Network Rail news
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Rail Business UKCheaper, quicker and greener modular footbridge attracts worldwide interest
Railways from around the world are taking an interest in a prototype stainless steel footbridge which is designed to make construction and maintenance cheaper, faster, less disruptive and more sustainable.
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Rail Business UKScotland’s Railway publishes five-year Climate Action Plan
UK: The Scotland’s Railway partnership of Network Rail and ScotRail has published a five-year Climate Action Plan setting out aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2024-29. There are five priority areas: Climate ready: preparing the railway and organisations for anticipated changes in the ...
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Rail Business UKFirst Beacon station footbridge opens
UK: The first footbridge built to the Beacon design has been installed by Network Rail and contractor AmcoGiffen at Garforth in West Yorkshire. Work is continuing to install the lifts, which will come with illuminated shafts which inspired the name of the design. The Beacon bridge ...
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Rail Business UKHedgehog sleeper designed to reduce embedded carbon
UK: Network Rail’s Wales & Western region and Dutch manufacturer Lankhorst Engineered Products have developed a composite sleeper made of made of 90% recycled materials which they say involves 90% less embedded carbon in production than wooden equivalents and 78% less than concrete. The design based ...
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Rail Business UKSamaritans to continue railway suicide prevention programme
UK: Network Rail has reappointed Samaritans as primary delivery partner for its strategy to prevent suicide on the railway. The charity has been partnering with Network Rail since 2010. The new contract awarded following a tender runs from September 2024 to March 2027. ‘The programme ensures ...
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Rail Business UKActing Chair appointed at Network Rail
UK: Network Rail’s senior non-executive director Mike Putnam has been appointed as Acting Chair of the infrastructure manager, replacing Lord Peter Hendy who has been appointed as Minister of State at the Department for Transport. The process of appointing a successor to Hendy will begin in ...
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Rail Business UKFirst stage of £36m Tyseley depot expansion completed
UK: Spencer Group has completed the first of three phases of a £36m project being undertaken on behalf of West Midlands Trains and Network Rail to enable Birmingham’s Tyseley depot to handle four rather than three-car trains. The first stage included removal of a significant section ...
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Rail Business UKAutomated detection of lineside vegetation on test
UK: The use of cab-mounted forward-facing CCTV for the automated detection of potentially hazardous lineside vegetation is being tested on the East Coast Main Line. The 12-month trial is being sponsored by infrastructure manager Network Rail, and undertaken in partnership with train operator LNER, rolling stock ...
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Rail Business UKLineside batteries could smooth railway electrical demand
UK: Network Rail is seeking a partner to design, develop, construct and operate ‘multi-MW scale’ lineside battery systems to support traction power supplies. A long-term services contract worth £150m to £200m is envisaged. The infrastructure manager purchases 3·7 TWh/year of electricity for traction power, and has ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail appoints Eastern Routes Partnership contractors
UK: Network Rail has appointed 15 contractors to its Eastern Routes Partnership framework, which is designed to enable it to directly award key infrastructure contracts worth £3·5bn during Control Period 7, with the option to extend for CP8. Network Rail said removing the need for individual ...
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Rail Business UKDashboard to facilitate more efficient use of the rail network
UK: Industry regulator the Office of Rail & Road has published a track access dashboard which it hopes will help Network Rail and train operators make more efficient use of the network. The dashboard gives an overview of how the industry is using available capacity and ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail awards 10-year train control system framework contracts
UK: New suppliers and better visibility of future work are included in the Train Control Systems framework contracts awarded by Network Rail for the provision of conventional and ETCS signalling services during Control Periods 7 and 8 in 2024-34. The Train Control Systems framework replaces the ...
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Rail Business UKSeparate MDs appointed for Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail
UK: Separate Managing Directors have been appointed for infrastructure manager Network Rail in Scotland and for passenger train operator ScotRail, though the organisations have stressed their commitment to the current alliance model of close co-operation. Both Managing Director roles are currently held jointly by Alex Hynes, ...
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Rail Business UKWaterbeach station to be relocated
UK: Cambridgeshire County Council has called tenders for an estimated £35m design and build contract for the relocation of Waterbeach station to a new site further to the north. This would support the Waterbeach New Town development of 4 500 homes. Opening is now envisaged for ...
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Rail Business UKSMEs selected for Bristol Temple Meads innovation zone
UK: Connected Places Catapult, Network Rail and Great Western Railway have selected three SMEs to receive funding of up to £75 000 for technology trials in the Station Innovation Zone at Bristol Temple Meads. Chrome Angel Solutions applies ‘serious games’ technology to tackle performance, safety and ...
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Rail Business UKStation lift reliability needs to be improved, says regulator
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has raised concern over the rate of station lift faults, and it is to review of Network Rail’s processes to ensure it is taking appropriate measures to plan and carry out maintenance and repairs. ORR says there are 1 ...
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Rail Business UKHope Valley blockade signals completion of Sheffield – Manchester upgrading scheme
UK: The final stage of the £137m Hope Valley Capacity Scheme is due to be finished on March 25, enhancing capacity for passenger and freight trains in the Sheffield – Manchester corridor.
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In depthDecarbonisation: Accelerating the electrification task
Network Rail is now deploying UK-based Gripple’s SwiftLine Rail Dropper, which the supplier believes will speed up key steps in the installation of overhead electrification equipment.
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Rail Business UKNew concourse in London Waterloo station vision
UK: Network Rail and Lambeth Council have unveiled ‘an ambitious long-term plan’ for the redevelopment of London Waterloo station and its surroundings. This sets out aspirations to make the station easier to navigate, reduce platform congestion and interchange times, and enable easier movement. The proposals include: ...
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Rail Business UKRenewals at Network Rail’s only sliding bridge
UK: Network Rail has completed a nine-day programme of engineering work at its only sliding bridge, which carries the route from Scunthorpe to Doncaster over the Stainforth & Keadby canal and moves to let boats through. The project completed on February 26 included track renewals and ...