Rail transport in the UK

HS2 Water Orton viaducts moved a step forward over the Christmas break, after engineers finished two key spans above the existing railway near Water Orton in Warwickshire, according to the HS2 Media Centre.

The Northumberland Line extra carriages debate has intensified as demand keeps running ahead of expectations on the reopened route, as reported by the BBC.

Edinburgh signalling upgrade work has been completed by Network Rail between Portobello and Edinburgh Waverley, with the focus on improving reliability on one of Scotland’s busiest rail corridors, as set out by the Network Rail Media Centre.

A Class 465 bogie overhaul is set to go ahead under a contract between Alstom and rolling stock lessor Eversholt Rail, as reported by Alstom.

Merseyrail contactless ticketing pilot plans are moving forward as the Liverpool City Region advances the next phase of a modern smart ticketing system.

Sussex rail engineering work will affect services across Sussex and south London over Christmas and New Year. Network Rail is urging passengers to plan ahead and check journeys, as noted by the Network Rail Media Centre.

Class 150 Sprinter preservation has reached The Watercress Line in Hampshire. The railway says it is the first UK heritage railway to take this type into its running fleet, as reported by RailUK.

UK Christmas Eve air travel is shaping up to hit a new high, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said, with passenger numbers expected to be the largest recorded for the date since tracking began in 1972, as set out in a BBC report on the CAA’s festive travel projections.

The RAIB landslip monitoring warning urges urgent action after concerns that some lineside monitoring equipment on Network Rail infrastructure may not detect slope failures in certain circumstances, as set out in GOV.

Avanti West Coast “Ignite a Change” is a new programme that uses technology to capture and develop staff suggestions, aiming to improve how the operator runs the business and strengthen the customer experience.

Project Yellow Submarine fundraiser has been launched by the ACMU Society to start urgent work on its preserved Class 315 unit, No.

Cycle link to new station plans are moving forward in Wellington. As BBC News reports, Somerset Council says it will spend up to £607,000 in the coming months on work intended to improve travel between the future station and the town centre.