Railfuture is very disappointed that today Virgin announced fares increases of nearly 10%. Virgin state that Railtrack’s compensation package is not enough to cover their revenue loss of

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced a

Passengers on South West Trains look like being stuck with Stagecoach for the next 20 years.

A new rail freight operator emerged last week and already it has an eight-year contract to help Railtrack maintain and renew the track.

The proposed construction of a DIY store on the trackbed of the former Carlisle avoiding lines would block expansion of both freight and passenger services between England and Scotland.

Rail union leaders will plant a tree tomorrow in memory of everyone who has died or been injured in rail accidents.

A small section of the Luton-Dunstable rail line was ripped up on Tuesday 13 March 2001 to make sure that trains cannot run.

More than 75% of the British public wants the railway network renationalised.

Transport 2000 has tried to stimulate the argument over what the future of the railways with its report The Railways: Where do we go from here?

Virgin Trains is considering reinstating the March-Wisbech rail line if it is awarded the East Coast main line franchise.

Over 1,500 prospectuses for the project to reopen the railway to Keswick have been despatched and applications are still steadily flowing in. After a lull for Christmas and the New Year, good progress is being made again with over 350 applications received to date. Certificates are being issued in batches twice each month.

Save Our Railways has launched a new campaign for a fast, environment-lly friendly Chiltern Metro rail service.

Railfuture congratulates Lufthansa, the German airline, for initiating a switch of passengers from plane to train. In March the airline will take some passengers booked on short haul flights by train from Stuttgart via Frankfurt airport.

The three rail unions launched a national campaign in January to persuade the Government to take Railtrack back into public ownership in the wake of the "industry’s post-Hatfield chaos".

The North Somerset Railway which had plans to reinstate the Radstock-Frome line has been evicted from its base within the old railway station/goods area by Bath and North East Somerset Council and the Norton and Radstock Regeneration Company.

The attractions of trains and the drawbacks of flying are becoming increasingly apparent around the world.

Rail Future is extremely pleased to hear that GNER has dropped its

Rail Future congratulates Virgin on its half price ticket offer which is clearly attracting a great many passengers back to the railway.

Sensible people will get a chance to have their say about the ridiculous scheme to convert a railway into a busway.

Two special trains are being run in May, highlighting the part the steam engines have played in breathing new life into the railway.