75-771: In Britain and Ireland, a SailRail ticket allows travel with a combination of train and ferry. The brand, which was in existence by 2005, is principally associated with rail tickets between National Rail stations in Great Britain and stations in Ireland , including ferry travel on one of three routes across the Irish Sea. In the Britain and Ireland, a SailRail ticket (also known as Rail and Sail ) can be purchased from any station in Great Britain to any station on
150-497: A 'membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain.' The two generally coincide where passenger services are run. Most major Network Rail lines also carry freight traffic and some lines are freight only. There are some scheduled passenger services on privately managed, non-Network Rail lines, for example Chiltern Railways which runs on both Network Rail track and tracks owned by London Underground . Although
225-572: A 40% stake in the business to Mitsui . The sale was completed in March 2017. Reportedly, Greater Anglia has incorporated numerous planning and operational practices of the Japanese railways, such as the use of digital twin simulation software for analysing performance and developing its timetables, since the acquisition. In 2021, following the COVID-19 emergency measures, Greater Anglia was given
300-530: A change of government as a result of the 2010 general election , the DfT announced in June 2010 that all refranchising would be put on hold while a process review was conducted. As a result, National Express East Anglia was granted an initial extension until October 2011, followed by another until February 2012. In March 2011, the DfT announced that Abellio , Go-Ahead , and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for
375-532: A contactless debit/credit card. Contactless also covers some areas that Oyster doesn't such as the Elizabeth line to Reading, or the Thameslink station at Oakleigh Park. The most common types of tickets available include 'advance' tickets, that specify a specific route and timing between two destinations, 'off-peak' tickets, either as a single or a return, that allow a passenger to use a train at hours where
450-511: A direct award contract, replacing its franchise agreement, expiring on 20 September 2026. In February 2023, Transport UK Group concluded a management buyout of Abellio's United Kingdom business, which included its share in Greater Anglia. In August 2017, amidst a background of ongoing rail strikes on a national level, Greater Anglia conductors voted in favour of going on strike in a dispute over planned ticket office closures and
525-524: A number of technical manuals on which travel on the railways in Great Britain is based, such as the National Rail Conditions of Travel , via their website. Pocket timetables for individual operators or routes are available free at staffed stations. The last official printed timetable with up to 3000 pages was published in 2007. Now the only complete print edition is published by Middleton Press (as of October 2016). A digital version of
600-491: A scheme to be undertaken since as early as 2009. Abellio had acknowledged such calls in 2012, but could not justify making very substantial investments during the initial franchise period due to the short timescale involved. The creation of the Great Eastern Rail Taskforce in 2013 was seen as a major step towards this. In 2015, Chloe Smith , Norwich North MP and co-chairman of the taskforce, noted that
675-426: A valid ticket boarding a train at a station where ticket-buying facilities are available are required to pay the full Open Single or Return fare. On some services penalty fares apply – a ticketless passenger may be charged the greater of £20 or twice the full single fare to the next stop. Penalty Fares can be collected only by authorised Revenue Protection Inspectors, not by ordinary Guards. National Rail distributes
750-438: Is a brand used to promote passenger railway services, and providing some harmonisation for passengers in ticketing, while Network Rail is the organisation which owns and manages most of the fixed assets of the railway network, including tracks, stations and signals. However, the national rail website domain is managed by The Rail Delivery Group on behalf of UK based train operating companies. According to their own website, they are
825-611: Is still possible to travel as a foot passenger. In California , a Sail & Rail ticket can be purchased to travel between Sonoma , Marin and San Francisco via the Golden Gate Ferry . National Rail National Rail ( NR ) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group , an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England , Scotland , and Wales . The TOCs run
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#1732773043981900-482: Is the UK's largest and most accurate travel information website, peaking at more than 10 million visitors per day, more than its nearest competitors. The National Rail website includes a journey planner , fare and live departure information. The site is designed to complement the myriad different websites of Britain's privatised rail companies, so when users have selected which tickets they wish to buy, they are redirected to
975-409: Is the data system that powers all the real-time information which customers use to check the status of train journeys. In 2024 Darwin celebrated its 20th anniversary. Greater Anglia (train operating company) Greater Anglia (legal name Transport UK East Anglia Limited ) is a British train operating company owned as a joint venture by Transport UK Group and Mitsui & Co . It operates
1050-554: Is the joint responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road (allocation of paths) and Network Rail (timetable production and publication). Since March 2020 all ticket revenue has been collected by the Department for Transport, which also pays the operators' costs. Following the privatisation of British Rail there was no longer a single approach to railway corporate design. The look and feel of signage, liveries and marketing material
1125-704: The East Anglia franchise , providing the commuter and inter-city services from its central London terminus at London Liverpool Street to Essex , Suffolk , Norfolk and parts of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire , as well as many regional services throughout the East of England . Abellio began operating the franchise, then known as the Greater Anglia franchise, replacing the National Express franchise on 4 February 2012. Initially, it traded under
1200-570: The Elizabeth line (formerly TfL Rail ) are hybrids: Their services are operated via a concession awarded by Transport for London (TfL). They are part of National Rail as train operating companies , where tickets can be used in the same way as other operators, and shown in the National Rail timetable. However, under Transport for London, they are considered as separate networks. They are listed separately in all materials produced by TfL than National Rail, stations serving London Overground or
1275-411: The Elizabeth line only do not have the National Rail logo shown on either the station themselves or the tube map, and fares on these two networks are priced as TfL services, the same as London Underground , rather than National Rail services. The National Rail service status web page by TfL also does not list these two systems. London Overground also owns some infrastructure in its own right, following
1350-594: The Great Eastern Main Line and the Stansted Express as well as 38 three- and four-carriage Class 755 units for taking over all local diesel services from the previous outdated rolling stock. By July 2020, all Class 755 trains had entered passenger service. The first unit of the new order to enter service was from the Class 755 fleet, of which the first entered service on 29 July 2019 on
1425-590: The London Underground uses its own tracks in the majority of its network, it also runs on Network Rail tracks and shares tracks with National Rail services, both on its own tracks and on Network Rail tracks. Twenty-five privately owned train operating companies were each franchised for a defined term by government in 1996–97. They operated passenger trains in Great Britain. However, franchises have ceased to exist and are being replaced by operating contracts, which do not involve significant commercial risk for
1500-497: The London Underground , Docklands Light Railway , London Tramlink , Blackpool Tramway , Glasgow Subway , Tyne and Wear Metro , Manchester Metrolink , Sheffield Supertram , West Midlands Metro and Nottingham Express Transit . On the other hand, the largely self-contained Merseyrail system is part of the National Rail network, and urban rail networks around Birmingham , Cardiff , Glasgow and West Yorkshire consist entirely of National Rail services. London Overground and
1575-570: The Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft route. The next of the order was the Class 745/0 fleet, of which the first entered service on 8 January 2020 on the Great Eastern Main Line operating services between Norwich and Liverpool Street. Following the introduction of these units, the Class 90 hauled sets were all withdrawn from service, with the last set running its last journeys on 24 March 2020. In March 2020, testing of
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#17327730439811650-653: The Class 720s and to allow the Class 360s to be released, three Class 321/9s and five Class 322s , last used by Northern Trains , were leased from July 2020. The first unit bound for EMR, 360120, moved to Cricklewood depot on 10 November 2020, with all having transferred by February 2021. Due to high leasing costs, the fleet of 30 Class 379 Electrostar EMUs was withdrawn and sent to storage in February 2022. On 1 August 2022, Greater Anglia confirmed that all West Anglia services were now operated by Class 720 Aventra units. Greater Anglia withdrew its Class 321 fleet at
1725-423: The Greater Anglia franchise. In August 2016, it was announced that 1,043 new carriages would be purchased, which would allow for all of the ageing stock to be replaced. This was especially necessary given that a number of coaches were not compliant with accessibility requirements beyond 2020 and they would not be able to meet Abellio's new targets for lower journey times without extensive modification. One part of
1800-491: The Island of Ireland, using a suitable ferry service, such as Holyhead to Dublin or Belfast to Cairnryan , with prices starting from £46.10. The ticket is a joint scheme between Rail Delivery Group (representing the mainland British train operating companies), Iarnród Éireann , Irish Ferries , Stena Line , and Northern Ireland Railways . The fare for the ticket is fixed, and can still be affordable even if purchased on
1875-479: The National Rail logotype and is displayed on tickets, the National Rail website and other publicity. The trademark rights to the double arrow symbol remain state-owned, being vested in the Secretary of State for Transport . The double arrow symbol is also a generic symbol for a railway station across Great Britain, and is used to indicate a railway station on British traffic signs. The National Rail (NR) logo
1950-417: The National Rail network and mostly operate for heritage or pleasure purposes rather than as public transport, but some have connections to National Rail track. National Rail services have a common ticketing structure inherited from British Rail . Through tickets are available between any pair of stations on the network, and can be bought from any station ticket office. Most tickets are inter-available between
2025-476: The RMT continued into 2018, with further strikes threatened during the summer that affected around 40 per cent of the operator's services. On 19 July 2018, the RMT announced members had voted 9 to 1 to accept a deal that would keep guards on trains, and halted the expansion of driver only operation. Greater Anglia is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes , which are
2100-527: The Stena Line offices at Holyhead ferry terminal and Belfast ferry terminal. Another SailRail-esque scheme, branded 'DutchFlyer', allows travel between any Greater Anglia station (such as Liverpool Street or Colchester Town ) to Hook of Holland via ferry from Harwich . Onward travel used to then be available to any station in the Netherlands by Nederlandse Spoorwegen services and included in
2175-412: The bid alone. In August 2016, it was announced that Abellio had successfully retained the franchise until 2025. One commitment of the new franchise period is the purchase of 1,043 new carriages, 660 from Bombardier Transportation 's Derby Litchurch Lane Works with the remainder being built by Stadler Rail . In January 2017, Abellio announced that, subject to gaining DfT approval, it had agreed to sell
2250-559: The brand-name One . The franchise was to run until March 2011, with provision for a three-year extension if performance targets were met. In November 2009, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that National Express would not be granted the three-year extension even though it had met the performance criteria, because National Express East Coast had defaulted on the InterCity East Coast franchise. Following
2325-514: The completion of the sale in March 2017, Greater Anglia has incorporated several Japanese planning tools and practices. Trade unions have objected to some of the changes made by the company, leading to industrial action in 2017 and 2018 as a result of the dispute. In December 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the Greater Anglia franchise to National Express , which began operations on 1 April 2004, initially under
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2400-515: The contract went to Bombardier with nearly £1 billion to build 111 Bombardier Aventra electric multiple units and the other part of the purchase went to Stadler to build 58 FLIRT electric multiple units, all of which would enter service between August 2019 and September 2020. Bombardier's order included all 111 Class 720 units for taking over local and commuter services out of Liverpool Street . Stadler's order included 20 twelve-carriage Class 745 units to operate inter-city services on
2475-539: The conversion of the line into a rapid transit line for the Rotterdam Metro . DutchFlyer tickets were valid on the replacement buses. Historically, SailRail tickets could be bought to travel from London to Paris via Dover and Calais , Folkestone and Boulogne , or Newhaven and Dieppe . The Dover to Calais scheme was discontinued following the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994, though it
2550-582: The day before travel, and Standby, which could be booked at any time. For each of the three routes, all railway stations in England, Wales and Scotland were allocated to one of five fare zones based on distance to the railhead. The same fare was then charged regardless of the destination in Ireland. It was also at this time that the SailRail brand name began to be used on tickets. Subsequent changes included
2625-671: The day of travel, unlike most airline tickets. SailRail competes against airlines linking city pairs across the Irish Sea from each other, which have been affected by increased fares and further disruption and delays at airports. The ticket saw a brief boost in sales following the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull which grounded all European flights. Virgin Trains increased their London to Holyhead trains by 20,000 seats in response. However, SailRail tickets are not well-known or advertised prominently, and those between London and Dublin cannot save time compared to flying, though this may change with
2700-473: The fare, but as of early 2023, this is only the case on the UK end with tickets issued from/to 'Any Greater Anglia station', then onward travel from Hook of Holland is purchased separately. The alternative name "GoLondon" was used for tickets issued in the Netherlands until the early 2000s, and tickets issued in the Netherlands were only available to London or Cambridge . Heavy rail services at Hook of Holland ceased with effect from 1 April 2017 in preparation for
2775-548: The first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades. Its workers are amongst those who are participating in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions. A number of improvements were planned during the first franchise period (2012–2016) which included: The following improvements have been planned as part of the Abellio bid for the East Anglia franchise (2016–2025): As of June 2024 ,
2850-499: The following services operate during the off-peak period, Monday to Friday: Greater Anglia operates the Stansted Express sub-branded airport rail link between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street . As of June 2024 , Stansted Express' off-peak services Monday to Friday are: Punctuality statistics released by Network Rail for service report period 7 of 2013–2014 (15 September – 13 October 2013) were 94.0% PPM ( Public Performance Measure ), down 1.0 percentage point on
2925-434: The former British Rail Rail Alphabet lettering to varying degrees in station signage, although its use is no longer universal; however it remains compulsory (under Railway Group Standards) for safety signage in trackside areas and is still common (although not universal) on rolling stock. The British Rail typefaces of choice from 1965 were Helvetica and Univers , with others (particularly Frutiger ) coming into use during
3000-403: The franchise. In October 2011, the new franchise was awarded to Abellio; accordingly, the services previously operated by National Express East Anglia were transferred to Greater Anglia on 5 February 2012. The Greater Anglia franchise was originally to run until July 2014; the reason for awarding a short franchise at a time when the government was speaking of its desire for longer franchises
3075-543: The full timetable is available as a pdf file without charge on the Network Rail website; however, passengers are recommended to obtain their timetables from the individual train companies. The National Rail website, previously called National Rail Enquiries, handles an average of 2.5 million journey planning enquiries every weekday through its website, apps and contact centre, and through information services supplied to third parties (such as open access data feeds). It
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3150-506: The general lack of improvements in prior years; according to industry periodical Rail , it was the second least subsidised passenger operator by 2015. Greater Anglia inherited a fleet of Class 90 , Mark 3 carriages and Driving Van Trailers ; Class 153 , Class 156 and Class 170 diesel multiple units ; and Class 315 , Class 317 , Class 321 , Class 360 and Class 379 electric multiple units from National Express East Anglia . Due to its short initial franchise term, Greater Anglia
3225-402: The introduction of improved services such as High Speed 2 . The SailRail brand name was in use by 2005, at which time it was described as "an alliance of UK Train operating companies and ferry companies operating on the Irish Sea" and providing an "alternative to budget airline travel". By 2006 bookings could be made by telephone, at railway stations or at travel agencies, and a website showed
3300-566: The larger port of Cairnryan Harbour . Since that time, SailRail tickets issued for this route have included the price of a connecting coach service which runs from Stranraer railway station to the port. On this route tickets are issued as standard singles or returns and can be bought up to the time of travel: there are no "Advance" or "Standby" categories. SailRail tickets can still be booked at any National Rail station or travel agent, as well as online. There are also ticket desks equipped with National Rail -accredited ticket issuing equipment at
3375-645: The loss of Dún Laoghaire as a destination in 2015 after all passenger ferry services were concentrated on Dublin Port , and the introduction of different fares on the Holyhead–Dublin depending on whether the Stena Line passenger ferry, Stena Line catamaran or Irish Ferries catamaran was used (by 2019 both companies were operating on this route.) In November 2011, ferries on the Belfast route stopped using Stranraer Harbour as their Scottish destination and instead moved to
3450-404: The most relevant train company website, where they can buy their tickets without booking fees. In 2012 the website was joined by a mobile app mirroring its functionality. The app is available for iPhone , Android and Windows Phone . In June 2020, a real time personalised messaging service, Alert Me, was launched, providing real-time disruption and crowding information via Messenger. This
3525-415: The nation’s neglected railway industry". The NR title is sometimes described as a "brand". As it was used by British Rail, the single operator before franchising, its use also maintains continuity and public familiarity; and it avoids the need to replace signage. The lettering used in the National Rail logotype is a modified form of the typeface Sassoon Bold . Some train operating companies continue to use
3600-769: The new Class 720 fleet finally began and continued despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , in order to allow the first unit to enter service within the next few months. In June 2020, the units were authorised to enter passenger service and, after further testing and crew training, the first two units finally entered service on 26 November 2020 as a pairing on the Shenfield to Southend Line . Class 360s began moving to Kings Heath TMD in Northampton in June 2020 for modifications by Siemens to make them capable of 110 mph speeds, in preparation for their transfer to East Midlands Railway (EMR). Due to delays in commissioning
3675-528: The operators. The Rail Delivery Group is the trade association representing the TOCs and provides core services, including the provision of the National Rail Enquiries service. It also runs Rail Settlement Plan , which formerly allocated ticket revenue to the various TOCs, and Rail Staff Travel, which manages travel facilities for railway staff. It does not compile the national timetable, which
3750-573: The passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board , from 1965 using the brand name British Rail . Northern Ireland , which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland , has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail. National Rail should not be confused with Network Rail . National Rail
3825-558: The planned introduction of more widespread driver-only operation on the Greater Anglia network. On numerous occasions since October 2017, industrial action has been taken by portions of the company's employees, and the principal matter of dispute has seen no effective resolution. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has accused Greater Anglia of conducting alleged strike-breaking tactics and claimed that its use of stand-in conductors led to passengers' safety being jeopardised. The dispute between Greater Anglia and
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#17327730439813900-463: The precursor to Crossrail , TfL Rail . The franchise was retendered as the East Anglia franchise and was awarded to Abellio in August 2016. The company resumed trading as Greater Anglia on 16 October 2016 when the new franchise commenced. In January 2017, Abellio announced that subject to gaining Department for Transport approval, it had agreed to sell a 40% stake in the business to Mitsui. Since
3975-447: The procurement of new rolling stock and other efforts. It was recognised early on that, for the intercity services to be meaningfully sped up, slower regional trains could not feasibly be overtaken or avoided on the mostly twin-track line, so that services overall would need to be accelerated. There has also been an aspiration to increase the number of trains between Norwich and London to three per hour, although capacity constraints such as
4050-453: The range of fares available. The three ferry routes for which SailRail fares were available were Stranraer to Belfast (operated by Stena Line ; railhead Stranraer ), Holyhead to Dublin or Dún Laoghaire ( Irish Ferries ; railhead Holyhead ) and Fishguard to Rosslare Europort (Stena Line; railhead Fishguard Harbour ). The scheme was changed in 2012 with the introduction of two fare classes: Advance, which could be purchased up to
4125-464: The region had been nearly 30 years earlier, specifically the electrification of the line north of Ipswich . At the commencement of the franchise, railway commentator Philip Haigh observed that the region's services had changed little since the BR days, and that change was overdue. During the negotiations for the award of the franchise, Greater Anglia pledged to undertake numerous investments that would improve
4200-433: The reopening of the former London Underground East London line and the extension to Barking Riverside . Eurostar is also not part of the National Rail network despite sharing of tracks and stations (along High Speed 1 ). Northern Ireland Railways were never part of British Rail, which was limited to England, Scotland and Wales. There are many privately owned or heritage railways in Great Britain which are not part of
4275-444: The same carbon commitment, which was referred to as 'The Green Travel Pledge' and was cited on its website and via Rail Delivery Group media. In June 2023 the website was completely overhauled with an entirely new frontend retaining little of the old designs but the brand logo remained. The website is quoted as saying its website is, "cleaner, more modern, and full of better information". In addition, its original mobile website which
4350-540: The same day, the Liverpool Street to Shenfield stopping services were also transferred to the TfL Rail concession managed by MTR . In June 2015, an Abellio (60%) / Stagecoach (40%) joint venture, FirstGroup and National Express were shortlisted to bid for the franchise. In December 2015, it was announced that Stagecoach had pulled out of the joint bid with Abellio, and that Abellio would continue
4425-498: The same name until it rebranded as Abellio Greater Anglia in December 2013. Shortly after taking over operations, the company initiated a series of projects to improve service levels, including the procurement of new trains and the launch of the Norwich in 90 programme to reduce travel times between several major locations on its network. In May 2015, Greater Anglia's suburban rail services were transferred to London Overground and
4500-494: The same period ine the previous year, and the MAA (Moving Annual Average) up to 12 October 2013 also fell slightly to 92.3%. In 2013, Abellio Greater Anglia was named train operator of the year. However, a survey in February 2014 by the consumer group Which? found that customer satisfaction with Abellio Greater Anglia was at last place (out of 20 train operators) with a satisfaction percentage of 40%, and in 2016 Abellio Greater Anglia
4575-472: The scheme was as much a political effort as it was an engineering one. By the 2010s, the region's rail infrastructure was relatively worn-out and prone to unreliability. Modernisation efforts would therefore focus not only on improving absolute speeds but on reducing failure rates as well. This work is being undertaken as a multiagency effort, involving not only infrastructure changes carried out by Network Rail and various civil engineering companies, but also
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#17327730439814650-402: The sectorisation period after 1983. TOCs may use what they like: examples include Futura ( Stagecoach Group ), Helvetica ( FirstGroup and National Express ), Frutiger ( Arriva Trains Wales ), Bliss ( CrossCountry ), and a modified version of Precious by London Midland . Several conurbations have their own metro or tram systems, most of which are not part of National Rail. These include
4725-510: The service is not busy, and 'anytime' tickets, which can be used on any train. Season tickets, which offer unlimited travel between two stations for a specified period, are also available. A 'rover' travel card ticket also exists that allows unlimited travel in a set area or on services of certain operators, for a certain period of time. Rovers which allow unlimited travel for only one day are sometimes referred to as ranger tickets, and are usually available for smaller areas. Passengers without
4800-505: The services of all operators on routes appropriate to the journey being made. Operators on some routes offer operator-specific tickets that are cheaper than the inter-available ones. Through tickets involving London Underground , or to some ferry services ( RailSail tickets) are also available. Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used on National Rail in Greater London from 2 January 2010. These same areas can also be journeyed to using
4875-563: The single-track section in the vicinity of the Trowse Swing Bridge would need to be overcome to facilitate this. Some services have been transferred from Greater Anglia's management to other rail operators. On 31 May 2015, the Liverpool Street to Enfield Town , Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters ) and Chingford services, as well as the Romford to Upminster service, were transferred to London Overground Rail Operations . On
4950-727: The various services and facilities offered. On 4 November 2014, the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce released its investment analysis report, which included a detailed breakdown of several proposed investments in the region's rail network. One major initiative that was commenced by Greater Anglia shortly after it took over operations was the 'Norwich in 90' campaign, aimed at introducing faster journey times, such as between London and Colchester within 40 minutes, London and Ipswich in 60 minutes, and London and Norwich in 90 minutes. Several organisations, including Norfolk County Council , had been calling for such
5025-512: The website. However, the website was quickly reverted back to its original design the same day following customer accessibility feedback. In July 2021 the Department of Transport published the world’s first ‘greenprint’ to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050 in the UK. It was published two months before the climate summit COP26, and planned to provide a world-leading ‘greenprint’ to cut emissions from 'seas and skies, roads and railways'. The nationalrail.co.uk website also signed up to
5100-503: Was "working closely" with the government to introduce a fleet upgrade. By October 2016, all the franchise's Mark 3 carriages and Class 156 multiple units had been refitted with controlled emission toilets. On 31 May 2015, the company's fleet of Class 315 trains were cascaded to London Overground and TfL Rail ; in addition, some Class 317 trains were cascaded to London Overground, which took over local services in North and East London from
5175-526: Was a sub-domain (m.nationalrail.co.uk now redirects) was switched off. Earlier in 2024 National Rail's digital journey planner was also switched off and redirected to the new version. Online Journey Planner (OJP) was the engine used to plan routes, calculate fares and establish ticket availability. The OJP accesses real-time information directly from Darwin, meaning all journey plans take account of delays, schedule changes and train cancellations. The OJP data feed APIs are available for use under licence. Darwin
5250-592: Was followed in September 2021 by a similar service made available through WhatsApp. The service was closed in June 2023 leaving only a simple SMS based messaging service in place for customers. Both services were provided by a British transport technology company Zipabout. In April 2021 the National Rail website turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who had died. The gesture however backfired after users highlighted accessibility issues and complained they could no longer use
5325-764: Was introduced by ATOC in 1999, (previously British Rail logo as used from 1965), and was used on the Great Britain public timetable for the first time in the edition valid from 26 September in that year. Rules for its use are set out in the Corporate Identity Style Guidelines published by the Rail Delivery Group, available on its website. "In 1964 the Design Research Unit—Britain’s first multi-disciplinary design agency founded in 1943 by Misha Black, Milner Gray and Herbert Read—was commissioned to breathe new life into
5400-495: Was largely the preserve of the individual TOCs. However, railway reforms which are currently in progress will restore the pre-privatisation position, with design responsibilities for the whole network resting with the new 'guiding mind', Great British Railways. However, National Rail continues to use BR's famous double-arrow symbol , designed by Gerald Burney of the Design Research Unit . It has been incorporated in
5475-510: Was not planning to introduce any new trains, although this policy changed substantially following the start of its second franchise term in October 2016. In November 2013, an online petition was launched, aimed at stopping Greater Anglia's trains from dumping raw sewage from the train toilets directly onto the tracks. There were also concerns with the 'sewage mist' from passing trains making Network Rail staff ill; Greater Anglia announced it
5550-484: Was rated the fourth worst UK train operator with a commuter rail services satisfaction rating of 35%. Forecasts issued during the mid-2010s predicted that demand on the GEML into London from Suffolk and Norfolk was expected to grow by 32 per cent, while demand from Essex was to go up by 52 per cent. This prediction was in spite of the relatively low levels of subsidies provided for Greater Anglia's operations, and
5625-479: Was to allow the government to digest the recommendations of the McNulty Rail Value for Money study before letting a long-term franchise. In March 2013, the Secretary of State for Transport announced the franchise would again be extended until 15 October 2016. Greater Anglia was rebranded as Abellio Greater Anglia in December 2013. Prior to Greater Anglia, the last period of substantial investment in
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