UK RAIL NEWS
Up and away
Reading response
New passenger lifts at and fitted with closed circuit
Haslemere station are making television and telephone links. welcomed
it easier for passengers and Says Lord Adonis, minister of
people with reduced mobility. state for transport, ‘We want to
The £2.7m access improve- encourage more people to trav-
ment project, managed by el by train, which is why the
Network Rail and funded under Government is committed to
the Department for Transport’s making the rail network acces-
Access for All scheme, involved sible to everyone. I’m delighted
the construction of a new foot- our Railways for All fund has
bridge, complete with two new helped improve access at
lifts and stairs, providing a step- Haslemere station, making Residents and rail users have Most of the residents, particularly Rail, ‘We are encouraged by the will be valued by our engineers.
free route from the platforms to travel easier for people with backed Network Rail plans to from the Oxford Road area, were strong support and interest We would like to thank everyone
the ticket hall and station reduced mobility.’ revitalise Reading station. very pleased that the bridges will shown by so many of Reading who took part.’
entrance. Haslemere station is in the 2,000 people took part in be widened and the cycle and residents and rail users in our Preliminary work is already
Each lift accommodates up to initial group of stations select- Network Rail’s consultation and pedestrian access improved. project. As we develop the design underway with construction in
16 people, is fully Disability ed under the Government’s 95% supported the proposals. Says Rupert Walker of Network of our scheme their comments full swing in 2010.
Discrimination Act - compliant Access for All scheme.
Clear Path for Airdrie-Bathgate
Work on the Airdrie-Bathgate ‘This project will provide a tal, habitat management and local animals and to manage
Rail Link pushes ahead this large area of central Scotland biodiversity standards. our work programme accord-
month as Network Rail and with access to cleaner, greener We have worked closely with ingly. By completing these
QTS clear trees and vegetation transport and, in keeping with Scottish Natural Heritage to works by March 2009, for
along the route. these benefits, we are commit- confirm that all relevant habi- example, we are able to min-
Says Hugh Wark, senior pro- ted to delivering the project tat surveys have been complet- imise the impact of our work
ject manager for Network Rail, within rigorous environmen- ed to assess the impact on on bird-nesting.’
Paint
Mark Henderson on site At The Going Down of the Sun
with two grafitti vandals. it black
Two young graffiti vandals are drain on our society and is obvi- 1940s, World War II - Railway Gun rests at Halwill Junction (below)
wiping their slate clean by ously preventable. before proceeding to Ashbury Station area (main)
helping to clean up a railway In Scotland alone, the rail- to fire a live shell into
bridge in Glasgow after a spray way has to employ the equiv- Okehampton Artillery Range impact area.
paint spree. alent of six full-time mem-
Alan and David, both 19, will bers of staff to continually
spend three days painting over clean graffiti from the railway.
the ugly graffiti in the west end Every year, dozens of young
of Glasgow as part of a justice people are killed or injured
scheme. Both Alan and David accessing the tracks to spray
were charged by the police in graffiti and damage property.
early 2008, when they were In many cases, restorative
caught defacing a wall in justice is not an option, we
Inverkeithing, near South will simply ask British
Queensferry. Transport Police to prosecute
Says Mark Henderson, com- offenders. Graffiti and van-
munity safety manager for dalism on the railway is
Network Rail, ‘In 2007, railway regarded as a serious crime by
crime cost the railway industry the courts and frequently
an estimated £264 million. This results in prison sentences
unnecessary cost is a massive for offenders.’
Terror
fails
firsthand stories about the reality of trains running throughout the war braving
The murder of a rail boss in gunned down by ETA terrorists life on the railways during wartime. bombing and fire to get through.
charge of constructing Spain’s outside his favourite restaurant, As the Second World War slips into histo- Railways proved easily identifiable tar-
new high speed rail link Kiruri, in Azpeitia, near San After its Remembrance Day appeal ry, it’s vitally important that we preserve gets for enemy aircraft. Trains were fre-
between Madrid, the Basque Sebastian. He went there regular- for railway war memories, archivists at the people’s memories of a Britain caught in quently shot up. Those happy to talk about
country and the French border ly to play cards. Mr Uria owned National Railway Museum are reporting a the grip of conflict.’ their wartime memories should write to:
has failed to deter railway staff the firm, Altuna y Uría. ETA is steady stream of stories from members of Responses have been flooding in from all Railway Remembrance Appeal, Press
working on the project. believed to have threatened the industry. over the country, particularly from the rail- Office, National Railway Museum, Leeman
Work continues on the line. companies and staff involved in Says Tim Procter, archivist at the NRM, way towns of Doncaster and York, where Road, York, YO26 4XJ.
Senor Ignacio Uría, 70, was the high speed rail link. ‘We are receiving some really fascinating the Museum is based. Railway staff kept Or email pressoffice@nrm.org.uk.
10 | RailStaff | December 2008
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32