The West Midlands Metro is slowly morphing from a single line to a network. As part of its network expansion, the Metro has opened a branch between Bull Street and Millennium Point. Passenger tram services are to start running to the Millennium Point stop from Easter Sunday (5 April), connecting even more parts of Birmingham city centre to the West Midlands Metro … [Read more...]

It's fast coming up to the Easter Weekend. And as usual,  there are some major works occurring across the UK National Rail Network. Whilst the majority of the UK  rail network will be open for passengers travelling over the Easter bank holiday weekend, there are some major works going on on main lines over the break. West Coast Main Line Once again, there … [Read more...]

Lumo is working hard in the background as it prepares its Stirling to London route launch, planned for Spring 2026. To this end, the train company has unveiled its first Class 222 Trainset in its house colours. The refurbishment work is being undertaken by Alstom’s modernisation facility in Widnes, in association with Beacon Rail. The trains feature a striking new livery … [Read more...]

There are steps being taken by the Rail Delivery Group to expand the eligibility for a Disabled Persons Railcard.  And the good news is, the first phase of changes goes into effect from Sunday (1st March). The changes are designed to bring benefit where evidence requirements are straightforward and to introduce robust assessment for more complex cases later in the … [Read more...]

The main rail hub in the northwest of England - Manchester Piccadilly - is currently closed, and will be for the next week as engineering work is carried out. The work will involve overhauling tracks, points and signalling systems across six lines serving the North West's busiest railway station. The work, which covers nearly a kilometre of the railway, will impact … [Read more...]

Alstom has been working away and has unveiled the first refurbished Voyager Trainset for CrossCountry Trains. The works are part of a£60 million contract to deliver a brighter, more comfortable experience for passengers across Great Britain. The first train to go through the process is a Class 220 Voyager, Number 220003. Since it was first introduced, Number 220033 … [Read more...]

LNER - the intercity operator which operates trains on the East Coast Main Line, has unveiled interior mockups of its new trains. The new fleet is to be known as the Serenza - or, for those of us who collect numbers, the Class 897. According to LNER, the name is a hybrid of ‘serene’ and the Spanish-style suffix ‘-enza’, evoking a feeling of peacefulness and calm, … [Read more...]

Great Western Railway has introduced the UK’s first battery-only powered train into passenger service. The Class 230 train has been used for a successful trial of fast-charge technology on the Greenford branch line over the past 22 months. Up until now, it has undergone rigorous trials. It has now entered commercial service, with the train making its first appearance … [Read more...]

The "new" Chiltern Trains Mark 5a train sets have finally entered commercial service today between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. And because they're new trains, they need branding - Welcome the "Explorers". Chiltern Railways Explorer train set at Birmingham Moor Street - Image, Chiltern Railways. The Explorer fleet has been introduced today, … [Read more...]