''Rail Professional'' is a monthly UK rail news magazine covering the business side of
rail transport in Great Britain
The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest railway system in the world. The first locomotive-hauled public railway opened in 1825, which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Most of the track is managed by Network Rail, which i ...
.
[ It is published 10 times a year by Rail Professional Ltd.][
Rail Professional also publishes an annual hardback guidebook titled "Rail Professional Industry Reference Book & Supply Chain Directory". As of 2024, the guidebook is in its tenth edition. These yearbooks provide up to date information on all the major train operating companies and light rail and tram networks across the country which includes route maps, key contacts, and serves as a one-stop shop for sourcing products and services from a rail supply chain of around 5,000 firms.
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History and profile
''Rail Professional'' was established in 1996.
Content
''Rail Professional'' covers rail news from train operating companies
In the railway system of Great Britain, a train operating company (TOC) is a railway undertaking operating passenger trains under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways ...
, Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and railway infrastructure manager, infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. ...
, the Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...
and other organizations related to the UK rail industry, featuring expert analysis and case studies alongside interviews from the biggest names in rail in its monthly magazine and on its website alongside commentary from professionals that work in the railway industry in the United Kingdom and around the world.
The editor, as of July 2023, is Sam Sherwood-Hal
Controversies
In September 2009, freight operator First GB Railfreight issued a 'clarification' on its website after an unguarded comment by its managing director John Smith, reported in ''Rail Professional'', appeared to make a flippant reference to lifespan of one of his rivals. In an article celebrating ten years of GB Railfreight, GBRF, there was some discussion of the difficulties faced by the freight industry and the tendency of Keith Heller, the then head of the UK's largest rail freight carrier DB Schenker, to be outspoken on such matters. John Smith is quoted as saying: 'Someone does need to say these things, but I think he's pissing in the wind. The same with longer trains, which he also talks about. But Keith's 60, he'll certainly be dead before anything changes!'
After the article was published, a clarification appeared on First GBRf's website saying: 'The context of the remarks were made in reference to the frustrations and difficulties the freight industry faces compared to the passenger sector and John's remarks were intended to highlight the length of time it can take for freight issues to be addressed, as opposed to any slight on Keith himself.'[GBRF archived press releases http://www.gbrailfreight.com/news_archive.php?&newsid=611]
See also
* List of railroad-related periodicals
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.railpro.co.uk/, ''Rail Professional'' official website
1996 establishments in the United Kingdom
Magazines established in 1996
Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Professional and trade magazines