Eighteen months since the Government took office in July 2024, The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has delivered its third six-monthly assessment on the progress of UK rail policy. RIA recognises there has been progress on rail reform – including initiation of the Government’s Railways Bill to establish Great British Railways – and there has been […]
Category: Industry News
Network Rail staff hailed heroes after rescuing woman in snow
Three Network Rail workers have been hailed as heroes for rescuing a woman and her two dogs after she fell in deep snow. Joanne Reid, 60, says she feared the worst after falling during her normal dog walk on Monday morning near Insch station. With reports of 23 inches of snow and drifts even higher, […]
Rail workers battle Storm Goretti as severe weather disrupts services
Thousands of railway staff have worked through the night and into today to restore services across large parts of the rail network following severe disruption caused by Storm Goretti. While much of the network – particularly in eastern and south-eastern England – remains open and operating normally, passengers are being urged to check their entire […]
Professor Clive Roberts appointed as independent chair of RSSB’s Industry Leadership Group
The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has appointed Professor Clive Roberts, executive dean of the Faculty of Science at Durham University, as the independent chair of its newly established Industry Leadership Group (ILG). This marks a significant milestone in modernising rail standards governance and ensuring decisions are made with clarity, speed, and accountability. Following […]
ScotRail issues alternative travel plan during Fife electrification project
ScotRail has confirmed its alternative travel arrangements for customers during essential engineering work to electrify the railway between Edinburgh and Fife. No trains will operate between Haymarket and Dalmeny from Saturday 17 January to Sunday 25 January inclusive, while engineers from Network Rail carry out round-the-clock work to modernise the route. To help keep customers […]
Porterbrook acquires Corelink fleets
Rolling stock financier Porterbrook has completed a deal to acquire 404 vehicles owned by Corelink Rail Infrastructure Limited (Corelink). The fleet of 324 Class 730 Aventra electric and 80 Class 196 diesel units, operated by West Midland Trains (WMT), serve passengers on regional and long-distance routes between London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. Together, they account for […]
Upcoming engineering work to support digital signalling programme
Further digital signalling progress will be among various planned railway upgrades taking place over four consecutive weekends – affecting passenger journeys south of Peterborough towards London. The engineering work from 31 January will deliver a range of improvements – including construction and testing under the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which replaces traditional […]
Network Rail prepares for Storm Goretti
Railway staff are preparing Britain’s railway for the predicted cold and stormy weather on Thursday and Friday (8/9 January) with a challenging 24 hours of heavy snow, ice, rain and high winds ahead of them. Passengers are urged to check before they travel on Thursday afternoon and evening, and particularly on Friday morning, as the […]
Upgraded railway reopens in Carlisle
Rail journeys on the West Coast Main Line are now more reliable after a once-in-a-generation overhaul of the signalling system in Carlisle. Network Rail has invested £61 million into the Kingmoor resignalling project to modernise 1960s systems and replace them with newer technology. The work, which began in April 2025 and has been delivered by […]
New year brings big changes for publicly-owned operators
2026 looks set to be a landmark year for the rail industry as the journey towards Great British Railways accelerates – and the seven train operators already in public ownership are leading the charge, with a range bold plans for the year ahead. Northern will press ahead with its ambitious ‘30 by 30’ plan, a […]