The Permanent Way Institution (Incorporated) has formally changed its name to the Railway Engineering Institution (Incorporated), PWI becoming RailEI. This milestone marks an important evolution for the Institution, reflecting both the breadth of railway engineering disciplines it supports and its role as a modern, inclusive Professional Engineering Institution licensed by the UK Engineering Council. The […]
Category: Rail Business
First Mark 4 coaches saved for preservation
225 Preservation CIC has announced that it has reached an agreement with Beacon Rail to purchase two Mark 4 Pullman Open coaches for preservation. As part of InterCity 225 electric train sets they worked long-distance services out of London King’s Cross until withdrawal in November 2025. They have benefited from continuous investment over their life […]
Publicly owned operators report rapid growth at stations across UK
Train operators in public ownership have shared details of the stations on their networks seeing strong passenger growth according to the most recent ORR station usage figures. For Southeastern, Thanet Parkway in Kent, which opened its doors in 2023 has become the operator’s fastest growing station. Passenger entries and exits more than doubled in the […]
Rail Freight Group calls on Parliament to amend Railways Bill 2025
Rail Freight Group (RFG) has called on Government and Parliamentarians to amend the Railways Bill 2025 to strengthen the independent appeals function for rail freight. Under the Bill, which starts its Commons Committee stage this week, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will be stripped of its current role in awarding track capacity, and […]
DB Cargo UK agrees sale of Class 66 locos to Grup Feroviar Roman
DB Cargo UK has agreed to sell 25 Class 66 locomotives to Romania’s largest private railway company, Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR). Under the multi-million-pound deal, the first Class 66 (66014) will leave DB Cargo UK’s traction maintenance depot at Toton in Nottinghamshire at the end of January 2026, with all 25 due to be delivered […]
GWR commits to significant Plymouth investment with city-centre office lease
Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed significant long-term investment in Plymouth after securing a major office building next to the city’s railway station, as part of its wider commitment to rail-led regeneration and growth in the region. The deal represents the largest office letting in Plymouth for a decade and the largest in the region […]
GWR commits to significant Plymouth investment with city-centre office lease
Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed significant long-term investment in Plymouth after securing a major office building next to the city’s railway station, as part of its wider commitment to rail-led regeneration and growth in the region. The deal represents the largest office letting in Plymouth for a decade and the largest in the region […]
RIA reviews Government rail performance
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]