RAILSCOT | Rail franchises axed as help for train firms grows [BBC News]

Rail franchises axed as help for train firms grows [BBC News]

Date: 21/09/2020

The government has scrapped rail franchising and announced plans to extend support for train firms.

After passenger numbers fell during lockdown, taxpayer money was used to plug the shortfall in ticket revenues.

So far, the bill has run to more than £3.5bn and the Department for Transport has said ^significant^ support will still be needed.

Although passenger numbers have edged up since lockdown, they are still less than half pre-pandemic levels.

External links

Rail franchises axed as help for train firms grows

BBC News

The rail franchising system has been scrapped and a £3.5bn survival scheme for train firms extended.

Related news items

Tags: x Franchising x COVID-19 x Grant Shapps

Date	Item
22/09/2020	ScotRail Emergency Measures Agreement extended [Railway Gazette]
21/09/2020	Government axes rail franchising after 24 years [RAIL]
21/09/2020	Rail franchising reaches the terminus as a new railway takes shape [GOV.UK]
19/09/2020	'Book in advance' plea as CalMac unveils new timetable [Ross-shire Journal]
18/09/2020	Rail nationalisations may be coming down the track [BBC News]
18/09/2020	Government support for ScotRail staff and passengers as emergency funding extended [ScotRail]
17/09/2020	Fatal train derailment 'like Hornby set thrown in air' [BBC News]
11/09/2020	CrossCountry resumes normal seat reservations [Railway Gazette]
07/09/2020	Delhi metro: India's largest subway reopens after Covid-19 shutdown [BBC News]
06/09/2020	UK rail operators plan to restore 90% of train services [The Guardian]
06/09/2020	Campaign launched for free public transport in Glasgow to help economy recover [The Scottish Sun]
05/09/2020	LNER adds extra trains between Newcastle, Edinburgh and London [Chronicle Live]
03/09/2020	Covid-19 impact: Amtrak to furlough 2,000 workers [Railway Technology]
02/09/2020	UK rail passengers down 3m on last year despite return to office plea [the Guardian]
01/09/2020	Network Rail report into resilience of UKs railway to be published shortly [Press and Journal]
28/08/2020	Why facemasks should be worn on trains [ScotRail]
26/08/2020	Rail services to be increased from September 7 [Largs and Millport Weekly News]
26/08/2020	Passengers to be warned when trains are busy [BBC News]
21/08/2020	Crossrail delayed again until 2022 and another 450m over budget [The Guardian]
20/08/2020	Calls for major fares shake-up as rail prices rise despite pandemic [Scotsman]
18/08/2020	Cut rail fares to counter Covid slump in train travel, watchdog urges [The Guardian]
17/08/2020	Scotrail passenger raises complaint about 'un-masked' ticket barrier staff [Evening Times]
16/08/2020	CalMac customers' 'thumbs-up' for virus response [Ross-shire Journal]
15/08/2020	Doon Valley Railway Museum risks 20,000 loss after virus [Cumnock Chronicle]
13/08/2020	Stonehaven: Rail crash investigation launched after three die in derailment [Scotsman]
11/08/2020	ScotRail trials school train for Oban High School pupils [The Oban Times]
08/08/2020	Rail body calls for sleeper trains to use Channel Tunnel due to rise in post-Covid eco-tourism [Daily Mail]
08/08/2020	How part-time commuters can save money on peak-time rail travel [The Guardian]
01/08/2020	Severn Valley Railway restarts passenger services [BBC News]
29/07/2020	Scotland's rail services to be increased as Covid restrictions ease [BBC News]
29/07/2020	At-seat food and drink service to launch on LNER trains [Mail Online]
23/07/2020	Coronavirus: ScotRail offers free travel for unemployed and even more once they get a job [Clydebank Post]
20/07/2020	New Carlisle to Settle services aim to 'kick-start' tourism [BBC News]
18/07/2020	LNER 'not running coronavirus safe service' [Scotsman]
16/07/2020	Coronavirus in Scotland: Physical distancing on Arran ferries 'unrealistic' for tourism [BBC News]
14/07/2020	Harry Potter steam train to restart its summer trips [Scotsman]
14/07/2020	Calls for return of Caledonian Sleeper to boost tourism in Aberdeen as Fort William trips resume \| Press and Journal [Press and Journal]
13/07/2020	North-east MP hopes for return of night train [Evening Express]
10/07/2020	Holidays cancelled as tourists fail to secure ferry tickets [Scotsman]
09/07/2020	CalMac cuts distancing to 1m from tomorrow and extends bookings [Scotsman]
08/07/2020	Coronavirus: Transport giant First warns of 'uncertain' future [BBC News]
07/07/2020	Blackpool trams to resume as UK light rail operators reflect government guidance [Ralway Gazette]
07/07/2020	Edinburgh Trams and Glasgow Subway to receive £9 million in 'emergency support' [Scotsman]
07/07/2020	Glasgow Subway to get share of £9m emergency cash [Evening Times]
06/07/2020	Donation will secure the future of Govan's TS Queen Mary [Evening Times]
03/07/2020	New community rail group hopes to promote tourism on Far North line in Caithness and Sutherland; People with a 'passion for trains' invited to put their names forward to become trustees [Northern Time
02/07/2020	Boris Johnson urged to back Borders Railway extension bid as part of £5bn new deal [Southern Reporter]
01/07/2020	Coronavirus: Grand Central trains announces 'measured' return [BBC News]
30/06/2020	Restoring pre-Covid service 'could take two years' as TOCs face logistical hurdles [Ralway Gazette]
30/06/2020	Construction work restarts on new north-east station after pause during lockdown [Evening Express]
30/06/2020	Network Rail to restart Queen Street project after investing £64m in Scotland in lockdown [Network Rail]
28/06/2020	Pentland Venture to remain tied up as ferry season is cancelled [John O Groat Journal]
27/06/2020	What next for the UK's deserted public transport network? [The Guardian]
27/06/2020	Dont eat or drink on train journeys [The Times]
25/06/2020	Island ferry operators asked to provide 'isolation facilities' for positive Covid-19 tourists [Scotsman]
25/06/2020	Britain's railways will be 'renationalised' using coronavirus measures [Mail Online]
25/06/2020	Closing Glasgow's Subway 'not an option' says SPT leader [Evening Times]
24/06/2020	Tree cutting resumes on East Kilbride and Barrhead lines. [Network Rail]
24/06/2020	'Hogwarts Express' passengers set to wear face masks as journeys get back on track [Scotsman]
24/06/2020	Daily tourist trains to serve England's 'most scenic' railway [Railway Gazette]
24/06/2020	Subway threat as SPT predicts up to £20million revenue loss [Evening Times]
23/06/2020	Staff at CalMac's Gourock nerve centre have been praised for rising to challenges brought on by coronavirus pandemic [Greenock Telegraph]
22/06/2020	Coronavirus: Fears over future of Hull Trains [BBC News]
21/06/2020	If your journey is essential, so is covering your face [ScotRail]
18/06/2020	If your journey is essential, so is covering your face [ScotRail]
17/06/2020	Covid-19 Update - The Jacobite [West Coast Railways]
15/06/2020	SNCF launches unprecedented regional rail and tourism campaign [Railway Gazette International]
11/06/2020	Coronavirus: Swanage Railway's future 'on a knife edge' [BBC News]
11/06/2020	NorthLink reports 95% drop in passenger numbers over nine-week period due to coronavirus [John O Groat Journal]
10/06/2020	Call for HS2 to run to Scotland and cut London rail journey time to three hours [Scotsman]
10/06/2020	Coronavirus: Free face coverings could be offered on Scotlands trains [Press and Journal]
09/06/2020	Borders Railway extension vital to get regions economy back on track after lockdown, say campaigners [Southern Reporter]
08/06/2020	RMT writes to Nicola Sturgeon to get railway enhancement work restarted in Scotland [Rail Engineer]
05/06/2020	Digital alerts to warn UK rail passengers of busy trains and stations [The Guardian]
04/06/2020	Four new railway stations for Wales proposed to be built by 2024 [BBC News]
04/06/2020	CalMac set to extend essential travel only timetable as it reveals it has turned away more than 270 visitors trying to reach west coast islands [Press and Journal]
03/06/2020	Borders Railway extension 'more important now than ever' [BBC News]
03/06/2020	Scotrail blast group of 30 people who travelled to the Scottish seaside together [Scotsman]
23/05/2020	Isle of Wight railway plans move closer - government funds awarded [IoW County Press]
15/05/2020	Billions to be invested in roads and railways during coronavirus lockdown [Strathspey and Badenoch Herald]
14/05/2020	Covid-19 unlikely to impact Alstom's acquisition of Bombardier [Railway Technology]
14/05/2020	Network Rail issues warning as more than 1,000 trespass incidents recorded during COVID-19 lockdown [Network Rail]
14/05/2020	ScotRail lays Covid-19 distance markers at Scotland's biggest train stations in time for lockdown restrictions being eased [Scotsman]
13/05/2020	'Don't flood public transport' Grant Shapps warns as England heads back to work [Metro]
13/05/2020	CalMac's reduced Covid-19 timetable to remain in place for two more months [Ross-shire Journal]
13/05/2020	Transport Secretary Michael Matheson reveals the £250 million cost of keeping the trains running during the coronavirus pandemic [Press and Journal]
12/05/2020	Increase to Scottish rail services planned from Monday if lockdown restrictions ease [Scotsman]
08/05/2020	Coronavirus: Rail services to be increased as travel restrictions ease [BBC News]
08/05/2020	Coatdyke railway viaduct shines in honour of coronavirus frontline workers [Daily Record]
07/05/2020	Blaenau Ffestiniog tunnel lighting up blue for NHS and all critical workers [Network Rail]
06/05/2020	COVID-19: meet the railway heroes [RAIL]
30/04/2020	Transporting waste on vital freight service helps to create enough renewable energy to power 50,000 homes [Network Rail]
30/04/2020	Network Rail 's blue salute at Tomatin to front-line health workers [Strathspey and Badenoch Herald]
29/04/2020	Captain Tom: Train named in honour of NHS fundraiser [BBC News]
29/04/2020	ScotRail staff banned from using whistles to stop coronavirus spread [Scotsman]
29/04/2020	Coronavirus: What's it like to work on the train in lockdown? [BBC News]
25/04/2020	Edinburgh tram extension could be derailed by financial impact of COVID-19, warn Tories [Edinburgh News]
24/04/2020	Will there be social distancing on trains, after the pandemic? [BBC News]
24/04/2020	Extra services to support key workers at NHS Louisa Jordan [ScotRail]
23/04/2020	Network Rail signaller 3D prints thousands of visors for care workers [Network Rail]
22/04/2020	Coronavirus: Railway warns it may not survive the pandemic [Gazette & Herald]
22/04/2020	Signallers trained at heritage centre in bid to keep the railway running [Network Rail]
22/04/2020	Bailout expected for UK city transport networks crippled by Covid-19 [The Guardian]
22/04/2020	Pandemic forces Calmac to abandon their 2020 intake of apprentices [Ardrossan Herald]
22/04/2020	Steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa set for year at East Lancs Railway [RailAdvent]
21/04/2020	ScotRail staff charity work continues through Coronavirus [ScotRail]
20/04/2020	Key freight routes in focus on Scotlands Railway [Network Rail]
17/04/2020	Cromarty-Nigg ferry suspended until 2021 due to coronavirus [Ross-shire Journal]
17/04/2020	Stay home, stay safe, stay off the railway [Network Rail]
15/04/2020	Construction on HS2 can begin, government says [The Guardian]
15/04/2020	Covid-19: India suspends passenger railway operations until 3 May [Railway Technology]
14/04/2020	Manchester's Nightingale hospital ready for first North West patients after just 14 days [Blackpool Gazette]
09/04/2020	Supermarket stock takes scenic route during Covid-19 lock-down [Network Rail]
07/04/2020	3D-printed handles aim to reduce hand contact with train doors [Railway Gazette]
06/04/2020	Grand Central follows Hull Trains in suspending open access services [Railway Gazette]
02/04/2020	Network Rail gives suppliers cashflow boost [Network Rail]
02/04/2020	One million tonnes of critical supplies transported weekly along the West Coast main line during Covid-19 crisis [Network Rail]
02/04/2020	Use data to tailor coronavirus timetables to current needs, says Zipabout [Railway Gazette]
02/04/2020	Iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct which features in Harry Potter films to light up blue for NHS heroes [Scotsman]
02/04/2020	New temporary timetable for NorthLink ferry services [John O Groat Journal]
01/04/2020	Non-key Scottish road, rail and ferry workers must be stood down - unions [Scotsman]
31/03/2020	Maid of the Loch paddle steamer 'closed until late June', says charity [Helensburgh Advertiser]
29/03/2020	Hull Trains suspends all services to 'protect business' amid coronavirus pandemic [Metro]
29/03/2020	Kintore station work halted [Grampian Online]
27/03/2020	Glasgow SPT Subway temporarily axes Inner Circle amid coronavirus pandemic [Evening Times]
27/03/2020	Scotlands Railway appeals for former signallers to help keep vital services moving [Network Rail]
26/03/2020	CalMac introduces 'Essential Lifeline Timetable' amidst coronavirus pandemic [Ardrossan Herald]
25/03/2020	Concerns as Northlink carry on 'business as usual' amid coronavirus crisis [Press and Journal]
25/03/2020	Network Rail Southern Region appeals for former professional signallers to help the railway keep key workers moving during coronavirus crisis [Network Rail]
24/03/2020	Coronavirus: Hundreds of ScotRail staff now self-isolating [Scotsman]
24/03/2020	Covid-19:Railway maintenance continues to keep critical supply lines open [Network Rail]
24/03/2020	Coronavirus: ScotRail asks passengers to bin dirty tissues [Evening Times]
24/03/2020	Glasgow Subway to close underground network to help stop spread of coronavirus [Daily Record]
23/03/2020	ScotRail reduced rail timetable comes into effect [ITV News]
23/03/2020	Covid-19: government suspends rail franchise agreements [The Guardian]
22/03/2020	Amended timetable from Sunday 22nd March [Caledonian Sleeper]
20/03/2020	Coronavirus: Train services to be cut amid falling demand [BBC News]
20/03/2020	Network Rail announces new measures to support retailers and tenants [Network Rail]
20/03/2020	Caledonian Sleeper reduces services and amends refund policy due to COVID-19 outbreak [Caledonian Sleeper]
20/03/2020	Rail timetable reductions being introduced from Monday [Transport Scotland]
19/03/2020	Tube closures: The London Undergound stations and lines closed over coronavirus today in full [iNews]
19/03/2020	Refunds on train tickets: can you get a refund on booked rail travel and season tickets amid coronavirus crisis? [Scotsman]
19/03/2020	Coronavirus: CalMac to operate 'turn up and go' service during outbreak [Press and Journal]
18/03/2020	Harry Potter line steam train to launch despite coronavirus [Scotsman]
18/03/2020	Scotland faces dramatic cuts to rail, air, bus and ferry services as the coronavirus virus spreads, Transport Secretary warns [Press and Journal]
17/03/2020	Coronavirus: ScotRail services could be cut to Sunday levels [Scotsman]
15/03/2020	Rail firms seek bailout as coronavirus hits fares [BBC News]
23/02/2020	Austria blocks trains to and from Italy after coronavirus outbreak forces postponement of football matches [ITV News]
29/01/2020	Troubled rail firm Northern brought under government control [BBC News]
28/01/2020	Beeching rail cuts: Fund to restore lines goes ahead amid criticism [BBC News]
02/01/2020	Northern rail to be stripped of franchise, says Grant Shapps [The Guardian]
19/12/2019	Who would want to run ScotRail anyway? Why its a tough sell Prof Iain Docherty [Scotsman]
14/10/2019	Boris Johnson reveals plans to scrap UK rail franchising model [Railway Technology]
03/09/2019	HS2 to be delayed by up to five years as cost spirals to £88bn [The Guardian]
30/08/2019	Rail passengers could be spared injustice of one journey costing almost as much as a return trip [Daily Mail]
26/08/2019	Northerns rail services totally unacceptable as Transport Secretary promises to act after driver shortage claims [Yorkshire Post]
21/08/2019	HS2: Review to examine costs and benefits of rail project [BBC News]
14/08/2019	FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast route [BBC News]
09/05/2019	Scottish rail firm sues UK Government over ban [The Herald]
15/09/2018	'Broken' rail franchise system to be reviewed [BBC News]
05/02/2017	Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn [BBC News]
20/05/2016	East-West rail franchise being considered [Rail News]
22/11/2014	CILT: The Stranraer to Ayr Line Support Association [Richard Carr, SAYLSA Development Manager]
05/10/2014	First Great Western set to get five-year contract extension [BBC News]
02/10/2014	Unions and Labour politicians urge ScotRail franchise delay [BBC News]
28/03/2014	Northern to run British franchise for two years [IRJ]
26/03/2013	Government announcement on franchising will help to restore rail industry confidence, say rail leaders [Network Rail Article]
25/03/2013	Virgin Rail gets extension on West Coast Main Line [New Statesman]
22/02/2013	Anglo-Scottish Sleepers to be split from Scotrail Franchise [Rail.co]
20/01/2011	Rail companies set for more freedom [Herald]
17/06/2010	The future of rail franchising [Department for Transport]

Rail franchises axed as help for train firms grows [BBC News]

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