Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, today (Monday 9 December) officially opened a new state-of-the-art factory in Doncaster which will supply of thousands of essential sleepers to keep Britain’s railways running.

Electric trains have started to operate over the railway between Newton Le Willows and Castlefield junction outside Manchester Piccadilly, marking the commissioning of the first phase of the £400m North West electrification project on time and under budget.

More than 150 railway workers and engineers will upgrade the railway between London, Gatwick Airport and the south coast this Christmas as one of the biggest investments ever undertaken on the Brighton mainline is completed by Network Rail.

Passengers travelling from Manchester Piccadilly at weekends are being asked to allow extra time for their journeys and take extra care on the station due to the increase in passengers using the station over the Christmas period.

Network Rail engineers have begun the huge task of repairing railway lines in north Wales damaged by Thursday’s storm surge.

Passengers travelling from Birmingham New Street station on Friday nights and weekends are being asked to allow extra time for their journeys and take extra care on the station owing to the huge increase in passengers using the station to visit the city over the Christmas period.

The majority of the rail network in Scotland and the north of England has reopened this evening following the devastating impact of th e severe storm that has battered the north of the UK today with winds in excess of 140mph.