A Northern Class 158 DMU completed the first test run along the full length of the Northumberland Line on August 5. The trip was part of the driver training programme ahead of the start of passenger services from December.

South Western Railway has awarded Mitie a £6m three-year contract to provide security guards and intelligence services at stations, depots and control centres, and to provide reassurance and wellness checks for passengers. Mitie will fully digitise SWR’s security incident reporting processes using its Merlin 24/7 software.

The South Rail Systems Alliance of Colas Rail UK, Network Rail and AECOM has renewed 7 097 m of track on the Down line through the Severn Tunnel during a 16-day blockade. The renewals were undertaken in 700 m sections so that a ‘conveyor belt’ of activities could progress through the tunnel using multiple engineering trains and work fronts.

c2c has appointed Steve Scutt as its first Accessibility & Integrated Travel Manager. He joins from Chiltern Railways where he led accessibility improvement activities.

The Rail Safety & Standards Board reports that sickness absence rates in the rail industry are surpassing the national average. The average lost-time rate in rail is 4·33%, compared to the national average of 2·13%.

Team registration has opened for the 10th Big Rail Diversity Challenge, which is to be held in Newark on June 25 2025.

Virgin Trains Ticketing is offering new customers a £5 discount on their second booking when they book any train journey through its ticketing app by September 1.

TransPennine Express is trialling a planter at Northallerton station. Made by BioScapes, it captures rainwater runoff from guttering and slowly releases it into drains. This reduces the risk of drains being overwhelmed during storms, leading to flooding or pollution.

Greater Anglia has received Safe Wi-Fi certification from the Friendly WiFi scheme.