Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i The Railway Magazine

Far greater action needed on HGV ‘bridge bashing’ FOR the third time in eight weeks, the bridge carrying the Leicester to Nuneaton line over the A5 at Hinckley has been hit by an oversized HGV. Such incidents cause inevitable delays, and the roads around Hinckley and Nuneaton become gridlocked for hours. Incidents are costing individuals and businesses money, missed appointments, missed flights, missed funerals and more. It happens all over the country almost on a daily basis. While it is a legal requirement that the maximum height of the vehicle is displayed in the cab, using an adjustable indicator, the use of a satellite navigation system specifically for HGVs, displaying bridge heights and road widths is not mandatory – and this is where many of the problems occur. We’ve all…

THE fire in the engine compartment under one of the carriages of the prototype Vivarail‘D’train on December 30 was caused by a fuel leak. Vivarail carried out its own comprehensive investigation, which included forensic analysis, and the conclusion was diesel fuel had escaped from the high-pressure system under vehicle No. 300101, probably ignited by the turbocharger. The Vivarail team had experienced a slight fuel leak on two other gensets, worse under load than at idle. Vivarail also found conflicting information regarding the reuse of high-pressure fuel pipes between its supplier and Ford, the engine manufacturer. Loop When the fire was discovered, shortly after leaving Leamington Spa for Coventry, the initial white smoke turned to black, triggering the train’s fire alarm. One of the two West Coast Railway Company drivers contacted…

BODEN Rail owner Neil Boden has placed his two Class 50 locos – Nos. 50017 Royal Oak and 50050 Fearless – up for sale. The need to sell the locos stems from the requirement to finance the move of the company from Washwood Heath to a new site as the former Metro Cammell and Alstom site is to be redeveloped for a new depot for HS2 rolling stock. Both locos are main line registered, have GSM-R, OTMR and other current safety equipment. The pair come with a minimum asking price of £120,000. Planned mainline work for the pair has not materialised and last November, Mr Boden sold No. 50007 Hercules to the Class 50 Alliance. Serious enquiries should be emailed to: neil.boden@ bodenrailengineering.co.uk…

GREAT Central Railway carriage & wagon superintendent Tom Tighe is presented with The Railway Magazine Preservationist of the Year award by editor Chris Milner in front of SR 4-6-0 No. 777 Sir Lamiel on February 8. Both Tom and Chris were unable to attend the Heritage Railway Association awards ceremony in Wolverhampton on February 11. The ‘King Arthur’ is one of several National Collection locos Tom has been responsible for during a career of almost 50 years in preservation that began with ‘Black 5’ No. 45305, which he has been involved with since it was saved by Hull scrapyard owner Albert Draper in 1969. Outstanding At the awards evening itself, the Leighton Buzzard Railway won the Peter Manisty award for excellence for the construction of its new Page’s Park station…

THE Department for Transport’s system for selecting companies to operate UK passenger franchises has once again been called into question. The influential House of Commons Transport Select Committee (TSC) has concluded that the current franchising arrangements ‘may not be sustainable’ in the longer term without significant reforms. Although the TSC report admits that some progress has been made since the chaotic InterCity West Coast refranchising competition collapsed in 2012, it was blunt in its criticism of the current system, saying: “The current model fails to deliver for passengers, to drive industry efficiencies, promote competition, reduce taxpayer subsidies or transfer financial risk to the private sector.” The committee recommends that the DfT commission an independent review of its franchising functions and possibly consider the transfer of franchise enforcement powers to the…

I WOULD like to respond to Lord Berkeley’s article ‘Multiple Aspects’ (RM January 2017) in which he scornfully accuses residents of Goring of NIMBYism, a general dislike of railways, and living in the past. I am a proud part of a group that is challenging Network Rail’s electrification programme in the Goring Gap, which we fervently believe is fully justified on the grounds that the metal gantries are over-engineered, unnecessarily ugly and inappropriate for the protected landscape of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which the track passes through. Did Lord Berkeley do any basic research to underpin his accusations? He may be surprised to learn that the group set up to represent Goring residents and other communities along this stretch of track are in fact firm supporters of…

By John Stretton THOSE of us of a certain age will have memories of our trainspotting days. Some of us will have notebooks, a few will have photographs and a lucky minority - like the author - have both. Marking 60 years of trainspotting, based in Leicester at the time, author John Stretton takes us on a wonderful journey around the country with a whole lot more of interest thrown in. With strong interests in music (hence the guitar theme in the name that stems from his admiration of 1960s guitar hero Duane Eddy), theatre, photography, writing and sport, this collection of memories forms a fascinating read, where in one paragraph it’s about a visit to the ‘birdcage’, the local vantage point overlooking Leicester Midland shed, in the next paragraph,…

No. 45305 confirmed for Cotswold Festival of Steam LOUGHBOROUGH-based ‘Black Five’ No. 45305 has been confirmed as the first visiting locomotive for the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Cotswold Festival of Steam gala on May 27-29. After the success of the Great Western-oriented event last year, the railway has gone for something a little different this year, working with a ‘workhorses of steam’ theme, of which the Stanier Class 5 must surely be the epitome. No. 45305 will visit courtesy of the 5305 Locomotive Association, making the journey to the Cotswolds from its home at the Great Central Railway. It will be joined by other guest engines that are still to be announced, along with members of the home fleet, including GWR workhorse ‘28XX’ 2-8-0 No. 2807 and maid of all work…

Kishogue station opening review on the cards THE National Transport Authority (NTA) will undertake a review into the possible opening of Kishogue station on the Dublin to Cork line. The news comes nine years after the station was built to serve a proposed housing development that collapsed as a result of the global financial crisis. The so-called‘ghost station’, which lies between Clondalkin/ Fonthill and Adamstown, was built at a cost of more than €6million in 2008 close to the site where 1,000 new homes were to be built in Clonburris, near Lucan. However, both the housing estate and station were left uncompleted with the collapse of the economy. The NTA’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 states that“Kishogue Station will be opened. The exact timing of the opening…

Drive a Brush Type 4 on the Wensleydale Railway WENSLEYDALE Railway Class 47 No. 47715 Haymarket, smartly turned out in Network SouthEast livery, poses beside Leeming Bar signalbox for a night shoot on January 20. This loco is available for driver experience courses on one of the longest heritage railways in the country. Packages to suit all needs are available, including a taster experience consisting of a one-hour, one-to-one session, through to the ‘gold experience’, which provides the opportunity to haul passenger and freight traffic. For more information contact the WR office on 01677 425805, or email r.roberts@ wensleydalerailway.com Early MNR Type 3 getting ready for a main line move CLASS 37 No. 37003 was moved over the inspection pit at Dereham, Mid-Norfolk Railway on January…

POOL CODES COCO: Colas Rail coaching stock operational LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 08752 WQ/WQDA de-registered 47830 DFLH-DHLT 66018 WBAT-WBAE 66034 WBAT-WBAE 66090 WBAT-WBAE 66098 WQ/WQAB-WQAATO/WBAE 67003 WAWC-WAAC 67004 WQAB-WQAA 67008 WAAC-WAWC 67010 WAAC-WAWC-WAAC 67015 WAAC-WAWC 67020 WQAB-WQAA 68033/34 newly registered KM/XHVE 70001 DFGI-DHLT 70002 DFGH-DHLT 70003 DFGH-DHLT 70009 DFGI-DHLT 70013 DFGI-DHLT 70014 DFGI-DHLT 70811-17 newly registered RU/COLS 88002 newly delivered KM/XHVE 90037 CE/WEAC-WQ/WQAA 98144 (GNR 1744) registered HQ/MBSL Liveries DB red: 92012 DBC red: 66082 DB red+YIWU – London vinyls: 66136 DRS revised: 66301 Europhoenix: 37608 +YIWU – London vinyls: 92015 Named 37608 Andromeda 88003 Genesis 88005 Minerva Stored/stopped locations Barrow Hill: 20303/08 Crewe Basford Hall: 70013 Crewe ETD: 90037 Eastleigh Works: 57011 Midland Road, Leeds: 70001/02/03/09/14 Wishaw: 08480 Operational  08405, 08703, 66098 MULTIPLE UNITS Allocations 150002 RG-PM 319214 BF/ETHQ-SBXH319370/81/85 BF/ETHQ-SBXH319451/53 BF/ETHQ-HQ/SBXH377207/08/09/12/14…

Loco failures force Charity Railtours cancellations CHARITY Railtours has been forced to postpone two charters in 2017 as the booked locomotives are both out of action. March 25’s ‘The Magnificent Severn’ was to have taken ‘Western’ D1015 Western Champion from London to Newport, Machen, Gloucester and Sharpness, but the recent major failure of one of D1015’s engines means the tour is being rescheduled for 2018. A revised date will be announced shortly. Similarly, faults discovered on Thompson ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower during planned maintenance are preventing it from hauling CR’s ‘The Mayflower’ tour from Ealing Broadway to Felixstowe, Ipswich Griffin Wharf and Harwich Town on June 17. A new date in the late summer or early autumn is being discussed. For further updates go to: www.charity-railtours.co.uk Roundhouse preview…

TRAVELLING on the 10.45 Leeds-King’s Cross service on December 15, our correspondent was impressed with the actions of the VTEC on-board staff when the train, headed by DVT No. 82208, came to standstill north of Grantham. While waiting to be rescued by Doncaster ‘Thunderbird’Class 67 No. 67013 the driver managed to restart the failed service although they then waited for the Class 67 to arrive and follow the train south to London, where arrival was 78 minutes late. At all times customers were kept informed of progress and given full details of the compensation available due to the delays. OBSERVATIONS at Doncaster on January 3found EMT power cars Nos. 43061+43064 on loan to East Coast, the same pair being seen again on January 10. Also on January 3, Class 91…

SOUTHERN Railway passengers look set to endure further disruption after members of the train drivers’ union ASLEF rejected a 'compromise deal' negotiated with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) on February 16. Two weeks after union leaders agreed to a TUCbrokered deal offering limited assurances on rostering a second, safety trained crew member in return for accepting Southern’s Government-led plans for more Driver Only Operation (DOO), members voted 54% to 46% against accepting the offer. As a result, more strikes are likely to follow once ASLEF’s executive has decided on the next course of action. ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We understand and support the decision arrived at democratically by our members and will now work to deliver a resolution in line with their expectations.” The proposed deal was agreed after…

STADLER and Merseytravel have signed off a £700million build-and-maintain deal for 52 new trains after a legal challenge from Bombardier was rejected. The Canadian giant issued an appeal against the deal in the High Court in January, with sources suggesting it had alleged irregularities in the procurement process that led to Stadler being named as preferred bidder. However, on February 16 it was confirmed that the appeal had not been successful. Bombardier is thought to have offered a version of its‘Aventra’EMU to Merseytravel, but Stadler can now press ahead with the design and construction of the bespoke 750V DC third-rail, articulated EMUs, which will be introduced in 2020/21 to replace ex-BR Class 507s and 508s. The new four-car trains will all be in service by 2021, with the first set…

HIGH Speed 2 Ltd has revealed a shortlist of eight sites for its proposed South Yorkshire parkway station. The sites are scattered across rural locations in Doncaster, Rotherham and Wakefield (in West Yorkshire), sparking criticism from various groups and residents potentially affected by construction and extra traffic generated by the development. The proposed HS2 route through South Yorkshire falls under Phase 2b of the project, with the Government now planning a separate spur to take trains into Sheffield city centre rather than calling at Meadowhall as originally suggested. The eight potential sites are: • Bramley in Rotherham • Clayton in Doncaster • Fitzwilliam in Wakefield • Hemsworth in Wakefield • Hickleton in Doncaster • Hooton Roberts in Rotherham • Mexborough in Doncaster • Wales in Rotherham HS2 is set to…

THE introduction of electric trains on the Gospel Oak to Barking route across north London has been delayed by the discovery of incorrectly designed and installed overhead line equipment (OHLE). Network Rail admitted on February 7 that there will be insufficient clearance for 25kV AC overhead wires under a road bridge at Crouch Hill – an issue that has also delayed NR’s Edinburgh to Glasgow electrification scheme. Work has also been delayed by accidental breaches of sewers in Walthamstow. NR’s Anglia route managing director Richard Schofield said:“I have instructed the project team to quickly deliver a robust plan to finish the work before new trains arrive next year. A full review into what went wrong has already begun.” A spokesperson for Barking-Gospel Oak Rail User Group said: “Generally, the civil…

Rail a better alternative than £1.5bn A14 upgrade THE Department for (Road?) Transport is actively promoting an upgrade of the £1.5billion A14 scheme, linking the A1 near Huntingdon to Newmarket and Ipswich, paralleling the Felixstowe to Peterborough and Nuneaton rail lines. The DfT argues that 40% of the traffic on the A14 is deep sea containers on trucks, and therefore the road needs upgrading. But why not get it to go by rail? The parallel rail line has severe capacity constraints and is due for upgrade under the Strategic Rail Freight Corridor initiative, but work is delayed and costs overrunning at several key points. Bottleneck There is no funding for the Felixstowe-Ipswich doubling; Ely is becoming a major bottleneck, where the solution is to replace a town centre level crossing…

LR2182 is a unique survivor in still having its original petrol engine. It is also the only surviving 40hp armoured Simplex in the northern hemisphere. There is one other of this type (albeit with a replacement engine) in Antigua, also dating from 1917, which found its way into service in the Antigua sugar industry and became identified as No. 8 Bessie. In recent years Lawrence Gameson has cosmetically restored Bessie for display at a new heritage centre at Betty’s Hope Sugar Mill, Antigua as part of apartnership arrangement with the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda. To complete this work Lawrence needed to view 2182 to establish dimensions and designs of items missing from Bessie (principally the driver’s seat and engine cowl). In turn, he was able to supply all-important information…

Rails through the Forest By the Dean Forest Railway Museum Trust THE publication of a first volume by the Dean Forest Railway Museum Trust (now out of print) about railways in the Forest of Dean, triggered an avalanche of images which have been put to use in this second volume. Covering one of the most attractive and interesting parts of the UK railway network, Rails through the Forest looks at the era from 1945 onwards. While today the forest boasts attractive scenery, in the period covered by the book the area had more than a half-dozen collieries, ironworks and quarries, linked by rail or tramways to many wharves and jetties on the Severn. Photographically, the selection of images is mainly railways – the main Severn & Wye route to Cinderford…

100 YEARS AGO MARCH 1917 A NOVEL announcement was recently made by the Chief Goods Manager, Great Western Railway, offering a reward to anyone who is able to trace the whereabouts of any of a number of hired railway wagons which, despite careful enquiries, cannot be discovered. The wagons might be either on or off the Great Western system, in fact it is stated that there is not the slightest clue where they are likely to be found. The numbers of the missing wagons are – 0323, 01005, 01199, 02524, 04607. WEATHER conditions in the North during January were very severe, and ice and snow occasioned many difficulties on steam lines penetrating the mountainous and hilly districts. A mineral train on the section between Kirkby Stephen and Barnard Castle, North…

Four-coupled frenzy for Chasewater’s industrial gala ‘SMALL but perfectly formed’ is the hook for the Chasewater Railway’s Industrial Gala on March 18-19 when steam and diesel locomotives of varying four-wheeled types take over the railway’s operation. Chasewater’s steam operation will be largely reliant on its fleet of 0-4-0STs this year following the withdrawal for overhaul of Hunslet 0-6-0ST Holly Bank No. 3 at the end of December. However, the gala provides an opportunity for all to be in steam simultaneously and show what these plucky ‘Pugs’ can do. This event marks the final gala appearance of on-hire Andrew Barclay Rosyth No. 1 (1385/1914) at the railway before it returns to its Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway home at Easter. The former Admiralty locomotive has been on hire since July and will…

Exbury Gardens Railway extends THE 12¼in-gauge Exbury Gardens Railway is being extended from 1¼ to 1½ miles. It is located in the 200-acre gardens in the New Forest National Park, Hampshire. The extension project will give public access to an area not available before, including a wildlife pond, which will be served by a new halt. Work is due to be completed by March, with formal opening in April. A model railway expo will take place on June 18. EGR motive power comprises narrow gauge-style Exmoor Steam locos – 0-6-2Ts Rosemary and Naomi, and 2-6-2 Mariloo. Trains run every day during the season for which there is an extra charge to the park entry fee. Major revamp at Rudyard Lake RUDYARD Lake Steam Railway (RLSR), Staffordshire has seen extensive infrastructure…

ERTMS test train upgraded to Baseline 3 ALSTOM has upgraded the ETCS technology on Network Rail’s Class 313 test train – No. 313121 – so that it is now compatible with ERTMS Baseline 3. The unit has completed compatibility testing at Network Rail’s ERTMS National Integration Facility, with the upgraded train to be used for testing and commissioning work to deliver ERTMS Baseline 3 to the Paddington to Heathrow stretch of the Great Western Main Line by the end of 2017. DRS Class 88s to revive Woodhead electric names MOST of the 10 Class 88 electro-diesels for Direct Rail Services (DRS) have now been completed at Stadler’s Valencia plant and are starting to receive their final livery and nameplates. In a move likely to find favour with enthusiasts, several of…

Green light at last for Worcester Parkway WORCESTER is to gain an out-of-town parkway station offering better connections to the national network – more than 40 years after it was first mooted. The Department for Transport (DfT) has given its approval for the development of Worcestershire Parkway, allowing Worcestershire County Council to press ahead with its construction on a site at Norton, where the North Cotswold Line crosses the main Birmingham to Bristol railway. The scheme was costed at £22million in 2015 – the current price is not being revealed – and will be part-funded by a £7.5m Government grant, plus £8.3m from the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, and loans to be paid off using car parking fees and levies on train operators using the station. The station will have…

TYSELEY’S ‘Castle’ No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe has stepped in to deputise for ‘Hall’ No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall on Vintage Trains’‘Red Dragon’(‘Y Ddraig Goch’) to Cardiff on March 11 after the g-word (gauging) raised its head once more. The route would have taken the ‘Hall’ from Tyseley (Warwick Road) to Worcester Shrub Hill via Kidderminster, then on to Gloucester, Chepstow, Newport and in to Cardiff. However, Network Rail has deemed No. 4965 ‘out of gauge’ for the northern part of the route, resulting in the ‘Castle’ now being the rostered train engine. “Network Rail informed us that No. 4965 is out of gauge at multiple locations between Tyseley and Worcester, so all the way to Cardiff seems out of the question,”Vintage Trains’ Ben Mason told The RM. “The…

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 Cheshire Lines. The Blossoms Hotel, Stockport. 19.30. ‘ELR – Home and Away’: Lee Stanford. Pennine Railway Society. Club 39, College Road, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3JH. 20.00. ‘Rail Routes from Leeds’: Steve Armitage. Talking of Trains. Surbiton Library, Ewell Road, Surbiton KT6 6AG. 19.00. ‘East-West Rail Project - the Oxford and Cambridge Line’: Dick Crane. Warwickshire Railway Society. Lamp Tavern, Barford Street, Highgate, Birmingham B5 6AH. 19.30. ‘Steam in South America and Cuba’: Ted Talbot. THURSDAY, MARCH 2 Bath Railway Society. Church Hall, St Mary’s Church Hall, Bathwick, Bath. 19.30. ‘Moving London Forward - Crossrail’: Patrick Grifin. Great Central Railway Society (Sheffield branch). The Harlequin, 108 Nursery Street, Shefield S3 8GG. 19.30. ‘From Monochrome to Fujichrome’: Peter Skelton. Lutterworth Railway Society. United Reformed Church, George St, Lutterworth Leics…

AMBERLEY MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTRE March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 14, 16-17, 23, 29 Houghton Bridge, Arundel,West Sussex BN18 9LT (01798 831370). Museum open 10.00-17.30 (Wednesday-Sunday).www.amberleynarrowgauge.co.uk Events: April 9 Spring IndustrialTrains Day. AMERTON RAILWAY March 18-19, 25-26, April 1-2, 8-23, 29-30 Stowe-by-Chartley,Weston, Staffs ST18 OLA (01785 850965). www.amertonrailway.co.uk APEDALE VALLEY LIGHT RAILWAY (home of the Moseley Railway Trust) April 1, 15-17 Apedale Country Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 7LB (0845 0941953). www.avlr.org.uk AUDLEY END MINIATURE RAILWAY April 1-17, 22-23, 29-May 1 SaffronWalden, Essex CB11 4JL (01799 542134). www.audley-end-railway.co.uk/ AVON VALLEY RAILWAY March 26, April 2, 5, 8-20, 22-23, 26, 29-30 Bitton station, Bath Road, Bitton BS30 6HD (0117 932 5538/7296). www.avonvalleyrailway.org Events: See website for dining trains. BALA LAKE RAILWAY March 4, April 1-2, 4-6, 8-23, 25-27, 29-30 Llanuwchllyn station,…

THE Office of Rail and Road wants train operators to refund passengers after its new research showed that overall 1 in 5 mystery shoppers selected a more expensive ticket than necessary or were at risk of a penalty fare when using a ticket machine. The research showed that 65% of mystery shoppers did not see any information on the type of tickets which could or couldn’t be bought on the machine, and 57% said the machines didn’t explain the times peak or off-peak tickets could be used. A third reported a lack of ticket restriction or validity information. In January 2016, the Rail Delivery Group launched a 10-point action plan to improve ticket machines and is committed to delivering this by the end of the year. The ORR will repeat…

TWO more stations will be added to the national network in 2018/19 after gaining approval from local authorities in Merseyside and Glasgow. Maghull North, between Maghull and Town Green on Merseytravel’s Liverpool-Ormskirk line, will open in May 2018. Expected to cost £13m, the station will include a staffed ticket office, footbridge and lifts, 156-space car park and provision for electric car charging points. Transport Scotland, Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport will fund a new £10m station at Robroyston on the Glasgow Queen Street to Cumbernauld route, to be located between Springburn and Stepps.…

One fatality in Luxembourg crash ONE person died and two were seriously injured in a head-on collision at Bettembourg, Luxembourg. The collision was between Luxembourg Railways (CFL) Class 2200 double-deck EMU No. 2211 and SNCB (Belgian Railways) electric No. 1309, working a freight train on February 14. The CFL passenger train was later reported to have passed a red signal. Trenitalia completes £72.6m c2c deal ITALIAN rail operator Trenitalia has completed the purchase of former National Express (NX) franchise c2c for £72.6m, following DfT approval. It means that NX, which once held nine franchises, has no presence in the UK rail industry. BEAM wins technology product travel award VIRGIN Trains app-based free ‘infotainment’system that passengers can use on phones and tablets has been named Best Travel Technology Product at the…

Improving Stansted links RICHARD Burden (Birmingham Northfield) asked what progress has been made in improving rail links to Stansted airport. Transport Minister John Hayes replied: “The new East Anglia franchise is bringing a number of improvements for passengers travelling to Stansted airport, including new trains with free wi-fi from February 2019 and a minimum 12.5% reduction in anytime single and return fares and anytime single fares on the Stansted Express by early 2017. “By early 2018, passengers will be able to purchase tickets via a dedicated Stansted Express website, to be delivered to their mobile devices for validation. “Almost all hourly services between Norwich and Cambridge are to be extended to provide a direct service to and from Stansted Airport. “In addition, CrossCountry is planning to deliver additional services between…

Protected and Armoured 40hp Simplexes have tended to become generically known as ‘Tin Turtles’. Obviously deriving from their appearance, the tag is thought to be of comparatively recent origin. It is said that when LR3098 arrived at Leighton Buzzard on loan from the National Railway Museum in November 1990 someone (identity now forgotten) asked, “what is that”. On being given a full explanation, they decided a shorter name was required and being partially armoured decided ‘Turtle’ was appropriate. Subsequently, Moseley Railway Trust created a ‘Tin Turtle’ web site and the tag has entered common usage. On the face of it, in the grim conditions amid constant danger of the forward areas of the Western Front, where these locomotives were designed to operate, one might think the more protection a driver…

Disabilities come in many forms – visible and hidden IF ONLY the matter of disabled people and rail travel was as simple to resolve as the editorial comment‘this second class treatment of passengers with disabilities has to stop’(RM Feb) suggests. Unfortunately, there are as many problems facing us in rail travel as there are disabilities, for while the immediate recognisable icon for disability is a wheelchair, the reality is that wheelchair passengers are only one sector facing barriers, many of which are not solved by calling ‘Journeycare’. Many disabled people have sensory issues (sight or hearing impairments), learning disabilities, and there are those who have the added burden of hidden disabilities for whom rail travel is an unpleasant experience. Whatever particular disability we have, each of us face day-to-day barriers,…

THERE is something magical about being allowed onto the floor of a working signalbox. The colourful signal and point levers, the highly polished block instruments, the incursion of modern computer screens, and the very tidy and homely nature of the signalman’s domain; it was a privilege to be allowed to the inner sanctum. Two of the country’s busiest ’boxes on the CrossCountry and Chiltern route – Banbury North and Banbury South – form the subject of this Locomaster Profiles DVD. Shot just before they closed last July, Banbury was the busiest absolute block signalled location on the UK network with 150 passenger and 40 to 50 freight trains in 24 hours. The programme looks in depth at the signalboxes and their history, the mix of signals controlled, and there are…

WELCOME to a new regular column in The Railway Magazine . Every month we intend to look at either an event or location in the British Railways’ era and then see how the modern scene compares. This will be done using contemporary reports from the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) house magazine the Railway Observer. Other than The RM, the Railway Observer is probably the longest running railway title in the United Kingdom, with the first edition appearing in 1928. Published monthly in both digital and hard copy it now exceeds 70 pages every month, and with its many reports on the current railway scene provides a valuable ongoing archive of information, many volumes of which are now available via searchable CDs. When founded it was indeed a society…

Wednesbury track cleared THE former rail line between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill in the West Midlands is being cleared of vegetation as part of its future conversion to tram use. This section of track last saw a train in the 1990s. Clearing the trackbed will allow a detailed survey to be carried out along the seven-mile route, which will be a major extension to the Midland Metro network, with at least 17 new stops. Midland Metro has been given the go-ahead to build the extension, with construction planned to begin in 2019 and passenger services from 2023. However, the full cost of the project is not known yet and the Midland Metro Alliance, which is doing the survey work, has to submit a business case to the Department for Communities…

Kenilworth station opening delayed KENILWORTH’S new £11.5million station on the Leamington to Coventry route will not open until December 10 – ayear later than originally expected. According to Warwickshire County Council, Network Rail is not able to deliver the necessary track and resignalling work in time for the revised opening date of August 2017. Construction work on the station buildings and platforms is continuing, ready for the introduction of a new Leamington to Coventry shuttle service. Ashford High-Speed 1 signalling upgrade FUNDING has been secured to upgrade High Speed 1 signalling at Ashford International. A £4.8million grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government completes the necessary funding to install European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment at Ashford. The cash will allow the latest generation of Eurostar e320 trains…

Talgo sleepers connecting Moscow with Berlin GAUGE-CHANGING Talgo overnight trains started operation between Moscow and Berlin on December 17 when the first westbound service left Moscow. Two services now operate in each direction between the cities each week, replacing traditional sleeper trains. The new Talgo train sets are branded ‘Strizh’ (Russian for swift) and follows the recent trend to name new train types after birds (the RZD ‘Velaro’ high-speed trains are called Sapsan - Russian for peregrine falcon). The gauge change at Brest, on the border between Belarus and Poland, now takes 20 minutes rather than two hours previously when individual bogies were exchanged. The 20-coach Talgo trains were built in Spain and ultise technology widely used on the Spanish network for switching gauges. In Russia the train is operated…