Meridian Rail News

It's been a dream for rail enthusiasts for more than 40 years - to reconnect their old branch line back up to the main line. Volunteers on one heritage railway are just two years away from doing just that thanks to decades of hard work.

Work is ongoing to upgrade the track and bridges where the Swanage Railway meets the network at Worgret Junction in Dorset. They plan to use heritage diesel trains to pull the new services, and correspondent Martin Dowse was given the chance to get behind the controls.

• Business
• steam
• Rail

A lawyer from the firm who represented High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA) - who won a case against the government today - expressed delight over the victory on the compensation challenge.

This was never a Nimby argument. Many thousands of people living along the route will not be able to sell their homes for some 15 years because their homes are blighted.

They should not have to bear the burden for this national project.

We hope now that proper arrangements are put in place by the Government for compensation for those who live by the proposed HS2 route to make it possible for them to move if and when they wish, in the same way that the rest of us can.

• UK
• HS2
• Rail

• Click here for the High Court's judgment on the five cases brought against the government in a bid to block the HS2 high-speed rail scheme.

• UK
• HS2
• Rail

Rail Minister Simon Burns hailed the four out of five cases won at the High Court as a "landmark victory"and said the loss on the compensation case would "not affect the HS2 construction timetable in any way".

This is a major landmark victory for HS2 and the future of Britain. The judge has categorically given the green light for the Government to press ahead without delay in building a high-speed railway from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

• UK
• HS2
• Rail

The High Court ruled that the consultation process for compensating those affected by the HS2 high-speed rail scheme "was so unfair as to be unlawful".

The decision was a victory for the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA), which consists of more than 70 affiliated action groups and residents' associations.

The HS2AA case was one of five separate cases brought to block the rail scheme in its current form - it was the only case to succeed.

Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting at London's High Court, is now hearing submissions from lawyers on the appropriate remedy.

• UK
• HS2
• Rail

Government consultations on compensating those affected by the proposed HS2 high-speed rail scheme were today ruled "unlawful" by the High Court, lawyers Leigh Day said.

• UK
• HS2
• Rail

The High Court is to rule today on legal challenges to the Government's HS2 high-speed rail scheme.

This report from January by Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen explains the route's location and why it is so controversial:

Proposed timeline for building of HS2

• UK
• HS2
• Rail

All lines have now reopened and trains can run on their normal routes after disruption on First Great Western due to a signalling problem between Didcot Parkway and Swindon.

There are still delays of around 30 minutes to services and buses remain in operation. First Great Western expect normal service to resume from around 1pm.

• UK
• Great West Trains
• Rail

First Great Western have just told us that buses are in place for travel between Swindon to Didcot, Swindon to Gloucester and Bath to Swindon, should passengers want to use them. There are reduced services running between Cardiff and Bristol to Paddington, with trains diverted via Newbury.

ITV News journalist Guy Phillips has just sent us the latest on his attempt to go to Wales. We "We are now boarding a train back to Reading. Great Western hope to get passengers from Reading to Wales via Bath - the long route."

• UK
• Great West Trains
• Rail

Passengers trying to get to Cardiff are now heading from Didcot back to Reading, following a power failure in Swindon.

• UK
• Great West Trains
• Rail