ORR approves Network Rail’s £35bn CP6 plans

31st October 2018

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has set out its final determination on Network Rail’s plans for CP6.

The £35 billion plans – £31 billion in England and Wales and £4 billion in Scotland – form part of the £48 billion included in the Statements of Funds Available; the differences reflect a number of factors, including the exclusion of enhancements.

Network Rail has responded to ORR’s challenge to further develop the company’s draft plans to improve reliability. The regulator has now approved £24.3 billion to be spent in Great Britain on maintaining (£7.7 billion) and renewing (£16.6 billion) the existing railway, with renewal work seeing a 17 per cent increase from the £14.2 billion in CP5.

The ORR’s increase in the Performance Innovation Fund from £10 million in the draft determination to £40 million in the final determination will support the testing and implementation of new ideas from across industry to improve punctuality.

The ORR has confirmed Network Rail’s plans for a significant funding and resource boost for its timetabling and planning functions, with the System Operator’s forecast spend almost doubling from around £145 million in CP5 to more than £270 million in CP6. This will enable Network Rail to employ around 100 new staff from the current total of around 700.

The five-year plan will see Network Rail become much more locally focused, with each of its eight geographic routes having its own budget, delivery plans and scorecards. In addition, ORR has strengthened local routes’ ability to buy goods and services they need locally rather than centrally, where it offers better value for money.

A £245 million research and development fund will be available over the five years to help develop new technology that improves industry’s performance or efficiency. The use of this fund is contingent on additional governance arrangements being agreed between Network Rail and the ORR.

ORR CEO John Larkinson said: “These plans are focused on improving performance for passengers and freight operators by getting the basics right – ensuring that the railway is properly maintained and renewed, and on improving the daily operation of the railway.

“There is no time to lose; Network Rail and, in particular, the routes and system operator must make sure they are ready to deliver from day one of the new control period. That is why we have and will continue to report on – and where necessary challenge – Network Rail’s readiness.”

Railway Industry Association CEO Darren Caplan added: “In its Final Determination, ORR suggest releasing ‘risk funds’, to allow increased spending in the later years of Control Periods, thereby smoothing out work profiles. We welcome this move and look forward to working with Network Rail and ORR to ensure the funds are used correctly.”

RSSB’s decarbonisation competitions launched

31st October 2018

RSSB’s head of analysis, Richard Walker introduces the conference.

On 30^th October, over 150 delegates from the industry and research institutions attended RSSB’s “Intelligent Power Networks to Decarbonise Rail” conference held at the University of Warwick. This event considered how more energy efficient, zero-carbon technologies could be developed in response to the Transport Minister’s challenge to see all diesel only trains off the tracks by 2040.

The conference was a platform to launch to launch RRSB’s competition which makes up to £1 million available for feasibility studies and demonstrator projects that develop intelligent zero-carbon solutions focusing on high-speed train power, freight traction or the infrastructure to support such developments.

There was also further call for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (joint industry / research collaborations) to develop such solutions to be jointly funded by InnovateUK and RSSB.

The conference heard presentations on various promising developments including Alstom’s UK deployment of hydrogen trains, the joint initiative between Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham to convert a class 319 into a hydrogen train and the hybrid class 165 being developed by Angel Trains.

As electrification is outside the scope of the competitions, the event did not consider any innovations to improve its delivery or reduce CO2 from traction supplies. With electric trains comprising 72% of the UK passenger fleet this would seem to be one of the most effective ways of reducing the industry’s CO2 footprint

It was explained that electrification was a matter for both Network Rail and the Railway Industry Association who have initiatives to reduce its cost. A speaker from Network Rail also advised that the company is to specify the requirement to minimise CO2 in is contracts for electricity supply.

The industry will shortly respond to the Transport Minister’s challenge to remove diesel only trains. As well as mentioning the initiatives mentioned at this conference, sources indicate that this will also highlight the benefits of electrification.

Further information about the competitions launched at the conference are available at: rssb.wavecast.io/carbfreerail.

Hitachi plans to complete takeover of Ansaldo STS

31st October 2018

Ansaldo STS' headquarters in Genoa. Photo: Ansaldo STS.

Hitachi has signalled its intent to take full control of Ansaldo STS following an agreement to increase its stake.

In an announcement on October 29, Hitachi and Hitachi Rail Italy Investments said they have signed an agreement with Elliott to acquire its 32 per cent stake in the company, which designs and constructs rail equipment and systems dedicated to signalling and automation.

The transaction has a total value of €808 million and is expected to be completed on November 2.

Alistair Dormer, CEO of Hitachi Rail Europe, said: “This acquisition of shares is a further key milestone towards realising our ambition of becoming a global leader in total rail solutions”.

First UK tram-train service launched

26th October 2018

Rail Minister Jo Johnson visited South Yorkshire for the long-awaited launch of a new tram-train service between Sheffield and Rotherham.

A commemorative nameplate was unveiled at the new Rotherham Parkgate Tram Train stop on 25 October and the first tram-train entered passenger service at 09.39 from Sheffield Cathedral.

However, the celebrations were cut short later in the day when a number of passengers suffered minor injuries following a collision between a lorry and one of the tram-train vehicles.

Stagecoach Supertram said it was assisting police with their inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Supertram will run three tram-train services an hour in each direction between Sheffield Cathedral and Rotherham Central station, via Meadowhall South and Parkgate Retail Centre.

The Class 399 tram-trains will be able to travel between the Sheffield Supertram network and Rotherham via a new section of track, known as the Tinsley chord, which connects the light rail system with the main line rail network. It is the UK’s first tram-train service and the two-year pilot will be used to judge the viability of other tram-train services around the country.

In a statement, Rob McIntosh, route managing director at Network Rail, said the project had been complex and that it was “genuinely exciting” to welcome the first passengers.

Stagecoach Supertram’s managing director, Tim Bilby, said the operator was proud to have been chosen to pilot tram-trains in the UK and that he was looking forward to hearing what passenger thought about the service.