Latest Rail News

London Bridge designs complete

18.06.13: The first designs for the next stage of the London Bridge station overhaul project have been delivered, ready for the next stage in the Thameslink project. Construction has now begun onsite, with three platforms demolished. A joint ven... more >

Safeguards set out for devolution of London rail franchising

18.06.13: Devolution must include safeguards to protect passengers’ interests, London TravelWatch has urged. If responsibility for rail services is devolved to the Mayor of London, any decisions about the operation of the railway must treat pas... more >

Government ‘backing the wrong horse’ with HS2

18.06.13: Demand for HS2 has likely been “overestimated” by oversimplified Government modelling, a think tank has argued in a new report. The New Economics Foundation (Nef) has criticised the value for money of the £33bn project and... more >

£6.9m Stratford station opens

17.06.13: The new railway station at Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway has been delivered ahead of schedule and on budget. The £6.9m station is seven months early, Warwickshire County Council has announced. Buckingham Group Contracting started a desi... more >

£240m lost through fare dodging each year

17.06.13: Fare dodgers are costing the railway £240m a year, new figures from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) show. There are an estimated 120,000 train journeys taken each day by passengers without tickets, despite train op... more >

Smart ticketing launched for Manchester

17.06.13: TfGM has introduced a new smart ticketing system for Manchester, to be known as the ‘get me there’ scheme. It will cover Metrolink trams, buses and rail services with roll-out beginning next year. The name has already proved con... more >

Virgin Trains ‘a five star business’

14.06.13: Virgin Trains has renewed its five star certification in the Recognised for Excellence (RfE) programme. The assessment by the British Quality Foundation (BQF) found Virgin Trains improved its overall score by around 20% since it originally achie... more >

Go Steady advice to prevent public transport falls

14.06.13: A new campaign has been launched by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to protect vulnerable people using public transport. The ‘Go Steady’ drive will launch during Falls Awareness Week, 17-21 June. Advice and information o... more >

Civils works to cut Midland Main Line journey times

14.06.13: Network Rail is to rebuild Finedon Station Road bridge as part of a £70m investment to reduce journey times on the Midland Main Line between London and Sheffield. The work will provide extra headroom for trains to travel at higher spe... more >

First Capital Connect to offer NR extra track access

14.06.13: Network Rail is being offered a one-off programme of extra track access at evenings and weekends by First Capital Connect to ensure lineside equipment is maintained and upgraded. The operator’s new managing director, David Statham, sa... more >

Stainforth services reinstated from July

13.06.13: Rail services to Hatfield and Stainforth will resume from July 8, Network Rail has announced. The news follows a programme of work to remove a spoil heap that slid onto the line and to stabilise the railway. A passenger timetable will be fu... more >

Great Western electrification preparation to begin

12.06.13: Network Rail has awarded contracts for the planned electrification of the Great Western Main Line. A joint venture between Atkins and Parsons Brinckerhoff will install around 20,000 overhead line support structures along the route. The work... more >

Freight charges decision ‘great relief’ – RFG

12.06.13: The ORR has concluded that proposed freight charges will be lower than initially suggested. The decisions are announced as part of the Draft Determination of the Periodic Review 2013 and have been welcomed by freight groups. Biomass will no... more >

ORR suggests cut of £2bn to Network Rail’s CP5 delivery plans

12.06.13: The ORR has said Network Rail should deliver its plans for CP5 for £2bn less than it had wanted. In its Strategic Business Plan (SBP), Network Rail proposed spending £40.1bn on running and expanding the railways from 2014 to 201... more >

‘Good progress’ for Liverpool Street station works

11.06.13: Crossrail is progressing works on Liverpool Street station, with the new western ticket hall construction well underway on the Moorgate site. Work is continuing to create a utilities corridor to allow all existing utilities to be diverted a... more >