The Great Train Robbery: Rail privatisation and after

Posted on: 10 June 2013
By: mackene
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The privatised rail system relies upon billions of pounds of hidden subsidies from the tax payer and has failed to bring in private investment, according to research from the ESRC Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC).

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Railway efficiency: An overview and a look at opportunities for improvement

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This discussion paper from the International Transport Forum takes a global perspective with regards to the opportunities for improvement in railway efficiency. The paper identifies possible common barriers to efficiency, identifies “traps” that need to be avoided for improving efficiency of railways, and derives major recommendations on how to enhance the railway system from a financial perspective. The study includes findings from selected international benchmarking analyses and examinations of relevant cross-sectional data.

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Draft ‘Environmental statement’ and design refinement consultations on HS2

Posted on: 17 May 2013
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Further consultations have been launched regarding the first phase of HS2, the planned high speed railway between London, the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds . The draft Environmental Statement sets out HS2 Ltd’s current thinking on plans to integrate the line into the landscape using the very latest design and construction methods, both during building and operation. The design refinement consultation provides an opportunity to comment on the most significant proposed changes to the design of phase one of the scheme between London and Birmingham.

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High Speed 2: A review of early programme preparation

Posted on: 16 May 2013
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The National Audit Office has published a report which claims that there was little evidence to support the case for building the HS2 rail link between London and the North. It adds that data used to make the case for HS2 was out of date, and there was a potential £3.3bn funding gap in the scheme.

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Crossrail2

Posted on: 15 May 2013
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Transport for London (TfL) and Network Rail (NR) are seeking the views of people in London and south east England on Crossrail 2. Crossrail 2 would create a new high-frequency, high-capacity rail line running between south west and north east London. Crossrail 2 replaces an earlier scheme known as the Chelsea-Hackney Line. Comments are requested by 2 August 2013.

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Department for Transport: Lessons from cancelling the InterCity West Coast franchise competition

Posted on: 27 February 2013
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The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published the findings of its inquiry into the failure of the franchising competition for the West Coast rail line.

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Long term passenger rolling stock strategy for the rail industry

Posted on: 15 February 2013
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This report summarises the emerging conclusions from the initial phase of work to develop a high level national passenger Rolling Stock Strategy. This is the first time since privatisation that the industry has joined together to work towards a comprehensive, market-led, strategy for passenger rolling stock and we welcome the endorsement which Government has given to this approach. The study considers a variety of scenarios for the future size and makeup of the national passenger rolling stock fleet that would be required for the next 30 years, with figures based on demand trends, infrastructure enhancements and further electrification of the network.

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Crossrail 2: Supporting London’s growth

Posted on: 7 February 2013
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A major new rail link connecting south-west and north-east London, via a tunnel beneath central London, is recommended in a new report by London First. The new line, Crossrail 2, would transform journeys for commuters from the south-west and the north-east, including Wimbledon, Kingston, Twickenham, Hackney, Islington, Tottenham, Cheshunt and Hertford East. It would also provide essential relief to major London interchanges, including Euston, Victoria and Clapham Junction, and reduce pressure on congested Tube lines. In some cases, journey times would be more than halved.

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Cancellation of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition

Posted on: 31 January 2013
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Following the cancellation of the competition to award the InterCity West Coast franchise because of the discovery of “significant technical flaws” in the way in which the procurement was conducted, the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport has published a report which identifies the underlying causes of the failure to communicate accurate and honest information to Ministers and senior management, inappropriate official interventions and errors in the calculation of Subordinated Loan Facilities. The Committee also sets out the actions the Department needs to take to demonstrate that these issues have been adequately addressed.

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Transport management (Thematic Research Summary)

Posted on: 30 January 2013
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This Thematic Research Summary (TRS) has been produced as a part of the activities of the Transport Research and Innovation Portal (TRIP) project. The purpose of TRIP is to collect, structure, analyse and disseminate the results of EU-supported transport research and research financed nationally in the European Research Area and selected global research programmes. The Thematic Research Summaries provide a structured guide to the results of research projects carried out mainly at EU level, either as part of a framework programme or as a study commissioned by the European Commission. These summaries are intended for policy makers at European, national and local levels, stakeholders and researchers. This TRS presents an overview of EU-funded research on traffic and transport management for all modes, covering both freight and passenger transport. The scope of the topic includes influencing the way in which existing transport systems and infrastructure are used and new approaches to the management and control of traffic.

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