Electric trains will be able to run between Manchester Airport and Scotland from December 2013, Network Rail said today, as it announced completion of the first phase of the £400m North West electrification programme.

Passengers at Glasgow Central are getting a chance to see Scotland’s stunning scenery without even leaving the concourse thanks to a unique new photography exhibition.

Eight stations in south east London and Kent are to benefit from an £18.5m investment which will improve passengers’ access to trains and platforms.

Network Rail is to invest more than £2m to provide additional capacity on the line between Brighton and Lewes and lengthen platforms at Falmer station.

Passengers using Horton-in-Ribblesdale station on the Settle and Carlisle line can now enjoy better access between the platform and the train following the completion of a project to install an easier access area on the southbound platform.

More than 180 apprentices have joined up with railway maintenance teams across Britain for on-the-job training after successfully completing the first year of Network Rail’s advanced apprenticeship scheme.

Network Rail’s Stafford Area Improvements Programme (SAIP) is helping set the sustainability standard on major projects, recording one of the highest ever scores in the prestigious CEEQUAL scheme.

Network Rail is exploring options to improve the railway around Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations as part of the Northern Hub – a programme of investment to deliver faster, more frequent services across the North of England and stimulate economic growth by better connecting towns and cities. The plans were unveiled to city-wide stakeholders this week ahead of public consultation.