The Rail Forum (RF) and the Railway Industry Association (RIA) have today (14 July) written a joint letter to Rail Minister Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE, responding to the Government’s decision announced last week to ‘pause’ the Midland Main Line electrification upgrade. The letter highlights that the choice to keep this key rail enhancement […]
Category: Government
South Yorkshire’s Mayor responds to pause in Midland Main Line electrification
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has raised his concerns after the government announced it is pausing the electrification of the Midland Main Line – delaying faster, greener rail services between Sheffield, London, and the wider North. It is one of four major rail projects on hold, announced in the Government’s latest Plan for Change release […]
Government greenlights £92 billion investment in UK transport upgrades
The Government has given the green light to more than 50 road and rail upgrades with millions of commuters and businesses set to benefit. Along with major road schemes including the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire, the M60/M62/M66 Simister Island in Greater Manchester, and the A46 Newark Bypass in Nottinghamshire, the government has […]
Mike Brown announced as chair of HS2 Ltd as Transport Secretary reveals project reset
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that Mike Brown will be taking over as HS2 Ltd Chair, working alongside CEO Mark Wild to deliver a programme reset, including reviewing the costs and schedule, renegotiating HS2’s large construction contracts, and reviewing HS2 Ltd’s skills and structure. The Transport Secretary has asked Mark Wild to be ready […]
TransPennine Express shows the power of public ownership
New figures, released by TransPennine Express (TPE), a publicly-owned train operator, reveal how the rail operator has delivered a dramatic turnaround under public ownership. Since transferring into public ownership in May 2023, TPE has reduced cancellations by 75%, increased customer journeys by 42%, and grown revenue by 54%. In the last financial year alone, the […]
South Western services return to public hands
On Sunday 26 May, South Western Railway (SWR) services became the first to transfer back into public control as the government begins its drive to renationalise the UK’s network under Great British Railways (GBR). The 06.14 from London Waterloo to Shepperton was the first rebranded train out on Sunday as part of a publicly owned […]