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RIA calls on Shapps for urgent rail electrification

RIA calls on Shapps for urgent rail electrification

19 February 2020The Railway Industry Association and other representatives from across the industry such as Northern Rail Industry Leaders, Civil Engineering Contractors Association and Rail Freight Group, have today (Feb 19th) published an open letter to the Tra...

Heritage Great Britain invests £1.1m into Snowdon hybrid locomotives

Heritage Great Britain invests £1.1m into Snowdon hybrid locomotives

05 February 2020Heritage Great Britain, who are responsible for operating Snowdon Mountain Railway, have invested £1.1m in their new hybrid diesel locomotives to service the popular Welsh tourist destination.

Network Rail awards £257m contract for portable plant

Network Rail awards £257m contract for portable plant

05 February 2020Network Rail has awarded a contract to VP Plc worth £257m for the hire, supply and maintenance of portable plant. The agreed contract covers all 13 of Network Rail’s routes, and the maintenance and repair of 28,000 items of portable r...

Network Rail awards £8m contract for New Measuring Train

Network Rail awards £8m contract for New Measuring Train

08 January 2020That is because Network Rail have announced the awarding of an £8m, five-year contract to Loram UK for the maintenance of its New Measurement Train – affectionately known as the Flying Banana because of its distinctive yellow livery.

Snowdon Mountain Railway unveils plans for hybrid diesel locomotives

Snowdon Mountain Railway unveils plans for hybrid diesel locomotives

03 January 2020Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR) have announced new plans for hybrid diesel locomotives to operate on its line, as it aims to address climate concerns.

Bombardier secures £117m contract with Avanti West Coast

Bombardier secures £117m contract with Avanti West Coast

18 December 2019Bombardier has secured a three-year contract, valued at £117m, to maintain trains for the new Avanti West Coast franchise.

Grand Central completes £9m refurbishment of rolling stock

Grand Central completes £9m refurbishment of rolling stock

12 December 2019Grand Central has completed a two-year £9m refurbishment of its train fleet, serving the operator’s route linking Sunderland and Hartlepool to London.

Hull Trains release 360 virtual tour of new Paragon Trains

Hull Trains release 360 virtual tour of new Paragon Trains

11 December 2019Hull Trains have released a 360 virtual tour of inside its new Paragon Trains, and are inviting customers to take a look. The immersive video allows you to walk through the train carriages, and see what on offer before you book a ticket, includin...

Northern begins removal of Pacer trains

Northern begins removal of Pacer trains

03 December 2019Northern Railway have today (Dec 3) said goodbye to the first three Pacers as they leave the network for good. The rolling stock has been removed and returned to owners Angel Trains, the first of many more to make the same journey over the next f...

New trains on Ipswich to Cambridge route

New trains on Ipswich to Cambridge route

27 November 2019Greater Anglia introduced new, longer passenger trains into service yesterday (Nov 26) on the busiest regional route. One of the new Swiss-built trains is now operational on the line between Ipswich, Bury St Edmund and Cambridge, which carries ov...

Azuma trains take first LNER journey

Azuma trains take first LNER journey

26 November 2019London 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 currently r...

Hull Trains welcomes new Class 802 as part of £60m investment

Hull Trains welcomes new Class 802 as part of £60m investment

25 November 2019Hull Trains have today (25 Nov) welcomed the arrival of the first of the brand-new Hitatchi Rail Paragon trains. It comes as part of a £60m investment into five state-of-the-art, bi-mode intercity trains, known as Class 802s, bringing a tra...

Hull Trains appoints new director ahead of £60m fleet arrival

Hull Trains appoints new director ahead of £60m fleet arrival

19 November 2019Hull Trains has made a new appointment, as Anne Somers joins the team as commercial and customer experience director. The appointment comes as a way of strengthening its customer experience, with her roles focussing on listening and responding to...

‘Backbone’ of high-speed rail in Britain donated to National Railway Museum

‘Backbone’ of high-speed rail in Britain donated to National Railway Museum

12 November 2019Britain’s most influential modern locomotive, Class 43 High-speed train, also known as the InterCity 125 will join the stationary fleet of over 260 locomotives and rolling stock at the National Railway Museum in York. The train, no.43002 &l...

Poppy train launched to remember rail workers’ wartime service

Poppy train launched to remember rail workers’ wartime service

07 November 2019Southern Railway has launched a special commemorative train to remember the wartime service of railway workers.

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HS2 Ltd: Five tech firms join Innovation Accelerator initiative

11/09/2020HS2 Ltd: Five tech firms join Innovation Accelerator initiative

HS2 Ltd have announced today (11 Sept) the first five revolutionary tech firms that will join HS2 Ltd’s Innovation Accelerator programme. ... more >
Network Rail publish Decarbonisation Plan

11/09/2020Network Rail publish Decarbonisation Plan

Network Rail have released their interim Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy, illustrating its preliminary recommendations for decarbonisin... more >
Trains kept moving by AWC despite damaged overhead wires

11/09/2020Trains kept moving by AWC despite damaged overhead wires

Avanti West Coast have taken an unlikely option to allow their timetable to run, without delays, despite damaged overhead wires. The operato... more >

last word

Encouraging youngsters to be safe on the railway

Encouraging youngsters to be safe on the railway

This summer, Arriva Group's CrossCountry and the Scout Association joined to launch a new partnership to promote rail safety among young people. Chris Leech MBE, business community manager at the... more > more last word articles >

'the sleepers' daily blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s network of independent repair facilities across the UK and further afield in its global network. ... more >
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The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >
Sunshine future beckons for South Wales Railways, says 10:10 Climate Action’s Leo Murray

02/07/2019Sunshine future beckons for South Wales Railways, says 10:10 Climate Action’s Leo Murray

Smart electrification is the way to boost clean energy resources, argues Leo Murray, director at 10:10 Climate Action. Contractors are clear... more >
Ambition doesn’t have to be expensive, says Midland Connect's Maria Machancoses

02/07/2019Ambition doesn’t have to be expensive, says Midland Connect's Maria Machancoses

The TCR Midlands conference is only days away and tickets are going fast for the sector event of the year at the Vox Conference Centre in Birming... more >

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interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he wo... more >