12th July 2013
- Greater Anglia could be split four ways, more than expected
- Hundreds of Tube and Overground jobs ‘at risk’, unions say
- West Yorkshire PTE to be abolished in restructuring
Main stories this week
Greater Anglia rail services could be split four ways when the next franchise is awarded in 2016, [East Anglia Daily] can reveal.
- This would include separate franchises for intercity services to Norwich and regional services to Cambridge, in addition to the services already due to be assumed by London Overground and Crossrail.
Hundreds of Tube and London Overground staff are to lose their jobs as transport chiefs seek to cut costs after their Government grant was slashed by 12.5 per cent. [Evening Standard]
- Claims for accidents on the London Underground have reached more than £2.5million in the last four years. [Daily Telegraph]
Metro, the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive, will be abolished by April 2014 as part of plans for a combined authority. [Transport Briefing]
New services
The planning application for a £26m second railway station in Cambridge has been submitted by the county council. [BBC News]
Other stories this week
A senior minister has suggested that the government should scrap High Speed 2 and spend the money on other transport projects instead. [The Sunday Times]
- Tory demands for a rethink over the HS2 rail line intensified today after Boris Johnson predicted the cost would spiral to £70 billion or more. [Evening Standard]
- Making Paddington the focus of services from the West Midlands would save billions and provide a better infrastructure, argues Gareth David in [The Guardian].
ATOC has issued a commentary arguing franchising has massively increased investment in Britain’s railways. [Global Rail News]
Company and people news
Former ScotRail chief Mary Grant is to attempt to win back the franchise for National Express – nine years after she led FirstGroup’s successful bid, [The Scotsman] has learned.
Siemens has pulled out of the bidding for a £1bn Crossrail contract, boosting the hopes of Bombardier, the owner of the UK’s last remaining train factory. [Financial Times]
French state rail operator SNCF has targeted greater international involvement under its Keolis brand. [Global Rail News]
