Green Signals

By Green Signals Productions

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. ... more

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FAQs about Green Signals:

How many episodes does Green Signals have?

The podcast currently has 134 episodes available.

Green Signals episodes:

February 28, 2024The Big Interview - Rail Reform: Why this time it's different! With Network Rail Boss Andrew Haines
Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines joins us to talk all things draft Rail Reform Bill. If you’ve been left with all sorts of questions after the Department for Transport’s recent announcement, watch this and you’ll be much clearer afterwards!
We talk about:
Is the Great British Railways (GBR) brand going to be the name of the new Integrated Rail Body or will it die as some have been suggesting?
And indeed, will the Network Rail brand disappear too?

What chance is there of getting this into legislation before the General Election?

Why has it taken so long to get to this point?

Is the Government serious about this or are they just throwing a curve ball to Labour?

Why so much emphasis on the role of the private sector

Rail franchising

Presumably Department for Transport staff will transfer to GBR?

How are we going to change the culture?

Bringing track and train closer together

Is a ‘guiding mind’ what we really need?

How do people know that rail reform is really going to stick this time?

Summary – and Andrew’s closing comments that you really don’t want to miss!

Green Signals:
Website - http://www.greensignals.org
Newsletter - http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list

Follow:
X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/greensignallers
LinkedIn -
https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd
Instagram - https://instagram.com/greensignallers

Credits:
Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard
Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)
...more
48min
February 22, 2024 21. Labour vs Tories on railways & is there any point to Rail Reform Bill?
The Department for Transport finally publishes the Rail
Reform Bill, but is there any point to it?

Nigel reviews the annual George Bradshaw address which saw
two senior rail politicians go head-to-head. But who came out on top?

Avanti West Coast are in the national news again thanks
largely to ASLEF – but has the union overstepped the mark this time?

And Richard has been in the firing line over his comments on
the ‘Reversing Beeching’ plans. But, being Richard, he’s fighting back!

Green Signals:
Website - http://www.greensignals.org
Newsletter - http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list

Follow:
X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/greensignallers
LinkedIn -
https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd
Instagram - https://instagram.com/greensignallers
...more
56min
February 15, 2024 20. 'Reversing Beeching': Anything achieved?
Richard talks about his visit to Wales & Borders with Nick Millington MBE, Route Director at Network Rail and finds out about lagoons, climate models and vegetation control. In particular Richard is amazed at the complex multi-agency approach to securing ecology licences and concludes, perhaps controversially, that it's time to let Network Rail self certify. After all, they can do it with safety critical matters so why not when it comes to clearing dying or dead Ash trees?
Nigel and Richard then discuss Richard Beeching's famous report of the 1960s and in particular, the Government's proposals, announced four years ago, to reopen lines and stations closed by Beeching through the Restoring Your Railway fund. We ask whether it has achieved anything (and the conclusion is very little) but then Nigel really sets Richard's "Victor Meldrew" going by talking about the Borders Railway to Carlisle and the possible reopening of the Peak District line through Bakewell and Monsal Dale.
Along the way Nigel & Richard discuss how to decide whether something is strategic (they have a different view), what Confirmation Bias means (and why it's an issue) and how on earth anything is going to happen when the cost for a new station at Devizes alone was looking like it could hit £65m!
...more
44min
February 13, 2024 The Railway Explained: Weather resilience, climate change & lineside trees
Richard Bowker visits Network Rail's Wales and Western region to spend the day with Route Director Nick Millington MBE.
It's a fascinating day of learning about the challenges of weather resilience on Britain's railways, the devastating effects of climate change, the complexities of managing trees and vegetation on the lineside... and surprisingly, about dormice.
How does Network Rail manage flood risk?
How are trees on the railway managed?
What rules are there to protect habitats adjacent to the railway?
This is the first in a new series of podcasts from Green Signals where we seek to share knowledge and expertise from around the railway and, hopefully, to explain some of the things that many people don't know that much about!
...more
29min
February 08, 2024 19. Government scores 0/10 on HS2 & Labour eyes rail nationalisation
Following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s scrapping of HS2 Phase 2A, HS2 is branded ‘very poor value for money’ by the Public Accounts Committee…
And... is Labour about to unveil its plans for its own vision of rail nationalisation, and is it back to the bad old days of curly
sandwiches?
...more
43min
February 06, 2024 18. The Big Interview - Train strikes: Finding the truth behind the headlines - with ASLEF boss Mick Whelan
Train strikes have hit the headlines frequently over the past three years as an increasingly bitter dispute between train drivers’ union ASLEF and the government and train operating companies continues.
Our Big Interview guest is ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan. We find out how the rail strikes began in the first place and what has happened since… And, crucially, what it will take to end the long-running disruption to passengers.
...more
1h 12min
January 31, 2024 17: When ministers can’t agree… & the simpler fares that aren’t!
Ministers seem unable to agree, either on transport decisions – or more embarrassingly – with each other at a Conservative Home conference.
What is going on with LNER fares and ticketing? It’s now clear that its Simpler Fares trial is turning out to be anything but simple…
Will HS2 now reduce capacity to Manchester? And is the wider
world and mainstream media finally waking up to the true stupidity of Rishi Sunak’s scrapping of HS2 Phase 2a?
Plus, a new Green Signals feature – positive and GOOD news
from the grass roots railway, including the UK’s very first railway station railway library!
...more
55min
January 24, 202416. More train ticket booking confusion & is new plan for HS2 sunk already?
Why train ticket booking and rail fares in the UK are so confusing. With the help of fares expert The Man in Seat 61 Mark Smith, we
demystify:
LNER’s new Simpler Fares pilot

The Great British Rail Sale

Which? magazine’s report that railway ticket vending
machines are twice as expensive as booking train tickets online

How to buy the cheapest train tickets or get the best deal on train tickets

We also cover:
HS2 land safeguarding lifted north of Birmingham – has it
struck a fatal blow to the high speed rail project?

Northern Mayors Andy Burnham and Andy Street’s HS2
alternative and has Defence Secretary Grant Shapps just poured cold water on it before Mark Harper and Rishi Sunak have even heard what it is?

Rail disruption in Network Rail’s Western region on 363 days out of 365 – is it really as bad as that?
...more
55min
January 17, 2024 15. Harry Potter’s ‘Hogwarts Express’ off the rails & has Keir Starmer bottled it on HS2?
Has Harry Potter’s favourite train the ‘Hogwarts Express’ hit the buffers now that Jacobite steam train operator West Coast Railways has been derailed by the ORR?
Has Labour leader Keir Starmer bottled it on HS2?
Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper responds to Richard’s letter on HS2… except that he doesn’t…
And ASLEF announces yet more strikes. But are they working, and is it time to really ‘take the gloves off’?
...more
50min
January 11, 202414. Floods, HS2 land sale, Tube strikes & MORE misleading stats
It's been a week of severe weather disruption on the railway, news that HS2 land may not be sold before the next election, Tube strikes being called off, and the release of some disappointing train cancellation stats.
On this week’s show…
LNER’s #FreedomAllTheWay teaser campaign and advert

HS2 land sell-off unlikely before the General Election and why mayors Andy Burnham and Andy Street are making a BIG mistake

Pre-cancellation stats from train operators (translation: misleading stats!)

Major weather disruption and floods this last week - and…

Serious rail disruption in the South West, and finally some good news…

Tube strikes called off

This week's quiz!
...more
41min

FAQs about Green Signals:

How many episodes does Green Signals have?

The podcast currently has 134 episodes available.

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