Green Signals

HS2’s £100 million ‘bat shed’… and the real story behind it. Why Natural England have taken issue with HS2 Chairman Sir Jon Thompson’s discussion at the Railway Industry Association annual conference of a bat mitigation tunnel in Buckinghamshire to protect Bechstein’s bat.

Jacobite steam train - is West Coast Railways considering another Judicial Review over central door locking in its dispute with the Office of Rail and Road over the operation of Mk 1s carriages.

And… Rail Minister Lord Hendy apologises for the tone of his letter to SYSTRA about engineer Gareth Dennis

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

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Wales train crash new evidence: RAIB (the Rail Accident Investigation Branch) issues a further update with new information on the Talerddig rail crash on October 21st

What is going on at Northern Rail? And why is performance SO bad?

A week after the Autumn Budget, what have we learnt about what it means for railways?

The Welsh Highland Railway gets complaints from nearby residents about ‘acrid smoke’ from steam engines

And East West Rail is finally going to be electrified! Or is it?

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(00:55) Wales train crash new evidence

(02:32) What is going on at Northern Rail?

(10:41) Welsh Highland Railway smoke complaints

(15:08) GB Railfreight Class 66 66312 named Nigel Harris

(21:10) Reflections on the Autumn Budget

(29:34) Thanks to Members and Super Thanks

(30:45) Talylln Railway video preview

(34:37) Railway News Round Up

(34:47) East West Rail electrification plans

(37:33) East Kilbride to Glasgow line electrification upgrade

(38:34) Chris Hillyard obituary & The Royal Train stories

(41:58) The Quiz

(44:55) National Railway Museum 50 campaign

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On November 7th, Green Signals was live in person and on YouTube for the very first time at the Railway Industry Association (RIA) Annual Conference, joined by special guest Chris Green.

Chris is a career railwayman in both the public and private rail industry. Among his industry achievements are creating the ScotRail brand during his time as General Manager Scotland and then Network SouthEast when Managing Director (MD). He also became MD InterCity before privatisation and then Chief Executive Officer Virgin Trains, where he introduced the new Pendolino and Voyager fleets.

This is a recording of that live broadcast. Join us to hear one of the most experienced and celebrated railwaymen of his generation, who has led transformational change both at British Rail and in the private sector. Chris will reflect on whether lessons from the past are still relevant today.

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Electrification and battery technology are never far from discussions about decarbonisation of the railway. There are a number of solutions, including discontinuous electrification and battery-hybrid technology.

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The Rail Accident Investigation branch releases its initial findings into the fatal train crash at Talerddig, Powys, Wales on October 21.

Euston station sees some progress on the Government’s 5 point plan – but will it deliver real improvement?

Plus… Richard speaks to Chiltern Railways Managing Director Richard Allan about electrification, battery trains and Chiltern’s future

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

Rail Wellbeing Live: You can register here: https://www.railwellbeinglive.co.uk/

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This is a recording of a YouTube Live we did on October 30th - Autumn Budget Day 2024.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget statement to MPs in the House of Commons and Richard and Nigel then went live for Green Signals members on YouTube to discuss what was in the Budget speech and how it affects the railways and wider transport.

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Sir David Higgins is known to most on the railway for holding two of the biggest roles there are – as a former Chairman of Network Rail and former Chairman of HS2. But he was also Chief Executive of the London 2012 Summer Olympics Delivery Authority before that.

Australian-born, Higgins has returned to the HS2 spotlight as chair of a private sector consortium proposing the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link (the alternative to the cancelled HS2 Phase 2).

He speaks candidly of his time at HS2, the decisions made on the project, its economics, and his views on former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2, while also delving into discussion of wider rail issues.

In this interview:

(00:00) Intro and what brought Sir David Higgins to the UK?

(01:28) His time at the Olympic Delivery Authority?

(03:50) Why join Network Rail before the London 2012 Olympics?

(05:41) Time at Network Rail

(08:39) Why did he join HS2?

(10:16) What did he think about Rishi Sunak’s decision to

(11:59) Was the strategic pitch and narrative for HS2 wrong?

(14:51) Was not including wider economic benefits a missed opportunity?

(19:02) Did the constant change of senior people involved have an impact?

(22:33) The costs of HS2

(29:59) HS2 contracts

(32:10) Skills and apprentices on HS2

(35:19) Government oversight of HS2

(38:34) Midlands North West Rail Link

(43:43) Are the urgent actions happening?

(45:00) The funding strategy

(47:30) Not going to Euston: Mad?

(50:15) What happens next?

(50:41) View of the current political landscape for the

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Ahead of the Autumn Budget on October 30 2024, Richard spoke to the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA’s) Chief Executive Darren Caplan about what the railway’s supply chain wants to see announced.

They discuss: the economic value of investment in the railway, the importance of a pipeline of work to secure the supply chain, the part private finance might play, and some specific projects such as Euston station, new rolling stock orders and electrification.

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

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It’s an HS2 special this week! Is an HS2 Phase 2a Euston to Crewe revival on the cards? We look into rumours that the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to reverse Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel the project.

Sir David Higgins – we preview an exclusive interview with the former HS2 Chairman.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh launches an independent review into HS2 Phase 1, led by James Stewart… and we’re pretty underwhelmed.

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(00:59) HS2 Special

(01:20) Is an HS2 Phase 2a revival on the cards?

(05:55) Henri Murison, Northern Powerhouse Partnership

(29:56) Sir David Higgins interview preview

(33:49) Independent review launched into HS2 Phase 1

(48:18) Thanks to SuperThanks and Members

(49:32) Railway News Round Up

(49:34) Strikes announced on London Underground

(50:43) First new Piccadilly Line train delivered

(52:29) HS2 Birmingham Curzon Street station construction progress

(53:12) Transpennine Route Upgrade Transport and Works Act Order

(55:03) Network Rail employs goats at Folkestone

(56:17) The Quiz

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Green Signals was exclusively invited to visit Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane train building and maintenance works to have a look around in the wake of the news earlier in the year that a follow-on order would be made for Elizabeth Line trains – securing the future the site.

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