This Week on the Railway

ScotRail launches 'Tap & Pay' ticketing across central Scotland

Travellers generate a barcode, scan it along their journey, and the cheapest fare is charged in retrospect. Plus, ScotRail fares will rise by 3.8% in April, and Avanti West Coast will again attempt to break the London-Glasgow time record.

Sebastien Jensen

Feb 2, 2025 — 4 min read

ScotRail takes centre stage this week with contactless ticketing and price hikes. Photo: To The Trains.

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A big week for Railway 200

Railway 200 publishes the list of events for February and March 2025, an interactive history of the railways and train travel, and Avanti West Coast renumbers a Pendolino to 390200 as part of the celebrations

Coupled diesel locomotives painted bright yellow haul liquid tankers along the single-track Cambrian line.

Buses replace trains on the Cambrian line in March

Network Rail and Transport for Wales have announced engineering work on the Cambrian line starting mid-March, and advised passengers to 'check before they travel', as buses will replace trains on some journeys. The work will start on Monday, 17 March 2025 and conclude on Wednesday, 2 April. It

A ScotRail intercity train waits next to a platform to depart. Its livery includes silhouettes of Scottish landmarks.

ScotRail train fares will rise by 3.8% in April

From April 2025, the cost of a ScotRail ticket will rise by 3.8%. The increase was confirmed yesterday by Transport Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish government. Its responsibilities include setting fares for the ScotRail network. While this year's 3.8% increase is lower than last

Disruption to West Anglia train services until March

Train services on the West Anglia Main Line (WAML) will be affected by engineering work on weekends between mid-February and late March. Network Rail will be undertaking a full programme of maintenance starting Saturday, 15 February. It includes track and signalling renewals, plus work towards the new Cambridge South station.