Severn Valley Railway says its Halloween services sold out and Christmas steam specials are booking quickly. The heritage railway is offering Elf Express and Santa Steam experiences with live entertainment, storytelling and children’s gifts.
Bala Lake Railway in North Wales will run two Santa steam trains on 12–13 December 2026. Pre-booked passengers will travel from Llanwchllyn to Bala Pen-y-Bont and visit Santa’s Grotto; children receive gifts and adults get a hot drink or cherry.
The Watercress Line in Hampshire will run Steam Illuminations from 27 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, featuring a steam train with synchronised LED lights, music, interactive activities, and festive station attractions.
The Northampton and Lamport Railway will run its Winter Warmer event on 3 January 2027, with two steam locomotives in service and Bagnall No. 2 making its last operating day before leaving the railway.
The Hampton Kempton Waterworks Railway in Middlesex will run Santa Specials on 12-13 and 19-20 December, with tickets booked in advance. The article also notes the railway won a 2023 HRA Infrastructure Award for a new coach shed and maintenance facility.
Weardale Railway in County Durham will host steam locomotive Flying Scotsman from 13 to 15 November, with scheduled arrivals at Stanhope station, paid viewing areas at five stations, and safety restrictions around platforms and footbridges.
Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society and Vintage Trains Charitable Trust have formed a partnership to mark the society’s 75th anniversary. The collaboration was highlighted by twinning two Birmingham-built carriages during a heritage steam special. The Talyllyn Railway also received a £3.7m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant in January for engineering facility upgrades.
Bachmann Europe announced its winter 2026 model railway releases, led by an OO-scale exclusive of LNER A2 No. 60532 Blue Peter in Express Blue. The range also includes new N and OO scale locomotives, wagons, coaches, buildings and accessories.
Paul Middleton returns with a new five-episode Steam Train Diaries series on More4 from 12 November. The programme visits several heritage railways, including North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where bridge repairs are under way and locomotive Omaha is being converted from coal to oil.
SJ has opened bookings for its 2026/27 winter timetable. Direct sleeper trains between Stockholm and Narvik will return from 13 December 2026 under a new agreement with Trafikverket. SJ also plans overnight services to Umeå and Duved, plus a new train-and-bus connection from Stockholm to Sälen.
The Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society has formally taken ownership of steam locomotive 35025 Brocklebank Line. The group is assessing required restoration work, available parts and storage plans, with major components still needed for a future mainline return.
RailStock Finland has ordered 21 additional Stadler FLIRT electric multiple units, expanding a programme launched in 2022. The four-car trains will be built at Stadler’s Siedlce plant in Poland for Finland’s broad-gauge network and winter conditions, bringing the total fleet under the programme to 41 units.
Garw Valley Railway in Wales will host a Santa’s Grotto on 5 December, with tickets at £5 per child. Families can meet Santa, receive gifts and refreshments, and see Christmas displays, a miniature train and shed tours.
UIC Rail Expert Group meeting 2026 will be held on 18–19 November 2026 in Hamburg, Germany, hosted by DB InfraGo.
Renfe has awarded Siemens a contract for 30 seven-car Velaro Novo high-speed trains. The trains will run up to 350 km/h, seat 520 passengers each, and be delivered over 62 months, with the first five due within 40 months.
Llangollen and Corwen Railway is seeking volunteers from North Wales for customer-facing roles during its Christmas Santa Special services. The appeal covers roles such as stewards, greeters, Welsh-speaking volunteers and Santa’s elves, with festive operations starting on 28 November 2026.
Network Rail has issued travel advice for Manchester Christmas Markets, which open on 6 November 2026 and are expected to draw heavy crowds on Northern and TransPennine Express services. Passengers are advised to plan ahead, use earlier return trains, and expect extra staff at Manchester Piccadilly.
Azerbaijan Railways signed a contract with CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive to buy four new passenger trains.
Severn Valley Railway will host Class 55 Deltic D9015 Tulyar from 13 to 16 May 2027 during its Spring Diesel Festival, marking 40 years since the line’s first diesel gala. The locomotive returned to passenger service in 2026 after a 30-year restoration.
ÖBB and SBB extended their passenger rail cooperation to 2036, covering more than 30 daily direct services and six night train routes from Zürich. Passenger numbers on the joint services have grown strongly over the past decade, alongside ÖBB’s rollout of new Siemens-built Nightjet trains.
Siemens Mobility will supply three Pioneer 220 high-speed trains for California under a USD 772.1 million contract, with options included.
Train services between Peterborough and London King’s Cross will be disrupted on 28–29 November due to digital signalling installation work on the East Coast Main Line. The work includes diagnostic system and software updates, track renewal, step-free access works, canopy work, and overhead line equipment upgrades.
Lappa Valley Railway in Cornwall held sold-out Fireworks Spectaculars on 30 and 31 October, attracting thousands. The railway said the 2026 event was its most successful yet and that tickets for the next event, expected in 2027, will go on sale later in the summer.
UIC’s 2026 Asia-Pacific Web Meeting Series will run sessions on topics including advocacy, sustainability, resilience, security, passenger, infrastructure, rolling stock and energy, freight, and UIC publication tools. The programme aims to connect Asia-Pacific members more directly with UIC technical departments and working groups.
An incident between Crewe and Stafford blocked the line, disrupting trains with cancellations, diversions and delays of 60 minutes or more until about 3pm on 3 November 2026. Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway and Lumo services were affected.