Readers can learn more about Labour’s policy announcement here. Anthony Smith, chair of Independent Rail Retailers (IRR) said: “The Independent Rail Retailers association welcomes Labour’s statement about the potential future direction of the railways and its ambitious delivery plan. “Retailing is the gateway to growth on Britain’s railways, and as experts and innovators in this field, we look forward to working with any future government to develop a forward-thinking, passenger-focused policy in this area. “Independent retailers, in partnership with Government and the rail industry, can help ..read more

Freightliner issued this statement: Freightliner welcomes the vision for rail announced by Labour today as being a positive plan for the rail sector.  The announcement by Louise Haigh, the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, recognises the importance of harnessing the potential of the rail freight sector in delivering significant environmental and economic benefits for the UK.  Growing rail freight is crucial to meet our net zero and decarbonisation commitments, improve economic productivity and deliver regional growth.  Therefore, the commitment to grow the size of the fr ..read more

Rail Partners chief executive, Andy Bagnall, said:   ‘Train companies agree that change is needed for the railways, but nationalisation is a political rather than a practical solution which will increase costs over time. ‘Creating a thriving railway for customers and taxpayers does not have to be an ideological choice between a monopoly railway in public hands and one that delivers private investment and innovation through franchising. ‘There is an alternative plan which gives the best of both worlds and is already being used by Labour Mayors and increasingly across Europe.’ Andy continu ..read more

Read Labour’s policy here. Mark Plowright, Director at Virgin Trains Ticketing, commented: “It’s encouraging to see Labour recognising the role the private sector has to play in selling train ticketing and helping passengers to get the best deal on their travel. Rail retail is a key part of the puzzle when it comes to rail reform. However, to really deliver on fares simplification, we need to address the outdated rules and regulations that limit how independent retailers, like Virgin Trains Ticketing, operate – doing this will ensure retailers can offer passengers services like Delay Repay an ..read more

“We are saddened to hear about the passing of Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr., a true champion of Amtrak and passenger rail in New Jersey and around the country.  His leadership, including in his position as Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Rail Subcommittee, was essential to helping Amtrak secure the investments needed to improve our infrastructure, stations, trains and service. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.” More Like This COMMENT: RDG respond to ASLEF strike COMMENT: SilverRail VP Da ..read more

The UK Labour Party have released this statement, detailing their policy for the UK rail sector: Britain’s railways should be a source of pride, not exasperation. As the country which created the railways, they are an iconic part of our heritage, and have played an essential role in enabling people to see our country, spend time with loved ones, and seize economic opportunities for more than two centuries. Labour’s plan is to create a unified and simplified governance structure that places passengers at the heart of the goal, objectives and incentives for the railway, and to bring train opera ..read more

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised Transport Holding Germany B.V. (“THG”), a subsidiary of stateowned Dutch railway company N.V. Nederlandse Spoorwegen, on the sale of its German Abellio rail services operations to BeNEX GmbH (“BeNEX”). The disposal was made via the sale of Berlin-based German holding company ATH Rail Transport Beteiligungsgesellschaft Deutschland GmbH (“ATHR”), which owns the Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland GmbH (“ABRM”), WestfalenBahn GmbH (“WestfalenBahn”) and PTS GmbH (“PTS”) companies all operating under the Abellio brand name. The transaction follows the succes ..read more

Sensonic, a leading provider of intelligent sensing solutions for the railway industry, today announced the addition of CCTV functionality to its groundbreaking Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) security system. This integration empowers railways to not only detect and locate track trespassers in real-time but also visually identify them, significantly enhancing security and situational awareness. Sensonic DAS technology acts as a virtual fence, utilising fiber optic cables to detect vibrations and pinpoint suspicious activity along railway tracks. Each unit feels the presence of people near ..read more

Members of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) and industry stakeholders attended a roundtable in Cardiff earlier this week, with the Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies MP.  During the session the Cabinet Minister gained insight into some of the key issues currently faced by rail suppliers in Wales. Commenting on the discussion, David TC Davies, Secretary of State, UK Government said: “While much of the Welsh rail system is devolved, the UK Government is making major investments to improve the network and I was pleased to hear from RIA Members and representati ..read more

The third edition of the digital outlook, “Rail Baltica in Economic Focus,” has been released, offering a comprehensive view of trends within the railway industry and its associated sectors. This latest edition focuses on providing expert insights into Rail Baltica while discussing important topics shaping the future of rail transportation in the Baltic region. Kristīne Malnača, Head of the Global Project Strategy and Economics Department at RB Rail AS, noted, “Urbanisation, an aging population, and sustainable transport policies drive the need for the efficient integration of railway infrast ..read more