Fares, rail policy and DfT news

Proposals for direct Perth to Edinburgh train link to be considered by Transport Scotland

12 March 2019Transport Scotland has confirmed it will look into proposals to introduce a direct rail link between Edinburgh and Perth. Rail bosses said it they would consider the transport links between the two Scottish cities as part of an upcoming review of...

Bradford launches NPR growth strategy in bid to become ‘catalyst’ for northern economy

12 March 2019Bradford’s Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) Growth Strategy has been unveiled, setting out the city’s economic, social, and inclusive growth plans across Bradford and the north. The strategy covers six main areas, and outlines how impro...

Delivering innovation through collaboration with Rambus

12 March 2019Russell McCullagh, vice president and general manager of ticketing at Rambus, tells more on the company’s collaboration with Worldline to advance opportunities in the smart-ticketing sector. In January, Rambus announced the expansion of a c...

Mace and Dragados sign £1.3bn HS2 contract to construct Euston station

11 March 2019Mace and Dragados has signed a £1.3bn contract with HS2 over the construction of Euston station, ending speculation of a legal challenge from rival bidders who lost out on the contract. The announcement comes just over a month after HS2 rev...

Rail minister gives boost to Hull-Manchester Airport direct rail link

11 March 2019Rail minister Andrew Jones has pledged to look at the options for a direct train service from Hull to Manchester Airport. Jones told MPs and business leaders that he would take a strategic look into a direct service, and into a rail link between...

West Midlands Rail Executive appoints executive director to deliver regional ‘rail renaissance’

08 March 2019West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) has announced the appointment of a new executive director. Malcolm Holmes will permanently lead the WMRE after filling the interim role for the last few years, and alongside this will also report to Transport f...

New May timetable announced as rail bosses insist ‘lessons learned’ following last year’s chaos

08 March 2019The rail industry has confirmed the new summer 2019 timetable, with 1,000 extra services added to relieve overcrowding as rail bosses say they “learned the lessons” of last year’s chaos. A host of timetable adjustments are to co...

£50m plans for transport projects to support South Wales metro unveiled

07 March 2019A £50m programme of local transport projects to support the South Wales Metro has been proposed. The Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal has produced the plans for the scheme in collaboration with the Welsh Government and Transport for W...

Springburn rail depot’s closure confirmed with up to 200 jobs lost labelled a ‘betrayal’ of Scottish rail industry

07 March 2019Gemini Rail has confirmed the closure of the Springburn depot, meaning up to 200 jobs will now be lost in Glasgow, with unions calling it a “betrayal” of the Scottish rail industry. The rail maintenance company revealed its proposals...

MP slams ‘appalling’ Southeastern rail delays amid reports that passengers were forced to ‘pay double’

06 March 2019A Conservative MP has slammed “appalling” Southeastern rail services ahead of talks in Parliament following reports that the train operator faces a £100m legal claim over “making passengers pay double.” Sir David Eve...

Government overturns council’s challenge against ecological work around HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct

06 March 2019The government has overruled a council’s decision to reject HS2’s application to build one of its ecological mitigation sites around the Colne Valley Viaduct. Chris Grayling and James Brokenshire, in a letter to Hillingdon Council and...

Bristol’s MetroWest could be expanded to Gloucester and Westbury

05 March 2019Great Western Railway and Network Rail are reportedly keen on new plans for the MetroWest railway to be expanded to Gloucester and Westbury, leading to growing belief amongst local transport chiefs. Discussions over expanding the line are due to...

DfT declares electrification extension of Midland Main Line to Leicestershire

05 March 2019The electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be extended to Leicestershire, the DfT has confirmed. Responding to a parliamentary question, rail minister Andrew Jones said Network Rail had been instructed to design an extension of electrific...

Smart on Rail with Transport for the North

05 March 2019Transport for the North is currently leading the rollout of smartcards across the region’s rail network. Programme director, Alastair Richards, shares the customer insights on choices behind the successful passenger take-up, and reflects on...

Plans unveiled for two new ‘vital’ stations in the West Midlands

04 March 2019Plans for two new railway stations on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line have been unveiled by West Midlands transport bosses today. Designs for Darlaston and Willenhall stations have been released by the West Midlands Railway Executive (WMRE) and...