Train services in south west England are not expected to return to normal before the weekend, National Rail has warned. Storms Ingrid and Chandra, which GWR described as ‘back to back’, caused severe flooding in parts of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, while after heavy seas had damaged a sea wall, a
Rail passengers warned of disruption in new storm
Train services in parts of Wales as well as in southern and south west England are being delayed or cancelled as a result of Storm Chandra. Replacement buses are running in Devon and Cornwall because the lines to Okehampton, Barnstaple and Newquay have all been flooded, while there are speed restrictions
Northern’s rolling stock plans may not include leasing
Northern has revealed that it is planning to buy up to 450 trains, but it has not confirmed how they will paid for. The acquisition is set to be managed in three phases, the first of which will include about 130 trains. Northern invited final tenders from manufacturers in November, and
Ministers sign Northern Powerhouse Rail agreement
An agreement signed by central government ministers and the Mayor of Greater Manchester has paved the way for a new railway between Manchester and Liverpool as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail. But politicians in Hull have protested at the lack of any mention of electrification to their city in the
ORR admits pressure of work led to ‘ghost train’ fiasco
The Office of Rail and Road has blamed the unpopular cancellation of an early morning train from Manchester to London, which was hastily reinstated, on a lack of information and pressure of work. A controversy blew up in late November when it was revealed that the 07.00 Avanti West Coast service
Passenger figures in north continue post-Covid recovery
Two train operators in the north of England are continuing to see their passenger figures recover in the wake of the Covid lockdowns, which began almost six years ago. Northern recorded 21.9 million journeys in 2020-21, and this had more than quadrupled to 91.8 million by 2024-25 according to the Office
RMT to stage demonstration opposing outsourcing
The RMT is stepping up its campaign opposing outsourcing, after Transport for London awarded a five-year cleaning contract to Mitie earlier this month. The contract covers the cleaning of trains and Underground stations, bus stations, TfL offices, the London Transport Museum and waste collection at City Hall. Mitie will employ more than
Spanish crash death total could rise, as ‘gap’ in rail is probed
At least 39 people are known to have died in Sunday night’s collision between two Spanish high speed trains, and investigators are focusing on the possibility that a fault in a rail joint could have been to blame. Rescuers have been continuing to search the wreckage for more casualties, and it
Spanish crash death total rises, as ‘gap’ in rail is probed
At least 41 people are now known to have died in Sunday night’s collision between two Spanish high speed trains, and investigators are focusing on the possibility that a fault in a rail joint could have been to blame. Rescuers have been continuing to search the wreckage for more casualties. The
RMT sends condolences after Spanish high speed crash
The RMT has described a Spanish high speed train collision in which at least 39 people have been killed as ‘deeply shocking’. The accident happened at 18.45 GMT last night, when a Freccia 1000 train from Málaga to Madrid became derailed on a straight section near Córdoba and collided with a