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Chiltern Railways Announces £1.5 Billion Of Social Value Contributions In 2024Chiltern Railways has announced £1.5 billion in economic, social, and environmental value in 2024, an increase of £154.8 million on the previous year.
An independent assessment, conducted by leading economics and transport consultancy Steer, uses a rigorous, recognised Economic Impact Assessment methodology to capture the full extent of Chiltern’s contribution to society.
This reflects the growth of the network as Chiltern was appointed as the operator of new rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes last month.
The latest analysis covers 2024 and highlights continued growth in Chiltern Railways’ economic impact:
Vanessa Russell, HR and Corporate Affairs Director at Chiltern Railways, said: “It is crucial that we continue to grow our social value contributions as we strive towards making the railway easier, greener and better for our customers and communities.
“I am proud that our social and economic impact continues to deliver and our ongoing engagement with ten station adoption groups and 120 volunteers makes a significant impact across the Chiltern network.”
Chiltern continues to deliver community engagement programmes through Community Rail Partnerships. The initiatives involve ten station adoption groups and over 120 active community volunteers. In addition, the operator delivered £140k in funding to 11 community projects in 2024.
Throughout 2024, Chiltern has continued to build momentum towards delivering a 2030 Vision for a modern, decarbonised railway, by:railway
May 29, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Chiltern Railways Announces £1.5 Billion Of Social Value Contributions...Chiltern Railways has announced £1.5 billion in economic, social, and environmental value in 2024, an increase of £154.8 million on the previous year.
An independent assessment, conducted by leading economics and transport consultancy Steer, uses a rigorous, recognised Economic Impact Assessment methodology to capture the full extent of Chiltern’s contribution to society.
This reflects the growth of the network as Chiltern was appointed as the operator of new rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes last month.
The latest analysis covers 2024 and highlights continued growth in Chiltern Railways’ economic impact:
Vanessa Russell, HR and Corporate Affairs Director at Chiltern Railways, said: “It is crucial that we continue to grow our social value contributions as we strive towards making the railway easier, greener and better for our customers and communities.
“I am proud that our social and economic impact continues to deliver and our ongoing engagement with ten station adoption groups and 120 volunteers makes a significant impact across the Chiltern network.”
Chiltern continues to deliver community engagement programmes through Community Rail Partnerships. The initiatives involve ten station adoption groups and over 120 active community volunteers. In addition, the operator delivered £140k in funding to 11 community projects in 2024.
Throughout 2024, Chiltern has continued to build momentum towards delivering a 2030 Vision for a modern, decarbonised railway, by:railway
May 29, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Hs2 Donates 4,000 Tonnes Of Ballast To Bluebell RailwayHS2 is donating thousands of pieces of ballast to the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex as the rail industry unites to mark 200 years of rail travel.
Some 4,000 tonnes of ballast – enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool – was used by HS2 in specially constructed sidings while tunnelling work was carried out at West Ruislip.
The West Ruislip sidings were used to bring 59,000 concrete tunnel ring segments, which were used to construct the Northolt Tunnel West. The segments were produced by PACADAR UK on the Isle of Grain, Kent, with many brought to site by rail taking approximately 16,000 lorries off the road. Excavation of the 5-mile twin bore tunnel is now complete.
The donation of ballast to the Bluebell Railway was organised by Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), the company responsible for building tunnels beneath London for HS2.
It was officially handed over to the volunteer-led heritage organisation, which runs steam trains across 11 miles of track, on 29 April.
The donation forms part of the ongoing Railway 200 campaign highlighting the global boom of rail travel over the years since the first ever public train journey in 1825 from Stockton to Darlington.
By reusing the material, it eliminates the need for unnecessary treatment and transport of the material for waste disposal.
The ballast will be used to reopen platform 1 at Horsted Keynes station (perhaps better known as Downton Abbey station), which has been out of use since 1914.
This means that when the platform is brought back into service in May, the Bluebell Railway will have four operational platforms at Horsted Keynes. The newly reopened platform 1 will also be used for the Railway 200 National Exhibition Train ‘Inspiration’, which will visit the Bluebell at the end of July.
The donated ballast will also be used to relay an adjacent siding, which will be used as a display area for railway vehicles for the entire event throughout the summer.
Arlo Dew, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd, said: “This donation of ballast shows the continued importance of industry partners working together to help and promote rail travel not only for future generations but also to help educate those about its proud heritage.
“While we’re busy constructing Britain’s modern high-speed rail line, we’re pleased to be able to help play a part in helping to the Bluebell Railway which has a proud track record as a tourist destination showcasing how train travel used to be back in the day.
“We look forward to seeing the four platforms in operation and the exhibition come to fruition and we’re pleased to have been able to play a small part in helping to bring these exhibits to life.”
Martin Baughurst, Project Director for SCS JV, said: “Our team at West Ruislip worked closely with the volunteers at the Bluebell Railway, jointly developing the logistics plan to safely transport the ballast to the Railway 200 exhibition area. We’re extremely proud to support the celebration of 200 years of train travel in the UK and look forward to seeing visitors learn about rail past, present and future.”
The Bluebell Railway continues to be a popular tourist attraction and connects Sheffield Park and East Grinstead in Sussex. It was one of the first preserved heritage lines in the country, starting train services in August 1960.
Neil Glaskin, Chairman of Bluebell Railway said: “We are very grateful to HS2 for making this ballast available to us. It represents a crucial contribution to our Railway 200 event, which runs from June to September, and there is sufficient remaining to help us relay a section of our running line this autumn.”
As part of the Railway 200 celebrations this year, HS2 will be taking part in two special events at Bluebell Railway showcasing the future of Britain’s rail network.
From Wednesday 4 June to Wednesday 2 July, visitors to the venue can visit a marquee to find out more about the HS2 project with some interactive science and engineering-based games.
Every Monday-Wednesday throughout the four weeks, there will also be a careers fair that its graduate and apprentice team will be attending to talk to young people about HS2 jobs.railway
May 22, 2025
Rail Business Daily
Multi-Million-Pound Bedfordshire Bridge Replacement Begins Next WeekWork will begin next week to replace Harlington station’s ageing footbridge with a modern structure designed to last for 120 years.
Network Rail said that the project represented a £7.9 million investment, and would enhance reliability and safety for passengers for years to come.
The new footbridge will replace decades-old infrastructure, making future maintenance both more cost-effective and efficient.
While the footbridge is being replaced, Network Rail teams will also deliver crucial upgrades at the station. Work on Platforms 2 and 3 will see the renewal of platform surfaces, tactile paving and yellow lines, among other improvements.
Work will commence on Monday 12 May and is scheduled for completion by spring 2026. Most of the work will take place during daytime hours, but some night-time working – with no trains running – is required in June.
During the project, the lower section of Harlington station’s car park will be closed to accommodate construction facilities. As the remaining car park is expected to be very busy, passengers are advised to use alternative parking, such as at Leagrave or Luton stations.
Shak Munshi, project manager for Network Rail, said: “This significant investment will provide passengers with a modern, reliable footbridge that will serve the community for more than a century.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this work may cause to passengers’ journeys and are grateful for their patience while this essential upgrade takes place.”
Jenny Saunders, customer services director at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “Harlington is a busy car park. So to help motorists, anyone with a monthly, quarterly or annual season car park ticket will be able to use the car parks at Leagrave and Luton stations at no additional cost.”railway
May 08, 2025
Rail Business Daily
New Report Reveals Increasing Cross-Channel Rail Traffic Could Boost Uk Economy By £1 Billion A YearCampaign for Better Transport is calling for an International Rail Strategy to help increase cross-channel rail trips after its new report revealed the UK could benefit by an extra £1 billion a year from European visitors arriving by train.
In its new report, Runways to railways: unlocking the potential of the Channel Tunnel, Campaign for Better Transport looked at the untapped potential of international rail and found that by 2040, 28.5 million people a year could be travelling between the UK and Europe by train – more than two and half times the current number. This would bring in an additional £1 billion to the UK economy a year in tourism spend as well as other wider economic benefits.
Ben Plowden, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “With the Government undertaking a ‘once-in-a-generation’ programme of domestic rail reform, international rail risks being overlooked. Yet, as our report identifies, there is a huge potential to grow international rail services to help boost the UK economy. With a number of train operators keen to start running services through the tunnel, the Government should capitalise on the economic and environmental potential of international rail.”
Aviation currently dominates travel between the UK and continental Europe, accounting for 73 per cent of journeys, yet less than 50 per cent of the passenger capacity and less than ten per cent of the freight capacity of the Channel Tunnel is currently being used. By increasing the number of passenger services and routes, Campaign for Better Transport estimates that rail could account for around half of short-haul European travel by 2040, significantly reducing the number of flights required and avoiding the need for costly, disruptive, and unpopular airport expansion.
Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the Government to develop an International Rail Strategy alongside its strategy for the domestic rail network and work with the rail industry to increase the number of passenger and freight services and routes.
Campaign for Better Transport’s Runways to railways: unlocking the potential of the Channel Tunnel report calls on Government to:• Develop an International Rail Strategy which should include targets to grow passenger numbers and rail freight• Reopen Ashford and Ebbsfleet International stations and bring international services to Stratford International station• Facilitate more direct services between London and more European cities• Enable new operators to offer passenger services where there is unused capacity, helping to reduce prices for passengers• Work with the EU to streamline border controls at rail termini to make international travel easier.
Anna Krajinska, Director at T&E UK, said: “Unlocking cross-Channel rail is a no-brainer for UK growth. Half the line’s capacity is going to waste — it’s time for a clear government plan to unlock the UK’s international rail potential. More services and real competition will cut prices, boost access, and drive jobs.”
Mark Smith, founder of online rail travel guide The Man in Seat Sixty-One, said: “Competition between London and Paris or Brussels is good news for passengers as it means more seats and cheaper fares. If experience in Spain and Italy is anything to go by, we could see average fares fall by up to 30 per cent.”
Jon Worth, campaigner and founder of the #CrossChannelRail Project, said: “It’s hard to imagine life without the Channel Tunnel, but there is always this sense of its untapped potential, even now thirty years after its opening. That is particularly the case for long-distance high-speed passenger trains. Campaign for Better Transport addressing the future of this amazing piece of infrastructure should help it get the increased attention it deserves.”
Read Runways to railways: unlocking the potential of the Channel Tunnel on Campaign for Better Transport’s website.railway
Apr 20, 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
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
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
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
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