Latest news with #newtrains
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reduced timetable as new Docklands Light Railway trains delayed again
Newly built Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains that were due to be introduced in April 2024 will not be ready until later this year, leading to a temporary reduction in services.A fifth of its 90 trains, some of which have been operating since the early 1990s, are being retired this summer. By the end of next year, there should be 54 new Transport for London (TfL) commissioner's report for June states it is "rectifying the signalling issues" discovered during testing last Harvey, TfL's chief capital officer, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience to customers but these changes are necessary to ensure we can maintain the most reliable service possible." TfL hopes to introduce the 54 new trains and replace the oldest 33 in its fleet by the end of Harvey added: "Testing of the new DLR trains - which will significantly improve frequency, reliability and customer experience across the network - is now well advanced and we will soon commence reliability runs."We are working very closely with our supply chain to complete the final activities prior to bringing them into passenger service, and remain on track to introduce the first new trains later this year."To extend the life of the old trains they are replacing, there will be some short-term timetable changes to reduce mileage."
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Railway launches 36 new trains on East of England commuter line
The first rollout of 36 new trains on a commuter line will make a "massive difference" to travellers, a rail operator has said. London Northwestern Railway said the first of its new Class 730/2 fleet will begin running from Monday on the West Cost Mainline, into Euston Station, London, stopping at Northampton, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, and Watford stations. The trains are part of £1bn of investment on the line, the company said. Ian McConnell, its managing director, said the new trains will add 15,000 extra seats every day and increase capacity by 20%. Mr McConnell said the trains would be "more reliable". "These trains are going to make a massive difference. There's going to be 15,000 (extra) seats every single day, that's 20% additional capacity."They're going to have a much more comfortable, modern, state-of-the-art experience, much more space and much more chance of getting a seat and a much better experience all together." Phil Warner, the chair of the Bedford to Bletchley Rail Users Association, welcomed the increased capacity. "Train were shorter than they should be and could get over crowded, more seats and more space to sit down, means less standing and less crowding. "They'll carry more people which is what rail needs to do to take pressure off the road network." The new trains were built in the UK by Alstom, and feature air conditioning, power points at every seat and improved accessibility, the company added. More trains will come into service from 23 June as more drivers and conductors are trained. Other destinations on the line, including Hemel Hempstead, Leighton Buzzard, Berkhamsted and Kings Langley will have new trains from the end of the year or beginning of 2026. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X and Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Northern rail pins reliability hopes on new trains
Northern pins reliability hopes on new trains 11 minutes ago Share Save Share Save BBC Regional stakeholder manager Owain Roberts apologised for train cancellations The reliability of rail operator Northern will improve when up to 450 new trains start to come into service at the end of the decade, bosses have claimed. The company's regional stakeholder manager Owain Roberts, quizzed by BBC Radio Cumbria listeners on Wednesday, said he was "very, very sorry" passengers had experienced high numbers of cancellations over recent years. Earlier this year, the publicly-owned operator invited manufacturers to begin negotiations for supplying new trains to run across the north of England. Mr Roberts said the new trains would be a "game changer" but admitted: We still have a long way to go." "That's no excuse or consolation for customers who's journeys are being disrupted," Mr Roberts said on BBC Radio Cumbria's Hotseat programme. PA Northern Trains is owned by the Department for Transport through a holding company In July, the company was issued a "breach notice" by the Department for Transport for cancelling too many trains. Performance figures for April showed about 64% of services ran on time. In its latest improvement plan, Northern said that by 2027 it wanted 90% of its trains to be on time, with only 2% cancellations. Mr Roberts said some routes, including the Cumbrian Coast Line, get "battered by the weather". He said single track sections meant, even if there is just one cancellation, users could "potentially be waiting two hours for a train". The company is working with Network Rail to improve infrastructure following recent issues, including on the Furness Line which has seen sinkholes, landslips and floods, Mr Roberts said. Mental health support The rail boss said 60% of Northern's fleet was between 32 and 40 years old and those carriages operated in various parts of the region, including on the Tyne Valley route. "They are reaching the end of their lives," Mr Roberts said. Tenders were submitted in January for a mix of electric and multi-modal (diesel/electric) powered trains to enter service in 2030. "They will be fantastic when they arrive," Mr Roberts said. He also told listeners that train crew availability was "less of an issue than at the end of last year". He said Northern had worked to improve its "pipeline of training" and insisted it had "enough drivers within the business to operate the train plan". It was also working on "suppressing sickness levels" by partnering with mental health support groups like Andy's Man Club to encourage people to "work through their issues and to promote good wellbeing". He said mental health issues were affecting society and were "not just within railways". Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
