Green Signals

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. Oll...

The Secretary of State for Transport updates the Transport Select Committee on her Department’s performance so far. But what score does she get from Green Signals? Storm Claudia hits the railway, but one particular incident had us scratching our heads… And Northern launches a plan to reach 30 million more passenger journeys by 2030 – and we find out more. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:35) Hei...

The Railways Bill is here… but what will it all mean? And HOW will it be delivered? What happened when a Pendolino derailed at Shap last week? And Transport for Greater Manchester announces amazingticketing reforms! But where's the catch? BOOK TICKETS FOR THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY GREEN SIGNALS 'JOLLY'! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/severn-valley-railway-green-signals-jolly-day-ticket...

The Severn Valley Railway is one of Britain’s premier heritage railway lines. Running between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth it delights tens of thousands of visitors each year with its faithful recreation of a quintessentially Great Western Railway line coupled with bold and progressive events such as its very popular diesel galas catering for the more modern heritage rail enthusiast. We visited th...

This episode is livestreamed from the Railway Industry Association Annual Conference in London! The Railways Bill is finally here… Former Rail Minister and Chair of the High Speed Rail Group Huw Merriman joins us on stage And we round up the news from what has been a difficult week for the railway… LINK TO BOOK SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY ‘JOLLY’ DAY: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/severn-valley-railway...

Eurostar has been a feature of the UK railway landscapesince 1994. But in all that time it has been the monopoly provider – and the cracks began to show some time ago. The reduction in routes, the closure of Ebbsfleet and Ashford, the fact that Stratford International has never been used for Eurostar services and what consumers say are unjustifiably sky-high prices have all added to the clamour fo...

Eurostar orders double-decker trains – but will we see anyof them in the UK? The reopening of the Cowley branch in Oxford in announced…but is everything quite as it seems? And HS2’s link from Delta Junction to Handsacre junction isdelayed by a further FOUR years. In this episode: (00:30) Eurostar orders double-decker trains (21:39) Cowley branch to reopen (30:40) HS2 Handsacre junction delayed (35...

The Planning Act 2008 was designed to seriously improve (and speed up) the process for securing consent for major projects – by establishing something called a Nationally Significant Infrastructure project. But when the planning application alone for the Lower Thames Crossing has cost some £300m so far without a spade in the ground, can we say that it has? And why did HS2 still go down the Hybrid...

It is not that many years ago that the train operator in Wales was working to a franchise agreement that many criticised as ‘no growth’. Whether that was entirely fair or not, there was no doubt that train services in Wales were being run with ageing trains on infrastructure that in many places needed significant upgrade and investment. Fast forward to 2025 and the position has been totally transf...

Spanish train builder CAF is blacklisted by the UN… but what does that mean for its contracts in the UK? We preview an interview with Transport for Wales’s James Price – and explain the Barnett Formula And we discuss how projects get through the planning system… and what’s wrong with the system! In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:32) CAF ‘blacklisted’ by the United Nations (09:01) 25th Anniversary...

Andy Mellors is a career railwayman with a successful careerin railway engineering and other senior leadership positions.  In March 2023 he took on his biggest challenge to date –Managing Director of Avanti West Coast. The challenge hasbeen tough and there is still much to do but there is evidence the supertanker is beginning to turn. In this candid interview, we talk to Any about a wide rangeof i...

Greater Anglia is renationalised… and the Transport Secretary makes some curious comments Chiltern Railways launches its Mk 5a sets in a striking new livery And there are developments on cross-Channel Eurostar competition In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:44) Greater Anglia is nationalised (06:59) GWR droplight window fine update (13:41) Chiltern Railways Mk 5a launch (18:29) Eurostar competition...

Great Western Railway is fined £1 million over a fatal droplight window incident in 2018 – we ask what the implications are for other parts of the network And Rail Minister Lord Hendy demands that rail companies urgently hire more train drivers – but how realistic is it? In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:32) GWR droplight window fine (17:34) Lord Hendy demands action on train drivers (29:40) Than...

Railways and vegetation, bats, dormice – and biodiversity in general – don’t always mix well. Are we getting the balance wrong? The railway celebrates its 200th anniversary in style! And Rail Minister Lord Hendy wades in on Eurostar competition… In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:33) Biodiversity on the railway (22:35) Railway 200 Locomotion No. 1 event (35:18) South Eastern Railway Networker tour...

Northern Powerhouse Rail – has it become the new HS2 for politicians to argue about? We chat to Northern Powerhouse Partnership CEO Henri Murison The Liberal Democrats announce a new rail policy – and Richard has many questions. And Avanti West Coast trials using the Settle & Carlisle Railway as a diversionary route – and Richard got to be on board… In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:33) North...

Imagine being responsible for the East Coast Main Line, or the Midland Main Line, or the whole of the Anglia – and then imagine actually being responsible for all of it – plus East West Rail, Trans Pennine Route Upgrade and the East Coast Digital Programme; all at the same time. That’s the extraordinary challenge that Ellie Burrows,Regional Managing Director (Eastern) for Network Rail faces every...

In the days of British Rail and Virgin Trains, the iconic and spectacular Settle & Carlisle railway line was used as a diversionary route whenever there were closures for engineering works or similar on the West Coast Main Line between Preston and Carlisle. The Settle & Carlisle line has not been used for diversions for a decade however, much to the displeasure of communities along the rou...

We visit TWO of HS2’s ‘green tunnels’ and discuss whether they’re a great idea or a huge waste of taxpayers’ money… Reform says they’ll cancel HS2 and leave the part-built project as a “testament to British incompetence”. Yes, really. And Midlands Rail Hub – full steam ahead? Or maybe not… In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:34) HS2’s Green Tunnels (26:12) Andrew Gilligan and Reform on HS2 (40:59)...

Why are train tickets in the UK so expensive? In this short explainer video, we cover the top ten things that answer that question – and some of them are surprising! Questions: (00:00) Intro (00:08) No. 1 What are the railway’s main sources of income? (00:30) No. 2 How much subsidy do the railways need? (01:39) No. 3 Who controls fares? (02:25) No. 4 Why not just reduce the price of fares? (03:26)...

The Tyne and Wear Metro has a fascinating story that very nearly didn’t happen. We take a tour of Stadler’s new £70 million depot in South Gosforth, Newcastle to find out all about the new Metro Class 555s that are based there and what makes them different to the old Metros. Membership: If you want to see even more from Green Signals, including exclusive content, become a member and support the ch...

East Coast Main Line December timetable changes – are fewer stops a good thing? We find out more about how Network Rail is spending money with its suppliers… And Scotland announces electrification of Fife and Borders! In this episode: (00:00 Intro) (00:32) East Coast Main Line timetable (16:22) Network Rail Supplier Spend Report (36:27 )Tyne and Wear Metro teaser (40:03) Thanks to Supporters (41:5...

Scotland scraps peak rail fares. Is England next? Network Rail releases its supplier spending report… and it raises some concerns. And the Office of Rail and Road seeks to find out just how much money open access is costing the railway. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:51) Scotland scraps peak rail fares (17:51) Network Rail Supplier Spend Report (25:04) Open Access tender (31:10) It’s our 100th...

Eurostar competitors submit detailed plans to the Regulator. We ask - has anyone made a compelling case? We speak to a leading expert on cross border and Channel Tunnel rail services and ask – just what are the French up to?! And Great Western Railway’s battery train sets a new world record In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:32) Eurostar competition (43:34) Thanks to supporters (45:23) Railway New...

The Government believes that by uniting track and train together, performance on the railway will improve and costs will come down, leading to better outcomes for passengers and taxpayers. But after 30 years of vertical separation, reintegrating operations at a practical level will be more complex than just issuing a few soundbites. On 18th June 2025, South Eastern Railway was created – this unite...

ASLEF hails a victory for drivers over access to toilets. But is it really a victory? Network Rail is accused of “sabotaging” Alliance Rail’s open access application on the old Fawley Branch. Really? And Jaguar Land Rover objects to the phrase ‘Ranger and Rover’ tickets being used on rail company websites. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:40) ASLEF’s Dignity for Drivers campaign (09:33) Alliance...