The costs of maintaining and operating the railway in the 10-year period to 2014 have come down by 50%.

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Sir Richard said that if reviewing the decision meant the December deadline had to be postponed, his company and Stagecoach would be willing to continue operating the railway lines while donating any profits to charity.

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Sulabh also has begun operating sanitation facilities at railway stations and ports and may take over maintaining lavatories on trains.

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Written evidence suggested the railway was operating by 1793 and Mr Griffin says they were able to prove the line must have run through the tunnel.

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The Docklands Light Railway has also been operating, except between Canning Town and Beckton and between Shadwell and Bank.

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The remains of the North Eastern Railway roundhouses were unearthed during site inspections for a planned rail operating and training facility.

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On the railway, First Great Western and Arriva Trains Wales services were operating normally, as was Cardiff Airport and ferry services from Pembrokeshire and Holyhead.

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Does he return to a centrally run railway by imposing much tougher regulation on Railtrack and the train-operating companies?

ECONOMIST: Railways

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said the report was "further evidence of the success of today's railway".

BBC: UK