May 2011: Contents
Feature headlines
- Rail Professional interview: Philip Hammond
A year into the job of transport secretary, Philip Hammond talks to Alan Salter about his strategy for the railways
- Will new leaders find key to cutting costs?
A report by the National Audit Office on the Office of Rail Regulation’s monitoring of Network Rail’s efficiency has found that lack of financial transparency is hampering the regulator from determining what Network Rail’s unit costs are (see page 8)…
- High speed support reaches a low
With all three main political parties behind HS2 it seemed a reasonable certainty that the new high speed rail line would go ahead. But, says Robert Wright, an articulate protest campaign could mean that plans have to be withdrawn
- Airtrack plans crash land
A scheme to develop a new rail link to Heathrow, which would have connected the airport with Reading, Guildford and Waterloo via a new chord to Staines, has been scrapped due to lack of funding. Paul Clifton explains
- Supertram’s wheels of steel
The Sheffield Supertram is a victim of its own success. After struggling to build up passenger numbers when it first opened, it is now running at full capacity, but funding for expansion has not been forthcoming, as Andrew Mourant explains
- Pedal power
Cycling is one of the central planks of the government’s sustainable transport policy. However, many commuters remain reluctant to cycle to the station in case their bike is stolen during the working day. James Nash looks at ways to improve cycle security at railway stations
- Creating a united security force
The Rail Safety Accreditation Scheme gives security firms police approval, granting them powers that include being able to issue penalty notices and confiscate alcohol from minors. But it’s not used widely enough, says Abbey Petkar
- When the train causes a strain
Chris Price explains why employers have an ongoing duty of care to conduct suitable risk assessments so that employees are protected from the risk of injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome, as several court cases have illustrated
- Lie of the land
The Airdrie to Bathgate line re-opened in December 2010, but only after a lot of hard work behind the scenes to acquire the land needed for the scheme. Odell Milne gives a property lawyer’s perspective on the preparatory work
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