Breaking News
Unloved Stagecoach may have a point on rail franchise pension risks
DfT says company knew the rules and has only itself to blame for three disqualifications
Smart solar rail: £110,000 boost for Welsh rail electrification project
An initiative exploring the feasibility of using community-owned renewable energy technologies to electrify Welsh train lines has won a grant of £110,000
Thursday, 11 April 2019
BBC News
- Derek Owusu: 'There are always empty seats beside me'Writer Derek Owusu says his commute on public transport reveals the everyday racist actions black men in particular are subjected to in the UK.
- New £150m Caledonian Sleeper trains 'are hotels on wheels'The new £150m fleet of Caledonian Sleeper trains, complete with en-suite double rooms, is unveiled.
- Virgin Trains 'could disappear' after franchise barBoss Sir Richard Branson says he is
- Rail firms face £7.5bn pensions gap, says regulatorThe issue has already led the Department for Transport to bar Stagecoach from bidding for franchises.
The Guardian
- Unloved Stagecoach may have a point on rail franchise pension risksDfT says company knew the rules and has only itself to blame for three disqualifications
The Herald
- Stagecoach suffers rail reverse as ScotRail operator advancesSTAGECOACH’s rail expansion plans appear to be in tatters after the firm was disqualified from bidding for three franchises, one of which was awarded to the firm that operates ScotRail.
Times Online
- Virgin Trains on track to oblivion after operating partner is banned [Subscription]Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin brand is about to disappear from Britain’s railways after the government disqualified its partner from bidding for work.
- This is not Virgin’s first skirmish with the rail authorities [Subscription]When Sir Richard Branson first boarded Britain’s railways in 1997 Virgin Trains shook up an industry weighed down with the baggage of nationalisation.
- Stagecoach well and truly off the rails [Subscription]Not “dysfunctional” and “deceitful” — again. It’s ten years since Sir Brian Souter, the Stagecoach chairman, flung those choice epithets at the Department for Transport. They look even more fitting today, now it’s slung him and his partner, Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson, off Britain’s railways.
City AM
- Passengers warned of disruption as Euston station set to close over Easter and May Bank holiday weekendsEuston station will be closed for several days over the Easter and May Bank holiday weekends with no trains running in and out of the station, passengers have been warned.
The National
- Stagecoach rail franchise bids axed – spelling the end for Virgin trainsSTAGECOACH has been disqualified from three rail franchise competitions – meaning Virgin Trains, a joint venture between Virgin Group and the Scottish transport giant, will lose the West Coast Main Line services it has run since 1997.
London Evening Standard
- Virgin Trains 'could disappear' from the UK as soon as November, says a 'devastated' Richard BransonVirgin Trains could disappear from British railways as soon as November, founder Sir Richard Branson has announced.
Northern Echo
- New rail officer announced for Bishop LineA NEW community rail officer has been appointed to keep trains running smoothly between Bishop Auckland and Darlington.
Sheffield Telegraph
- Tram-train services between Sheffield and Rotherham resume after faultTram-train services between Sheffield and Rotherham, which have been plagued by problems, are running once again after a fault was detected on one of the vehicles.
Yorkshire Post
- The Yorkshire Post says: Thank you Michael Portillo for saving Settle to Carlisle railway lineHOWEVER appalling Yorkshire’s rail network becomes – and it has certainly plumbed the depths in the last year – there is one train line for whose continued operation we are eternally grateful.
Blackpool Gazette
- Virgin train 'bombshell' cannot affect future of Blackpool to London rail service say campaignersThe bombshell news that Virgin and Stagecoach have been disqualified from the bid to run inter city trains on the West Coast Main Line must not be allowed to threaten Blackpool’s direct rail link to the capital, say community leaders.
North Wales Live
- This is the massive job workers face to fix railway line wrecked by Storm Gareth floodsParts of the Conwy Valley line are in need of significant repairs
- Why Virgin Trains is set to disappear from North Wales main lineGovernment has made shock decision over the future of West Coast line that links the region with London
New Civil Engineer
- Exclusive | Canary Wharf Group in talks about rail link to EustonA new underground rail line connecting High Speed 2 services at Euston Station in north London to Canary Wharf in east London is being considered by the government, New Civil Engineer understands.
Rail Technology Magazine
- DfT awards East Midlands rail franchise to AbellioAbellio has won the next East Midlands rail franchise and will take over from Stagecoach in August 2019 until 2027. The DfT announced that the ScotRail operator has been named as the successful bidder “after they presented a strong, compliant bid” whilst Stagecoach has been barred...
- 'Shocked' Stagecoach disqualified from three rail franchise bids in row over pensionsStagecoach has accused ministers of putting the future of the UK rail industry in doubt and said it is “extremely concerned” after the DfT has barred it from three rail franchise bids. The DfT said that Stagecoach’s bids for the East Midlands, South Eastern and West Coast...
- Rail industry heralds smart-ticketing rollout to all major UK stationsTrain companies are set to rollout smart tickets to thousands more passengers this month, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has announced, meaning nine out of 10 tickets will now be available as smart tickets. Major stations such as Waterloo, Brighton, Gatwick Airport, Edinburgh Waverley, and...
The Business Desk
- Business leaders welcome ‘exciting’ £600m investment into rail franchiseThe news that Dutch firm Abellio is to take over the running of the East Midlands Main Line services from the East Midlands to London has been welcomed by local business leaders.
Other News Sources
- Crossrail should 'unlock affordable homes' for 'hardworking Bexley residents', councillor saysExtending Crossrail through Bexley should unlock vital new affordable homes, a top councillor has said.
- Smart solar rail: £110,000 boost for Welsh rail electrification projectAn initiative exploring the feasibility of using community-owned renewable energy technologies to electrify Welsh train lines has won a grant of £110,000
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