Stagecoach claims pension risks for three spurned rail franchises ‘exceeded £1bn’ May 2, 2019 Stagecoach is engaged in an increasingly bitter battle with the government after it revealed that the pension risks it was being asked to take on for three rail franchises was "well in excess of £1bn". Stagecoach, which runs a partnership with Richard Branson's Virgin Trains, has been at loggerheads with the Department for Transport (DfT) [...]
Scrap franchise system and let TfL control London commuter routes, says rail industry April 29, 2019 The rail franchise system should be scrapped and responsibility for commuter routes handed from central government to local authorities such as Transport for London (TfL), the rail industry has said. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the industry, has today unveiled its proposals for the Williams rail review, which transport secretary Chris Grayling called last [...]
Siemens and Babcock among winners of £750m Network Rail signalling contract April 29, 2019 Network Rail has awarded contracts collectively worth £750m to companies including Siemens and Babcock to to deliver signalling and telecoms across the UK. The contracts are for projects such as stand-alone level crossings, stand-alone major telecoms and related civil works. Other firms to pick up the contracts include VolkerRail Special Businesses, Atkins, Linbrooke Services and Colas Rail. Signalling [...]
Passengers warned of disruption as Euston station set to close over Easter and May Bank holiday weekends April 10, 2019 Euston station will be closed for several days over the Easter and May Bank holiday weekends with no trains running in and out of the station, passengers have been warned. The busy London station will be shut from 19 to 22 April and from 4-6 May, which will close routes and lead to longer travel [...]
Old school train tickets to be a thing of the past as rail companies ramp up smart tickets April 10, 2019 Old-school orange rail tickets could become a thing of the past as train companies ramp up the technology for paperless 'smart' tickets. Nine in 10 tickets offered around UK rail stations will be soon be available to buy paperless at busy stations such as Waterloo, Brighton, Gatwick Airport, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central following upgrades to the [...]
Transport heads raise concerns over Sadiq Khan’s plans for TfL takeover of Network Rail April 9, 2019 Leading Assembly members have raised concerns over Sadiq Khan’s headline-grabbing plan for Transport for London (TfL) to take over key routes and stations from Network Rail in London. Last month the London mayor said responsibility and funding for key rail assets such as tracks and stations should be transferred to the transport body to plug [...]
Tube havoc hits commuters as holidaymakers battle Stansted train delays April 9, 2019 Commuters have been hit with delays on the Jubilee and Piccadilly lines this morning. There are severe delays on the Piccadilly Line between Acton Town and Uxbridge with some disruption around Heathrow, due to a faulty track at Turnpike Lane. https://twitter.com/piccadillyline/status/1115537004261933057 The Jubilee Line is now running with minor delays after a signal failure at Canary [...]
Drones, Gatwick, and the future: how this new aerial technology can benefit the UK economy and the public good April 7, 2019 New technologies always stir emotion, and as we’ve seen with the drone incidents at Heathrow and Gatwick, they can even result in new legislation. Following the announcement by the government and Civil Aviation Authority regarding an extended no-fly zone and stop-and-search powers for police, it is clear that the time is right to increase our [...]
Passengers warned of Easter travel chaos as HS2 works shut Euston station March 29, 2019 Passengers have been urged to check their travel plans this Easter as Euston station closes while major engineering works for HS2 take place. Read more: Passengers urged to plan Easter travel ahead of railway upgrades No trains will leave Euston over the Easter weekend between 19 and 22 April, as well as the first bank holiday [...]
Labour plans to nationalise industries will cause ‘profound harm’ to UK economy, says CBI chief March 28, 2019 Labour party plans to renationalise key industries such as rail would cause "profound harm to the economy", the UK's largest business group has said. Carolyn Fairbairn, the head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said the party's plans to bring rail, utilities and public services would "hurt the very people they are intended to help and [...]