Railways Illustrated April 2022

Welcome to Railways Illustrated The announcements now departing! Travelling recently to London to attend a press event, I found myself aboard an LNER Azuma on the East Coast Main Line. This was the first time I had travelled any distance by train since it was announced that the Department for Transport was looking to cut down the number of on-train announcements. Anyone who has travelled by train over the last few years can’t have failed to notice the increase in the number of announcements made both on trains and platforms. Destination and next station stop announcements (also shown on passenger information display screens inside railway carriages), which were introduced as part of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations, are essential to rail users who may have sight or hearing impairments. Announcements…

NEWS c2c tops Transport Focus rail passenger survey TRAIN OPERATOR c2c has come out on top in an online Transport Focus rail passenger survey. The independent transport users’ watchdog surveyed 5086 passengers across the country over 12 weeks between October 27, 2021 and January 30, 2022. Passengers rated how satisfied they were with their overall journey, how punctual their service was, the value for money of their ticket, and a number of Covid-related safety measures. Punctuality and reliability were highlighted as the most important factors to the majority of participants, with the level of crowding on board trains coming in next. The national satisfaction scores were taken for the period from January 26-30, with 377 passenger surveyed, and the train operating company results judged over the 12-week period. The survey…

Vivarail to supply Fast Charge Class 230 for GWR GREAT WESTERN Railway (GWR) is to trial battery-charging technology on its Greenford branch line, following the signing of a deal with Vivarail. ‘Fast Charge’ equipment will be installed at West Ealing later this year and the technology will be tested with Vivarail’s battery-only Class 230 train, which was demonstrated at COP26 in Glasgow last year. The trial will be the first time that the fast-charging equipment has been introduced into an operational setting. The Vivarail Class 230 has a range of up to 62 miles on battery power, but in tests it has been found that the train can be recharged in just 10 minutes using the Fast Charge equipment. When the train arrives at a station, it connects automatically to…

NEWS Totota automotive trains launched from Toton Steve Donald THE LONG-AWAITED movement of Toyota cars from Toton to Dollands Moor and on through the Channel Tunnel commenced on January 19. DB Cargo has invested £2.6 million at the Nottinghamshire depot to turn the former training area into a secure vehicle storage compound with loading and unloading facilities. This will see Derby-built Corolla hybrids exported to the company’s plant at Onnaing, near Valenciennes, in France, as well as to the Czech Republic with the Yaris and Aygo models imported in return. Up to three trains a week are planned, each carrying up to 230 vehicles, with DB and Euro Cargo Rail providing the traction. The flow is using newly-overhauled IPA double-deck cartic wagons, which have received deck modifications in order to carry…

SLC Operations looks to recruit qualified drivers SLC OPERATIONS has launched a recruitment campaign to attract qualified train drivers to join the Birmingham-based train operator as the company celebrates its second anniversary and looks to double its team to more than 40. The company was formed in February 2020 by former Chiltern Railways senior managers Cath Bellamy, Adrian Shooter and Ian Walters, and offers a wide range of services to the rail industry, such as train driver and guard hire, operations training, instructor hire and rail vehicle introduction and acceptance, and rolling stock collection and delivery. The company is seeking five fully-qualified depot drivers and two fully-qualified main line drivers to be based in the London area, along with seven fully-qualified main line drivers to be based in the West…

NEWS Chiltern’s HybridFLEX Class 168 enters service CHILTERN RAILWAYS (CR) has launched 168329 as the first member of its diesel fleet to be converted into a HybridFLEX as the operator seeks to reduce emissions from its fleet. The Class 168, which is owned by Porterbrook and has been fitted with a Rolls-Royce mtu hybrid power pack, entered passenger service with the operator on February 10, taking invited guests and fare-paying passengers from London Marylebone to Aylesbury. The train operated with its diesel engine running and in battery-operating mode throughout the 40-mile journey. The power pack pairs a diesel engine with an electric unit that can function both as a motor and a generator. The technology brings a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions on every journey, while nitrogen oxide and other…