Show Notes
HS2 planned to use a technology that “hasn’t been inventedyet”… Really? GBR’s livery begins rolling out on trains, but what happens next? And now Thameslink is following Avanti West Coast’s exampleand cancelling some summer services. What is going on? ** Find out more about the Emerald Isle Belle here: https://www.belletrains.co.uk/emerald-belle-2027or by calling 01284 330123 In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:56) HS2 at the Transport Select Committee (26:56) GBR livery rollout (33:12) Thameslink cuts summer services (35:50) Railway News round-up (35:55) Operators’ names rumour (36:49) Feasibility study to reopen Boulby Line (37:45) Hire a luxury train (39:12) Railways Bill report stage (40:28) £500k station toilets (41:58) Open access news (48:18) Heritage railway news round-up (48:22) VAT cut for tourist attractions (49:31) GCR campaign to clean up Stanford Viaduct (50:41) N2 locomotive passes Steam Examination Test (51:28) Romney Hythe and Dymchurch solar panels (52:36) W H Davis wagon building teaser (55:27) Thanks to Supporters (56:41) The Quiz (01:01:47) Preston Tram Bridge replaced Credits: Thumbnail image - HS2 Ltd 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://www.greensignals.org Merchandise - http://greensignals.etsy.com Newsletter -http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) -https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd You can view our legal disclaimer, copyright information and privacy policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/legal/
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Sir John Kingman is the new Chair of GBR GBR’s new HQ in Derby is announced. Are things finallyhappening? And we hear from Dr Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury aboutwhat she thinks of the ORR’s decision to reject an open access application **Enter the Traingift giveaway to be in with a chance ofwinning one of two £50 Traingift vouchers: https://www.traingift.com/en/greensignals/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral In this episode: (00:00) Intro (01:30) Sir John Kingman is new GBR Chair (09:30) GBR’s New HQ (13:04) Dr Julia Buckley interview (35:06) Railway News round-up (35:10) Alstom agreement for Class 720s (35:44) East Midlands Railways told to improve (38:51) Transport & Environment international servicespoll (40:08) CAF Class 197s on the Cambrian (41:04) Railway Mission Chaplain dies (42:01) SWR catering survey (43:57) ScotRail Adopt a Station (44:56) Newport bridge bash (47:00) Green Signals news (51:12) Heritage News round-up (51:16) Bala £850k grant (52:41) West Somerset Railway chairman dies (53:56) The Quiz (01:00:35) Steam train delights young footballers Credits: Thumbnail image - Department for 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 -https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals/join Patreon -https://www.patreon.com/GreenSignals Green Signals: Website -http://www.greensignals.org Merchandise - http://greensignals.etsy.com Newsletter -http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) -https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Supporters: Platinum Supporter - Siemens Mobility Important notes: You can view our legal disclaimer, copyright information and privacy policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/legal/
Is Open Access finished? We ask the question as ORR rejects ALL applications for new West Coast Main Line services Is London-style ticketing the answer everywhere, or has technology moved on? And Richard divides opinion on rolling stock financing. Again. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:35) Is Open Access finished? (14:56) Is London-style ticketing the answer everywhere? (31:36) Rolling stock financing (40:19) Railway News round-up (40:22) Virgin new trains image (42:31) CrossCountry extra Voyagers (43:22) Class 350/2s to be refurbished for Northern (44:18) Retail Code of Practice for ticketing (45:16) 400k Cambridge South passengers (46:19) Grand Central withdraws Grimsby plans (47:17) Hereford Transport Hub nears completion (48:21) Thanks to Supporters (49:34) The Railway Ball (51:37) Heritage News round-up (51:40) RAIB report on Bluebell Railway incident (54:18) Severn Valley Raise the Roof update (55:40) Wensleydale Pacer unveiled in Northern Spirit (56:14) The Quiz (59:19) Lumo’s new beer ‘Brewmo’ Credits: Thumbnail image - Lumo 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://www.greensignals.org Merchandise - http://greensignals.etsy.com Newsletter -http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) -https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Important notes: You can view our legal disclaimer, copyright information and privacy policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/legal/
Few issues polarise opinion quite so much in the rail industry (and amongst those who follow what goes on in the industry) as the pros and cons of rolling stock leasing. One of the challenges is to understand exactly what people mean by rolling stock leasing though, because the model has changed so much in the 30 or so years since the practice burst on the scene as part of rail privatisation. One of the relatively new entrants in the market is Rock Rail, founded in 2014 and part of the Rock Group founded and led by Mark Swindell. They see themselves very much as a disruptor – and they’ve been successful too, winning major orders such as SWR’s Class 701 Arterio’s, much of the highly successful Greater Anglia fleet and most recently, the high-profile order from TransPennine Express for their new fleet of Alstom Adessia Stream Battery Electric Multiple Units. Green Signals had the chance to sit down with Mark Swindell recently to ask for his views on GBR’s Rolling Stock and Infrastructure strategy, the speech by Heidi Alexander at the recent Labour Party conference, and his general outlook for the future. It’s fair to say that what he said may well come as a surprise to many……. 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://www.greensignals.org Merchandise - http://greensignals.etsy.com Newsletter -http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) -https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Important notes: You can view our legal disclaimer, copyright information and privacy policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/legal/
For thirty years, High Speed services between London, Paris and Brussels have been in the hands of single operator – Eurostar. Things may be about to change. On 13th August 2026, the ORR announced the pre-approval of Virgin Train’s Track Access Agreement for High Speed 1. Other operators are keen to join them. Not before time some would say. The rest of Europe is liberalising access to its high-speed network at an accelerating pace and the benefits have been dramatic. In Spain, prices between Madrid and Barcelona have fallen 44%. Between Madrid and Malaga, 52%. Across available routes, 85% of travellers now choose train over plane on corridors where both air and rail are viable. It’s a similar story in Italy and France. Trainline, Europe’s leading independent train and coachticket booking platform recently commissioned a report to look at the benefits of increased competition on high speed rail routes and to put some figures on the outcomes. And on Thursday 16th September 2026, their report entitled “Competition Delivers: What Europe’s high-speed lines reveal about the future of the Channel route” was published. To mark the occasion, a special event was held at London St Pancras station hosted jointly by Trainline and London St. Pancras High Speed. Read the report here. Credits: Thumbnail image - Virgin 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://www.greensignals.org Merchandise - http://greensignals.etsy.com Newsletter -http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) -https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Important notes: You can view our legal disclaimer, copyright information and privacy policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/legal/
Are trains now going to be owned by the Government? The new Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy suggests they might… Discontinuous electrification – a cost-effective answer to wires? Or short-term gain for long term pain? And RAIB releases their interim report into June’s fatal collision at Elstow. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:34) Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy (19:34) Discontinuous electrification (30:32) Elstow collision interim report (38:17) Railway News round-up (38:20) RMT votes for strike action over EWR (40:08) ASLEF rejects CrossCountry pay offer (42:23) New ORR CEO (43:09) TfW Class 398 Tram Train problems (44:37) Level boarding for Elizabeth Line (45:50) West Yorkshire mass transit taskforce (47:25) Did bedbugs infest Southeastern trains? (50:11) Thanks to supporters (51:14) Heritage News round-up (51:18) Heritage Rail 75th anniversary train (52:40) Gartell Light Railway to close (53:42) Wycrail model railway exhibition returns (54:31) Class 91 guided tours (55:43) King Edward I on the mainline (56:28) The Quiz (01:00:31) Ten Best railway stations pubs Credits: Thumbnail image - Department for 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 -https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals/join Patreon -https://www.patreon.com/GreenSignals Green Signals: Website -http://www.greensignals.org Merchandise - http://greensignals.etsy.com Newsletter -http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) -https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Important notes: You can view our legal disclaimer, copyright information and privacy policy here - https://www.greensignals.org/legal/