Punctuality rules to tighten next month
Timetables should be ‘fact, not fiction’, said a transport watchdog, after new rules measuring the punctuality of trains were announced by the Rail Delivery Group. From April actual train timings will be published to the minute at every calling point. The industry is already making internal use of this information in a bid to identify problems which delay trains. The Rail Delivery Group said the new system will be ‘the most transparent of all major railways in Europe’, and is ‘part of the industry’s wider programme of work to improve performance and increase customer satisfaction’.
First, Hitachi move ahead with East Coast open access FirstGroup’s plans to run budget-priced open access services on the East Coast Main Line have taken a major step forward with the order of five new trains from Hitachi. The rolling stock deal, worth £100 million, involves train leasing company Beacon Rail. Fares averaging ‘less than £25’ are being promised on board the single-class trains, which will run five times a day each way from 2021 between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh, calling at Stevenage, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Morpeth, with journey times of approximately four hours. One target market will be airline passengers between England and Scotland.
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