Train operators in public ownership have marked World Hearing Day (Tuesday 3 March) by highlighting initiatives that have improved the travel experience for deaf, hard‑of‑hearing and British Sign Language (BSL)‑using passengers. The measures include a mix of live interpreter services, AI-powered BSL translation, and speech‑to‑text systems. Central to the train operators’ approach is the availability […]
Category: Train Operating Companies
ORR secures improvement package from Northern Trains after accessibility failings
Passengers who rely on assistance when travelling with Northern Trains should see improvements to the service over time, after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) secured commitments from the operator to ensure staff receive disability awareness training and to provide a £550,000 additional package of measures. Northern Trains is currently working on resolving the […]
Sheffield bridge replacement taking place this weekend
Passengers are reminded that journey times this weekend will be affected by the reconstruction of a bridge deck in Sheffield this weekend (7-8 March). Services between Sheffield and Chesterfield will be affected while the core work takes place to replace the steel structure carrying the railway over the River Sheaf at Beauchief to ensure the […]
ScotRail launches finance procurement phase for new trains
ScotRail has commenced the procurement process for financing options for a new suburban train fleet. This is part of the process to fund the building and delivery of the fleet, which will comprise a minimum of 69 trains, with an option of additional orders of up to 37 trains. ScotRail will then enter into a rolling stock lease when the new trains enter service in the early 2030s. A separate procurement process was launched in November last year to find […]
Avanti West Coast trialling new tech to boost service reliability
Avanti West Coast has begun trialling a pioneering new tool to boost train service reliability during unplanned disruption in a world first for transport. Working with Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS) – an independent digital engineering research organisation – the intercity operator has adopted a timetable optimisation program to support its response to unplanned […]
London Euston to see enhanced facilities, accessibility, and customer experience
Passengers using London Euston will benefit from a package of customer focused upgrades this spring as Network Rail continues its programme of improvements across one of the country’s busiest stations. On Monday 2 March, work will begin to upgrade the Assisted Travel Lounge, creating a more comfortable and accessible space with increased seating capacity and improved […]
TPE’s Coast to Coast menu proves a hit with first class customers
TransPennine Express (TPE) has revealed its First Class customers have devoured more than 14,000 sausage rolls and 11,000 cheeseburgers on its trains between Liverpool and Newcastle in the last year. Passengers have also consumed more than 10,560 litres of beer in the form of more than 32,000 330ml cans of Northern Monk TransPennine Pale – […]
First pint pulled following investment in Carlisle station pub
The first pint has been pulled in a new pub at Carlisle station set to galvanise the region’s independent brewery scene. The Scott & Brassey opened on Wednesday 25 February on Platform 4 following an extensive renovation of the premises by Network Rail, with support from Avanti West Coast, which manages the station, and the […]
SWR apprenticeship programme wins gold
SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People (IIP) ‘Gold’ accreditation for its apprenticeships programme. The award completes the trio of accolades that IIP offers to employers for making work better for colleagues, following earlier gold accreditation for the people and wellbeing categories, announced in December. In its final report, which accompanied the confirmation that SWR had […]