Rail franchises operators & contracts

Avanti takeover of the West Coast Main Line begins

09.12.19: Long-distance train services on The West Coast Main Line will be officially taken over by Avanti West Coast today (Dec 9), marking the start of a new era of intercity and high-speed rail services in the UK. An Avanti train, featuring the ne...

ScotRail timetable changes to add ‘an extra 10,000 seats a day’

04.12.19: ScotRail has announced its newest timetable improvements will see an extra 10,000 seats a day added for passengers across the country. The latest changes, which include a new station in the north of Glasgow at Robroyston, are set to ta...

LNER to say goodbye to Intercity 125 High Speed Train

04.12.19: More than four decades of service to be celebrated by London North Eastern Railway from the iconic High-Speed Train (HST) on the East Coast route with a special farewell tour in December. LNER will mark the occasion by operating a four-day...

Northamptonshire teens safety film transformed into comic

02.12.19: A new comic book has been produced by Network Rail, based on the safety film ‘18’ with the help of pupils from Kingswood Secondary Academy in Corby. The pupils were visited by Network Rail last summer and took part in safety wor...

RSSB appoint Arup to review hydrogen trains

29.11.19: The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has tasked Arup with developing a case for hydrogen-powered trains on the Great Britain (GB) mainline. The review will move to establish a high-level operational concept, any relevant operational h...

New railway partnership named Avanti West Coast

28.11.19: FirstGroup and Trenitalia’s collaboration on the West Coast line unveiled the name of their new rail franchise at a special event in Birmingham last night (Nov 27). Avanti West Coast is the new name of the line that will replace...

Azuma trains take first LNER journey

26.11.19: London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has celebrated the first service with the new Azuma trains. The inaugural southbound trip left Aberdeen at 07:52 this morning (26 Nov) for London King’s Cross. The world-class Azuma trains are curre...

RIA and Network Rail launch supply chain survey

25.11.19: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has today (Nov 25) launched a survey in partnership with Network Rail to gather views from the supply chain on the product acceptance process. The aim of the survey is to gain insight into how the indu...

FTA asks government to guarantee the future of HS2 for freight

18.11.19: The recent HS2 review uncertainty has prompted Freight Transport Association (FTA) to request confirmation from government on the future of HS2. FTA is calling on government to secure the high-speed railway’s future and ensure busines...

New Stirling to London rail service application submitted by Grand Union

13.11.19: Grand Union have submitted a new application to the Office of Rail and Road proposing a rail service between Stirling and London. The new service would be scheduled for four times a day starting from May 2021, and would start at Stirling, c...

RIA launch RAIL 2050 Manifesto ahead of general election

13.11.19: Railway Industry Association (RIA) has launched the Rail 2050 Manifesto, informing parties in the upcoming election of what the rail industry needs to thrive and develop long term. The report outlines the next 30 years in the rail industry...

Rail Industry Ambassadors set to help shape the future of rail

11.11.19: Young Rail Professionals have announced in support of their mission to promote the rail industry as a great place to work, they’re recruiting Rail Industry Ambassadors to visit schools, colleges and universities and career fairs. In h...

Amulet wins PFM award for work with C2C

11.11.19: Amulet, the specialist security business of the Churchill group has won the Partners in Expert Services – Public Sector for its partnership with train operator, Trenitalia Limited (trading as C2C). The category highlights partnerships...

Railway Industry Association finds that more than half expect the rail industry to stagnate

07.11.19: A survey conducted by independent polling company ComRes, on behalf of RIA, the national trade body for rail suppliers, has highlighted concerns about the coming year, as the rail sector faces continued uncertainty. The poll of 174 business...

RIA chief executive responds to Keith Williams’ select committee evidence

29.10.19: After Keith Williams, of the Williams Rail Review, gave evidence to the Transport Select Committee confirming a likely recommendation from his report being a restructuring UK rail, the Rail Industry Association (RIA) has praised the de...