Infrastructure

User-worked crossings (UWC) are intersections where a railway crosses a right of way such as a road on private land, a footpath or a bridleway. Any gates or barriers provided often need to be operated manually, with some crossings requiring...

With the ever-present focus on putting passengers first, train reliability has to be high up the priority list to achieve this. Modern rolling stock is being equipped with many electronic systems that bring their own maintenance and reliability challenges.

Guest writer: Steve Cox The UK has a clear target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Rail is already a naturally low-carbon means of transport, responsible for less than 2.5 per cent of total transport...

German national rail infrastructure manager DB Netze has announced that construction work to complete the tunnels under the town of Rastatt will recommence in 2020, with the tunnels now due to open in 2025. The Rastatt tunnels...

Last year, the Aberdeen to Inverness Improvement Project (A2I) redoubled 8.5km of track between Aberdeen and Dyce as reported in issue 168 (October 2018). However, this redoubled track could not carry any passenger trains until this year’s completion of the...

A proposal to install a public access route across Bennerley Viaduct in the East Midlands is currently being considered by planning authorities. The structure - owned by Railway Paths Ltd - is one of...

A Spongy and Successful Lift Barnard’s Lock is a rail underbridge structure spanning the river Kennet, located 3.7km west of the centre of Newbury, West Berkshire. The underbridge carries the Berks and Hants iine...

Owing to changing global weather patterns, potential flood events are becoming increasingly unpredictable. In response to this, The UK’s Environment Agency (EA) continuously studies weather forecasts and water telemetry to detect emerging threats. When a flood...

Photo above: Huntworth bridge was in a poor state and could not be brought up to standard. (Bridgwater Mercury/Steve Richardson) A lift that could change the paradigm

Francis Paonessa reflects on his time at Network Rail When Dr Francis Paonessa joined Network Rail in the summer of 2015 from Bombardier Transportation, where he had been managing director of the train manufacturing and...