All DfT articles
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless London Underground trains are not viable, study finds
UK: The previous government’s proposal for the possible conversion of London Underground lines to driverless operation will not be taken any further, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed. Conversion to driverless operation is regularly suggested by politicians and commentators, often in the belief that this ...
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Rail Business UKTrain operators’ revenue protection to be reviewed following ‘egregious’ prosecutions
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh has asked the Office of Rail & Road to undertake an independent review of the way train operators tackle suspected fare evasion.
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Rail Business UKRail Minister Hendy strikes conciliatory tone as he backs ‘fresh start’ for UK rail
UK: Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy struck an upbeat tone in his keynote address at the Railway Industry Association’s annual conference on November 6, promising ‘a new start for rail’ and confirming that High Speed 2 ‘will go to [London] Euston’. Hendy said it was a ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment announces measures to address ‘dire’ HS2 project delivery
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haig has announced measures which aim to ensure the costs of the High Speed 2 programme ‘are brought under control’, including an independent review of governance. The incentives of the main HS2 contractors are also being reviewed, which the ...
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Rail Business UKFive-point plan to improve the passenger experience at London Euston station
UK: Network Rail and the Department for Transport have announced a five-point plan which aims to improve the passenger experience at London Euston station pending longer-term changes. Network Rail said a ‘major reconstruction’ of the ‘outdated’ station is required to meet current demands, and avoid ’very ...
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Rail Business UKDouble rail’s modal share in a decade, urges Labour transport review
UK: The Rail & Urban Transport Review led by former Siemens UK CEO Jürgen Maier has published a report into at how rail infrastructure could be delivered ‘better, faster and more cost effectively’.
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Rail Business UKCrossCountry ordered to produce improvement plan
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh has written to the two Interim Managing Directors of CrossCountry expressing ‘serious concern’ about the train operator’s performance. She expects the operator to agree a Remedial Plan, saying ‘I will not hesitate to take further action under the ...
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Rail Business UKDfT projects review commissioned and Restoring Your Railway Fund scrapped
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh has commissioned an internal review of the Department for Transport’s capital spend portfolio, following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ July 29 statement in the House of Commons about unfunded public spending.
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Rail Business UKGovernment is not putting passengers and taxpayers first, says Public Accounts Committee
UK: The government has made little progress in implementing its plans for rail which are now largely on hold until the next parliament, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee says in its report into rail reform which was published on May 27. In particular, PAC ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment proposes lowering the minimum age to be a train driver
UK: Industry bodies and drivers’ union ASLEF have welcomed the start of consultation on a government proposal to lower the minimum age to become a train driver in Great Britain from 20 to 18. The consultation runs from May 16 to June 13. If given the ...
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Rail Business UKInterCity East Coast direct award planned
UK: The Department for Transport intends to directly award incumbent London North Eastern Railway a contract to continue to operate InterCity East Coast passenger services. LNER is a brand of state-owned operator of last resort DfT OLR Holdings Ltd, which has operated services on the East ...
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Rail Business UKAlex Hynes appointed DfT Director General Rail Services
UK: The Department for Transport has appointed Alex Hynes as Director General Rail Services. He is due to join on a two-year secondment from his current position as Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway on April 15. Interim Director General Anit Chandarana will return to Network Rail ...
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Rail Business UKRail reform makes limited progress with unclear plans
UK: The government’s rail reforms are facing delays and there are long-standing issues that need to be addressed including financial sustainability, according to a National Audit Office report published on March 8. After the white paper on rail reform was published in May 2021, the Department ...
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Rail Business UKUK urged to join Eurofima to facilitate access to cheaper rolling stock finance
UK: Eurofima is urging British policymakers to sign its convention, which would facilitate UK rail organisations’ access to cheaper funding for rolling stock and other equipment.
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Rail Business UKBradford Forster Square station remodelling funded
UK: The Department for Transport has announced £24m of funding for the delivery of works to increase capacity at Bradford Forster Square station. A further £4m has previously been spent on design work for the project, which includes a new platform, relocating a crossover and associated ...
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Rail Business UKBattery traction trial ahead as TransPennine Express fortunes improve
UK: Overcrowding and short-notice cancellations at state-owned TransPennine Express have declined since the December timetable change, prompting Managing Director Chris Jackson to suggest the operator is in a ‘better place’.
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Rail Business UKInterview: Avanti West Coast navigates complex path to recovery
UK: Avanti West Coast Managing Director Andy Mellors sets out how the operator intends to restore resilient operations and develop services further, explaining that there will be no return to the pre-Covid operating plan on Europe’s busiest mixed-use railway.
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Metro Report InternationalGovernment announces £250m one-year capital funding deal for Transport for London
UK: Transport for London says it will reassess its recent draft business plan to ‘address the impact of the continuing shortfall in funding’, after the government announced £250m of funding for investment projects in 2024. The money announced on December 18 is ring-fenced for capital projects ...
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Rail Business UKPlans for centralised Great British Railways ticket sales scrapped
UK: The government has dropped plans to create a centralised Great British Railways online rail ticket retailer, the Department for Transport has confirmed. The proposals were originally outlined by the in May 2021 as part of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail white paper. However, on December ...
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Rail Business UKEast West Rail project should be aligned with wider economic strategy, says National Audit Office
UK: The government needs to align the East West Rail project and housing development plans to maximise the economic benefits of the future railway, according to a report from the National Audit Office.