Passengers on the West Coast Main Line, one of the busiest rail routes in Europe, could benefit from faster, more frequent trains, less crowding and better connections if the first phase of the proposed High Speed line between London and Birmingham goes ahead as planned, according to a new report from Network Rail and watchdog Passenger Focus.

Signallers at a major signalling centre in Scotland are to go on strike again for four more days, but Network Rail has said that most trains will run. The dispute concerns the right of a staff member serving as a general purpose relief to be given a fixed job when one becomes vacant.

The Office of Rail Regulation has decided to prosecute Network Rail under health and safety law followng the Grayrigg derailment in early 2007. However, a rail union leader has warned that 'systemic problems' remain with the way maintenance is managed, five years later.

The first of six new trams ordered for London Tramlink should enter service next month, said Transport for London. The first of the vehicles is now being tested in the Croydon area.

Claims by Labour leader Ed Miliband that the Coalition government boosted this month's rail fare increases by allowing train operators to bring back the 'flex' -- and increase some fares by as much as 11 per cent -- have been challenged by the publication of a legal agreement which limited the suspension of the flex to just a year.

If the alternatives to HS2 suggested by 18 local authorities opposing HS2 were accepted, stations at Atherstone, Rugeley Trent Valley and Stone would be left without any trains at all, and commuter stations between Leighton Buzzardand London Euston would suffer reduced services. There would also be many more standing passengers on trains south of Northampton. These were among the main findings of a review for the government by Network Rail, which helped confirm transport secretary Justine Greening’s decision to go ahead with HS2 this week.

Train operators have defended the 5.9 per cent rise in average rail fares at the start of this month, after Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would 'take on' train companies and insist that caps on rises were equally applied to all fares.

The last edition of the printed edition of Railnews in its present style has been published: next month, it will be 'all change' – throughout the paper.

There has been a welcome in many quarters for the High Speed 2 plans announced by transport secretary Justine Greening today, but anti-HS2 campaigners are vowing to continue their opposition to the £32 billion project, which will eventually link London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds with trains travelling at up to 400km/h.

The transport secretary has given the green light to a domestic High Speed Rail network in Britain. The eventual system will be connected to the continent via HS1, and also include a link to Heathrow.