Exeter’s railway was a triple winner at the national Community Rail Awards held at Torquay’s Riviera International Centre on 1st October.
In front of an audience of more than 330 rail industry staff and volunteers, a campaign to promote the counties’ most scenic rail routes won first prize in the Marketing category. The campaign included the GreatScenicRailways.com website, a stall at London Paddington and an eye-catching advertising campaign. This led to a 40% jump in website traffic for the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership in their work to attract more tourists to the region...
British Transport Police (BTP) officers in the South West are urging the public to do their level best to stay safe when using crossings.
The call comes as they take part in the latest phase of Operation Look, a week of action (5–10 October), which will see extra patrols at a number of crossings.
BTP recorded more than 100 offences at crossings in the region during 2014/15, with 116 offenders identified and dealt with.
While the majority of those offences are committed by motorists, BTP officers also want to make sure pedestrians are aware of the dangers too....
Update: 23 September: Police investigating a sexual assault, which happened on a train between Taunton and Exeter on 15 July, have arrested a man in connection with the matter.
The 36-year-old from Bideford was arrested yesterday (23 September) on suspicion of sexual assault. He was later released on police bail pending further inquiries.
The man came forward following a media appeal to trace a person detectives wanted to speak to about the incident. Officers would like to thank all those who shared the appeal.
First Great Western (FGW) has issued details of disruption to its services if planned strikes by workers go ahead over the next couple of weeks.
The company has confirmed it expects to run the majority of London Thames Valley services but long distance and local rail services will be reduced, should the planned strike action go ahead.
Should industrial action go ahead it is likely to affect long distance and local rail services throughout Sunday 23 August and from Saturday 29 through to the end of service on Monday 31 August.
An illustrated talk by Dan Okey, Regional Development Manager in the Southwest for First Great Western.
The next four years promise to be very important for railway services in Devon with major improvements to both London services and local train services being implemented. First Great Western commences a new three and a half year franchise just days before this talk with new trains and more services between Exeter and London and better trains on more frequent services on the local services around Exeter to Barnstaple, Paignton and Exmouth under development together with 3 new...
England Rugby 2015 has launched its travel demand campaign to help fans, residents and local businesses beat the Rugby crowds during Rugby World Cup 2015, which takes place from September 18 to October 31.
With 4.3 million extra journeys expected across the 44 days of the biggest event to be hosted in the UK since the Olympics, the transport networks in and around the Host Cities will be busier than normal. Transport arrangements for all of the 13nues will be different to typical match days, with some changes and increased services.
Rail workers on First Great Western trains are to stage a series of strikes, including over the August bank holiday weekend.
The RMT has announced the strikes following a row over the introduction of the new Hitachi trains.
The RMT says the new trains will mean a threat to jobs, services and passenger safety.
RMT members have been told not to work from 12.01am-11.59pm on Sunday 23 August and again between 12.01am on Saturday 29 August and 11.59pm on Monday 31 August.
Starcross railway station has been brightened with pretty summer flowers thanks to a partnership between Easter Hill Nursery and its owner James Murphy, First Great Western and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.
Mr Murphy said: ”Looking out onto the Exe Estuary from Starcross station is one of the best views in South Devon. I am delighted to be working with First Great Western and the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership to welcome passengers at Starcross with these bright new planters full of flowers.”
Three new planters were established as part of Citizens’ Rail,...
Plymouth & Devon Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the Government’s announcement, made today, giving the go ahead to a £360million investment in state of the art trains between London and Cornwall.
The deal comes following a letter written by Plymouth & Devon Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Peter Hartland, to Devon MP’s earlier this summer, urging them to reach a positive decision on the First Great Western Franchise award and investment in the new fleet of trains.
The new fleet of 29 long distance trains, agreed to today, will have up to 24% more seats compared...
Rail passengers are set to benefit from better and faster journeys after the government gave the go-ahead for a brand new fleet of trains running between London and Cornwall.
The deal will allow First Great Western to buy 29 new long-distance trains to serve the South West from 2018.
The state-of-the-art trains will have up to 24% more seats compared to the majority of the trains serving the route today, creating more than 1,000 additional peak-time seats into and out of Paddington every day.
The privately funded £360 million fleet, which will be manufactured by...
