Network Rail has announced a new managing director, network operations to take over from Robin Gisby who has decided to leave next year. Phil Hufton, currently chief operating officer of London Underground, will be joining in early 2015 and will have an orderly handover from Robin.

Figures released today by Network Rail have revealed more evidence of the changing face of modern retail with in-station retail spend once again outperforming the high street average, and growing for the ninth quarter in a row.

Network Rail has awarded 20 framework agreements with a combined value of £1.6bn to a total of nine suppliers. The frameworks cover an extensive programme of enhancements and renewals to the London North Western and East Midlands routes over the next five years.

Network Rail is reminding farmers and farmworkers of the importance of level crossings safety as they gather their crops this harvest.

Network Rail has awarded framework contracts worth a combined £250m for the delivery of building and civils work on the Scotland and London North Eastern routes.

Network Rail has today published new and updated information on its online transparency portal. This includes a film which aims to better explain how a delay to one train can have knock-on delays to others, and how the industry works to get services back to normal after an incident has taken place.

A nine-day part-closure of London Bridge railway station begins this Saturday, with no First Capital Connect or Southern trains calling at the station until Monday, 1 September.