Britain’s regulator has launched an inquiry into the major disruption to train services on the Northern and Thameslink networks following the introduction of a new timetable on May 20. David Briginshaw reports.

THE introduction of a greatly-expanded timetable on the cross-London Thameslink on May 20, which has seen a 13% increase in the number of trains operated each day, and the retiming of most services on the wider Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) network, got off to a poor start with numerous train cancellations.

GOVIA Thameslink Railway (GTR), in cooperation with Britain’s infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) and Siemens, is claiming a world first by running the first train in passenger service on the central-London section of Thameslink using ATO over ETCS.

Automatic Train Operation has been widely used on metro lines for decades, but the technology is now starting to unlock benefits in more challenging main line environments. Keith Barrow reports from Vienna on how the industry is preparing to seize the opportunities offered by ATO on heavy rail networks.

BRITAIN’s National Audit Office says that the £7bn Thameslink project to upgrade routes through London has a realistic prospect of delivering value for money, but the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail (NR) now face a challenge to introduce the new expanded services, as they failed to start preparation early enough.