 Cover of an issue from July 2024 | |
| Categories | Rail transport |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Fortnightly |
| Circulation |  20,063(January–December 2015)[1] |
| Publisher | Bauer Consumer Media |
| First issue | 1981; 44 years ago (1981) (asRail Enthusiast) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Based in | Peterborough |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 0953-4563 |
Rail is a Britishmagazine on the subject of currentrail transport in Great Britain. It is published every two weeks byBauer Consumer Media and can be bought from thetravel sections of UK newsstands. It is targeted primarily at the enthusiast market, but also covers issues relating to rail transport.
Rail is more than four decades old, and was calledRail Enthusiast from its launch in 1981 until 1988. It is one of only two railway magazines that increased its circulation. It has roughly the same cover design for several years, with a capitalised italic redRAIL along the top of the front cover.
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Rail is customarily critical of railway institutions, including the Rail Delivery Group, theOffice of Rail and Road, as well as, since it assumed greater railway powers, theDepartment for Transport.Rail's continuing campaigns include one against advertising and media images showing celebrities and others walking between the rails (an unsafe practice), with another against weeds on railway lines.
The market for rail magazines has remained static but bounced back since then.[when?] To meet the change in the market, the magazine has repositioned itself from being purely enthusiast-based to being more business-oriented. This has met with some success.
Rail also organises conferences, including the annual National Rail Conference, the National Rail Awards and theRail 100 Breakfast Club.
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Rail publishes a mix of news, analysis and features written by its own editorial staff and freelance contributors.
The magazine takes a broadly supportive stance onHigh Speed 2 and began running a regular column dedicated to it in 2013.
The magazine's managing editor wasNigel Harris, who was editor for 28 years between 1995 and September 2023.[2] Dickon Ross took over as editor in 2024. Other staff include Industry Editor Richard Wilcock and News Editor Dave Stubbings.[3]
Other regular contributors include transport commentatorChristian Wolmar, one of the most vociferous critics of the privatisation of railways in Britain; fares and ticketing expert Barry Doe (The Fare Dealer); an anonymous railway employee, theIndustry Insider, as well as Steve Broadbent, Andy Coward and Chris Leigh.
Many ofRail's editorial staff frequently appear on television and radio when a rail expert is needed to comment on a story.