Govia Thameslink Railway news
News about Govia Thameslink Railway, the UK's largest passenger train operator, which runs a network of commuter and regional services north and south of London under the Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express brands. Govia is a joint venture of Go-Ahead Group (65%) and Keolis (35%).
-
Rail Business UK‘Eye-opener’ trip helps train operator listen to deaf passengers
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway received eye-opening feedback from deaf passengers who it took on a return trip from Cambridge to Stevenage to gain greater understanding of what needs to be done to make independent travel easier.
-
Rail Business UKCampaigners call to ‘end the fiction of Gatwick Express’
UK: Independent rail campaign group Railfuture has called for changes to train services between central London and Gatwick Airport.
-
Rail Business UKLNER withdraws flexible off-peak tickets from 27 London area stations
UK: State-owned LNER is to extend its so-called Simpler Fares pilot scheme, with the removal of Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets for journeys from 27 stations around London.
-
Rail Business UKEMU recommissioning aims to ease capacity shortage
UK: Work is underway at Hornsey depot to recommission 30 Class 379 EMUs for Great Northern services, enabling a complex cascade of rolling stock between London’s suburban operators.
-
Rail Business UKSignals removed from ETCS commuter railway
UK: Lineside signals have been removed from the Northern City Line into London’s Moorgate terminus, which is now operated using ETCS Level 2.
-
Rail Business UKETCS tested on steam locomotive
UK: Testing is underway with what is thought to be the first installation of European Train Control System equipment on an operational steam locomotive, as part of a plan to secure the long-term future of heritage traction operation on the national rail network.
-
Rail Business UK3D digital maps designed to help people navigate stations
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is testing digital 3D maps designed to help passengers, and particularly those who are disabled, gain more confidence in navigating its stations. GTR had received feedback that the existing bird’s-eye view maps of its stations could be improved, as they were not ...
-
Rail Business UKBlind passengers offered accessibility app access at all GTR stations
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway now offers free use of a smartphone app designed to enhance accessibility for blind and partially sighted passengers at all 236 of its managed stations. The Aira Explorer app allows users to place a video call with a trained adviser who looks ...
-
Rail Business UKAudio guide to help blind passengers use Thameslink trains
UK: Thameslink has released an audio guide describing its 115 Siemens Mobility Class 700 trains which was written with the help of blind passenger Dave Smith who sits on the operator’s accessibility Advisory Panel. The guide is available on the Assisted Travel pages of the company’s ...
-
Rail Business UKWaterbeach station to be relocated
UK: Cambridgeshire County Council has called tenders for an estimated £35m design and build contract for the relocation of Waterbeach station to a new site further to the north. This would support the Waterbeach New Town development of 4 500 homes. Opening is now envisaged for ...
-
Rail Business UKRail regulator identifies how assistance for disabled passengers needs to improve
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has identified ways in which the provision of assistance for disabled passengers needs to be improved, following audits of how five operators are meeting regulatory requirements. ORR chose East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway, Greater Anglia, LNER and Northern ...
-
Rail Business UKThird rail or batteries could replace Southern diesel trains
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is unable to commit to decarbonisation of its operations unless Network Rail and the Department for Transport agree to fund and implement alternatives to diesel operation on the un-electrified Ashford – Hastings and Hurst Green – Uckfield lines, the operator says in its ...
-
Rail Business UKMoorgate branch ETCS goes live
UK: Revenue-earning suburban services have started to use ETCS Level 2 over London’s Northern City Line from Finsbury Park to Moorgate.
-
Rail Business UKAI technology aims to help prevent railway suicides
UK: Innovate UK has awarded funding to the Suicide Avoidance via Intelligent Video Examination project, which is being undertaken by Purple Transform, Govia Thameslink Railway and Lancaster University. The project uses three AI technologies. The first uses smart cameras at stations and along the track that ...
-
Rail Business UKGo-Ahead appoints rail strategy leader and new head of Govia Thameslink Railway
UK: Patrick Verwer has been appointed Rail CEO at international rail and bus operator The Go-Ahead Group from the end of November. Angie Doll will succeed him as CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway, which Go-Ahead operates though a 65:35 joint venture with Keolis. Verwer will oversee ...
-
Rail Business UKSouthern seeks feedback on West Coastway timetable changes
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is seeking public feedback on a redesign of the timetable for Southern-branded West Coastway services between Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton and London via Gatwick Airport from next year. GTR said the aim is to provide more evenly-spaced departure times, increase capacity where demand ...
-
Rail Business UKThameslink EMUs to get ETCS onboard upgrade
UK: A five-year contract to upgrade the Class 700 Thameslink EMU fleet to the latest specification of European Train Control System has been awarded through the cross-industry East Coast Digital Programme. The £32·7m contract announced on June 21 was signed by infrastructure manager Network Rail, operator ...
-
Rail Business UKTrain operator trials assistance app for blind and partially sighted passengers
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is trialling the Aria wayfinding app which connects blind and partially sighted people to a remote adviser who can use the passenger’s smartphone camera to guide them through a station to a member of staff. Passengers at Brighton, Stevenage, London Blackfriars and ...
-
In depthTrain Control: En route to digital signalling
Final testing and commissioning of ETCS Level 2 is underway on the Northern City Line to London’s Moorgate terminus, which is due to go live later this year as a ‘pathfinder’ project for the East Coast Digital Programme. Chris Jackson reports.
-
Rail Business UKCrowns, chocolates, a named train and planning ahead as rail industry prepares for the coronation
UK: Additional services, longer trains and queuing systems are planned to handle the crowds who are expected to travel to events marking the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6 and the concert to be held in Windsor the following day.