TransPennine Express (TPE) will be reinstating a small number of pre-Covid services following adjustments made to its train plan earlier this year as people continue to return to the railway. The changes will come into effect from Sunday 15 May 2022, and the rail operator is asking customers to check carefully before travel as timings of other services may also have changed. Matthew Golton, Managing Director for TransPennine Express said: “We are planning to bring back and extend a small number of services in May following what has been a challenging time following the impact of the Omicron ..read more

West Midlands Trains (WMT) has announced the appointment of Charlotte Ritchie as the organisation’s head of external communications and engagement. Charlotte, who started her role earlier this month, replaces the outgoing Francis Thomas, who will shortly retire from his role as head of corporate affairs after nine years with WMT and its predecessor London Midland. Francis first joined the rail industry in 1983 as a management trainee with British Rail. He spent a decade working in various communications roles as well as a stint ‘on the front line’ as a customer services manager at Birmingham ..read more

Class 707 trains are set to continue serving South Western Railway (SWR) customers until August 2022, helping to improve capacity on the network’s suburban routes. Twelve out of 30 of SWR’s 707 fleet was due to move to the Southeastern network but, following an agreement signed between the two train companies, SWR’s lease on the units has been extended until August 2022. The move is set to alleviate future pressure on SWR’s train capacity, which – prior to passenger numbers reducing as a result of Omicron – had been impacted by the altered Arterio introduction. SWR is waiting for manufacture ..read more

Train operator Southeastern has launched a £400,000 fund for community rail projects and is inviting proposals from existing Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs) and other local organisations. Proposed schemes should promote sustainable travel, bring together local communities and promote social wellbeing and economic development. Working with Community Rail Network – the national organisation that accredits new CRPs and provides oversight and support for community rail across Britain – Southeastern is inviting interested parties to submit bids for a share of the £400,000 in funding over a two ..read more

Greater Anglia has announced how it will change its services to help maintain social distancing as more people return to work, while still ensuring that keyworkers can continue to travel safely. From Monday 18 May, the company will run an amended Saturday timetable, giving an increased frequency on the Great Eastern main line from Colchester, Clacton and Southend to London and the West Anglia Main Line from Cambridge to Liverpool Street. Regional lines will remain as they are currently, but the hourly Norwich to Cambridge service will now run as a direct through service to Stansted Airport ag ..read more

LNER FutureLabs is a new innovation programme from London North Eastern Railway (LNER) that aims to fast-track digital and tech developments into the rail industry. It provides an opportunity for tech and digital start-ups to put their ideas to the test in an industry that holds a huge amount of potential when it comes to overcoming the challenges of personalisation, encouraging increased usage and improving sustainability. Three challenges are set as part of the LNER FutureLabs programme: More Journeys, More Often – digital services and solutions that encourage more people to travel by trai ..read more

Captain Tom Moore, the veteran who has raised more than £29 million for the NHS to mark his 100th birthday, has been honoured by GWR which has named a train after him. The Second World War veteran originally hoped to raise £1,000 before his 100th birthday, but his pledge to walk 100 laps of his garden went viral and more than one million people donated to his JustGiving page. GWR Intercity Express Train 800025 has been named in response to requests from both GWR colleagues and members of the public, re-entering service on Thursday 30 April, 2020 – the date of Captain Tom’s 100th birthday. Wo ..read more

To help key workers during the coronavirus epidemic, Southern Rail is working with specialist cycle repair company Handlebars to give them free bikes. Every month, about 20 abandoned bikes arrive at Southern’s maintenance depot in Horsham, Sussex, for storage, in case their owners decide to recover them, and the stock of unclaimed bikes is now approaching 300. Handlebars’ Andre Noble at Horsham Depot. Southern is part of GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), and its community relations team planned to donate the bikes to charities that run renovation workshops. However, this has been delayed by the ..read more

Southeastern has confirmed that the Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded a Direct Award Contract that will allow the Southeastern franchise to continue operating until 16 October 2021, with the option to extend at the DfT’s discretion until 31 March 2022. The contract, with Southeastern owners Govia (a subsidiary of the Go Ahead Group (65%) and Keolis (35%)), means that, in the short term, Southeastern will continue its immediate focus on providing services for key workers in this time of national crisis. Looking further ahead, Southeastern will deliver a range of customer experience im ..read more

Govia Thameslink Railway has announced that from Monday, 30 March, the Gatwick Express service will be temporarily suspended until further notice, in response to a significant fall in passenger numbers at the airport and to help keep other trains running. Further reductions will be made to Southern, Thameslink, and Great Northern services, also from Monday, 30 March, as part of the phased timetable changes agreed with Government to maintain train services for key workers. Southern and Thameslink trains will continue to serve Gatwick, with more than adequate capacity to satisfy demand. Govia T ..read more