Want to know what's been happening in the UK rail industry this month? Read on to find out.
East Coast franchise for Inter City Railways
The big rail news of the month is the fact the East Coast franchise has been awarded to Inter City Railways, a consortium comprised of StageCoach and Virgin.
Running for eight years, the new franchise will start on March 1st 2015 and could be extended for a further year at the transport minister Patrick McLoughlin's discretion. More than £140 million is set to be invested in the route, which runs from London to Edinburgh and passes through the likes of Peterborough, Leeds and Newcastle.
Among the changes will be 23 new services from London, with an extra 75 station calls each day. Some 31,000 more seats will have been added to morning peak time services, while 12,200 additional seats will be added to the fleet as a whole, representing a 50 per cent increase.
Mr McLoughlin stated: "This is a fantastic deal for passengers and for staff on this vital route. It gives passengers more seats, more services and new trains.
"We are putting passengers at the heart of the service. I believe Stagecoach and Virgin will not only deliver for customers but also for the British taxpayer."
The East Coast line had previously been state-run and the decision for it to be re-privatised is somewhat controversial. A report from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) recently revealed the route is the most efficient in the UK, costing the taxpayer less than any of the 15 privately-run rail franchises in the country.
Gatwick Express and Thameslink get new trains
The Department for Transport has revealed hundreds of millions are being spent on the creation of new trains for the Gatwick Express fleet and Thameslink route.
Some 108 new carriages will replace the existing trains used in the latter and are due to enter service in 2016. Meanwhile, 116 new carriages will be introduced to the Thameslink line between Bedford and Brighton from December this year.
Rail minister Claire Perry stated: "These new British-built trains are great news for passengers and a boost for the economy."
Too many delays, says ORR
There have been too many delays on the UK's rail lines between April and the end of October 2014. This is according to the ORR, which has recently released data relating to the industry's performance in this period.
Network punctuality was 89.1 per cent, which is 0.7 percentage points below the target set by the regulator. It was also revealed that Network Rail overspent by £40 million in the year to date and an overspend of £112 million is forecast for 2014-15.
ORR chief executive Richard Price stated: "Too many people are facing too many delays. It is the biggest source of dissatisfaction with the railways, and the industry needs to tackle the problem."
In more positive news, Network Rail was found to have made good progress in improving safety at level crossings. This has been achieved through a programme of closures, as well as more effective risk assessment and the introduction of improved technology and systems.
HS2 momentum continues
Robert Goodwill, under secretary of state at the Department for Transport, recently discussed the development of the High Speed 2 project at the the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport HS2 conference.
He claimed the debate surrounding the development has moved on from whether HS2 will be built to how it will be built. However, he also stressed the importance of planning and coordination at local levels if the project is to be a success.
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