New Piccadilly Line trains are delayed AGAIN Network Rail takes control of the Barking Eurohub rail freight terminal And we’re shocked to discover that Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak fares are to become non-refundable on the day of travel from April 1st. *BELLE TRAINS* Visit https://www.belletrains.co.uk/ or call 01284 330123 to book your luxury steam holiday on the Alpine Belle In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:32) Piccadilly Line trains delayed (14:12) Barking Eurohub rail freight termi...
Mar 05, 2026•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 126
The Railways Bill is the most important piece of railway legislation since the 1993 Railways Act that brought about the era of privatisation. The current Railways Bill (and Act) will bring about an era of re-nationalisation. Except it’s more complex than that. Great British Railways will be a massive organisation with substantial reach but it will still have to exist in a world of devolution, third party operators notably railfreight, and two thirds of its money will be spent with the UK rail su...
Mar 03, 2026•1 hr 44 min
Seven new stations for Wales in a £14bn “funding promise” bythe UK Government! Except that it isn’t. Is the Jacobite steam train about to be saved by West CoastRailways finally fitting central door locking? And we speak to the Chair of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway about the challenges of replacing a 180-year-old bridge, one that is vital for the railway’s continued existence. **BELLE TRAINS** Visit https://www.belletrains.co.uk/ or call 01284 330123 to book your luxury steam holiday on th...
Feb 26, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Transport Select Committee publishes their report into the Railways Bill and warn of future tensions between the Government GBR unless addressed. Richard is accused on his own ‘ideological bias’ over last week’s We Own It report… And is the Jacobite steam train under threat again as we head into the 2026 season? **BELLE TRAINS** Visit https://www.belletrains.co.uk/ or call 01284 330123 to book your luxury steam holiday on the Alpine Belle In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:37) Railways Bill repo...
Feb 19, 2026•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 124
Private finance and the rail sector are often talked about but frequently misunderstood. And where it is well established in sectors such as rolling stock leasing, it can be divisive with strong and opposing views. Yet the attitude of private investors and in particular their appetite to invest in UK infrastructure seems especially strong at the moment. That’s the view of leading consultancy AtklinsRéalis who have just published an important report into investor attitudes towards UK infrastructu...
Feb 17, 2026•46 min
The Voyager and Super Voyager trains are one of the least loved on Britain’s railway. But why is that? Operationally and mechanically, they are robust, reliable and capable. And they’re super quick too! Reasons for their unloved status may include their interiors and their underfloor engines. Opinions will always differ on such things. Where opinions differ far less is that their interiors are tatty and tired. Well, that’s about to change. On 10 February we were invited to the launch of the firs...
Feb 13, 2026•11 min
A recent poll says 7 in 10 Brits want the government to use savings made from nationalising the railways to cut rail fares and open new services. It has us raising our eyebrows… The Tarka Line is still shut and a petition has been signed by 3,000 people is calling for improvements… And we discuss whether you’d need to be mad to take on the role of GBR’s first chair? In this episode: (00:00) Intro(00:39) We Own It poll (09:20) North Devon Tarka Line petition (14:51) GBR Chairman search (26:29) Pr...
Feb 12, 2026•54 min•Season 1Ep. 123
The Class 37 is one of the most successful British locomotive designs of all time. 309 locomotives were delivered between 1960 and 1965 and despite even the youngest now being over 60 years old, close to 100 examples still survive to this day, around two thirds of which still run on the mainline. Europhoenix Rail is one such operator of Class 37s. The spot hire business has 11 Class 37s including celebrity locos 37901 ‘Mirlees Pioneer’, 37501 ‘Teesside Steelmaster’ and 37407 ‘Blackpool Tower’. I...
Feb 10, 2026•20 min
Blackpool Trams – Are we about to see the end of the heritage trams in service? A Fatal Accident Inquiry has launched in Scotland over the tragic accident at Carmont in 2020. And Standedge Tunnel repairs are completed after a fire caused significant damage. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:35) Blackpool Trams (26:20) Carmont Fatal Accident Investigation (31:53) Standedge Tunnel fire (42:23) LNER Peterborough vs Newark stop (48:31) Thanks to Supporters (50:27) Railway News Round-up (50:31) LNWR...
Feb 05, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 122
“The evidence is that Driver Only / Driver Controlled operation [DOO / DCO] is safer than being dispatched by a conductor or even a platform member of staff.” That’s the view of Mark Phillips, the highly experienced Chief Executive of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). The RSSB was established in 2003, in the aftermath of the Ladbroke Grove rail crash. It is a membership organisation that is owned by and serves Britain’s rail industry. It is the independent safety, standards and researc...
Feb 03, 2026•39 min
On Saturday 31st January 2025, GWR (Great Western Railway) introduced the UK’s first battery-only powered train into passenger service. Naturally, Green Signals was on board to experience the first day of operation and we had a chance to not only experience the train but also speak to Julian Fletcher, Technology Development Manager, Battery Train Project, GWR about how it’s going, the battery technology itself and what comes next. Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, incl...
Jan 31, 2026•9 min
Curzon 2 (dubbed the Bellingham bridge by the HS2 team) isgoing to be the highest viaduct on HS2 when it’s complete. An enormous 25-metre-high truss will transform Birmingham’s skyline – you can already see it looming over the surrounding warehouses and industrial units if you take the train into Birmingham. Unlike most of HS2’s other viaducts, which sit low in thelandscape, this one is the complete opposite. It crosses the existing railway line, which is itself already on top of a viaduct, cros...
Jan 30, 2026•12 min
The Dawlish Sea Wall collapses in 2 places after StormIngrid hits Devon and Cornwall. Time for a new route? Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander signs agreements withNorthern leaders, but what do they actually commit to? And ORR makes a confession over the Avanti WestCoast ‘Ghost’ train In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:39) Dawlish Sea Wall breach (26:42) Northern Powerhouse Rail ‘compacts’ (31:53) ORR’s ‘Ghost’ train confession (40:22) Mark Phillips interview teaser (44:08) Thanks to Supporters...
Jan 29, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 121
The venerable Mk 3 coaches that date from the 1970s and 1980s have served Chiltern Railways well for over 15 years now but everything is about to change. On Tuesday, 27th January, Chiltern Railways officially launched the first of its 13 Mark 5a trainsets, complete with Class 68 locomotive all decked out in a striking blue livery. Named Chiltern Explorers, the winning name in a customer vote, Richard had a chance to ride on the launch train and meet up with Managing Director of Chiltern Railways...
Jan 27, 2026•5 min
The Great Western Railway. Brainchild of legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Chocolate and Cream coaches and quintessential English Branch lines. GWR has always done things a little differently whether it be broad gauge tracks or diesel hydraulic locomotives. There’s the Great Western Way and there’s the wrong way surely someone must have said at some point…. Today, GWR conforms more than it has in the past, but it still stands out. It’s elegant green liveried trains still serve the grea...
Jan 27, 2026•58 min
Northern Powerhouse Rail, or NPR, was announced by the Government to much fanfare on 14 January 2026. Up to £45 billion will be invested in the creaking railway infrastructure of the North. A new line between Birmingham and Manchester is going to be under consideration. Years of dither and delay ends now, trumpeted the Secretary of State for Transport. Many cheered for joy but a few scratched their heads. Surely the £11 billion Transpennine Route Upgrade has been underway for a few years, and wo...
Jan 26, 2026•12 min
Northern Powerhouse Rail – Is it really a done deal, or just the beginning? A new line from Birmingham to Manchester! Richard thinks it’s bonkers… And we preview an illuminating interview with Great WesternRailway MD Mark Hopwood. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:28) Spanish train crash (02:26) Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement (22:18) New Birmingham to Manchester railway (32:14) Mark Hopwood interview preview (36:57) Thanks to supporters (38:21) Railway News Round-up (38:24) Network Rail ...
Jan 22, 2026•56 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Imagine a world where you could arrive at a station, get out your phone and open an App, click Start journey, make your train journey and then at your destination simply click End journey – and then have complete confidence and trust that you would be charged the correct, cheapest available fare. Sounds like science fiction? Well, it could soon be science fact thanks to the Digital Pay as You Go trials currently underway across the railway. There are four such trials, all sponsored by the Depart...
Jan 20, 2026•23 min
Billwatch returns… Scrutiny of the Railways Bill is heating up and the Government comes out fighting – but are we convinced? We preview a fascinating visit to see Digital Pay as You Go in action on East Midlands Railway And Network Rail gets the Clifton Bridge renewal at Penrith completed early! In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:30) Billwatch (38:25) Digital Pay as You Go trial teaser (42:45) Thanks to Supporters (44:13) Railway News Round-up (44:16) New GBR livery £32k bill (45:25) RMT ballot ...
Jan 15, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 119
New rules on access to the railway are coming… and it couldbe bad news for freight Trenitalia gets serious about competing with Eurostarthrough the Channel Tunnel A further 30 stations in the South East get contactlessticketing. But some commentators are pretty angry…. In this episode: (00:48) Railway access rules incoming… (27:09) Trenitalia get serious about Eurostar (33:51) Cheadle station delays (41:43) TfL expands contactless ticketing (45:10) King’s New Years Honours for rail staff (47:03)...
Jan 08, 2026•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 118
As 2025 comes to a close, we take a look at TransportSecretary Heidi Alexander’s first year… We review the key moments from 2025… And we take stock of the year that was Railway 200, with apreviously unseen interview about the Greatest Gathering. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:34) Heidi Alexander’s first year (17:08) 2025’s key moments (39:15) Thanks to supporters (41:07) Greatest Gathering interview (01:04:24) The Quiz (01:08:55) HS2 milestones in 2025 Membership: If you want to see even mor...
Dec 31, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 117
2025 finally saw some action to please those who have long campaigned for better use to be made of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link between London and the mainland of Europe. Virgin Trains was successful in winning the right to access the all-important maintenance yards at Temple Mills in North London and the British Government signed two Memoranda of understanding with the German and Swiss Governments respectively. But it is not straightforward to run direct services from London to other major Euro...
Dec 31, 2025•59 min
Leeds Tram is delayed until the end of the 2030s! RAIB issues an urgent safety update on lineside monitoring equipment And RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey makes some concerning comments in a recent interview In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:28) Leeds Tram delayed (19:29) RAIB urgent safety update (28:58) Channel Tunnel Rail report teaser (36:03) RMT interview with PoliticsHome (42:44) Thanks to Supporters (44:23) Railway News Round-up (44:25) Five new station to open in Birmingham (45:38) ...
Dec 24, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Great British Railways gets a new look… and meets with almost universal derision! Billwatch returns to Green Signals with the second reading of the Railways Bill And we find out how one of the biggest timetable changes in recent years has gone so far… In this episode (00:00) Intro (00:27) GBR gets a new look (08:03) Railways Bill second reading (28:43) New railway timetable (35:42) LNER intermediate stops (39:20) ORR CEO steps down (42:51) GWR fleet problems (47:47) Thanks to Supporters (49:10) ...
Dec 18, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Imagine being able to implement signalling solutions in days, not decades? Well, that’s the vision of Universal Signalling, an exciting new signalling tech start-up who are doing things differently – and to great effect. They also have a smart approach to research, development and roll out by starting small, building knowledge and experience and growing from there. Their first significant deployment is their U-Cross system which is being trialled on the Heart of Wales line between Llandeilo and ...
Dec 12, 2025•22 min
It’s our first Billwatch! We examine the Transport Select Committee’s recent scrutiny of the Railways Bill ahead of its second reading this week… Great British Railways unveils a new livery for GBR trains. London to Germany by Eurostar! Excellent, but when can we book tickets? And Richard gets a behind-the-scenes look at a potentially game-changing new signalling solution… In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:30) Billwatch: Scrutiny at the TSC (30:11) New GBR livery (36:38) London to Germany by tr...
Dec 11, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Avanti West Coast is forced to run a ‘Ghost’ Manchester toLondon train… until they weren’t, when the decision was reversed! Richard eats some humble pie over the fares freeze last week– and we update on how much it’s going to cost the taxpayer And after months of speculation, Alex Hynes is announced asthe new CEO of DFTO In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:29) The 07:00 Ghost Train that wasn’t (17:42) Fares freeze update (34:45) Alex Hynes is appointed to DFTO (41:06) Thanks to Supporters (42:54)...
Dec 04, 2025•56 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Booking train tickets in the UK is complicated – and knowing how to find the cheapest train tickets can be even harder. This is the complete guide, verified by experts, on how to do it. And if you get overwhelmed by information – just watch the bits you really need to know about, and make sure you check out the Quick Fire Step-By-Step Summary at the end. Your questions answered: (00:00) Intro (00:23) 1. What is the cheapest way to buy train tickets? (01:29) 2. What is the best website to book tr...
Dec 03, 2025•24 min
Rail fares are frozen for 2026! But is it wise and could there be unwanted consequences? No passenger trains for East West Rail until 2026 – more than a year after it became operational. We ask what’s going on? And we see the future of track worker protection demonstrated, as the use of “Lookouts” comes to an end on the mainline railway. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:35) Rail fares freeze for 2026 (13:21) East West Rail: No trains until 2026 (22:07) An end to lookout working (36:07) Thanks ...
Nov 27, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 112
In a wide ranging and refreshingly direct and no-nonsense interview, Green Signals talks to Olly Glover, the Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson and member of the Transport Select Committee. We cover the Railways Bill, the role of Government, the need to put in place a rolling programme of electrification and investment more widely, the pros and cons of rolling stock leasing and much more. Olly spent plenty of time working in senior roles in the railway industry before becoming an MP and so ...
Nov 21, 2025•51 min
