UK rail industry news – Page 8

  • Witton station upgrade proposal (Image WMRE)
    Rail Business UK

    Football traffic spurs plans for station enhancement

    2024-01-08T04:00:00Z

    UK: The West Midlands Rail Executive is to develop a business case for the modernisation of Witton station ahead of the nearby Villa Park football stadium hosting UEFA Euro 2028 fixtures, and for future-proofing in case Aston Villa football club revisits stadium expansion plans. A feasibility ...

  • Hull Trains Hitachi Class 802 (Photo: First Group)
    Rail Business UK

    FirstGroup plans London – Sheffield open access train service

    2024-01-05T16:01:00Z

    UK: FirstGroup has announced plans to launch an open access passenger train service between London and Sheffield. The first phase of an application was submitted to industry regulator the Office of Rail & Road on January 5. Consultation will follow, along with discussions with Network Rail ...

  • David Brown (Photo RDG)
    Rail Business UK

    David Brown takes over as Chair of the Rail Delivery Group

    2024-01-05T13:36:00Z

    UK: David Brown, Managing Director for UK Trains at Arriva, has been appointed Chair of the Rail Delivery Group. He has been a RDG board member since 2020. ‘After unprecedented challenges in recent years, the railways can have a very bright future through meeting the needs ...

  • Eurostar train
    Rail Business UK

    Eurostar promotional fares advert deemed misleading

    2024-01-04T11:00:00Z

    UK: The Advertising Standards Authority has told Eurostar that a significant proportion of seats must be available at the highlighted price when it uses ‘from’ prices in advertising. The ASA ruling on January 3 follows a complaint by someone who received a promotional e-mail in July ...

  • Golborne station impression (Image TfGM)
    Rail Business UK

    UK railway news round-up

    2024-01-04T04:00:00Z

    This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.

  • LNER ticket machines at King's Cross (Photo Tony MIles)
    Rail Business UK

    Rail fare increases confirmed

    2024-01-03T12:00:00Z

    UK: The government has announced that the 2024 regulated fare cap for National Rail operators in England will be 4·9%. It has also said that fare changes will now take place in March each year. Meanwhile, Transport Scotland has announced that ScotRail fares will increase by ...

  • Anthony Smith
    Rail Business UK

    Independent Rail Retailers Chair appointed

    2024-01-03T11:00:00Z

    UK: Anthony Smith has been appointed as Chair of Independent Rail Retailers, the membership and lobbying group which represents third-party train ticket sellers. Smith was previously Chief Executive of Transport Focus and its predecessor bodies since 1999. He succeeds Alistair Lees, Managing Director of Assertis, as ...

  • Signapse
    Rail Business UK

    Converting passenger information into sign language

    2024-01-02T11:00:00Z

    UK: Signapse is aiming to improve access to real-time passenger information by using AI to translate messages at stations and on trains into British Sign Language. The specialist technology company is working with Network Rail, South Western Railway and Whoosh Media on the project, which has ...

  • MobileUnit 6[81]
    Rail Business UK

    Train toilet servicing vehicle delivered

    2024-01-01T04:00:00Z

    UK: Vogelsang has taken delivery of a Bradshaw PFB1500-1100 electric vehicle which will be used for servicing train controlled emission toilets. The company needed a vehicle which could carry its CET wastewater units while offering user-friendly operation, low noise and the ability to service several trains ...

  • Freightliner 66503 with containers[1][1][1]
    Rail Business UK

    Government will consider rail freight operators’ proposals for last-mile electrification

    2023-12-22T11:00:00Z

    UK: The government will consider industry proposals for last-mile electrification into freight terminals which would enable operators to take advantage of existing and future main line electrification when procuring new locomotives, Rail Minister Huw Merriman has told Rail Business UK. Speaking at an event to announce ...

  • Southeastern Class 375 Electrostar at Penge Tunnel (Photo Southeastern)
    Rail Business UK

    Southeastern introduces digital season tickets

    2023-12-22T04:00:00Z

    UK: Southeastern has introduce digital season tickets, branded sTickets, which passengers can buy through its website and app and store on their smartphone. Weekly, monthly, annual, flexi, custom period and child tickets are available for Southeastern routes, except where the ticket allows travel on Transport for ...

  • Peckham-Station-concourse-impression-facing-east-900x600-c
    Rail Business UK

    UK railway news round-up

    2023-12-21T05:00:00Z

    This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.

  • Freightliner 66503 with containers[1][1][1]
    Rail Business UK

    Rail freight sector responds to government’s 75% target for growth

    2023-12-20T15:04:00Z

    UK: The rail industry has welcomed the government’s announcement of ‘a top-level ambition’ to grow freight tonne-km by at least 75% by 2050, but says more work is needed to identify actions implement this. The target announced by Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper on ...

  • Avanti West Coast Pendolino at Stockport (Photo Tony Miles)
    Rail Business UK

    Calls for Avanti West Coast review and first class declassification

    2023-12-20T15:02:00Z

    UK: Transport for the North has written to the Secretary of State for Transport calling for a ‘critical review’ of the ‘deteriorating service being endured by passengers’ on Avanti West Coast, and also asking for first and standard premium accommodation to be declassified until performance reaches ...

  • tn_gb-dbs-hs1-freight-european-wagon_01.jpg
    Rail Business UK

    Deliver gauge clearance in Kent to boost northern economy, urges Channel Tunnel operator

    2023-12-20T10:00:00Z

    UK: The Channel Tunnel risks remaining ‘essentially inaccessible’ to rail freight without investment to enhance the loading gauge of the conventional main line through Kent, the CEO of Eurotunnel’s parent company Getlink has warned.

  • Class 755
    Rail Business UK

    Electro-diesels switch modes on the move

    2023-12-20T04:00:00Z

    UK: Greater Anglia’s 38 Stadler Class 755 regional electro-diesel multiple-units can now switch traction modes on the move, a design feature which they have not been able to exploit since their entry to traffic in mid-2019. The operator worked closely with Network Rail and industry partners ...

  • Richard Hines
    Rail Business UK

    Richard Hines named next Chief Inspector of Railways

    2023-12-19T11:00:00Z

    UK: Richard Hines is to succeed Ian Prosser as HM Chief Inspector of Railways in summer 2024, the Office of Rail & Road announced on December 18. Hines is currently a Deputy Chief Inspector, and heads ORR’s team of non-main line health and safety inspectors as ...

  • Howard-Weir-drives-717002-on-in-ETCS-mode-towards-Moorgate-NCL-060223-TM07
    Rail Business UK

    How to explain signalling works to passengers

    2023-12-19T04:00:00Z

    UK: Watchdog body Transport Focus has worked with Network Rail to understand how the signalling works which are being undertaken under the East Coast Digital Programme should be communicated to passengers over the coming months, as they will result in disruption to journeys. The research found ...

  • Northbound WSMR service calls at Shrewsbury
    Rail Business UK

    Plan to welcome open access back to Wrexham

    2023-12-18T11:00:00Z

    UK: Plans have been drawn up to revive open access services between London, Shrewsbury and Wrexham under the WSMR brand, 13 years after a previous initiative ended. Tony Miles reports.

  • tickets
    Rail Business UK

    Plans for centralised Great British Railways ticket sales scrapped

    2023-12-15T16:46:00Z

    UK: The government has dropped plans to create a centralised Great British Railways online rail ticket retailer, the Department for Transport has confirmed. The proposals were originally outlined by the in May 2021 as part of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail white paper. However, on December ...