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 [...]
Exclusive: Four in five people expect to travel for work amid sector post-pandemic bounce back April 6, 2022 Around 80 per cent of people expect to travel for work this year as the sector bounces back post-Covid. According to a research by high speed rail operator HS1, 66 per cent of respondents said they would prefer taking the train over a plane for business for sustainability reasons, while figures increase to 77 per [...]
Going Dutch: ALL train services in The Netherlands come to a halt due to technical ‘error’ April 4, 2022 All train services across the Netherlands are currently not running due to ‘technical problems’, national rail operator NS late last night. Apart from zero trains running, travel information can not be displayed at stations and all loud speakers at all large stations are down as well. Travellers are urged to find alternative modes of transport, [...]
Govia Thameslink avoids nationalisation plans despite £23.5m Southeastern fine March 21, 2022 Railway operator Govia Thameslink is expected to avoid nationalisation plans even though its subsidiary Southeastern was slapped with a £23.5m fine. A joint venture between the Go-Ahead Group and French public transport company Keolis, Govia is reportedly being awarded a “national rail contract”, which will allow it continue operations. Whitehall sources told the Telegraph an [...]
Rail workers stage umpteenth strike this weekend over pay and conditions March 11, 2022 Rail workers have announced the latest round of strikes for this weekend. Members of the National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) working as cleaners and train conductors on several operators on the West Coast mainline and across London and the south east voted in favour of industrial action over salaries and rosters. [...]
Investigation finds errors in Carillion’s drain caused Stonehaven crash March 10, 2022 Errors in the Carillion-built drainage system caused the 2020 Stonehaven rail crash, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said today. According to the investigation, design differences and the way the system was built meant that it was unable to sustain the amount of rail falling on the morning of 12 August 2020 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. [...]
Angry rail workers stage protests at stations across London and other cities as job cuts loom March 9, 2022 Rail workers are staging protests outside train stations to warn about the impact of job cuts on services and safety. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) handed out leaflets to commuters on Wednesday at stations in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds warning that despite the recent increase in fares, rail companies [...]
Taxi drivers and railway staff to face criminal record checks following clamp down on gender violence March 8, 2022 Taxi drivers and railway staff will be subjected to criminal record checks, under the UK Government’s new plans to clamp down on gender violence. Public-facing transport staff could be vetted for previous offences through the disclosure and barring service (DBS), the Telegraph reported. The government’s decision comes after a report highlighted that 49 per cent [...]
Rail cleaners go on 48-hour strike across London and South East this weekend March 8, 2022 The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has announced its members working for cleaning contractor Churchill will take the streets for the second time in less than a month over wages. The strike – which will affect major rail operators such as Thameslink, Eurostar and Southeastern – will take place on Saturday [...]
Rail operators ramp up services following passenger demand increase February 27, 2022 Rail operators Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway are set to ramp up services as passenger demand is coming back post Omicron. Avanti West Coast’s services between London Euston, Manchester and Birmingham will double from tomorrow, with managing director Phil Whittingham saying the company “remains committed to supporting the ongoing recovery of our economy.” [...]