Rail News – Early January 2026
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Clarke Chapman, a division of Nottinghamshire-based global engineering group Langley Holdings, has acquired the assets of historic Burton-on-Trent locomotive manufacturer Clayton Equipment from administration.
Clayton Equipment, which is known globally for its zero-emission locomotives and mining equipment, appointed Gareth Prince and Mark Malone from Begbies Traynor as joint administrators on 8 December 2025. Prior to their appointment, all 34 of the company’s employees had been made redundant.
Sourced from TheBusinessDesk
The construction of HS2 was always going to miss its delivery target because the plan was rushed by ministers, the government’s former infrastructure chief has said.
Sir John Armitt, who ended his tenure as the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission on 31 December, believes the haste in drawing up the project’s blueprint hobbled it.
“They really hadn’t thought this through before it started. They wanted it to be the fastest rail network in Europe – but did we really need it?” he said.
Sourced from BBC website
People across Yorkshire and the North East have been promised faster commutes, greater job opportunities and increased investment as part of newly revealed Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.
These plans are intended to boost economic potential and living standards across the North, with more reliable and more frequent trains across cities in the regions – but construction is not expected to begin until after 2030.
The Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) proposals are designed to drastically improve how people travel for work, education and leisure.
Sourced from TheBusinessDesk
