UK Department for Transport news – Page 5
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Rail Business UKModernisation and efficiency improvements included in High Level Output Specification
UK: There is ‘an urgent need for continued modernisation and significant efficiency improvements to bear down on the cost of the railway’, according to the High Level Output Specification which sets out what the Secretary of State wants to be achieved from the management of rail ...
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Rail Business UKRail Partners calls for changes to prevent cuts leading to a ‘spiral of decline’
UK: The Rail Partners association of train operator owning groups has called for changes which it says are needed to prevent lower post-pandemic revenues, rising industry costs and delays to reform triggering a ‘spiral of decline’ with a ‘protracted hiatus, stunted recovery from the pandemic and ...
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Rail Business UKEmissions reduction, rail freight and reliability R&D awarded First of a Kind funding
UK: Grants totalling more than £5m have been awarded to 24 projects under the First of a Kind 2022 funding competition organised by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK. ‘We are breathing life into ideas that will revolutionise our railways and make them greener than ...
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Rail Business UKMerriman named rail and HS2 minister
UK: Huw Merriman MP has been appointed as a minister of state at the Department for Transport responsible for the rail and High Speed 2 briefs.
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Rail Business UKMcLoughlin berates government over northern rail failures as disruption set to worsen
UK: TfN Chair Lord Patrick McLoughlin has described the ongoing rail disruption on routes within and to and from northern England as ‘unacceptable’.
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Rail Business UKMark Harper appointed Secretary of State for Transport
UK: New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak named Mark Harper as Secretary of State for Transport on October 25, succeeding Anne-Marie Trevelyan. Commenting on his appointment, Harper said ‘transport affects us all, and I can’t wait to tackle the challenges we face so we can deliver for ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern mayors shift rail disruption blame from operators to ministers
UK: The Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region mayors have moved away from directly blaming train operators for the ongoing disruption to services in the northwest of England, instead saying the Department for Transport’s tight control of finances is preventing deals between operators and their staff. ...
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Rail Business UKRail reform legislation delay confirmed
UK: Delays to the legislation needed to enact reform of the rail sector including the creation of Great British Railways have been confirmed.
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Rail Business UKAnne-Marie Trevelyan appointed as Secretary of State for Transport
UK: Anne-Marie Trevelyan was appointed as Secretary of State for Transport in incoming Prime Minister Liz Truss’s cabinet on September 6. Trevelyan commented ‘transport is crucial to our lives — bringing people together, creating jobs and connecting the UK with the world. Looking forward to getting ...
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Metro Report InternationalTransport for London funding agreed to 2024
UK: The government and Transport for London have reached agreement on a funding settlement running until March 31 2024. This includes just under £1·2bn of base funding and a revenue support mechanism, although there is still a funding gap and TfL is required to consider pension ...
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NewsUkraine-UK transport partnership to support rebuilding of war damaged infrastructure
UKRAINE: The UK and Ukraine have signed an agreement to share engineering expertise for the rebuilding of rail, road, port and air transport infrastructure damaged by the Russian invasion. Further details have also been given of a £10m package of British support for Ukrainian Railways, which ...
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NewsUK and Israel sign MoU to share transport expertise
INTERNATIONAL: The UK’s Department for Transport and Israel’s Ministry of Transport & Road Safety have signed a memorandum of understanding to share expertise on large scale rail projects, which DfT said could lead to ‘fresh business opportunities and potential new jobs’.
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Metro Report InternationalScope of Transport & Works Act legislation to be expanded
UK: The government is to enable the Transport & Works Act process to be used to grant powers for transport projects using non-physical guidance systems.
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Metro Report InternationalTransport for London receives draft proposal for funding settlement
UK: The Department for Transport provided Transport for London with a draft proposal for a long-term funding settlement on the evening of July 22. The most recent extension of TfL’s extraordinary funding and financing agreement is due to expire on July 28. TfL said it would ...
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Rail Business UKNo going back to British Rail days, says ASLEF General Secretary
UK: ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan has told Rail Business UK that pay talks are proving difficult, with the trade unions legally obliged to negotiate with the train operating companies which employ them, while those employers are tightly controlled by the Department for Transport under the ...
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Metro Report InternationalStill no long-term funding deal for Transport for London
UK: Transport for London’s current extraordinary funding agreement with the Department for Transport has been extended to July 13. The extension was announced in the late afternoon of June 24, hours before the agreement in place since February 26 was about to expire; this was the ...
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Rail Business UKNine proposals awarded Restoring Your Railway funding
UK: The government has announced £15m of Restoring Your Railway funding for the further development of proposals for nine railway schemes. The initiatives announced on June 18 are: reopening Aldridge station and reinstating passenger services on the freight-only line from Ryecroft Junction near Walsall; reintroducing ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment consults on rail reform legislative changes
UK: The government has begun consultation on the legislative changes required to implement the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. This includes the creation of Great British Railways, a new governance framework, and reform of wider industry structures and processes. The consultation opened on June 9 and closes ...
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Rail Business UKAnglo-Scottish acceleration in doubt as government shelves HS2’s Golborne Link
UK: The government confirmed on June 6 its intention to drop the so-called Golborne Link from Phase 2b of High Speed 2.
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Rail Business UKNext Chair of Transport Focus appointed
UK: Nigel Stevens has been appointed as Chair of Transport Focus, the arm’s length body of the Department for Transport which acts as the independent statutory consumer watchdog for rail passengers in Great Britain; bus, coach and tram passengers in England outside London; and all users ...