Rail jobs, staff issues and training

Network Rail Digital Railway boss David Waboso to retire

08.01.19: The managing director of Network Rail’s Digital Railway, David Waboso, will retire in March. An internal memo from chief executive Andrew Haines said that Waboso was leaving with a “fantastic legacy” and a “clear dir...

Northern under fire over £31m government subsidy ‘secret payments’

04.01.19: The RMT union has criticised “secret extra payments” funded by taxpayers given to Northern Rail after it was found that the government paid the train operator a total of £31m more than previously announced since the franchise b...

Track workers in near-miss with 101mph East Midlands train

04.01.19: Two track workers were nearly hit by a train travelling over 100mph in Bedfordshire, an investigation has revealed. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said two workers “had to jump out of the way” of the approaching E...

Rail Ombudsman interview: RTM sits down with CEO Kevin Grix

20.12.18: In November, the first ever Rail Ombudsman was established in a bid to give passengers a free independent service to allow passengers to claim compensation by appealing unresolved complaints. But how will one of the driving forces behind the new...

Northern calls for formal ACAS inquiry over bitter RMT dispute

19.12.18: Northern Rail has formally written to ACAS seeking an independent inquiry into its ongoing dispute with the RMT, with the union calling the move a “nothing more than a publicity stunt.” The train operator says it wants an inquir...

Workers who narrowly avoided death had no one in charge and ‘ineffective’ safety arrangements

18.12.18: “Ineffective” safety arrangements and a number of unofficial working practices contributed to a group of track workers narrowly avoiding being hit by a train, an RAIB investigation has found. A train service travelling towards L...

Up to 180 jobs at risk following closure of Scottish rail maintenance site

13.12.18: As many as 180 highly-skilled jobs are at risk at a Glasgow rail maintenance company following news that the site will close. Management of Gemini Rail Services based in Springburn made the announcement on Wednesday that the proposed closur...

Khan told in July of ‘high risk’ to Crossrail launch date as TfL reveals project’s ‘failed governance’

11.12.18: Documents released by TfL show that the former Crossrail chairman Sir Terry Morgan warned Sadiq Khan in July that schedule plans were at “high risk” and have been called a “serious indictment of Crossrail’s failed governa...

Bombardier and Hitachi commit to high-speed rail learning programme if HS2 bid is successful

30.11.18: Hitachi and Bombardier are to work closely together in developing a high-speed rail learning programme as part of their joint bid to build trains for HS2. The companies, meeting in Doncaster, say they’re discussing the development of...

After almost a year of strikes, DfT commits to keeping second person on-board Northern trains

29.11.18: The DfT and Transport for the North (TfN) have committed to keep a second person on-board Northern trains in a momentous decision that could bring an end to strike action and settle the long-running dispute between the TOC and the RMT union. ...

RAIB to investigate LNER train which broke speed limit by 100mph

28.11.18: A LNER train travelling at 120mph on a section of track with an emergency speed restriction of 20mph is being investigated by the RAIB. The Aberdeen to London King’s Cross service went through the Sandy South Junction in Bedfordshire...

RAIB, ORR and BTP all launch investigations after rail worker is killed by train

22.11.18: The ORR, RAIB and the BTP have all launched investigations after a railway worker died when he was struck by a train at Stoats Nest Junction, Surrey, in the early hours of 6 November. The RAIB said it is trying to discover why the worker wa...

Rail minister launches strategy for grassroots community rail projects

16.11.18: Rail minister Andrew Jones has urged train operators to commit resources into new and existing community rail projects as he launched the 2018 Community Rail Strategy. Jones, who returned to the role of transport minister on Tuesday followi...

Talgo names Fife as the chosen site of its first UK train factory

14.11.18: Spanish train manufacturer Talgo has revealed that is new train-building factory will be built at Longannet in Fife, bringing more than 1,000 jobs to Scotland. Talgo will build its first UK manufacturing base at the site of a decommissioned...

Crossrail contractors in row over overtime pay

14.11.18: A pay row has broken out over overtime payments for contractors working on the Elizabeth Line as it raced to get the project finished on time. TfL and Crossrail are said to be questioning bills from contracts after workers undertook overnig...