On this day 1848: The opening of Waterloo Station Opinion Waterloo Bridge Station opened on this day in 1848. 177 years later, it is the largest station in Britain. Eliot Wilson takes us back.
Eurostar ramps up plans to double capacity at London St Pancras Transport and infrastructure Eurostar has outlined proposals to double capacity at London St Pancras as it looks to tap growing demand for international rail travel. The cross-channel operator has penned a preliminary deal with London St Pancras Highspeed, formerly HS1, aimed at future proofing the popular hub against overcrowding. A three-part plan includes improving the international area of [...]
Eurostar to launch direct services from London to Frankfurt and Geneva Transport and infrastructure Eurostar has announced plans to launch direct services from London to Germany and Switzerland for the first time. The cross-channel operator is looking to purchase 50 new trains at a cost of £1.7bn to service the routes, which are expected to run from the “early 2030s”. Journey times are expected to last around five hours [...]
Network Rail faces extra £213m National Insurance hit May 7, 2025 Network Rail will take an additional £213m hit over the next few years from the National Insurance tax hikes announced in Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget, it has been revealed. The figure marks a 16 per cent increase on a previously expected payout of £1.26bn over the remaining four years of its current financial control period. [...]
Trainline to take on Labour as shares plunge May 7, 2025 Trainline shares fell nearly eight per cent in early deals on Wednesday despite ticket sales reaching almost £6bn across its platform. The London-listed ticketing app’s stock price has fallen by more than a third this year due to concerns over government plans to launch a rival state-owned service. Trainline said it was taking an “increasingly [...]
Eurostar tells rivals to put their money where their mouths are April 28, 2025 Eurostar has called on its rivals to invest in the UK’s capacity for international rail as it insisted it welcomed increased competition. The Temple Mills depot in East London is currently the only place in the UK that can host high-speed, cross-channel trains to and from Europe. It has become a central part of the [...]
Avanti West Coast co-owner to launch €1bn Eurostar rival April 8, 2025 A co-owner of Avanti West Coast has confirmed plans to launch a €1bn (£856.6m) rival Eurostar which would run services between London and Paris. FS Italiane Group is looking to run a high-speed rail service between the two capitals by 2029. The group, which co-owns Avanti West Coast alongside FirstGroup, has put aside €1bn for [...]
Trainline on track for European expansion as state-backed rival nears January 28, 2025 The boss of Trainline has outlined his European expansion plans as the online ticket giant faces government-backed competition at home.
RMT union boss Mick Lynch to step down January 9, 2025 Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary who gained national notoriety during a series of train strikes in recent years, is to retire. Lynch, 63, was elected general secretary in 2021 after previously serving two terms as assistant general secretary and another two on the union’s national executive committee executive. The union boss has become a [...]
HS2 chair to step down as cost swells to £66bn December 17, 2024 The chair of the company behind High Speed Two (HS2) is to stop down next year, it has been announced. Sir Jon Thompson has served on the board of HS2 Ltd for almost four years after first joining as a non-executive director in April 2021. He was appointed as the company’s chair in February 2023 [...]