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More than 95% of Britain’s 10,000 miles of railway will be open for business this Easter - with some exceptions - as Network Rail engineers gear up for a £90m programme of work over the long weekend aimed at improving the railway for passengers and freight businesses.

• Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign launches as half the nation admit to swerving someone they don’t know to avoid small talk
• A pop-up ‘Small Talk Salon’ will give London King’s Cross passengers the chance to practice their small talk with a trim and a chat

Network Rail has joined Samaritans to encourage the public to have a cuppa and a catch up for the charity’s annual Brew Monday campaign.

Washington DC, January 2024 – Network Rail Consulting’s US subsidiary, Network Rail Consulting Inc, has been awarded a $73.2m (£57.5m) contract to provide systems engineering services to California’s High-Speed Rail Program.

Network Rail enployee Zoe Sookun has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the railway through her work in project managing the delivery of the Rail Aid for Ukraine project. 

•  More than 96% of the rail network will be open for ‘business as usual’ over the Christmas and New Year period
• While significant investment is being made in projects across the country, the £127m programme is a ‘lighter’ package of work than recent years
• Most journeys will be unaffected by engineering work but some lines are impacted, so passengers should plan ahead and check their journey details

• Exhibition of winning and commended images from the 2023 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition at London Paddington station till 7 January 2024
• Featured images include Looking by Alexander Swyer - winner of the Network Rail sponsored “My Railway Adventure” category
• Exhibition to undertake nationwide tour of Network Rail stations in 2024