Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i The Railway Magazine

MORE than three months into the Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) which suspended the normal financial mechanisms of franchising, figures show this support has cost taxpayers around£3.5billion so far. These EMAs are in place for a minimum of six months, and by the end of September will have cost the Government £7bn. Then what? Will they be extended? There are predictions EMAs could be in place until September 2021 while a new plan for the railways is devised, possibly incorporating the long-awaited Williams report. However, until passenger numbers have returned to near pre-Covid-19 levels, you simply can't consider a return to franchise agreements as they were because the volume of paying passengers simply isn't there to move the financial risk back on the operators. In the past few weeks, face coverings…

THE Campaign for Borders Rail (CBRclaims ) the case for extending the Borders Railway through Hawick to Carlisle is 'stronger than ever' as the region looks to recover from the Covid-19 crisis. "Building the new cross-border rail rink is the most important post-coronavirus project we can undertake to redefine ourselves;' says CBR chairman Simon Walton. In a radical restatement of the group's policy, it has expanded its aims beyond reopening the line to serve the community and facilitate economic regeneration, and is calling for the route, closed in 1969, to play a key role in delivering greater capacity and cleaner, more sustainable transport for the whole of the UK. Mr Walton added: "Governments on both sides of the border, and elected representatives from all political persuasionsare , united in the…

£350m for ECML digital signalling scheme THE East Coast Main Line is set to become Britain's first mainline digital railway with an investment of £350million to install in-cab electronic signalling between King's Cross and Stoke Tunnel. Network Rail is also preparing to roll out digital signalling on further routes, including sections of the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and Anglia from 2026. There will be more on this story in future issues of The RM. Head-on collision narrowly avoided AN RAIB investigation is underway after a Chiltern Railways DMU came close to being in a head-on collision with an Underground Metropolitan line train at Chalfant & Latimer on June 21.…

JOURNEY times between London and Scotland's two biggest cities could be reduced to slightly more than three hours according to a new report by Greengauge 21, on behalf of the High Speed Rail Group (HSRG). Using a combination of High Speed 2 (HS2)new , 'cut-off' high-speed lines and upgrades of current routes, classic-compatible high-speed trains could slash more than one hour from schedules between London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The report says the construction of new high-speed lines between Rutherglen and Carstairs and between Oxenholme and Lancasterplus , a possible cut-off to avoid Penrith, would save almost 30 minutes over the current West Coast Main Line timetable and create extra capacity. Other recommendations include a fast, segregated approach route at Glasgow Central and the creation of 400-metre-long platforms to accommodate HS…

THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIBreport ) into the stranding of an East Midlands Trains HST near Corby in June 2019 has exposed a lack of communication between public bodies over flood risks to the railway. The HST collided with debris washed out from a cutting slope north of Corby station on June 13 last year, and a second train sent to rescue its passengers also became trapped in floodwater, stranding between 450 and 550 passengers for up to seven hours in uncomfortable conditions. RAIB's investigation concluded that the initial incident was caused by water from two flooded storage ponds spilling over the crest of the cutting slope and causing it to fail, rather than heavy rain as initially suspected. The ponds had not been pumped for almost four weeks…

THE first steps to potentially resolving the fall-out between the West Somerset Railway pie (WSR) and the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust (S&DRT) have been taken during a teleconference meeting, facilitated by the Heritage Railway Association (HRA). A war of words erupted back in February when the WSR gave the S&DRT legal notice that its SO-year lease for the use of the Washford station site will be terminated on February 10, 2021. The termination of the joint agreement did not directly affect the S&DRT''7s F' 2-8-0 No. 53808 as this is covered by a separate agreementbut , unsurprisingly the locomotive has found itself caught up in the controversy. As a consequence it was requested the HRA step in to mediate, leading to a constructive online meeting between the two organisations.…

TRANSPORT for London's new commissioner is Andy Byfordwho , resigned as president and chief executive of the New York City Transit Authority in January. He began work on June 29. Mr Byford54 , , has an impressive career in public transport spanning more than 30 years. He started as a graduate trainee in 1989 for London Underground Ltd, working his way to general manager (customer servicefor ) the BakerlooCentral , and Victoria lines. He has been director of safety and operationsSouth , Eastern Trainsdirector ; of Southern Railwaychief ; operating officer and deputy CEORail , Corporation New South WalesAustralia , and ; CEO of Toronto Transit Commission. Mr Byford said the new role would be a "huge challenge" with the Covid-19 pandemic still impacting transport, adding TfL has "some of…

THE West Midlands Rail Executive (WMREhas ) confirmed it has agreed a timetable with Network Rail to restart passenger services between Wolverhampton and Walsall. It is 12 years since the two were directly connected with a regular service despite the seven-mile distance between them. The move also means the reopening ofWillenhall and Darlaston stationswhich , closed in January 1965. The proposal is for an hourly service between Walsall and WolverhamptonHowever . , there will be an additional separate hourly service between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhamptonalso , calling at Willenhall and Darlaston as well Tame Bridge Parkway. This will be achieved by re-routing London Northwestern services running between Crewe and Birmingham. WMRE saysWillenhall station will be sited next to the Bilston Street railway bridge, close to the town centre, while…

ScotRall operated services on behalf of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (PTEJ, whose chosen livery was called 'Strathclyde red' because orange has sectarian connotations in Glasgow. The colour scheme was used on many buses from the mid-1980s, with the Glasgow subway system having an unofficial nickname of the 'Clockwork Orange' after the Anthony Burgess novel. Orange and black Class 303 set Nos. 303088 and 303011 stand at Helensburgh Central on December 30, 2002, while operating a '303 Farewell' special. Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive was replaced by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPTJ from April 1, 2006, and with it came a new livery for its trains - carmine & cream. It's a colour scheme that remained until adoption from 2008 of the now familiar blue livery with Saltire markings. On…

THE Bodmin & Wenford Railway (B&WR) will not be joining the heritage lines that have announced summer reopening plans, and instead has made the difficult decision to not operate trains at all this summer. The B&WR has explored various service options and financial models, factoring in social distancing and Covid-19 hygiene requirements, but all resulted in services running at a loss. Neither could the railway guarantee it would have enough volunteers to run it seven days a week, and there was also the audience factor and the question of whether Cornwall will be fully open to visitors this summer. A railway statement said: "An enormous amount of hard work has been put in by our team in preparation, however the well-being of our visitors,staff and volunteers is our top priority.…

THE Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust (PRCLT) was expected to resume work on new-build 'Patriot' 4-6-0 No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior at the West Shed, Swanwick Junction on July 1 after the lockdown period. The LMS-Patriot Company has signed a contract with PRCLT with a view to establishing priorities that will enable the chassis to be completed to main line standard. This will also include finishing the rectification work started prior to lockdown; the middle coupled wheelset/crank axle has already been rectified at Riley & Sons workshops in Heywood. Transfer Funding for the work has been agreed for three months and will continue to be managed carefully on a rolling basis. In the interim members of the No. 5551 team have arranged for components such as the middle coupled wheelset,…

NORTHUMBERLAND County Council has granted planning permission for the Aln Valley Railway's proposed carriage shed at its Lionheart station headquarters in Alnwick. The double-track shed will be 100ft long, with additional room to work, enabling two coachesor , a coach and two or three wagons, to be worked on simultaneously. The shed roof will feature 12 translucent panels to provide natural light, roller shutter doors at each end wil I close the space off from the elements, while inspection pits will allow work underneath to be conducted relative comfort. Designs for the shed also allow for a mobile platform to be used at footplate level, while a mezzanine platform will be built at a later date. The shed will greatly enhance the AVR'ability s to work on its rolling stock,…

PROGRESS on the two new boilers being built for the A 1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A 1 SLT) by DB Meiningen is advancing well, one year on from when the A 1 SLT placed the £1 million order with the German plant. The two Diagram 118a boilers are destined for use on the trust's new Gresley'P2'2-8-No 2 . 2007 Prince of Wales and 'A 1' Pacific No.60163 Tomado, which together with Tornado'current s Meiningen-built boiler will enable the A 1 SLT to rotate the three identical boilers over the two locomotivestwo ; operational boilers and one'spareare ' able to undergo overhaul at any one time. The first new boiler is expected to be delivered later this year and will be fitted to No. 60163 during its next overhaulThe . second…

CAF RAIL UK will continue to maintain Northern Ireland Railways'fleet of 3000 Class DMUs afterTranslink renewed the contract, worth more than £53million. The new contract runs for 15 years (starting in April), with the work taking place at Belfast's York Road and Adelaide depots. The 23 3000 Class units were built by CAF at its Zaragoza plant in Spain, and entered service from 2004. They are used in three- and six-car formations across the network. The train maker is also currently manufacturing an additional 56 intermediate cars for NIR's 4000 Class DMUs.…

METROCAR No.4001the , first of the two prototypes built for the Tyne & Wear Metro, has been repainted in a special livery to mark 40 years of the network's operation. The two-car set has been repainted in a yellow, blue, red and black livery, representing those carried over the past 40 years. It will wear this throughout the summer, and be used to stage a number of travelling exhibitions celebrating the Metrds heritage and its place in the community. No. 4001 and classmate No. 4002 were built in 1975, three years before main production of the fleet began, so they could be trialled on a 1.5-mile test track in the Backworth area ofTyneside. A further 88 Metrocars were then built between 1978 and 1981, with the first passenger operations beginning…

■ STATFOLD Barn Railway has restarted work on a new Strawberry Park station, which will provide better access to events in the field behind the museum building and the new museum entrance. Development started earlier this year but was suspended amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Following changes in Government guidance for England and with controls and social distancing in place, a small staff team restarted work in late May. Track has been laid for the loop and foundations for the platform edges are now in place. ■ CONSTRUCTION of the Threlkeld line's replica Bagnall 0-4-0ST has progressed despite the line and its quarry railway having been closed because of Covid-19The . wheels and brake hangers of the 0-4-0ST have been fitted to the frameswhich , were cut several years ago. The…

More EcoFret wagons for GBRf GB RAILFREIGHT is leasing an additional 52 Ecofret2 intermodal wagon sets from VTGRail UK. The wagons will join 32 triple sets already on order and due to enter service in 2020/21. The wagons are being built in the UKbyW H Davis of Shirebrook. VTG Rail UK awarded the Nottinghamshire company an order for 84 EcoFret2 sets in Januaryall , of which are now destined for GBRf. Maintenance will be carried out byVTG in Birmingham and Peterborough. The wagons will be fitted with GPS-based tracking and monitoring systemsallowing , both owner and operator to keep track of their location and condition. Ecofret wagons allow for more containers to be carried per train, leading to greater load efficiency. The wagons also help to improve the spacing of…

GREATWestern Railway Class 80x bi-mode trains are now operating in electric mode over the entire Paddington to Cardiff route after the completion of electrification in the Severn Tunnel. Electric operation through the four-mile 628-yard-long tunnel began officially on June 5, marking the completion of the much-delayed Great Western Route Modernisation. However, industry sources suggest the tunnel has been 'live' since mid-May. Upgrading the 134-year-old tunnel for electric trains has proved to be even more challenging than expected for Network Rail, requiring the organisation to seek expert international assistance. Rather than standard catenary with contact wires, 25kV power is supplied to trains via fixed aluminium bars bolted to the tunnel lining. NR's engineers have also been faced with serious corrosion issues caused by the ingress of sea water and the very…

THE tour is due to depart Crewe at 07.35, picking up at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Leyland, Blackburn, Clitheroe and Hellifield, before taking the former Midland Railway route to Carlisle. A water stop will be made at Appleby, where passengers can opt to leave the train for a tour of the Lake District by vintage bus and cruise on Ullswater, with arrival expected around 13.10. The return leg will leave Carlisle at 15.45, arriving back at Crewe at 21.30. Saphos is reducing the total number of passengers by around 40%, with seats being limited to around 180, to comply with Government and Office of Rail and Road (ORR) guidance concerning social distancing. Additionally, clear Perspex screens have been fitted between each seating bay, and a maximum of four…

CLASS 37 No. 37714 Cardiff Canton saw action on the Great Central Railway (GCRon ) May 31. The GCR announced a running day was to be held on May 31 with steam loco No. 78018 following earlier test runs. The public were admitted to Quorn & Woodhouse station car park, free of charge. In addition to the 2-6-0 the Type 3 was used for stock movementsmaking , it the first main line diesel loco to be seen running on a heritage railway since the start of the national lockdown on March 23. It ran light engine from Loughborough to Swithland, where it picked up some vans and ran back to Loughborough. It reversed and returned to Quorn to propel the vans into the yard. The'37'then ran back to Loughborough light…

CLASS 08/9 No. 08995 has been bought for the Gwendraeth Valley Railway (GVRproject ) . It was previously used for working coal trains on part of the former Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line, and its cab roof was lowered in 1987 for working under the low bridges on this line. An appropriate loco for the project, the line will operate with Velorail cycles and traditional locos and stock. No. 08995 was acquired from DB in 2015 for use on the North Dorset Railway project at Shillingstone. Howeverthe , amount of work and cost required to return it to working order meant it remained in store at the RSS (Railway Support Servicesyard ) at Wishaw. The GVR is being reopened in stagesstarting , with the section between Kidwelly and Pontyates,…

APPROVAL for the use of the five-car Class 720/5 'Aventra' EMUs by Greater Anglia was given by the Office ofRail and Road (ORRon ) June 8. Derby-based Bombardier is building 89 five-car and 22 10-car sets (720/1) for Greater Anglia (GA)which , will replace the Class 317,321, and 360 EMU fleets. Construction of the Stadler Class 745 and 755 fleets have recently been completed. Some sets are still to enter service, but when all '720sare ' operating it means GA will have completely transformed its fleet. The ORR approval covers the complete five-car fleet and will allow GA to step up its driver training programmewith , an introduction into service of sets expected towards the end of summer or early autumn, although this will be dependent on the Covid-19 situation.…

LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 20311 XHCK-HNRL 20314 XHCK-HNRL 43052 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43054 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43066 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43082 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 60001 WQ/WFMS-TO/WCAT 66005 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAEWQ/WFMS 66006 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAR 66009 TO/WBAE-WQ/WFMS 66011 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAE 66030 TO/WBAR-WQ/WFMS 66035 TO/WBAE-WQ/WFMS 66053 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAE 66085 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAR 66092 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAE 66096 TO/WBAR-WQ/WFMS 66113 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBBE 66130 TO/WBAR-WQ/WFMS 66142 TO/WBAR-WQ/WFMS 66147WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAE 66158 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAE 66168 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBARWQ/WFMS 66420 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIN 66510 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66511 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66512 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66518 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66528 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66533 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66540 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66621 FD/DHLT-LD/DFHH 67001 CE/WAWC-WQ/WFMS-CE WAAC 67007 CE/WABC-WQ/WFMS-CEWABC-WQ/WFMS-CE/WAAC 86605 CG/DFNC-FD/DHLT 86612 CG/DFNC-FD/DHLT 86614 FD/DHLT-CG/DFNC 86627 CG/DFNC-FD/DHLT 90026 WQ/WFMS-CE/WEDC 90028 CE/WEDC-WQ/WFMS-CE WEDC 90036 CE/WEDC-WQ/WFMS-CE WEDC 90037 WQIWFMS-CE/WEDCWQ/WFMS Liveries  Freightliner G&W orange: 90048 Grand Central: 90020 lnterCity: 90001/02 + Care Worker vinyls: 66113 Named 08735 Geoff Hobbs 42 08865 Gilly 37418An Comunn Gaidhealach 43093 Castle Drogo 57313 Scarborough Castle 66791 Neil Bennett Names removed 08605 Wigan 2 08780Fred 43023 Sqn…

NORTHERN has been undertaking a 100-day review of its business since being transferred into public ownership on March 1. The company's focus is on "restoring a full and reliable train serviceincreasing , capacity and delivering the many enhancements that our passengers deserve''. The major review of the Northern franchise was promised when the business transferred to the Operator of Last Resort on June 8, although wider publication is understood to have been held back because of Covid-19 and treasury funding issuesand , the need for Network Rail to respond to some of the infrastructure challenges covered by the report. The review has not covered the background over why the Arriva Trains North franchise was terminated. Speaking to The RM, chairman of Northern Trains Robin Gisby said: "We will reconcile what…

RAIL services across Europe returned to a new normality in mid-June as governments lifted coronavirus lockdown rules. The biggest single difference to operation three months earlier was a near universal requirement for passengers to wear face maskswith , some countries having made this mandatory in public for several months. From June 15 many restrictions on international travel within Europe were lifted so international trains were able to resume operation, although a more limited timetable was in operation, initially on some routes. Reduced Eurostar continued to operate a very reduced servicewith , just a single train from London to Parisas , the British Government insistence on a 14-day quarantine for arriving travellers had depressed demand, leading to French authorities imposing a similar requirement on arrivals from the UK. Other countriesincluding ,…

THE cost of supporting franchised services by the Government has not impacted on capital spending by Network Rail. This is the message company chief executive Andrew Haines gave to journalists during an internet conference on June 8. He confirmed passenger flows had been 'peaky' with the volume of passengers not outstripping demand, and added the railway needs to focus on the four'R's as it bids to recover back to pre Covid-19 situation: respond, rebuild, revive and renew. He felt the railway had done very well to run a limited timetable irrespective of how many passengers were carried. Next would come the rebuilding of the timetable, with the operation of 80-85% of the full timetable from July 6, with demand changing if, for example, distancing is reduced to a metre as…

GTR 18 contract virus BRENT CENTRAL MP Dawn Butler asked the Dfr how many employees of the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise contracted Covid-19 are from a BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) background. Transport Minster Chris Heaton-Harris replied:"There are 7,389 GTR employees, of these GTR has been notified of 18 cases where staff have received a positive test result for Covid-19. "Six employees self-reported as being from a BAME background “In addition, there are another four cases where employees have suspected Covid-19however , this has not yet been confirmed through testing.” Open access delays TEWKESBURY MP Laurence Robertson asked the Department for Transport (Dfr) what assessment the Dfr has made of the potential merits of existing and proposed open access rail operations. Mr Heaton-Harris said:"The independent Office of Rail and…

PETER J C Skelton, a leading railway photographer for more than 55 years, has died. He passed away while out walking with his wife when he collapsed with a suspected heart attack. He was 71. Peter (or Skelly as he was known) was not only highly respected and well-liked, he was highly skilled in the art of black and white photograph printing. His work was much admired, and had one of his first photographs published in The RM August 1964 issue, when he was only 15. He was the author of several books, and his images regularly appeared in the railway monthlies and on calendars. RM consultant editor Nick Pigott recalls Peter had a brush with death while in South Africa in July 1990, when standing by the lineside, a…

It is 1937 and a sleek, streamlined locomotive glides towards the buffers at the London terminus. But this is not King's Cross and the loco is not an 'A4'. It is not even a Pacific. No. 2859 is a 'Bl7' 4-6-0, named East Anglian, and is at London Liverpool Street with a train from Norwich named the 'East Anglian'; the kind of duplication that continues to confuse the general public about (the) 'Flying Scotsman'/ Flying Scotsman even afrer nearly a century. In the wake of the 'Coronation' and 'West Riding' streamlined flyers the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) had succumbed to pressure from the eastern faction ofits empire to provide a train of similar rank for the Norwich line. No matter the population was sparse and the economy agriculturally…

Not army but navy I FOUND Paul Smith's article on Britain's '20 most difficult stations' (RM June) most interesting. However, could I offer a friendly word of advice to him? If he visits Lympstone Commando again, it would be prudent not to reuse the word 'Army'. The Royal Marines have always been part of the Royal Navy and are proud of it. They get a bit touchy if people call them 'soldiers'. John Newbury (ex-RN) By email I THOROUGHLY enjoyed Paul Smith's article on Britain's 20 most difficult stations to visit, particularly because I had experienced the same problem trying to find Llangynllo station on the Central Wales Line. We were visiting Llangynllo to track down family history, my great grandfather having run the local shop in the 1920s. My…

SOME of Britain's preserved railways are cautiously making preparations for potential reopening in the coming weeks, if the Government'continued s easing of lockdown restrictions allows them to do so safely. A general theme of reduced timetables and a more limited service appears to be behind most of the plans revealed to The RM, with staff/volunteers welfare and social distancing and hygiene featuring prominently in all cases. Some of those to announce their plans include: ■ Bluebell Railway If all goes as planned the Bluebell Railway will commemorate its 60th anniversary on August 7 with a return to public operation. For the foreseeable future the railway will run at weekends only, allowing it to gauge any potential demand. Service trains will run from Sheffield Park to Kingscote only (not stopping at…

THE on-going uncertainty surrounding coronavirus has prompted the Telford Steam Railway to cancel its popular 'Polar Express' season this year. The railway has told customers it would be irresponsible to put lives at risk in order to deliver the Christmas services,adding it would not be able to deliver the full experience without restrictions. In Scotland the Royal Deeside Railway has announced it has reluctantly cancelled all events, services and charters for the rest of 2020 owing to the restrictions placed on it by social distancing. Those with bookings have been notified by email and full refunds have been issued.…

VANDALS caused thousands of pounds-worth of damage to Mkl coaches in two separate attacks at the Midland Railway-Butterley in late-May. The first incident occurred during lockdown on the evening of May 27 when the hooligans accessed a Mkl which the MR-Buses as a waiting room for visitors at its Swanwick Junction site. A window was smashed, seat cushions were pulled out, names were scratched into table tops, and they even used the coach as a toilet. The second attack took place a day later, the vandals smashing windows on stored Mkl stock and attempting to force entry in through the gangway corridor doors. The narrow-gauge Golden Valley Light Railway was also attackedwith , fencing materials and timber thrown onto the track. On May 30, a small number of volunteers were…

Popular Pannier No. 9466 for hire JONATHAN Jones-Pratt is offering Hawksworth '94XX' 0-6-0PT No. 9466 for hire, after reaching the end of the previous hire agreement with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire RailwayThe . popular pannier is well suited to lighter services on lines capable of accepting its 19-tonne 5-cwt maximum axle load. Any railway interested in hiring the loco should contact jon@jjpholdings.co.uk £50k lottery award for Wensleydale Railway THE Wensleydale Railway Association has been awarded £50,000 by the National Heritage Lottery Fund's Heritage Emergency Fund, which was set up in April in the wake of the Covid-19 crisisThe . grant will be used to refurbish three Mk2 coaches and undertake essential maintenance to infrastructure and facilities in anticipation of reopening. 'Thornbury' wheels out at Loughborough THE Great Central Railway took the…

TRANSPORT for London says it has no plans to restart the Night Tube service in the near future, with transport union the RMT saying it will not be before March 2021. TfL said there is currently no demand for the through-the-night service because of coronavirus restrictionsand , that all its resources are focused on making sure there are sufficient trains running through the day. The Night Tube was suspended on March 18 as lockdown began, and since then London Underground has suffered a drop in income from the 90% fall in fare-paying passengers. The Government has offered Tfl a £1.6billion bailout to help services get back to normal levels…

THE enquiry into why Edinburgh'tram s scheme ran late and over budget has now taken as long to complete as construction of the line itself. The main works on the tram scheme took place from 2007-2013, while the investigation was given the go-ahead in mid-2014, but still has no end insight. The 8.7-mile line from Edinburgh airport to the city centre had been planned to open in 2011, but construction delays saw the project scaled back, while the original £375million budget soared to £1 billion once extra loans and their interest charges are taken into account. The enquiry has suffered its own setbacks, including a change of chairman and a break-in at its offices, but it is now two years since the last public session was held. However, since opening…

THE charitable organisations supporting Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway (Ff&WHR) have loaned the company a total of £1.2million to clear the overdraft, pay employees and settle other bills. The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways Trust, Ffestiniog Railway Society and Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri have each contributed £400,000 loans. Donations to Ff&WHR's Covid-19 support appeal have topped £300,000. With both railways still closed when this edition of The RM went to press the total cost of coronavirus to Ff&WHR is hard to define, but the company considers £2million 'a good working estimate'.…

CONSTRUCTION of the high, steeply sloping, 300-metre embankment at Pont-y-Goedwig required for the (orris Railway's southern extension is now in progress. Contractors started work following initial deliveries offill material (RM June). At the beginning of June the first element of drainage was in place along with 100 gabions, which are being hand-packed with stone fill, positioned at the foot of the slope to prevent slippage. Geotextile material to help stabilise the embankment is also being positioned.…

Croydon upgrade consultation begins NETWORK Rail is asking the public to share its views on the planned expansion and modernisation of East Croydon station and proposals to unblock the congested Selhurst Triangle nearby. The project would see the station gain a larger concourse and two additional platforms, plus improved facilities for passengers as , part of a multi-billion scheme to increase capacity and reliability through one of the country's busiest sections of railway. For more information see: www.networkrail.co.uk Huntingdon A 14 viadud dismantled ONE of the most familiar structures on the southern section of the East Coast Main Line is being dismantled after the replacement of the road it has carried since the mid-1970s, writes Clifford Owen. The complex and delicate removal of the former A 14 viaduct over Huntingdon…

NETWORK Rail staff and contractors carried out vital maintenance to track, bridges and equipment in Cumbria, Lancashirethe , West Midlands, Greater Manchester and London over the late-May Bank Holiday weekend. Major projects included the replacement of Euxton Junction, near Leyland, south of Preston; track improvements at Wembley, Camden, Carlisle, Wolverhampton and Prestonthe ; installation of a large new signalling gantry at Prestonand ; the replacement of a footbridge in Stockport. The work required numerous closures along the West Coast Main Line, forcing the replacement of trains with buses and the diversion of essential freight trains to other routes, including the Midland and East Coast main lines. Disrupted Between May 25 and June 4 and June 15-19, services into London Euston were also disrupted as NR replaced overhead line equipment components…

DRIVERS and signallers operating the Girvan to Stranraer railway have had to adopt new procedures for traditional token exchange during the Covid-19 crisis, writes Hugh Dougherty. The usual procedures have been replaced by social distancing, protective gloves and sanitising wipes for the token exchange carrier hoops after use. The railway has token exchange points at Girvan, Barrhill, Glenwhilly and Dunragit, which also issues and collects a key token for the section to Stranraer whose signal box is normally switched out. Similar procedures for token exchange are likely on heritage railways when they reopen using token exchange systems to ensure the safety of staff and volunteers.…

Mangapps gains Class 03 from Titley CLASS 03 No. D2158 (03158) has joined the Mangapps Railway collection in Essex, which now has five '03s' and an '04'The . new arrival has come from the private railway at Titley Junction station, Herefordshire. Two more'Pacers' at Wensleydale CLASS 142'Pacers'Nos 142035 . and 142041 made their way from storage at Gascoigne Wood to the Wensleydale Railway, arriving at Leeming Bar on June 3. Nos. 1420028 and 142060 made a similar journey in February (RM March, p94). Colne Valley Class 141 heading to Margate EARLY 'Pacer' Class 141 set No. 141108 (DMS No. 55508 and DMSL No. 55528) has been bought by Locomotive Services Ltd from the Colne Valley RailwayIt . was moved to Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh, in March for a repaint and…

THE North Dorset Railway (NDR) has bought 0-6--0DM Ashdown (HudswellClarke , Dl 186 of 1959/ rebuilt Hunslet 8526 of 1977) from Andrew Briddon. Transport from Darley Dale (Derbyshireto ) Shillingstone was planned for late June. This follows the sale of the inoperative Class 08 No. 08995 (see separate item), with Ashdown coming in full working order. Formerly Manchester Ship Canal Railway Nos. 2001 and D1, it has been based on several heritage lines, including the former Vale of Glamorgan Railwaywhere , it was named Bill Caddick. The NDR is working towards introducing passenger operations, using Ashdown running with an under-restoration brakevan. Donations are needed for the development of the project, based at the former S&DJR station. See website: www. northdorsetrailway.co.uk…

THE Rolling Stock Library has assigned Classes 805 and 807 to the new Hitachi AT300 train sets to be built for Avanti West Coast. Under an order worth £350millionthe , Class 805s will be for the 13 bi-mode five-car sets destined to work London to Chester, Holyhead or Shrewsbury, and numbered 805001-013, which will have 301 seats. These will replace the Class 221 'Voyagers'. The 1 O all-electric seven-car trains will be Class 807 and numbered 807001-010. They will have 453 seats and be used on services to the West Midlands and Liverpool. The vehicles are 26m long, with a similar capacity to the nine-car 'Pendolinos'. The sets will be built at Newton Aycliffe, with the first entering service in 2022. 'Pendolinos' will get a full internal makeover so they…

SCOTRAIL has unveiled a livery design for what it calls an active travel carriage, a specially modified Class 153 single car to carry bicycles and large sporting equipment. The eye-catching livery created by Scottish artist Peter McDermott depicts typical Highland scenery, along with some of the best-known visible landmarks along the West Highland Line. Five Class 153s - Nos. 153305/70/73/77 /80 - are being transformed to carry up to 20 bikes and enhance ScotRail services on the West Highland Line. Their revised internal design for bikes and large items also includes extra seating. Work on the vehicles will include the installation ofwi-fi, at-seat power sockets, and a refurbished toilet with controlled emission toilet tank. The first carriage is due for completion later this year when work can fully resume following…

AVANTI West Coast has confirmed it is moving ahead with relivering the remainder of its plain-coloured trains following the external branding of two Class 390 'Pendolino'trains for last December's launch of the franchise. A contract for the application of the vinyls to the fleet of 56 'Pendolinos' has been awarded to Aura Graphicswhich , has branded many other fleets of UK trains, including TransPennine 185s and Heathrow Express 332s. They will carry out the work at various Alstom depots on the West Coast network. With 54 sets to brand, the target is to complete a minimum of two per week, so by the time Avanti marks its first anniversary in December, all Class 390 sets should be in the new colour scheme. On June 12, Avanti confirmed set No. 390134…

UP TO 450 jobs could be lost at Wabtec's Doncaster site as a result of more operators buying new trains and fewer operators opting for refurbishment of trains. Refurbishment and modification has recently been one ofWabtec's key areas of business. The company has entered a 45-day consultation period with employee representatives and trade unions about the need to slim its workforce as well as introducing revised working practices. The jobs are expected to be lost between quarter three this year and the first quarter of 2021. A Wabtec statement said: "Wabtec is proposing to realign the site to focus on projects best suited for its operational strengths and better position the facility for long-term success. "Decisions like this are never easy, but it will improve the site's cost competitiveness and…

DARLINGTON engineering company Cleveland Bridge has delivered 24 large steel girders that will form part of the first bridges to be built on High Speed 2. They will be used to construct four modular bridges near the Birmingham Airport interchange station in Solihull. They are the first permanent structures to be built by HS2: two will span the M42 and A446, respectivelywith , a further two bridges to take roads over the new high-speed line. Cleveland Bridge has famously manufactured parts for many of the world's best-known bridges.…

A LUXURY timetabled charter train is being launched by new company Rail Charter Services (RCS). It will operate over the scenic Settle & Carlisle line three times every weekday for eight weeks this summerThe . first train will operate on July 12. The trains will run under the safety case of Locomotive Services TOC Ltd, and are a separate product to Statesman trains or tours run by Saphos Trains. The enterprise is backed by city fund manager, locomotive owner and director of LSL Jeremy Hosking. The idea for the summer service stemmed from former BBC World Service journalist Adrian Quine, who said it took just eight weeks to bring to fruition. Mr Quine added:"This service really is ground breaking for the rail industry. This is the first time a dedicated…

NETWORK Rail and Transport for Wales have approved a £2.2million scheme to help protect the flood-prone Conwy Valley Line from further catastrophic washouts. Over the last three years the branch linking Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog has suffered two serious washouts after exceptionally heavy rainfall caused the nearby river to burst its banks. Repairs to the most recent damagecaused , by storms in Februaryare , still on-going between Tal-y-Cafn and Llanrwst, where embankments and ballast were washed out from under the track in several places. However, as well as reinstating the trackbed, NR now plans to add around 20,000 tonnes of additional rock armour along a one-mile section of embankment, hoping to repeat the success of similar protection installed south ofllanrwst in 2019. The work will cost £2.2m and extend…

Vivarail expansion after cash injection A £1.5 MILLION loan from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund to train staff at rebuilding specialist Vivarail will allow it to expand its operations. The company will leave the Quinton Rail Technology Centre at Long Marston for a new home at Southam, Leamington Spa, where an additional five jobs will be created. Vivarail Class 230s for Transport for Wales have been undergoing testing at various locations between Honeybourne and Stourbridge in recent weeks. Passenger found dead on train A PASSENGER found dead on a CrossCountry service was thought to be sleeping. The man boarded the service at Manchester Piccadilly on May 30, and was found in his seat at Bournemouth five hours and 250 miles later as staff checked the train before moving to sidings…

THE High Court has rejected a legal challenge by the Stagecoach Group against the Department for Transport for compensation stemming from it being disqualified to bid for three franchises. Stagecoach was bidding to retain the East Midlands Trains franchise as well as its share of the West Coast Main Line franchise with partner Virgin, and also for the South Eastern franchise. The bids had been ruled'noncompliant' because of attempts to reduce on-going pension liabilities. Mr Justice Stuart Smith dismissed the claims, adding all bidders would have known pushing back on the pensions element"gave rise to a serious risk" of being disqualified. First Group (FG) won the West Coast franchise from Virgin/ Stagecoach last December, having lost out to Virgin on a previous legal challenge in 2012 as a result of…

THE Class 33s - A Sixty Year History will be published by Crecy on July 30, and The RM has three signed copies to give away. Author Simon Lilley details in-depth the background and history of this versatile, popular and successful Type 3 locomotive, which included a fleet of 12 narrower locos, specifically for the Hastings line. This is the first detailed published history of the class for 30 years. Between 1960 and 1962, 98 examples were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company. The book draws on original material from a number of archives and sheds new light on many aspects of these locomotives over their 60 years of service. You can win one of three author-signed copies which normally retails at £25. ■ To enter go…

■ Apologies for the error in last month's cover caption location. It was not Low Moor but near Brockhill Farmsouth , -east of Worcester city centre, close to the A4440 road. The error stemmed from incorrect information embedded in the image. ■ On p28, in the panel 'Principal dimensions of locos; the dimensions of the 'Ql 'heating surfaces were given in square inches not square feet. ■ The caption ofthe'Ql'at Bramley & Wonersh should have said the Guildford to Horsham line.…

100 YEARS AGO JULY 1920 Some Timetable Suggestions IT IS not yet certain whether we have the 24-hour system for trains within the limits of the British Isles; but it would avoid one source of confusion, that due to the use of a.m. and p.m. times, and would secure uniformity between the methods of differentiation by removing the necessity for distinction. If that were done it would be a simple matter to indicate through carriage services by using a bold-faced type, so that thinner type would indicate need for changing en route. There would then only be occasion for special explanation in cases where the through carriage operated only between certain places. 50 YEARS AGO JULY 1970 Britannia Bridge closed by fire FIRE badly damaged the Britannia tubular bridge over…

THE Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society is looking to overcome social distancing restrictions by offering brakevan tours of the Scunthorpe Steelworks site to household groups only. Bookings will only be taken per household group, each one being allocated a brakevan verandah, which will be in excess of two metres from any other passengers The tours will last for around three hours, including a short comfort break at the AFRPS loco shed. The first tours were expected to run on June 27, with others on July 4 (14.00and ) July 11 (10.00 and 14.00). . The AFRPS is asking for donations of £50 per group to help cover operating costs. All tours must be pre-booked, with further information available at: www.afrps.co.uk/new_page 4. _ htm.…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's Dublin-based team is hopeful it may be able to run its popular'Santa Specialservices ' this year - if the Republicof Ireland's Covid-19 lockdown easing measures permit the resumption of main line running. Howeverthe , society admits it is unlikely to run any railtours while the current social distancing requirements are in place. Some railtour operators in the UK are looking at running trains with reduced capacities and social distancing enhancements installedbut , the RPSI says this would not be economic. 'We need full capacity trains to make money;said ' RPSI Dublin operations manager, Joe McKeown. 'Access costs' "As we are a railway undertaking we are subjected to track access costs, plus loco crew, train guard and inspector costsAll . our crew are Irish Rail…

THE Republic of Ireland was expected to enter phase 3 of its roadmap for the reopening of the country on June 29, bringing with it enhanced rail services from larnr6d Eireannlrish Rail. Phase 2 took effect from June 8, which included a number of measures that resulted in increased rail demand, principally the increasing of the travel limit from 5km to 20km, and to anywhere within a person's county of residenceand , the opening of a range of retailers. Irish Rail responded by building up to a full weekday DART service by the end of that week, and adding a limited number of additional weekday services on others to and from Dublin, notably the Northern, Athlone, Limerick, Maynooth and Kildare lines. Phase 3 will build upon phase 2 with additional…

URGENT efforts are being made to buy the old Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (L&BR) Bratton Fleming station, now known as Long Acre. The property is a converted two-bedroom house, with 0.63 acres of land covering a section of the closed trackbed, including platforms and the old goods yard on the L&BR between Blackmoor Gate and Chelfam. It came on to the market in early March with offers in excess of £325,000 invited. Exmoor Associates (EA), which acquires property on the southern section of the old L&BR route to secure it for potential future reopening of the line, arranged a viewing for March 24, and initiated efforts to raise money prior to submitting an offer. Undisclosed The viewing was cancelled by the agent as the coronavirus crisis took hold, but on…

GB RAILFREIGHT is continuing to invest in improved facilities for staff and freight operations despite the difficult economic situation brought on by the Covid-19 crisis. Further improvements are in progress at March Up Yard in Cambridgeshirewhich , was recently brought back into use to service sand hopper wagons used on the Sibelco Middleton Towers sand contract. The site now includes a wagon maintenance and stabling depot, increasing the efficiency of Sibelco operations serving Goole, Monk Bretton and Barnby Dun in Yorkshire. Upgrades The location of the reactivated yard has saved GBRf many hundreds of miles of empty running for wagon maintenance, which used to be undertaken in Doncaster. Also in CambridgeshireGBRf , is continuing to invest in its Peterborough depot, including upgrades to the locomotive fuelling system, and working with…

AXLE counters have been installed at 27 sites to improve the safety of user-worked level crossings along the 49-mile East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Lowestoft. The equipment is connected by more than 15 miles of new cabling and linked to signal boxes. The axle counters allow signallers to remotely determine whether a train is occupying a specific section of line between two points. Signallers then use this information to authorise the public to cross at user-worked level crossings. This section of line features 28 user-worked or footpath crossings, where a person travelling by car or foot needs to call a signaller to ask permission to cross. The new equipment will allow signallers to make these decisions more quickly, reducing waiting times and increasing the safety of the crossings.…

THE Ecuadorian government announced plans to put national rail operator Ferrocarriles del Ecuador Empresa Publica (FEEPinto ) liquidation in May along with several state-owned companiesincluding , the country's postal service. The Government has made the decision as part of wide-ranging spending cuts following a big fall in tax income from the country's oil industry. Ecuador's railways are a listed national monument so cannot be legally sold or demolished, and the Government is looking for a new international partner to run rail services on a concession basis. In late May the country's transport minister confirmed the Government hoped to revive the tourist train market and that it was was in discussion with Peru-based rail operator Peru Rail. Damage FEEP was established in 2010 to take over the operation of the previous…

SEVERAL driving van trailers (DVTs) have passed to heritage railways from Porterbrook Leasing. These Mk3b vehicles are unpowered driving cars built by BRELDerby , , from 1988. They were coupled to the rear of trains from where the loco could be driven at the other end, to save locos top-and-tailing or running round. The vehicles disposed of have been withdrawn by Greater Anglia, where they were used with Class 90 electric locos. No. 82118 Britannia is now at the Crewe Heritage Centre, together with Mk3 coach No. 12114, while No. 82114 has gone to the Northampton & Lamport Railway. No. 82125 was acquired by the Mid-Norfolk Railway in 2018. ■ Our thanks to contributors: Josh Brinsford; Peter Briddon; Nigel Cockburn; Paul Lemon (CVR); and John Storer.…

THE operation of two hired-in Class 68 and Mk2 carriage sets by ScotRail on peak-time Fife Circle services ended on May 29. The use of unmodified Mk 2s, which had been running since 2015, meant the trains were not fully accessible Their withdrawal from service now means every train in ScotRail's fleet complies with the technical specification for interoperability for persons with reduced mobility (PRMTSI) standard. The Mk2s had been given dispensation to operate until May 31. Delays in modifying ScotRail'HST s sets had led to the temporary use of'classic' (unmodified) units, but this ended on March 31. CLASS 86 READY FOR ITS NEXT RAILTOUR: Privately owned Class 86/2 No. 86259 Les Ross/Peter Pan is temporarily sidelined at Rugby. Photographed by owner Les Rossthe , ad hoe bodyside message is…

TOUAX SA has taken delivery of 40 HOA-B aggregate hoppers Nos. 81 70 6774 036-2 to 075-0. European wagon type is Fanpps, overall length 15.12 metres, maximum payload 79.5 tonnes and tare weight 21.3 tonnes. Design code is HO 005B. They were built in Poland by Wagony-Swidnica, delivered in Touax red livery, and are for hire to Mendip Rail. Now part of the Green brier Europe-Astra Rail group, Wagony-Swidnica emerged as a major supplier of new stock to the UK market early in this century. Nearly 3,000 wagons have since been built for private customers and leasing firms. They include FEA/FWA container flats for Freightliner, HHNHXA coal hoppers for Freightliner Heavy Haul, and TEA bogie petroleum tanks for BAA, EWS and VTG Rail UK. Network Rail has received FEA flats…