Railnews Magazine

An order for 10 Elizabeth Line trains from Alstom has reprieved the Derby works for now. Also in rolling stock news, a two-year programme to refurbish the 56 Alstom Pendolinos operated by Avanti West Coast has been completed, and Eurostar has created golden e320 trains for the Paris Olympics.

Network Rail said the line between Bradford and Ilkley was due to reopen on 30 June after a landslip, but a railway in north Derbyshire was closing from 6 July for seven weeks, so that engineers can prevent part of an embankment falling into a river, while the Severn Tunnel is closed for two weeks from 3 July, so that the down line can be replaced.

Safety has been endangered in Derby. East Midlands Railway has issued a critical safety warning after three trains collided with supermarket trolleys in the Peartree area.

ETCS is advancing on the East Coast route. More than half the trains to Moorgate are now automatically signalled, and tests have also started between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.

In Business news, the sale of Arriva by Deutsche Bahn has been confirmed for a reported price of £1.4 billion, the recovery of the rail passenger business is continuing, and Heathrow Express has been given a five-year track access agreement.

Political parties have been setting out their plans as the nation goes to the polls today. The Conservatives would create Great British Railways, Labour would begin nationalising passenger operators with Avanti West Coast, the Liberal Democrats would create a Railway Agency, and Reform UK would scrap the last section of HS2 between London and Birmingham.

Finally, you can now listen to Railnews. The first Railnews podcast was launched on 1 July, in which several key railway figures set out their proposals for reforms.

Railnews for July is out now.