The renationalisation of Chiltern Railways will provide ‘a fresh opportunity to deliver East West Rail and its benefits’, according to the Government. Chiltern will become controlled by DfT Operator at 02.00 on Sunday, and it has already been nominated as the future operator of East West Rail. However, although the

The dispute over driver-only operation on East West Rail is being stepped up by the RMT. Its members are being balloted for a strike, and the union is planning to stage a demonstration outside Marylebone station in London on Monday. Kaynak

New rules about the rights of passengers whose trains are cancelled have come into force, affecting nearly all English train operators. Passengers whose trains are cancelled can now use other services without any further charge or the need to rebook. Kaynak

The ‘ironing board’ seats which were installed on Thameslink’s Class 700 fleet more than ten years ago are reaching the end of their lives, after years of criticism by uncomfortable passengers. The seats, which were specified by the Department for Transport along with the rest of the trains, have given

The government has announced that 29 battery-electric trains for TransPennine Express worth a billion pounds are to be built by Alstom in Derby. Construction of the fleet of Adessia Stream units is set to begin in 2028, and they should enter service from 2034. Kaynak

Hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have been delayed by flight cancellations and delays, caused by a technical problem at air traffic control yesterday. National Rail has announced that ticket restrictions are being eased, to help stranded airline passengers. Kaynak

A new target for increasing rail freight has been published by the Government. The aim is to see the volume of freight carried by train to be increased by at least 40 per cent by 2040, and at least 75 per cent within the following ten years. It said the

Stratford International in east London could be set to justify its title at last, 17 years after the station was opened. Channel Tunnel trains have never called there, even during the 2012 Olympics. However, Virgin has now opened the door to the possibility of calling at Stratford, after the Office

A number of GWR stopping trains between Penzance, Plymouth and Exeter have been suspended from today, as the operator continues to struggle with the problems it has been experiencing with 26 ex-Transport for Wales Class 175 units. The Alstom-built 175s, which entered service more than two decades ago on the

The MP for Corby Lee Barron says his constituents are being 'stranded and left out of pocket' by cancelled services on East Midlands Railway, which he says should be renationalised as soon as possible. The operator has been struggling with problems on its new Class 810 Aurora fleet, and the

Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council have stepped up their campaign to secure international trains at Ashford by launching a survey, and almost 14,000 people have already responded. Eurostars have not called at Ebbsfleet or Ashford since 2020, but the councils say direct trains to mainland Europe are a 'top

The first train in public service controlled by ETCS has run on the East Coast Main Line between Welwyn Garden City and Moorgate. Network Rail has revealed that the 08.05 Great Northern service on 31 August used in-cab signalling throughout. Kaynak

At 06.40 this morning a rather special train left Bewdley in Worcestershire, destination Kidderminster. This was special because it was carrying 'normal' National Rail passengers, who can change at Kidderminster and travel on to Birmingham on West Midlands Railway. It was one of two morning departures, with two return workings

The driver of a Greater Anglia train which derailed at Wickford on 14 August has reported seeing a 'kink' in the track. Kaynak

The rolling stock leasing companies should be paying a levy, according to the RMT. The union was responding to news that the dividends of companies like Porterbrook and Eversholt have risen sharply. Kaynak

Trains are running again on the CrossCountry network after a power cut caused nearly all trains to be withdrawn yesterday. The loss of power blacked out CrossCountry’s national control centre in Birmingham. Kaynak

The section of line between Haywards Heath and Lewes which has been closed by the derailment of a Southern train to Eastbourne since 13 August will reopen on 1 September, Network Rail has announced. Thirty people on board the train were injured, two of them seriously, and the Rail Accident

Rough riding had been reported at the site near Lewes where a train from London to Eastbourne became derailed on 13 August. The last three vehicles left the rails and overturned in a field by the line. Thirty people were injured, and of these 20 required hospital treatment. Two of

Virgin Trains has made a significant step towards running international services, because the Office of Rail and Road has given preliminary approval for a new framework track access agreement through the Channel Tunnel. The move is set to spark serious competition on international services, because Trenitalia has announced plans to

Two derailments last week have left lines blocked in Sussex and Essex. Inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been examining the evidence from both sites, and there has been speculation that the very hot weather may have been a factor. National Rail has also reported problems with overhead

Greater Thameslink Railway interim CEO John Whitehurst says the root cause of last night’s derailment near Lewes will be the subject of an ‘open investigation’. Twenty people were injured in the crash, two of them seriously, when the three trailing cars of a Southern train became derailed and overturned in

The number of trains running on some routes has been reduced because of the very hot weather, but there was better news from East Midlands Railway, which is planning to restore some of the services which were axed in response to problems with the new Class 810 Aurora fleet as

The Prime Minister has hinted that he is ready to reform rail fares. Regulated rail fares in England were frozen until next March by the government of Andy Burnham’s predecessor Sir Keir Starmer. Kaynak

The Chartered Institution of Railway Operators has warned that Great British Railways will need to respect local devolution while also maintaining a consistent approach throughout the country. In a new report, CIRO has set out its objectives for the organisation. CIRO says it recognises the ‘significant opportunities’ presented by bringing

The Italian operator Trenitalia has unveiled plans to launch services between London and Paris in 2029. Trenitalia said it has ordered 19 high speed trains from Hitachi. Kaynak

Most trains in north west England are running again this morning, following yesterday's power cut in Manchester. This affected the Rail Operating Centre, where back up systems did not step in immediately. Network Rail is now investigating why its power contingency plan did not work as it should. Kaynak

A proposal for for trains on East West Rail to be staffed by a driver and a customer service inspector have failed to break the deadlock between the Department for Transport and the RMT, which has been opposing plans to use driver-only trains between Oxford and Milton Keynes Central. Kaynak

A working group has met for the first time to prepare a feasibility study examining the potential for a direct Caledonian Sleeper service to mainland Europe. The Scottish Government had committed itself in its last manifesto to look at such a scheme. Kaynak

The rules about 16-17 Railcards have been changed, so that they give young people a longer period of half-price travel. Until now, these Railcards had expired when the holder reached the age of 18, but from 17 August the cards will be valid for a year after purchase, even if

A new station was officially opened in Devon on 31 July, and trains started calling the following day. Okehampton Interchange is on the outskirts of the town, where the new ?18 million station has a 200-space car park, sheltered cycle storage and a covered bus interchange, with electric vehicle charging

HS2 Ltd has renegotiated two major contracts in a bid to reduce the costs of the project, but chief executive Mark Wild warns ‘there’s more to do’. Kaynak

The RMT has called its 70 members at Manchester Piccadilly who work for Avanti West Coast out on strike again, in a dispute over the allegedly unfair dismissal of one of their colleagues. The 24-hour walkouts are set to be staged on 1 and 29 August, and again on 10

Trains have returned to a south Devon station which was badly damaged by fire on 21 July. Trains are running again between Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter and Exmouth, but intercity services which usually run to Paignton are terminating at Exeter St David’s or Newton Abbot. Kaynak

The Office of Rail and Road has revealed details of how it will cope with railway reforms, and is inviting views before a formal consultation is launched later this year. The creation of Great British Railways will end the need for contracted National Rail operators to have individual licences, but

The Devon holiday resort of Paignton could be without trains during the start of this year’s peak summer season, after the station was badly damaged by a fire. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the cause was suspicious, and three boys aged 13, 15 and 16 have been

Network Rail has imposed speed restrictions on some lines in the east of England, after prolonged dry weather caused the soil under the railway to shrink. Engineering work to repair the uneven railway which results will be causing some timetable changes from early August. Kaynak

The RMT is to stage protest strikes at East Midlands Railway on the first three Saturdays in August as the operator continues to struggle with problems affecting its fleet of new Class 810 Aurora trains, built by Hitachi. EMR has cut back its intercity and regional services so that the

A new passenger information system is being tested on 38 ScotRail trains in the Glasgow area. Dubbed the On Train Passenger Announcements system, it has been developed by Network Rail, train operators and the Rail Delivery Group. Kaynak

Fewer East Midlands Railway intercity services are running from today, because of problems with the operator’s new Hitachi Class 810 Aurora trains, as well as holdups in maintaining the long-standing Class 222 Meridian fleet, for which Hitachi is now responsible. The Class 810s should have replaced the 222s, but the

The first trains to carry the new Great British Railways identity for Anglia have been unveiled at London Liverpool Street station. The event confirmed that regional identities will be carried on GBR trains. Kaynak

Merseyrail may run only an emergency service this weekend if the RMT stages a strike over pay. Only the Southport line could have a 15-minute service on Saturday and Sunday, to take spectators to the Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale, which started on Sunday. Kaynak

A new business unit has been created in a further step towards Great British Railways. GBR West Midlands is the fourth organisation of its kind to be set up, as the Bill to create Great British Railways continues its journey through the House of Lords. West Midlands will join GBR

A bid to reduce fraudulent rail travel has been launched by the government, which is providing 33 million pounds for more and better ticket gates at some stations currently run by six operators. Kaynak

E-bikes which cannot be folded are to be banned by Merseyrail from the start of 2027. The operator says the ban is being imposed because of the risk of fire from lithium-iron batteries. Although it concedes that such fires are rare, it says they can break out without warning, and

A major embankment fire in north east London disrupted London Overground services on the Weaver line last night. More than 120 firefighters and 20 fire tenders were called to the blaze near Wood Street in Walthamstow, which started at around 18.30. Kaynak

The Mayor of Liverpool has unveiled plans to renationalise Merseyrail. Mayor Steve Rotheram is presenting a report to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week, which recommends that the present concession held by Transport UK Group and Serco Group should not be renewed. Kaynak

East Midlands Railway is warning its passengers to travel only if they must for the rest of this week, as high temperatures are expected to affect the railway. The UK Health and Security Agency has issued an amber heat-health alert in six regions of England from today until Sunday. Kaynak

Major disruption is expected on West Midlands Trains later this week, as the TSSA says it is going ahead with its strikes over rest day payments. The union said roster clerks will strike from 00.01 on Thursday until Friday at 00.01hrs, while duty train crew managers and control grades will

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander says HS2 should be the match of Japan’s Shinkansen network, which started to be developed in the 1960s. The transport secretary has been visiting Japan, where she met her ministerial counterpart Yasushi Kaneko and toured Hitachi’s Tokyo headquarters. Kaynak

HS2 Ltd has lost a case in the Court of Appeal, which has ruled that it extended Bromford tunnel in Birmingham without planning permission. Kaynak

MPs have cast doubt on the plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, saying they echo the same failures seen in HS2. The Public Accounts Committee is also doubtful how the full programme can be completed within its price cap of 45 billion pounds. Kaynak

The National Audit Office has warned that the cost of the ‘reset’ of the remaining section of HS2 will be about 153 million pounds. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced last month that the line between London and Birmingham will now cost up to 107 billion pounds, after chief executive Mark

Cambridge South station opened for business yesterday morning, and an official opening follows today. The project is the university city’s third station, after Cambridge North was opened nine years ago. Kaynak

Train operators in England and Wales are urging passengers to only travel if they must, as the heatwave continues. Red and amber warnings of extreme heat are still in force, particularly in south east England, and there is also a risk of thunderstorms. Kaynak

The train from Corby which ran into the back of a stationary train south of Bedford, killing the driver and injuring more than 160 passengers, had passed a red signal a few moments before. The RAIB has issued its first report into the collision on 19 June, also revealing that

Warnings of disruption to train services because of very high temperatures have spread to north west England. Journeys will take longer because an amber warning of extreme heat has been issued. Kaynak

Rail passengers are being urged not to travel, particularly in southern England or the Midlands, as temperatures threaten to exceed 35 degrees over the next few days. Train operators are warning that speed restrictions will be necessary as rail temperatures climb, and the Met Office has issued a red ‘extreme

There will be no trains between Luton and Bedford this week, as engineers work on removing the two trains which collided south of Bedford on Friday, killing a driver and injuring 100 passengers. Last night, nine of the injured passengers were still in critical condition in hospital, and inspectors from

It is now known that 100 people were injured in Friday’s train crash near Bedford, in which the driver of one of the trains was killed. Sim Harris asks what lessons might be learnt. Kaynak

An extreme heat weather warning has been issued for this week, and train operators are warning that services could be disrupted. Great Western Railway said speed restrictions are being imposed between Reading and London through the Thames Valley, where temperatures could reach 37 degrees later this week. Kaynak

Almost nine out of 10 railway passengers are satisfied with their journeys, according to the latest survey by Transport Focus. The new Rail Customer Experience Survey has replaced the former National Passenger Survey, and more than 100,000 passengers were invited to respond. Kaynak

More train journeys are being made in Britain than ever before, but the Office of Rail and Road has conceded that the new total of 1.83 billion for the year to March has been inflated to some extent by split ticketing. Kaynak

A test freight train has been run by GB Railfreight from DP World’s London Gateway to Maritime Transport’s Hams Hall freight terminal in the West Midlands, using a new Class 99 bi-mode locomotive. Yesterday’s intermodal service is being hailed by GB Railfreight as a ‘significant milestone’. Kaynak

Two trials of drones which will keep an eye on the railway are set to start this year. The newly integrated Anglia management team, which consists of Network Rail, c2c and Greater Anglia, has been working to reduce vandalism, cable theft and trespassing on the railway, which are among the

Two Network Rail staff members have been honoured by the King. Kaynak

A man has been interviewed by police after a railway bridge at Bedworth was badly damaged by a lorry on Thursday. Kaynak

Normal train services are set to return to the line between Rugby and Nuneaton, after a lorry seriously damaged a bridge carrying the West Coast Main Line over a road at Bedworth. No one was injured in the incident yesterday, but the line had to be closed while Network Rail

A late change to the Railways Bill means that Great British Railways will not be subjected to casual or informal privatisation. The government says the amendment will make it impossible to change the status of GBR by simply reintroducing the private sector, because such a change would need a full

‘Build it, and they will come,’ is sometimes attributed to Peter Hendy who, when he was transport commissioner for London, used the phrase to justify the large investment in London Overground. Those words are actually a misquote from a 1989 film, but he was right about the Overground, which was

A new 3.5km electrified test track has been opened at Long Marston by rail minister Peter Hendy. Lord Hendy was joined by Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant. The rolling stock leasing company acquired the 56 hectare site at Long Marston, between Honeybourne and Stratford-upon-Avon, in 2021, and bought the freehold three

Another 24-hour walkout has begun on London Underground, as the dispute over a voluntary four-day working week goes on. The RMT has called out its driver members, although ASLEF staff are working normally because their union is not in dispute. Kaynak

The Welsh Government is calling for intervention by the Department for Transport after it clashed with Great Western Railway over proposals for Transport for Wales trains to run between west Wales and Bristol. The plans are for two-hourly services between Fishguard Harbour or Milford Haven to Bristol Temple Meads via

Services are disrupted on many London Underground lines today, after drivers belonging to the RMT walked out in the continuing dispute about a four-day working week. Kaynak

The number of passengers on a Cornish branch line rose by a quarter in the first week after the service was doubled on 17 May. The first phase of Mid Cornwall Metro has seen the number of local trains between Newquay and Par increased from eight to 15 a day,

The only train operated by Lumo from London Euston to Stirling was cancelled yesterday, because of a fault on the only unit which was available. The new open access service was launched by FirstGroup on 25 May, although there will be only one train in each direction for the time

Govia Thameslink Railway was renationalised at 02.00 yesterday morning, and the RMT has accompanied the reform by calling for all railway staff to be employed in-house. The union has been running a campaign to end ‘outsourcing’, when staff such as cleaners are employed by a third-party contractor. Kaynak

Govia Thameslink Railway will be returned to the public sector at 02.00 on Sunday, in the next stage of the government’s renationalisation programme. The Department for Transport said the changeover would mean that eight out of 10 journeys would then be provided by public operators, with only Chiltern Railways, Great

Thunderstorms have damaged signalling in west Wales and north west England, and many trains are delayed. Meanwhile, National Rail has warned that temperatures may exceed 30 degrees in some areas again today. Kaynak

Record temperatures are delaying trains again today. South Western Railway is warning that some trains have been cancelled, particularly on the routes between London, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth, and also to Aldershot and Haslemere. Kaynak

The man who was CEO of DfT Operator until recently has returned to the private sector. Robin Gisby, who had been in charge of the company which owns renationalised passenger operators has become chairman of InterCity Rail Freight, which is developing methods to revive the railways’ parcels traffic using passenger

The government has unveiled a new ‘mass transit taskforce’, which the Department for Transport says is intended to ‘tackle barriers to delivery of mass transit systems across the UK, supporting economic growth, jobs and new homes’. New schemes could include buses, light rail and trams. Kaynak

A ‘short term’ approach to railway infrastructure procurement is increasing costs, delaying completion and holding back investment and innovation, according to a new report from the Competition and Markets Authority. Kaynak

A Class 387 unit operated on Southern by Govia Thameslink Railway was being unveiled in Great British Railways livery at Brighton on Thursday. The details reveal that the former operators’ names may be set to be continued by GBR, because the unit bears the words ‘Great British Railways Southern’. Up to

Wales says it is being short-changed by the ‘reset’ of HS2, which has been announced by transport secretary Heidi Alexander. She is cutting the maximum speed to 320km/h in a bid to save money, but the Welsh Government has accused ministers at Westminster of denying Wales a ‘fair share’ of

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has announced that the maximum speed of trains on HS2 will be 320km/h, instead of 360km/h. The cost of the line is now expected to be somewhere between 87.7 million and 102.7 billion pounds. The transport secretary said she was setting out plans for a ‘fundamental

Passengers on West Midlands Trains are being advised to travel only if they must between 21 and 23 May, because of industrial action by members of TSSA. The dispute is about payments for rest day working, which the union says are not in line with the pay for members of

The RMT has suspended this week’s Underground strikes, after talks with TfL made progress. The RMT said: ’At the eleventh hour the employer has shifted its position.’ Kaynak

The introduction of summer timetables on National Rail in two days from now involves significant changes to train services, many of which are new or improved. Kaynak

The introduction of summer timetables on National Rail involves significant changes to train services, many of which are new or improved. Kaynak

Transport for London is warning that Underground services are likely to be badly disrupted next week, as the RMT stages another two 24-hour strikes of drivers in the continuing dispute over a proposed four-day week. The union says the proposals are opposed by its members, while TfL says the plan

Campaigners in Aylesbury are calling for a section of the former Great Central main line to be upgraded to passenger standards, so that their town will be connected to East West Rail. The Aylesbury Action Group says the Aylesbury spur from Claydon Junction is not merely a proposal for a

FirstGroup will be launching its open access Lumo service between Stirling and London this month. Access rights were granted by the Office of Rail and Road in March 2024, but more recent applications for other routes have not succeeded. Kaynak

Cambridge South station will open to passengers on 28 June, the Department for Transport has announced. Trains will start calling then at the 250 million pound station, and there will be an official opening ceremony the following day. As many as 20 trains an hour will be calling during the

The Department for Transport has revealed that it will set up a new publicly-owned railway operating company before Great British Railways has taken over. The new company will be a subsidiary of DfT Operator Limited, which has been taking control of operators as they are renationalised. Kaynak

FirstGroup’s National Rail Contract for Great Western Railway will be renationalised on 13 December, after Chiltern Railways has returned to public ownership on 20 September. Kaynak

Class 175s will be running on a Cornish branch line from later this month. The units, built by Alstom some 25 years ago and cascaded to GWR from Transport for Wales, were already planned to be used on services on the Devon and Cornwall main line, and also on the

The Government has rejected concerns voiced by the Commons Transport Committee in its report on skills in transport manufacturing. The Committee had warned that skills gaps are posing ‘significant challenges’. Kaynak

David Statham is leading the new FirstGroup TfL concession for London Overground, which started on 3 May. He was most recently commercial director for First Rail, and before that was managing director of Govia’s Southeastern until it was renationalised in 2021. Kaynak

The RMT has claimed that Network Rail’s ‘Modernising Maintenance’ programme and reductions in staffing were the real cause of major disruption at Manchester Piccadilly after 400m of overhead wires on the station throat had been damaged earlier this month. Services at Piccadilly had to be suspended after a wire had

The government has refused to amend the Railways Bill to clarify the relative powers of the transport secretary and Great British Railways. The Commons Transport Committee had said that the proposed law should be changed to iron out ‘potential tension’ between the DfT and GBR. Kaynak