Eurostar eases booking conditions in pursuit of flexibility
Eurostar is changing its three classes of travel from November, when they will become Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier. Passengers in the first two classes will be able to exchange tickets until one hour before departure, and claim a refund until seven days before the journey. Premier Class passengers will be able to claim refunds until two days after the booked departure.
The drivers’ union ASLEF has called new strikes in England early next month. The union’s general secretary Mick Whelan said: ‘Our pay deals at these companies ran out in 2019. Train drivers at these TOCs have not had an increase in salary for five years. That is completely wrong’. The Rail Delivery Group said industrial action was ‘unnecessary’ and that it will continue to seek ‘a fair agreement’
Trains are running again on the Cumbrian Coast Line between Lancaster and Barrow-in Furness, after a derailment at Grange-over-Sands blocked the track on 22 March. No-one was hurt, but a six coach Northern train had to be removed by crane. Network Rail is continuing to work with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to discover the cause of a void in the ground which was discovered near the site of the derailment.
Derby City Council has revealed a letter from transport secretary Mark Harper which offers new hope for the Alstom works at Litchurch Lane, where ten trains for the Elizabeth Line are now set to be built, after a proposed order for five had been doubled to ten and ‘approved in principle’. It is hoped that the order for about 90 cars, worth at least £200 million, will secure jobs at the site until Derby starts building Alstom’s new Adessia commuter trains, possibly for export as well as domestic operators.
Drivers belonging to ASLEF are set to strike for 24 hours tomorrow, reducing East Coast intercity services by an estimated 75 per cent. No LNER trains will be running north of Edinburgh. The union is also staging a ban on overtime and rest day working from today until Sunday. The walkout is unconnected with ASLEF’s pay dispute with English operators, and has been caused by what the union described as the ‘company’s persistent failure to comply with existing agreements’. Meanwhile, the RMT has rejected a pay offer for its Network Rail members.
The future of the Alstom plant at Litchurch Lane in Derby is looking more secure, after ‘intensive discussions’ between Alstom Group and the government, but there is still serious concern over the future of the Hitachi plant at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, which was built a decade ago to supply the new Intercity Express fleets.
The Alstom works in Derby is in line for an order of up to 90 cars for the Elizabeth Line, according to reports. Such an order for more Aventra vehicles would not be a new contract, because an option for enlarging the TfL fleet already exists. Meanwhile, the RMT is calling for an urgent summit to discuss the threat to the Derby works, where closure would mean the loss of thousands of jobs.
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