Rail franchises operators & contracts

Northern statement on 100-day review

08 June 2020On the 1st of March 2020, Northern was transferred into public ownership. Since then Northern has been undertaking a 100-day review of its business, with an emphasis on re-establishing a full and reliable train service, growing capacity and delive...

Ep.12 Diversity, inclusion & gender balance, Adeline Ginn MBE

05 June 2020Adeline Ginn MBE, Founder & Chair of Women in Rail, joined host Ailsa Cowen for episode 12 of Rail Technology Magazine’s podcast, Track Talk, to discuss all things gender balance, diversity and inclusion. The charity WIR have played an...

Electric railway now running through historic Severn Tunnel

05 June 2020On Friday (June 5th) Network Rail announced they have successfully completed the electrification of the Severn Tunnel, bringing London and south Wales closer than ever for rail passengers. This development means for the first time ever an electri...

Multi-million-pound investment for Cumbria Coast Line coastal viaduct

05 June 2020A major investment to improve a crucial costal viaduct will start next month to make journeys faster and more reliable for Cumbrian Coast line passengers.   A £2m Great North Rail Project investment will see wooden timbers and 600 metr...

Face coverings to become compulsory on public transport

05 June 2020From Monday 15th June, face coverings will be required while using public transport in England. Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, announced yesterday (June 4th) that the government will work with operators to make it mandatory for passengers to...

LNER plans for better mobile connections

04 June 2020London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has announced plans in collaboration with mobile phone operator O2 to boost network coverage along a 45-mile stretch of the East Coast route between Newcastle and Edinburgh.   The improvement to mobile cov...

Transport for the North joint submission to the Integrated Rail Plan

03 June 2020In a collaborative submission to the Integrated Rail Plan, Transport for the North’s Members have called for a sustained investment in the North’s rail network through a pledge to “quick win” projects and high-speed links. ...

Network Rail reminds walkers in Whitby to stay off railway

02 June 2020NR is warning people in Sleights about the dangers of trespassing on the railway following a series of incidents where walkers are using the railway to get to the other side of the River Esk. Members of the public have been accessing a private ro...

£8m Aberdeen station redevelopment

02 June 2020ScotRail have announced that an £8m redevelopment of Aberdeen station is to commence later this year. During the redevelopment, the station will see substantial changes to the look and feel of the station, which has been in the heart of Abe...

Cumbrian Coast line back on track

02 June 2020Trains have begun running on the Cumbrian Coast line again after three successive storms forced the railway to close earlier this year. Northern services resumed yesterday (June 1st) after Network Rail completely replaced the railway bridge that...

Mace secures significant role on NPR programme

01 June 2020Mace, the international consultancy and construction company, have been chosen by Transport for the North to lead the Programme Support Officer for the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme. Under the new contract, Mace is responsible for stakeholde...

£65m to help keep Wales’ railway running

01 June 2020The Welsh Government announced yesterday (May 31st) it intends to spend up to £65m over the next 6 months to guarantee train services continue to operate on the Wales and Borders network for key workers and others that rely on the train to t...

Rail organisations join to call for supplier capacity to be examined in North and Midlands Rail Plans

01 June 2020Representatives from rail suppliers across the UK have united to respond to the National Infrastructure Commission’s inquiry on developing an integrated rail plan for the Midlands and North of England. In their combined response, Northern R...

Brighton passengers able to advise on upgrade proposals

01 June 2020Passengers who travel on the Brighton Main Line and the lines that feed into it are being ask to provide feedback on major proposals to clear the railway bottleneck at Croydon and deliver more reliable, more frequent and faster services. The prop...

Chiltern main line sees multi-million-pound investment to prevent landslips

29 May 2020Passengers who use the Chiltern main line will be able to make more reliable journeys following major work to secure a railway embankment in Warwickshire. Since December last year, a £9m investment by Network Rail has seen engineers working...