Network Rail regulation and performance

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24 June 2019Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he would not rule out his organisation issuing future rail franchises

Dawlish railway may be ‘moved out to sea’ to protect it from storms under new proposals

13 June 2019The storm-battered Dawlish rail line could be “moved out to sea” and away from the “hazard” of the cliffs under new plans put forward by Network Rail. New proposals have been put forward to better protect the south Devon r...

The skills bottleneck: Dealing with growing apprenticeship demand

10 June 2019Richard Turner, head of apprenticeships at Network Rail, details the reasons for growing apprenticeship demand in the rail sector over the coming years. The Network Rail Engineering Technician apprenticeship program develops the technicians, team...

Network Rail unveils new regional managing directors

23 May 2019Network Rail has announced five new regional managing directors as part of its “evolution” towards a more passenger-focused approach. The appointments come as part of a major reorganisation at Network Rail which will see the company f...

£800m worth of rail haulage contracts awarded by Network Rail

22 May 2019Network Rail has awarded contracts for rail haulage and the operations of its engineering trains and seasonal treatment services for Control Period 6, worth around £800m. Adopting Network Rail’s supply chain’s new “commerc...

Council backs plans for £100m global centre of rail excellence in Wales

10 May 2019A £100m train testing site on the border of Neath Port Talbot and Powys has taken a major step forward after the local council voted to approve the joint venture. Neath Port Talbot Council leader Rob Jones called it an “important step...

Network Rail reveals winner of Dawlish sea wall construction contract

10 May 2019Network Rail has awarded the contract for the construction of the first phase of the Dawlish sea wall to BAM Nuttall ahead of work starting at the end of this month. The £80m sea wall was announced in February to protect the coastal rail li...

Network Rail announces £136m contract winner to manage its road vehicle fleet

08 May 2019Network Rail has awarded a £136m contract to Hitachi Capital to manage its road vehicle fleet for the next four years. The railway infrastructure manager described the road maintenance contract as an “integrated one-stop shop” c...

Network Rail awards final west London station upgrade contracts for Crossrail

08 May 2019Network Rail has awarded the final contracts for upgrades to stations in west London as part of the delayed flagship Crossrail project. The upgraded stations will benefit from improved passenger flow, new ticket halls and enhanced accessibility w...

£1.46bn railway arches sale ‘overlooked’ tenants and businesses, says NAO

02 May 2019Network Rail’s £1.46bn sale of railway arches “overlooked” small firms and businesses operating in the arches, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. The sale saw 5,261 commercial properties sold to US firm Telereal Tr...

£14m Peak District rail freight extension unveiled

30 April 2019A £14m rail freight extension in the Peak District has been unveiled by Network Rail to boost construction productivity and take lorries off the road. A disused council tip has been transformed by Network Rail into 430 new metres of railway...

Network Rail awards £750m of major signalling contracts for CP6

29 April 2019Network Rail has announced the winners of six major signalling and telecoms contracts worth a total of £750m across Control Period 6. The signalling and telecoms (S&T) frameworks have been split into six geographical lots, and are the f...

BTP and Network Rail warn drone pilots after ‘dangerously close’ incident in Surrey

26 April 2019Network Rail and British Transport Police (BTP) have issued a warning to drone pilots to keep away from railway tracks after one incident in Surrey saw a drone fly “dangerously close” earlier this month. The pilot of the drone risks b...

Safety concerns raised over Network Rail’s £1.4bn railway arches sell-off

25 April 2019Concerns over safety and hidden defects regarding Network Rail’s widely publicised £1.46bn sale of railway arches and 5,200 commercial estate properties have been reported to a confidential structural safety body. Anonymised concerns...

ScotRail’s new Hitachi Class 385 trains launched into service on Shotts line

25 April 2019ScotRail has introduced its new Hitachi Class 385 trains onto the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts line, meaning the electric trains are now running on all five routes between the two cities. Following the completion of Network Rail’s £...