Network Rail engineers are checking lines in many parts of the country for damage and obstructions after Storm Goretti moved east last night. Winds of up to 160km/h (100mph) were reported, with a rare red warning in force in most of Cornwall. Passenger services west of Plymouth are still suspended this morning, and
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Thousands of railway staff prepare for Storm Goretti
Train services in many parts of Britain are being reduced in preparation for the arrival of Storm Goretti. There are amber snow warnings affecting Wales, the Midlands, the South West and Yorkshire & Humber, while an amber wind warning has been issued for Cornwall, where gusts could reach 145km/h (90mph) this
Railway braces for another winter storm
Train services have returned to normal after Network Rail’s major programme of engineering work over the Christmas and New Year break, which blocked some lines. However, more bad weather is likely to cause disruption again from tomorrow, as Storm Goretti arrives. Scotland is still dealing with the effects of heavy snow,
Railways buried in snow as Scottish cold snap continues
Snow and ice are continuing to obstruct train services in Scotland, as the cold snap continues. Some lines in the Highlands have disappeared under the snow and Network Rail is using a fleet of snow ploughs to clear the tracks, but more heavy falls are predicted today, with temperatures at Inverness
Public or private: which is better?
This year is going to be an important one for the railways. More former franchises are to be renationalised soon: the next will be West Midlands Trains on 1 February, to be followed by Govia Thameslink Railway on 31 May. Because WMT and GTR both had more than one brand, these
Union leader calls for urgent GBR talks
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey is calling for urgent talks over the future structure of Great British Railways, following the Second Reading of the Railways Bill on 9 December. Industry commentators have criticised the vague terms used in the Act, with many important decisions being delegated to ministers in Westminster, Cardiff
Council bids to extend successful Ashington line
Northumberland County Council is bidding to improve the train service from Newcastle upon Tyne to Ashington, by continuing trains beyond Ashington to the line’s original terminus at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. Passenger services to Ashington and Newbiggin were withdrawn in 1964, having been included in the Beeching report, but freight traffic has continued beyond
England says goodbye to long-serving HSTs
The last High Speed Trains ran in England on Saturday, when GWR operated four-car ‘Castle Class’ sets in Cornwall between Plymouth and Penzance. The career of the HSTs has spanned almost half a century.HSTs began running on British Rail’s Western Region in 1976, and British Transport Films marked the event
First railways to join Manchester’s Bee Network named
The Mayor of Greater Manchester named the first railways which will join the region’s Bee Network next year, as he unveiled a Northern Class 323 electric unit in promotional Bee Network livery at Manchester Piccadilly. At the moment, the network consists of Metrolink trams and recently-franchised buses, and heavy rail routes
National Passenger Survey replaced by new statistics
The results of a new four-weekly survey of passengers which has replaced the National Passenger Survey have been published by the Rail Delivery Group. The twice-yearly National Passenger Survey was launched in 1999 and ran until 2020, when work on it was halted by the Covid pandemic. The replacement Rail Customer Experience