A frequently irreverent podcast about railways - its politics, economics, people and history. With
@railnigel
and
@SRichardBowker
. Find us on Spotify & YouTube!
This is the 15.31 London - Sheffield. Full and standing leaving StP - first stop Leicester. Why not post your pictures of full and standing trains. Say which service & date it is and use the hashtag
#fullandstanding
. We’ll build up a body of evidence to make the case for rail.
1 / 2 Green Signals announcement time! Drum roll please… We are delighted to reveal that Stef Foster
@stefatrail
has joined our team as General Manager. Stef has been a railway journalist for 16 years and is well known in the industry. Please give her a big railway welcome!
🧵The story of Gareth Dennis and Peter Hendy dominated yesterday’s rail news and comment. It quickly became clear that it is complex – it always is when matters of employment law, safety regulation, politics and personal reputation collide. That did not of course prevent a (1/7)
If you haven't yet watched our interview with
@ASLEFunion
's
@MickWhelanASLEF
, carve out some time in your day for it, because it really is a must-watch. Watch it on YouTube here: And here's a little clip to get you started...
Coming tomorrow… interview with
@AlstomUK
MD Nick Crossfield on the desperate situation in Derby – a knife edge between oblivion and becoming a global centre of train building excellence. But
@transportgovuk
must act now. Subscribe on YT to watch tomorrow
And it's here! Episode 18 is now on YouTube. Train strikes: Finding the truth behind the headlines. Our next big interview with
@ASLEFunion
's
@MickWhelanASLEF
. If you want to understand the background to the dispute & where we're up to, you need to watch -
Tomorrow is new episode day and
@SRichardBowker
has been busy editing the show ready for you to watch/listen to. All the work that goes into the shows is done by the 3 of us so we're always learning new things so that we can keep bringing you more and better videos!
We can't wait to share this one with you... Here's a sneak peek of when we interviewed Rail Minister
@HuwMerriman
at his
@transportgovuk
office... (and gave him a GS mug of course!). Subscribe on YT to be notified when it's released at 12pm tomorrow:
On this week’s Green Signals we shall be discussing, at length, the background to and fallout from the Gareth Dennis/Peter Hendy row over Euston station, though of course it goes wider than that... (1/2)
We did it! 5,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel. Thank you to all of you who have supported us to reach this incredible milestone in such a short time. We only started in October and are truly humbled by your support for Green Signals. Now to get to 10k!
@railnigel
and
@SRichardBowker
enjoying a pint of Diet Pepsi (beer coming later…..) ahead of the start of the
@festrail
Snowdonian festivities. Been looking forward to this. A lot!! Videos to follow….!
Congratulations to
@AlexHynes
on his new appointment! Alex joined us on Green Signals a few months ago and we had a fascinating discussion about some of the great things he's been up to in Scotland. Time to catch up if you haven't watched it!
Here it is...
@SRichardBowker
's interview with
@AlstomUK
MD Nick Crossfield. A story of government and civil service bureaucracy, procrastination, and world-class dithering. It's still possible to save Derby... but it's 1 minute to midnight. Watch now:
Behind the scenes at Green Signals HQ this week,
@SRichardBowker
has been busy analysing the transport policies in General Election manifestos for the major parties... and one has him needing to get some fresh air! Don't miss our Election Special in Episode 38, out tomorrow 12pm.
A big day of recording. Some fabulous interview guests lined up today to do pieces for next week’s show! Hard work being the leading railway podcast - but with
@railnigel
and
@stefatrail
, it’s fun too!
We recorded a special show this afternoon on
@UKLabour
and
@LouHaigh
's plan for Britain's railways. Here's a little clip of what's to come later today... Watch the full show later for our take on today's announcement.
On late running (10m) 11.07
@AvantiWestCoast
New Street to Glasgow. Train Manager has just informed everyone that we will try and make back some time but this is the railway so we are likely to remain 10 minutes late. Quite possibly, but not sure that was the best thing to say 🤦♂️
... great number of people on social media ranging from the understandably curious to the completely uninformed stating their opinion as if it were demonstrable fact, often using very strong language to do so. For our part, we are naturally cautious. It is always better to (2/7)
Episode 35 is here! We talk to
@chrisgibb38
about his plan for HS2 and turning Pendolino trains into 155 mile/h super trains. We ask whether the railway needs a directing mind or not and we speak to
@steve220459
about the recent overhaul of
@60163_Tornado
.
We said he'd agreed to join us on the show & he did! Last week, we met Rail Minister
@HuwMerriman
at his
@transportgovuk
office to record a Big Interview. We cover HS2,
@ASLEFunion
strikes, fares, rail reform, you name it. Subscribe to be notified!
New episode day and we had great fun recording this one yesterday at
@railnigel
's garden pub no less! Here are a couple of sneak peeks of what's to come - and
@SRichardBowker
busy editing in Nigel's kitchen... Get ready for the episode to drop at 12pm!
... be in possession of all the facts before stating an opinion in uncompromising terms. And we’re not sure just how many people are aware of all the facts yet. Few, we suspect. Safety is and will always be the number one priority for the railway. (3/7)
The moment you've been waiting for since we announced this yesterday - our interview with
@HuwMerriman
at his
@transportgovuk
office is now on YT and Spotify! Watch it here: and do let us know what you think!
Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to GS on YouTube. You are one of the wonderful 4,000 and we are very grateful. To have got here in just 8 months really is humbling, thank you. If you haven't already subscribed, help us get to 5,000 now!
When
@AlexHynes
joined us for Episode 9, he told us all about the National Transport Strategy in Scotland and what it means for railway decision-making. Here's a little snippet of what he said... but you can watch the full episode on YouTube
Episode 29:
@SRichardBowker
asks if it's time for British Rail 2.0 & gives his 6-point plan. Jacobite steam train fails. ECML timetable change is deferred.
@northernassist
uses classical music at stations.
@railindustry
's net zero plan. Don't miss it!
He ran the 3 largest transit systems in 3 continents. Former
@TfL
Commissioner Andy Byford. In this honest, often raw, gripping interview, he speaks of toxicity between Boris Johnson & Sadiq Khan & how the Elizabeth Line nearly didn't open by the Jubilee.
We've just published a great new guest blog by
@WilliamBarter1
on the Green Signals website. William discusses what we should do next after the "untimely demise of HS2 Phase 2A". It's a great exploration of the options. Check it out here:
We've posted a new video! Something a bit different this time as
@railnigel
takes us for a ride on the
@festrail
Gravity Train! It's a great little video about the history of the train and what you can experience today.
Episode 44 is here! Our big story is
@NAOorguk
report into HS2 & the utter nonsense we're left with since Phase 2 was cancelled. Restoring your Railways is canned (hooray says
@SRichardBowker
),
@RailVaramis
talks
@RoyalMail
trains with us... & more! Watch:
We knew it wouldn't be long before
@railnigel
's fingers were itching to get writing again... and this is what happened! 'The world according to... Nigel Harris'. Hop over to to read his thoughts on why HS2 Phase 2A must be saved.
Episode 49 is here! Our big story this week is the Euston station safety row - we look in detail at what's happened. Shadow GBR is launched and there's an HS2 construction update as tunnelling into Birmingham reaches the halfway point. Watch it on YouTube:
Episode 45 is here! We ask the controversial question - should we just cancel HS2?! We speak to
@WilliamBarter1
&
@ShropsP
about why the WCML is full without HS2. And we bring you teasers from our
@networkrail
visit on NMT & to
@GCREinnovation
.
Our latest episode (26) is proving to be popular! Big topic of the show was
@westcoastrail
and
@railandroad
and the ongoing issue over central door locking on trains. Here's a little clip if you missed it... Watch it here if you want to put that right!
... personal and political, has a negative impact on everyone’s vigilance towards safety matters. We discuss our initial thoughts in our After Hours: Raw & Uncut chat this week, which you can find on YT & Patreon if you’re a member of Green Signals. (6/7)
... In 2024, everyone in a senior position across the sector understands and appreciates that. But how widely are these matters understood? On Green Signals next week we shall cover in some detail what you can do (and crucially how you should do it and to whom you should (4/7)
Our latest episode is certainly proving to be popular, especially the discussion about
@RoyalMail
's use of rail in the future (or lack thereof). Don't miss the rare treat of a trip inside the Severn Tunnel with
@networkrailwest
too! A fascinating visit.
We had a brilliant conversation with Andrew McNaughton for Episode 6 of Green Signals. Here's a little taster of what we talked about...
You can watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen on your favourite podcast platform.
And here it is! Our Big Interview with
@networkrail
Chief Executive Andrew Haines. Recorded yesterday evening, so it’s hot out of the editing room. Rail Reform: Why this time it’s different. Watch on YouTube for the full experience: listen on Spotify, etc.
Forget about this 'guiding mind' idea. It's time to be bold and brave and get back to basics while we have the chance. So says
@SRichardBowker
: 'We need a directing mind to stick a few well-aimed boots up a few well-targeted arses, frankly!' Full video:
STOP PRESS! We would normally publish our weekly magazine show today at 12.00 but
@SRichardBowker
is chairing the launch of
@railindustry
’s important strategy to deliver a net zero railway by 2050 so we will publish GS Friday 12th instead. Tune in tomorrow - it’s a belter!
The subject of reallocating HS2 funds comes up a lot on here, so we thought we'd share this clip from our recent interview with former DfT and Treasury Senior Civil Servant Sir Philip Rutnam explaining how it works. You can watch his full explanation here:
We're joined by the Oracle of the rail fares world
@seatsixtyone
on this week’s show where we delve into
@LNER
's new Simpler Fares pilot, the
@Which
? report into TVMs & Mayors
@AndyBurnhamGM
&
@andy4wm
's HS2 proposal… This is definitely one not to miss!
Delighted to say we are now live on YouTube with our very own channel! Our first episode is already up and episode 2 lands tomorrow. PLEASE do subscribe to our YouTube channel - means a lot to us and helps us spread the word!!
@railnigel
@SRichardBowker
Episode 39 is here! And wow-ee are we excited, because
@LocoServicesGrp
MD Tony Bush joined us to chat about the new partnership with SRPS. We also preview a gripping upcoming interview with former
@TfL
Commissioner Andy Byford, & so much more!
We’ve just released a very special video on YT -
@SRichardBowker
’s footplate ride on
@festrail
's Snowdonian from his and
@railnigel
's trip last month. You want the volume up so you can bask not only in the glorious scenery, but in the great sound too!
Episode 34 will be out tomorrow at 12pm! Yes, we know it's Thursday and we'd normally publish today. But we promise it's worth the wait - we've delayed for a very special exclusive behind the scenes piece... here's
@SRichardBowker
hard at work on the edit!
Well this is another really exciting milestone that we're humbled to have reached - half a million views on YouTube! Thanks to everyone who supports us either by watching, listening, subscribing, or becoming a member. We're very grateful indeed.
...say it) if you are concerned about something you see. There is always a process for such things.
With this specific story, there is more to be explained and no doubt it will be in due course. But what must not happen is that a story which by its nature has quickly become (5/7)
1/2 Episode 6 of the Green Signals podcast is now live! This time, we’re joined by Andrew McNaughton to talk about our recent Transport Select Committee appearance on HS2... you do not want to miss this one. Listen on Spotify:
In other exciting news today... we have launched a newsletter! So if you fancy some exclusive content and to find out whenever we publish anything new, go to and join the mailing list. We promise you won't regret it!
Episode 51 is here! Our big story of the week is the Mayors' long-awaited 'It's not HS2' alternative report. We also discuss the recent Jacobite steam train SPAD & witness
@PeteWatermanOBE
getting a train named after him! Watch it now:
If you want to understand the background to the current rail strikes, have a watch of this episode of Green Signals (or listen on Spotify) . Graham Eccles (
@gceccles
) explains brilliantly how we've got to where we have and what should be done. Here's a clip
And we're back! The first Green Signals episode of the year is live. We talk Christmas chaos, more cuts on the way, and we predict What
@RishiSunak
's next act of railway cruelty will be. Watch on YouTube here:
The analysis of
@UKLabour
&
@LouHaigh
’s plan for Britain’s railways that you’ve all been waiting for! A Green Signals special breaking news episode giving the key points and our first impressions. Watch it here now: listen on Spotify
It's new episode day! And we promise Episode 52 WILL be out today, but it just might be a short while later than normal. Blame one of Richard's jollies! We'll let you know when it's available.
Very exciting day here at Green Signals! Our latest video is out and
@SRichardBowker
and his brother Paul take a trip on a
@GWRHelp
Pullman dining train to find out all about it. They chat to staff, watch steak being cooked on the train, it's great!
Here it is! Our big interview guest is none other than Sir Philip Rutnam. Former Permanent Secretary of
@transportgovuk
. Be prepared for fascinating inside stories on everything from HS2 to business cases & how public finance really works. Watch now:
This episode was such fun to make. Nigel, Stef and I have big plans for ‘out in the railway’ videos and here’s the first - a fascinating look at the challenges of climate and vegetation management. Thanks to
@NickMillington7
for being such a superb host!
@SRichardBowker
was doing a bit of digging into the HS2 Acts and came across a bit of a conundrum with Handsacre Junction now that Phase 2A has been scrapped...
Episode 46 is here! We ask whether the UK's most exciting rail project is happening at
@GCREinnovation
in South Wales.
@CrossCountryUK
cuts services in temporary timetable and
@LouHaigh
intervenes. And driver training begins on Northumberland Line. Watch:
And here we go... Episode 15 is live and we've got lots to talk about this week. West Coast Railways losing its exemption allowing it to run Mk 1s on the main line... and we ask whether
@Keir_Starmer
has bottled it on HS2. Watch it now:
It's new episode day! Set your alarms, clear your diary, put those Do Not Disturb signs on your door. 12pm on and all your favourite podcasting platforms. You won't want to miss this one...
1/2 Episode 4 of the Green Signals podcast is now live and we are beyond excited to have our first guest joining us -
@seatsixtyone
Mark Smith to talk about the outrageous Government climb down on ticket offices and everything fares... Listen on Spotify:
Episode 36 is here! We have a real treat in store this time - our full behind the scenes trip at
@HitachiRailENG
Newton Aycliffe. Plus
@AvantiWestCoast
launches Evero, some Jacobite steam train breaking news & the Levenmouth rail link opens!
If you haven't watched Episode 15 of Green Signals yet, here's a little taster to whet your appetite. Richard's views on Northern Powerhouse Rail in the context of levelling up... Watch here: for the full explanation!
Episode 25 is here! We discuss the good news at
@transportgovuk
as
@AlexHynes
is appointed. We ask whether the heritage railway sector is slipping into crisis, and
@SRichardBowker
spills the beans on a previously untold story... Watch it on YouTube -
We've reached a new milestone! 6,000 subscribers on YouTube. Thanks ever so much to everyone who has subscribed to the channel to make this possible. Now onto the 10k! (And if you haven't subscribed already, here's the link:
Here it is... Episode 7 of the Green Signals podcast. We are thrilled to have
@LordPeterHendy
joining us for his first media interview about Railway 200! He is both brilliant and inspiring. Listen on Spotify: or watch on YouTube:
Our regular weekly show will be out 12pm Friday. Instead, later today we're going to bring you a breaking news special on Labour's rail plans! Watch this space. Meanwhile
@railnigel
&
@SRichardBowker
are currently giving specialist insight to various national media! Busy day...
Here's a little clip from Episode 16 when
@SRichardBowker
explains why he referred to
@grantshapps
as "the very essence of a blithering idiot" on X! Watch the full episode on YouTube:
The first of our The Big Interview podcast episodes is now on YouTube and Spotify. Freight Expectations with the fantastic
@MaggieSimpson49
and
@GBRailfreight
's John Smith. It's fun, it's fiesty, it's all things freight! Watch now:
Episode 34 is here! A day later than normal because we have a special exclusive behind the scenes look at the
@HitachiRailENG
battery train trial in Newton Aycliffe. We also discuss the General Election, speak to
@SteveWhiteRail
about new trains, & more!
@railnigel
and
@SRichardBowker
had a wonderful time on
@festrail
’s magnificent Snowdonian train. Video coming soon with some special guest appearances! But to whet your appetite, a little teaser - oh, and the weather was truly splendid. Thank you North Wales!
‘Wow, what a great interview’. ‘Wow! What a phenomenal interview’. ‘Inspirational’. Just some of the comments on today’s release of our Andy Byford big interview. If you haven’t already, move it to the top of your watch list!
And we’re live!! Check out our first Trailer episode on Spotify - other platforms following very soon plus YouTube. Don’t forget to share as well as like / follow / subscribe to be notified automatically when new episodes go live!
Episode 40 is here! Are 75,000 train fare evasion prosecutions unlawful?
@GBRailfreight
runs Britain's very last coal train. And the Isle of Wight's Island Line is set for more lengthy closures! Lots to discuss, recorded on polling day no less! Here it is:
Episode 20 is here! This week's news show gets controversial again with a discussion about whether the Government's Restoring Your Railway fund has actually achieved anything... There's also a spicy debate about how to decide if something is 'strategic'!
Episode 22 is out! We ask whether the Local Transport Fund is really levelling up? The brilliant
@henrimurison
joins us to talk NPR… & we discuss the human factor affecting all of us that we just don't talk about. Watch it now:
Episode 21 has arrived!
@HuwMerriman
&
@StephenMorganMP
go head-to-head on rail. And is there any point to
@transportgovuk
’s Rail Reform Bill? Richard also fights back on criticism of his controversial ‘Reversing Beeching’ views. Watch it on YouTube now:
Drumroll please... Our next Big Interview is out tomorrow at 12pm. Be prepared for some fascinating inside stories as a former Government insider lifts the veil on everything from HS2 to business cases & how public finance really works. See if you can guess who it might be...
Episode 38 is out now! Our General Election special analysing the rail and transport policies of the major parties. At times the words 'tosh' and 'limp' best describe what we read... Have a listen and let us know what you think! On YouTube now:
If you haven't yet watched our interview with Sir Philip Rutnam, here's just one of the reasons you should - his predictions for what we might see if Labour wins the next election. Full video on YT:
Episode 26 has arrived! West Coast Railway Company stops sales of its Jacobite steam train tickets,
@andy4wm
and
@AndyBurnhamGM
unveil their alternative to HS2, but it is viable?
@ASLEFunion
announces more strikes... & rail passenger numbers are up 20%!