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REMINDER: Britain’s railway open for passengers and freight this early May bank holiday – with some notable exceptions
The vast majority of Britain’s rail network will be open for passengers travelling this May, with both bank holidays largely unaffected by engineering work. However, this early May Bank Holiday, Saturday-Monday, 2-4 May, does feature work in some busy locations.
Survey reveals young adults underestimate power and speed of trains – risking their lives on level crossings
- Seven out of ten 18-34 year olds believe they could get out of the way if a train approached
- 98% of these young adults are unaware how long trains take to stop in an emergency
- Survey marks start of No Second Chances campaign - featuring a series of hard‑hitting films - which focuses on the deadly risks of distraction when approaching the railway
Latest News
Successful testing of Class 700 train with upgraded digital software
Successful testing at speed has been completed of upgraded digital software on a Thameslink Class 700 unit, preparing the largest passenger fleet on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) for the introduction of in-cab digital signalling.
North West travel update ahead of late May bank holiday
Rail passengers in the North West are being urged to check their journeys in advance ahead of upgrade work taking place on the late May bank holiday weekend.
Choose rail this late May bank holiday
The majority of the railways across East Anglia will be open for this upcoming bank holiday but customers are encouraged to check before travelling and allow extra time on certain routes.
A place to pause as five Breathing Space benches installed in Scotland
Five more Breathing Space benches have been installed at train stations across Scotland to mark Mental Health Awareness week (11-17 May).
Weekend engineering work in Birmingham to affect CrossCountry services next month
Passengers are being advised about changes to weekend trains between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway in June while major HS2 work takes place in the Saltley and Washwood areas of Birmingham.
Rail timetable changes this Sunday deliver more seats, new overnight links and the return of a classic service
- 42,000 extra seats per week on London Northwestern Railway services, including more than 14,000 between Birmingham New Street and London Euston, boosting capacity on one of the country’s busiest corridors.
- The return of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ as LNER restores London to Edinburgh departure times that closely reflect the historic mid‑morning timetable of the iconic service.
- New ‘through the night’ services to Manchester Airport by TransPennine Express, providing hourly overnight trains to support early‑morning and late‑night flights.
How the Transpennine Route Upgrade is taking Northern economies to new destinations
The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is improving railway infrastructure across the North, and driving significant economic growth in the towns and cities it serves, a new report commissioned by Network Rail has found.
Save the date and plan ahead as London St Pancras lifts shut for major refurbishment in June
Passengers using the Thameslink platforms at London St Pancras are being advised that step-free access will be temporarily unavailable while major refurbishment work takes place to improve the long-term reliability of the station’s lifts.