Interesting choice of venue when many criticise Trainline for taking money out of the rail industry.

Labour had already said it would move passenger operators to GBR as private sector contracts expired so there’s little that is fundamentally new in today’s announcement. But the mood music around it suggests more radical change. That might lead to disappointment…

Transport Focus will be axed and its work put into new Passenger Standards Authority, likewise Rail Ombudsman goes. ORR will lose consumer law role, complaint monitoring, regulation of passenger assistance and information. ORR keeps safety regulation. Review set for RSSB’s role.

Support for open access “where it adds value” with ORR deciding applications on basis of new directions and guidance from transport secretary.

Labour confirms that it will continue with private rolling stock companies, ROSCOs, but promises end to boom-and-bust manufacturing cycle.

Detail from Labour Party reveals that transport secretary will be ‘passenger-in-chief’ and will sign off timetables from arms-length GBR. Labour promises review of fares.

Reminder: Queen Street Bridge, the new temporary road and the York railway station car park will close from 8pm Friday 26 April until 6am Monday 29 April.

Take a look at some of the progress made last weekend 👇🚧📸

Photo credit: Inside Out Photography

Siemens has signed a deal with Banedanmark to upgrade signalling to allow unattended (driverless) trains to run at Grade of Automation (GoA) 4 from 2030 on Copenhagen’s suburban network (the S-bane). (GoA4 explainer below from Alstom.)

BREAKING: More rail strikes coming as drivers in ASLEF stage another series of one-day strikes over May 7, 8 and 9 and refuse to work overtime on May 6-11 at train operators under Department for Transport control or contract. Dispute is about pay and conditions.

York’s new road that bypasses Queen Street bridge by the railway station is now open…

Philip Haigh This was t’other side!!

Plenty of progress with the diversionary road to take traffic off Queen Street bridge outside York station. Looks like it should be open tomorrow morning.

A piece of the railway that you can’t see from the railway…

Busy day at York with Queen Street closed as work to demolish bridge starts in earnest.