Photo: Steve Parsons/PA Wire Ministers have been accused of failing to “get a grip” on the “ballooning costs” for HS2. Speaking in the Commons, Labour’s shadow transport minister Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi raised concerns that cities such as Leeds could miss out on the benefits of the high-speed rail link. Related articles on
Tag: Comment
Eurostar: Government urged not to let firm ‘fall between cracks’
Photo: Eurostar Business leaders in London have urged the Government to offer financial assistance to struggling Eurostar. In a letter sent to the the Treasury and Department for Transport on Sunday, campaign group London First warned not to let the cross-Channel rail operator “fall between the cracks of support”. Related articles: It went
Rail staff recognised for rescuing vulnerable people
Dozens of rail staff have been recognised for their life-saving actions in rescuing vulnerable people. Almost 60 workers from Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services, were recognised with Samaritans-sponsored Lifesaver Awards. Related articles: They were praised for their compassion and bravery in putting their
WIN Three copies of The Steam Engines of World War II In Europe!
Manchester rail service consultation launched
THE Department for Transport has launched a public consultation about three possible future patterns of train services in Greater Manchester, in a bid to improve reliability on its congested network. The first option makes few changes, but the second sacrifices the through service between Sheffield and Manchester Airport in return for
GWSR faces survival challenge after 77% fall in passengers
GWR Pannier Tank No. 9466 double heads with 7903 Foremarke Hall on a test run on the GWSR to Cheltenham Racecourse. A heritage railway has warned it must raise cash to survive after suffering a 77% drop in passenger numbers in 2020. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) carried fewer than
UK engineering first as 11,000 tonne tunnel is installed
WATCH: 360-degree virtual tour of Farringdon Elizabeth line station
Crossrail has introduced an innovative way to give the public a tour around the Elizabeth line station. From January 6, Crossrail has released a 360 degree virtual website tour of the new Farringdon station. Click here to take a look: https://360.crossrail.co.uk/far/ The tour is made up of 21 panoramic 360 degree
PREVIEW: January issue of The Railway Magazine
Britain’s best-selling rail title The Railway Magazine is back for another month of award-winning photos, news, features and exclusives from the rail industry, past and present. This month’s The Railway Magazine covers doubts cast over HS2 Eastern leg, plus Tier 4 chaos on the railways. Here’s what is coming up in the January
Rail operators and Government to assess rail service levels
Photo: Rail Delivery Group Rail operators are “working closely” with the Government to ensure adequate rail services throughout England’s fresh national COVID-19 lockdown. It comes as a rail operator announced it is to suspend all its services for the next two months in what it described as a “hugely disappointing” start to
Severn Valley Railway welcomes 4930 Hagley Hall boiler home
Photos: Bob Sweet The Severn Valley Railway has welcomed back the overhauled boiler of its flagship locomotive 4930 Hagley Hall, following extensive works at Northern Steam Engineering. The return of the boiler marks 18 months of work by Northern Steam Engineering, who previously built a brand new tender tank for Hagley
Grade II-listed Station Hall to undergo £500,000 refurbishment
The National Railway Museum’s Station Hall is set to receive a £500,000 refurbishment, thanks to the Friends of the National Railway Museum. The charity organisation which supports the work of the museum, has raised £300,000 from members to develop and refresh Station Hall’s permanent exhibition, which is housed inside the
Great Eastern Main Line works to commence this month
Vital upgrade works are set to take place on the Great Eastern Main Line this month. The work will take place between January and February between London Liverpool Street station and Shenfield and on the Southend Victoria line to improve reliability for passengers. Related articles: Major renewal works will continue to replace the
New Year’s Honours List recognises Network Rail employees
Martin Frobisher. Photos: Network Rail Three Network Rail employees have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list 2020, published on 30 December. Martin Frobisher OBE, group safety and engineering director, is recognised for his work supporting the railway response to COVID-19, the construction of the Nightingale hospitals and supporting the
Hancock brands those who packed trains out of London ‘irresponsible’
Photos: PA Media Passengers who crowded on to trains to escape the tightening of COVID-19 restrictions in London have been branded “totally irresponsible” by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Mr Hancock condemned the busy scenes on Saturday night which came after the Prime Minister announced tougher coronavirus measures for the capital. Extra
Dewley Hill refusals turns heritage railways to imported coal
Newcastle City Council has refused planning permission for a new surface coal mine at Dewley Hill. The decision means an end to UK-based coal production, and has dashed the hopes of Britain’s heritage railways, who need affordable coal to continue operating. Earlier this week, we reported how the Heritage Railway
Season’s greetings
GWR cancels Christmas rail services after COVID-19 outbreak among crew
A train operator has announced it will cancel “a small number” of services over Christmas due to a coronavirus outbreak among staff. Great Western Railway (GWR) said it will run an amended timetable from December 21 to 27 to give passengers “greater clarity”. This will include providing “road transport at
Thameslink returns to Tube map after 22-year absence
A major rail line is returning to London’s Tube map 22 years after being removed. Thameslink services will be back on the map from next month following a long-running campaign, Transport for London (TfL) said. The network runs between Bedford and Brighton via central London, including stations such as London Bridge,
Rail fares in England to rise above inflation for first time since 2013
Hitachi Rail to launch UK first long distance battery trains
Long-distance trains will run on battery power in a UK first, manufacturer Hitachi Rail has announced. The firm has launched a plan for Great Western Railway (GWR) services between London Paddington and Penzance, Cornwall, to operate by a combination of electricity, diesel and batteries. The line is only partially electrified, with
RMT blames ScotRail for strike vote defeat
Last chance to win £330 worth of stunning railway prints!
PREVIEW: December issue of The Railway Magazine
Britain’s best-selling rail title The Railway Magazine is back for another month of award-winning photos, news, features and exclusives from the rail industry, past and present. This month’s The Railway Magazine covers first Vivarail train arriving on the Isle of Wight, plus Eurostar and HS1 warn their futures are at risk.
Birmingham New Street’s Christmas Eve meal returns as takeaway
Birmingham New Street’s highly successful Christmas Eve meal for the city’s homeless is returning this year – but with a difference. For the third year running Network Rail is teaming up with award-winning charity Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS) to provide hot food and festive cheer for those who are
Rail engineering work cut to smooth Christmas journeys
Lifting hundreds of miles of roadworks and shortening rail engineering work are among measures aimed at avoiding Christmas travel chaos unveiled by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The closure of London King’s Cross station on Christmas Eve for major engineering work has been postponed from the afternoon until the end of
Korita Aviation – Trolley Talk!
By Train and by Plane, Our Trolleys Travel the World Every Day! Yes, it’s true, our trolleys are frequent travellers and have a very busy schedule! They also have an important role. Our trolleys need to support the crew by being a reliable piece of catering equipment that helps them provide excellent onboard service to
Norfolk’s Berney Arms named Britain’s least used railway station
Safe and Clean: Mobility Made in Germany
Safe and Clean: Mobility Made in Germany: Jure Mikolcic, VDB Vice-President Rolling Stock, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH, Member of the Executive Committee of Stadler Rail AG, at the VDB Digital Dialog Forum “Rail Revolution 4.0: Picking up Speed after the Crisis”. Jure Mikolcic: “We’re living in unusual times. We’re currently
Avanti West Coast suspends peak restrictions for Christmas travel
Peak ticket restrictions will be suspended on Avanti West Coast trains over the festive period, slashing the price of many journeys. Passengers travelling on weekdays with off-peak tickets are usually prohibited from boarding trains before around 9.30am or between 3pm and 7pm. But the operator has announced that this rule will not
Rail passengers told to book early for Christmas travel
People planning Christmas train travel are being urged to book “as early as possible” to avoid being denied boarding. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued the warning ahead of its release of tickets for the festive period on Friday. The operator, which runs trains on the East Coast Main Line between London
HUGE 30% off at Mortons Books this Black Friday weekend!
Our Black Friday magazine subscription sale is now on!
Treasury announce extra £2.1bn to keep train services running
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak delivers his one-year Spending Review in the House of Commons. Photo: PA Media A further £2.1 billion of taxpayers’ money has been allocated to covering private train company losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Treasury announced the figure as part of its Department for Transport
Transport Secretary urges people to consider avoiding Christmas travel
People should consider not travelling by train at Christmas due to the rail network’s “limitations”, Transport Secretary Grants Shapps has said. The Westminster Government and the devolved administrations are expected to announce later this week how coronavirus restrictions will be eased to allow people across the UK to spend the
Laser and drone technology recreates Ribblehead viaduct
Laser scanners and drones have been used to map every inch of the iconic Ribblehead viaduct as part of a major restoration project to secure its future for passengers and tourists. An essential upgrade to brickwork and drainage is underway on the 144-year-old structure which carries the historic Settle to
Monday essay: Should the state pay our fares?
THE Department for Transport is paying National Rail operators who had been running franchises until March this year to keep going. The government takes the revenue and pays the bills, and the deficit so far has reached £4.2 billion. But does this amount to renationalisation, and should the state simply
Publisher launches bumper railway gift guide for Christmas
Stuck for what to buy the rail enthusiast in your life… or keen to indulge yourself this Yuletide? Fear not, as Britain’s leading railway publisher may just have the answer, with the launch of our ultimate Christmas catalogue. Mortons Media Group, publisher of five top railway magazines, including The Railway Magazine
Azuma driver’s struggle to use onboard software led to crash
PM’s 10-Point Plan for ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ All about Cars
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined his 10-point plan for what he calls a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’. This plan covers a number of areas such as ‘nature’ and ‘innovative technologies’. I’ll focus on transport. But you can read the whole thing in full here if you enjoy the phrases ‘world-leading’, ‘global’
COVID-19 tests on trains find no evidence of virus
No evidence of COVID-19 was found in tests on trains used by Britain’s largest rail franchise. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said checks it commissioned on a random selection of carriages used by its Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern brands all returned negative results. The tests were carried out up to 23
Ministers consider ‘incentives’ to win back rail travellers after lockdown
Rail travellers may be offered “incentives” to get back on trains once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, peers have been told. Transport minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said there were many things being considered by ministers to attract passengers back to the railways. ALSO SEE: Avanti West Coast signs up for Rail
Avanti West Coast signs up for Rail Aid
The Railway Magazine Christmas Gift Guide 2020!
Christmas is just around the corner, meaning that it’s time to start present hunting yet again. Fortunately, we’ve made your life that bit simpler with our exclusive Christmas Gift Guide! Check out some of these fantastic Railway Magazine picks… Steaming Around Yorkshire This Christmas, watch Steaming Around Yorkshire’s new ‘Decade of
Protests follow reports of inflation-plus fare rises
Network Rail safety failings contributed to track worker deaths
Photo: Adam Hale/PA Wire Network Rail’s long-term failure to improve safety was an underlying factor in the deaths of two track workers in South Wales, an investigation has found. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said that, over “many years”, the Government-owned company “had not adequately addressed the protection of track
Construction of sea wall to protect Dawlish coastal railway begins
Colonel Stephens: Celebrating a light railway legend
The life and work of an ingenious engineer, Colonel Stephens, who inspired Britain’s preserved railway sector is celebrated in a new publication written by Heritage Railway magazine editor Robin Jones. Colonel Holman Fred Stephens acquired legendary status at the end of Britain’s great Victorian age of railway construction by establishing new
Post-Pandemic Travel – the Things You Need to Know
Victoria station marks 100 years since Unknown Warrior burial
Story of King’s Cross station told in new Channel 5 documentary
Britain’s most bashed bridge is at Hinckley
Claims that HS2 costs are soaring are ‘baseless’ says DfT
RMT union leader Mick Cash retires after ‘campaign of harassment’
The leader of the biggest rail workers’ union has announced his retirement, blaming a “campaign of harassment” against him by factional groups within the union. Photo: Nick Ansell/PA Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, has faced several clashes with the union’s executive in recent months.
National lockdown delays Blue Pullman launch
Severn Valley Railway to close as second national lockdown begins
Following the government announcement of a second national COVID-19 lockdown, the Severn Valley Railway will close from November 5. The Railway’s pubs, cafes and shops will also shut. All customers who have tickets for this period will be offered the chance to rebook during December. The railway has confirmed that tickets
Heritage lines hit by second national lockdown
GWR 2-8-0 No. 2857 and Pannier 0-6-0 No. 7714 at Kidderminster on July 31, during trial runs by the Severn Valley Railway prior to public reopening the next day. The tests were to ensure social distancing measures were working correctly. CHRIS MILNER The announcement of a second national coronavirus lockdown by
Stonehaven derailment: Line to reopen next week
The railway line between Aberdeen and Dundee is due to reopen next week after a fatal crash near Stonehaven. It has been shut since August 12, when a ScotRail service struck a landslip, causing the train to derail. Driver Brett McCullough, conductor Donald Dinnie and passenger Christopher Stuchbury died in the
Thousands complain over lockdown rail refunds
Thousands of train passengers complained about ticketing and refunds following the coronavirus outbreak, new figures show. Analysis of industry data by the PA news agency shows around 10,000 complaints relating to coronavirus were dealt with between April and June. This was when many passengers claimed pay outs for tickets they could
Train named in honour of Dr Paul Stephenson for Black History Month
Government under fire as TfL countdown continues
THE Prime Minister has been sent a letter by a coalition of organisations, calling on him to end his government’s ‘attack’ on Transport for London. The letter, signed by 13 organisations representing London’s transport workers, passenger groups, children, young people, students, pensioners, disabled people and anti-poverty campaigners, condemns the government for
Free, unlimited station WiFi to benefit rail passengers
East Midlands Railway’s new Intercity fleet named Aurora
East Midlands Railway’s new Intercity fleet has been named Aurora – chosen from more than 2,000 competition entries. The Aurora fleet includes Japanese bullet-train technology and will provide fast, comfortable and state-of-the-art journeys between London, Sheffield and Nottingham from 2023. Aurora matched EMR ethos Aurora appealed to the judges because of the
Cumbria passengers to get multi-million-pound track upgrades
Passengers in Cumbria are being advised to plan their journeys next month when Network Rail upgrades track near Bootle station. On five consecutive Sundays from November 15 to December 13, buses will replace trains between Sellafield and Millom. The £2.3m Great North Rail Project investment will involve replacing over 4,000 metres
Festive trains will operate at North Norfolk Railway
The North Norfolk Railway has invested in special measures to ensure the highly popular Santa Specials and the Norfolk Lights Express trains can continue to operate this Christmas. The Santa Specials will operate from every weekend from November 28 until December 18, then daily up to and including Christmas Eve. There
Transport for London crisis grows as funding deadline looms
TIME is running out for a new funding settlement for Transport for London, amid increasing crossfire between the government and TfL over what the ‘price’ of a settlement should be. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants driverless trains to be a condition of any payment, but a newly-leaked report prepared by
Fees for rearranging advance rail journeys disrupted by Covid-19 to be scrapped
Additional charges for rearranging advance railway journeys disrupted by COVID-19 regulations will be scrapped, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. The DfT said the new measures will ensure passengers affected by changing levels of restrictions across the UK will not be left out of pocket. The new temporary measures mean
Train operator doubles female driver applicants in a year
The number of women applying to be train drivers at the UK’s biggest rail operator has doubled thanks to recruitment and marketing campaigns. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services, said 825 women had applied to be trained as a driver so far
Spooktacular savings on your favourite titles!
Trick and treat yourself this Halloween with our spookily good subscription offers on a selection of your favourite Railway titles. Click here to see all of our spooktacular savings. The Railway Magazine The Railway Magazine is the most authoritative rail publication in Britain today. Priding itself on it’s news content and unique
Dinmore and more and more!
The locomotives owned by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd have earned themselves a reputation for reliability and good performance during their various spells in traffic. Yet their owning group retains a relatively low profile, conducting impressive feats largely ‘under the radar’. Gary Boyd-Hope went to meet them. ON June 7 last year
PREVIEW: October edition of The Railway Magazine
Britain’s best-selling rail title The Railway Magazine is back for another month of award-winning photos, news, features and exclusives from the rail industry, past and present. This month’s The Railway Magazine covers the government announcement of emergency rail reforms, plus Tornado is back in BR green. Here’s what is coming up
CrossCountry handed new three-year deal to run train services
The Government has awarded a new contract to Arriva CrossCountry to continue running train services until October 2023. The agreement will see the Government take on the revenue and cost risk associated with the franchise, in line with Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements announced in September. Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “This
Network Rail joins campaign to highlight abuse of staff
Network Rail has joined a campaign to highlight abuse suffered by customer-facing workers. The rail infrastructure company said attacks on staff happen “all too often”. The Together Against Hate project launches with a television advert featuring employees reflecting on why they love working for the public, overlaid with recordings and CCTV
Centenarian cameraman: Ron Buckley – Britain’s Oldest Railway Photographer: Part Two
Chris Milner concludes his interview with 100-year-old photographer Ron Buckley, who returned from wartime military service to a railway preparing for Nationalisation. AFTER leaving England in 1940 and serving with the Worcestershire Regiment, Ron returned home after demobilisation in 1945 after four-and-a-half years away – and to a very different railway. The
£330 worth of stunning railway prints up for grabs
Severn Valley Railway receives lifeline government grant
The Severn Valley Railway is one of 445 heritage organisations across the country set to receive a lifesaving financial boost from the government, thanks to the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The Railway was preparing to welcome the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddlestone MP, who will meet the
Rail journeys drop to lowest levels since mid-nineteenth century
Empty trains: Winning back customer confidence is proving challenging for the rail industry. Photo: Chris Milner The number of passengers using the UK’s railway has fallen to its lowest levels in around 170 years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Official statistics released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) reveal
Bombardier to Open Global Innovation Centre in Sweden
The innovation centre will develop technologies for both the rail and the automotive sectors. Annika Svanström, Bombardier Transportation’s managing director in Sweden commented that innovation needed to be worked across all industrial sectors in collaboration with academic partners to pursue a cleaner future for transport generally. Bombardier to add Global Innovation
Crossrail governance handed over to Transport for London
The Elizabeth line has reached its complex final stages with Crossrail Ltd working to complete the remaining infrastructure so it can fully test the railway and successfully transition the project as an operational railway to Transport for London (TfL). The process to handover the completed rail infrastructure is underway, with
Delivering a bigger, better railway for Scotland
Railways ready to tackle autumn leaves on the line
Consultation starts on Cambridge South
NETWORK RAIL has announced the start of a further public consultation about a new station in suburban Cambridge. Plans have been developed in principle for Cambridge South, which would serve Addenbrookes Hospital and could also be a calling point for trains on East West Rail in a few years from now. The station
New exhibition for world famous Trans-Siberian railway journey
UK’s first hydrogen-powered train makes mainline debut
A hydrogen-powered train has travelled on the UK rail network for the first time. Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham welcomed Transport Secretary Grant Shapps aboard HydroFLEX, the UK’s first hydrogen-powered train, as it started operational trials on the mainline railway. Today’s trials of HydroFLEX, which have been supported with a £750,000
HS2: Webinar on new habitats for local wildlife in the West Midlands
Scotland’s Railway hits key punctuality milestone
Train punctuality on Scotland’s Railway has reached its highest level since 2018, according to new figures. In the most recent four-weekly period of performance (23 August – 20 September), 93.3% of ScotRail trains met the rail industry standard Public Performance Measure (PPM). It’s the seventh consecutive period where ScotRail’s PPM
Water troughs: Simple, revolutionary invention for long-distance rail travel
Making a splash: It was a relatively simple invention yet it revolutionised long-distance train travel for more than a century. Consultant Editor Nick Pigott dips into the subject of water troughs. IT’S a hot summer’s day in the steam era and you are relaxing in a Pullman car speeding along the East
St Pancras International launches new cleaning robots to tackle virus
St. Pancras International becomes the first railway station in the world to launch state-of-the-art cleaning robots in a bid to minimise the risk of COVID-19 to travellers. From September 23, the mobile autonomous robots – designed to kill viruses and bacteria both on surfaces and in the surrounding air – will
Network Rail publishes Environmental Sustainability Strategy
Network Rail has published its Environment Sustainability Strategy about the steps to be taken over the next 30 years “for rail travel to be the cleanest, greenest form of mass transport”. The report details Network Rail’s vision to serve the UK with the cleanest, greenest mass transport, with four core priorities;
Works on historic Skerne Bridge ahead of 195th anniversary
Rail industry experts call for green investment post-pandemic
A new report from leading rail industry professionals calls for the government to put rail at the heart of a green post-pandemic economic recovery. The Building Back Better report, written by industry experts from the High Speed Rail Group and the Rail Delivery Group, calls for major investment into high speed
RMT to stage strikes on Caledonian Sleeper
MEMBERS of the RMT are to take industrial action on Caledonian Sleeper in October after a strike ballot, in protest at what the union claims is ‘SERCO's lack of concern for members’ safety and wellbeing’, and also the company’s ‘refusal’ to negotiate. Walkouts of sleeper hosts and sleeper team leaders have
Berlin Declaration Supports International Rail Freight
Commenting on its priority areas for rail, the declaration cites digitalisation – automation, interoperable IT systems, the deployment of ETCS and ERTMS both trackside and on-board – and research & innovation. Both of these areas underpin the Green Deal as they help drive modal shift and increase climate-friendly transport. Berlin Declaration
RAIB update on train derailment and fire at Llangennech
Photo: Network Rail The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released more details into its investigation into the derailment and fire involving a tanker train at Llangennech last month. Network Rail revealed last week that the works at Llangennech are expected to continue throughout December ahead of a reopening in early
Rail industry reacts to end of rail franchising
Photo: Arriva The rail industry has reacted to the government’s announcement of an end to rail franchising in a major shake-up for the rail network. A series of Emergency Recovery Management Agreements are replacing the current model, focusing on high performance targets, simplifying journeys and address the continuing impact of the
Living the highlife
Many of Switzerland’s mountain railways play an essential role in keeping their communities alive, as Ben Jones discovered on a recent visit to the Lucerne region. EVERY year millions of people from all over the world squeeze into little trains in Switzerland, hoping to experience unforgettable mountain vistas and clean Alpine
Switzerland’s mountain railways keeping communities alive
Rigibahnen No. 22 leaves Rigi Staffel, heading back down the mountain towards Vitznau, with an afternoon service on January 9. This is one of the line’s most recent railcars, dating from 1986. BEN JONES Many of Switzerland’s mountain railways play an essential role in keeping their communities alive, as Ben Jones
Rail franchising ‘ended’ as Covid support extended
The government has announced an end to rail franchising in a major shake-up for the rail network. A series of Emergency Recovery Management Agreements replaces the current model, focusing on high performance targets, simplifying journeys and address the continuing impact of the pandemic on the railway. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says
