Government moves to end ‘cancellation limbo’

New rules about the rights of passengers whose trains are cancelled have come into force, affecting nearly all English train operators. Passengers whose trains are cancelled can now use other services without any further charge or the need to rebook. A more restricted version of the scheme had already included the renationalised

Thameslink bids farewell to ‘ironing board’ seats

The ‘ironing board’ seats which were installed on Thameslink’s Class 700 fleet more than ten years ago are reaching the end of their lives, after years of criticism by uncomfortable passengers. The seats, which were specified by the Department for Transport along with the rest of the trains, have given commuters

New Transpennine trains to be built at Derby

The government has announced that 29 battery-electric trains for TransPennine Express worth £1 billion are to be built by Alstom in Derby. Construction of the fleet of Adessia Stream units is set to begin in 2028, and they should enter service from 2034, replacing some of the Siemens Class 185 units

Railways help stranded air passengers

Hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have been delayed by flight cancellations and delays which have been caused by a technical problem at air traffic control yesterday. National Rail has announced that ticket restrictions are being eased, to help stranded airline passengers. It’s believed more than 300 flights have

Stratford could become International at last

Stratford International in east London could be set to justify its title at last, 17 years after the station was opened. Channel Tunnel trains have never called there, even during the 2012 Olympics, when Eurostar preferred to bring international visitors to St Pancras, from where they could catch a high-speed Javelin

GWR cancels services as Class 175 problems go on

A number of GWR stopping trains between Penzance, Plymouth and Exeter have been suspended from today, as the operator continues to struggle with the problems it has been experiencing with 26 ex-Transport for Wales Class 175 units. The Alstom-built 175s, which entered service more than two decades ago on the North

Councils step up their campaign for Eurostars at Ashford

Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council have stepped up their campaign to secure international trains at Ashford by launching a survey. Eurostars have not called at Ebbsfleet or Ashford since 2020, but the councils say direct trains to mainland Europe are a 'top priority'. However, they conceded that Eurostar and potentially other

‘Generational change’ on East Coast Main Line

The first train in public service controlled by ETCS has run on the East Coast Main Line between Welwyn Garden City and Moorgate. Network Rail has revealed that the 08.05 Great Northern service on 31 August used in-cab signalling throughout. Class 717 units can now use digital signalling between Welwyn Garden City

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