Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i The Railway Magazine

AFTER weeks of ‘essential travel only’ messages, restrictions on using trains are at last being relaxed. Passengers are officially being welcomed back as part of a ‘Let’s travel safely this summer’ campaign. It’s the boost the industry has needed, yet despite the campaign, there are still underlying messages from some train operators, as well as employers, for passengers to ‘consider alternatives’. One train operator is using a traffic light system on train loadings, and if the situation goes to ‘red’ says it will close stations and cancel services. What kind of message is that, especially as travel must be with a face covering? It’s rather negative. Even National Express has been adding extra services to meet demand, while rail openly turns custom away. Coaches have been carrying more passengers than…

ALSTOM and rolling stock leasing company Eversholt Rail have agreed to invest £1million to further develop their ‘Breeze’ hydrogen train concept. Alstom has successfully pioneered the technology for its experimental‘Coradia iLint’ multiple unit in Germany, and believes the new investment will help it to have a UK loading-gauge version ready by 2024. First mooted in January 2019, the Class 600‘Breeze’trains are based on Class 321 EMUs, most of which will be made redundant by the introduction of new trains over the next year. Alstom and Eversholt plan to rebuild the trains from four-car EMUs into three-car HMUs, with part of one driving vehicle rebuilt to accommodate hydrogen storage tanks. The intention is to offer them as‘clean’replacements for diesel units on regional and rural lines, where electrification is unlikely to be…

ABERDEEN-based transport group First, which operates three UK rail franchises, saw its annual losses treble to almost £300million in 2019/20. The operator of the Great Western and TransPennine Express franchises and the South Western Railway and Avanti West Coast joint ventures (with MTR and Trenitalia, respectively) blamed its Greyhound bus operation in the USA for much of the losses. Struggling First had already been struggling, having posted a £97.9m deficit over the previous 12 months. The full effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are yet to be felt in the company’s results, with First having recorded an operating loss of £152.7m, compared to a £9.8m profit 12 months earlier. First Group’s share price dropped by almost 80% at the peak of the pandemic crisis before making a partial recovery.…

EAST Coast operator LNER is offering seven nameplates from its HST power cars for auction, with the proceeds will be donated to LNER’s charity partner, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The nameplates up for auction are from Nos. 43308 Highland Chieftain, 43300 Craigentinny (and one crest), 43238 National Railway Museum, 43208 Lincolnshire Echo, 43257 Bounds Green, 43274 Spirit of Sunderland, and 43290 MTU Fascination of Power. G W Railwayana Auctions will be in charge of the sale on November 14. Details: www.gwra.co.uk ■ LNER stopped offering Nectar points on bookings from August 1. As an interim, passengers will get a 2% credit back on any LNER transactions while a new loyalty scheme is devised, automatically added as an eVoucher to customers’LNER account each month. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us…

HS2 Ltd has confirmed ventilation shafts for the 10-mile tunnel under the Chilterns, an area of outstanding natural beauty, will be disguised as farm barns. The company has engaged architects Grimshaw, which has designed a head-house building to sit on the top each of the 60-metre ventilation and emergency access shafts. There will be four of these buildings. Input from local residents was considered during the design process, and the final design will be subject to public consultation. Diane Metcalfe, an associate principal at Grimshaw, explained the shaft had been “sensitively designed to complement the rural character”. The buildings will be surrounded by mature trees and fresh saplings to help them blend in, along with bird boxes, reptile basking banks to help encourage wildlife.…

STAFF cuts of around 20% are likely for Eurostar’s UK-based employees, according to the RMT union. There are also plans for reduced hours and part-time working, with Eurostar services having been operating on a restricted basis since late-March. The job cuts outlined by the company suggest one or both Kent stations (Ebbsfleet and Ashford International) could lose Eurostar services for the next few years. ‘Uncertainty’ No Eurostar services have used either since late-March and it appears none are likely to for the rest of this year. Eurostar has also announced it will not run its London to Marseilles service in 2020 or 2021, saying it wasn’t possible “because of the uncertainty around what travel restrictions and safety measures will still be in place”. The London to Bourg St Maurice winter…

‘Cromwell’ re-wheeled at Loughborough… A SIGNIFICANT step in the Great Central Railway’s overhaul of BR‘Britannia’ No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell took place on July 17 when the locomotive was reunited with its bogie and trailing truck. The National Railway Museum Pacific is being returned to steam for future use on the Leicestershire line. …as ‘O4’ boiler is lifted for overhaul JULY 22 was a red letter date in the overhaul of Robinson‘O4’ 2-8-0 No. 63601, seeing the boiler lifted from the frames at the Great Central Railway. It marked a big step forward for the GCR’s overhaul of the National Collection loco, which last ran in 2012 Delay in demolition of Glasgow station PROPOSALS to demolish Strathbungo station, Glasgow, featured in May’s‘Where Is It?’ have been delayed following a local campaign…

■ Page14: the picture of ‘Britannia’ No. 70008 should have noted the correct wheel arrangement of 4-6-2 not 4-6-0. ■ Page 20: No. 41276 at Llandudno Junction was on ‘The Welsh Dragon’ not the ‘Red Dragon’. ■ Page 27: 14XX No. 1471 is leaving Tiverton for Tiverton Junction, not the other way round, as given in the caption ■ Page 29: The photo of a Class 331 unit with a Skipton to Bradford working (bottom of page) was at Shilpey station (platform 5) and not Bingley. Red face here – Ed! ■ Page 36: No. 33104 was being led through Weymouth on its way to London Waterloo, not from.…

100 YEARS AGO AUGUST 1920 Day trips for Swindon Works staff OVER 24,000 inhabitants of Swindon, or nearly half the population of the railway town, dispersed to the four quarters of the United Kingdom on Friday, July 2, by the Great Western Railway trip trains for employees at the company’s works. Many special trains were engaged from the very early hours of the morning conveying trippers at the rate of more than 2,000 per hour. New timetables for sixpence THE Great Western Railway, in July, resumed the practice of issuing time books to the public, which had been discontinued owing to conditions created by the war. During the war sections of‘Bradshaw’were reprinted for staff purposes only. The new timetables cover the period from July 12 to September 30, 1920,…

THE Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway has commissioned a feasibility study into the construction of a replica of Timothy Hackworth’s Stockton & Darlington Railway 0-6-0 Royal George of 1827. The Darlington Borough Council-sponsored study is being undertaken by Transport Trust chairman and former National Railway Museum head Rob Sherlund-Ball, with a view to having the replica in steam in time for the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 2025. The study was expected to be completed in late-July, and if the group decides to proceed to the next stage, invitations to tender will be sent out for the entire construction of the replica locomotive. Direct drive Work could begin as early as next spring if the project is green lit, and it is expected the…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) is not expecting to return to main line running much before Christmas, but has no plans to launch any sort of emergency appeal until it has returned to operation. “At this time of financial flux, for many people this is not the time to announce a major appeal,”said RPSI chairman John McKegney. “That would be best left to when we are‘back in action’and aimed at the public as well as members.” Mr McKegney added that people can donate to the society to increase its resilience in the present crisis, and said“we are most grateful for those who have already done so”. Anyone who donates £10 or more to the society will receive a free copy of its Whitehead Railway Museum Guidebook. ■ See…

■ RICHMOND Light Railway’s August 17 charity steam fair has been cancelled since social distancing would be difficult at the confined private site, combined with the limited passenger stock. New boiler tubes for Hunslet 0-4-0ST Elin have been delivered, with the railway anticipating the 2021 steam fair will centre on a celebration of Elin returning to steam. ■ THE boiler of Keith Nicholls’West Lancashire Light Railway-based O&K 0-4-0WTT Montalban has returned to Hesketh Bank following repairs at Johnsons of Banks and is ready to be returned to the frames. Montalban last steamed in 2015. ■ STEAM was raised in the Kirklees Light Railway’s Taylor 2-6-2T Fox for the first time in more than five years on June 29. Fox was withdrawn on Christmas Eve 2014 for an overhaul, which has…

Council backs down in Radlett terminal battle ST ALBANS City & District Council has ended its long battle to prevent the construction of a major new rail freight terminal on the former Radlett Aerodrome. The decision paves the way for the site to be redeveloped for freight rather than housing. Planning permission for the terminal was given by the Government in 2014. c2c launches new travel app ESSEX Thameside operator c2c has launched its new travel app for smartphones, allowing passengers to buy tickets online. The app is compatible with c2c’s Smartcard and allows users to buy tickets for any UK rail journey. GWR paint job for Cardiff Central TRANSPORT for Wales is in the process of redecorating Cardiff’s Central station to improve its appearance. Work started on platform 0…

Dudley stop name change THE West Midlands Metro has announced its Dudley town centre stop will be named after local landmark Dudley Castle rather than the originally planned Station Drive. The stop is on the seven-mile Line 2 extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, much of which will use the trackbed of the disused South Staffordshire heavy rail line. The £450million scheme should be completed in 2023, providing much-needed rail links to towns in the Black Country via 17 new stops. Preliminary works are already underway along the route, including the removal of a disused railway bridge in Tipton during August. Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk…

THE Swanage Railway ran its first post-lockdown public trains on July 11, with many restrictions in force. The five-coach fundraising trains, hauled by a Class 33, ran non-stop from Swanage to Norden. After loco run-round, the train returned to Swanage, completing a 45-minute journey. Accommodation was reduced to 40% of the usual seating. Departures from Swanage were at 10.30, 12.00, 13.30 and 15.00. The operations followed a full risk-assessment using Government guidance and the award of a Good to Go certificate. Train interiors were cleaned after every journey and surfaces wiped with sanitiser. Face masks for staff and passengers were mandatory. Non-public test trains were run from July 4 to 10. This service was set to operate every day until July 31. Swanage Railway Trust chairman Gavin Johns said the…

THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is hoping to salvage what it can from a planned summer season in Scotland with two Edinburgh to Aberdeen runs and an Edinburgh to York sprint during September. Nine Scottish tours booked for Peppercorn ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado in July and August have been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus, including specials for the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, but the two ‘Aberdonian’ runs on September 3 and 10 are still expected to take place. These will take the Apple Green Pacific from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and back via the Forth Bridge, Dundee and Montrose. Tornado will bid farewell to Scotland on September 12 when it works the southbound ‘Queen of Scots’ from Stirling to York. The tour will leave York at 08.30 that morning…

NS CLASS 1500 No. 1501 – the only loco of the type preserved in the country – has been put on display at the Dutch National Rail museum in Utrecht to commemorate 50 years since the former BR EM2 class electric locos entered service in the Netherlands as NS Class 1500. The loco was formerly No. E27003 Diana and was moved to Utrecht from Blerick (Venlo), where it has been stored since 2007. The loco was originally supposed to be on display by June 12 as that was the actual anniversary, however the combined impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the fact cosmetic restoration took longer than planned (not helped by coronavirus restrictions) meant 1501 was not moved to the museum until July 1. The movement by rail was undertaken…

THE currently isolated Alaska Railroad could be connected to the rest of the North American rail network. Private company the Alaska to Alberta Railroad Development Corporation plans to construct a $9.5billion, 2,414km railway between Fort McMurray, Alberta, and Fairbanks, Alaska. The line would be designed for freight transport with gentle gradients and wide curves. Aerial surveying of the proposed route, which is east of the Rockies, started this summer. Multiple projects to connect Alaska with the Canadian rail system have been discussed since the 19th century, but the idea has received political support in both Alaska and Alberta in recent years. It is not clear when construction might start.…

LONG-DISTANCE operator LNER is the latest train operator to participate in the Know Your Train service feature of the website Real Time Trains (RTT). Know Your Train gives more information about the rolling stock actually operating on each service, such as what it will look like and what the facilities are on board. RTT uses information from the operator and is also able to relate what orientation the train is in and where each coach is on the service. The additional information will identify whether the service is formed of a Class 91 and Mk4 set or a five- or nine-car ‘Azuma’, or even two five-car sets. However, RTT says while it provides set or loco numbers for ScotRail, and GB Railfreight workings, it will not display such information for…

FREIGHT company DB Cargo UK will continue the maintenance of 10 GB Railfreight Class 60 locomotives as well as providing technical in-field support. GB bought 10 Class 60s from Colas Rail in July 2018 and has tended to focus their workings on biomass trains to either Drax or Lynemouth power stations. Under the new agreement, GBRf’s engineering team will work closely with DB Cargo to drive up locomotive performance and provide professional engineering support. The GB fleet consists of Nos. 60002/021/026/047/056/076/085/087/095 and 096.…

SOUTH Western Railway’s fleet of 18 Class 442 EMUs will receive new driving desks. SWR has signed a contract with DB ESG to supply, install and test 36 new desk panels for the units, which work from London Waterloo to Portsmouth. New panels are required following the re-tractioning of the Class 442s, which will result in considerable alterations to the in-cab controls, including the removal of the brake-system pressure gauge. The customer decided these modifications warranted a new modern and clean layout. ESG will create a prototype desk to ensure wiring and design changes are suitable, but also evaluate the design from a drivers’perspective. Installation will take place at Bournemouth depot, with some work being contracted to Swiss specialist EAO.…

A FURTHER 50 rail or station reopening schemes are being considered in a second round of bids – there’s a third round later in the year – but just how many really are viable? Many of these lines and stations closed through lack of passengers as the motorcar became more popular, along with the freedom and flexibility that came with it. While not wishing to pour cold water on what might be a good idea, the rail industry and franchising are currently in deep trouble – as is the country. I hesitate to think, some 60 or more years on from the closures, that reopened lines could win back the necessary volume of passengers to make it a financial success. That’s not all. There are plenty of examples where track…

TRAIN Operating Companies (TOCs) are expected to announce the next round of timetable changes in mid-August (August 18 is likely) ahead of their introduction on September 8. This is expected to be accompanied by Government efforts to encourage more people to return to public transport. The DfT is currently funding passenger operators and had been calling for a full restoration of the pre-Covid timetables, but it is now understood this will not happen at a number of TOCs. Some service frequencies will remain lower than before the pandemic. Planned timetable increases that had formed part of franchise agreements are, in some cases, to be abandoned, and it looks like fewer but longer trains. In a few cases there will be some very significant changes to services, with TOCs reporting poor…

CONTRACTORS for HS2 Ltd have started building work on the new high-speed station at London Euston. Completion of demolition work on the redundant 1960s’ western ramp and canopy in April and May paved the way for the structural work to begin, with main station contractor Mace Dragados moving into the site during July. At the peak of construction, around 3,000 people will be employed at Euston alone – 10% of the overall total. 11 platforms The site will eventually become the southern terminus of HS2, with 11 new 400-metre platforms and a new concourse for high-speed trains due to open in 2033. The western ramp formerly provided access to the long-closed Royal Mail parcel sorting depot located on a deck above the platforms. At the opposite end of Phase 1,…

HS2 has unveiled the visual designs for its new people mover, which will connect the new Interchange Station in Solihull, through to Birmingham Airport in just six minutes. The people mover will have a 2.3km-long line, operate every three minutes, and carry up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction. Part of the track will be on a viaduct 12 metres above ground. HS2 has been working closely with the Urban Growth Company (UGC) in Solihull to include extra design elements to support wider growth plans, including modifying the alignment of the people mover as part of a major redevelopment at Birmingham International Station to create a new, multi-modal transport exchange.…

Diesel stock check BRISTOL East MP Kerry McCarthy asked what estimate the Department for Transport (DfT) has made of the proportion of the UK rail fleet that is composed of rolling diesel stock. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Out of a national fleet of more than 14,000 vehicles, there were approximately 3,400 passenger vehicles in service at the beginning of July 2020 that formed part of a diesel-powered train. “Decisions about the necessary pace of removal of diesel trains from the network to decarbonise the railway will be informed by on-going work led by Network Rail. “The Government is developing an ambitious transport decarbonisation plan to achieve net zero emissions across all modes of transport. “We will use electrification and alternative technologies such as battery and hydrogen trains to remove…

COVID-19: Hostile and unwelcome messages preventing rail travel IT IS with the greatest concern I believe both the national and heritage rail sectors are facing unprecedented crisis conditions as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. The loss of confidence by the travelling public in using rail, either for commuting or leisure, is catastrophic, and will possibly impact for years. Changes to work habits, job losses and lifestyle choices have yet to ‘bottom out’. There is a perception rail is seen as an unattractive transport mode because of the (necessary) rules in place, currently with no end in sight. The Government message that using private cars is the safest form of travel, will convince any doubters over what to choose. All this is giving ammunition to the anti-rail lobby when it…

READING the Railway Observer, extremes of weather are a recurring theme. The storms of February 2020 brought reports of the Aire Valley line flooded at Kirkstall Abbey, the Worth Valley inundated at Haworth by the Bridgehouse Beck, and the Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog line washed away again, to mention just three examples. If we go back to the RO of 1948 the September and October editions report that on the afternoon of August 12 a storm of epic proportions broke over the Southern Uplands, north of Berwick, which quickly overwhelmed the streams, rivers and culverts to the extent the East Coast Main Line was breached in 13 places. No fewer than seven bridges were swept away between Granthouse and Reston, and six major landslides also inundated the tracks. The…

Maidenhead canopy erection begins at Wallingford RECONSTRUCTION of the Victorian station canopy that formerly graced Maidenhead station is underway at the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway’s Wallingford station. The first wall panels of the canopy were erected by the Green Oak Company on July 15, followed by the cast iron columns two days later. The project is being funded by the Railway Heritage Trust. Bodmin & Wenford panniers for hire THE Bodmin & Wenford Railway’s GWR 0-6-0PTs Nos. 4612 and 6435 are being made available for hire, following the Cornish railway’s decision not to run trains during the summer. Both locomotives were successfully steam tested on July 9 following overhaul/ maintenance. Full loaded test runs were completed the following day. New ESR platform opens at Cranmore THE East Somerset Railway’s new…

IÉ reintroduces online bookings ONLINE bookings for anyone wishing to travel on Irish Rail services on or after August 30 were expected to be made available from the end of July. The rail operator has advised that anyone booking should remember the wearing of face coverings is now mandatory on public transport in Ireland. IÉ will refuse travel to anyone not so equipped. First rail movement at Maam Cross HISTORY was made at Maam Cross on June 6 when the station witnessed its first rail movements since the line closed in 1935. The‘hand-propelled 3ft-gauge permanent way trolley ran over temporary rails, which have been laid in the past few months. Discussions are underway between the Connemara Railway Project and the Cavan & Leitrim Railway, which could result in a co-operative…

Buxton limestone to Crawley GB RAILFREIGHT and CEMEX introduced a new flow of aggregates from Dove Holes Quarry, near Buxton, to Crawley on April 18. Former coal hopper wagons ‘cut-and-shut’by W H Davis for construction traffic are being used. The 22-wagon train loads to more than 1,675 tonnes, an increase of 350 tonnes compared to previous services to the West Sussex terminal. The train is expected to run weekly once the construction industry returns to normal working after the Covid-19 lockdown. Bescot sleeper factory scrapped PLANS by Network Rail to build a new concrete sleeper plant on land at Bescot Yard has been scrapped after Sandwell Council refused planning permission. Network Rail has decided not to appeal the decision, and will find an alternative site to produce 600,000 sleepers per…

Final Class 37 moved to Severn Valley Railway UNSERVICEABLE Class 37 No. 37308 was transferred by road from the Dean Forest Railway to the Severn Valley Railway on July 12. It was the last of the class delivered to BR (WR), on November 9, 1965. ‘Choppers’ leave heritage railways CLASS 20 No. 20069 left its long-time home on the Mid-Norfolk Railway on July 3, travelling by road to HNRC, Worksop. Similarly, Nos. 20087 and 20110 were taken from the East Lancashire Railway to Worksop on July 7 and 6, respectively.…

PATHFINDER Tours’ decision to postpone its entire 2020 railtour programme until next year owing to Covid-19 precautions has resulted in its planned Class 50s run to Cornwall being held over until next spring. The rescheduled ‘Non-Mazey Day Cornishman’ will now run on April 24 from Birmingham New Street through to Penzance, making numerous stops along the way. The tour had originally been booked to run in connection with the Covid-cancelled Mazey Day festival on June 27, but was rescheduled for September 5. An early start will see the train leave Birmingham at 06.00 with a GB Railfreight Class 66 in charge. Pick-ups will be made at Northfield, Bromsgrove, Worcester Parkway and Cheltenham Spa before arriving at Gloucester, where the ‘66’ is replaced by a pair of Class 50s, courtesy of…

TWO of Locomotive Services Limited’s fleet of four ex-WCML AC electric locomotives were used on July 14 for a private charter for LSL owner Jeremy Hosking. Four carriages from ‘The Statesman’luxury train, along with Mk3 sleeper No. 10520, in carmine & cream, were hauled by No. 87002 Royal Sovereign from Crewe holding sidings to London Euston, where Mr Hosking and guests travelled back to LSL’s Crewe depot behind No. 90002, which had been named Wolf of Badenoch and sported the BR’s InterCity livery. On return to Crewe, the train became the first to run directly into LSL’s depot. LSL’s other AC electric locos are No. 86101 and 90001, and several Mk3 carriages have been repainted to run behind the electric locos under LSL’s railtour arm. With the on-going coronavirus situation,…

HITACHI Rail and Hyperdrive Innovation have signed an exclusive agreement to develop battery packs to power zero-emission trains, and create a‘battery hub’in the North East. The move is all part of a drive for greener trains. Hitachi has identified UK fleets, totalling 275 trains, as potential early recipients of battery technology. The company also plans to install them on new metro and intercity trains as part of the move away from diesel traction. Hitachi believes as many as 400 trains could have batteries fitted. Extend range Installing batteries onto current fleets can extend their range and allow passengers to reach stations on non-electrified branch lines without having to change train. To take battery technology forward, the two manufacturers will accelerate the creation of batteries that can be mass-produced at Hyperdrive’s…

ARRIVA-OWNED Grand Central (GC) restarted operations from July 26. The company had paused its open access operation from early April because of coronavirus, and placed staff on furlough. Announcing the decision on June 30 has allowed passengers to book tickets for two daily return Bradford Exchange to London King’s Cross operations and three daily return workings between Sunderland and the capital. More services will be added as demand increases. Drivers and operational staff spent time in July familiarising themselves once again with the trains and routes, as well as the enhanced safety measures, which has led to increased cleaning during the journey and overnight at depots, plus protective equipment for staff. ‘Hard work’ Managing director Richard McClean said having been faced with the fact GC could not run a viable…

TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps has announced a £200,000 Government investment into developing an innovative prototype to improve mobile connectivity for rail passengers. More than a third of the 11,000 miles of Great Britain’s railways is electrified, using overhead line equipment (OLE), and research funded by the Department for Transport has found it is possible to attach communications antennas to the OLE improving connectivity for passengers as well as reducing the need to build additional track-side masts and cutting costs. It could lead to a reduction of frustrating internet blackouts. The next challenge is for telecom operators to come forward and develop suitable equipment for the next phase of the trial, which will test how antennas can be safely fixed onto OLE in a live railway environment.…

THE wait is over! After five worrying months of inactivity, a number of Britain’s preserved railways and railway museums have reopened following the gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The first crop of lines welcomed passengers during early July (see p56), with more following later in the month, and the majority of others expected to open up during this month. Several railways, however, have made the decision not to reopen during the summer, with some electing to remain closed for the rest of the year. For those lines that are running trains, it is not quite ‘business as usual’. The need for social distancing, staff/volunteer availability and other governing factors have resulted in lines offering a somewhat pared back service to what would normally be expected at this time of year.…

Heritage boards tell historic M&PR story A HERITAGE information board celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Mansfield & Pinxton Railway (M&PR) has been installed on the Nottingham-bound platform of Mansfield station. Seven boards have been written by volunteers working and financed by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. These boards will be installed at Mansfield, with others at: Sutton Parkway station, Lowmoor Road, Kirkby, Aldi, Urban Road, Kirkby, Portland Park, Kirkby, Beaufit Lane level crossing Pinxton, and The Boat Inn, Pinxton. Part of the line is currently incorporated into the Robin Hood Line. The M&PR is the oldest continuously running commercial railway in England. Corby electrification start date delayed THE scheme to electrify the Midland Main Line route north of Bedford to Corby has been severely affected by…

PASSENGER group Transport Focus (TF) has asked the Government to reform rail ticketing for commuters in response to changing travel patterns. TF chief executive Anthony Smith said: “A new railway needs a 21st century offer. “Many people are unlikely to return to the traditional Monday to Friday commute any time soon, and changing work patterns will increase demand for flexible season tickets.” Fares reform Mr Smith has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps asking him to consider fares reform, including the introduction of flexible season-style tickets or ‘carnets’ of tickets offering discounts for multiple journeys bought in advance. Working from home has become more widespread in recent years, denting growth figures for franchises such as South Western Railway, which rely heavily on London commuters. However, this trend is expected to…

THE Churchward County Trust (CCT) has placed an order for the assembly of the main frames for its new-build GWR‘County’class 4-4-0 with Tyseley Locomotive Works. The work is expected to be complete by this coming October. The frame plates for No. 3840 County of Montgomery were cut in November 2018, but have been waiting for a slot in the works to become available. The work will include the assembly of the main frame plates and installation of the supporting stretcher plates with associated brackets, and the fitting of the horn blocks and spring hangers. A new set of spring hanger brackets was delivered to Tyseley during June. The assembly work will progress during the summer, with TLW expecting to have the frame assembly largely completed in time for the CCT’s…

THE £16billion Crossrail project looks set to require further additional funding to meet rising costs despite passing several major milestones in 2019/20. Delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic forced construction works to be suspended on March 24, and although work is underway again, social distancing rules create new challenges for staff working both above and below ground. Preparation work on surface routes is still on-going both east and west of the core tunnel section, with Network Rail upgrading tracks and stations to cope with the additional traffic. Surface works However, NR requires an additional £140million to complete its surface works, taking the total for this part of the project to almost £3bn. Delays to station improvements and power supply upgrade work are being blamed for the rise in cost. Crossrail…

A FURTHER 50 bids to build or reopen closed lines or stations with the potential to level up regional economies across England and Wales were submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) by June 30. In a second round of bids are proposals to reopen the line at Ferryhill, County Durham, restore the Consett to Newcastle link, proposals to transform the Newquay line, reopen Charfield station, and also reinstate the Bodmin to Wadebridge and Padstow railway - the Camel trail. Successful schemes are worth up to £50,000 each to progress plans to improve local connectivity, bringing communities one step closer to better rail connections. The Government also announced the third round of the New Stations Fund, part of the DfT’s Restoring Your Railway Fund, which will invest £20million in new…

Pontllanfraith (Low Level) station in Monmouthshire was a tranquil place that summer’s afternoon in 1958. True, a ‘56XX’ 0-6-2T had just pulled out with a train from Neath to Pontypool Road; but that was as nothing compared with the sudden explosion of exhaust from a ‘Super D’ 0-8-0 battling uphill through the nearby High Level station on the Sirhowy Valley line with a load of ‘empties’. I had previously seen former LNWR 0-8-0s at Watford, Bletchley and elsewhere, but never before had I witnessed one in full cry. Its two-cylinder exhaust beats, four for each cycle of the coupled wheels, had comprised two very loud blasts followed by a softer pair; apparently, this phenomenon was typical of a ‘Precursor’ or ‘George the Fifth’ 4-4-0 going up Shap at a slightly…

Road to nowhere… PASSING through the Essex village of High Roding recently, I noticed a freshly painted road sign pointing the way to Takeley station, five miles distant. Nothing unusual there one might think, except Takeley station closed to passengers 68 years ago, in 1952, and to goods traffic in 1966. The station building remains standing today beside the Flitch Way, a 15-mile linear country park along the route of the former Bishops Stortford to Braintree railway line, but it is most unlikely to see a train again. Do readers know of other road signs that still point the weary traveller to now long-gone stations? Alan Simpson Ilford, Essex Class 33 memories and thoughts A COUPLE of items of interest to the Class 33 article (RM July) – particularly relating…

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‘Jubilee’ Kolhapur to return to the main line in 2022 TYSELEY-BASED ‘Jubilee’ No. 5593 Kolhapur could be steaming over the national network within the next two years, if ambitious plans announced by Vintage Trains (VT) come to fruition. There have been many calls to return the Stanier ‘5XP’ to steam during the past two decades, and VT and Tyseley Locomotive Works (TLW) have always said the 4-6-0 would be overhauled. However, the overhaul of flagship loco No. 7029 Clun Castle, maintenance of the operating fleet and other contract work has left No. 5593 low down the pecking order. Commonwealth Games No. 7029 is now back in traffic, the overhaul of classmate No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is well underway, and VT and TLW have decided…

Downpatrick line launches appeal as doors stay shut for rest of 2020 THE Downpatrick & County Down Railway (DCDR) has launched an urgent appeal for donations after accepting the likelihood it will not be able to run any trains this year. The Back on Track Appeal will help negate the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on DCDR operations and restoration work since lockdown began. The railway says it has just under £40,000 of bills to pay this year just to keep the business in mothballs, and until the beginning of July was paying these through its savings. However, the money had been earmarked for long-awaited essential maintenance and repair work to safeguard the long-term future of the railway. The railway is one of the last UK heritage lines to launch…

FR’s Welsh Pony back after 80-year absence THE Ffestiniog Railway’s (FR) 1867-built England 0-4-0STT Welsh Pony returned to steam on June 27 after last working in 1940. As previously reported, when stripped for overhaul seven years ago its condition proved worse than anticipated. With Wales still under tight lockdown, a public unveiling of Welsh Pony was not possible. However, the FR held a series of Facebook Live events on June 27, showing a fire being lit through to test runs around Boston Lodge, reaching an audience of more than 1,200 people. Welsh Pony has initially been painted in the deep purple used for FR’s Victorian carriages. It is also unlined and carries a temporary ‘No. 5’ nameplate, pending official launch. In about a year it will…

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk NETWORK Rail is considering plans for a series of major upgrades on the York to Newcastle section of the East Coast Main Line. The project would prepare the route for the arrival of HS2 and High Speed North (HSN) trains in the 2030s. Proposals include an ambitious and potentially costly rebuild of the station and junctions at Northallerton, additional platforms at York and Darlington, and studies into the possible reopening of the Leamside line. Longer west-facing bay platforms are also being considered at Newcastle, as well as new through platforms for Sunderland and Hartlepool on the Durham Coast route. Northallerton could gain two replacement platforms and a flyover for Teesside-bound trains to reduce conflicting moves and increase capacity. Platforms and flat junctions would be replaced,…

Go-ahead for new Soham station EAST Cambridgeshire District Council has given its official backing to the planned new station at Soham on the Ely to Bury St Edmunds line. Network Rail and its contractors are expected to begin enabling works this autumn, with the main construction taking place in 2021, and opening planned for spring 2022. The station will have a single 99-metre platform, footbridge, waiting shelters, lighting, information screens, public address system and a 50-space car park. £1m for Peckham Rye project work THE Department for Transport has contributed £1million towards the development of designs to increase capacity and improve access for all passengers at Peckham Rye. The south London station is currently the busiest in the country without step free access to platforms or accessible facilities for passengers.…

SIEMENS Mobility has been awarded a contract by Edinburgh Council to supply electrification, SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), telecoms and signalling for the city’s three-mile tram route extension to Newhaven. The work will be carried out in partnership with the main contractor, a joint venture between Sacryr, Farrans and Neopul. It is scheduled for completion in 2023, when there will be eight new stops on the double-track route. Siemens provided similar infrastructure and systems for the line from the airport to the city. The signalling work includes installing new and modified traffic signals at 30 road intersections along the route, which will be linked to the city’s traffic and tram control centres to give priority to trams at junctions.…

SMALL volunteer parties at East Lancashire Railway (ELR) are hoping to resume work on Class 56 No. 56006 as the lockdown eases, carrying out checks on the electrical and braking systems. The locomotive is in generally good condition, but has suffered reliability issues as a result of a winter period with little use. The Romanian ‘Grid’ has good batteries and the engine should turn over easier than it would have done in the depths of winter. The contract to stay at the ELR has been renewed, which is very welcome news, given the reliability issues. C56G’s other loco – main line-registered No. 56301 – has been out of traffic since March when it returned from a period on hire to GBRf at Peak Forest. The only fault with the former…

DOUBLE-HEADED 4-6-0s were a familiar sight in Cornwall during GWR and BR days, and this September such a spectacle is expected to be seen again, albeit with a distinctly Eastern Region twist. Steam Dreams’‘Mayflower 400’ excursion on September 14 is a commemorative tour to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower in September 1620, which took the founding fathers from Plymouth to the Americas. Appropriately, the train will be hauled throughout by Thompson ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower (owned by Steam Dreams boss, David Buck), which will be joined by LNER-built classmate No. 1264, courtesy of the Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust. The Eastern duo are expected to depart from Paddington at 09.00 and follow the Great Western Main Line out to Reading for a pick-up, then proceed onward…

PATHFINDER Tours will be hoping for a case of‘third time lucky’on January 30 next year when it gets to run its twice-postponed‘Blue Boys Merrymixer’. The tour, which makes use of various DRS motive power between Hampshire and the Midlands, had been due to run on March 21 this year, but was one of the earliest casualties of the Covid-19 crisis. It was then rescheduled for August 15, but was again postponed. An 05.55 departure from Eastleigh sees a Class 68 head north with the train of Mk1 stock bound for Birmingham New Street. The‘68’then hands over to a pair of Class 37s for a tour of the Midlands’lines, including the Burton to Leicester line and the North Chord at Nuneaton. On reaching Crewe, a Class 66 will head the tour…

A NEW 68km-long standard-gauge line from Kiato to Aigio on the north coast of the Peloponnese peninsular in Greece opened on June 22. The line replaces the former metre-gauge line, which closed in 2010, and in some places uses the old alignment, providing connections to Greece’s only rack railway at Diakopto. The new line has been built for future 200kph electric operation (not yet electrified), and will eventually be extended another 34km to Patras.…

GERMAN rail operator DB announced in mid-July an order worth €1billion for 30 Siemens ‘Velaro-MS’ (multi system) ICE3 trains to be delivered from December 2022 and 2026. The contract includes options for up to 60 further trains. The eight-car 320kph trains are based on the DB Class 407 (‘Velaro-D’) design Siemens built between 2010/12. The new trains are intended to increase high-speed services between the Ruhr region and Munich using the Rhein Main high-speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt and for services to both Paris and Brussels.…

AVANTI West Coast has embarked on a refresh of its 20-strong Class 221 ‘Voyager’ fleet despite the fact they are due to be replaced in 2022. Set No. 221101 was moved to Bombardier at Ilford in July for the start of the work. New Standard Class seats covers and carpets will be included as part of the revised look as well as a revamped toilet area. All lighting will also be replaced with LEDs. The interior bodyside and ceiling panels in Standard Class saloons, vestibules, as well as toilets, will also be repainted. Andy Barnes, Avanti West Coast executive director, Projects, explained: “We know that ultimately our ‘Voyagers’ will be retired from the West Coast Main Line, but with two years on the rails, we wanted to improve them and…

GREAT Western Railway (GWR) has unveiled a special livery thanking key workers for their incredible efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a theme of‘The nation says thank you’, the special design features words of gratitude in 116 different languages used by those living across the GWR network. The project was inspired by the company’s design a train competition. The livery carried by Class 802 IET No. 802020 incorporates the ideas of three teenagers who entered a competition on GWR’s social media channels to design a train livery. Sam Smith, 13, from Gloucestershire, suggested the words‘The nation says thank you’; Sam Moorey, 15, from Newton Abbot, proposed saying‘thank you’in different languages; while Ned Thompson, 16, of Guildford, crafted the overall design. GWR worked with local authorities and NHS trusts to ensure…

Option for extra South Western‘Aventras’ THE contract for the South Western Railway Class 701 ‘Aventra’project now includes an option for SWR to order an additional five 10-car units through leasing company Rock Rail. The order deadline is September 30. Bluebell acquires Mk3 sleeper... with pantry FORMER Caledonian Railway Mk3 sleeper with pantry (SLEP) was delivered from storage at Long Marston by road to the Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park, on July 14. No. 10526 joins Nos. 10690 and 10693, and will replace Mk1 SLC No. M2442, former Queen of Scots service car No. 2, which is up for sale.…

LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 37240 BREL-COFS 43044 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43046 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43055 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43083 NL/EMPC-HQ/SBXL 43208 EC/IECP-NL/EMPC 43239 EC/IECP-NL/EMPC 43300 Off registration 50050 BREL-COFS 60079 WQAB-WQBA 66005 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAE 66066 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAR 66068 WQ/WFMS-TO/WBAR 66079 TO/WBAR-WQ/WFMS 66096TO/WBAR-WQ/WFMS 66138 WQAB-WQBA 66145 WQAB-WQBA 66156 TO/WBAE-HQ/WQBA 66174 TO/WBAE-HQ/WFMS 66207 TO/WBAE-HQ/WFMS-TO/ WBAE 66230 WQAB-WQBA 66502 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66514 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66536 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66562 FD/DHLT-LD/DFIM 66602 FD/DHLT-LD/DFHH 66617 FD/DHLT-LD/DFHH 67003 WQAA-WQBA 67004 WQAA-WQAB 67005 WQ/WFMS-CE/WAAC 67018 WQAA-WQBA 67021 CE/WAAC-WQ/WFMS 67022 WQAA-WQBA 67029 WQAA-WQAB 67030 WQAA-WQBA 70016 FD/DHLT-LD/DFGI 70017 FD/DHLT-LD/DFGI 86612 CG/DFNC-FE/DHLT 86628 CG/DFNC-FE/DHLT 90001 NC/IANA-CD/LSLO 90002 NC/IANA-CD/LSLO 90018 WQAA-WQAB 90019 CE/WEDC-WQ/WFMS-CE/ WEDC 90028 CE/WEDC-WQ/WFMS 90029 WQ/WFMS-CE/WEDC 90034 CE/WEDC-WQ/WFMS-CE/ WEDC 91102 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91112 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91113 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91116 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91118 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91121 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91126 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91129 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 91131 BN/IECA-HQ/SAXL 92032 GBST-GBCT 92044 GBST-GBCT Liveries BR green: 08780 Colas: 37057 GBRf: 66790 Great Western Railway…

TWO Class 390s – Nos. 390004 and 390122 – were given large yellow facemask embellishments on the driving vehicles, being noted on June 15. It is part of a move to encourage passengers to wear face coverings as specified by the Government. The 11.10 London Euston to Glasgow Central and the 16.37 Glasgow Central-London Euston were worked by No. 390122 in its new livery, comprising of a face mask, and Travel Safe – Wear a Face Covering logo. AVANTI is now making progress reliverying its ‘Pendolino’ fleet at Oxley, with the driving cars being treated first, the work taking three days. By early July, 10 sets had been processed. FURTHER sets of Mk4 coaches have been going to store at Worksop. On June 27, Class 66 No. 66767 moved Nos.…