Britain needs to start building new rail lines now becaus services including the West Coast Main Line will soon be full, the head of the nation's rail network has warned.

By Stuart Arnold THE North-East could get a new h

By ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT NETWORK Rail is to demand explanations from contractors for a four-day over-run of major work on the west coast main line as it confirmed the Scotland-London route will re-open today.

Network Rail, which runs the British railway system, plans to run trains at Christmas this year for the first time in more than four decades. Since the 1960s, service has been suspended on Christmas Day and the day after Christmas, known in Britain as Boxing Day.

TRAINS will run on Christmas Day and Boxing Day for the first time in almost half a century under changes proposed by Network Rail. Company bosses believe customer demand has made a 365-day service necessary.