What the Metro Mayors want to spend YOUR money on – we delve into some of the transport promises in winning Mayoral manifestos and ask how realistic they are. Richard has to eat a bit of humble pie over Yorkshire; and The Channel Tunnel turns 30! This time presented by Richard Bowker and Green Signals General Manager Stef Foster. Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals Newsletter - http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (T...
May 09, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Our Top 5 myths of rail ‘nationalisation’ based on the reaction to Labour’s plans for the railway if it wins the next General Election. We discuss what’s been said in the media and by others and debunk some of the myths that are starting to take root as a result. Rail Minister Huw Merriman was our most recent Big Interview guest we reflect on what he said and whether we agreed with him on everything from HS2, to train strikes, rail freight, decarbonisation, rolling stock and more. And Richard ge...
May 02, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 31
We meet Rail Minister Huw Merriman in his private office at the Department for Transport to ask as many of the big questions people have about our railways as we could. We cover: HS2 - the decision to cancel the line to Manchester, the facts about the project's rising costs, and whether Network North is a genuine alternative. Train strikes - we ask "surely it's time that everybody started talking to each other?" Fares and train tickets Rail Reform and the creation of Great British Railways - wil...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Trains vs planes – why taking the train can be up to 80% cheaper than flying and 17 times greener, according to new research published by the Rail Delivery Group. We examine the findings in detail… and discover some surprising facts along the way. Rail ‘fat cats’ earn big bonuses, while passengers face worse performance… but is that really true? According to the Daily Mirror it is, but we don’t agree. We have a bit of an update on the Jacobite steam train and its return to service, but many ques...
Apr 26, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has announced Labour’s Plan to Fix Britain’s Railways (Getting Britain Moving) – Richard and Nigel give their first impressions of the plan and pull out the key points in this special Breaking News Special episode. We answer: Will it work? Is it ‘unfunded and pointless’, as suggested by the Government? What could it mean for rail fares and ticketing? What could it mean for rail freight? Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube ...
Apr 25, 2024•30 min
The inner workings of the Department for Transport and Government finances are revealed in this fascinating interview with former Permanent Secretary of both the Department for Transport and the Home Office, Sir Philip Rutnam. Having spent his career as a senior civil servant, including in roles within the Treasury, there is no one better to tell the inside story of the Government’s relationship with railways. Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube - https://www.youtube.com...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 5 min
The Jacobite steam train fails on its first run of the season from Fort William to Mallaig, stopping near Glenfinnan viaduct… and it had Mk 1 carriages on the train. Alstom Derby and the Government are on the verge of doing a deal over a train order for the Elizabeth line – an order that could save the UK train manufacturing facility. Is the East Coast Main Line timetable change heading towards a repeat of the 2018 Thameslink and Northern timetable fiascos?... Leading Richard to ask whether the ...
Apr 18, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 29
The latest updates on both the Jacobite steam train stand-off with ORR and the campaign to save Alstom Derby’s UK train manufacturing facility. We’re not beyond the point of no return to save Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane train building facility but government MUST act now or we will lose it. We analyse our exclusive interview with Alstom Managing Director of UK and Ireland Nick Crossfield, which you can also watch here: https://youtu.be/aRLaioz1ZB8 The Jacobite Steam Train dispute between West ...
Apr 12, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Nick Crossfield, Managing Director of Alstom's UK and Ireland business discusses the background to the desperate situation at the Alstom Derby UK manufacturing train building factory, where closure through lack of orders is a real possibility. It would have devastating consequences for the men and women who work there and on the UK's credibility in global rail vehicle manufacturing. We discuss how in December last year, Secretary of State Mark Harper committed that a package which included aroun...
Apr 09, 2024•33 min
Are 147 years of UK manufacturing of trains about to come to an end in Derby as Alstom begins the process of mothballing its facility there? The Jacobite steam train dispute between West Coast Railway Company and the Office of Rail and Road rumbles on. Is Labour about to do a u-turn on bringing the railways back into public ownership? Leading to a somewhat spicy debate between Nigel and Richard about the potential costs of rail nationalisation… And a new £17.5 million rail terminal opens at Sout...
Apr 04, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 27
West Coast Railway Company stops sales of Jacobite steam train tickets – the famous Harry Potter Hogwarts Express route across Glenfinnan Viaduct, amid another battle with the ORR over central door locking. Mayors Andy Street and Andy Burnham unveil their alternative to HS2… but is it a viable alternative? ASLEF announces more train strikes. And… good news on train passenger numbers! Rail journeys are up 20%! Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/...
Mar 28, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 26
The Department for Transport appoints Scotland’s Railway Managing Director Alex Hynes as its new Director General of the Rail Infrastructure and Service Delivery Group, giving us a ray of hope for the first time, which leads us on to… Richard spilling the beans on a hitherto unknown exchange that took place during the Rail Review 2004 – and why we must heed the lessons on history. Auditors question the going concern status of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and we ask whether the sector is sli...
Mar 21, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 25
We examine what the railway got from last week’s budget with a bit of Budget 2024 analysis… spoiler alert – nothing that hasn’t already been announced! The National Audit Office (NAO) report into the Department for Transport’s Rail Transformation Programme is not flattering – we discuss why five of the high level benefits have been rated RED. The Department for Transport reorganises again. Is it just another example of rearranging the deckchairs, or should we be worrying that the DfT is trying t...
Mar 14, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Train tickets just got more expensive… Rail fares go up by 4.9% sparking fury amongst passenger groups. Has the time come to reconsider the balance between fares and subsidy? Rail Minister Huw Merriman and driver’s union ASLEF are at loggerheads again – and a resolution seems as far away as ever. Our adventures on Great Western Railway begin with the launch of our Pullman dining video ( https://youtu.be/6fHub4_Vkb0?si=fsZMeiqBndjWFc_Z ) and plenty more to look forward to. HS2 Limited delivers 1 ...
Mar 07, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Local leaders are to receive £4.7 billion to transform transport in the North and Midlands through the Local Transport Fund – money that has apparently been reallocated from HS2. But is there a catch? Why has the Government still not committed to Northern Powerhouse Rail? Henri Murison, Chief Executive of The Northern Powerhouse Partnership joins us to discuss! Avanti West Coast talk about what they are doing for women, and we hear from an expert on what more the whole industry needs to do. The ...
Feb 29, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines joins us to talk all things draft Rail Reform Bill. If you’ve been left with all sorts of questions after the Department for Transport’s recent announcement, watch this and you’ll be much clearer afterwards! We talk about: Is the Great British Railways (GBR) brand going to be the name of the new Integrated Rail Body or will it die as some have been suggesting? And indeed, will the Network Rail brand disappear too? What chance is there of getting this in...
Feb 28, 2024•48 min
The Department for Transport finally publishes the Rail Reform Bill, but is there any point to it? Nigel reviews the annual George Bradshaw address which saw two senior rail politicians go head-to-head. But who came out on top? Avanti West Coast are in the national news again thanks largely to ASLEF – but has the union overstepped the mark this time? And Richard has been in the firing line over his comments on the ‘Reversing Beeching’ plans. But, being Richard, he’s fighting back! Green Signals:...
Feb 22, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Richard talks about his visit to Wales & Borders with Nick Millington MBE, Route Director at Network Rail and finds out about lagoons, climate models and vegetation control. In particular Richard is amazed at the complex multi-agency approach to securing ecology licences and concludes, perhaps controversially, that it's time to let Network Rail self certify. After all, they can do it with safety critical matters so why not when it comes to clearing dying or dead Ash trees? Nigel and Richard ...
Feb 15, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Richard Bowker visits Network Rail's Wales and Western region to spend the day with Route Director Nick Millington MBE. It's a fascinating day of learning about the challenges of weather resilience on Britain's railways, the devastating effects of climate change, the complexities of managing trees and vegetation on the lineside... and surprisingly, about dormice. How does Network Rail manage flood risk? How are trees on the railway managed? What rules are there to protect habitats adjacent to th...
Feb 13, 2024•28 min
Following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s scrapping of HS2 Phase 2A, HS2 is branded ‘very poor value for money’ by the Public Accounts Committee… And... is Labour about to unveil its plans for its own vision of rail nationalisation, and is it back to the bad old days of curly sandwiches?
Feb 08, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Train strikes have hit the headlines frequently over the past three years as an increasingly bitter dispute between train drivers’ union ASLEF and the government and train operating companies continues. Our Big Interview guest is ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan. We find out how the rail strikes began in the first place and what has happened since… And, crucially, what it will take to end the long-running disruption to passengers.
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Ministers seem unable to agree, either on transport decisions – or more embarrassingly – with each other at a Conservative Home conference. What is going on with LNER fares and ticketing? It’s now clear that its Simpler Fares trial is turning out to be anything but simple… Will HS2 now reduce capacity to Manchester? And is the wider world and mainstream media finally waking up to the true stupidity of Rishi Sunak’s scrapping of HS2 Phase 2a? Plus, a new Green Signals feature – positive and GOOD ...
Jan 31, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Why train ticket booking and rail fares in the UK are so confusing. With the help of fares expert The Man in Seat 61 Mark Smith, we demystify: LNER’s new Simpler Fares pilot The Great British Rail Sale Which? magazine’s report that railway ticket vending machines are twice as expensive as booking train tickets online How to buy the cheapest train tickets or get the best deal on train tickets We also cover: HS2 land safeguarding lifted north of Birmingham – has it struck a fatal blow to the high ...
Jan 24, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Has Harry Potter’s favourite train the ‘Hogwarts Express’ hit the buffers now that Jacobite steam train operator West Coast Railways has been derailed by the ORR? Has Labour leader Keir Starmer bottled it on HS2? Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper responds to Richard’s letter on HS2… except that he doesn’t… And ASLEF announces yet more strikes. But are they working, and is it time to really ‘take the gloves off’?
Jan 17, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 15
It's been a week of severe weather disruption on the railway, news that HS2 land may not be sold before the next election, Tube strikes being called off, and the release of some disappointing train cancellation stats. On this week’s show… LNER’s #FreedomAllTheWay teaser campaign and advert HS2 land sell-off unlikely before the General Election and why mayors Andy Burnham and Andy Street are making a BIG mistake Pre-cancellation stats from train operators (translation: misleading stats!) Major we...
Jan 11, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 14
The first of our new The Big Interview episodes, and we were so excited about it that we decided to invite two guests to join us! Director of the Rail Freight Group Maggie Simpson comes on to discuss freight strategy, including the effect of Rishi Sunak's decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2 and the "breach of trust" that it represents. And GB Railfreight Managing Director John Smith joins us for a fascinating and lively discussion about everything from HS2 to railfreight challenges and the economics ...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 13
The first of our new magazine-style episodes, where we focus on the big topical issues and what’s been happening on and around the railway over the festive period. Here’s what we delve into this time… The great Christmas getaway on the roads Rail disruption over the Christmas break Richard’s Monsal Trail video and an interesting fact about Dr Beeching Peter Townend tribute video success Storm damage and HSTs More cuts coming for TOC budgets New Year Honours Predicting what ‘rail hating Rishi’ mi...
Jan 03, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Getting into the festive spirit this time with our Christmas Special! Richard Bowker and Nigel Harris answer the questions listeners and viewers have been sending in over the past couple of weeks - and they really were about anything and everything on the railway! Q1 - Was privatisation a total disaster? Q2 - What might the impact of AI be on the rail industry? Q3 - In the last 30 years, who would you say has made the greatest contribution to the railway? Q4 - Can the railway community be part o...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 11
It’s another busy episode with plenty to talk about… and this time, we’ve gone ‘on location’ too! Richard Bowker reports from Siemens Mobility’s HQ in Chippenham, where he attended a very special event on December 12 which marked 35 years since the notorious Clapham rail accident in which 35 people died and a further 69 suffered life-changing injuries. It was a tragic disaster that led to fundamental changes in railway safety management. Then we return to Scotland for part 2 of our exploration o...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this special extra episode of Green Signals, we remember the life of rail elder statesman Peter Norman Townend who died on October 18th at the grand old age of 98. A railwayman whose career began in 1941 at the age of 16, as a premium apprentice for the London & North Eastern Railway at Doncaster ‘Plant’ – as its headquarters was known locally – Peter was undoubtedly best-known for his time as Shedmaster at ‘Top Shed’ at London’s King’s Cross during the last great days of steam, in the la...
Dec 11, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 1
