News

£78.6m Funding for Oxford Station & Railway Transformation

The Department for Transport has now confirmed that it has awarded to Network Rail £78.6m.  The monies will go towards re-developing Oxford Station and railway, and providing a much larger and improved station.  Additional services will also be provided for passengers and freight whilst also improving journey times. The funding provided follows on from...

Delays in phase 2a of HS2 due to Tory Leadership battle

Procurement delays are on-going for the main civils works framework for HS2 phase 2a due to battles for Tory leadership. Prequalification Questionnaires for the Midlands to Crewe stretch for civil engineering works (£5.2bn to £7.2bn) were originally expected to start in July.  However, potential bidders have now been told that due to the on-going...

People asked to Back Derby’s Great British Railway Bid

People of Derby are asked to back the Great British Railways Bid Workers, businesses and residents across Derbyshire have been urged by Scott Knowles CE of East Midlands Chamber to get behind backing Derby’s bid to be the home of Great British Railways.  The deadline on the vote is Monday 15th August 22. If...

Amey & Sella Controls Trial PLC Solution for Level Crossings

Sella Controls, Network Rail Anglia and Amey’s rail team have all partnered together on a 3-month project at Magdalen Road, Kings Lynn Level Crossing to investigate alternative ways to manage the signalling at Level Crossings. In July this year the MCB Level Crossing at Kings Lynn was transferred from the usual controlling relays which...

Grahams Wins National Railway Museum’s New Central Hall Building

Grahams have been named the preferred bidder to build the National Railway Museum’s new Central Hall Building in York, after beating rivals Tilbury Douglas and Kier. The £16m+ project will serve to link the museums’ Great Hall and Station Hall and aims to start in 2023. The first phase of the project will be...

New Energy Efficient & Longer Trains for West Anglia Services

Greater Anglia are now using the new ultra-modern, longer electric commuter trains now that their older trains have been taken out of service last week.  So, if you’re lucky enough to be on one of these trains which runs into London Liverpool Street from Cambridge, Ely, Kings Lynn, Audley End, Stansted Airport, Harlow, Hertford...

All Aboard Russell

On Saturday 30th July and Sunday 31st July the Welsh Highland Railway will be celebrating its centenary and hosting a number of events. The railway will operate a selection of heritage trains between Dinas and Rhyd Ddu (South Snowdon) to celebrate the re-opening of this section of the line. Russell is the only surviving...

Why do Railway Lines Get Hot?

So why don’t rail lines get hot in Europe? The truth is that they do! The only difference is that countries with hotter climates than ours stress their rails to withstand higher temperatures.  In Italy, Switzerland and Spain steel rails are painted white to help keep them cool. Three quarters of the UK’s rail...

£10 less to fill your tank with petrol

Thankfully for rail contractors and those businesses who have fleets of vans the cost of filling up a car is set to be £10 cheaper within the next few weeks. So as wholesale prices continue to fall drivers will be forking out less to fill their car up. Wholesale petrol peaked above £1 a...