Media centre

Enabling faster and more frequent services on the main lines between London Liverpool Street to Cambridge and Norwich will be a priority for Network Rail in the next decade, according to an updated study which looks at long-term plans for the railway in the east of England.

The railway in the East Midlands is undergoing a transformation.  Network Rail’s current upgrade programme is re-energising one of Britain’s oldest railways by delivering an electrified railway which can carry more and longer trains, more quickly.

Network Rail has unveiled proposals to meet future growth in passenger and freight journeys in Wales and the borders.

Network Rail today welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss a legal challenge to the process by which permission was granted for a much-needed railway improvement in central Manchester.

Although Network Rail will start work at Manchester Victoria following the last train today (Wednesday 23 March 2016) trains will continue to run into Manchester Victoria and Salford Central until the last train tomorrow (Thursday 24 March 2016).

Repairing a landslip on the railway in Sussex is likely to take between 6-8 weeks, engineers say.

• Biggest package of improvements for passengers travelling to and from London Waterloo for decades
• Better station, extra seats and a fleet of new trains
• 30% increase in peak time passenger capacity by 2019
• Infrastructure investment includes longer platforms for longer trains
• Improved depots for this railway’s biggest ever fleet of trains

A 17-year-old schoolgirl from Northamptonshire will have her first year’s university tuition fees paid after landing the top prize in a national competition to encourage more young women to consider a career in IT.