Shan Ahmed Khan

Trenitalia plans to launch Paris–London high-speed rail by 2029 after being denied access to London’s Temple Mills depot, opting to build a new base near Paris. Britain’s rail regulator recently approved Virgin Trains’ access to Temple Mills but rejected bids from Trenitalia and others. FS Group and Certares announced a €1 billion investment for expansion in France and the UK. Network Rail demolished Clifton Bridge over the M6, reopening the motorway ahead of schedule.

Britain’s Great British Rail Sale began Wednesday, offering up to 50% off more than 3 million Advance and Off-Peak train tickets until Jan. 12 for travel from Jan. 13 to March 25. Sample fares include £6 from Norwich to London and £27.85 from London to Edinburgh. Discounts are limited to selected routes and require booking several days in advance, operators said. Railcard discounts do not apply.

Overrunning engineering works blocked trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5/Reading on Wednesday, causing cancellations and delays of up to 60 minutes, National Rail said. Operators cited damage to overhead power lines found Tuesday near Ladbroke Grove. Disruption was expected until at least 07:45 GMT. Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line services ran reduced schedules.

UK train operators launched the Great British Rail Sale on Jan. 6, offering up to 50% off more than 3 million tickets for travel through March 25. Some fares dropped to £3, but passengers reported difficulty finding the lowest prices. Greater Anglia and LNER promoted thousands of discounted routes. The government linked the sale to efforts to cut travel costs.