Wales railway business news
News about railway operations, infrastructure, suppliers and policy in Wales, from Rail Business UK.
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Rail Business UKGCRE still hopeful of securing investment in Welsh test facility
UK: Representatives of the planned Global Centre for Rail Excellence test facility in South Wales have agreed that securing funding is challenging but reiterated their hope that it can be secured soon. Speaking to Rail Business UK at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin, GCRE noted ...
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Rail Business UKCardiff Central to Bay tramway consultation begins
UK: Public consultation has begun on proposals to build a tramway which would link Cardiff Central station to Cardiff Bay. This would form Phase 1A of the Cardiff Crossrail project which is being developed by Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales. Phase 1A would start at ...
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Rail Business UKHitachi to develop multimodal journey planning and booking system for Wales
UK: Transport for Wales has awarded Hitachi a contract to provide a bespoke Mobility-as-a-Service digital planning and booking system covering public transport in Wales. The app and back-office will cover rail, local bus, TrawsCymru regional bus and Fflecsi demand-responsive bus services, as well as micromobility bikes ...
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Rail Business UKWelsh government sets out rail reform priorities
UK: The Welsh government’s priorities for rail reform have been discussed in a meeting between Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport & North Wales Ken Skates and UK government Rail Minister Lord Hendy. Priorities include: developing a ‘locally driven and empowered’ business unit for Great British ...
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Rail Business UKRailway Engineering Degree Apprenticeship launched
UK: A Railway Engineering Degree Apprenticeship has been launched by a partnership of the University of South Wales, the Welsh government, Coleg Y Cymoedd and Transport for Wales. The four-year programme includes work-based learning while studying part-time for a BSc (Hons) Railway Engineering (Electromechanical Systems & Electronics) ...
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Rail Business UKWales ready for rail reform
UK: Speaking to the UK parliamentary Transport Select Committee on May 21, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for North Wales & Transport, Ken Skates, set out his three requests from the Westminster government as part of the emerging reform programme to establish Great British Railways. Skates called ...
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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.
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Rail Business UKDoopee Doo offers rewards to incentivise use of trains and local businesses
UK: Doopee Doo is working with Transport for Wales to roll out a reward scheme which is designed to encourage people to explore by train and to incentivise support for local businesses. Passengers can visit selected destinations to received rewards through an app. Themed packages are ...
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Rail Business UKRequest to Stop button ready for trial at Welsh stations
UK: Transport for Wales is to trial a prototype Request to Stop system incorporating train running information and a button which passengers arriving at station can push to alert the driver of the next train to the need to call at a request stop. This removes ...
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Rail Business UKContactless PAYG launched in South Wales
UK: Transport for Wales has launched a contactless card Pay-As-You-Go pilot project covering journeys between Cardiff Central, Newport and Pontyclun. The Ebbw Vale line will be covered next, and the scheme is to be expanded to 95 stations across South Wales during 2024. Passengers can tap ...
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Rail Business UKEbbw Vale line enhancement programme completed
UK: Network Rail has completed a two-year project to upgrade the Ebbw Vale line to enable the operation of hourly direct trains to Newport from the December 10 timetable change; these will run in addition to the existing hourly service to Cardiff. The Ebbw Vale line ...
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Rail Business UKRicardo to advise GCRE on certification and approvals
UK: Certification and engineering consultancy Ricardo is to work with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence to help define what the global rail sector requires from infrastructure and rolling stock test and research facilities. There will be a particular focus on how on-site approvals and certification ...
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Rail Business UKFive stations proposed in southeast Wales
UK: Transport for Wales has begun public consultation on plans for five new stations between Cardiff Central and Severn Tunnel Junction. These would be at Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor & Undy. Comments are also invited on train services between Cardiff, Bristol and ...
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Rail Business UKRailway engineering degree apprenticeship announced
UK: The University of South Wales and Coleg y Cymoedd have announced a railway engineering degree apprenticeship programme. The four-year course will give apprentices the opportunity to gain a university-accredited engineering degree. The first course will start in January 2024, and it will then run annually ...
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Rail Business UKSignalbox develops Transport for Wales live train map
UK: Transport for Wales Rail has worked with technology company Signalbox to develop a live digital map showing the location of all its trains, enabling passengers to view their journey in real time and see expected arrival times at each station. Signalbox currently uses live data ...
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Rail Business UKTrain frequency focus in North Wales Transport Commission’s interim recommendations
UK: The North Wales Transport Commission chaired by Lord Burns has published its interim recommendations for the development and delivery of an integrated multi-modal transport system in the region. For the rail sector, NWTC supports proposed improvements at Chester station to enable additional services to operate. ...
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Rail Business UKWelsh government seeks plan to improve Wrexham – Bidston line performance
UK: Following a long period of disruption, the Welsh government’s Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters has asked Transport for Wales Rail to develop a plan to improve services on the Wrexham – Bidston Borderlands line. Earlier in the year, services had been suspended for ...
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Rail Business UKAugmented reality station maps designed to assist passengers
UK: Indoor wayfinding company Briteyellow has created augmented reality maps of six of the largest stations served by Transport for Wales, to help passengers locate facilities such as information screens, lifts, toilets, help points and waiting rooms. It is hoped the AR maps can be used ...
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Rail Business UKHitachi partnership to underpin GCRE’s net zero aim
UK: The Global Centre of Rail Excellence has agreed a technology development partnership with Hitachi, and procured a Static Frequency Converter to support planned electrification of the railway test facility.
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Rail Business UKClass 230s finally enter service with Transport for Wales
UK: Transport for Wales has run its first Class 230 battery-diesel hybrid trainset in passenger service on the Wrexham – Bidston Borderlands Line. Tony Miles reports.