Greater Britain Rail News Round-Up (20/01/2009)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

The section of the Channel Tunnel hit by a fire last September will be reopened in three weeks (links below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7838752.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/4291936/Eurostar-services-to-return-to-normal.html

Rick Haythornthwaite, the former chief executive of Invensys and Blue Circle, is poised to become the new chairman of Network Rail (links below.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/4292196/Former-Invensys-chief-to-be-chairmain-of-Network-Rail.html

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=4109&NewsAreaID=2

Radical plans for a ^280 million monorail service capable of whisking passengers from New Street Station to Birmingham International Airport in 16 minutes are being developed (link below.)
http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-transport-news/2009/01/20/plans-for-a-monorail-between-new-street-and-birmingham-airport-65233-22728884/

The Pennine Lancashire Multi-Area Agreement singles out connectivity as a top issue and gives power to redirect and pool funds to improve commuter routes to Manchester ^ including reinstating the Todmorden Curve (link below.)
http://www.burnleyexpress.net/burnleynews/BurnleyManchester-rail-link-to-benefit.4889291.jp

There is no value in re-opening the Keswick to Penrith railway line in stages, said the man behind the scheme this week (link below.)
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.483645

Transport for London and Network Rail are carrying out a survey to see how much it would cost to electrify the Barking to Gospel Oak line (link below.)
http://www.bdpost.co.uk/content/barkinganddagenham/post/news/story.aspx?brand=BDPOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsbdp&itemid=WeED19%20Jan%202009%2017%3A04%3A01%3A793

Cactus wins signalling contract for the Haparandabanan Line (link below.)
http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/signal/cactus-automation/press1.html

The company behind a new rail freight service from Inverness to Grangemouth claims it will cut 13,000 lorry journeys a year on the busy A9 route (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7839871.stm

The head of London Midland has admitted his management team made mistakes that led to major disruption for passengers (link below.)
http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2009/01/leading-from-front.html

The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) is expected to announce on Thursday that the start of the Thameslink Project has been delayed (link below.)
http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2009/01/year-zero-and-some.html

RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) report published into a fatality at a foot crossing at West Lodge, Haltwhistle in January 2008 (link below.)
http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2009/01/lengthy-inquiry.html

Passengers using London Liverpool Street station on Thursday, 15 January 2009 were taken by surprise when 350 people standing on the concourse suddenly began to dance in time to a specially choreographed routine (link below.)
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=4112&NewsAreaID=2&SearchCategoryID=2

Section 22a - Track access decisions (link below.)
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.6601

East Coast capacity assessment responses (link below.)
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.9242

Land disposal consultations 2008 (link below.)
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.9411

Sections 22 and 22a - amendments to track access contracts (link below.)
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.7963

[Btline]

Oh dear Bham airport is already 15 mins away (with 10 tph^▸ (trains per hour) btw the stations)!