GTR announce £55m fleet modernisation
270 Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern trains to be updated Govia Thameslink Railway and rolling stock lessor Porterbrook have announced a five-year, £55m programme to modernise the Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern ‘Electrostar’ fleets, 270 trains in all. Enhancements range from real-time passenger information screens and USB/power points to high-tech on-board...
Nexus reveals new colour scheme for Metro
New livery harks back to classic Metro livery Nexus has revealed a vibrant new yellow colour scheme for the Tyne & Wear Metro’s £362m new train fleet and has also announced a major public consultation on the interior design of the new fleet. The transport executive has chosen a modern and eye-catching yellow...
UTG calls for post-pandemic investment
Empower urban transport authorities to build back better, urges report Transport authorities can play their part in shaping a positive legacy of COVID-19 for the UK’s city regions, provided they are given both the funding and powers they need to respond to the challenges that lie ahead, according to the Urban Transport Group...
Translink orders 30 coaches for Goldline
Follow-up order follows 2019 deliveries One of the 30 new coaches on the Sunsundegui production line Translink, Northern Ireland’s state-owned has ordered a further 30 coaches from Spanish manufacturer Sunsundegui. Production of the vehicles is now underway and it follows delivery of 30 14.3-metre Volvo B11R triaxle coaches in 2019. The high specification...
FirstGroup reports patronage bounce back
Patronage improvements accelerating at UK bus division FirstGroup has reported an “encouraging acceleration” in the rate of patronage recovery in recent weeks at its UK bus division. In an update to the City this morning, the Aberdeen-based group says passenger volumes across the division have increased from around 10% of pre-pandemic levels at...
Grand Central’s service hits the buffers
Open access operator scraps plans as a result of pandemic Grand Central had acquired Class 90 locomotives and former LNER rolling stock to operate the new service Grand Central will not launch its planned North West route train service between Blackpool and London after Covid-19 rendered plans ‘unfeasible’. The open access train operator...
Giles Fearnley announces retirement
Janette Bell named as successor Janette Bell will join FirstGroup from P&O Ferries in October Giles Fearnley, managing director of FirstGroup’s UK bus division, has announced his retirement. He will be succeeded by Janette Bell who joins the group in October. Fearnley has been MD of First Bus since February 2011. Since then,...
Global bus and coach industry loses an ‘icon’
Bus and coach specialist Doug Jack has died, aged 78 Doug Jack: lifelong passion for buses Doug Jack, the widely respected bus and coach industry consultant, has died aged 78. He passed away peacefully in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2 after a short illness. Doug’s passion for the bus and coach...
Routemaster classic helps Go North East out
Extra buses, including a classic 1964 Northern General Routemaster, deployed to keep people moving Go North East, has deployed 56 extra buses to ensure there is sufficient extra capacity on its network as more schools and workers return and use the region’s buses. The extras are covering both Go North East’s and some...
Burchell quits Arriva for energy sector role
David Brown named as successor Chris Burchell Arriva has announced that Chris Burchell, managing director of the group’s UK rail division, will leave his role in October to join energy supplier SSE where he will take on the role of managing director of distribution. He will be succeeded on an interim basis by...
Rail restoration schemes move forward
Ten schemes win share of funding pot to develop schemes This summer South Western Railway ran a special fact-finding train to investigate the potential for re-opening the Fawley to Totton line The Department for Transport has revealed the rail restoration schemes that have successfully passed the first hurdle in the inaugural round of...
Freeman quits First West of England
James Freeman has announced he will retire next May James Freeman, who rose from bus conductor to becoming managing director of First West of England, has announced that he is retiring from the business next May. Freeman, who lives in Bath, has overseen a major transformation of the bus company in the region...
