High Speed 1 (HS1) is a 109 km high-speed railway linking St Pancras International station in London to the Channel Tunnel. The line is owned by the Department for Transport (DfT) but is operated and maintained by HS1 Company Ltd (under a 30-year concession) which...
Network Rail is an arm's length public body of the Department for Transport and, as such, is an asset that needs to be valued in DfT’s accounts. To calculate its financial value, Network Rail has developed a Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) model which estimates the...
Network Rail’s £100 million project to electrify the Chase Line, between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley, was completed in May 2019 when the first electric trains entered passenger service. The project created a new diversionary route for the West Coast Main Line, as well as...
Metrolinx (MX) has embarked on an ambitious expansion of Toronto’s Regional Express Rail (RER) network. This will result in the number of train journeys per week increasing four-fold, from 1,500 now to 6,000 in 2025, but safety can create significant barriers to entry and project...
In September 2018, CAMCO, the joint venture between RATP Dev and SAPTCO (Saudi Public Transport Company) was awarded a 12-year contract to operate and maintain Lines 1 and 2 of the Riyadh Metro. This included mobilisation of both Lines, with Line 2 (the Red Line)...
Leaves on the line, and the resulting drop in wheel-rail adhesion, are a perennial problem for railways operating in temperate climates. It has been estimated that the problem costs GB railways over £300 million every year due to lost revenue, performance penalties and the cost...
In June 2017, Rail Safety & Systems Assurance was appointed by Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) to review the Safety Management Systems (SMSs) of its Infrastructure Manager and Railway Undertaking arms. The review was prompted by the need to perform an external audit of the SMSs...
Companies wishing to bid for train operating franchises in the UK must first complete a prequalification questionnaire (PQQ). If successful, the applicant is awarded a rail franchising ‘passport’ and is able to express interest in future franchise competitions without having to submit the same detailed...
Rail Safety & Systems Assurance has been appointed as the ‘Independent Competent Person’ tasked with ensuring that London Luton Airport’s (LLA's) new fast transit system is designed, built and operated to comply with UK safety regulations and international good practice. The driverless and 24-hour capable system...
Cities around the world are investing in metros, light railways and trams to help reduce traffic congestion and harmful emissions. The systems are very different in scale, purpose and the technologies they employ, but safe operation is always vital to their success. Smaller systems have...
