What's in the news lately?
~The railway is in the process of being restored to public ownership (link above) - in short, passenger railway services are to be provided by public sector companies, instead of by private companies' franchises. The fine details are a little vague at this stage, and the rolling stock - i.e. the trains - will almost certainly continue to be leased from private companies.
~ScotRail plan to replace the venerable HSTs (railmagazine.com/news/2024/09/03/scotland-to-replace-hst-fleet/)
~UK's first battery-powered intercity train begins tests on the mainline (railtechnologymagazine.com/articles/uks-first-battery-powered-intercity-train-begins-testing-national-rail-network/)
~Network Rail will waive railfreight track access charges for six months (railwaygazette.com/uk/track-access-charge-waiver-aims-to-attract-new-freight-to-rail/67235.article/)
~First HS2 viaduct complete (mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-celebrates-first-completed-viaduct/)

Cool stuff to do?
~lner.co.uk/our-destinations/popular-destinations/trains-to-york/things-to-do-in-york/ - take a trip at 125mph from King's Cross to York. Make sure to spend an hour or two in the National Railway Museum near York station, and take in York Castle and the city's Viking history exhibits afterward.
~avantiwestcoast.co.uk/where-we-go/destination-guides/lake-district/ - journey through the Dales into Oxenholme, and go mountain biking through the gorgeous natural scenery of the Lake District national park.
~www.sleeper.scot/destination/ftw/ - take the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William, then change onto the westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/steam-train-trip/ Jacobite steam train that'll take you over the famous Glenfinnan 'Harry Potter viaduct'.
~scenicrailbritain.com/lines/st-ives-bay-line/ - the St Ives Bay Line will take you to the sandy beaches of Cornwall.
~cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caerphilly-castle/ - visit the largest castle in Wales, a short walk from the station.