Rail Magazine

RAIL magazine is Britain’s biggest-selling modern railways magazine, giving comprehensive news coverage for the industry. Over 25,000 copies are sold every fortnight.

Rail 838: Is £48bn too good to be true?

Rail 838: Is £48bn too good to be true?

When the announcement that the railways would receive £48bn worth of investment in operations, maintenance and renewals in the five ...
Rail 837: Rail's dirty secret

Rail 837: Rail’s dirty secret

When I was campaigning to be the Labour candidate for London mayor a couple of years ago, one issue kept ...
Rail 836: Network Rail's private obsession is the wrong track

Rail 836: Network Rail’s private obsession is the wrong track

It is sometimes difficult to understand what Network Rail is playing at. The organisation is beset with both short and ...
Rail 835: Open those lines!

Rail 835: Open those lines!

‘Why don’t they reopen those lines closed by Beeching’ is a constant refrain on radio phone-ins on which I have ...
Rail 834: Fares need to be made fairer

Rail 834: Fares need to be made fairer

The annual collective moan about rail fares has just started. The complainants against these rises have three bites at the ...
Rail 833: Better management, not privatisation, will solve Network Rail's travails

Rail 833: Better management, not privatisation, will solve Network Rail’s travails

Ever since the creation of Railtrack, Network Rail’s predecessor, there have been calls for the rail industry to seek new ...
Rail 832: Scrapping electrification schemes highlights Network Rail's failings

Rail 832: Scrapping electrification schemes highlights Network Rail’s failings

Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, presented the cuts to the electrification programme and the shift to bi-mode as a coherent ...
Rail 831: Rail safety has improved but...

Rail 831: Rail safety has improved but…

Our railways have undoubtedly got safer. Every year, Andrew Evans, a professor at Imperial College produces a statistical analysis of ...
Rail 829: Is any price acceptable for HS2?

Rail 829: Is any price acceptable for HS2?

Everything has its price. Even those who think HS2 is a good idea must consider there is a point at ...
Rail 830: Election result puts the spotlight on Labour rail plans

Rail 830: Election result puts the spotlight on Labour rail plans

Well that was a turn up for the books. We’ve had the vote for Brexit, Trump’s surprise win and Macron ...
Rail 828: Crossrail and Heathrow at war

Rail 828: Crossrail and Heathrow at war

It is remarkable that with the opening of the Crossrail tunnel between Liverpool Street and Paddington now less than 18 ...
Rail 827: The benefits of renationalisation will be slow to emerge

Rail 827: The benefits of renationalisation will be slow to emerge

Labour is, unfortunately, not going to win the general election so the plans to renationalise the railways are in many ...
Rail 826: It is better management, not the search for private capital, that will rescue NR

Rail 826: It is better management, not the search for private capital, that will rescue NR

As the railway lurches towards a financial crisis and an investment plan with no money, it is worth reflecting on ...
Rail 825: Renationalisation is more complex than a slogan

Rail 825: Renationalisation is more complex than a slogan

Railways rarely figure in general election debates. Even when the Tories set out their, admittedly vague, plans to privatise the ...
Rail 824: What is digital railway about? And a call for defribillators

Rail 824: What is digital railway about? And a call for defribillators

David Waboso is unique. I’m pretty sure that no one else in the world has the title of managing director ...
Rail 823: HS2 fails to spark public imagination

Rail 823: HS2 fails to spark public imagination

The firework display in London to mark the passing of the HS2 Bill was the biggest since D Day. An ...
Rail 822: Change is not necessarily the right answer

Rail 822: Change is not necessarily the right answer

Chris Burchell’s theme for his lecture at the annual George Bradshaw Address, the most prestigious railway speech of the year, ...
Rail 821: Bombardier's survival was the right kind of politics

Rail 821: Bombardier’s survival was the right kind of politics

There was a moment five years ago when it seemed the UK might end up without any domestic train manufacturing ...
Rail 820: Franchising is the problem, not the solution

Rail 820: Franchising is the problem, not the solution

In this post-truth age, there are not just the alternative facts put out by the White House. There are also ...
Rail 819: Franchise future in doubt

Rail 819: Franchise future in doubt

It is some time since I discussed my oft asked and never answered question of ‘what is franchising for?’ The ...
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