21.11.17
Keep up, we’re moving on
There has never been a more exciting time to write about rail: technology is improving, ways of working are changing and pan-industry collaboration is at its peak, all in an effort to keep up with unprecedented levels of demand. I am therefore thrilled to present you my first-ever edition as editor of RTM, which I am confident is bursting at the seams with excellent contributions from leaders across the board.
One of the special features in this edition is our Scottish Rail focus, where ScotRail Alliance boss Alex Hynes shares his thoughts about the job so far, whilst transport minister Humza Yousaf outlines the key elements of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme and Network Rail talks about the Edinburgh Waverley upgrade.
We also dive deeper into the capital, with TfL’s Crossrail 2 managing director Michèle Dix outlining the benefits of the planned scheme ahead of the Autumn Budget and London Underground chief Mark Wild celebrating the Night Tube’s successful one-year milestone. You’ll also have a chance to find out more about TfL’s plans to collect anonymised data from passengers in order to improve flow in ways never before imagined.
Across heavy rail, the bosses of First Hull and Caledonian Sleeper discuss the ambitions of the brand-new fleets set to be rolled out across their networks in the near future; and turning to light rail, we have updates from Metrolink, the Blackpool Tramway and Midland Metro, all of which come packed with major plans to expand even further.
All of these changes and extensions come, of course, accompanied by a string of challenges that, if left unchecked, could pose serious threats to the pristine safety record of the UK network. Ian Prosser, the ORR’s chief inspector of railways, argues safety must therefore be kept at the forefront in order to keep standards from plateauing.
And finally, take a look at our 11-page review of this year’s TransCityRail conference and black-tie dinner, both of which were an astounding success and brought together hundreds of key rail decision-makers to discuss the Northern Powerhouse. If you missed it, don’t worry: next year’s event has already been booked for 4 October. I hope to see you all there!
Luana Salles
Editor