All DfT articles – Page 6
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Rail Business UKSouth Western and West Coast franchise termination payments agreed
UK: FirstGroup and the Department for Transport have reached agreement on payments for the termination of the South Western Railway and West Coast Partnership franchise agreements, which were signed before the pandemic, and are negotiating new directly-awarded management contracts which would come into effect when the current ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment agrees £825m loan to support Crossrail
UK: An £825m loan to ensure the continuation of work on completing and commissioning the delayed Crossrail project has been agreed by the Mayor of London, Transport for London, the Department for Transport and the Treasury. Project promoter Crossrail Ltd announced in August that it would require ...
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Rail Business UKFunding for 15 railway or station reopening proposals
UK: The Department for Transport has awarded 15 rail schemes up to £50 000 each from the Restoring Your Railway fund to support the development of proposals for the reopening of lines and stations A total of 51 bids for funding under the second round of the ...
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Rail Business UK‘Resilience not cuts’ says Heaton-Harris as Treasury seeks cost recovery
UK: Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris struck a defiant tone when addressing the Transport Select Committee on November 18, insisting that the government was seeking ‘resilience, not cuts’ from the railway during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Rail Business UKFranchise termination negotiations in turmoil
UK: Passenger franchise owning groups are reportedly considering legal options including judicial review over the process being followed by the Department for Transport for termination of their existing franchise agreements and the transition to directly awarded contracts.
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Rail Business UKDfT prepares ground for direct awards
UK: The Department for Transport has started preparations for the future of 10 English rail franchises with the publication of an OJEU Prior Information Notice on November 6 setting out its plans to directly award new public service contracts. The PIN covers train operations that are not ...
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Metro Report InternationalTransport for London and government agree six-month funding package
UK: Transport for London confirmed on the morning of November 1 that an agreement had been reached for the Department for Transport to make further emergency funding available to address the forecast shortfall in passenger revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This will ensure ...
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Rail Business UKTrains Fit for the Future inquiry restarts
UK: The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has restarted its Trains Fit for the Future inquiry, which is investigating what actions should be taken to reduce reliance on diesel-only trains and how electric, hydrogen and battery power can be deployed to achieve this. The committee says ...
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Rail Business UKNational Rail Contracts to succeed ERMAs as cost cutting envisaged
UK: The future direction of passenger contracts is becoming clearer, as insiders confirm that successful negotiations between owning groups and the Department for Transport would see franchised operators move from Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements to new National Rail Contracts. NRCs are expected to continue until post-Covid passenger ...
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Rail Business UKNew CrossCountry contract includes capacity, accessibility and environmental improvements
UK: The Department for Transport has directly awarded incumbent Arriva a new contract to operate CrossCountry services for a further three years. CrossCountry Managing Director Tom Joyner tells Rail Business UK about the operator’s plans, saying ’the good thing is the longevity, which CrossCountry really needs as it gives us a real chance to do some serious planning for the future.’
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Rail Business UKERMAs underpin transformation from franchises to concessions
UK: With Emergency Measures Agreements or Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements now in place with its franchised passenger operators, the Department for Transport has begun work to create the future concession model which is expected to replace franchising once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.
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Rail Business UKDfT clarifies ERMA end dates as next steps negotiated
UK: The Department for Transport has confirmed the timescales for the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements which were signed with franchised train operating companies earlier this month. Industry insiders note that the staggered end dates reflect a sensible approach to the situation, and create a ‘manageable pipeline’ for ...
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Rail Business UKInterim report sets out earthwork management plans following Stonehaven derailment
UK: Network Rail’s interim report into improving the resilience of its earthworks to extreme weather was published by the government on September 10. The report was commissioned by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps following the fatal derailment of a ScotRail train at Carmont near Stonehaven ...
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Rail Business UKEast Midlands collaboration aims to give a greater voice for local stakeholders
UK: The government and Transport for the East Midlands have reached a multi-year collaboration agreement which is designed to give councils and local stakeholders a more influential role in deciding how rail services can support development in the region. Announced on September 3, the agreement will give ...
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Rail Business UKTreasury concerns over ticketing changes
UK: Department for Transport sources have confirmed to Rail Business UK that a key focus within the department is now on the development of part-time season tickets or carnets to encourage commuters to return to train services. However, pressure from the Treasury to manage any lost ...
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Rail Business UKGWR Emergency Measures Agreement extended
UK: On September 1 the Department for Transport exercised its option to extend the Emergency Measures Agreement covering FirstGroup’s Great Western franchise until at least June 26 2021. FirstGroup Chief Executive Matthew Gregory said this ‘provides important clarity and continuity for our customers, employees and wider stakeholders’. ...
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Rail Business UKTrain operators resist proposed Emergency Remedial Measures Agreements
UK: With the current Emergency Measures Agreements with franchised passenger train operating companies set to expire on September 20, industry sources report that some TOCs have been ‘resistant’ to the terms of the successor Emergency Remedial Measures Agreements proposed by the Department for Transport. Rail Business ...
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Metro Report InternationalEnglish light rail support extended
UK: The government has allocated further financial support for five tram and light rail networks in England as part of a commitment to provide £256m for bus and tram services for between eight and 12 weeks. The funding announced on August 8 aims to enable operators ‘to ...
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Rail Business UKEmergency Recovery Measures Agreements announcement delayed
UK: Despite industry expectations, details of the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements which are due replace the current Emergency Measures Agreements with passenger train operators from September were not released before the end of the Parliamentary session on July 22. Rail Business UK understands that discussions with operators ...
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Rail Business UKOperators unable to meet DfT ambition for full timetable from September 7
UK: Industry sources confirm that the Department for Transport has asked passenger operators to work towards a ‘near-full timetable’ from September 7 as part of the government’s plan to encourage people to start using public transport and to return to working normally. At the moment no advice ...