This week’s roundup of news from the UK railway industry.
Better trains and roads would be a ‘supreme leveller-upper’ says Johnson
Good roads and trains are a “supreme leveller-upper”, the Prime Minister has said.
In his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told Tory conference delegates: “It is a disgrace that you still can’t swiftly cross the Pennines by rail, a disgrace that Leeds is the largest city in Europe with no proper metro, a waste of human potential that so many places are not served by decent bus routes.“
Stick to most ambitious HS2 plans, Burnham urges Government
Mr Burnham made the plea to the Government at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, while setting out a bid for cash to support his ambitions for “London-style” public transport in the city.
RAIB report blames Sheffield train derailment on broken track screws
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released its report into a freight train derailment at Sheffield station in November 2020.
RAIB concluded that screws had been broken for “several weeks” before the incident but had been missed by Network Rail.
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway suspends services due to track damage
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway has announced the suspension of train services due to challenging weather conditions causing track damage.
Rachel Bell, Head of Marketing and Business Development Lake District Estates, said in a statement: “Due to a landslip caused by extreme weather conditions over the weekend, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway has had to suspend train services until October 9.“
Passengers evacuated Westminster Tube station due to smoke from electrical room
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to the incident at Westminster Station on Bridge Street in Westminster around 11:30 am on Tuesday.
London flash floods cause tube and road closures
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain covering northern areas of England until 10 pm following the overnight flooding in London, causing significant closures on travel services.
Dozens of flood alerts are in place throughout the day at scattered locations across the UK after commuters captured images of London buses ploughing through floodwater and tube stations closing on Monday night.
Latest Service Updates
Gatwick Express – Gatwick Express services remain suspended until further notice.
Hull Trains – Hull Trains are currently running a reduced service, in line with passenger demand and current government advice.
Transport For London Status
If you need to travel this weekend, here are planned works that may affect your journey.
Our transport network has never been cleaner. Imperial College London run monthly tests for coronavirus on the transport network and found no trace. You can read their recently published report.
Air continuously flows through all our trains, trams and buses. For example, on average, air in a Tube train changes every few minutes. Buses are fitted with air extraction and ventilation systems and we also leave windows open throughout the passenger area to keep a flow of fresh air.
Please continue to walk or cycle part of your journey where possible. If using public transport, travel during quieter times if you can. This will make social distancing easier. The quieter times to travel are:
- Between 08:15 and 16:00 and after 17:30 on weekdays
- Before noon and after 18:00 on weekends
Our TfL Go app can help you plan your journey and show the quieter times to travel.
You must continue to wear a face-covering over your nose and mouth at all times when on the transport network, unless exempt. The overwhelming majority of people are complying with this requirement, and the British Transport Police, the Metropolitan Police and our own officers are on the network to check compliance. Fines of up to £6,400 exist for anyone who does not comply.
Please also wash or sanitise your hands before and after travel.
London Underground Status
Due to the coronavirus, the following service changes will be in place until further notice. Please plan ahead and check before you travel.
- No Night Tube or Night Overground service
- The Waterloo & City line service will operate peak hours only Monday to Friday, with no service at weekends or on public holidays
London Overground
Due to Coronavirus, there is no Night Overground service until further notice.
There’s good service across London Overground.
Check before you travel and plan your journey ahead of time.
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