Legendary steam and diesel locomotives have begun departing Alstom’s historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works, following the conclusion of the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains – The Greatest Gathering. In an unprecedented spectacle, four steam locomotives – SR Merchant Navy Class No. 35018 British India Line, LMS Jubilee Class No. 46115 Scots Guardsman, LMS Jubilee Class No. […]
Category: Industry News
Trains resume between Twyford and Henley after engineering work
Passengers can resume journeys between Twyford and Henley-on-Thames this morning after Network Rail completed essential engineering work. Five days of round-the-clock work took place on the branch line to replace 100m of track, sleepers and ballast to keep the railway running safely and smoothly. The railway was temporarily closed so the work could take place […]
Hitachi Rail completes acquisition of Omnicom to bolster its digital asset management business
Hitachi Rail has acquired the cutting-edge digital rail monitoring business Omnicom from Balfour Beatty in a strategic move to further grow HMAX, Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management business. With HMAX already installed on over 2,000 trains globally, Omnicom solutions will now feed into the platform’s bespoke offering for Hitachi Rail’s customers around the world. The new […]
Mike Reader MP visits Transpennine Route Upgrade
On Wednesday 30 July, TRU welcomed Mike Reader MP to multiple sites across the route to see firsthand the transformation being delivered by the multi-billion-pound railway programme. An MP for Northampton South, Mike Reader also currently serves as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure. His keen interest in how the programme is driving […]
World’s largest railway festival opens at Alstom’s UK train factory
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, will welcome almost 40,000 railfans from around the globe this weekend, as its Derby Litchurch Lane Works in the UK hosts the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains – The Greatest Gathering. Alstom’s three-day sold-out charity extravaganza forms part of the wider festivities for Railway 200, […]
Balfour Beatty unveils £7.2 million AI investment:transforming how Britain builds
Balfour Beatty today announces a £7.2 million investment in Microsoft 365 Copilot — one of the largest AI investments of its kind in the UK construction and infrastructure industry. Unlike publicly available tools, the AI-powered assistant embedded within Microsoft 365 applications will operate securely within Balfour Beatty’s compliant and confidential IT environment. Supporting the Group’s workforce […]
Regulator: Passenger train performance on the High Speed 1 network improves, but action needed on management of lifts and escalators
The high speed route from London to the Channel Tunnel, operated by London St. Pancras High Speed, saw significantly improved train performance in the latest reporting year alongside increases in traffic volumes, the Office of Rail and Road said today (30 July) in its annual report on London St. Pancras High Speed. However, the regulator […]
Regulator: Passenger train performance on the High Speed 1 network improves, but action needed on management of lifts and escalators
The high speed route from London to the Channel Tunnel, operated by London St. Pancras High Speed, saw significantly improved train performance in the latest reporting year alongside increases in traffic volumes, the Office of Rail and Road said today (30 July) in its annual report on London St. Pancras High Speed. However, the regulator […]
First-time buyers to benefit from 40,000 new homes on brownfield railway land
Thousands of potential homeowners and families are set to benefit from new high-quality homes built on surplus railway land, as the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander unlocks brownfield sites across the country for development. In a major boost for working people wanting to rent or own their first property, the Government is today (30 July) unveiling […]
ORR approves limited new passenger services on East Coast Main Line from December 2025
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved some additional services from December 2025 for three open access operators, extending or adding to their existing services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). ORR said the additional services from East Coast Trains Limited (Lumo), Grand Central Rail Company Limited (Grand Central) and Hull Trains […]