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29 Oct 20
Tyne and Wear Metro saw a 95% reduction in passengers at the beginning of lockdown. John Fenwick, director of finance and resources at the network’s owner and operator, Nexus, tells PF about the long...
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21 Sep 20
The government has pre-empted the publication of its independent review of rail transport by announcing the end of rail franchising after almost 25 years.
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3 Dec 19
Labour has promised to cut rail fares by a third after it was announced that travellers will be paying an extra 2.7% on average in the new year.
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7 Dec 18
Poor leadership and the “astonishing complexity” of the rail system lead to a “totally unacceptable” disruption to rail services earlier this year, MPs said.
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6 Dec 18
Sir Terry Morgan has resigned as chair of both Crossrail and HS2 amid concerns about delays and cost overruns – and a spat with the London mayor.
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29 May 18
The East Coast rail saga raised questions about rail franchising. Christian Wolmar asks what sort of railway model would put the system back on track?
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1 May 18
The Department for Transport’s rail franchising model is “broken”, the Public Accounts Committee concluded in a report looking at two major franchises.
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26 Feb 18
Costs increased on the Thameslink programme because Network Rail did not understand the performance and condition of its railway system, the Public Accounts Committee has said.
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26 Jul 17
Rail passengers’ satisfaction with train operators either improved or remained static in the past year, the annual survey by watchdog Transport Focus has found.
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25 Jul 17
The government’s decision to green light Crossrail 2, while plunging the future of a series of northern projects into doubt shows that decision-making needs to relocate, says IPPR North’s...
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6 Feb 17
MPs have called for significant reforms to the rail franchising system including how contracts are managed, following high-profile disputes on the Southern network.
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27 Dec 16
Government proposals to improve the coordination between different parts of the rail industry may make sense, but they are unlikely to be enough to drive real change
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6 Dec 16
Transport secretary Chris Grayling has today set out reform plans for the rail network that will see state-owned Network Rail work more closely with train operators under new franchise agreements.
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9 Nov 16
The Department for Transport’s bungled modernisation of the Great Western railway offers “a case study in how not to manage a major programme”, the head of the National Audit Office has said.
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14 Oct 16
The government should take over the troubled Govia Thameslink rail franchise if the company is found to have breached the terms of its franchise, a committee of MPs has said.
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16 Aug 16
Regulated rail fares are to rise by 1.9% from January following publication of July’s inflation figures.
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23 Mar 16
A government review into Network Rail’s structure is likely to herald more diversity in rail delivery across the country, which could unlock innovation
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17 Mar 16
A government review has ruled out a full sell-off of Network Rail but set out proposals to expand the use of private funds in upgrades.
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12 Feb 16
MPs have warned that value for public money could be at risk if bidder interest in the government’s rail franchise programme continues to decline.
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21 Jan 16
Transport for London is set to take over rail services in the capital from four private sector franchise operators under a plan agreed with government ministers.
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24 Nov 15
The Department for Transport has improved its management of rail franchises following the collapse of West Coast intercity deal in 2012, but new risks are emerging due to delays and the rising costs...
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19 Oct 15
A leading rail operator has called for the current franchise system to be scrapped on some lines and replaced with licensing regime that could raise money for taxpayers.
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16 Oct 15
Network Rail has agreed a plan to improve delivery of major infrastructure projects after a transport watchdog concluded it was in breach of its licence conditions due to cost increases in some...
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30 Sep 15
Work to electrify trans-Pennine rail routes is to resume under plans to reboot Network Rail’s upgrade programme.
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23 Sep 15
A government review is considering reforms to the state-owned rail company, including possible privatisation. There are a number of options that the study must consider.