NEWS |
News in brief Official start of £100 million Metro Flow project in South Tyneside A £100 million track dualling scheme that will increase service frequency, reduce journey times, and improve reliability on the Tyne and Wear Metro has officially got underway. The Metro Flow project will see an existing freight line upgraded and electrified in South Tyneside, making it capable of carrying Metro services, boosting the capacity for an extra 24,000 customer journeys every day. Three sections of single track will be dualled between Pelaw and Bede Metro stations, with the most intensive period of track works taking place between September and December during a twelveweek major line closure.
CWE Ltd establishes Centre of Excellence for Rail CWE Ltd has announced it is launching a Centre of Excellence for Rail at its Crowle facility, providing customers in the sector with one of the most comprehensive rolling stock refurbishment services in the UK. The news follows the recent launch of its new hydraulic and mechanical buffer cell, and brings its coupler refurbishment facility, which is currently based in Worksop, into its Crowle site, ensuring all of its capabilities are under one roof. As a result, current and future customers in the rail sector will benefit from a more efficient service with easy access to the relevant parts and expertise at one site. The new Centre is a key part of CWE’s growth plans for the future, which will focus primarily on expanding its presence in the rail sector.
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Avanti West Coast launch new Train Driver recruitment campaign Avanti West Coast has launched a campaign to help recruit 40 new Train Drivers at locations throughout the UK in 2022. The initiative aims to encourage more people, especially women, to consider the role as a realistic career to pursue. In January, applications opened for the first ten new posts. As a part of the that recruitment process an online Train Driver question and answer session was held featuring newly qualified driver Hayley Richardson who talked about her experience. Over 1,000 people signed up to hear the London based recruit, who spent ten years working for the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, qualifying as a Detective Constable, share details about her training and what it’s like to drive at train at 125mph. ‘I absolutely love being a Train Driver’ said Hayley. ‘I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone, and I would encourage anyone, especially women who are looking for a career change or have their hearts set on becoming a driver to put in an application.’ Further posts are expected to be advertised in June at depots in the Midlands and North West. Successful applicants will
Train Driver Alice Catchpowle
need to be over 20 years and six months of age when applying, live within an hour of their designated depot and meet the required medical standards. Avanti West Coast has also created a dedicated webpage offering helpful advice to those actively thinking about train driving as a career with the option to sign up for job alerts – https:// www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/about-us/ careers/train-driver-recruitment. Richard Morrow, Head of Drivers at Avanti West Coast added: ‘Train driving is a wonderful career, one that carries a lot of responsibility and job satisfaction. Whilst the application process is competitive, if you think you have what it takes, then we’d love to hear from you.’
Play as both the driver and company director Take the controls of your train and travel across Europe with passengers and merchandise. In the Early Access version, drive through Germany, riding in the cab of several different locomotives. Each of these locomotives has its unique characteristics (power, braking, etc.) that you need to fully master to be as effective as possible. Take your passengers through astonishingly beautiful lands, including both town and country, forest and mountains. Not only do you have to drive the trains, you also have to grow your company by optimizing your passenger and freight activities. Choose a name, a logo, purchase locomotives, and hire drivers, giving them new contracts and exploring new tracks. You must also maintain your locomotives to prevent breakdowns and handle emergency repairs. You are free to accept or refuse contracts: make the right choices, earn money and develop your company. Train Life involves demanding gameplay based on real-world behaviour. You have to respect the rail signals and driving instructions, adapt for rail switches, and
manage speed. Make sure you keep an eye on braking distance when you pull into the station and open and close the doors for your passengers. There are also unforeseen situations to manage, such as fallen trees, stalled cars, and trains rolling on your track. The dynamic weather and day/night cycle mean you have to adapt the way you drive to avoid accidents and damage to the tracks. Train Life: A Railway Simulator is available on Steam and on the Epic Games Store. Rail Professional
