Media centre

Dancing on Ice champion and Celebrity Gogglebox star, Joe Swash, is fronting a new campaign designed to teach children about rail safety. The Stay Safe with Thomas campaign, launched by Network Rail and Thomas & Friends™, is designed to give parents the tools to educate their children about how to keep safe when travelling on the railway.

Network Rail’s chief executive Andrew Haines has vowed to understand the cause and put immediate additional safety measures in place following yesterday’s derailment near Stonehaven in which three people died and six were injured. 

Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive, has arrived at the site of yesterday’s train derailment. As he arrived, Andrew said:

• With temperatures set to reach the mid-30s in parts of Britain towards the end of this week and into the weekend, the rail industry is working to keep passengers moving safely
• Passengers are being asked to plan ahead and continue to follow public health advice when travelling by rail – wear a face covering unless you are exempt, maintain a distance from others and travel at quieter times wherever possible
• Network Rail has activated its extreme weather action teams (EWATs) at hotspots across the country. Speed restrictions may be introduced at the hottest locations to keep services running as reliably as possible in extreme heat
• Train operators will have staff on hand to help and provide guidance through journey planners and social media

• A fifth (20 per cent) of Brits say they’re considering cycling to work, but are put off by busy roads and worries over their bike getting stolen
• Network Rail and Cycling UK partner to address these concerns with tips on safer cycle routes and storing bikes securely
• 5,000 secure bike storage spaces available at Network Rail’s 20 managed stations

• Network Rail carrying out £105m worth of investment to upgrade the railway and improve future passenger journeys over August Bank Holiday
• Those who are travelling by rail should wear a face covering unless they are exempt. Passengers should also travel at quieter times and maintain a distance from other passengers wherever possible

• A range of measures – including enhanced cleaning regimes at stations – introduced to help keep passengers safe from the virus while travelling by rail
• Network Rail has been deploying almost two and a half times the number of station staff than before the pandemic, and more than twice as many additional staff to help customers compared with the 2012 London Olympics
• Passengers should continue to follow public health guidance – wear a face covering if you are not exempt, travel at quieter times and maintain a distance from others wherever possible

Network Rail and RIBA Competitions have today (14 July 2020) launched an international competition to shape the future of Britain’s railway stations.