This is a recording of a YouTube Live we did on October 30th - Autumn Budget Day 2024. Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget statement to MPs in the House of Commons and Richard and Nigel then went live for Green Signals members on YouTube to discuss what was in the Budget speech and how it affects the railways and wider transport. Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, become a member and support the channel further too. YouTube -...
Oct 31, 2024•19 min
Sir David Higgins is known to most on the railway for holding two of the biggest roles there are – as a former Chairman of Network Rail and former Chairman of HS2. But he was also Chief Executive of the London 2012 Summer Olympics Delivery Authority before that. Australian-born, Higgins has returned to the HS2 spotlight as chair of a private sector consortium proposing the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link (the alternative to the cancelled HS2 Phase 2). He speaks candidly of his time at HS2, the deci...
Oct 29, 2024•55 min
Ahead of the Autumn Budget on October 30 2024, Richard spoke to the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA’s) Chief Executive Darren Caplan about what the railway’s supply chain wants to see announced. They discuss: the economic value of investment in the railway, the importance of a pipeline of work to secure the supply chain, the part private finance might play, and some specific projects such as Euston station, new rolling stock orders and electrification. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (02:36) ...
Oct 28, 2024•26 min
It’s an HS2 special this week! Is an HS2 Phase 2a Euston to Crewe revival on the cards? We look into rumours that the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to reverse Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel the project. Sir David Higgins – we preview an exclusive interview with the former HS2 Chairman. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh launches an independent review into HS2 Phase 1, led by James Stewart… and we’re pretty underwhelmed. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:59) HS2 Special (01:20) Is...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Green Signals was exclusively invited to visit Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane train building and maintenance works to have a look around in the wake of the news earlier in the year that a follow-on order would be made for Elizabeth Line trains – securing the future the site. Richard speaks to a process manufacturing engineer who started as an apprentice, and to Alstom’s Communications Director about the Railway 200 The Greatest Gathering event that will be taking place at the site in 2025. Princi...
Oct 23, 2024•55 min
On the evening of October 21st, two Transport for Wales Class 158 trains were involved in a low-speed collision, right alongside the A470 main road, near Llanbrynmair (east of Machynlleth) in Powys, Mid Wales. Sadly, one passenger has died and 15 others were taken to hospital, with what have been described as non-life-threatening or life-changing injuries. In this short bulletin, we lay out the facts as we understand them at the time of recording on October 22nd and explain what investigators wi...
Oct 22, 2024•8 min
Northern Rail threatens to prosecute a man over a £1.90 16-25 Railcard misunderstanding – but backs down Alstom’s Derby works – we preview a Green Signals visit to Litchurch Lane Northern Powerhouse Partnership leaders call on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to support HS2 Phase 2 alternative In this episode: (00:00) Intro (05:52) Northern Rail 16-25 Railcard story (28:50) Northern Powerhouse Partnership leaders support HS2 (34:34) Alstom Derby Litchurch Lane visit preview (43:10) Thanks to SuperThanks...
Oct 17, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Freightliner CEO Tim Shoveller talks about rail freight's challenges and the battle against road haulage. Tim describes his early career and how he progressed to roles including: Managing Director of Network Rail's North West and Central Region, MD of South West Trains (where he led the development of the alliance with Network Rail), MD of East Midlands Trains from the beginning of its franchise in 2007, and senior roles at Virgin Trains and Eurostar. Tim is a man who believes in getting things ...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min
£1bn fleet of South Western Railway Class 170 Arterio trains in storage ‘because their windscreen wipers are too big’… but is that the real story? Great Western Railway’s Fast Charge Battery Train – we find out more about this exciting project. Euston station gets a 5-point plan… but are we impressed? And Siemens’ Goole Train Manufacturing Facility opens in Yorkshire! In this episode: (00:00) Intro (01:00) South Western Railway Arterio windscreen wipers (05:57) GWR Battery Train (31:18) Euston s...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Locomotive Services Ltd has a uniquely comprehensive collection of locomotives at their main headquarters in what was once Crewe Diesel Depot. We were privileged to have the chance to tour the site and find out more about the incredible work they do preserving such a comprehensive collection of railway assets for future generations, in what they describe as the 'Noah's Ark' of the railway. Owned by Jeremy Hosking, LSL is part of the wider Locomotive Services Group, encompassing well-known brands...
Oct 08, 2024•43 min
Is Britain is broken and what are the reasons it feels impossible to build infrastructure anymore? We analyse a new essay called 'Foundations: Why Britain has stagnated' Inside the railway’s Noah’s Ark – we preview an upcoming special video where we visit Locomotive Services Ltd in Crewe What is going on at Euston and is going to get a grip? Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, become a member and support the channel further too. YouTube - ...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 53
New Office of Rail and Road Chief Inspector Richard Hines speaks to Green Signals about his views on safety priorities on the railway, current hot topics in the industry and his vision for the future. Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, become a member and support the channel further too. YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals/join Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/GreenSignals Green Signals: Website - http:/...
Oct 01, 2024•30 min
Jacobite steam train – in an excerpt from an interview with the Office of Rail and Road’s Chief Inspector Richard Hines, we ask about the ongoing central door locking saga and Euston station. The RAIB answers YOUR questions about the Flying Scotsman crash report. And we talk about the BBC Panorama on HS2 that left us utterly appalled. Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, become a member and support the channel further too. YouTube - https:...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 52
The ‘It’s not HS2’ plan (Midlands-North West Rail Link) – we delve into the long-awaited Mayors’ report into HS2 alternatives in the North The Jacobite steam train is involved in a potentially serious Signal Passed at Danger incident We follow up on some of the many questions we received about the Flying Scotsman crash report And we witness Pete Waterman getting a Freightliner Class 90 named after him! Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, beco...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Flying Scotsman crash report – the Rail Accident Investigation Branch releases its findings into last September’s collision at the Strathspey Railway, which injured two people…. We speak to recently-retired HM Chief Inspector of Railway Ian Prosser CBE – and I ask him for his views on West Coast Railways and the Jacobite steam train And… Britain’s longest railway viaduct deck is completed as Richard witnesses the final segment being put into place on HS2’s Colne Valley viaduct Membership: If you...
Sep 12, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Euston station: Lord Hendy – now Rail Minister - is accused of getting a railway engineer fired over raising safety concerns when he was Chair of Network Rail. We investigate… Shadow Great British Railways is launched and the Passenger Railway Services Public Ownership Bill enters the final stages in the Commons. An HS2 construction update at Birmingham as tunnelling reaches the halfway point. And Hitachi’s battery intercity train begins testing on the national network. Membership: If you want t...
Sep 05, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Is HS2 Phase 2 about to be revived? We discuss an important new report to Government says we must not allow the West Coast Main Line to collapse. Richard takes a trip on the UK’s most exciting freight train with GB Railfreight – an alumina train from North Blyth to Fort William in Scotland. He also gets to go behind the scenes on Network Rail’s New Measurement Train – the fascinating Doctor Yellow. And we have a lovely story about the All Aboard to Northampton project! Membership: If you want to...
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Train strikes – the fight we all thought was over, just became more heated than ever. We speak to ASLEF’s Mick Whelan to understand what’s gone wrong now. Is it time to close the Island Line? We visit the Isle of Wight’s railway to find out. And an HS2 construction update as bridges and viaducts move into place! Subscribe: If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. Better still, hit that subscribe button. It supports the channel and means you'll be notified whenever we publish somethin...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 47
The unscripted, uncensored, uncut blather from the Green Signals team after we've finished recording a show... When we finish recording an episode of Green Signals, the three of us always hang around for a while to chat about the show and what we've got coming up... so we decided to carry on recording and let our listeners in on the action. Expect some fun, more than a bit of silliness, and some sneak peeks into what we're working on. **This is a very special sneak preview of some of the exclusi...
Aug 16, 2024•25 min
Is the most innovative and important rail site in Europe coming to Wales? We visit the Global Centre of Rail Excellence site to find out… CrossCountry services are cancelled on several routes and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh intervenes… Driver training begins on the Northumberland Line from Newcastle to Ashington, ahead of passenger services returning to the line on December 15th. Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals Newsletter ...
Aug 15, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Without HS2, the West Coast Main Line will soon be rammed. We speak to experts Simon Pilkington and William Barter to explain why. We ask whether the problematic Trent Valley bottleneck can ever be resolved on the WCML. And controversially, we ask whether we should just cancel HS2 right now. Is there any point in continuing if we only build Phase 1? We also bring you some little teasers from our upcoming videos on Network Rail’s New Measurement Train (the Flying Banana as it is often known), and...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 45
HS2 cancellation of Phase 2 north of Birmingham means writing off £2 billion of costs. Restoring Your Railways (often referred to as ‘Reversing Beeching’) is cancelled by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves… and Richard is jumping for joy. Meanwhile, HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston appears to be safe – for now. 75,000 fare evasion prosecutions are officially judged unlawful – we speak to a leading lawyer on the subject about what happens next. Royal Mail’s decision to quit rail – Varamis...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Glenfinnan Viaduct, one of the world's most iconic railway viaducts, is having major repair work carried out. The Director of Engineering for Scotland's railway talks to us about repairs to the iconic structure on the route of the Jacobite Steam Train The Government launches its first piece of railway legislation in double quick time – but we ask where (Shadow) Great British Railways has got to? A vast number of train tickets on Britain's railway are sold by third parties. We speak with Anthony ...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Frightening level crossing misuse footage from Network Rail’s Wessex region highlights the true dangers of abusing the railway. ScotRail slashes 600 services and introduces a temporary timetable because of lack of availability of staff for overtime and rest-day working, as it battles on with the rail unions. World-famous Flying Scotsman heads to the National Railway Museum’s Locomotion in Shildon for a special summer visit. The Isle of Wight Bus and Rail User Group speaks to us about further Isl...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 42
Is Royal Mail quitting rail after 194 years? Royal Mail announces that it will scrap its trains, but tells us it will continue to use rail services. The question is… how much? Louise Haigh becomes Transport Secretary and Lord Peter Hendy is appointed a Minister at the Department for Transport. We examine their in-trays and key priorities. Richard gets to go underground in the Severn Tunnel on a very special trip to find out about major track renewals through this monster of a tunnel. And the bra...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Could 75,000 train fare evasion prosecutions be unlawful? We discuss train operators’ use of the Single Justice Procedure and the rather extraordinary situation that appears to be unfolding in the courts. The Isle of Wight railway - Island Line - faces LONG closures for maintenance – AGAIN. LNER and other train companies launch a Be Kind initiative to tackle unacceptable abuse towards staff. It’s the end of the line for King Coal on rail – a 200 year old relationship ends when the final coal tra...
Jul 04, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 40
The man who ran the three largest transit systems in three continents… Andy Byford a.k.a. ‘Train Daddy’s’ list of jobs is quite extraordinary. He’s been Operations Director of Rail Corp in New South Wales, Australia; CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission; CEO of New York Mass Transit Authority; and of course Commissioner for Transport at Transport for London in the UK. There have been some massive highs – getting Crossrail finished and opening the Elizabeth Line, sorting out the Toronto Transit ...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 36 min
Is the Jacobite Steam Train about to have a powerful rival in the new partnership between Locomotive Services Ltd & the Scottish Railway Preservation Society? We speak to LSL Managing Director Tony Bush to find out! We preview a not-to-be-missed interview coming very soon with former Transport for London Commissioner, Andy Byford (known in the US as ‘Train Daddy’) We take a thrilling ride on the Ffestiniog Railway’s Gravity Train Some shocking images from the CPKC Final Spike Steam Tour in M...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Our General Election Manifestos special! We review the rail policies of the main parties: The Conservatives continue with their Network North plan The Labour Party continues with their Get Britain Moving plan And one party manifesto has Richard needing to go outside for some fresh air after reading it… But we have some good news too! Transport for London has ordered 10 new Aventra trains from Alstom to secure the future of Derby Litchurch Lane! Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.or...
Jun 20, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Lumo and the divisive issue of Open Access. Richard Bowker interviews MD Martijn Gilbert and things get a bit lively! Is Open Access on the railway a good thing or a bad thing? Or perhaps a bit of both! One of the strongest advocates for Open Access on Britain’s railway is Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of First Group’s open access operations, which includes Lumo and Hull Trains. We discuss: Martijn's early career and what got him interested in open access How Hull Trains are bouncing back p...
Jun 17, 2024•35 min
