Shows / Green Signals
Green Signals
Green Signals is a show about railways - its politics, its economics, its people and history. We turn over the issues of the day and talk to the people making the decisions that affect all our lives. We also dig into many of the amazing events in the history of an industry that spans nearly 200 years. Nigel Harris (former Managing Editor and Events Director of the leading industry and opinion forming magazine RAIL) and Richard Bowker (former Chair & CEO of the Strategic Rail Authority) steer…
Episodes
Green Signals160. What’s going on with Bradford’s ‘new’ station?
Is the news that Bradford Interchange will be the site of a new city station “absolutely massive” as Mayor Tracy Brabin claims – or no announcement at all? The…
Green SignalsWe visit a massive German Train Factory – Alstom’s Hennigsdorf facility near Berlin
On a recent trip to Berlin to attend the InnoTrans 2026 railway trade show, we had the opportunity to tour Alstom’s massive Hennigsdorf facility to the north…
Green SignalsSiemens Mobility – The company building London’s new Tube Trains! [Sponsored Content]
Siemens Mobility is one of the world’s leading providers of rail systems bringing together rolling stock, rail infrastructure, rail services, and software…
Green Signals159. GBR’s New HQ in Derby… and New Chairman are announced
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…
Green Signals158. Is Open Access finished? ORR rejects ALL applications for new West Coast Main Line services
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…
Green Signals“Rock deals in Hope” – Exclusive interview with Rock Group Founder, Mark Swindell
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…
Green SignalsTrains to Europe: Are lower fares and more trains coming?
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…
Green Signals157. Are trains now to be owned by the Government? New Rolling Stock Strategy suggests they might
Are trains now going to be owned by the Government? The new Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy suggests they might… Discontinuous electrification – a…
Green SignalsVale of Rheidol – The Little Line in the Hills. With Tim Dunn
The Vale of Rheidol railway that runs between Aberystwyth and Devil’s Bridge in Mid Wales is unique. It survived the end of British Rail steam in 1968 and was…
Green SignalsReopening the branch line to Portishead. We get to see the work underway!
The Portishead branch closed to passenger services in 1964. The campaign to reopen it began almost immediately. Over the intervening years, there have many…
Green Signals156. Government “calls time” on Avanti West Coast
Government “calls time” on Avanti West Coast performance and announces nationalisation date… The Prime Minister makes his own comments about troubled South…
Green Signals155. Chiltern Railways returns to public ownership… and it raises some questions
Chiltern Railways returns to public ownership – and itraises some questions… ScotRail finally admits failures in its ticketing app launch And Richard reports…
Green SignalsSecret steam locomotives revealed – Inside Collection X with Tim Dunn!
In the 1960s and 70s, the legendary Peter Rampton amassed a remarkable collection of steam locomotives and artefacts from around the world. He brought them…
Green Signals154. TransPennine Express’s new train order is great news! But we have questions…
TransPennine Express orders new rolling stock – and it’s excellent news for Derby! But we have plenty of questions Avanti West Coast cuts services AGAIN; and…
Green Signals£1bn NEW trains! Britain's first mainline battery electric trains ordered by TransPennine Express
Massive news for Derby, Alstom and TransPennine Express withthe announcement that TransPennine Express (TPE) have placed an order with Alstom for 29 x 5 car…
Green Signals153. More diversions! GWR’s plan to keep customers on trains over Christmas
More diversions! We look at GWR’s plan to keep customers ontrains over Christmas. But GWR are also struggling with unreliable Class 175s… And Lumo re-fuels a…
Green SignalsInside HS2’s Only Double-Track Tunnel - The Giant Copthall Tunnel!
Away from the politics and the noise, from the debates about costs and benefits, the various teams at HS2 are quietly and diligently getting on with delivering…
Green Signals152. East West Rail – Has the RMT gone too far this time?
RMT ballots for strike action over Driver Only Operation onEast West Rail Has Andy Burnham agreed a pay deal with ASLEF for AvantiWest Coast drivers? And…
Green SignalsIn The Cab - Digital Signalling Goes Live on the East Coast Main Line
A major milestone was reached on 31st August 2026 when the Welwyn to Hitchin Migration area of the East Coast Main Line went live for ETCS 2 operation. Whilst…
Green SignalsCommuting by Heritage Train - Riding the FIRST Bewdley Express!
Bewdley station on the Severn Valley Railway last saw a regular commuter service to Birmingham in 1970. Now, 56 years later, and thanks to a partnership…
Green Signals151. Is it time to get tough on CrossCountry after power outage causes widespread cancellations?
Is it time to get tough on CrossCountry, following a poweroutage that resulted in cancellation of most of its services? We ask why a £3m contract has been…
Green Signals150. Is Britain’s railway prepared (and funded) to cope with climate change?
RAIB releases its initial report into the Lewes derailment Virgin Trains take a step closer to competing with Eurostar; and We take a look at the amazing HS2…
Green SignalsWe go behind the scenes at HS2’s new Old Oak Common Mega Station!
In West London, London’s new mega station is taking shape. At Old Oak Common, a brand new 14 platform super hub railway station is rising from the ground and…
Green SignalsMega update on Channel Tunnel rail plans – with Jon Worth, EU Rail writer and campaigner
Finally, after years of inaction, it does finally look like there’s change coming to Channel Tunnel rail services between London, Paris and potentially many…
Green Signals149. Manchester power outage – is the railway vulnerable?
24 hours of north west rail chaos following a power cut. Do mega signalling centres put too many eggs in too few baskets? East Midlands Railway – is there…
Green SignalsCharing Cross: Exclusive access to the track during a major rail renewal project
It is one thing carrying out track renewals on the railway when it is being done away from urban centres. But when it is in the centre of the capital city on a…
Green Signals148. ScotRail’s Ticket App Fiasco is sending a powerful warning to GBR
ScotRail’s ticket app fiasco which is sending a powerfulwarning to GBR West Coast Railways is handed an Improvement Notice by theORR over droplight windows And…
Green SignalsDeltic D9015 Tulyar returns after 30 years. With cab ride!
It’s almost 30 years since Deltic No D9015 Tulyar turned a wheel in passenger service. But thanks to the remarkable efforts of the Deltic Preservation Society…
Green Signals147. East Midlands Railway boss ‘steps down’ amid growing crisis – What now?
The boss of troubled East Midlands Railway leaves withimmediate effect – so what happens now? Will third-party ticket retailers face unfair competitionwhen GBR…
Green SignalsThe North Norfolk Railway: A steam train to the seaside
The North Norfolk Railway is one of Britain’s most delightful heritage railways. Beautifully preserved in an Edwardian time capsule, a visit to the North…
Green Signals146. East Midlands Railway crisis – Unreliable trains trigger emergency timetable
East Midlands Railway is in crisis. Unreliable trains trigger a short-notice emergency timetable. Andy Burnham becomes PM – what does it mean for rail and…
Green SignalsRestoring the missing rail link in the Rother Valley
The Rother Valley Railway is a remarkable project to restore a missing 3.5 mile link to reconnect the Kent & East Sussex Railway with the London – Hastings…
Green Signals145. Will Andy Burnham splash the cash on rail?
Andy Burnham will be our next Prime Minister. But is theremoney for his rail promises? The Railways Bill starts its passage through the Lords – andRichard is…
Green SignalsI went behind the scenes on a luxury steam train holiday to the Alps!
When I was offered the opportunity to go behind the scenes on a Belle Trains luxury steam train holiday headed to the Alps, I jumped at the chance. Getting up…
Green Signals144. Failure to electrify Britain’s railway is costing the UK £Billions!
Failure to electrify Britain’s railway is costing the UKbillions of pounds How Network Rail is coping with the heat – we speak to NR’sDeputy CEO Jake Kelly And…
Green Signals143. Why does heat wreak havoc with the railway? And what can we do about it?
Why does heat wreak havoc with the railway? And what can wedo about it? A so-called ‘near miss between two trains at Clay Cross turns out to be nothing of the…
Green Signals142. Bedford Train Crash Latest – What we know… And what we don’t.
Bedford train crash latest – What do we know? And, crucially, what don’t we know yet? RAIB releases its report into October 2024’s Talerddig rail accident –…
Green SignalsReunifying the Great Central - Europe’s only main line double track heritage railway
The Great Central Railway is unique. It is the only main line double track heritage railway in Europe. And it’s brilliant! However, they are not standing…
Green SignalsWe ride a Class 70 to Boulby - Rare track, freight only, semaphore signals. Wow!
The dramatic freight only railway line from Saltburn to Boulby potash mine on the Cleveland coast is a truly spectacular railway. Once forming much of the…
Green Signals141. Is the Government’s Rail Reform failing? And how do we fix it?
Is the Government’s Rail Reform failing? And how do we fixit? Andy Burnham says he’ll bring back HS2 to Manchester if he’ssuccessful at becoming PM And we…
Green SignalsReal people doing real engineering - at Wabtec UK
Two thirds of all Great British Railways spend will be with the railway supply chain. It’s a dynamic environment that is constantly adapting, constantly…
Green Signals140. Government to cut Transport spend in favour of Defence?
Government plans to cut transport spend to fund defence –what could it mean for railways? Kernow Connect – Is the Okehampton to Launceston and Bodminnew…
Green Signals139. Why did the Government block train operators from buying cheaper fuel?!
Why did the Government block train operators from buying cheaper fuel?! Can HS2 trains be tested on HS1, or not? And… the Jacobite steam train returns! But NOT…
Green SignalsBuilding Freight Train wagons in the UK at W H Davis
Formed in 1908, WH Davis Ltd. has been based at Langwith Junction near Shirebrook its entire history and is today recognised as the UK’s last remaining…
Green Signals138. HS2 planned to use tech that “hasn’t been invented yet”… Really?!
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…
Green SignalsOpen Access to Marchwood: “Shoddy, Unevidenced and Factually Incorrect” – Yeowart slams ORR
Over 25 years since the UK’s first open access passenger rail service, and the subject still divides opinion. Those for point to services to communities that…
Green SignalsRunning an integrated railway - South Western Railway MD Lawrence Bowman interview
On the morning of Sunday 25 May, the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP boarded the first South Western Railway service to depart London…
Green SignalsArtificial Intelligence is coming to the railway - But what does it mean?
Artificial Intelligence is no longer science fiction. It’s increasingly science fact. And it’s coming to the railway whether we like it or not. GBRX has…
Green Signals137. HS2’s ‘Original Sins’. Up to £102bn cost. Slower speeds. Years late. What went wrong?
HS2’s ‘Original Sins’. Up to £102bn cost. Slower speeds.Years late. What went wrong? Avanti West Coast prepares to cut 38 daily weekday servicesfor six weeks…
Green SignalsFighting the Fight against flooding on Devon and Cornwall’s railways
There is considerable debate about the causes of, and future predictions for, climate change. But what is not in any doubt is that our weather has become more…
Green Signals136. Great Western Railway nationalisation date confirmed
Great Western Railway will be nationalised in December… and that much-loved historic green livery will soon disappear HS2’s big ‘reset’ is delayed AGAIN. Or is…
Green Signals135. Blackpool Trams - “This isn’t the end for heritage trams” says Blackpool Transport
It’s not the end of heritage trams in Blackpool! We ask Blackpool Transport what its plans are now that Tramtown has closed… Ending ‘Boom and Bust’ on the…
Green SignalsSacked from DfT Operator! The exclusive full interview with Chris Gibb
Chris Gibb is one of the country’s most respected and experienced railway operators. His storied career includes a period as Chief operating Officer of Virgin…
Green SignalsThe UK's Most Beautiful Railway? Settle & Carlisle Railway Celebrates 150 Years
It is the railway line that survived against all the odds. It became a high profile cause celebre for campaigners and a political football for railway…
Green Signals134. Exclusive - Sacked from DfTO Chris Gibb interview
The sacking of an experienced railwayman from DfT Operator…Chris Gibb gives Green Signals an exclusive interview Breaking news that Blackpool’s Tramtown has…
Green SignalsInside a Railway Research Lab! We go behind the scenes at the University of Southampton
Britain has a proud history of advanced railway research. It was British Rail who conceived the hugely successful High Speed Train. The BR Research Centre then…
Green SignalsReflections of a Rail Regulator - John Larkinson, outgoing CEO of the Office of Rail and Road
Few railway organisations have witnessed as much change in their role and structure over the past 30 years as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). This, despite…
Green Signals133. 1 Trespasser. 426 Trains delayed. 10k+ Passengers stranded - What happened?
A single trespasser on the East Coast Main Line causes 426 trains to be delayed and tens of thousands of passengers to be stranded. So, what happened? Will…
Green SignalsDoes he have the biggest job on the railway? Network Rail’s CEO Jeremy Westlake is in the hot seat
Network Rail is pivotal to whether GBR is a success or not. The reality will always be that Network Rail, with its resources, people, assets and role drives…
Green Signals132. Jacobite steam train: Has a deal been done? Or not?
Jacobite steam train – Has a deal finally been done to fit Central Door Locking? …Or hasn’t it? Mini Switzerland – is Swiss-style integrated transport coming…