Flower Power: Network Rail to boost travellers’ mental health with flower compositions May 9, 2022 Network Rail has announced it will start displaying flower compositions in UK train stations as a way to boost travellers’ mental health. While the railway operator hopes it will “lift people’s spirits,” the Better Journeys’ initiative aims to raise awareness of the Hub of Hope app, which helps people access mental health support. Installations will [...]
Rail fares could soar by 12 per cent amid inflationary spikes May 5, 2022 Railway users could soon enough see the price of their tickets soar as a result of inflation spiking to 7 per cent and not showing any sign of easing. Economists argued fares could go up as high as 12 per cent from next year if the government doesn’t untie the increase in inflation rates and [...]
Unions warn rail cuts could increase the risk of crashes May 4, 2022 Reported railway cuts could increase the risk of serious crashes, according to trade unions. A report published today by the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) accused Network Rail of planning to cut around 2,5000 maintenance jobs as part of a £100m annual spending reduction, leading to the loss of 2,500 jobs. According to the TUC, cutting [...]
Railway cleaners begin 11-day strike over salaries April 27, 2022 Railway cleaners began today an 11-day strike to increase their salary to £15 per hour. The union RMT said its members working for contractor Churchill aboard the GTR, Southeastern and HS1 networks will go on strike until 7 May. As part of the campaign, RMT is calling for cleaning staff to be treated like other [...]
EXCLUSIVE: Government and railway industry to be more ‘radical’ in R&D April 26, 2022 The railway sector and the UK Government need to be more “radical” when it comes to research and development (R&D) according to a paper published today. Through its Railway Innovation Strategy, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) has called on the government to roll out more investment in rail innovation and provide funding, while asking the [...]
More than 40,000 workers to vote over biggest rail strike in history April 20, 2022 More than 40,000 workers are set to vote whether to go on strike in what could be the biggest rail industrial action in history. The National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) cited Network Rail’s planned cuts as the reason behind the ballot, which will take place between 26 April and 24 May. [...]
‘Great British Rail Sale’ lambasted as website crashes April 19, 2022 The UK Government’s decision to sell one million train tickets at half price was lambasted today for excluding millions of commuters. Launched today, the “Great British Rail Sale” aims to help struggling Brits travel amid a cost-of-living squeeze but it only applied to advance fares or off-peak tickets for companies who don’t offer an advance. [...]
Government announces half-price rail fares to help with living costs squeeze April 19, 2022 The UK Government is set to slash rail fares by 50 per cent to help struggling Brits with the cost of living squeeze. Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced more than one million train tickets will be reduced to help Britons afford trips across the UK and boost domestic tourism. The scheme is run on a [...]
Union calls on Avanti West Coast to withdraw see-through uniforms following staff complaints April 13, 2022 The union RMT today called on Avanti West Coast to withdraw its new uniforms after staff complained about them being see-through. “We have received a large number of complaints from members on the West Coast Mainline who have been issued with these flimsy new blouses and shirts by Avanti which are basically transparent,” said RMT’s [...]
UK invests £7.6m in rail innovation competition April 12, 2022 The UK Government announced today it will invest £7.6m in rail innovation competition First of a Kind. A joint venture between the Department for Transport (DfT) innovation agency Innovate UK, the competition aims to find new ways to innovate the railway sector, focusing especially on decarbonisation solutions. This year, First of a Kind will focus [...]