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Press releases

Railfuture press releases


2024


17th March - Railfuture's Manifesto for the forthcoming London elections - 10 key tasks
  • "Londoners won’t easily forgive the next Mayor or Assembly members if they fail to deliver a London rail system that operates reliably and effectively each day and also evolves to meet new demands" says Railfuture London Metro's Richard Bowry.

1st March - Rail passengers punished with inflation-busting fare rises
  • "Why are rail passengers being punished year after year with inflation-busting fare rises?" asks Railfuture chair Chris Page.

1st March - Launch of the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance
  • Railfuture Devon & Cornwall and 12 other stakeholders launch the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance today, with the aim of securing a new rail link between Bideford and Barnstaple and upgrade of the North Devon (Tarka) Line between Exeter and Barnstaple.

20th February - Railfuture comments following George Bradshaw Address
  • There’s been plenty of food for thought in the last 48 hours. But very little on making things better in the short term. Until the government of the day, together with the train operators, decide that their core goal is to run the train service....

4th February - Arriving from tomorrow - 130% fare increases on LNER
  • The removal of the Super Off Peak ticket is an awful move; we call upon LNER to reinstate the Super Off-Peak fare immediately – but to then continue the rest of the trial to understand how much it will be used

2023


22nd December - Rail Fare Increases - Another lukewarm response (a pair of posts on Social Media)
  • Relieved that it is not the potential 9%, but disappointed 1% more than CPI whilst motorists continue with a temporary reduction in fuel duty. And no news on fares reform.

21st December - Rail freight growth plans “nothing to celebrate”
  • Railfuture has given a lukewarm response to the government's recently published rail freight growth target.

31st October - Railway Ticket Offices – Railfuture responds: ‘But what happens next – will it be a pyrrhic victory??’
  • The headline is good news – but there’s a big sting in the tail – what will really happen next? Above all, we hope that the Government will now not instruct that money is to be taken from elsewhere on the railway to fund the cost of continuing with the current ticket office arrangements. That would be a very Pyrrhic victory for passengers and campaigners.

29th October - Rail ticket office closures – Railfuture sets out its hopes for Tuesday
  • The current proposals do not protect the many millions of passengers who cannot buy tickets other than at ticket offices (we think there could be as least 70 million purchases a year). We are particularly concerned that, whatever the watchdogs say, having considered the views of over 680,000 respondents, their recommendations may ultimately be rejected by the Secretary of State for Transport

4th October - HS2: Does Westminster really know what the North needs?
  • You don't build a house, stop before putting the upper floor and the roof on, and put a bunch of portacabins in the garden. Everyone knows that costs more when you finally finish the house and delays the benefits.....

15th August - Rail fares increases: They wouldn’t dare, would they?
  • On the eve of the release of July's inflation figures, Rail future urges the government not to continue with eye-watering rail fare hikes

27th July - Ticket Office closure consultation – Extension = Yes; The Right approach = Still No
  • Railfuture welcomes the extension in the deadline to the Ticket Office consultation deadline to 1 September. The process should have started with a proper look at why some intending travellers use Ticket Offices and then identified how Online, Ticket Vending machines and Contactless are to be improved.

12th July - The Ticket Office consultation is a mess – 101 unanswered questions with two weeks to go to comment
  • Railfuture has taken a look at the various Train Operator consultations and has found a morass of inconsistency and no sensible evidence that the proposals will collectively be good for passengers or taxpayers.

2nd July - Ticket Office closures - Penny wise, Pound foolish
  • A botched implementation will cost the taxpayer – and passengers. Railfuture has serious concerns that the much speculated ticket office closure programme expected from the Government will be bad for passengers, the taxpayer – and rail staff.

11th May 2023 - Why London Travelcards should not be scrapped
  • TfL needs to pause this idea of abolishing the Travelcard now, as contactless isn't yet fit for purpose

11th May 2023 - Railfuture calls for services on the Marston Vale Line to restart in time for the Autumn school term
  • We welcome more regular updates about progress in the reinstatement, but want specific dates, rather than promises 'by season'

27th March 2023 - Railfuture celebrates life after Beeching
  • On the 60th anniversary of the infamous Beeching report, Railfuture celebrates the more than 400 stations and 100 lines and links restored.

16th February - Returning a train service to the Marston Vale Line
  • Railfuture calls for no stone to be left unturned to get trains running again on the Marston Vale Line between Bedford & Bletchley.

9th February - Rail reform - where are the actions to make improvements now?
  • Railfuture comments on the George Bradshaw Address given by Secretary of State for Transport.

2022


23rd December - The 2023 Fare Rise and Deckchairs
  • Railfuture’s views on the 2023 Rail Fare increase of 5.9% - An article written by Director Neil Middleton, who suggests that the fare rise announcement is just like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

15th December - Rail strikes - Who can stop this madness?
  • Railfuture’s policy director Ian Brown CBE FCILT argues that actually the workers themselves hold the key to solving this dispute.

10th October - Campaigners welcome GWR funding for Devon rail scheme
  • Railfuture welcomes news that Tarka Rail Association's 'ACE Rail' campaign has secured a grant from GWR's Community Fund.

26th August - East West Rail between Oxford and Cambridge must be completed in full
  • Rail campaigners are warning that the full East West Rail scheme is at risk, following comments by Grant Shapps.

16th August - Rail fares increases: smoke and mirrors?
  • Wednesday sees the release of July’s inflation figure,.expected to be around12%. Will the fare rise be below inflation?

22nd June - Opinion: What should replace the railway ticket office?
  • Railfuture sets out its vision for the ways rail tickets should be sold and why in-person ticket sales remain an essential choice – even if the “ticket office” is to be closed.

6th June - Britain’s rail fares now fifty times more expensive than in Germany
  • Germany has introduced a new bargain ticket to entice people back onto their railways. For 9 Euros (less than £8) you can buy a whole month’s travel during June, July or August throughout all of Germany on local regional trains, trams and buses.

27th February - Rail fare hikes stoking the cost of living crisis
  • Rail fare hikes of 3.8% kick in on Tuesday 1st March, adding to the current cost of living crisis.

17th January 2022 - South Western Railway hits a new low point.
  • Railfuture condemns cuts to Waterloo trains from stations west of Bournemouth.

2021


9th November 2021 - Anger as rail is competely ignored at COP26
  • Wednesday is transport day at COP26 but campaigners are angry that rail seems to have been left off the agend

October 2021 - Campaigners slam government hypocrisy on eve of COP26
  • Tomorrow sees the opening of the climate summit in Glasgow, but transport campaigners have accused the government of hypocrisy following the autumn budget.

October 2021 - The Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021: delivering for UK Rail services
  • As we await tomorrow’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review, Railfuture has voiced its fears for the future of the railway.

October 2021 - Battling to save Waterloo – Bristol train services
  • Railfuture and several other campaign groups are joining forces to fight plans to scrap direct trains from Bristol to Waterloo

August 2021 - Short sighted rail companies shooting themselves in the foot
  • New railway timetable proposals will deter passengers from travelling, leading to a downward spiral.

August 2021 - Time for Action, not Words on Rail fares
  • A good first step would be to announce that the historic RPI + 1% habit has been retired and commit to a better choice.

August 2021 - “Seriously flawed” East Coast timetable plans
  • The rail industry must urgently look again at a proposed new rail timetable. Railfuture says that it will make many journeys more difficult.

August 2021 - Railfuture’s way forward for at-risk HS2 East and Northern Powerhouse Rail
  • The eagerly anticipated Integrated Plan has been delayed, leading to fears of cutbacks or cancellations to investment in the North of England’s railways.

July 2021 - The Flexi-Season: not quite flexi enough
  • Railfuture is invited to the House of Lords to advocate an improvement to the new Flexi-season tickets

July 2021 - New East Coast rail timetable will bring worse services
  • Thousands of passengers will see fewer train services and will be forced to change trains more often.

June 2021 - New flexi rail fares: one step forward, one step back
  • Railfuture gives a cautious welcome to new flexi-season tickets, but there are fears that some travellers may end up worse off.

June 2021 - LNER "taking leave of their senses"
  • Railfuture has called on one of the region's biggest train companies to reverse its decision to make seat reservations compulsory on all its services.

June 2021 - Stocksbridge: bring back passenger trains
  • The opportunity must be grasped to return the freight-only Stocksbridge line to passenger use

May 2021 - The end of rail franchising – will the passenger notice any improvement?
  • Rail campaigners have given a cautious welcome to the long awaited Williams review, which will confirm the end of rail franchising.

April 2021 - Fears of compulsory seat reservations on trains
  • Railfuture has discovered that LNER is planning to impose compulsory seat reservations on their trains

February 2021 - Rail campaigners condemn inflation-busting fare hikes
  • Monday March 1st sees fare rises of 2.6% kick in across England and Wales. "This is the usual annual punishment for rail passengers, just slightly delayed"

February 2021 - A new type of train ticket for the return to the office
  • Railfuture is calling for a new type of rail ticket for people who spend only part of their working time in the workplace.

January 2021 - A new railway station for Long Stratton
  • Railfuture is calling for a new rail station on the Great Eastern mainline, close to the growing town of Long Stratton. The case for a station is set out in a new report.

2020


December 2020 - Rail campaigners condemn inflation-busting rail fare increases.
  • “This really isn't going to help bring passengers back to trains” said Chris Page, chairman of the campaign group Railfuture.

December 2020 - New Trains Claim Angers Campaigners
  • North East Rail campaigners were left fuming when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said they enjoy brand new trains on the Northern network.

November 2020 - 2020 Spending Review
  • A missed opportunity for rail

August 2020 - Time for a rail fare freeze
  • July’s inflation figures are usually used to set next January’s ticket price increase, but Railfuture is calling for a freeze.

July 2020 - Public transport can now start again to play its proper role
  • Railfuture welcomes the announcement by the Prime Minister in the Downing Street Coronavirus briefing that “In England, from today, we are making clear that anybody may use public transport”.

June 2020 - Time for Whitehall to drop advice to avoid trains
  • There’s an urgent need to get the rail system working again to support economic recovery, as Covid-19 lockdown is eased

June 2020 - Rail campaigners fear loss of direct trains between Yorkshire and London
  • Railfuture Yorkshire Branch and five local rail user groups have today written to the Secretary State for Transport calling for Government action to ensure the survival of two vital Yorkshire train services.

March 2020 - Gloucestershire Transport Plan doesn't do enough
  • Rail campaigners say the Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan Review doesn't do enough to address climate change or meet the growing demand for rail travel.

February 2020 - Rail campaigners welcome green light for HS2
  • “We’re delighted that the Prime Minister has recognised the contribution that investment in our railways can make in addressing economic development, social imbalance and environmental concerns across Britain” said Chris Page, chairman of Railfuture.

February 2020 - HS2: the issue is the need to increase capacity
  • Railfuture director Ian Brown comments on the ongoing debate about HS2: "“There is no dispute amongst proponents or detractors of HS2 that the issue is the need to increase the capacity of the rail network throughout Britain. Nobody disputes this...The debate about HS2 is about how best to achieve this"

January 2020 - Re-opening Beeching era lines and stations
  • Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ announcement of a £500million fund for restoring rail connectivity to isolated communities comes not a moment too soon, as Britons hunger for an expanded rail network to rise to the twin challenges of improving our economy and our environment.

January 2020 - Northern re-nationalisation: "Nothing will change"
  • Grant Shapps is widely expected to announce the re-nationalisation of the Northern franchise. Railfuture director Ian Brown gives his analysis. "The baying masses have their trophy like a fox being torn apart. The problem is that this doesn’t achieve anything. All the issues on the Northern network remain."

January 2020 - What's the way forward for the Northern franchise?
  • Grant Shapps is threatening to strip Northern of its franchise. Is this the solution? What are the causes of Northern's woes? Is it just a Northern failing. or is there an industry-wide problem? What should the government do next? Railfuture's analysis has just been published and can be found here.


2019


December 2019 - Another decade of misery for rail passengers
  • Rail fares go up by an average of 2.7% on the 2nd January. The government shows no sign of ending its policy of squeezing passengers harder and harder, year after year.

December 2019 - A manifesto for rail
  • Railfuture has published its own analysis of the political parties’ proposed policies on transport. “The environment has taken centre stage, and railways have risen up to the top of the political agenda” said Ian Brown, who authored the report. “The key rail issues are devolution, electrification, HS2, and Northern Powerhouse Rail. But politicians need to be far better informed about the role that rail policies can take.in addressing environmental, economic and social change.”

  • “There are several main failures that we’ve identified, including a failure to grasp the direct potential of railways in addressing climate change issues, although nearly all the parties recognise that rail investment including electrification is essential. The key to environmental issues is doubling the capacity of the rail network so that these benefits really show. Devolution is also often stressed but the details are rather hazy, the key point being missed is integration.”

  • Railfuture’s manifesto for rail - a detailed commentary of all party manifestos – can be found at Party manifestos for rail.

September 2019 - "Every passenger matters"
  • Bristol plays host to a major rail conference later this month, with the theme “every passenger matters”, as a platform of speakers from the very top of the rail industry meet to discuss inclusion and accessibility for passengers using the rail network.

August 2019 - Rail campaigners welcome u-turn on Interrail
  • Railfuture was "appalled" at the at the Rail Delivery Group’s unilateral decision to pull out of Interrail and Eurail without prior consultation and welcomed the reversal of this decision

February 2019 - Franchising cannot continue – so how to fix the railway?
  • Rail Review Chair Keith Williams says that the rail franchising system cannot continue in the way it is now. The big question is how to fix it.

January 2019 - Lancashire rail company to receive national award tomorrow
  • Carnforth-based West Coast Railway Co is being rewarded for its work in providing an emergency summer service when Northern couldn’t.

2018


December 2018 - Rail passengers rewarded with yet another kick in the wallet
  • Rail fares go up by an average of 3.1% on 2nd January, despite 2018 being one of the worst years ever for punctuality.

November 2018 - Rail safety expert to speak at Ralfuture meeting
  • Ian Prosser CBE, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Railways and the director of railway safety at the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will be speaking in Cambridge on 1st December.

November 2018 - Rail User Group Awards winners announced
  • Railfuture's annual Rail User Group Awards were presented at our annual national autumn conference in Reading by Vice-President Stewart Palmer.

November 2018 - "Rail driving growth in the Thames Valley" Conference
  • Reading plays host to Railfuture's annual conference with a platform of speakers from the very top of the rail industry.

October 2018 - Budget: Unhappy New Year for rail passengers
  • Today’s budget is expected to confirm an Unhappy New Year for rail passengers, already smarting from months of disrupted services, with a fares rise of 3.2% yet a continuation of the fuel duty freeze for motorists.

October 2018 - Rail campaigners welcome the start of tram trains in Yorkshire.
  • Railfuture director Ian Brown is delighted to witness the introduction of tram train services from Rotherham to Sheffield

October 2018 - Green GB Week - Trains can help us stop the world from frying
  • Green GB Week starts on Monday, and rail campaigners have joined the many voices in responding to the UN Climate Change report, arguing that rail investment is key to achieving green growth

August 2018 - Has the government succeeded in pricing people off the railways?
  • Inflation figures will dictate the level of fare rises in January, against a backdrop of passenger numbers starting to fall.

May 2018 - Transport secretary receives a 4,000 signature letter calling for a rail reopenings fund
  • Railfuture joined forces with the Campaign for Better Transport to push for a fund to kick-start new potential rail reopenings

February 2018 - Sustrans has got it wrong, says rail group
  • Railfuture replies to a recent open letter published by Sustrans objecting to re-using the Bristol and Bath railway path for rail



2017


December 2017 - Rail fare rises show undeniable bias against the rail traveller
  • In January, rail fares will rise by 3.4%, the highest increase in five years. Fuel duty for motorists has been frozen for seven years, but not rail fares, which have risen by more than 30% in that same period

November 2017 - Railfuture's RUG Awards winners
  • The winners of this year's Rail User Groups Awards have been announced. The awards, now in their sixth year, were presented at Railfuture's annual national conference in Leicester. See them all here.

August 2017 - Fare increase misery for rail passengers
  • Fares increase by 3.6% in the new year. Passengers will feel rightly miffed that rail fares are going up when so much rail investment has been cancelled

August 2017 - Britain’s Growing Railway
  • Railfuture publishes its updated version of the book, cataloguing the 400 stations which have been opened (or reopened) since 1960, along with 600 miles of new track

July 2017 - Rail campaigners condemn electrification fudge
  • Railfuture reacted with dismay to news that major electrification schemes are to be scrapped. "It's hugely disappointing news for the railway and it highlights the government's lack of ambition"

April 2017 - West Midlands desperately underfunded for transport
  • That was the overwhelming consensus of the mayoral candidates who met last night to debate the region's transport needs, at a public debate organised by Railfuture and Friends of the Earth

March 2017 - Throwing down the challenge on pollution
  • West Midlands mayoral candidates will be challenged on pollution caused by transport at a forum organised by Railfuture



2016


December 2016 - Rail fare increases
  • On the 2nd of January, rail fares will rise again by an average of 2.3%. What are passengers getting for their money?

December 2016 - Action plan for ticketing
  • The Department for Transport has agreed to work together with rail industry and consumer groups, including Railfuture, to improve ticketing information for passengers

November 2016 - Railfuture's RUG Awards winners
  • Railfuture's 5th annual Awards for Rail User Groups have been announced, judged by six of our Vice-Presidents - Paul Abell, Ian Brown, Barry Doe, Roger Ford, Chris Irwin, Stewart Palmer, and Honorary President Christian Wolmar. See them all here.

November 2016 - Great Western electrification - will it ever be completed?
  • Rail campaigners in the West have expressed dismay at the further delay to electrification of the Great Western main lines

November 2016 - Birmingham plays host to Railfuture's annual conference
  • The conference will see the presentation of the fifth annual Rail User Group awards, judged by Railfuture Vice-Presidents such as Adrian Shooter, Chris Green, Ian Brown, Roger Ford, and Barry Doe

October 2016 - Grampian rail service proposals
  • Railfuture unveils a bold vision of what Grampian rail services could look like

October 2016 - Airport capacity solutions must include rail.
  • Railfuture calls on the government to include integrated rail links in its plans for airport expansion

October 2016 - Tayside rail service proposals
  • Railfuture unveils a bold vision of what Tayside rail services could look like

October 2016 - Delay Repay 15
  • It's good news that passengers will be able to claim compensation for trains which are more than 15 minutes late

September 2016 - Priority list for new station investment
  • Railfuture welcomes the Government’s new £20 million fund for new railway stations and proposes a list of priority candidates for this new investment

August 2016 - Inflation and fare rises
  • July's inflation figures determine next January's fare rises - 1.9%. Railfuture wants the lower CPI figure to be used, just 0.6%

July 2016 - Railfuture Scotland's vision for rail services in Fife
  • A bold vision of what rail services could look like, greatly enhancing the opportunities for fast, frequent and environmentally-friendly travel within the Kingdom and further afield

July 2016 - Railfuture welcomes Chris Grayling to his new job
  • The new transport secretary also receives a top ten list of investment recommendations in an open letter from Railfuture Chair Chris Page

June 2016 - Borders Railway success – Railfuture Conference shares the secrets
  • Railfuture stages national conference at Newtongrange on the Borders Railway on 18 June 2016

May 2016 - Railfuture campaigning success
  • Lea Bridge station is finally reopened after 31 years of closure and five years of campaigning

January 2016 - Britain's "invisible" new railway stations
  • Passengers trying to travel to Britain's newest railway station may have some difficulty buying tickets to get there. That's because only about half of the websites selling tickets have the new station listed

January 2016 - Rail prices increasingly divorced from reality
  • Railfuture comments on January 2nd’s annual rail price hike. “High street prices have remained stagnant for more than a year, with the official CPI inflation figure hovering around zero, yet the government thinks it’s fair to make rail travel even more expensive”



2015


December 2015 - Yeovil's two stations connected at last
  • A direct rail service will operate between Yeovil Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction for the first time in 47 years

November 2015 - Railfuture's Rail User Group Awards winners
  • The full list of winners of this year's Rail User Group awards have been announced. The awards, now in their fourth year, were presented by Christian Wolmar, Railfuture's Honorary President, at Railfuture's Bristol conference on 7th November. See them all here.

October 2015 - Railfuture's Autumn Conference
  • Rail Resurgence in the West of England: Bristol and the West of England are on the brink of tremendous opportunities to expand rail services

October 2015 - Eurostar survey
  • New Railfuture research has highlighted two major areas of concern for passengers travelling on Eurostar — outdated trains with shabby interiors, and the lack of integration for onward travel

August 2015 - Inflation figures
  • The government is accused of using "smoke and mirrors" to disguise real term rises in rail fares

July 2015 - East West Rail preferred corridors
  • Railfuture welcomes the East West Rail Central Section Study identifying a pair of preferred corridors for a railway linking Bedford to Cambridge

June 2015 - Lack of vision in Devon
  • Campaigners have condemned the short sighted lack of vision of the Dartmoor National Park Authority for allowing building on the former trackbed in Ashburton

April 2015 - Rail fare price freeze: good, but….
  • An announcement of an end to inflation-busting rail fares seems welcome, but is it all it seems?

February 2015 - Will Midlands electrification happen?
  • Railfuture gives a cautious welcome to George Osborne's talk of electrifying the line between Bristol and Derby



2014


December 2014 - More pain for rail passengers
  • With motoring becoming cheaper, Railfuture calls for an end to inflation-busting rail fares

December 2014 - Time to plan for more rail freight
  • A key way to unlock more rail freight lies in the planning system. Railfuture's new report shows how

November 2014 - Railfuture's reaction to East Coast win
  • Railfuture welcomes today's announcement that Stagecoach and Virgin have won the East Coast franchise

November 2014 - Railfuture Scotland's rail expansion plans launched
  • Railfuture Scotland unveiled proposals for the future of the rail network in Scotland, including 50 new stations on the existing rail network

November 2014 - Clegg's Northern rail plans lack detail
  • Railfuture gives a cautious welcome to the deputy prime minister's announcement today regarding railway investment in the North of England

November 2014 - Railfuture's Rail User Group Awards winners
  • The winners of Railfuture's third annual RUG awards were presented by Christian Wolmar at our London conference. See them all here.

October 2014 - Reaction to Scotrail franchise win
  • Rail campaigners have given a cautious welcome to news that Abellio has won the Scotrail franchise

October 2014 - Meet the women who run our railways
  • Railfuture's London conference on the 1st November features an all-female line up of industry bigwigs

September 2014 - Rail disruption happens - how can we reduce the impact?
  • Railfuture is launching a campaign to reduce the impact on passengers when rail services are disrupted

August 2014 - Last call for rail user group award bids
  • Local rail campaign groups across the country have just a month left to enter for Railfuture's annual rail user group awards. Nominations for the awards, now in their third year, close on 30th September

August 2014 - Campaigning to protect rail services in the North
  • Railfuture submits its response to government consultation, but services could get worse unless we shout out

August 2014 - Why are rail passengers still feeling the pain?
  • Railfuture's reaction to the latest inflation figures and likely fare rises in January

August 2014 - Strong business case for reinstating railway missing link
  • Rail campaigners have welcomed the high level study published today by the East West Rail Consortium which finds there will be real economic and social benefits gained from the building of The Central Section of the East West Rail link

August 2014 - Lewes Town Hall Open Day supports Lewes - Uckfield reopening
  • Railfuture's "Bridge the gap" campaign to re-open the rail link between Lewes and Uckfield attracted widespread support in a well-attended event in Lewes Town Hall on Saturday

July 2014 - North to get modern Southern diesels from Electrification infills
  • Hard-pressed commuters across northern England would get 44 modern diesel carriages to relieve crowding as soon as two short routes in Kent and East Sussex are electrified

June 2014- Rail bosses to meet in Cambridge
  • Railfuture's annual summer conference at the University Centre will feature talks by David Statham, Managing Director of First Capital Connect and Paul McMahon from Network Rail

May 2014 - Mary Creagh MP meets rail campaigners
  • The Shadow Transport Secretary, Mary Creagh, addressed Railfuture's AGM in Sheffield at the weekend

May 2014 - Happy birthday Channel Tunnel
  • Rail campaigners are saying happy birthday to the Channel Tunnel, which was officially opened on the 6th of May 1994

April 2014 - HS2: Is the government prematurely closing off High Speed options?
  • Lord Berkeley has written to Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin expressing concern that the government may be prematurely closing off options for connecting HS1 to HS2

February 2014 - Demolish Euston and go further
  • Railfuture is urging George Osborne to go even further in his proposal to demolish Euston station

February 2014 - Inflation figures highlight rail fares rip-off
  • January's 1.9% inflation figure has highlighted the unfairness of recent rail fare rises

February 2014 - Passengers call for better access to ferry ports
  • A report by Railfuture concludes that connections to ferry ports for foot passengers are nowhere near as good as they could be

January 2014 - Integrated transport for Somerset
  • John Hassall and Nigel Bray of Railfuture will meet Transport Minister Baroness Kramer to present their proposal for an integrated transport authority for Somerset



2013


December 2013: More rail fare pain for commuters
  • On the 2nd January, rail fares will rise again by an average of 3.1%, meaning that our trains are easily the most expensive in Europe

December 2013: More good news on electrification
  • Railfuture welcomes news of further electrification of the network

December 2013: Railfuture welcomes Transport Select Committee findings on HS2
  • "We agree that this project is essential to bring much-needed capacity to Britain's rail network" said a statement

December 2013: More good news on Uckfield-Lewes
  • Rail campaigners are giving a cautious welcome to the latest news regarding the Lewes-Uckfield campaign

Decenber 2013: Campaigning success in Autumn Statement
  • Following repeated calls from Railfuture, George Osborne backs down on inflation-busting rail fare increases

November 2013: Rail fares go up by twice the rate of inflation
  • Latest inflation figures mean that passengers can look forward to rail fare increases of twice the rate of inflation in the new year

November 2013: Railfuture's Rail User Group Awards winners 2013
  • Railfuture announces the winners of the 2nd annual Rail User Group awards. See them all here.

October 2013: HS2 statement
  • Railfuture issued a statement arguing that there was no "do-nothing" option for rail in this country

October 2013: Railfuture's Oxford conference
  • Rail experts from around the country will be gathering in Oxford on Saturday 2 November for a one-day conference at Oxford Town Hall

October 2013: Dalmeny chord
  • Railfuture Scotland is calling for the reopening of a 3km chord to avoid huge disruption to passengers during essential upgrade works

September 2013: Fuel freeze
  • Rail campaigners are calling for a fair deal for passengers, after George Osborne announced plans to freeze fuel duty for motorists

May 2013: Government statement on reopening Uckfield - Lewes!!
  • Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport, has asked Network Rail to look again at reopening the Lewes - Uckfield rail line

May 2013: Mayor welcomes Railfuture conference
  • The Mayor of Durham, Councillor John Wilkinson, will welcome important “heavyweights” from across the railway industry when he opens this year’s Railfuture National Conference and AGM at Durham Town Hall on Saturday (11th May)

March 2013: 50 years of rail success
  • Rail campaigners are celebrating numerous successes in reopening lines and stations since Dr Richard Beeching published his infamous report ‘The Reshaping of British Railways’

March 2013: Rail campaigners back Welsh transport revolution
  • Railfuture welcomes the findings of the Commons Welsh Affairs Committee report regarding railways in Wales

March 2013: Railfuture commissions consultants for Uckfield - Lewes rail link
  • Missing link moves a step nearer

February 2013: An astonishing run of safety on Britain's railways
  • Six years in a row without a single passenger fatality in the UK - the longest run ever

January 2013: Flawed thinking on HS2
  • Rail campaigners have reacted with disappointment to proposals for the second phase of HS2 - a continuation of the flawed thinking that gave us a controversial route through the Chilterns

January 2013: Solutions to rail flooding in Devon
  • Rail campaigners have responded to recent flooding of the mainline railway near Exeter. Railfuture's Devon and Cornwall branch have written a report "The November 2012 Railway Flooding In Devon", offering some solutions and observations

January 2013: Underwhelmed by Brown report
  • Rail campaigners today gave a lukewarm reception to the new Brown review of rail franchising



2012


December 2012: Enough is enough say rail campaigners
  • On the 2nd of January 2013, rail fares will rise above inflation for the tenth year in a row

December 2012: Getting freight off the roads

November 2012: Railfuture's inaugural Rail User Group awards
  • Railfuture Honorary President Christian Wolmar today (3rd November) presented the first-ever Awards to local Rail Users Groups for their various contributions to rail campaigning (see slideshow of winners)

November 2012: Airport survey published
  • Getting to and from UK airports is difficult and expensive, according to new research by Railfuture and Bus Users UK (BUUK)

October 2012: Railways in the Heart of England
  • Rail experts from across the country will be meeting in Birmingham to discuss the future of rail transport in the West Midlands

October 2012: Dismay over West Coast rail fiasco
  • Railfuture has reacted with dismay to the latest announcements regarding the West Coast mainline franchising fiasco

October 2012: Rail fare rise climbdown
  • Rail campaigners are claiming victory in a battle to stop inflation-busting fare rises for rail travellers

July 2012: Midland Main Line electrification
  • Railfuture has given a warm welcome to the widely anticipated announcement of electrification of the Midland Main Line

July 2012: Public Accounts Committee has misjudged HS1
  • Railfuture has criticised the Public Accounts Committee over its assessment of HS1

June 2012: Rail campaigners want to copy Scottish rail successes
  • Railfuture conference hears that rail patronage forecasts understimated demand

June 2012: Don't concrete over railways, say campaigners
  • Railfuture gives evidence at Bristol rapid transit public inquiry

May 2012 Rail campaigners celebrate Scottish successes
  • Railfuture's forthcoming reopenings conference in Stirling

May 2012: Crossings becoming safer despite fatality at Ufton Nervet level crossing

May 2012: Rail Passengers being treated unfairly

May 2012: Big Hitters Join Rail Campaign
  • Chistian Wolmar becomes Railfuture's Honorary President
  • Former Secretary of State for Transport becomes a Vice President
  • Former rail chief executives Chris Green and Adrian Shooter also become VPs
  • Respected railway writers Roger Ford and Barry Doe are new VPs too.

March 2012: Railfuture issues Policy Statement on proposed route for HS2 Phase 1

January 2012: High speed rail network announcement - "dismay at flawed route for vital line"



2011


December 2011: Unfairness of 2012 fare increases

December 2011: Railfuture welcomes announcement of government approval for Croxley Rail Link

November 2011: Railfuture welcomes major rail projects announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement
  • East West Rail link phase I
  • Trans Pennine link electrification

November 2011: Railfuture welcomes government backdown on rail fare increases

November 2011: Railfuture's reaction to Transport Committee's 'lukewarm' endorsement of HS2 Limited's scheme for a new high-speed line north

November 2011: Railfuture calls for fast Heathrow to Reading rail link

July 2011: Railfuture's high-speed conference finds common ground in call for better rail links across Britain

May 2011: Railfuture's initial reaction to the McNulty Review on Rail Value for Money

March 2011: Rail passengers react positively to news of further electrification

March 2011: Rail passengers give guarded welcome to Budget

March 2011: Rail campaigners give warm welcome to news that Swindon-Kemble Line will be re-doubled



2010


December 2010: Rail fares up again – but worse to come

December 2010: HS2 route rethink

November 2010: Plaid Cymru adopts Railfuture ideas to develop railways

November 2010: Rail conference comes to Shoreditch

August 2010: Getting better value for money out of the railways

June 2010: Rail conference comes to Taunton

March 2010: Must High Speed 2 go through the Chilterns?

February 2010: Research finds airport link quality varies

January 2010: Campaigners look forward to improved Welsh rail services

January 2010: Manifesto for 21st Century



2009


December 2009: Pre-Budget electrification announcement

November 2009: Corby rail reopening inspires conference

October 2009: Call for axed road cash to upgrade railway

September 2009: Railfuture calls for rolling electrification programme

September 2009: Money exists to reopen Portishead Line

July 2009: Stability and improvements after National Express East Coast collapse

March 2009: Report highlights lack of joined-up thinking on British railways

January 2009: Payback time for excessive rail fares

January 2009: 100mph Oxford-Cambridge Rail Link



2008


November 2008: "Railways in the Future" conference sells out

November 2008: Last chance for Radstock railway

August 2008: Rail campaigners cheer new Eurostar service



For more information please contact:
Bruce Williamson, media spokesman
Tel: 0117 927 2954
Mobile: 07759 557389
Email: media at railfuture.org.uk