Rail minister Lord Hendy is visiting Britain’s newest station today, after it opened to passengers yesterday morning. Beaulieu Park in north Chelmsford has been built with the aid of £141 million from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund as part of the Chelmsford Garden Community project, which will include 10,000 new homes
Rail travel up again as Northern reports post-Covid record
Northern has recorded its busiest month since before the Covid pandemic, with more than 8.1 million journeys made on its network between 14 September and 11 October. The figure marks an 8.3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, and is the highest number of journeys on Northern
Passenger trains to return to Cowley, says Chancellor
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that the former Oxford-Princes Risborough passenger service is to be restored as far as Cowley, as part of wider funding to develop the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. The Ellison Institute of Technology has unveiled plans for a £10 billion expansion of its Oxford base over the next decade
Eurostar announces first order for double decker trains
Double decker trains are set to be running in London in six years from now. Eurostar has ordered 30 Alstom double deckers and has an option for 20 more. The fleet will cost up to €2 billion (£1.74 billion) and will be maintained at Temple Mills depot, which Eurostar is planning
Stations could be ‘gateways to opportunity’
A report from the Railway Industry Association is calling for a new model for investment in railway stations to boost transport, housing and growth. It identifies the 2,600 stations in Britain as an untapped resource which ‘could and should be harnessed’ for the regeneration of local communities as well as
Wasting money on a gold-plated railway
Phil MarshAndrew Haines joined the railway in 1984, at a time when British Rail was reshaping itself – not in the sense of the Beeching closures, but changing its structure radically for the first time since the 1948 nationalisation by preparing to abolish the Regions and replacing them with ‘businesses’. This
RMT declares pay dispute with Network Rail
The RMT has declared a dispute with Network Rail over pay and is calling for talks. Network Rail, whose chief executive Andrew Haines retires from the company today, said it is ‘disappointed’. The RMT has calculated that cumulative RPI inflation has risen by around 27 per cent since 2021, while Network Rail
‘Arrows’ clock is unveiled at London Bridge
A new design of station clock which includes the railway’s double arrows and the time in digital format has been unveiled at London Bridge station.The London timepiece by WPP brand design agency Design Bridge and Partners was the winning entry in an international design competition run in a partnership between
Test train runs on newly-electrified East Kilbride line
An electric train has run under test on the East Kilbride line for the first time. The Class 380 train travelled along the newly electrified line over the night of 13 October, with engineers on board to check the overhead line equipment. The testing phase part of the £144 million East Kilbride
Engineering and overtime ban to close part of GWR
Great Western Railway services between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare will be affected by engineering work this weekend. The disruptive effect of an engineering possession will be made worse by more industrial action on CrossCountry on Saturday, as the RMT dispute over pay for overtime and rest day working continues. As a result,