Government 33 five-carbi- open-ended pension wasconsidered to have actedirrationally
he believes long-lastingreforms must commitment to the fund deficits wasa and disproportionally.
be anchoredinregions and communities Northern Powerhouse modes from Hitachi matterofregret and Although thehandoverfrom
that arenearertothe people the andthe need foran forthe newEast notsomething he Stagecoach to Abellio’s East Midlands
railway serves. improvedraillink would have chosen to Railway is notdue to takeplaceuntil
This future policycoincides with betweenLeeds and Midlands franchise” do.Tomanyitwas a August 18, afleetof33five-car Hitachi
recommendations made by the Rail North Manchester. Boris surprising statement bi-mode A300trainsets wasannounced
Partnership, formed between the DfT and Johnsonpromisedahigh speedlinkwould as there is notmuch point in being in on July30toreplaceHSTsand Class 222
Transport forthe North (TfN), which jointly be built, although where the£15 billion charge if decisionsare being made that ‘Meridian’ rolling stock.The bi-modes
manages the Northern andTransPennine funding will come from remainsunclear. youdisagree with. Hopefullythe new will be built at Newton Aycliffe, County
Express franchises. Thefindings published transport secretary can restorecredibility Durham, from 2020-22.
in Julyask howNetwork Rail could have FUTURE FRANCHISING to futurefranchise competitions. Abellio also is drafting in 21 four-car
amoreexplicitand integrated focuson As partofthe ministerialchanges, Chris The decision to ban Arriva, Class 360EMUsinDecember 2020 after
the North,and whetherand howa more Grayling wasreplacedasSecretaryof Stagecoach, and Virgin from current they finishwithGreater Anglia. Diesel
effective guiding mind canbeput in place. State forTransport by Grant Shapps bidding could becomeexpensivefor units will be cascaded in during 2020,
Although there hasbeen andthere is anew rail ministerinChris the Government,ascourt documents comprisingfour Class 180s, fiveClass
improvement in train operations since Heaton-Harris, who is theMPfor Daventry issued by Arrivaseek compensationof 170s andnineClass 156s. E

DRScharity open day

raises £10,000

DIRECT Rail Services’annualopenday washeld at its
Carlisle Kingmoor base this year on July 20,and saw
around 2000visitorsraising £10,000 forcharity ESSENTIAL READING
During theevent, No. 66428 wasnamed Carlisle FORTODAY’S RAIL ENTHUSIAST...
Eden Mind by DavidPeattie, the chief operating officer EVERYISSUE!
of the NuclearDecommissioningAuthority(NDA),
in honourofthe localmental health charity.Then S SC I O
No. 66302was named Endeavour by Natasha Hanson, ON PAGE 12
business services directoratDRS,inhonourofthe
company’slinks with shipping firm International
Nuclear Services. READTHESEISSUESAND
Nineteen locos were on show:Nos.37401/409/ HUNDREDSMOREINTHE
419, 47593, 57007/301/303, 66302/424/426/427/
428/433, 68006/017/018/022/033 and88009.

Right: One of six Class 66s at the Kingmoor open day
on Julywas No. 66426, which is seen raised from its
bogies on jacks. Colin Pottle classicmagazines.co.uk/rmarchive
September 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 7