A new £12 million bogie drop has been installed at Canton rail depot in Cardiff to help maintain and service Transport for Wales’s fleet of new trains. The new facility — funded by the Welsh Government through Transport for Wales — allows engineers to remove, repair, and replace the wheel and underframe equipment beneath train […]
Category: Government
New ticket barrier overhaul at railway stations across England
As part of the Government’s current rail reforms, new ticket gates will be installed at stations and platforms across England targeting fare dodger hot spots to crack down on deliberate ticketless travel and make sure fares go towards improving the services passengers depend on. Passengers will benefit from a fairer railway with £33.4 million of […]
House of Lords seeks greater parliamentary oversight of Railways Bill
The House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee (DPRRC) has published a report on the Railways Bill, flagging concerns with three clauses contained in the Bill as either too broadly drawn, having insufficient parliamentary oversight, or representing inappropriate ‘Henry VIII’ powers. The Committee say that Clause 71 in the Railways Bill, which gives […]
Mayor sets out plan to take back public control of Merseyrail
The Liverpool City Region is set to take back control of its trains under plans unveiled today by Mayor Steve Rotheram. A report going before the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week recommends that rail services currently operated under the Merseyrail concession are taken back into public control when the existing contract comes to […]
Transport Secretary takes HS2 inspiration from Japan bullet trains
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has set out her ambitions for HS2 to match the success of Japan’s iconic Shinkansen network or ‘bullet trains’, following a visit to Japan where she travelled the high-speed line from Tokyo to Osaka. The trip follows the Government’s announcement earlier this year that HS2 will match the Shinkansen’s top speed […]
Lumo and Hull Trains release shocking level crossing footage
Open access rail operators Lumo and Hull Trains have released shocking footage of a runner narrowly missing being hit by a train travelling at over 100mph. The footage, captured from a Lumo train passing through North Tyneside on the East Coast Main Line, has been made public to mark the annual Rail Safety Week, as […]
£3 million funding announced for National Railway Museum’s Central Hall project
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced £3 million in additional funding to unlock progress on the National Railway Museum’s vital Central Hall project. The funding boost helps the museum, part of the Science Museum Group, to address increased costs stemming from addressing the complexities of ‘stopping-up’ Leeman Road, which ran through the museum, splitting the […]
New report warns renationalisation alone will not fix Britain’s railways
A new briefing by The Future Governance Forum (FGF) warns that without a clearly defined purpose, strong institutional foundations, and meaningful operational autonomy, Great British Railways (GBR) risks falling short of its potential to become a durable, long-term institution. The paper is published ahead of MPs debating the Railways Bill as it returns to the […]
GTR to enter public ownership this weekend
GTR, the UK’s largest train operating company, joins the fast-growing family of publicly owned operators from this weekend (Sunday 31 May 2026). Responsible for 1 in 6 passenger rail journeys in Britain, GTR keeps the South East moving, delivering one of the UK’s most extensive rail networks and carrying hundreds of millions of passengers each […]
CMA recommends overhaul of rail procurement to cut costs and drive growth
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the findings of its market study into road and rail infrastructure and is recommending concrete actions to drive down costs and drive up innovation and productivity. Following 11 months of in-depth analysis and engagement across government, procuring authorities and businesses, the CMA’s market study on public road […]