Ready for a 19-hour adventure?

Ready for a 19-hour adventure?

We’ve all been there, let’s be honest.

The first train company has been brought into public ownership as part of the Great British Railways plan.

The first train company has been brought into public ownership as part of the Great British Railways plan.

We need cheaper fares now.

‘We’re excited to bring our brand to the iconic Channel Tunnel journey.’

Looking for your next railway adventure?

It’s 6am on Monday, and along with the rest of London, you’re waiting on the Tube with a tired mind and sandy eyes.

Calling all commuters: hear us out.

‘It means so much for us and the community to be able to run trains to the pier head, connected with the ferries to the mainland.’

Want a little extra legroom?

Your trip to Paris could be about to get cheaper.

And it’s totally above board.

British travellers are one step closer to getting a direct train to Switzerland — and a significantly shorter journey.

A handy loophole for commuters.

A city dubbed the UK’s ‘motor capital’ is about to change when a new £189,000,000 light train system launches.

The Coventry Very Light Rail network, labelled ‘like tram but better,’ is one step closer to opening in the city, which is not usually known for its public transport provision.

First of its kind in the country, one battery-powered very light rail train can whisk around 60 passengers when the system fully opens.

The system has been labelled cheaper and more flexible than traditional railways.

While the final route has not been confirmed yet, people now have a chance to test it out themselves to see what the fuss is about.

A local father-and-son train driver team from RailAdventure UK will operate the test service on a 721-foot track.

Dad Graham Dibbins said it is ‘an extraordinary feeling to be involved in such an innovative project and at the same time to be working with my son for the first time in a professional capacity as train drivers.’

His son Joe Dibbins said he can’t believe he is ‘working with the one person I respect more than anyone else – my dad.’

The on-road tests, able to carry 17 passengers in one go, will run in Coventry city centre for a limited time only in May and June. If you want to give it a go, book your free place here.

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, a cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at the council, said the ‘green’ CVLR system will ‘revolutionise transport in Coventry.’

He continued: ‘Very Light Rail is just the beginning of our plans to revolutionise transport in our city, tackle climate change, improve air quality, and provide a reliable and accessible travel option.

‘We will be running Very Light Rail for four weeks, and residents will have the opportunity to experience this one-of-a-kind vehicle and track system and provide feedback on the experience.’

What makes ‘very light rail’ different?

The cost of construction is the first thing that sets it apart from the OG railways.

Although the new system is more affordable to build than laying traditional tram or train tracks, it is still not cheap.

The estimated cost per one kilometre (0.6 miles) is £10,000,000, while a traditional tram can cost up to £30,000,000 to install for the same distance.

The new track sits just under 11 inches (30cm) within the road surface, minimising expensive and time-consuming works to relocate pipes and cables, the council said.

The VLR system is powered by batteries, meaning that, unlike trams, there is no need for overhead wires.

Self-driving vehicles are expected to be on the UK roads by 2026, the government has said, opening the door for more autonomous rail systems.

The Coventry very light rail has been developed to allow autonomous operation in the future.

Pedestrians, cyclists and disabled passengers will have ‘sufficient provision’ on the new routes when they open, the council confirmed.

Money for the £189,000,000 system comes from the UK government, the West Midlands combined authority, the Coventry and Warwickshire local enterprise partnership and the council.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Ever been low on phone battery while on board a train?

Already planning your next ski holiday?

Cable theft forced trains to stop in central Spain, upending the Monday commute for thousands of passengers.

Thieves wreaked havoc on the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville after stealing vital cable from the signalling system across four locations.

The theft happened late yesterday evening, affecting dozens of trains between Spain’s capital and Andalucia during peak return travel after the Labour Day weekend.

Thousands of passengers were eagerly waiting for updates after spending hours on the station floors and trying to get information from rail staff.

Footage shows frustrated passengers gathering at Madrid’s Atochat station today to try find out what was happening with their trains.

Renfe, the train operator, told passengers to not arrive too early to avoid further crowds.

One passenger posted on X that his train was scheduled to leave Sevilla shortly before 9pm yesterday.

Instead, the train arrived to Madrid at 6.3am today. He claimed they spent ’10 hours on a train that ran out of food and water after half an hour.’

A typical train journey takes between the cities usually takes just under three hours.

Alberto Valero, a tourist from Mexico, told the AP news agency he and his family had spent hours at Madrid station due to the issue.

He said: ‘We’re here with tourists from everywhere — France, Portugal.

‘Everyone is at a loss for what to do because of the total disarray.

Another traveller said at midnight today they had been travelling from Granada to Madrid – around a 260-mile journey – for more than six hours and were ‘still in progress.’

ADIF, the company owning Spain’s railway infrastructure, said on X the theft happened at four points on the line in Toledo.

It hoped services to resume from around 9.30am between Madrid, Seville, Malaga and Granada.

Today’s train chaos comes after life in Spain and Portugal was severely disrupted last week after massive power outages lasting for days.

At least five people were killed in the unprecedented blackout, which turned Madrid dark as the Spanish grid lost 60% of its power, with national emergency declared.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A new golden age of train travel has dawned, and it’s safe to say we are now in the thick of the rail renaissance.

A new golden age of train travel has dawned, and it’s safe to say we are now in the thick of the rail renaissance.

There’s even a UNESCO World Heritage Site along the way.

Are you guilty of it?

‘You can only use your gardens on a Sunday – because that’s the only day they have off.’