On the right track? Beleaguered train operator Avanti gets contract extension March 20, 2023 Train operator Avanti West Coast has been handed a short-term contract extension by the Department for Transport (DfT), the FirstGroup-owned company said. The operator has struggled with reliability and punctuality during parts of the past year. Its contract was due to expire at the end of March but has been extended until October 15. FirstGroup [...]
Elizabeth Line usage soars by 41 per cent as London commuters get around tube and rail strikes March 17, 2023 One in six journeys on Britain’s transport network have been made on the new Elizabeth line, with 62m taken on London’s newest railway between October and December 2022. Out of almost 370m rail passenger journeys across the UK, Crossrail accounted for 41 per cent, according to new figures released by the Office for Rail and [...]
No strike? Still no service! Wednesday’s Tube walkout bleeds into Thursday as rail action cripples London commuter belt March 16, 2023 London commuters vented their anger as Wednesday’s Underground strike continued to cause disruption throughout Thursday morning. People going to work faced fresh difficulties this morning following yesterday’s industrial action by RMT and Aslef union workers, with stations closed up until 7am, as the service was regulated.. As of Thursday at midday, none of the Bakerloo, [...]
Government plans to delay HS2 will cost the UK more in the long term, London business group warns March 9, 2023 Delaying the construction of HS2 to save money will cost the UK more in the long term, a London business group has warned after reports the government is set to announce further delays to the already over budget and overdue project. “Delaying construction of HS2 to save money is a false economy. Failing to invest [...]
RMT urged to cancel next week’s walkouts after Network Rail action suspended March 8, 2023 Rail union bosses have been urged to cancel next week’s walkouts at train companies after suspending planned industrial action at Network Rail. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents operators, called on the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) to “meet us for urgent talks”. The RMT has been engaged in national rail strikes in [...]
Elizabeth Line: Almost half of Londoners have used the new route since May 2022 February 20, 2023 Nearly half of Londoners have used the Elizabeth line since it opened in May 2022, a new survey suggests. The results of a YouGov poll shared with the PA news agency indicate 45 per cent of the capital’s residents have made at least one journey on the £19 billion railway. That is up from 24% [...]
National Express wins £880m contract to run German rail lines January 23, 2023 National Express has been awarded a €1bn (£878m) to operate two regional train lines in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The transport group’s German rail business has won €1bn contract to run the RE1 and RE11 Rhein-Ruhr-Express (RRX) lines until 2033. The Rhein-Ruhr-Express is a regional rail network in north west Germany, in the [...]
HUNDREDS left waiting for trains after rail strike ending causes even more delays December 27, 2022 Crowds of people were left waiting at major train stations across London and beyond amid ongoing disruption despite the end of a rail strike on Tuesday. Photos showed hundreds of passengers packed inside King’s Cross and Paddington, with some journeys delayed due to the late handover of engineering works. South Western Railway also apologised to [...]
December strikes: Who’s walking out when and how will it affect you? December 6, 2022 December is set to be a month blighted by industrial strife, with everyone from nurses and posties to train drivers and security staff to walk out. With inflation reaching a 41-year high at an eye-watering 11.1 per cent, thousands of workers have voted to down tools and ask for a real-term increase in pay. As [...]
Train drivers at 12 operating firms to strike on 26 November November 10, 2022 Train drivers at 12 operating firms including the London Overground will strike on 26 November. The industrial action was announced by Aslef union members in a long-running dispute over pay. This comes as London tube workers walked out today bringing the London Underground to a grinding halt. ASLEF members at 12 companies will walk out [...]