Fares, rail policy and DfT news

Stagecoach says it was disqualified because it rejected £1.6bn rail pensions risk

03 May 2019Stagecoach has said it was disqualified from three rail franchise competitions because it refused to accept a pensions risk “well in excess of £1bn.” The transport group has said projections offered by the DfT were “inadeq...

Crossrail clung to ‘unrealistic’ timeline as contract renegotiations cost an extra £2.5bn, NAO reports

03 May 2019Crossrail “clung to an unrealistic view” throughout its delivery and has damaged public value, but is now “past the point of no return” and must focus on meeting its new target, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO)...

Ditch franchising model and put organising body in charge, says rail industry

30 April 2019The rail industry has called for an end to the current franchising model in favour of multiple operators on mass-commuter routes and for a new independent body to be put in charge of the sector. In its submission to the Williams review, the Rail...

Caledonian Sleeper launches new £150m train fleet, first service over three hours late

29 April 2019Caledonian Sleeper has officially launched its new £150m fleet of trains, with the new carriages making their debut overnight on Sunday between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh, but the first service arrived three hours and 20 minutes late. Des...

MPs demand £39bn NPR commitment from government

29 April 2019A group of 80 MPs have written to chancellor Philip Hammond urging the government to commit to a £39bn down payment for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), and deliver the flagship project alongside HS2. Hammond last week said that the initial...

‘No justification’: Buckinghamshire councils demand government halt HS2 prep work until Notice to Proceed given

26 April 2019Councils across Buckinghamshire have agreed to pass a special motion calling on the government and HS2 to halt all current site work in the county. Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern district councils and Buckinghamshire County Council said they were &l...

Crossrail to open by March 2021 as bosses confirm new timetable

26 April 2019The Elizabeth Line will open by March 2021 at the latest as a new six-month delivery window for the Crossrail’s crisis-hit central section is revealed by the project’s bosses. The announcement confirms that Crossrail, already heavily...

HS2 ignored serious concerns with winning bid for £1.3bn Old Oak Common contract, claims Bechtel

25 April 2019HS2 Ltd accepted an “abnormally low” bid and ignored serious concerns over the chosen contractors to build a key station, the losing bidders for the £1.3bn Old Oak Common contract Bechtel claimed in a High Court claim.  Bec...

Virgin Trains proposes radical new airline-style model for fares and franchising

24 April 2019Virgin Trains has put forward radical new proposals to manage rail services using an airline-style model, abolishing standing on trains and forcing passengers on long-distance journeys to pre-book seats. The train operator wants to introduce a br...

TfL commissioner urged to quit after downplaying Crossrail ‘tragedy’

24 April 2019Transport for London’s (TfL) chief commissioner has been told to consider resigning after he “watered down” key messages between Crossrail and TfL over the project’s extensive delays and £3bn overspend, according to a...

Dawlish sea wall gets council planning approval with construction to begin in May

17 April 2019Plans for an £80m sea wall to protect the Dawlish coastal rail line from extreme weather have been by approved by Teignbridge District Council. Construction of the new sea wall will now begin at the end of May, and once completed will provi...

Stagecoach and MPs demand answers in dispute over ‘staggering’ pensions fund deficit and rail franchise controversy

16 April 2019MPs have asked The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to reveal the extent of the “substantial” deficit in the Railways Pensions Scheme and provide an “urgent solution” after Stagecoach threatened legal action over its three spurned...

Renewable Welsh rail electrification project wins decarbonisation funding

12 April 2019Plans to use renewable energy sources to electrify Welsh train lines have won a grant from the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), one of six rail decarbonisation projects to have won the funding. The ‘Green Valley Lines’ scheme t...

Unions and MPs protest TOC’s potential £7.5bn funding gap in ‘deadly serious’ rail pensions row

12 April 2019The Pensions Regulator has warned that train operators face a black hole of up to £7.5bn and the RMT has threatened national strike action as the row over rail pensions comes to a head after the DfT blocked Stagecoach’s franchise bids....

‘Huge challenges ahead’ as Crossrail bosses say new rolling stock coming in December

11 April 2019A possible opening date for Crossrail could be announced by the end of month and Class 345 Elizabeth Line trains to be introduced in December but there are “huge challenges ahead,” Crossrail bosses have warned. Crossrail chief executi...