Rail Business Daily
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Lner Onboard Portal Hits 1.3 Million Users In First YearLNER has revealed that since the launch of its market-leading information portal, over one million customers have received live journey updates, listened to top entertainment and ordered food straight to their seats.
In the last year alone, 1.3 million customers accessed the portal while travelling, by scanning a QR code found on the back of seats or at their table. Friday 13 December proved to be the most popular day for scans, with December being the busiest month overall. The data comes as LNER prepares to roll out updates to its onboard digital offering, improving functionality, navigation and design.
Over 393,000 food and drink orders have been placed by LNER customers, with one of the most popular items being a cup of Yorkshire Tea. Over 82,000 cups have been delivered direct from the onboard café bar to customers’ seats in the last twelve months alone.
Routes from LNER, the podcast where compelling conversations with well-known guests meet incredible journeys, is also available to stream direct from the portal. Season One, hosted by renowned presenter and broadcaster Clara Amfo, is now available to stream in full, featuring guests Mel B, Tom Grennan, Dynamo, Lennie James, Maisie Adam, and many more. Season Two – coming soon – will also be available through the portal, allowing LNER customers to enjoy top, original entertainment from the comfort of their seat.
Danny Gonzalez, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at LNER, said: “It has been brilliant to see just how many of our customers have been using our onboard portal since it launched a year ago. From live journey updates, to entertainment, to ordering catering direct to your seat – the intention was to create a one-stop digital destination for all your needs, to help our customers receive the best possible experience when they travel with us. We’re really excited to show you what’s coming next!”railway
Apr 17, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Southeastern Marks First Milestone In Refresh Of Class 376 FleetSoutheastern says its customers may spot a new splash of colour on their journeys as the first refreshed Class 376 Electrostar is in service with a stylish blue livery – replacing the white original – and improved interior lighting.
Unit 376027 is the first train to undergo stage one of the mid-life transformation, marking a major milestone in Southeastern’s wider fleet improvement programme.
The programme includes the £27million refurbishment of the Class 395 highspeed ‘Javelin’ fleet, the arrival of more Class 377 trains and the upgrade to the Class 375 fleet that was completed last year. In the coming months, design work will also get underway to retrofit toilets to the Class 707 ‘City Beam’ fleet.
In partnership with Alstom and Eversholt Rail, Southeastern is delivering a full interior and exterior refresh of all 36 trains in the Class 376 fleet. The multi-million-pound upgrade aims to provide a better and more comfortable travel experience across Southeastern’s busy Metro routes.
Customers can look forward to:
The first refurbished train will offer customers an early glimpse of the upgrades coming to the full Class 376 fleet. The refresh work is being delivered at Southeastern’s Gillingham Maintenance Centre, with more updated trains entering service progressively over the coming months.
Passengers can expect the first train to feature both the completed interior and exterior enhancements by the end of the year. That work will be carried out at Southeastern’s Grove Park Centre of Excellence.
Mark Johnson, Engineering Director at Southeastern, said: “We’re very excited to mark this first milestone in the refresh of our Class 376 trains. I’m sure customers will appreciate the bright, clean blue exterior and the improved lighting that we’ll have in the carriages.“There is much more to come and the first train that has the full refresh, which includes power points for charging on the go and refurbished seating, will be in service by the end of the year.”
Peter Broadley, Commercial Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said: “We’re proud to be supporting Southeastern and Eversholt Rail in delivering a more modern and connected experience for fare-paying passengers across South East London. Alstom will soon begin providing the engineering expertise and materials for the fleet’s refurbished seating and installation of at-seat power – improvements that will make a real difference to Southeastern’s customers. It’s great to see the first upgraded train in service and we look forward to supporting the next stage of the refreshed fleet’s rollout over the coming months.”
Paul Sutherland, Client Services Director at Eversholt Rail, added: “It is fantastic to see the start of the refurbished Class 376 trains going into passenger service for the customers of Southeastern to benefit from. This first train showcases the new livery and lighting with further work taking place later this year to upgrade the seating and at-seat power to further improve the passenger experience.”railway
Apr 17, 2025
Rail Business Daily
New Electric Tram-Trains In Testing For South Wales MetroTransport for Wales (TfW) is now testing brand-new electric tram-trains on the recently electrified Valleys railway lines. It called the tests “another step forward” in the delivery of the next phase of the South Wales Metro.
Part of an £800 million investment into brand-new trains across Wales and the Borders, the Stadler Class 398 CITYLINK tram-trains will revolutionise transport in South Wales.
With the ability to run on both rail and tram lines, they can operate on overhead electrical lines and battery power, and with three carriages can carry more than 250 passengers.
Over £1 billion has been invested into transforming rail infrastructure in South Wales, with the electrification of over 170 km of railway, including the Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert lines.
A £100 million brand-new purpose-built depot has also been constructed in Taff’s Well, serving as a control centre for the Metro and as the home for the 36 new tram-trains.
Marie Daly, Chief Operating Officer at Transport for Wales, added: “This is another major milestone for us at TfW. We’ve already introduced our brand-new Class 756 trains onto the Merthyr, Aberdare, and Treherbert lines to improve the experience for our passengers. We’re now excited to progress to the next phase of the project, testing our light rail tram-trains that will offer a turn-up-and-go service as part of the South Wales Metro.
“The introduction of our new Metro Class 756s and tram-trains is part of our £800 million investment into brand-new trains for Wales, alongside a billion pounds of infrastructure upgrades to improve the frequency and accessibility of services. By transforming our rail network, we aim to provide reliable, comfortable, and attractive public transport options for our customers.”
Andrew Gazzard, Head of Operational Readiness at TfW said: “Our teams now need to gain familiarisation and handling experience of the trains, and we need to embark on driver training later in the year.
“It’s a really proud moment for me and the team to be able to see these tram-trains on the network and we look forward to the next stage in getting them prepared for passengers.”railway
Apr 17, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Lighthouse Charity Releases 2024 Impact ReportThe Lighthouse Charity provides 24/7 holistic support to our UK and Ireland construction community on all aspects of emotional, physical and financial wellbeing. In 2024 they delivered over £5 million of charitable support and provided a lifeline to 5695 families, a 29 per cent increase on the previous year. More than 55 per cent of these cases were managed by the charity’s caseworkers, who navigated complex needs, ensured individuals accessed their statutory entitlements, and secured third-party funding before allocating charity resources.
The charity has shown resilience and growth in the face of uncertainty. taking bold measures to raise awareness of the support available while continuing to extend their message of support beyond the workplace.
The report reveals that for every £1 of charitable spend, the Lighthouse Charity generated £12.19 of social value, demonstrating its far reaching impact on wellbeing, communities, and society. Beyond the headline figures, the report highlights the meaningful life changing and life saving work through the powerful personal stories of just some of the individuals and families they have supported.
Once again in 2024, the largest share of grant expenditure (48 per cent), was dedicated to providing counselling sessions, ensuring people were able to access vital expert support when they needed it most.
The ‘MakeItVisible on site initiative continues to have a profound impact, serving as a critical touch point for the industry’s front line trades and site operatives. In 2024 the #MakeItVisible team visited 572 sites across the UK and Ireland, engaged with 28,070 site operatives and managed 88 active rescues. Active rescues refer to people who have approached the charity’s team expressing suicidal thoughts and who have been directed to immediate support and safeguarding.
Commenting on the report’s findings Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity said, “Last year was another challenging one for our industry, so knowing that we have been able to respond to the demand for more support and deliver so many impactful and positive changes to both individuals and organisations is incredibly rewarding. But we’re not content with ‘doing the same’ and this is our opportunity to reflect on what has worked well and to identify where we need to improve our services. We are constantly exploring new pathways to amplify and extend our message of support to meet the needs of our diverse community.
Ensuring our #MakeItVisible on Site initiative delivers every aspect of wellbeing support is just one of the ways that we will achieve this, along with engaging with new communities to bridge the industry’s skills gap and ensuring our workforce are equipped with the soft skills to navigate today’s challenges.
No one should ever feel alone and support is just a step away. Whether you’re navigating an illness or injury, ensuring there’s a meal for the family or simply need to talk to someone, the message is simple, if you’re struggling, help is here.”
Read the full report here
If you or anyone you know is struggling, reach out for 24/7 free & confidential support.24/7 helplines; 0345 605 1956, (UK) 1800 939 122 (ROI)Live chat www.lighthousecharity.orgText HARDHAT to 85258Find out more at www.lighthousecharity.orgrailway
Apr 17, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Unicard Become First Transport Solutions Supplier To Gain Itso 2.1.5 CertificationUnicard, an established provider of smart ticketing and payment solutions to the public and commercial transport sector, has become the first supplier to have its software partially certified as compliant with the first phase of the new ITSO Specification version 2.1.5.
In March the Department for Transport approved the long-awaited release of the latest ITSO Specification for integrated smart ticketing on public transport.
Unicard successfully completed 2.1.5 testing of their PSEngine PersoPOST software with ITSO, and has received confirmation from ITSO that all necessary requirements for certification were met.
ITSO Specification version 2.1.5 introduces features such as media tailored for in-wallet digital ticketing. This reflects ITSO’s response to industry trends and government initiatives aimed at digitising transport ticketing, and offering passengers the choice between digital or physical ticket options.
Unicard is now updating its other ITSO products so it is ready for ITSO certification for phase 2 of version 2.1.5 and can then be made available for customers.
ITSO CEO Steve Holden said: “Collectively we worked hard to realise version 2.1.5 and it is great to see Unicard with the first of many updates across the supply chain. Unicard has worked hard to bring this development forward, and we look forward to working with Unicard, and all our supplier members in the coming years to realise 2.1.5 across the UK.”
Unicard CTO Mike Sussman said: “ITSO solutions have been an integral part of Unicard’s products since we first certified with ITSO in 2010. We’re delighted to be the first supplier to certify partially for ITSO 2.1.5. This demonstrates our commitment to assuring continued ITSO compliance for all our customers.”
Unicard’s ITSO SME Michael Cuthbertson is one of the UK’s experts on the ITSO Specification and has been a member of the ITSO Technical Committee for the last 13 years (including chairing it while working at ITSO before joining Unicard).
At Unicard, he is involved at an advanced technical level with all our ITSO products – from supporting customers to testing ITSO products and analysing ISAMs.
He said of Unicard’s new certification from ITSO: “This shows our continued commitment to the future of ITSO and marks the start of our rollout of 2.1.5 certification across our other ITSO products.”
The approval of version 2.1.5 comes 15 years after the release of the previous version 2.1.4. In June 2024, ITSO issued a draft version of 2.1.5 for review by its members – who include Unicard – and the specification was refined based on members’ feedback.railway
Apr 16, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Sev.En Global Investments Acquires Celsa Steel UkSev.en Global Investments has announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of two major steel companies: Celsa Nordic and Celsa Steel UK.
It added that this “significant milestone” marked its entry into a new industry and region, and would enhance its global portfolio of circular steel while cementing its commitment to sustainable industrial practices.
The organisation revealed that Celsa Nordic would be rebranded to 7 Steel Nordic, and Celsa Steel UK would become 7 Steel UK. Both entities are now set to operate under the unified brand umbrella of 7 Steel.
With a production capacity of two million tonnes of construction steel per-annum, the steel mills produce everything from bars to sections, mesh and wires. These steel products are used in a range of sectors, including rail.
Alan Svoboda, CEO, Sev.en Global Investments: “I am very pleased with the successful completion of the acquisition of several innovative and specialized steel companies. It is part of our strategy to enter new industries, and we believe that steel is a long-term sound investment. We will support growth, development, further innovation, and the green transition. We look forward to promising business strategies and establishing a strong market presence, leveraging our combined strengths to drive innovation and growth. Together, we will build a resilient business ready to face future challenges and unlock new opportunities.”
7 Steel said it was committed to sustainable practices, and would prioritise environmental responsibility and the circular economy, where materials are reused and repurposed. A key aspect of this commitment is the focus on fully sustainable steel production in electric arc furnaces, which leverages recycled scrap materials. By recycling steel, the group hopes to significantly reduce carbon emissions associated with traditional steel manufacturing processes.
7 Steel UK (formerly Celsa Steel UK) is the nation’s leading producer of low-carbon construction steel and the largest recycler of scrap steel in the UK. Headquartered in Cardiff, where its primary steel manufacturing facilities are also located, the company operates a fully integrated operation including scrap collection, steel production, and fabrication. Its national footprint includes four strategically positioned scrap yards and 17 fabricator depots across the UK, enabling responsive, locally focused service to the construction sector. 7 Steel UK has contributed to some of the UK’s most iconic construction projects, including Wembley Stadium, London’s Olympic Park, and The Shard.
With an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes, 7 Steel UK plays a central role in the UK’s circular economy and sustainable infrastructure delivery. The business operates one of the UK’s most efficient electric arc furnaces, enabling steel production with a fraction of the carbon emissions associated with traditional methods.
Carles Rovira, CEO of 7 Steel UK: “This marks an exciting new chapter for our business. As 7 Steel UK, we remain deeply committed to serving the UK construction sector with sustainable, high-quality steel. Backed by Sev.en Global Investments, we are poised to accelerate innovation and strengthen our leadership in the circular economy. Our people, our purpose, and our product have never been more aligned to the future of the UK economy and the wider UK Steel sector.”
The acquisition will also expand the steel companies’ workforces, with an additional 2,700 set to join. The total number of employees within the Sev.en Global Investments group more than doubles to over 5,700. Sev.en Global Investments will now focus on the integration of 7 Steel into the portfolio, and the gradual transition and rebranding will take place until mid-July 2025.
For more information about 7 Steel, please visit www.7-steel.com.railway
Apr 16, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Small Is Beautiful At The Severn Valley RailwayDuring the weekend of 3 and 4 May, there’ll be a ‘takeover’ of all things small at the Severn Valley Railway (SVR), when The Engine House at Highley hosts around 25 model railway displays.
Entry to the event is included in the price of travel along the heritage line, which is currently operating between Kidderminster and Hampton Loade. The northernmost section between Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth remains closed, pending repairs to the serious landslip that occurred earlier in the year.
Exhibitors will travel from across the country, and layouts on display will include Illie Town, Memory Lane, New Abberley and Quarry End.
The displays will be set out amongst the full-size locomotives and carriages on display in The Engine House, including ‘Gordon’ the blue engine and 7819 ‘Hinton Manor’.
Entry to The Engine House will be from 10.45am to 4.30pm, with last entry at 4pm.
Meanwhile, despite Bridgnorth station being cut off from the rest of the line, visitors will be able to take part in short footplate rides on a steam locomotive throughout the weekend, including Bank Holiday Monday on 5 May. These are payable on the day, subject to availability, or can be pre-booked at svr.co.uk.
For more information on the Model Railway weekend, including timetables, please visit svr.co.uk.railway
Apr 16, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Encompass Engineering Ensures Maintenance Readiness For West Midlands Railway’S Class 196 FleetSpecialist engineering consultancy Encompass Engineering has completed a critical review of West Midlands Railway’s Maintenance Design Justification File (MDJF) for its newly introduced Class 196 fleet.
Encompass Engineering said that the “meticulous” validation process would ensure maintenance schedules and tasks aligned with operational requirements, supporting the safe and efficient running of the trains.
As part of West Midlands Railway’s ongoing commitment to safety and reliability, the company sought independent verification of its maintenance documentation to eliminate any discrepancies. The MDJF – a key document outlining essential maintenance tasks – needed to be cross checked against the Vehicle Maintenance Schedule (VMS) and Vehicle Maintenance Instructions (VMIs). Encompass Engineering was appointed to carry out this task, helping the operator to achieve full compliance and operational confidence.
Josh Gilsenan, Operations Director at Encompass Engineering, highlighted the importance of this work: “Ensuring maintenance documentation is accurate and aligned is a fundamental part of delivering a safe and reliable rail service. Our team’s expertise in detailed validation helps prevent operational issues before they arise.”
Encompass Engineering revealed that the review involved a structured approach – breaking down maintenance tasks into low, medium and high-priority categories. By comparing the MDJF with the VMS and VMIs, it identified discrepancies and worked with the train manufacturer to resolve them.
“The work we carried out has given West Midlands Railway a strong foundation to finalise their maintenance documentation,” commented Josh. “By identifying and categorising discrepancies, we have helped streamline the validation process and ensure that the Class 196 fleet meets industry standards.”
Encompass Engineering added that its expertise in maintenance documentation and process reviews helps train operators to avoid costly errors and maintain peak operational performance.
For more information, visit www.encompass-engineering.com or contact the Encompass Engineering team.railway
Apr 15, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Ria: Rail Reform Is An Opportunity To Better Integrate Track And Train OperationsThe Railway Industry Association (RIA) has published its response to the Government consultation on rail reform, ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’.
RIA welcomed the consultation as an important step forward, and an opportunity to reset the way the railway works, in particular to better integrate track and train operations.
As the legislation to enable Great British Railways is developed, RIA is calling on Government to avoid making any changes that could make railway funding less certain or stable than today. Concerningly, the Government consultation acknowledges that there could be “mid-period reductions to funds available”.
RIA Policy Director, Robert Cook, said “A stable funding framework and long-term plan is fundamental to an efficient railway, because infrastructure and rolling stock investment need to be planned across decades, not one or two years. It is essential to protect the current 5-year funding period and to bring greater stability between periods. This would in turn boost business investment confidence, and support wider UK Government objectives to boost growth and create skilled jobs right across the country.”
Robert continued: “The RIA response highlights that in manufacturing, and other skilled roles, maintaining a permanent workforce and stable volumes of production is key to efficiency. It also emphasises the importance of having a long-term strategy with targets for passenger and freight growth and that GBR must act as an efficient and commercially focussed organisation that works in partnership with the supply chain, which ultimately delivers the majority of work in the railway.”railway
Apr 15, 2025
Rail Business Daily
London St. Pancras Highspeed Cp4: Almost £300 Million Of OpportunitiesLondon St. Pancras Highspeed (formerly HS1) is holding a launch event for its Control Period 4 (CP4). There is a confirmed renewals budget of almost £300 million for the next five years with over £60 million still to be out to tender.
The organisation owns and operates the UK’s only high-speed railway and the stations along the route – St. Pancras International, Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
CP4 started on April 1, and runs until March 31, 2030. The organisation has teamed up with the Railway Industry Association for a launch event which takes place on Monday, April 28, from 9.30am until 3pm, at Ebbsfleet. The launch event is for the supply chain to better understand the increasing renewals workbank.
Richard Thorp, Chief Operating Officer at London St. Pancras Highspeed, said: “Since 2003 we have been successfully operating the UK’s first highspeed railway, but our assets need to be renewed to maintain our exceptional train performance and support growth. Come along to learn about the renewals work bank that has funding secured over the next 10 years’
The event will be an opportunity to learn more about the contract opportunities for CP4, CP5 and beyond, and to discuss any concerns about delivering work on our network. We are also looking for innovation projects to be delivered through our £4 million research and development budget to support the delivery of efficiencies.
RIA said: “This is a great opportunity for supply chain organisations to get involved. There will be an opportunity to meet with London St. Pancras Highspeed to share your thoughts and feedback in focus group sessions.
“This event is open to all suppliers. Please limit attendance to two representatives from your organisation in order to allow as many suppliers to attend as possible.”
The deadline to sign up is 12pm on Friday, April 25. Visit https://www.riagb.org.uk/RIA/RIA/Events/RIA_Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=HS1CP4LAUN for more details.railway
Apr 15, 2025