Latest Department for Transport News

DfT Announces the Winner of the West Midlands Franchise

The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded the West Midlands franchise to West Midlands Trains Ltd, a joint venture between Abellio...

Five New Railway Stations to be Built Across England and Wales

Rail passengers are set for better journeys with 5 new railway stations to be built across England and Wales, the UK Government announced to…

UK: Hitachi’s New Intercity Trains Pass Digital Technology Tests

Hitachi’s new intercity trains, due to enter passenger service this autumn, have passed tests to run their digital technology required by th…

Winners of the Construction Contracts for HS2 Phase One Revealed

The winners of the major construction contracts for HS2 Phase One were announced today, 17 July 2017, with the £6.6 billion contracts...

Three Companies Shortlisted for East Midlands Rail Franchise

...has announced that the following companies have successfully pre-qualified to bid in the competition for the East Midlands Rail franchise…

HS2 Bill Gains Royal Assent

HS2 Bill gains Royal Assent paving way for new rail line that will increase capacity on our railways, connect the biggest cities, generating…

Search Underway for Company to Build HS2 Trains

The hunt for a company to design, build and maintain a fleet of state-of-the-art high speed trains for Britain’s HS2 network was launched to…

Railway Operation in England to be Reformed

The way that England’s railway network is run is set to be revamped under plans outlined by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, the BBC News…

Government Moves to Make Rail Claiming Compensation Easier

Rail passengers are more willing and able than ever before to demand and get fair Rail Claiming Compensation if their train is late or cance…

HS2 Names £900m Enabling Works Contracts

HS2 took a step closer to construction today with the confirmation of three joint ventures to deliver essential early works, including...

DfT: New West Coast Franchise Will Partner with HS2

The government today announced a new rail franchise which will combine the current InterCity West Coast services with the development of HS2…

Government Must 'get a grip' on Monitoring Rail Franchise Agreements

Rail passengers have been badly let down by Government failure to structure, monitor and enforce franchise agreements of major rail infrastr…

Abellio Confirmed East Anglian Rail Franchise Operator

The UK Department for Transport has confirmed Abellio as the East Anglian rail franchise Operator. The franchise will commence on 16 October…

Abellio Named Preferred Bidder for East Anglia Franchise

Abellio East Anglia Franchise decision announced by the UK’s Department for Transport, who have named Abellio to operate the East Anglia fra…

UK Rail Minister Claire Perry Resigns

UK Rail Minister Claire Perry has resigned her post amid “shame” regarding Southern Rail’s ongoing industrial action and poor service provis…

GWR Hitachi Fleet Inaugural Run

reat Western Railway unveiled the first of its new GWR Hitachi fleet on 30 June 2016 at an event attended by UK Transport Secretary Patrick …

HS2 National Audit Report: "Too Ambitious"

The HS2 National Audit Report has stated that schedule is too ambitious and the project is coming in over budget even before the referendum …

Intercity West Coast Franchise Consultation Launched

A consultation has ben launched for the Intercity West Coast Franchise to garner views from the public on how to improve services.

UK DfT Announces West Midlands Franchise Shortlist

UK department for transport announce west midlands franchise shortlist to operate the west midlands line from October 2017.

UK: Parliament Meets to Discuss Rail Franchise Reform

UK: London Overground Route Contractor Confirmed

London Underground route Contractor J. Murphy & Sons Ltd have won a £60million Network Rail contract to design and construct electrification…

UK: Study into South West Rail Improvements Launched

The UK’s Department for Transport has launched a study with Great Western Railway (GWR) to look into the options for south west rail improve…

UK: South Western Franchise Competition Shortlist Announced

South West Trains Franchise Going to Tender