Media centre

Engineers have been at Hitchin on the East Coast main line since yesterday afternoon working to repair damaged overhead lines.

Network Rail today released station retail sales results showing a 2.37% growth in like-for-like sales from July to September 2012, compared to the same time the previous year. In the same period high street sales, reported by the British Retail Consortium, grew by 0.5%.

More than 3,000 people have been involved in slips, trips or falls in Britain’s railway stations, with incidents involving luggage rising by 70% since 2004/5, according to latest figures published by Network Rail.

Rail passengers using the country’s biggest and busiest stations will get a helping hand from a new army of volunteers after the success of Network Rail’s ‘travel champions’ initiative during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Network Rail has appointed Jonathan Crick to join its property division, as commercial director of retail.

Network Rail is inviting a selected list of law firms to tender for a place on its legal panel.

Period 8 of 2012/13: 14 October 2012 - 10 November 2012

Punctuality on the railways reached 88.9% during period 8, according to monthly performance data released today by Network Rail. The data for Britain's train services covers the period from 14 October 2012 - 10 November 2012. This compares to 89.3% for the same period last year. The moving annual average is now at 91.7%.

Financial highlights of the last six months:

• Revenue was £3,167m compared to £2,997m for the same period last year
• Operating profit was £1,226m compared to £1,227m
• Profit after taxation was £573m compared to £136m
• Capital expenditure – the amount invested in the railway over the period – was £2,064m compared to £2,071m
• Net borrowings were £28,043m compared to £27,200m at 31 March 2012