Train services were restored through Bletchley on Friday afternoon following the derailment of a freight locomotive just south of the station, but weekend rail travellers still faced disruption.

Clearing up operations have been continuing at Bletchley, following the derailment of a Freightliner locomotive in the small hours of this morning. Network Rail says it hopes to reopen the slow lines soon, but the scale of the damage means that the fast lines will have to stay closed until tomorrow at least.

Network Rail has said that the derailment of a light locomotive at Bletchley in the small hours of this morning caused 'substantial damage' to the track, and that only a partial reopening of the West Coast Main Line can be hoped for today.

There are no main line trains to London Euston this morning, after the derailment of a Freightliner locomotive at Bletchley. The driver is reported to have needed hospital treatment after the incident, which has blocked the main line. Thousands of passengers are facing long delays, and are being advised to use other routes where they can.

The transport secretary Justine Greening has hit out at Labour's design of the corporate structure at Network Rail, because there is no way that government can influence the level of executive bonuses. She believes the latest round of proposed payouts is 'unacceptable'.

Network Rail has told a magistrates' court that it is pleading guilty to three health and safety offences, following the deaths of two teenage girls on Elsenham level crossing in Essex just over six years ago.

Network Rail is set to plead guilty in connection with the deaths of two girls at Elsenham level crossing in December 2005, according to the father of one of the casualties.

Two strikes by signallers have been suspended so that further talks can take place. RMT members at the West of Scotland signalling centre in Glasgow had been due to walk out for 24 hours from 06.00 this morning, and again on Friday, in a dispute over who should have preference when full-time 'residential' jobs became available at the centre.

The government has confirmed that rail fare rises at the start of 2013 and 2014 are to stay at RPI+3 per cent. The rise at the start of this month was kept to RPI+1 per cent, after a policy u-turn announced by the Chancellor at the end of November, but nothing was said at the time about what would happen in future years.

The Department for Transport has issued the Invitation to Tender for the next West Coast franchise, which is due to start in December. Rail minister Theresa Villiers said the contract, which is to run until 2026 at least, would be 'more flexible', and include another 28,000 seats.

Passengers on the West Coast Main Line, one of the busiest rail routes in Europe, could benefit from faster, more frequent trains, less crowding and better connections if the first phase of the proposed High Speed line between London and Birmingham goes ahead as planned, according to a new report from Network Rail and watchdog Passenger Focus.

Signallers at a major signalling centre in Scotland are to go on strike again for four more days, but Network Rail has said that most trains will run. The dispute concerns the right of a staff member serving as a general purpose relief to be given a fixed job when one becomes vacant.

The Office of Rail Regulation has decided to prosecute Network Rail under health and safety law followng the Grayrigg derailment in early 2007. However, a rail union leader has warned that 'systemic problems' remain with the way maintenance is managed, five years later.

The first of six new trams ordered for London Tramlink should enter service next month, said Transport for London. The first of the vehicles is now being tested in the Croydon area.

Claims by Labour leader Ed Miliband that the Coalition government boosted this month's rail fare increases by allowing train operators to bring back the 'flex' -- and increase some fares by as much as 11 per cent -- have been challenged by the publication of a legal agreement which limited the suspension of the flex to just a year.

If the alternatives to HS2 suggested by 18 local authorities opposing HS2 were accepted, stations at Atherstone, Rugeley Trent Valley and Stone would be left without any trains at all, and commuter stations between Leighton Buzzardand London Euston would suffer reduced services. There would also be many more standing passengers on trains south of Northampton. These were among the main findings of a review for the government by Network Rail, which helped confirm transport secretary Justine Greening’s decision to go ahead with HS2 this week.

Train operators have defended the 5.9 per cent rise in average rail fares at the start of this month, after Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would 'take on' train companies and insist that caps on rises were equally applied to all fares.

The last edition of the printed edition of Railnews in its present style has been published: next month, it will be 'all change' – throughout the paper.

There has been a welcome in many quarters for the High Speed 2 plans announced by transport secretary Justine Greening today, but anti-HS2 campaigners are vowing to continue their opposition to the £32 billion project, which will eventually link London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds with trains travelling at up to 400km/h.

The transport secretary has given the green light to a domestic High Speed Rail network in Britain. The eventual system will be connected to the continent via HS1, and also include a link to Heathrow.