By 2025-11-06T04:00:00+00:00
This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.
Network Rail’s Doncaster railway training centre in the former National College for High Speed Rail is to be named The Gresley Institute, after Sir Nigel Gresley. The name was selected in a public vote held in partnership with City of Doncaster Council which attracted over 3 500 responses. The first delegates began training at the centre on October 6.
Following the mass stabbing on a LNER train on November 1, RMT union General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said ‘I want to commend the professionalism, bravery and steadfastness of all the railway workers involved from the train crew to the driver and our members in operations who quickly assisted in diverting the King’s Cross bound train into Huntingdon station, allowing the police and emergency services to take swift action. I will be seeking urgent meetings with government, rail employers and police to ensure that we have the strongest possible support, resources and robust procedures in place to protect our members and the traveling public.’ TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said ‘we call on the operator and government to act swiftly to review security, to support the affected workers, and to ensure nothing like this happens again’.
Current Chair Steve McBride has been appointed as Managing Director of Leicester-based engineering, fleet management and train care provider UK Rail Leasing, succeeding Gareth Roberts, who is leaving the rail sector. UKRL director Mark Winter said ’Steve brings a wealth of experience from a long career in the railways, including as Managing Director of Vivarail and Customer Service Director at Angel Trains. As Chair, Steve has been an integral part of the senior leadership team at UKRL and is intent upon building on the excellent work Gareth has done developing the UKRL business over the past two years.’
Govia Thameslink Railway’s Selhurst depot has completed the £100m five-year Project Aurora programme to refurbish 1 222 Electrostar EMUs vehicles used on Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southeastern services. The work funded by leasing company Porterbrook included fitting plug and USB sockets, information screens, LED lighting, a new digital backbone and forward-facing and track debris CCTV with the ability to remotely live stream and download images. Alstom as successor to original manufacturer Bombardier provided technical specifications, design work and materials. At the project’s peak two trains were returned to passenger service each week.
The Railway Mission has launched the Paideia Coaching Resilience Training Programme, designed to equip rail professionals with the skills to manage the mental and emotional demands of working in a complex, safety-critical environment. The programme endorsed by the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators Awarding Organisation offers structured, evidence-informed training that promotes self-awareness, emotional intelligence and resilience. CIROAO said ‘if your organisation is developing a learning or training programme and would like to explore endorsement through CIROAO, we’d love to collaborate.’
Spencer Rail Engineering has been appointed to Greater Anglia’s civils and building works frameworks for Depots & Lineside, Stations & Non-Lineside Infrastructure and Mechanical & Electrical.
Transport for Wales has launched family tickets allowing up to two children under 16 to travel free of charge any time with every paying adult. The tickets are available via the updated TfW app and on the web, as well as through ticket machines, ticket offices and from the train manager on board. They are valid across the entire TfW network, including services operated by CrossCountry, GWR, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Railway, TransPennine Express and Northern. Passengers who wish to use pay-as-you-go can collect a free child ticket from the ticket office or train manager.
Paul Groves has joined Govia Thameslink Railway as Train Services Director for Thameslink and Great Northern. Before joining GTR, Paul worked for GTR’s sister company, GTS Rail, where he served as Director of Driver Operations & Safety for the Elizabeth Line. He succeeds Brian Husbands, who is now Train Services Director for Southern & Gatwick Express.
Jonathan Clear is to join East West Railway Co as Chief Financial Officer in January, taking over from interim Finance Director Ian Davis. Clear has extensive public sector finance and operations experience, most recently at Building Digital UK.
RAIB makes three recommendations in its report into a 11-year-old child struck by a train at Bourneview footpath crossing near Croydon on January 23 2025. One is for school curriculum setters to work with infrastructure managers to introduce targeted and locally relevant railway safety lessons to pupils of all ages. Two recommendations addressed to Network Rail, working with the Rail Safety & Standards Board, aim to make the dangerous area at level crossings more noticeable, particularly to people whose attention may be distracted, and to understand the risk profile of younger people and whether this warrants different approaches to risk mitigation at level crossings. RAIB also identified a learning point to consider what action could be taken to alert users to the danger of individual level crossings where the provisions of its standards cannot be met, and to record these considerations in the crossing risk assessment.
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