FIRST Group and Trenitalia have withdrawn from the competition to run the new East Midlands franchise as the partners seek to concentrate their resources on their bid for the West Coast Partnership (WCP).

BRITAIN’s Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), with funding from the Department for Transport (DfT), has awarded a grant to a consortium led by open-access operator Grand Central and including Liebherr-Transportation Systems and Newcastle University’s Centre for Railway Research (NewRail), to develop an active radial suspension system (ARSS).

ITALIAN open-access high-speed operator NTV-Italo and Spanish national train operator Renfe have been granted permission by Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) to participate in upcoming rail franchise competitions.

THE British government has granted funding to infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) to design, develop a business case, and conduct public consultation on a project to increase capacity in the Croydon area, a major bottleneck on the London - Brighton main line.

BRITAIN’s minister of state with the Department of Transport (DfT), Mr Jo Johnson, has called for the withdrawal of diesel-only trains by 2040 and the decarbonisation of the railway.

STAGECOACH, one of three groups selected by Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) to bid for the new South Eastern franchise, has invited Alstom to join its bidding team. Provided the DfT approves the deal and Stagecoach wins the franchise, Alstom will hold 20% of the share capital of the new train operating company.

BRITAIN’s secretary of state for transport Mr Chris Grayling informed the House of Commons on February 5 that the Department for Transport (DfT) is making contingency plans to take over the operation of the Inter-City East Coast (ICEC) franchise from Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC).

BRITAIN’s secretary of state for Transport Mr Chris Grayling has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rail enhancements and resilience measures in South West England amid heightening concern among politicians in the region over a lack of clear action on the issue.

THE British government published a new strategic vision for the national rail network on November 29 which calls for closer integration between the state-owned infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) and the passenger franchisees and private freight operators. The strategy will also look at reopening lines.

TENDERS have been invited by Britain’s Department for Transport for a new South Eastern franchise which covers commuter services from London to towns including Chatham, Margate, Maidstone, Canterbury, Dover and Hastings, and domestic high-speed services on HS1. The franchise will be for eight years with an option to extend it for one year.