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Reading’s redeveloped railway station was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen today.

Network Rail has today responded to the Office of Rail Regulation’s assessment of the company’s performance in the 2009-14 funding period. While this recognises successful delivery of a multi-billion pound investment programme to build a bigger better railway, safety improvements at level crossings and record numbers of passengers and freight moved by rail, it also highlighted missed punctuality targets.

Samaritans and Network Rail have announced plans for a new five year partnership to reduce suicides on the railways. Since the original partnership began in 2010, railway staff have approached and potentially saved the lives of more than 200 vulnerable people at railway locations. British Transport Police also report more than 700 approaches ⁽¹⁾. Many of these are a result of attending Samaritans courses.

More than 200 apprentices have joined railway maintenance teams across Britain to start their on-the-job training after successfully completing the first year of the Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme.

King’s Cross has been voted the best railway station in the world for food and drink, and the station’s The Parcel Yard pub the best individual food and drink outlet, at an international awards ceremony celebrating the best that airports and railway stations have to offer.

Doddle, the UK’s first fully dedicated, staffed, online shopping collection and returns service located in railway stations and major hubs has announced it will open in 300 new locations in the next three years, creating 3,000 jobs.
The unique £24 million company is partnering with some of the nation’s biggest retailers including ASOS and New Look, with many more to follow.

Almost £7bn was invested in improving and expanding Britain’s rail network over the last 12 months, Network Rail revealed today in its full-year results for the 2013/14 financial year.

Who’s tougher - the RAF, the Royal Navy or Network Rail’s apprentices? In fact, it’s the latter. So proved our apprentices in the annual Junior Leaders Field Gun Competition, held at HMS Collingwood in Gosport, Hampshire on 6 June.