Latest Rail News

ScotRail submits £18m improvement plan in response to government improvement notice

25.03.19: Under-fire train operator ScotRail has unveiled an £18m remedial plan to recruit more staff and bring in additional high-speed trains in response to the government’s improvement demands last month. Transport Scotland issued Scot... more >

Major redevelopment plans for Edinburgh Waverley station unveiled

25.03.19: Network Rail has launched a consultation on a multi-million long-term redevelopment plan for Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. With annual passengers expected to double to nearly 50 million, Waverley Station is set to undergo a major reno... more >

Failings found as passengers on stranded train walk on live track in ‘potentially lethal’ incident, RAIB says

25.03.19: Dozens of passengers left “increasingly uncomfortable” on a stranded train at Lewisham left their train and walked along icy tracks still open to traffic, a “shocking” RAIB report has revealed. The RMT stated it was... more >

Government gives ‘hugely important’ £208m Belfast Transport Hub the green light

22.03.19: A new £208m Belfast Transport Hub with major rail and bus connections has been granted planning permission by the Department of Infrastructure. The new proposed development, led by Translink, is set to replace the Great Victoria Stree... more >

FirstGroup finalises £100m order for Hitachi trains as plans for London-Edinburgh rail link move forward

22.03.19: FirstGroup has finalised a £100m order for Hitachi AT300 electric trainsets in a partnership between the two companies to create a new London-to-Edinburgh rail link. FirstGroup said it had secured the rights to a new “open-acces... more >

New to-the-minute measures for train punctuality introduced to tackle delays

22.03.19: New measures of train punctuality are to be released by train operators and Network Rail next month in a bid to improve performance. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) announced the new ‘on time’ standards which will record train tim... more >

Government’s role in new passenger-centric railway ‘will have to change’, says Williams Review lead

21.03.19: The man leading the Williams Rail Review has warned that the government’s role in the UK railways “will have to change” as the industry switches to a more passenger-centric railway. Keith Williams, the man leading the &ldq... more >

Government promises to look ‘very carefully’ at £218m bid for second Chelmsford station

21.03.19: The government will look “very carefully” at a £218m funding bid for a new railway station in Chelmsford, Theresa May has said. Essex County Council has bid for £218m from the government’s Housing Infrastructur... more >

New plans for major improvements to York station submitted in ‘long-overdue masterplan’

21.03.19: Plans to make major changes to York railway station have been submitted in a “long-overdue” masterplan. The £23.5m proposals will see the layout and chaotic entrance of York Central completely reorganised, and the removal... more >

Carillion-bound boss appointed to lead Kier

20.03.19: Kier has appointed Andrew Davies as its new chief executive, two months after the building contractor ousted Hayden Mursell on the back of debt issues. Davies had been appointed to lead the British outsourcing giant Carillion, but it became... more >

Crossrail delays to cost businesses £600m as TfL reports half a billion pound deficit

20.03.19: The delayed opening and financial chaos around Crossrail are to cost businesses and developers up to £600m, as TfL announces a budget deficit of £500m – nearly half that of original estimates. A levy on business rates is t... more >

‘Compelling case’ put forward for £4bn metro network for Cambridgeshire

20.03.19: There is a “compelling case” for a metro scheme for Greater Cambridge after a feasibility report has claimed it could create 100,000 jobs and 60,000 new homes, but could cost £4bn. The feasibility study was commissioned by... more >

RDG calls for new regulator to stop railway ‘being used as a political football’

19.03.19: The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has called for a new organisation to regulate the railway and replace the ORR in order to stop the railway “being used as a political football.” Responding to the government’s call for submiss... more >

Fast-charging technology for battery trains launched by Vivarail

19.03.19: Vivarail has launched a new fast-charge system which can fully charge one of its Class 230 battery trains in seven minutes with a range of 60 miles between charges. The British rolling stock manager announced that it has successfully demons... more >

Plans revealed for major redevelopment of Birmingham Moor Street station

19.03.19: Birmingham Moor Street station it set to undergo a major transformation to prepare it for HS2 services at Curzon Street and growing passenger demand as new designs are unveiled. Moor Street could be expanded to double its current size and s... more >