All UK policy articles – Page 7
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Rail Business UKRail Minister commits to trans-Pennine electrification ‘in full’ and HS2 to Manchester
UK: Suggestions that the Transpennine Route Upgrade may be scaled back in response to funding constraints were rejected by Transport Minister Huw Merriman when questioned by Rail Business UK.
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Rail Business UK‘A victory for union hard-liners’ as TransPennine Express transfer risks causing more disruption
Rail Business UK can reveal that the short-notice decision by Transport Secretary Mark Harper to bring TransPennine Express into the government’s Operator of Last Resort has stoked serious concerns about unintended consequences within the industry.
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Rail Business UKInterview: ‘You can’t innovate as a monopolist’
UK: Avanti West Coast and c2c parent Trenitalia is ready to make significant investment in Britain’s railways, mirroring its recent expansion in Spain. But this is contingent on the government relaxing its grip on the industry, the company’s UK Managing Director Ernesto Sicilia explains to Nick Kingsley and Sophie Burton.
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Rail Business UKLight rail in Havering Council infrastructure vision
UK: Havering Council has announced an infrastructure vision for the east London borough which includes a ‘tram, light rail or other form of transport’.
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Rail Business UKIndustry leaders call for Great British Railways legislation
UK: More than 60 rail supply business leaders have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to bring forward the bill which would formally establish Great British Railways before the end of this parliament. The government published its rail reform proposals in 2021, ...
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In depthUK: East Coast collaboration is delivering
Almost uniquely among UK train operators, LNER is seeing ridership on its inter-city services well above pre-pandemic levels, while a collaborative approach between operator and infrastructure manager is driving up performance. Tony Miles investigates.
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In depthUK: Quality crumbles as rail reform programme inches forward
While preparations continue for the establishment of Great British Railways as a ‘guiding mind’ for the national rail network, cost cutting across both operations and infrastructure is starting to impact on the quality of service and rail’s ability to contribute to meeting ambitious decarbonisation targets.
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Rail Business UKRIA believes Trans-Pacific Partnership could be positive for rail exporters
UK: The UK joining the Comprehensive & Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership could be positive news for railway suppliers, according to the Railway Industry Association. On March 31 the government announced that agreement had been reached for the UK to join the CPTPP later this year. ...
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Rail Business UKEight recommendations to improve UK rail exports
UK: The Railway Industry Association has submitted a series of recommendations to the International Trade Select Committee setting out how it believes the government can grow rail exports. The committee is holding an inquiry examining the current situation for exporters, the government support offered, and how ...
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Rail Business UKNAO report calls for ’affordable, deliverable’ plan for HS2 at Euston
UK: The government should use the two-year pause on new construction work for High Speed 2 at London Euston to develop a design that is affordable, deliverable and value for money, according to a National Audit Office report. The government announced on March 10 that it ...
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Rail Business UKManchester buzzing to put rail into its Bee Network
Greater Manchester Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt tells Rail Business UK how rail services could be better integrated with other public transport in the conurbation under the recently agreed Trailblazer devolution deal.
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Rail Business UKDerby selected as Great British Railways headquarters
UK: Derby has been selected to host the national headquarters of Great British Railways, with the Department for Transport saying it had come top in both the assessment process and the public vote. There were 42 expressions of interest in being the home of GBR, and ...
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Rail Business UKRMT members accept Network Rail offer to end strikes
UK: The RMT union’s National Executive has announced the end of the trade dispute with Network Rail, after members voted to accept the latest offer covering pay, jobs and conditions. The result announced on March 20 was a 76:24 vote in favour of accepting the offer, ...
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Rail Business UKRail sector disappointed at lack of clarity in Spring Budget
UK: Deeper devolution deals for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands and confirmation that the route for the Bedford – Cambridge section of East West Rail will be announced during May were included in the Spring Budget presented by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on March 15, but ...
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Rail Business UKUK faces being ‘left behind’ in the hydrogen train sector
UK: A government commitment to procuring hydrogen trains and refuelling infrastructure is required to kick-start deployment and achieve faster decarbonisation of the rail network, according to Hydrogen UK.
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Rail Business UKRIA calls on government to accelerate plans to decarbonise rail
UK: The Railway Industry Association has launched a RailDecarb23 campaign urging the government to take three steps to accelerate plans to decarbonise rail and reach Net Zero by 2050. These are to: immediately implement a rolling programme of cost-effective electrification on intensively-used lines; ramp-up orders ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment must electrify at a faster rate, says Transport Committee
UK: To achieve its decarbonisation goals the government must electrify the rail network at a faster rate, according to the Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity report published by the House of Commons Transport Committee. The report published on March 2 looks across transport modes. ...
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Rail Business UKIndustry responds as High Speed 2 delays confirmed by government
UK: Delays to High Speed 2 along with other transport schemes have been confirmed by Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper, who said ‘we have seen headwinds from inflation, triggered by the impact of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, as well as supply chain disruption ...
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Rail Business UKAbellio UK becomes Transport UK Group as buy-out concludes
UK: Dutch national train operator NS announced on March 1 that its international operating arm Abellio had formally completed the divestiture of its UK subsidiary through a management buy-out.
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Rail Business UKRail Partners sets out Freight Expectations for growth
UK: Rail Partners has called on the government to implement five policies that would enable rail to play a greater role in decarbonisation of the logistics sector and would give freight operators and customers the confidence to invest in assets. On March ...