Railwatch issue 179 (April 2024) links

This page shows updates to Railwatch issue 179 and relevant links to obtain more information about certain articles.

• P.1 'Scotland shows the way' - Opening date for Levenmouth line confirmed as 2 July 2024.

• P.6 'Building railways for the future' - EWR funding announcement in Budget announcement on 05/03/2024.

• P.6 'Yorkshire branch report (Sheffield to King's Cross bid)' - First Group announcement of its track access application.

• P.11 'Stockport needs end to neglect' — Navendu Mishra is a Labour party MP (this was omitted). The article should also have included the text "Railfuture is non party political and does not argue for or against nationalisation. It does not argue in favour of or against any political party's ideology". Mr Mishra was incorrect in saying that the Department for Transport "authorised a £65 million payout for shareholders of FirstGroup"; management and performance fees are paid to a company, not its shareholders

• P.15 'Lifts are installed at Dore & Totley station' - Network Rail Media press release: Accessible footbridge installed at Dore & Totley Station

• Passengers now expect level boardinghttps://www.levelboarding.org.uk — Campaign for Level Boarding (incl. case studies)

• P.17 'West Midlands report (New trains help West Midlands and Northern)' - Class 730 fleet enters service between Wolverhampton and Walsall

• P.17 'West Midlands branch report (University station)' - Univeristy station expands by many degrees.

• P.19 'North Devon (Tarka) Line' - An inaugural event in Bideford was scheduled for March.

• P.21 'Long wait for rails to Witney' — The "3.4 cost-benefit ratio" should be "3.4 benefit-cost ratio" (commonly known as a BCR)

• P.22 'The Suffragette Line' - London Overground line naming by Transport for London

• P.24 'Loads of delay over rail freight' - Freightliner wants to triple railfreight volumes — The caption "Freightliner wants to increase rail freight by 300% by 2050" is incorrect. It should say 200%, to match the "set a long-term target to treble rail freight volumes by 2050" text

This issue gives differing figures (40 on page 7, 67 on page 20 and 129 on page 24) on the number of lorries that a freight train can take off the road. Types of train and their cargoes are different, just as for lorries. For container trains the train length is the governing limit (including the length of sidings at container terminals) but for aggregate trucks it is the 44-tonne weight limit, so a train carrying aggregates can take even more lorries off the road. Trains can also have loading gauge issues (use of well-wagons means fewer containers can be carried). To confuse readers further, Railwatch issue 178 page 2 mentioned a container train taking 76 lorries off the road.

You can click on the above 10 links to read more.