Avanti West Coast to Trial Timetable Optimisation Programme from CFMS
Avanti West Coast has begun trialling a new a timetable optimisation programme which aims to boost train service reliability during unplanned disruptions. The tool, which was created by the independent digital engineering research organisation Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS), utilises data simulation to formulate prompt recommendations for train services impacted by scenarios including speed […]
California High-Speed Rail Cost Estimate Reduced by $1.7 Billion
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released its Draft 2026 Business Plan for a 60-day public review and comment period, setting out updated cost projections and delivery proposals for the state’s high-speed rail programme. The estimated cost of delivering Phase 1 of the system, linking San Francisco with Los Angeles and Anaheim, has fallen by […]
US: MBTA to Develop New Regional Rail Strategy
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced plans to develop an updated regional strategy that will enable a transformation of its rail system. The strategy, known as the Rail Modernization Plan, aims to identify both near-term investments and long-term needs, providing insight on how the MBTA may be able to enhance frequency, reliability, and […]
LA Metro to Open First Section of D Line Extension on 8 May
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has confirmed that Section 1 of its D Line Subway Extension Project will open to passengers on 8 May. The 3.92-mile extension will continue west from the current Wilshire/Western terminus in Koreatown, running beneath Wilshire Boulevard through Mid-Wilshire and into Beverly Hills. Three new underground stations have been […]
New Tram-Westtangente Line 14 Service Begins in Munich
The partial commissioning of the new Tram-Westtangente service has been marked in Munich’s Laim district, as Line 14 officially began operations. According to Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG), more than 5,000 visitors attended a citizens’ festival held on Laimer Anger on 28 February 2026. The event marked the first day of service on the new cross-city tram […]
Ticket Refund Changes – Media Factsheet
What is happening? From 1 April 2026, the following tickets, Anytime, Off-Peak, Day Travelcards and most Ranger and Rover tickets, will no longer be refundable on the day they become valid for travel. Self-serve automated refunds will only be available for tickets that have not yet become valid for travel with other refund requests being subject to additional checks. Refunds will continue to be available for customers who cannot travel because of disruption […]
Construction Underway on New Stations for Riyadh Red Line Extension
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has begun constructing two new stations for the Riyadh Metro within King Saud University, as part of the Red Line extension project. The development marks a further stage in the planned expansion of the metro network in the Saudi capital. The Red Line extension is intended to improve […]
Horse Power for the Railways: The Impulsoria Proposal Revisited
This archive extract from The Railway Magazine revisits the 1850 proposal for the Impulsoria, a system intended to apply animal power to railway working. Reproduced verbatim, it reflects contemporary thinking on conservation, cost, and alternative locomotive methods. Now that most of the civilised world is busily seeking ways of conserving energy, how about this? The […]
Icomera Appoints Rail Industry Leader Ben Dunlop as Managing Director of DG8
Icomera has announced the appointment of Ben Dunlop as the new Managing Director of its DG8 design and engineering division, effective early March. Ben brings more than 30 years’ experience across the UK rail sector. His career began with British Rail before moving to Atkins, where he rose through senior leadership roles covering engineering, business […]
Presence and Timer Dimming: Are We Saving Energy at the Cost of Passenger Confidence?
As the rail sector pursues ever greater energy efficiency, adaptive lighting systems promise incremental savings. But in passenger environments, could these measures unintentionally undermine the confidence and reassurance that good lighting is meant to provide? For passengers arriving at a station late at night, lighting is often the first indication that the railway is safe, […]