The Railway Forum - Press Releases

The Railway Forum is the voice for the whole of the rail industry. It is the only UK railway group that represents the majority of the industry. The Railway Forum's role is to act as the lobby group and think tank for the industry as a whole.

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The Railway Forum

Press Releases

This section contains the latest press releases issued by The Railway Forum. Each press release contains links to related publications and websites.

The Railway Forum's press releases focus on industry-wide strategic policy issues. Member companies issue their own press releases, which can be accessed via the links provided.

2008 Press Releases

An Innovative Railway Rob Holden, Chief Executive of London and Continental Railways was names Innovator of the Year 2008 at The Railway Forum/Modern Railways Innovation Awards held on 1 July 2008: 2nd Jul 2008 | 231 kB
High Speed Rail Lines - Railway Forum Warmly Welcomes Network Rail Announcement The Railway Forum has expressed a very warm welcome to today's announcement by Network Rail that they are to undertake a strategic review of the case for five new high speed rail lines: 23rd Jun 2008 | 131 kB
Case for domestic high speed rail overwhelming says Forum: 13th Jun 2008 | 137 kB
Electrification - Forum applauds change in policy: 6th Jun 2008 | 130 kB
High Speed 1 - on time - on budget - where next?: 20th May 2008 | 128 kB
Innovation Awards Shortlist 2008: 20th May 2008 | 144 kB
Forthcoming Railway Forum Events 2008: 25th Mar 2008 | 123 kB
Use £14m fine to fund passenger improvements says Railway Forum: 28th Feb 2008 | 141 kB
Annual Awards 2008 - Be in it to Win it: 8th Feb 2008 | 147 kB
Richard Brown Sets Out Vision For Railway Forum: 24th Jan 2008 | 138 kB

2007 Press Releases

Railway Forum Welcomes Green Light to Crossrail: 5th Oct 2007 | 201 kB
The Future Is High Speed Rail: 20th Sep 2007 | 152 kB
Forum Gives Cautious Welcome to Government Rail Plans: 24th Jul 2007 | 150 kB
Railway Forum Welcomes Scottish HLOS but notes omissions - 13-07: 13th Jul 2007 | 191 kB
Industry Salutes Armitt: 28th Jun 2007 | 178 kB
Railway Forum Welcomes Proposed Reform Of The Planning System: 23rd May 2007 | 137 kB
The Railway Forum & Modern Railways Announce Short List For The Tenth Annual Innovation Awards: 4th May 2007 | 186 kB
Railway Forum Call To Celebrate Rail Achievements: 1st May 2007 | 126 kB
Sustainable Development Seminar – The Challenge For Rail: 17th Apr 2007 | 133 kB
Railway Forum Welcomes Conservative Rail Plans: 16th Apr 2007 | 124 kB
The Railway Forum’s Fifth Sustainable Development Seminar – The Challenge For Rail: 4th Apr 2007 | 74 kB
Countdown Begins To The Rail Industry 2007 Innovation Awards: 5th Feb 2007 | 150 kB

2006 Press Releases

'Eddington Study disappointing on long-term transport needs' says Forum The Railway Forum responds to today's publication of Sir Rod Eddington's Transport Study: 1st Dec 2006 | 117 kB
The Railway Forum welcomes Thameslink Programme decision The Forum welcomes the Government's commitment to the Thameslink Programme but urges a decision on funding: 18th Oct 2006 | 118 kB
The Railway Forum appoints new Director General Paul Martin will be The Railway Forum's new Director General, succeeding Adrian Lyons.: 28th Sep 2006 | 102 kB
Adrian Lyons wins prestigious National Rail Award Adrian Lyons wins the 'Outstanding Personal Contribution' Award at the National Rail Awards 2006: 8th Sep 2006 | 99 kB
Christopher Garnett steps down from GNER The Forum is sad to hear that Christopher Garnett is to step down as Chief Executive of GNER.: 25th Jul 2006 | 102 kB
Innovation Awards 2006 - Winners announced Docklands Light Railway win the overall Innovation Award for 2006 at the Awards Gala Reception held at The Institution of Civil Engineers: 27th Jun 2006 | 170 kB
We need to reinvigorate the Government's investment appraisal process The Railway Forum publishes the latest in a series of challenging papers by Dr. Rana Roy calling for a revision of the investment appraisal process in the UK: 19th May 2006 | 110 kB
Railway industry thanks long serving Transport Minister The Railway Forum, on behalf of the railway industry, thanks Alistair Darling for his work over the past four years following today's Cabinet reshuffle: 5th May 2006 | 90 kB
Innovation Awards 2006: Shortlisted entries The Railway Forum and Modern Railways announce the shortlisted entries for the Innovation Awards 2006.: 3rd May 2006 | 134 kB
'High speed rail is a big idea for the North East' say The Railway Forum and GNER: 21st Apr 2006 | 150 kB
'Rail plays key role in meeting environmental targets' says Forum In light of DEFRA's Climate Change Programme the Forum highlights the role that rail can play in helping to meet national environmental targets: 28th Mar 2006 | 99 kB
Railway strategy and high speed rail The Railway Forum welcomes today?s announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport that the Government will produce a long-term strategy for the railways and consider the future development of high speed rail in Britain: 15th Mar 2006 | 112 kB
Railway Industry Innovation Awards 2006 officially open The Railway Forum/Modern Railways Railway Industry Innovation Awards 2006 competition is officially open: 31st Jan 2006 | 130 kB

2005 Press Releases

Appointment of Railway Forum Chairman and Deputy Chairman for 2006 The Railway Forum announces the appointment of Chris Green as Chairman and Richard Brown as Deputy Chairman for 2006: 16th Dec 2005 | 110 kB
Railway Forum launches www.highspeedbritain.com The Railway Forum launches a new website dedicated to making the case for high speed rail in Britain: 13th Dec 2005 | 108 kB
'High speed rail the right solution for Scotland' The Railway Forum and Scottish Association for Public Transport will hold a seminar outlining the case for high speed rail for Scotland on 9 December in Glasgow: 6th Dec 2005 | 149 kB
ASA adjudication on Transport Watch advertisements The Railway Forum welcomes the Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA)adjudication on the Transport Watch advertisements advocating turning railways into roads: 2nd Nov 2005 | 102 kB
Railway Forum Medal presentations The Railway Forum is pleased to be presenting The Railway Forum Medal to Hatmut Mehdorn, Chief Executive, Deutsche Bahn AG and Gennady Fadeev, Member of the Board, Russian Railways RZD: 1st Nov 2005 | 97 kB
London Olympics 2012 The 2012 London Olympics provide a unique opportunity to showcase Britain's railways: 21st Jul 2005 | 94 kB
'Gleneagles G8 marks next step in environmental challenge' The Railway Forum comments on today's G8 communique on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development: 8th Jul 2005 | 99 kB
Forum 'salutes courage of railway workers and the public' The Railway Forum praises the calmness and courage displayed by railway workers and the public during the terrorist attacks in London today: 7th Jul 2005 | 89 kB
The Railway Forum Annual Conference 2005 The Railway Forum hosts its 9th Annual Conference at Church House, Westminster today: 21st Jun 2005 | 101 kB
'Improving public transport a key part of road pricing debate' The Railway Forum welcomes the Secretary of State for Transport's comments on stimulating a national debate on road pricing: 6th Jun 2005 | 98 kB
New direction for the Railway Innovation Awards The Railway Forum and Modern Railways announce changes to the format of the Innovation Awards competition: 27th May 2005 | 98 kB
'Railway noise less intrusive than roads or aircraft' says Forum Railway environmental noise affects fewer people than noise from road traffic and aircraft according to a Railway Forum information booklet published today: 11th May 2005 | 103 kB
Labour's Election victory - 'An historic opportunity' says Forum The Railway Forum believes Labour's Election victory presents an historic opportunity to improve Britain's railways: 6th May 2005 | 96 kB
Building the railway for the future 2005 The Railway Forum launches its annual Building the railway for the future package of publications for 2005: 13th Apr 2005 | 109 kB
General Election 2005 - The fastest growing railway in Europe With the announcement of the General Election to be held on 5 May The Railway Forum urges all political parties to support the fastest growing railway in Europe.: 5th Apr 2005 | 117 kB
Draft Corporate Manslaughter Bill The Railway Forum outlines its concerns over today's launch of the Draft Corporate Manslaughter Bill: 23rd Mar 2005 | 101 kB
Innovation Awards 2005 - Alstom Transport Information Solutions wins Alstom Transport Information Solutions wins the 2005 Railway Industry Innovation Award for its Tilt Authorisation and Speed Supervision (TASS) control of tilting trains submission: 22nd Mar 2005 | 196 kB
Rubble trouble - 'Aggregates Levy unfair on railway industry' says Forum The Railway Forum considers the Aggregates Levy to be unair on the railway industry and calls for it to be reconsidered in Budget 2005.: 14th Mar 2005 | 110 kB
Future power for the railways The Railway Forum/Rail Research UK seminar on 10 March to assess options for future power technologies on the railways: 4th Mar 2005 | 113 kB

2004 Press Releases

'Let's go with Crossrail' The Railway Forum believes that forthcoming proposals for a 'Superlink' alternative to Crossrail are an unwelcome development: 14th Dec 2004 | 122 kB
Chris Green appointed new Chairman of The Railway Forum Chris Green, Chairman, Virgin Rail Group, is formally appointed as the new Chairman of The Railway Forum from 1 Jan 2005.: 25th Nov 2004 | 108 kB
Whistleblower on BBC ONE BBC ONE's 'Whistleblower' programme 'fails as serious investigative reporting' claims The Railway Forum: 4th Nov 2004 | 101 kB
Emissions: 'Railways still ahead' Rail remains the least environmentally damaging form of transport according to a joint Railway Forum/ATOC information booklet published today.: 18th Oct 2004 | 133 kB
£10 bn London transport investment The Railway Forum welcomes today's announcement on a a comprehensive programme to expand and improve London's transport: 12th Oct 2004 | 112 kB
The Railway Industry Innovation Awards 2005 Enter now for The Railway Forum/Modern Railways Inovation Awards 2005. Closing date for entries is 29 November 2004!: 8th Oct 2004 | 116 kB
Statement on Crossrail The Railway Forum welcomes the Secretary of State's announcement on Crossrail: 20th Jul 2004 | 109 kB
The Future of Transport - White Paper The Railway Forum comments on the publication of The Future of Transport White Paper: 20th Jul 2004 | 133 kB
Richard Bowker to stand down The Railway Forum is sorry to hear the announcement that Richard Bowker is to stand down as Chairman and Chief Executive of the Strategic Rail Authority: 15th Jul 2004 | 117 kB
The Future of Rail White Paper The Railway Forum responds to The Future of Rail White Paper published today by the Department for Transport: 15th Jul 2004 | 118 kB
Future technologies for the railways debate - 14 July The Railway Forum and the Science Museum will host a debate on future technologies for the railways at the Dana Centre on 14 July: 7th Jul 2004 | 110 kB
Building the railway for the future 2004 - Press Release The Railway Forum launches its 'Building the railway for the future' 2004 package covering key issues facing the industry including cost and performance, future transport strategy and the case for a comprehensive tax review.: 17th Jun 2004 | 130 kB
Modern Arena at Railfest The Railway Forum highlights the success of the Modern Arena at Railfest bicentenary celebrations in York.: 4th Jun 2004 | 134 kB
Getting the information to passengers: from mass transit to individual transit The Railway Forum applauds the work of the National Rail Enquiries Service and looks to the future of passenger information systems: 18th May 2004 | 120 kB
Fuel cells and the railway of the future - press release 'Let's look at fuel cell technology for our railways' urges The Railway Forum: 13th Apr 2004 | 118 kB
The Railway Forum/Modern Railways Innovation Awards 2004 Implementation of the Train Protection and Warning System wins the overall Railway Forum/Modern Railways Innovation Award 2004: 30th Mar 2004 | 163 kB
Forum responds to rail announcement The Railway Forum responds to the Secretary of State for Transport's announcement today on proposals for the future structure of the industry: 19th Jan 2004 | 118 kB
The Permanent Way - Railway Forum response The Railway Forum responds to the opening of Sir David Hare's play The Permanent Way at The National Theatre: 13th Jan 2004 | 121 kB

2003 Press Releases

2004 A Year of Challenge and Celebration The Railway Forum looks ahead to a challenging year.: 29th Dec 2003 | 118 kB
The Future of Air Transport - White Paper The Railway Forum responds to today's announcement on the future of aviation in the UK.: 16th Dec 2003 | 110 kB
Forum welcomes 'Future for rail' report The Railway Forum welcomes Professor Phil Goodwin's report on the future for rail in the Government's Ten Year Plan for transport: 3rd Nov 2003 | 109 kB
www.rail200.com goes live The Railway Forum launches a new website providing information on events celebrating the 2004 rail bicentenary: 8th Sep 2003 | 111 kB
8th International Level Crossing Symposium 2004 Event information and contact details for the symposium being held by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and the University of Sheffield: 20th Aug 2003 | 62 kB
Tragedy on Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway The railway industry is saddened by the fatal accident on the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway: 4th Aug 2003 | 99 kB
A record day for British high speed rail Today's record breaking Eurostar run on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link shows just what railways can do: 30th Jul 2003 | 105 kB
RSSB report - The Ethical Basis for Safety Decisions The Forum welcomes today's report from the RSSB and underlines the need for a mature debate on rail safety: 25th Jul 2003 | 104 kB
The Future of Road and Rail Conference jointly hosted by The Railway Forum and The RAC Foundation We need to build a national consensus and a workable and relevant transport plan for the long term - say The Railway Forum and The RAC Foundation at the conclusion of their joint conference held on 22 July: 22nd Jul 2003 | 125 kB
CrossRail: Ministerial Statement The Railway Forum responds to today's announcement on the future of the CrossRail project: 14th Jul 2003 | 98 kB
Department for Transport road expansion plans The Railway Forum comments on the Department for Transport's new plans for expanding the road network: 9th Jul 2003 | 109 kB
An industry 'committed to safety' The Railway Forum responds to today's announcement regarding the charges brought against senior managers in relation to the Hatfield accident of October 2000: 9th Jul 2003 | 107 kB
Network Rail's Efficiency Improvement Programme The Railway Forum supports the publication of Network Rail's Business Plan Update including the Efficiency Improvement Programme: 30th Jun 2003 | 105 kB
The Railway Forum Annual Conference 2003 The Railway Forum holds its annual conference on Tuesday 1 July at Church House, Westminster: 27th Jun 2003 | 106 kB
Building the railway for the future - Press Release The Railway Forum's 'Building the railway for the future' 2003 package shows how we are sorting the present and should be planning for the future: 20th Jun 2003 | 113 kB
'Lets see the CfIT Report and keep integration at the heart of the transport debate' The Forum is concerned at reports that the work and activity of the Commission for Integrated Transport may be curtailed or cut.: 17th Apr 2003 | 101 kB
Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) The Forum welcomes the formal creation of RSSB and the appointment of a new Chairman and Chief Executive: 1st Apr 2003 | 101 kB
Railway Industry Innovation Awards The Delivery of Section 1 of The Channel Tunnel Rail Link wins The Railway Forum/Modern Railways Innovation Award for 2003: 25th Mar 2003 | 143 kB
Central London Congestion Charging "A bold step that will have a fundamental impact on transport policy" says Forum: 14th Feb 2003 | 109 kB
Railway Industry Innovation Awards Record entry for the Railway Industry Innovation Awards 2003: 4th Feb 2003 | 111 kB
Strategic Plan 2003 - The Railway Forum response The Railway Forum responds to the SRA's Strategic Plan 2003: 30th Jan 2003 | 114 kB
Timely Recognition of Railway Police Work 'Rail Cops' television programme highlights many key issues facing the railway network: 28th Jan 2003 | 63 kB
New Deputy Chairman of Railway Forum The Railway Forum appoints a new Deputy Chairman: 24th Jan 2003 | 112 kB

2002 Press Releases

"Continued Government commitment to railways welcome but long term planning still needed" says Forum: 18th Dec 2002 | 59 kB
"10 Year Plan under strain - the railways face massive challenges but let's not lose the plot!" says Forum: 5th Dec 2002 | 58 kB
Extension of Airports Consultation Period: 28th Nov 2002 | 112 kB
New Chairman for The Railway Forum Paul Kirk, Managing Director of Carillion Rail is named as the new Chairman of The Railway Forum: 22nd Nov 2002 | 58 kB
Railway Group's Half-Year Safety Performance Report Railway Group's Half-Year Safety Performance Report: the trends are in the right direction: 22nd Nov 2002 | 61 kB
Network Rail: A New Start The Railway Forum warmly welcomes the final stage of the creation of Network Rail: 3rd Oct 2002 | 93 kB
Building the railway for the future - 2002 update The Railway Forum launches its 2002 update of 'Building the railway for the future' and the associated paper 'Beyond the Ten Year Plan: Reform and Investment for the Long Term' by Dr. Rana Roy: 13th Jun 2002 | 126 kB
Rail Demand is Growing The Railway Forum challenges the Commission for Integrated Transport's Initial Assessment of the Ten Year Plan for Transport: 22nd May 2002 | 118 kB
Maintenance Standards on the Railways The Railway Forum notes that maintenance standards on Britain's railways are improving. The Potters Bar accident does not show that standards have slipped since privatisation: 20th May 2002 | 118 kB
ERTMS: Towards a Better, Safer Rail System The Railway Forum welcomes the ERTMS Programme Board report into the implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management System: 25th Apr 2002 | 111 kB
Long Term Investment Strategy The Railway Forum welcomes the Government's approach to a long term national investment programme as highlighted in the Wanless Report into the provision of health services: 18th Apr 2002 | 111 kB
The Railway Forum/Modern Railways Innovation Awards for 2002 Strategic Rail Authority Chairman Richard Bowker congratulates the winners and all entrants. Overall winner - the Virgin Voyager Train Fleet Project: 26th Mar 2002 | 156 kB
Taking Railtrack out of administration The Railway Forum welcomes the developments to speed up the process of taking Railtrack out of administration: 25th Mar 2002 | 91 kB
The Railway Forum responds to the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan The Railway Forum offers 'Two Cheers' for the SRA's 2002 Strategic Plan: 14th Jan 2002 | 165 kB