UK railway round-up

This week’s roundup of news from the UK railway industry.

Latest service updates

£84m funding to boost train services in North West

An £84 million funding package to make trains in north-west England more reliable has been unveiled by the Government.

The money will be used to pay for infrastructure upgrades such as track improvements, platform extensions for longer trains and larger depots across the region.

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Great Central Railway replaces Wartime Weekend with jubilee pageant

A scene from a previous wartime-themed event at the Great Central Railway.

Due to the conflict in the Ukraine, the Great Central Railway has decided to cancel its 1940s Wartime Weekend at the beginning of June – but is being replaced with a pageant celebrating The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

As usual, the event will be across all four stations at the railway, with each station highlighting different periods of The Queen’s reign, from the 1920s up to the 1970s.

Stonehaven rail crash: Report findings ‘must be a watershed for safety’

The findings of the investigation into the Stonehaven train crash are “damning” and must be “a watershed moment for rail safety”, according to train drivers’ union Aslef.

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A series of failings were identified by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

Rail workers to stage protests outside stations amid warnings over job cuts

Rail workers will stage protests outside railway stations on Wednesday to warn about the impact of job cuts on services and safety.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will gather at stations in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds to warn passengers that despite the recent increase in fares, rail companies and the Government are intent on cutting thousands of frontline staff.

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Eurostar offers free travel to Ukrainians travelling to the UK

Eurostar is offering free travel to Ukrainians travelling to the UK following Russia’s invasion.

The cross-Channel operator runs trains from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam to London St Pancras International.

Latest Service Updates

Gatwick Express – Gatwick Express services remain suspended until further notice.
Hull Trains – Hull Trains are currently running a reduced service, in line with passenger demand and current government advice.

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Transport For London Status

If you need to travel this weekend, here are planned works that may affect your journey.

Our transport network has never been cleaner. Imperial College London run monthly tests for coronavirus on the transport network and found no trace. You can read their recently published report.

Air continuously flows through all our trains, trams and buses. For example, on average, air in a Tube train changes every few minutes. Buses are fitted with air extraction and ventilation systems and we also leave windows open throughout the passenger area to keep a flow of fresh air.

Please continue to walk or cycle part of your journey where possible. If using public transport, travel during quieter times if you can. This will make social distancing easier. The quieter times to travel are:

Between 08:15 and 16:00 and after 17:30 on weekdays
Before noon and after 18:00 on weekends

Our TfL Go app can help you plan your journey and show the quieter times to travel.

You must continue to wear a face-covering over your nose and mouth at all times when on the transport network, unless exempt. The overwhelming majority of people are complying with this requirement, and the British Transport Police, the Metropolitan Police and our own officers are on the network to check compliance. Fines of up to £6,400 exist for anyone who does not comply.

Please also wash or sanitise your hands before and after travel.