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General Interest

Lockdown on railway training

While lockdown was in place, no one could travel and face-to-face meetings were barred, railway training companies suddenly had no work to do. With no...

ÖBB and Voestalpine create a joint venture to produce TransANT wagons

ÖBB-Technische Services, a subsidiary of the Austrian State Railways’ Rail Cargo Group and Voestalpine Stahl have signed a 50:50 joint venture agreement that paves...

Rail Wellbeing Live 2020 launched

Rail Wellbeing Live is a new online event that will take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2020. This free, virtual health and...

Death on the railway

Like so many others, I was shocked and saddened by the news from Stonehaven. Saddened, because three people had lost their lives, two doing their...

Tragedy at Stonehaven

Scotrail HST crashes near Stonehaven, Aberdeen, killing 3 of the 9 people on board. Just as RailStaff was closing for press, news came through of...

Transport Benevolent Fund CIO Moving Forward For a Brighter Future

Not many prices have remained unchanged since 1994. The Transport Benevolent Fund membership fee is one that has, but an increase is now needed. The...

HS2 continues to encourage young people into work

For the last five years, HS2 has partnered with the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) to provide work experience placements and 1:1 mentoring, ensuring that...

Longer Platform 3 for Wigan

Platform 3 at Wigan station is being extended so it will take four-carriage trains, so train operator Northern can provide extra capacity for passengers...

‘Access for All’ at Cadoxton station

Cadoxton station in South Wales now has improved access after the opening of new multi-million-pound passenger lifts and a footbridge. As a result, those using...

Heathrow Express appoints Sophie Chapman as its new director

Sophie Chapman, the former head of train services at Heathrow Express, has been appointed to be its Director. She brings with her a wealth of...

Moving waste by rail saves 6,600 tonnes of CO2 emissions

By switching to rail transport from road haulage, waste management specialist Biffa has saved 6,600 tonnes of CO2 emissions in moving predominantly inert waste...

Chris Elliott to become business development director-rail systems at Sella Controls

Sella Controls, the Stockport-based systems integration and functional safety specialist, has announced the appointment of Chris Elliott as Business Development Director - Rail Systems. Chris...

Former depot makes way for new maintenance facility

Balfour Beatty has commenced demolition of the old Chart Leacon depot in Ashford, Kent, to make room for a new train maintenance facility. The former...

Electronic scarecrow installed at Longsight depot

Network Rail has installed a solar-powered scarecrow that mimics the calls of a hawk to ward off birds causing delays to passengers travelling between...

Derailment and fire in Carmarthenshire

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is investigating the derailment and a fire involving a tanker train at Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, 26 August 2020. At about...

HS2’s Interchange station obtains planning approval

Plans for HS2’s Interchange station have been approved by Solihull Council, with the planner’s report saying the design creates “an exciting contextual response to...

GWR receives first tri-mode train 

Great Western Railway (GWR) has received the first train in the UK able to run on overhead and third-rail electric lines, as well as...

Thalys renews passenger Wi-Fi contract with Icomera

Thalys, the high-speed rail operator that operates international services between Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, has renewed its contract with Icomera to continue...