Railnews

What Railnews does

Railnews is a privately-held UK trade publication serving the British railway industry. Operating as Railnews Limited (company number 03260010), the company publishes a monthly print newspaper and a continuously updated news website (railnews.co.uk) targeted at railway staff at all levels, including senior managers at Network Rail, train operators, and the rail supply chain. The publication is positioned as the impartial, balanced source of industry news in Britain, with editorial coverage sourced from bodies including the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), CIRAS, British Transport Police, and The Chartered Institution of Railway Operators.

The product portfolio centers on the core Railnews newspaper and website, supplemented by Railnews Business (a companion business-focused digital publication covering industry databases and franchises). The technology stack is conventional: a PHP-based web platform with Google Analytics for visitor tracking, AddThis for social sharing, and PayPal for online subscription payments. The company has no API, no mobile app, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no proprietary data products. Distribution is primarily direct-to-subscriber via postal delivery, with online self-serve options.

Railnews operates a dual revenue model combining subscription sales and advertising. Personal subscriptions are priced at £37/year for UK addresses and £43/year for international, with bulk/corporate sales available. Advertising revenue is generated through print and online display, travel, financial, recruitment, and sponsorship products, with combined online and print packages offered. The company has a print readership of 100,000 and approximately 20,000 monthly website visitors, and operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees from its headquarters in Finedon, Wellingborough.

Name

Railnews

Legal name

Railnews Limited

Website

https://railnews.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Railnews is a UK trade newspaper and digital publication (Railnews Limited) covering the British railway industry, delivering monthly print editions to 100,000 readers and online news to 20,000 monthly visitors, serving rail professionals, operators, and supply chain companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Railway industry news
• Trade newspaper publishing
• Rail industry advertising
• Subscription print media
• Rail sector journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Finedon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print and Online Advertising: Railnews sells advertising space in its print publication (100,000 readers) and on its website (20,000 monthly visitors). The company offers display, travel, financial, recruitment and sponsorship advertising options for both online and print formats, with combined online and print packages available.
2. Subscription Revenue: Annual subscription model delivering monthly print editions by post. UK subscriptions cost £37.00 per year including P&P. International subscriptions are priced at £43.00. Post orders incur an additional £5 banking handling charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Railnews publishes a monthly print trade newspaper and a continuously updated news website covering the British railway industry, with a combined readership of approximately 120,000 (100,000 print, 20,000 online). The company generates revenue from annual subscriptions (£37 UK / £43 international) and from print and online advertising (display, travel, financial, recruitment and sponsorship) aimed at railway staff across Network Rail, train operators, and the supply chain. Editorial coverage includes news from RAIB, CIRAS, British Transport Police, and the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators, plus a companion business-focused sub-brand called Railnews Business.

Product overview

Railnews operates as a unified print and digital publication serving the British railway industry. The core offering consists of the Railnews newspaper (available both as a monthly print edition reaching 100,000 readers and as a freemium website at railnews.co.uk) supplemented by the business-focused Railnews Business companion site covering industry databases and franchises. The publication generates revenue through advertising (print and online packages) and subscription services (£37/year UK). The product portfolio is unified under the Railnews brand, with the main site providing free news access alongside premium subscription offerings for full monthly delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Railnews Business: Business-focused section of Railnews covering industry database and franchises.

Products and services

• Railnews (print and online newspaper) The trade newspaper for the railway industry in Britain, delivering railway industry news, features, and analysis to railway staff at all levels including senior managers in Network Rail, train operators, and the supply chain. Available both as a monthly print edition and as a continuously updated web news portal.
• Railnews Business A companion business-focused digital publication covering railway industry databases, franchises, and structured business information alongside the main Railnews news publication.
• Railnews Subscription Service Annual personal and corporate subscription service delivering the monthly Railnews print edition for £37.00 per year (UK) or £43.00 per year (international), including postage and packaging. Includes corporate/bulk sales options for organisations requiring multiple copies.
• Railnews Advertising Print and online advertising services targeting railway industry professionals at all levels, including display, travel, financial, recruitment, and sponsorship options. Print reaches 100,000 readers with an additional 20,000 online monthly reach, with combined online and print packages available.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Rail Express: UK-based rail modelling and rail industry news magazine. Competes with Railnews for hobbyist and professional rail enthusiast subscribers, though with more focus on rail modelling content.
• Modern Railways: Established UK rail industry magazine covering railway operations, policy, and technology. Competes directly with Railnews for advertising revenue and subscribers across the UK railway professional audience.
• Rail Technology Magazine: UK rail industry publication covering technology and innovation in railways. Targets the same B2B audience as Railnews with overlapping content and competes for advertising revenue.
• Rail Engineer: UK rail industry trade publication covering technical and engineering aspects of the railway sector. Directly competes with Railnews for the same B2B audience of railway professionals, supply chain, and decision-makers.
• Today's Railways UK: UK railway enthusiast and industry publication covering rail operations and rolling stock. Direct competitor to Railnews for rail enthusiast subscribers and hobbyist market segments.

Broad incumbents

• International Railway Journal: Global railway industry publication owned by Simmons-Boardman. Operates at broader international scope than Railnews but serves overlapping advertising and subscription audiences in the UK rail supply chain.
• Railway Gazette International: Long-established global rail industry publication covering worldwide railway developments. Competes with Railnews for international rail supplier advertising budgets targeting UK and European markets.
• Railway Age: North American rail industry publication with global coverage. While primarily US-focused, it competes for international rail supplier advertising and serves similar audiences to Railnews in the global rail sector.

Regional players

• CIT magazine: UK-based construction and infrastructure trade publication covering infrastructure developments including rail projects. Competes with Railnews for advertising from rail construction and infrastructure suppliers.

Others

• Route One (magazine): UK transport trade publication covering bus and coach industries. While not rail-specific, it serves an adjacent transport professional audience and competes for transport supplier advertising budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/railnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Railnews