Rail minister Lord Hendy has condemned the common practice of leaving redundant rolling stock to deteriorate and then trying to use it again. He said: ‘There’s nothing more stupid than watching some trains halfway through their lives that have been parked in a field.’ Kaynak

The RMT has called for an end to outsourcing, in response to the findings of a fatal accident inquiry into the derailment at Carmont in north east Scotland more than six years ago. Kaynak

The public are being asked for their opinions in a consultation launched today about proposals to provide more trains in the Swansea Bay area, but Transport for Wales has admitted that its plans for developing two routes and opening stations will depend on financial support from London. The proposals have

The Budget proposals have angered the Welsh Government, which said: ‘Promises by the UK Government to deliver a 14 billion pound commitment to put right decades of rail underfunding have been kicked further down the tracks.’ Deputy minister for transport Mark Hooper said 30 million pounds for Cardiff Parkway was

Several major railway schemes have been given the green light by Chancellor John Healey, but critics say more attention needs to be paid to rail freight. The Chancellor’s list included the Bakerloo Line extension from Elephant & Castle into south east London, which was recognised as a ‘key infrastructure project’.

The new station at Beaulieu Park in Chelmsford has attracted twice as many passengers as expected in its first year. Over 800,000 passengers have been recorded since the station opened on 26 October 2025, although the initial first-year projections were between 290,000 and 390,000. Kaynak

There will be no trains at Dagenham Dock, Rainham or Purfleet until further notice, after a GB Railfreight container train was derailed at Barking. The accident, on Friday afternoon, damaged about 1.2km of track, and engineers have been working over the weekend to remove the train and then assess the

Train services on a number of routes in Scotland, Wales and northern England are still suspended this morning, as engineers continue to repair damage caused over the weekend by Storm Boelo. Some other lines have reduced services. Kaynak

Trains have been cancelled on a number of routes after Storm Austen arrived overnight. Great Western Railway, Northern, Greater Thameslink Railway, CrossCountry, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales and ScotRail are all reporting problems. Kaynak

Great Western Railway has warned that it will be reducing services in Devon and Cornwall on Friday, as Storm Austen could bring gusts of 60mph (96km/h) or more in Cornwall and west Devon. The Met. Office has issued an amber weather warning which applies between 03.00 and 10.00, and speed

LNER managing director David Horne has been named as the integrated chief customer and commercial officer at Great British Railways. He was formerly the managing director of East Midlands Trains and then joined Virgin Trains East Coast. When that franchise failed in 2018, he was appointed to run VTEC’s nationalised

The station at Bradford Interchange is to be rebuilt, replacing a structure which dates from the 1970s. Interchange is one of two stations in the city centre. It was opened in 1973, replacing the larger Bradford Exchange, and includes a bus station. It is now used by intercity services as

Rail passengers who play music out loud on their phones or computers, or make loudspeaker calls, are the targets of a new campaign from today to get them to turn it down. Railway byelaws already allow staff to remove such passengers, who can also be fined up to 1000 pounds,

Sir John Kingman has been named as the first Chair of Great British Railways. Sir John will begin his duties immediately. The Government said he will play a ‘critical role’ in shaping the design of the new organisation, continuing the integration of train and track operations, as the Railways Bill

Passengers have made more than 2,000,000 journeys on the Northumberland Line less than two years after it opened. The line has 416 services a week along the route, a 29km freight line which was reopened to passengers in December 2024. Six stations were built and more than 26km of track

The headquarters of Great British Railways in Derby will be in the city centre. Work will begin at Becketwell, a brownfield site, early in the New Year. It is set to be completed by spring 2029. The shadow GBR has been using temporary quarters at Pride Park, and the possible

CrossCountry will lease eight more Class 221 Voyagers from early next year. Six of the units have been cascaded from Avanti West Coast, and two have been released by Grand Central. Kaynak

One casualty of privatisation was probably unexpected -- the names of stations. Sim Harris discusses the confusion on our platforms. Kaynak

The Office of Rail and Road has launched a consultation on a draft Retail Code of Practice that is intended to create a level playing field for sellers of tickets. At the moment, 14 separate operators run their own websites and apps, and these will be replaced by Great British

The rail regulator has turned down two more open access applications, on the grounds that there is not enough capacity on the West Coast Main Line. The ORR had been considering proposals for four return services between London and Wrexham from the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway Company. It has

Another open access application has reached the end of the line, with the news that Grand Central has abandoned its proposal to run services from Cleethorpes, saying that the plan is ‘no longer commercially viable’. Sim Harris asks if the era of domestic open access is coming to a close. Kaynak

Over 400 thousand journeys have been made at Cambridge South station since it opened 100 days ago, dramatically improving the way people travel to and from Europe’s largest biomedical campus. The new station is heading towards annual patronage figures of 1.6 million journeys, well on the way towards the 1.8

Chiltern Railways is confident that it will be able to run a ‘near normal’ service when the RMT stages two strikes this month. The union has declared an industrial dispute over plans to operate trains on East West Rail with only a driver. It says driver-only operation would represent a

An interim report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has revealed that the red signal which was passed a few seconds before the rear-end collision south of Bedford on 19 June this year was not equipped with a SPAD alarm. The driver of the second train was killed, and more

The arrival of autumn means that fleets of Network Rail’s special ‘leaf-busting’ trains are setting out on their journeys today. They will travel for a total of 6,200 hours -- the equivalent of 36 weeks -- in their annual bid to keep railheads clean, because fallen leaves create a black

East Midlands Railway has undertaken to restore more of the services which have been suspended since July because of rolling stock problems. Difficulties with its new Aurora fleet were compounded by delays in maintaining its Class 222 diesel units, but the operator improved its Intercity services from 87 per cent

The RMT has announced that its members on Chiltern Railways will be taking two 24-hour strikes in October, as the dispute over the staffing of trains on East West Rail continues. The union is opposing proposals to run the trains between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes with drivers only. Kaynak

The deputy chief inspector at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch Andy Lewis is being promoted to chief inspector from November. He will replace Andrew Hall, who is retiring. Kaynak

New figures show crimes involving trespass, including cable theft, vandalism and obstruction, caused over 3,300 hours of delays for passengers -- equivalent to more than four months -- and cost the rail sector more than 10 million pounds in delay attribution minutes during 2025-26. In response, the industry has launched

The plans, announced at the Labour Party conference in Manchester, could involve the state owning new trains directly rather than leasing them from private sector finance houses. The Government has calculated that more than 2.5 billion pounds has been paid in dividends by the ROSCos over the past ten years,

Transport for London has taken the first step towards ending outsourcing, a practice which is vigorously opposed by the unions on the grounds that the employees of third party companies can have less favourable conditions. TfL has confirmed that a comprehensive 12-month pilot to examine how cleaning services at bus

Avanti West Coast is to be renationalised on 7 March 2027. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to confirm this at the Labour Party Conference. The contract for AWC was the last of the old franchises to be awarded, to FirstGroup and Trenitalia, and started in December 2019. It was

The new station at Balgray will welcome its first passengers on Sunday. Built to serve one of East Renfrewshire’s growing communities, the station will provide convenient links to Glasgow. It will open ahead of schedule and within budget. Kaynak

No trains are running between Reading and Didcot Parkway today, because of a gas leak in Didcot. The obstruction is affecting Great Western Railway and CrossCountry services, which are being replaced by road transport between Reading and Oxford. However, Great Western Railway is advising passengers to avoid the route entirely. Kaynak

The RMT has staged a demonstration outside Marylebone station in London this morning, on the first full day of the renationalisation of Chiltern Railways. The RMT is opposing driver-only operation on the line, and the union's members are currently being balloted for a strike as part of its campaign, Kaynak

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