All UK in depth articles
-
Rail Business UKMuch-delayed Class 810 fleet enters service on the Midland Main Line
UK: After a heavily delayed production process, the first of 33 Hitachi Rail Class 810 bi-mode trains has entered service with East Midlands Railway. Tony Miles reports from Derby.
-
Rail Business UKInterview: ‘We are waking Merseyrail up’
As its 25-year agreement to run electric suburban services around Liverpool nears its end, Merseyrail has become a model for how local control of rail operations can bring tangible benefits to the community, as its Managing Director Neil Grabham explains to Nick Kingsley.
-
In depthResilience: Transforming track maintenance in the face of climate change
Network Rail’s Eastern Region is pioneering a range of automated track inspection and monitoring systems, aimed at improving performance and resilience to extreme weather events whilst helping to reduce costs.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: The rail industry needs to bridge the gap from innovation to technology adoption
The rail sector needs to introduce a funnel process to incentivise and speed up the adoption of innovative technologies and materials offering long-term cost savings, says Steve Barbour, Managing Director of Composite Braiding.
-
In depthSignalling: Using CBTC as an energy-saving tool on London’s Elizabeth Line
Siemens Mobility has used a section of London’s Elizabeth Line fitted with CBTC to study how its Trainguard MT technology has enabled revenue earning trains to save energy without compromising the customer experience.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: Buy tilting trains and finish Delta Junction to salvage HS2, says Gibb
UK: Procurement of a fleet of tilting trains and a focus on Birmingham – Manchester services are key to making the most the descoped High Speed 2 scheme, former Virgin Trains executive Chris Gibb tells Rail Business UK.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: ‘Low-cost, high-impact fix’ could provide £500m rail revenue boost
Adopting a smarter, more open and consumer-first approach to data access could unlock an extra £500m in revenue for the rail industry, argues Raileasy CEO George Sikking.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: The future of HS2 could lie in its original vision
High Speed 2 should be rescoped to run from London Euston to Crewe, taking advantage of the lessons learned and supply chain foundations established during Phase 1, says Dyan Perry, Chair of the High Speed Rail Group.
-
Rail Business UKCoventry prepares for Very Light Rail demonstration
A project which aims to develop a more affordable alternative to traditional tramways is taking its next major step. Andrew Grantham reports from the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre.
-
Rail Business UKUK: The Welsh Valley Lines are going green
Development of the South Wales Metro project around Cardiff is progressing apace, and the start of electric operation marks a significant milestone in the programme, as Chris Howe explains.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: ‘Persons with Reduced Mobility’ risks becoming an outdated term
Persons with Reduced Mobility was once considered a progressive descriptor, yet now it stands as a reminder of how industries must remain agile in their accessibility approach, says Emma Partlow, Director of Consumer Engagement & Policy at Transreport.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: Do not rush UK rail reform
Given the scale of the task, the government should resist the temptation to push through hasty reform of the UK rail sector, argues Dominic Booth, Chief Executive of Transport UK Group.
-
Rail Business UKUK: Momentum builds behind East Coast Digital Programme
ETCS testing and driver training are in full swing as the crossindustry East Coast Digital Programme moves into the delivery phase. Chris Jackson reports from York.
-
Rail Business UKTransPennine Express aims to get more out of its fleet
UK: TransPennine Express is seeking to achieve higher levels of performance from its fleet, its Fleet, Safety & Service Delivery Director Paul Staples explained when Rail Business UK recently visited Arwick depot. The operator says it is also ‘anticipating great things’ from the trial conversion of a Hitachi trainset to battery hybrid power.
-
Rail Business UKInterview: ‘There’s more to do but we have made excellent progress’
UK: TransPennine Express is ‘making moves in the right direction but we’re under no illusion there’s still much more we need to do‘, the operator’s Managing Director Chris Jackson tells Rail Business UK.
-
Rail Business UKViewpoint: the fare evasion prosecution scandal explained
UK: Nathan Seymour-Hyde, Partner and Solicitor at Reeds Solicitors, explains how train operators misused the Single Justice Procedure and why up to 75 000 convictions for fare evasion offences have now been quashed.
-
Rail Business UKInterview: Chiltern Railways is ‘focused on what we can control’
UK: As the rail sector braces itself for major institutional change, Chiltern Railways Managing Director Richard Allan is keen to deliver tangible improvements now. Key investment priorities include decarbonising its rolling stock fleet. Tony Miles posed the questions.
-
Rail Business UKHigh Speed: Birmingham prepares to welcome truncated HS2
Viaducts, depot sites and tunnels are taking shape at the Birmingham end of the 225 km High Speed 2 route. But doubts over completion of what was Phase I of the curtailed scheme continue to swirl. Nick Kingsley reports from Washwood Heath.
-
Rail Business UKInterview: ‘Welsh rail services are improving rapidly’
UK: Transport for Wales Rail’s Chief Operating Officer Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde is optimistic about progress being made in transforming passenger services across the country, despite the financial and operational headwinds facing the Welsh transport sector.
-
Rail Business UKInterview: ‘It’s time to bring back dynamism’
UK: Cost control, revenue growth and a competitive dynamic will be key to securing the future of the UK rail sector, Transport UK Group Chief Executive Dominic Booth explains to Tony Miles.