Wales railway business news
News about railway operations, infrastructure, suppliers and policy in Wales, from Rail Business UK.
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Rail Business UKLaw firm appoints former Elizabeth Line MD as rail sector adviser
UK: Law firm Hugh James has appointed Mike Bagshaw, former Managing Director of London commuter train operator MTR Elizabeth Line, as a strategic advisor to its rail sector team.
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Rail Business UKElectric trains now running daily on the Coryton and Penarth lines
UK: Services on Transport for Wales Rail’s Coryton and Penarth lines are now being worked by Stadler Class 756 tri-mode electric-diesel-battery multiple-units following the completion of work to install discontinuous electrification on the routes.
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Rail Business UKTransport for Wales introduces virtual reality train manager training
UK: Transport for Wales has introduced virtual reality training technology for train managers, enabling them to experience scenarios from a classroom before moving on to practical training.
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Rail Business UKFirst covered version of Network Rail’s Beacon footbridge installed
UK: The first covered version of Network Rail’s Beacon footbridge design has been installed at Abergavenny station.
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Rail Business UKBritannic Explorer to be hauled by GB Railfreight Class 99s
UK: Luxury travel brand Belmond is to launch its Britannic Explorer sleeper cruise train shortly, offering three-day itineraries from London to Wales, Cornwall and the Lake District.
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Rail Business UKRail industry responds to spending review
UK: The rail industry responds to the government’s 2025 Spending Review on June 11, setting departmental budgets for day‑to‑day spending until 2028‑29 and capital investment until 2029‑30.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup applies to run Hereford – London open access service
UK: FirstGroup has submitted the first phase of an application to launch an open access passenger service between Hereford, Bristol Parkway and London under its Lumo brand.
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Rail Business UKElectrification, local branding and through trains in ambitious Network North Wales vision
UK: The Welsh goverment has announced a multi-year vision to create a Network North Wales integrated public transport system with frequent rail services at its heart. This would include ‘metro style’ train services and a through service between Wrexham and Liverpool.
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Rail Business UKCycle train enters service on the Heart of Wales line
UK: Transport for Wales has returned to service the first of six Class 153 single-car diesel multiple-units which are being refurbished to carry bicycles. The others will enter service by the summer, operating on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury. The refurbishment was ...
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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.
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Rail Business UKRail reform could end need for regulated fares
UK: Announcing this year’s rail fare increase for Wales, the Welsh government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport & North Wales Ken Skates said he hoped rail reform would end the need for regulated fares. On February 6 Skates announced an overall increase in regulated rail fares of ...
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Metro Report InternationalCardiff Crossrail tramway design and build contract awarded
UK: Graham has been awarded a contract for the detailed design and construction of a tram-train line between Cardiff Central station and Cardiff Bay. This forms Phase 1 of the planned Cardiff Crossrail plan to develop a line running from the northwest of the city to ...
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Rail Business UKTri-mode trains launch South Wales Metro electric services
UK: Transport for Wales put its Stadler Class 756 tri-mode multiple-units into passenger service on November 18, launching electric operation as part of the South Wales Metro programme to upgrade lines around Cardiff. The Class 756s use 25 kV 50 Hz overhead where available and diesel ...
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Rail Business UKTalerddig collision DMU had blocked sanding hoses, says RAIB
UK: The sanding hoses on the leading vehicle of the Transport for Wales Class 158 diesel multiple-unit which passed through the passing loop at Talerddig and collided with an oncoming train were blocked and unable to discharge sand, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has said. In ...
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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 ...