The already troubled British travel industry, still mired in ongoing airline disputes, has been dealt another body blow after the RMT union advised that national rail network staff had spoken out in support of a proposed walk-out. This means the threat of a rail strike over the Easter period is now a very real possibility.
Members voted by a favourable 77 percent to take action against network rail whose changes made to working conditions and practices has resulted in around 1,500 job losses.
The RMT union claimed that no call to strike would be made before next Friday’s group meeting. Any decision [...]

More work-related strikes are threatening to interrupt the travel plans of million of air and rail travellers over the following months, as disagreements between worker unions and two operators British Airways (BA) and Network Rail escalates.
A strike of BA cabin crew next week may be possible if talks between the Unite trade union and the airline company fail. The airline had already asked for an extension to consider the union’s pay cut offer of 2.6 per cent.  As result, unite has decided not to strike during the Easter, but the group warns that a walkout could happen next week if [...]

The ongoing effects of the economic crisis that has driven many car hire and air travel operators out of business over the past 18 months has unveiled a bright side for rail passengers.
With business travellers have been suffering from budget cuts by employers worldwide, many have been forced to turn to rail travel as a more financially viable alternative. The continued push across the UK and Europe for high-speed rail networks has also wooed many to the benefits of business travel by train.
The Guild of Travel Management Companies has released data which shows that train bookings grew by around 13 [...]

Accusations have been levelled at one of Britain’s leading rail operators, Go-Ahead, by the Transport Salaried Staff’s Association (TSSA) over what they claim are secret plans to raise fares on London service.
The transport union has accused the London-Midland operator of practically doubling its fares in and out of the capital for off-peak services. TSSA head Gerry Doherty has claimed that the rail operator has effectively doubled its off-peak fares which are a slap in the face for passengers already paying some of the highest rates in the continent. However, Go-Ahead has reiterated its claims that the fare increases were announced [...]

The east-Cheshire town of Knutsford is looming as a key player in the calls for improvements to rail links in the area, with better promotion of the Mid Cheshire line seen as one badly in need of more comprehensive promotion says a rail partnership organisation.
The Mid Cheshire line, which runs from Cheshire to Manchester, has been in operation since the 19th centrury and services many small settlements on the route which is also known as the Cheshire via Altricham line and Manchester via Stockport line.
Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership group spokesperson Sally Buttifant outlined plans for improvements at the Knutsford [...]

Capgemini UK Plc has been has its long term contract for outsourcing IT provisions for The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) for a further 10 years. The extension which will last till 2019 has been signed by the Rail Settlement Plan Ltd in conjunction with the provider and is worth an estimated £18.5 million.
The scope of the agreement covers support for Infrastructure and Application Management in addition to IT infrastructure, primarily for technology that supports the rail networks reservation systems.
The move has been welcomed by the Managing Director for the Rail Settlement Plan Steve Howes, who claimed that the [...]

Britain’s largest and busiest commuter train service, Stagecoach Group Plc, has announced that its first half profit has fallen by 13 percent due to the reduced demand for travel brought about by the recession in addition to rising fuel and pension costs.
Net income for the group fell by £60.6 million to a total of £98 million at 8.4p per share. This represents a decline from the £69.4 million, or 9.6p per share, from the same period last year according to a statement released by the Scottish based company in a statement released today.
On a positive note, group sales were up [...]

It now seems that Network Rail has come out and talked about its plans to develop one of the most sustainable office buildings in the country. The biggest news on Network Rail’s new National Center is that the company has finally awarded a key contract for pre-construction services.
It seems that Network Rail’s proposal for a new National Center in Milton Keynes is based on a range of principals that are designed to limit the energy consumption of the building, thus lowering its impact on the environment. As of now, Network Rail plans on housing up to 3,000 employees in this [...]

Reports now show that Sadiq Khan recently visited Farringdon station to check up on Network Rail’s progress on their £250 million scheme. The main plan is to transform the hub in Farringdon into one of the largest and busiest transport hubs in all of London.
While there, the transport minister was shown demolition work at Cardinal Tower, which is being taken down to make way for an integrated Crossrail and Thameslink ticket hall. The transport minister said that Farringdon sits at the heart of a major investment in London’s railway network. From this one hub, travelers will be able to traverse [...]

New reports have come in that Network Rail has started work to build a temporary railway station on the north side of the River Derwent at Workington. This temporary station is aimed to help ease the access problems that people of the town are experiencing following the big floods.
Over the past 24 hours or so the company has identified a site for a new temporary station that could help alleviate some of the problems that have been experienced by residents in this area, as well as surrounding areas. The new station will be built on waste land just over a [...]