Exclusive: Tram risk audit at time of Croydon crash was never revealed to TfL safety panel October 26, 2020 The Croydon tram network was undergoing a safety audit at the time of the fatal Sandilands crash in 2016 – a fact not revealed to the chair of TfL’s safety panel at the time. The former board member, tasked with overseeing investigations into the disaster, described the failure to inform him as “beyond shocking.” Over [...]
Rail franchises paid out £90m in delay refunds last year October 21, 2020 Rail franchises paid out nearly £90m to passengers in refunds for delays last year, new figures from the Department for Transport showed today. In total, the 27 franchises paid out £89.4m, £10m more than they did the prior year. Nearly a quarter of that figure came from London North Eastern Rail, which gave passengers £21.4m [...]
Railway bailout could cost taxpayer nearly £10bn this year October 16, 2020 It could cost the taxpayer almost £10bn to keep the railways running this year, Department for Transport (DfT) officials revealed today. Speaking to the Public Accounts Committee this morning, permanent secretary Bernadette Kelly said that thus far, the government had spent £4.3bn. For the rest of the financial year, she forecast that an additional £3bn [...]
Railway passenger numbers fall to lowest levels since mid-1800s October 8, 2020 The number of people using the UK’s railways fell to the lowest levels in almost 200 years between April and June as the coronavirus lockdown decimated passenger demand. Just 35m journeys were made in the three month period, down more than 400m on the same quarter in 2019. According to the Office of Road and [...]
No refunds for railcard users despite travel restrictions October 1, 2020 More than 5.1m people who were unable to use their railcards for months due to the coronavirus pandemic will not be entitled to refunds, the government has decided. In March, passengers were told to avoid non-essential rail travel wherever possible in a bid to free up services for essential workers. Across England and Scotland, these [...]
Trainline ticket sales slump as passenger numbers flatline September 17, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic sent sales at online rail ticketing firm Trainline down to less than a fifth of last year’s take as passenger numbers flatlined in the first half. Although sales have begun to come back as lockdown restrictions were eased, business ticket sales remain mired at just four per cent of last year’s levels. [...]
Leading rail pension scheme warns of £15bn shortfall under new rules September 11, 2020 The Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) has warned that a proposed regulatory shake-up of funding rules would create a £15bn hole in its finances. The £30bn scheme serves 350,000 members across the UK’s rail sector, including rail managers and train drivers. It has set out its concerns to the Pensions Regulator following plans, which were unveiled [...]
Boris Johnson confirms rail industry working on flexible season tickets September 2, 2020 Boris Johnson today said that the government was working with the rail industry on flexible season tickets to encourage commuters to return to the office. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions today, Johnson said: “We are working at pace with rail companies to try to deliver new products in terms of ticketing to ensure not just [...]
Government extends emergency agreement for Great Western Railway September 1, 2020 First Group this morning said the Department for Transport (DfT) has extended its emergency deal to keep franchise Great Western Railway (GWR) running for another nine months. At the end of March, First Group signed a new contract with DfT to run the franchise for three years, with the option to extend the deal by [...]
Coronavirus gives chance to move to ‘different type of railway’, Grant Shapps says June 24, 2020 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that the government will use its emergency control of the UK’s railways to change the way the current franchise system operates. Speaking to the transport select committee this morning, Shapps said: “We were already going to be moving to a different type of railway and different types of contracts [...]