All DfT articles – Page 5
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Rail Business UKOperator of Last Resort to take over Southeastern after ‘£25m breach of franchise agreement’
UK: The Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort is to take over the running of Southeastern services after Govia’s current management contract expires on October 16. The government’s decision follows an investigation of profit sharing agreements, which found that more than £25m of historic taxpayer ...
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Rail Business UKDirect awards agreed with Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains
UK: The Abellio-led Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains businesses have agreed directly-awarded National Rail Contracts with the Department for Transport, ahead of the expiry of their Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement contracts on September 19. Both business are currently run as joint ventures between Abellio and ...
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Rail Business UKRIA seeks commitments on future rail spending
UK: ‘I am very, very positive about the future’, insisted Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan, speaking at the opening of the association’s new offices in Westminster on September 2. While the UK rail sector had been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Caplan suggested ...
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NewsLeisure travellers return to rail as bank holiday traffic exceeds pre-pandemic level
UK: Provisional statistics released by the Department for Transport show rail journeys reached a high of 66% of pre-pandemic levels this summer, driven by increased leisure travel. Meanwhile, industry data shows that leisure journeys to seaside destinations over the August bank holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels. ...
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Rail Business UKRail industry voluntary severance scheme set for rapid roll-out
UK: The first details of the Special Voluntary Severance Scheme that will be offered to railway employees have been outlined as the Department for Transport pushes forward with a widespread reduction in staff numbers across all parts of the rail sector.
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Rail Business UKBetter Value Rail Toolkit launched to assist project sponsors
UK: An online Better Value Rail Toolkit has been launched to help organisations sponsoring rail projects make the right decisions at the early stages, ensure that rail is the best option and save time and money during the process. The website has been jointly developed by ...
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Rail Business UKIndustry welcomes electrification and modal shift commitments in transport decarbonisation plan
UK: Commitments to electrification, network expansion and modal shift are included in the Decarbonising transport: a better, greener Britain plan published by the government on July 14, along with the selective deployment of hydrogen and battery trains. ‘Transport decarbonisation is a dull way of describing something ...
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Rail Business UKDfT needs to set out how it will implement rail reform, says Public Accounts Committee
UK: The Department for Transport faces ‘an extremely challenging and uncertain environment’ in which to implement the proposed Williams-Shapps rail reforms, but ‘has neither the necessary urgency nor appreciates the scale of the challenge ahead’ the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee warns in its Overview ...
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Rail Business UKFirst of a Kind funding announced for 30 rail innovation projects
UK: The Department for Transport and Innovate UK have awarded £9m of First of a Kind funding to support 30 rail innovation projects. This year’s funding round is focused on making railways ‘cleaner, greener and more passenger-friendly’. ‘The competition always throws up surprises and the ideas ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless train study required under latest Transport for London support deal
UK: The Department for Transport has agreed a further funding package for Transport for London, with government conditions including studies for the possible conversion of two Underground lines to driverless operation. The deal reached on June 1 covers the period from May 29 to December 11. ...
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Rail Business UKFlexible season ticket details announced
UK: The Department for Transport has announced details of the new flexible season tickets aimed at commuters travelling two or three days a week. The smartcard or mobile phone based tickets will be offered by all DfT-franchised train operating companies across England, and are to go ...
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup agrees £6m termination fee for TransPennine Express
UK: FirstGroup plc announced on May 11 that it had reached agreement with the Department for Transport on the fee payable for termination of the TransPennine Express franchise. The move is part of the process agreed with DfT as the Covid-19 pandemic saw operators moving into ...
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Rail Business UKRail industry responds to reform and HS2 plans in the Queen’s Speech
UK: Rail industry bodies have responded to the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of parliament on May 11, in which the Queen set out the government’s plans to invest in infrastructure, ‘transform connectivity by rail and bus’, and ‘invest in new green industries to create ...
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Rail Business UKMass cancellations as Hitachi trains grounded by cracks
UK: A significant number of train services were cancelled over the weekend of May 8-9 after cracks were discovered in electric and electro-diesel trains constructed by Hitachi Rail for several operators.
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Rail Business UKPenalty Fare changes under consideration
UK: The Department for Transport has begin consultation on changes to penalty fares in England and Wales, saying they are currently set too low to act as a deterrent to fare dodging. Under the Penalty Fares regulations, passengers who have had the opportunity to buy a ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment agrees ERMA extensions with three operators
UK: The Department for Transport has exercised its option to extend the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements with c2c, South Western Railway and TransPennine Express, as discussions continue over the ending of franchise agreements and a move to directly-awarded National Rail Contracts. FirstGroup, which operates the South ...
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Rail Business UKNorthumberland Line and East West Rail awarded funding
UK: The government has announced £794m of funding for the projects to develop an Oxford – Cambridge railway corridor and reintroduce passenger services between Newcastle and Ashington. East – West Rail The funding confirmed by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on January 23 includes £760m for the ...
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Rail Business UKDfT consults on options to decongest Manchester’s railways
UK: A public consultation on options for a recast of services around Manchester to improve performance and reliability was announced by the Department for Transport and Transport for the North on January 14.
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Rail Business UKCash refunds to be offered for Christmas rail tickets
UK: Cash refunds will be provided for people who had booked tickets for rail or coach journeys in England during the December 23-27 ‘Christmas travel window’ but who are now unable to travel as a result of the latest changes to the government’s coronavirus restrictions. ...
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Rail Business UKJanuary rail fare increase delayed to March 1
UK: The annual change in rail fares will be delayed from January until March 1 2021, the Department for Transport announced on December 16. Regulated fares will then increase by RPI+1, a 2·6% rise. Passengers renewing season tickets will be able to do so at current rates ...