Innehållsförteckning för October 2019 från Rail Express

IT has been another month of significant change across the network, as the railways prove once again that what can sometimes seem like a permanent fixture never really is. On the franchising front, Abellio’s East Midlands Railway has taken over from Stagecoach’s East Midlands Trains, promising new and upgraded units and a possible extension of the wires north of Corby, while Stagecoach and Virgin Trains are to lose the West Coast franchise to rivals First Group and Trenitalia from December. This means that Stagecoach and Virgin – both seemingly permanent rail brands that have achieved much in their time – will no longer be involved in running any of our passenger services for the first time since the late 1990s. The incoming West Coast Partnership has been tasked with integrating…

NORTHERN formally withdrew its first ‘Pacer’ from service on August 12 when No. 142005 was taken out of traffic after working the 2Y95/11.23 Manchester Victoria-Stalybridge and then moving to Newton Heath for storage, writes David Russell. Its partner on that particular working, No. 142046, was stopped later that week. Five other Newton Heath-based sets, namely Nos. 142012-014/030/033, have been transferred to Heaton (Newcastle), enabling five units based there, Nos. 142016/021/022/025/066, to be stopped and put into warm store in newly-laid sidings at the depot. Of these, Nos. 142021/022 both saw further use on the Darlington to Saltburn/Bishop Auckland routes on August 29. The stored sets could also see use during the autumn leaf-fall season if necessary. The new sidings at Heaton will be able to hold more than 20 Class…

The year 1979 was ayear of major changes on the East Coast Main Line. The introduction of HSTs, which had begun the previous year, was due to be completed in May when the full 125mph timetable, using 32 new Class 254 sets, was planned to be effected from the timetable change. On the freight side, the introduction of new 8ft 6in high containers on Freightliner workings meant that three tunnels on the route required upgrading to provide the necessary clearances. Effectively, this meant carrying out excavation work to lower the tracks by a few inches. To prevent major disruption and full closure of the line, work on each track was carried out separately, enabling trains to continue to operate through the tunnels under a single line working arrangement. The first…

THE majority of this publisher’s work tends to focus on the modern era, from the latter days of British Rail through Privatisation and up to today. But here is a cracker of book focused on the period of the late-1950s and 1960s before BR’s corporate blue era took hold. The book mostly follows Amberley’s standard picture and caption format, with two photos per page, although a slight variation sees each chapter (one for each of BR’s five main regions) begin with apage or two of scene-setting introductory text. But it is the selection of photographs that really set this book apart. There is awide range of classes featured, mostly locos, but also some units, over a wide geographical area from the West Country to the north of Scotland. Nearly all…

WHO would have thought it – a farewell tour has been announced for the much-maligned ‘Pacers’! It is a sign of the times, as the first ‘Pacer’ has now been withdrawn by Northern, and many might say ‘good riddance’. But there are those who will miss them, and so top marks to the Branch Line Society, which kicks off the first ‘Pacer’ farewell tour by utilising two of the Cardiff Canton-based Class 143 units. Sunday, October 6 is the date to start the mourning, with the running of the ‘Ffarwelio â Phacer Cymoedd Caerdydd’ (Phacer being Welsh for ‘Pacer’!). The charter will feature a number of unusual lines across the region, with the highlights being Treherbert and Rhymney Sidings, along with awide range of sought after crossovers. Lines inside Cardiff…

LOCOMOTIVES DB Cargo red: 66070 PRIDE: 66773 + ‘Eleven Years of East Midland Trains’ vinyls: 43050/81 UNITS AZUMA: 800207/08/09,801203/05/07/09/11/13/15 EAST Midlands Railway purple: 222104 NORTHERN: 156428, 170461, 333010 PENDOLINO revised: 390148 SOUTH Western Railway: 159015 TRANSPORT for Wales: 158818, 175006 WHITE with green doors: 350116 WHITE with grey doors: 350403 + ‘I’m retiring... today’ vinyls: 142005 COACHES GWR green: 48116/17/18, 49106 ScotRail InterCity: 40616, 42075, 42291, 42577…

BRITISH STEEL FOLLOWING overhaul at the Scunthorpe Central Workshops, British Steel Large Hunslet No. 73 has been outshopped in a new livery. Out has gone the yellow body to be replaced by black with a large red British Steel logo on the cab sides. LH SERVICES/FREIGHTLINER FREIGHTLINER-LIVERIED No. 08624 Rambo departed the LH Services Workshop at Barton–under-Needwood (Staffordshire) on August 6 for Felixstowe, with No. 08691 then departing Felixstowe for Crewe, Basford Hall. It is understood that No. 08891, currently undergoing overhaul at the Nemesis Rail Facility at Burton-upon-Trent, will also be moving to Crewe when ready. This was at Barton-under-Needwood until 2017, when it was transferred to Nemesis Rail for work to commence. Following completion of repairs, Wabtec’s No. 08669 Bob Machin left the LH Group site for a…

Allocations 11508 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12722/23/24 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 12808 newly delivered HQ/EAHQ 41034 LA/EFHQ-HQ/SCEC Formations  GW06: 49106+48116 +48117+48118 HA20: 42075+42577+42291 +40616 Renumbered 41142-40616 42073-48118 42271-48117 42273-48116 44033-49106 Now in passenger traffic 11509/11 12725/26/27/31/32/33 12809/11 15010 15107, 15210,15305/34/35 Stored/stopped locations  Bounds Green: 10310, 11328, 12320, 12218, 82217 Doncaster Wabtec: 10325/28, 11293, 11323/24, 11424, 12219/25, 12403/25/47/54, 82229 MoD Longtown: 11501/02/05, 12701-06/13-17, 12801/02/05 Worksop: 11273, 11428, 12458/63, 12533 Disposals  C.F.Booth, Rotherham: Arrival dates: August: 11292, 11423, 12455/56. Cut dates: July 12: 82106/23…

WHEN Hornby released its ‘OO’ gauge Class 466 two-car Metro-Cammell 'Networker', Southern Electric modellers felt the company has missed the point. A four-car would have been a better option given that Class 466s were primarily intended to strengthen suburban trains to 10 cars on the North Kent lines for the peak hour in the same manner as the 2EPBs. As it happens, a handful of branches saw Class 466s work solo and in the privatisation period, they stretched their wings to the Sheppey branch and Medway valley line too. Modelling the fascinating North Kent network of lines is not such an easy proposition without a four-car set (Bachmann has still to offer a 4EPB to go with its 2EPB model too). There’s a definite reluctance to offer four-car EMUs intrinsic…

BRAND-NEW hopper wagons for conveying aggregates were built by Greenbrier Europe at its Wagony Swidnica works between 2005 and 2007 for Freightliner’s ‘Heavy Haul’ bulk freight operation. At 14 metres in length over buffers, the wagons are shorter than similar coal hopper wagons also operated by Freightliner. Coded HIA, the wagons were built in two batches: No. 369001-048 and Nos. 369049-122, totalling 122 wagons in the fleet. Finished in Freightliner green with yellow markings, the wagons are employed on aggregate traffic from the High Peak quarries and sand traffic too. They can turn up almost anywhere where Freightliner has a contract for aggregate haulage, including short term flows. An interesting departure from the standard Freightliner green livery is the finishing of a small number of HIAs in white with the…

WHILST the Hornby Class 156 is an old model and part of the range acquired from Lima a number of years ago, it remains a useful part of the Hornby range, being added to the catalogue from time to time. The latest model has been finished in a special livery applied in 2018 to mark the centenary of the RAF. Northern Rail selected Class 156 No. 156480 to carry ‘RAF100’ livery which was applied to the unit using vinyls. Named Spirit of the Royal Air Force, the livery was unveiled at Newcastle Central Station on June 23, 2018. The plan is for No. 156480 to carry the livery for three years. Subsequently, the 1989-built Metro-Cammell two-car multiple unit has returned to its regular duties in the north of England and…

‘Drags’ to begin on ECML in October Due to engineering work on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and Newark, October 9th and 16th will see diversions via Sleaford and Lincoln over the former GN/GE ‘Joint Line’. Affecting East Coast, Hull Trains and Grand Central services from late morning onwards, the diversions will see seven Class 67s deployed on ‘drags’ of Class 91s between Peterborough and Newark Northgate (Leeds services) while the 14.30 King’s Cross-Edinburgh is also due to be dragged from Peterborough to Doncaster via Gainsborough. Other Anglo-Scottish East Coast services will be formed of HSTs. In preparation for this, route learning trips have been taking place in recent weeks. ‘Blue Train’ 50th anniversary exhibition To mark the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the iconic ‘Blue Trains’…

NXEA DMU shortage after LC crash National Express East Anglia has been forced to make a number of temporary alterations to its services after being left with a shortage of DMUs following the level crossing collision between No. 156417 and a sewage tanker on the Sudbury branch on August 17th. With the NXEA DMU fleet already tightly diagrammed, attempts by the company to take a replacement unit on loan from other operators were unsuccessful. As a result, many of the DMU-operated services from Lowestoft and Peterborough that previously ran through to Liverpool Street are now terminating at Ipswich or Colchester, with passengers having to transfer to Class 321s for the onward journey to London. This has allowed a Class 170 to be released for use on rural services as a…

AUGUST 27th SAW Network Rail complete track laying on the 15-mile Airdrie–Bathgate line as the new route nears completion ahead of the commencement of passenger services, which are currently scheduled to begin on December 12th. September saw work continue on the installation of the new signalling and overhead electrification but the route was sufficiently complete by September 7th to allow the first visit by a Network Rail test train. Powered by DRS Type 3s Nos. 37607 & 37611, the radio survey train traversed the Bathgate to Drumgelloch section before repeating the tests the following day. ScotRail driver training is due to begin by mid-October once further test runs have been completed by NR in the coming weeks and the OHL is energised around October 10th. Funded by Transport Scotland, the…

IRELAND’S NATIONAL TRANSPORT AURTHORITY has approved Irish Rail’s decision to withdraw passenger services between Waterford and Rosslare Strand. Announcing the decision on September 3rd, the last day of operation on the line was due to be September 18th with services being ‘suspended’ from the following Monday in favour of a replacement bus service. While the decision has been justified on the grounds of the low number of passengers using the route in relation to the €1.9 million annual operating costs, opponents of the decision argue that the service of one train per day in each direction is hardly a viable option for many passengers. A condition of the closure is that Irish Rail has to maintain the line in operational condition, which will be downgraded to the status of an…

THE START OF SEPTEMBER saw Network Rail submit a planning application for the construction of a new island platform at Cambridge. The two new bi-directional platforms will be sited opposite the current main platform and linked by a new footbridge and lifts. The long-heralded scheme is designed to significantly increase the capacity of the station and forms part of the project to introduce twelve-car National Express East Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Cambridge from December 2011. The same scheme will see platform extensions carried out at Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Sawbridgeworth, Stansted Mountfitchet and Stansted Airport, the last of these being funded by BAA. Elsewhere on the NXEA network, five stations have been selected for upgrading under the National Stations Improvement Programme from this autumn, these being Billericay, Brentwood, Colchester, Marks…

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA COUNCIL has agreed to fund a £55,000 feasibility study into providing an additional Crossrail station at Kensal Rise. A long-standing aim of the council, it says the station would drive the regeneration of the surrounding area of West London and could also double up as the turnback site that is required for the westbound Crossrail services that will terminate at Paddington. The study will look at the impact on the proposed service pattern of adding the station while critics of the proposal have pointed out that there is no funding in place to actually build it. Meanwhile, Crossrail Ltd has delayed the award of the principal tunnelling contracts until next year. The winners of the two work packages were originally due to be announced from a shortlist…

Additions Crewe Electric: 92019.LH Group Services, Barton-under-Needwood: 08077, 08891. Southampton Maritime: 08575. Toton: 08904, 60011, 60071. Reinstated 08578, 08802, 09201, 60010, 60063, 60084, 66065, 66079, 66103, 66121, 66170, 66177, 66184, 66193, 66206, 66237, 67027, 92026. Locations Amended Active: 60059, 60073. Barrow Hill: 47813, 47828, 58016. Carnforth: 08418, 08485. Cheriton: 92040. Crewe Basford Hall: 57001. Crewe Gresty Bridge: 20309, 20310, 20311, 20312, 20315. Didcot: 60009. Doncaster Carr: 60074. Doncaster Yards: 60019. EMR, Attercliffe: 08872. EMR, Hartlepool: 09104. EMR, Kingsbury: 08884, 58019, 58028, 87031. Lafarge, Hope: 20132.TJ Thomson, Stockton: 20105. Toton: 60049, 60054, 60061, 60062. Washwood Heath: 09003, 20906. Disposals EMR, Kingsbury: 08540, 08543, 08689, 58003, 58014, 58028. Ron Hull Jr, Rotherham: 08397, 37890, 37896.…

First Open to be returned to service Having undergone an overhaul at Cranmore Traincare Maintenance Services’ workshops on the East Somerset Railway, Mk. 1 FO 3100 has been moved to Crewe pending a return to service. The coach, which has gained chocolate and cream colours in place of maroon, was last used on the main line as part of the BN91 set around 2005. It is expected that Riviera will have two chocolate and cream liveried sets in service next year and a number of other coaches are due to be re-activated in the coming months. VSOE acquires RFOs A pair of former Virgin Mk. 2f RFOs, 1207/21, have been acquired by VSOE to join its Northern Belle fleet. Both are currently stored at Eastleigh. Ex-DRS Mk. 3s move Six…

GB Railfreight: Biomass hopper conversions 37 70 6955 266-288 have seen a change of AARKND and design code to reflect their new covered hopper status. They are now IIA-C to IIE953. To correctly comply with UIC numbering, they should really have also been renumbered into the ‘T’ series for wagons with an opening roof. VTG Rail: The latest VTG re-prefixed wagons are: VTG3151/2/5/ 6/8/9, 19213/9, 95615. Disposals: Reported deleted from TOPS in August were the following vehicles, which includes a huge number of HAA-style hoppers from Ayr Falkland Yard, as well as the first of a number of redundant BP TTA tankers from Grangemouth: Private-owner: BPO60562/74/6/96/ 681/762/70/6. Railway-owned: DC110129, T110143,350010/240/417/30/67/95/507/605/814/26/93/908/33/52,351099/230/88/316/37/76/9/414/524/57/612/91/704/920,352079/656/67/72/851/916,353048/117/82/229/65/97/363/463/81/528/97/628/735/73/9/89/851/72/955,354042/146/203/443/93/602/69/744/53/803/40/6/52/83,355055/238/91/7/308/17/31/433/6/50/88/524/650/7/8/83/769/74/808/12/26/63/84/9/93/916/48/56,356009/44/66/134/60/270/368/91/7/439/673/90/710/1/4/9/839/917/23,357028/53/104/8/37/326/95/441/6/552/74/86/598/671/775/87/898/934,358352/435/576/642/832/56/62/915/6/30/54/73,359033/102/9/17/85/91/260/91/324/31/77/400/5/13/4/46, 370230, DC460435. Internationally-registered: 33 80 2693 000/3/8/14/5/7/20/1/4/ 7/35/7/9/44/7/9.…

DB CARGO SEVEN locomotives were reinstated and eight stored during the period under review. Nos. 60054 (to WCBT), 66039 (to WBAE), 66066 (to WBAR), 66098 (to WBAE), 66151 (to WBAE), 90035 (to WEAC) and 90039 (to WEDC) all returned to action, while Nos. 60065, 66040, 66069, 66143, 66160, 66168 and 66182 were all stopped WQAA at Toton, with No. 90018 taken out of service WQAA at Crewe EMD. Nos. 66068, 66115, 66144 and 66197 were also stored during August, but they were back at work before the month was out. All six of the former National Power Class 59/2 locomotives, Nos. 59201-59206, were available for viewing by potential purchasers at Westbury on August 17. All but No. 59202 were back to Mendip work the following week, with Vale of White…

Allocations 37422 XHAC-XHSS 60011 WQ/WQAA-TO/WCAT 60054 WQ/WQAA-TO/WCBT 60065 TO/WCAT-WQ/WQAA 66039 WQ/WQAB-TO/WBAE 66040 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA 66066 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAR 66068 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA 66069 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA 66098 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66115 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA 66143 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA 66144 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA 66151 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66160 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA 66168 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA 66182 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA 66197 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA 67016 WAWC-WAAC 90018 CE/WEDC-WQ/WQAA 90035 WQ/WQAA-CE/WEAC 90040 CE/WEAC-WQ/WQAA Stored/stopped locations  Crewe ETD: 90018 Doncaster Wabtec: 91108 Toton: 60065, 66040/68/69,66115/43/44/60/68/82/97 Operational 60011/54, 66039/66/98, 66151, 90035 Disposals EMR Kingsbury: Arrival date: July 15: 20035. Cut date: July 17: 20035 Leicester: Cut date: July 24: 37188…

Allocations 142012/13/14/30/33 NH-HT 150203/06/11/14/20/23/70/71/74/76 NH-NL 158815-17/42-44/61 NL-HT 195001/07 HQ-NH 195008 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 195101 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 195102/14-22 HQ-NH 323223-39 LG-AN 331012/13/14 newly delivered HQ/ EDHQ 331101/09/10 HQ-NL 331112 newly delivered HQ/EDHQ 345065/66/67 newly delivered OC/ EXHQ 385043 newly delivered EC/HAHQ 385102 newly delivered EC/HAHQ 397002/08 newly delivered HQ/ EAHQ 710116/25 newly delivered HQ/ EKHQ 710258 newly delivered WN/EKHQ 717019/24 HQ-HE 745001/06 newly delivered HQ/ EBHQ 745101 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ 755329/30/31/32/33 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ 755402/11/12/19 newly delivered HQ/EBHQ 755410/18 HQ-NC 801203 newly delivered HQ/HBHQ Renumbered 319450-769450 Formations 158749: 52749+57749 158767: 52767+57767 158769: 52769+57769 158960: disbanded 158961: disbanded Now in passenger traffic 195001/07 195115/22/24/25 33110109 345037 385041/42 442406/13/14/17 717019/24/25 755410/18 800002 Stored/stopped locations Crewe South Yard: 365523/25 Ferme Park: 717017 Heaton: 142016/21/22/25/66 Hornsey: 717015 Newton Heath: 142005 Worksop: 345060, 710121/23 Disposals…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: On July 27, GM No. 222 failed while hauling a Heuston to Cork Mk.4 train. Assistance came in the shape of classmate No. 220, which hauled the complete train to Cork. The annual Bray Airshow on July 27/28 saw the railway experience heavy passenger traffic to and from the event. There was a very frequent service of DART EMUs on both days, with seven eight-car units and 10 six-car units in traffic on the 28th. Inchicore was used for repairs to the Cross-Border DD/Mk.3 stock during the period of the Lurgan upgrade project (see separate story), but only for work that was considered beyond the scope of the facilities at Connolly. On August 12, GM No. 206 transferred a DD/Mk.3 train (DBFO No 9004) from Connolly…

October 5-6 Dorking & District Model Railway Club Exhibition. Oddfellows Hall, 270 High Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1QT. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.00 Sun. Adult £5, Child £3, Family £10. www.dorkingmodelrailwayclub.com/exhibition2018.html Fareham Railex 2019. Fareham & District Model Railway Club. Fareham Leisure Centre, Park Lane, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7JU. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £7. http://fareham-mrc.org.uk Mickleover Model Railway Exhibition. Mickleover Model Railway Group. Mickleover Community Centre, Uttoxeter Road, Mickleover, Derby, DE3 0DA. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.00 Sun. Adult £4, Child £2, Family £10. www.mmrg.org.uk Shildon Model Railway Club Exhibition. Locomotion NRM Museum, Off Dale Road, Shildon, Co. Durham, DL4 2RE. 10.00-17.00 both days. Admission free. www.shildonmrc.com Wigan Model Railway Exhibition 2019. Wigan Finescale Railway Modellers. Robin Park Leisure Centre, Loire Drive, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 0UL. 10.00-17.00 Sat, 10.00-16.30 Sun. Adult £10, accompanied…

INTERNAL long distance services in Scotland have been dominated by Class 170 ‘Turbostars’ and, to a lesser extent, Class 158s for many years, prompting a review of the quality of Intercity services and potential growth in passenger numbers. Withdrawal of HST sets from Great Western provided the opportunity to upgrade ScotRail services with cascaded Mk.3 stock and power cars in mini-HST formations of four- and five-car trains. The idea arose from passenger surveys which indicated that passengers preferred to use East Coast HST services to Aberdeen and Inverness for internal journeys over those operated with 'Turbostars' whenever possible. Power cars A total of 54 power cars have been transferred to ScotRail from Great Western, with the majority of them being overhauled and repainted at Brush Loughborough in time for introduction…

THE second batch of Dapol ‘OO’ gauge Class 73s arrived during the summer months, including a much needed and anticipated model decorated in Network SouthEast (NSE) livery as No. 73109 Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary (keeping with the RAF theme on this page of reviews). When first released, the Dapol Class 73 was praised for its high level of detail, particularly on the underframe and bogies which have several layers of depth thanks to the use of a large number of individual components. The recently issued models are referred to as Version 2 because of improvements made to the circuit board and the set up of the slip ring current collection system resulting in a more controllable model. Electronic upgrade A 21-pin DCC interface socket remains at the heart of…

THE BABY DELTIC PROJECT has announced plans to rebuild the bodyshell of 37372, which has housed the project’s power unit since April 2009, into a replica ‘Baby Deltic’, thereby recreating a class of loco that became extinct in 1977. It follows on from the project’s success in returning the surviving ‘Baby Deltic’ power unit to working order and its subsequent fitting into 37372. The major project, which is expected to cost in the region of £30,000, will be formally launched at the Barrow Hill ‘Model Rail Live’ event on September 25th/26th. It already has the backing of four respected heritage organisations, namely the National Railway Museum, the Transport Trust, the Napier Power Heritage Trust and the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust. A feasibility study into the conversion was carried out earlier…

HS2 plans due ‘soon’ In a speech on September 10th, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed that the Government will set out detailed plans for its version of High Speed 2 'very soon'. With public consultations due to begin early next year, the minister stated that the first stage will still run between London and Birmingham but that there will be a 'clear timetable for the extension of the network to Manchester and Leeds'. Meanwhile, campaigners fighting the scheme have been given a boost after a Warwickshire MP confirmed that the proposed routing through parts of the county is being revised to lessen its impact on local communities, this including extra tunnelling work. RVE takes over Derby EDU building As part of the takeover of the Network Rail Infrastructure Monitoring contract…

NETWORK RAIL published a planning document in August that outlines the strategic choices that are required to be made to improve rail services over the next 25 years. It stresses the need for ambition if the projected rise in traffic levels is to be managed effectively. Despite the severity of the recession, passenger demand has been resilient and, at the end of the 2009/10 year, journeys remained 3% above that recorded two years earlier. This suggests that an annual growth rate of close to 7% is likely to resume as economic growth returns. A modal change is taking place in favour of rail, which has happened because of population growth, road congestion, parking charges and change in employment markets. Rail travel in conurbations outside London has shown high levels of…

FROM SEPTEMBER 20th, Wrexham & Shropshire is to introduce a revised fares structure as the company seeks to secure the profitability of its open access operation. This will see two standard fares introduced with the ‘fully flexible’ valid on all trains while the ‘semi flexible’ will be usable on all services except the 05.10 Wrexham-Marylebone and 16.30 return on weekdays. The difference in cost between the two tickets is £10. In a statement by W&S Managing Director Andy Hamilton, the simple message was ‘please keep using it or there's a risk you may lose it.’…

Double track for new Ipswich chord Having garnered widespread support for the proposal, Network Rail has announced that it is to expand the scope of the Ipswich freight chord. Under the original plan, the new 0.75-mile elevated curve would have been a single line but will now be built from the outset as a double track formation at a cost of around £41 million. Designed to provide a direct northwards connection from the Felixstowe branch to the Great Eastern Main Line at East Suffolk Junction, the chord will remove the need for container trains to run round in Ipswich Yard before taking the cross-country route via Ely and Peterborough. At a public exhibition in Ipswich earlier in the summer, 95% of people polled supported the scheme while local authorities and…

IN AN INTERVIEW with a national newspaper, the former rail regulator Tom Winsor has again stated his case for breaking up Network Rail. His proposal initially envisages splitting the infrastructure owner into three or four regional companies to bring closer co-operation with the train operators before an eventual sale of the new organisations back into private ownership. This latter option is seen as a way of improving the efficiency of infrastructure maintenance operations as well as lessening the burden on the public purse. Timetable system breaches licence Meanwhile, the Office of Rail Regulation has found Network Rail in breach of its licence following continuing problems with its new timetable system. The Integrated Train Planning System (ITPS) has been progressively introduced since last September and is designed to make it more…

WITH ‘WESTERN’ D1015 Western Champion having been withdrawn from service pending repairs following its engine failure (see Preservation, RE172), ‘Deltic’ 55022 Royal Scots Grey has picked up two extra workings as a replacement for the diesel hydraulic. In addition to Compass Tours’ ‘Western & Eastern Coast Express’ on August 30th, the English Electric Type 5 was due to haul Pathfinder’s ‘Western Wales Explorer’ on September 18th, taking a Class 55 into West Wales for the very first time.…

RAIL EXPRESS brings you unrivalled coverage of modern traction and rolling stock news every month. T&RS can only be produced with the help of you, the reader, observer and photographer. We are keen to receive information for inclusion, be it newsworthy workings, store locations, scrappings, livery or name changes. As well as locomotives, we are also interested in reports on units, coaches and wagons. With the rail scene changing so quickly it is imperative we record all major workings for posterity. Your reports can play an important part. Send your observations to: RAIL EXPRESS (T&RS), Mortons Media Ltd., PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR. Fax: 01507 525263 E-mail: gbayer@mortons.co.uk…

MORTONS MEDIA ACQUIRES SILVER LINK PUBLISHING MORTONS Media Group, publisher of Rail Express, has announced the acquisition of renowned rail, maritime, road transport and biography book publisher Silver Link Publishing, which will now become part of the recently-launched Mortons Books business. Silver Link has produced more than 700 titles since it was founded in 1985 at Carnforth. Today the company also includes the imprints Past and Present and The Nostalgia Collection. Mortons Books publisher Steven O’Hara said: “Silver Link is synonymous with creating quality products that cover a wide range of enthusiast and nostalgia subjects. “It enjoys a large readership who love and respect its products. It is a huge honour to continue the Silver Link legacy.” ONGAR CELEBRATIONS TO mark 25 years since the last London Underground train ran…

LNER SET TO TRIAL NEW TICKET FARE STRUCTURE LONDON North Eastern Railway is to trial simpler ticketing options on some of its routes. Starting on January 2, 2020 (with tickets on sale from November 29), the trial will allow passengers to select the best ticket options for their journeys. Anytime Return, Super Off-Peak Return and Off-Peak Return will be replaced by combinations of Anytime Single, Super Off-Peak Single and Advance Single. The changes will apply to journeys between King’s Cross and Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. MODEL EXHIBITION VANDALS SENTENCED THE parents of three 16-year-old boys who smashed up Market Deeping Railway Club’s exhibition at a school in Stamford, Lincolnshire, causing an alleged £80,000 worth of damage, have been ordered to pay £500 in compensation. The boys were also handed 12-month…

KENT ‘WARSHIP’ AND ‘HYMEK’ FURTHER to your suggestion in the September issue of Rail Express that the visit of Class 42 ‘Warship’ No. 821 Greyhound to the Spa Valley Railway’s diesel gala in August was the first of the type to Kent, Ican confirm that this is not actually the case. From 1965 to 1970 I attended the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone, which is located on Cheriton Road, parallel to the Ashford-Dover railway line. During a geography lesson on the first floor, at a point when my attention had faded, I looked across to the railway line and to my surprise I saw a blue-liveried ‘Warship’ proceeding slowly on the down line towards Folkestone Central with a formation of blue and grey-liveried Mk.1 coaches. A few minutes later I…

GOOD CAUSE BENEFITS SEVERAL railtour operators usually organise raffles on their trips to raise money for deserving charities. One that Rail Express is pleased to report is that the Branch Line Society’s ‘Luca Pezzulo Express’ on July 20 (from Lancaster to various freight locations in Yorkshire, powered ‘top and tail’ by Nos. 37521 and 37669) raised a staggering £18,247.81 for the Martin House hospice in Boston Spa. MORE 2020 VISION IT is not always appreciated how far railtour organisers have to plan in advance to secure the necessary resources – such as traction, rolling stock and paths – and also avoid engineering blockades. Statesman Rail has already revealed some of its plans (see August issue) and now further added to its 2020 programme with: Dartmouth Royal Regatta from Rugby, August…

BESIDES those credited elsewhere, this issue has been made possible by the contributions of the following readers, to whom the editor is most grateful: Stewart Armstrong, John Blackmore, Ian Clay, Joel Coulson, Alexander Cromarty, Steve Donald, Matt Fisher, Brad Joyce, Gordon Kirkby, Stuart Kirkby, Peter Laithwaite, Dave Mumford, Graham Nuttall, Rod Orr, Keith Partlow, Chris Playfair, Colin Pottle, Karen Richardson, Steve Sienkiewicz, Jamie Squibbs, Tim Squires, Jack Taylor, The Wanderer, Michael Warrender, Russell Wykes, Mathew Yardley, and many more.…

SCOTRAIL HST UPDATE AUGUST 9 saw the emergence from Wabtec of the seventh rebuilt rake of HST coaches for ScotRail. Set HA20 was collected by Nos. 43131/137 and taken north from Doncaster to Haymarket. It is formed of Nos. 40616+42291+42577+42075, the first of these having been converted/ renumbered from No. 41142. Moving in the opposite direction on August 15 as the 5E23/09.28 Haymarket-Wabtec, Doncaster were Nos. 41146, 42299/300/558/574 and 44040. The coaches were moved by No. 47813, but this ran into problems in the Morpeth area and was assisted to Tyne Yard by No. 66506 Crewe Regeneration from where No. 37800 Cassiopeia took over. The next day, having dropped off three of the coaches at Doncaster, the ‘37’ and ‘47’ continued to Ely with Nos. 42558/574 and 44040. FINAL GWR…

■ DB CARGO: The final pair of cut-down HRA bogie aggregate hoppers, Nos. 41 70 6723 009-0 and 41 70 6723 010-8, left DBC’s workshops at Stoke-on-Trent on July 5, giving a fleet of 110 wagons. Notably No. 41 70 6723 009-0 has been given the name ‘Vicky’. Unfortunately, Nos. 41 70 6723 003/006/007/099 were returned to Stoke on July 12 with unspecified damage. The first to depart after repairs was No. HRA 41 70 6723 007-4 on August 9. Overhauls on the classic ex-Railfreight Distribution WIA (Sefoorss) five-unit car carriers are proceeding at Stoke. On July 10, No. 85 70 4971 026-5 departed and was replaced on the 24th by No. 85 70 4971 044-8. This left on August 7 and its place at Stoke was taken up by…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: GM No. 8113 was active on a regular ballast duty during late July. The locomotive was noted on the 23-25th working a train of six hoppers each day between the loading siding at Poyntzpass to the parcels bay siding at Belfast Lanyon Place. After recessing there it hauled the wagons each evening after the end of service to various locations on the Londonderry line, where ballast was discharged. No. 8113 then returned with the hoppers to Lanyon Place, where the train was stabled until the next day when the movements were repeated. On August 10, a 10.35 Portadown to Connolly special was worked by two four-car IR DMUs Nos. 29x11+29x28, while ICR DMUs Nos. 22x56+22x14 worked a 11.25 Portadown to Connolly special the next day. Also…

CAVALEX has taken delivery of prototypes of its forthcoming BBA (and derivatives) model for evaluation and testing. The main structure of the wagon is composed of die-cast metal which will prevent the flat wagon from distorting. It adds weight to a model which will be otherwise difficult to ballast if made from injection moulded plastic. Development work on the model continues with further samples expected in the coming weeks.  The ‘OO’ gauge Class 91 project has reached the stage where Cavalex is ready to accept pre-orders. Priced at £179.99, the model will feature a high level of detail including scale pantograph option; a method of reconciling the coupling to front valance arrangement and the usual features expected of highly detailed models including era-specific details and authentic livery application. www.cavalexmodels.com While…

ADULT modellers are the intended market for the latest ‘OO’ gauge train set to be released by Bachmann, which headlines with one of Bachmann’s premier models: a complete six-car former Midland Pullman set dressed in the condition it operated on the Western Region. It is loaded with a wealth of fine detail and equipped with two advanced Zimo digital sound decoders programmed with a wide variety of authentic sounds. The large rigid box also holds a circle of track, accessories, cables, a full Dynamis ‘Ultima’ set and an evaluation copy of Dynamis Rail Controller. The train set is offered as a limited edition pack with numbered certificate, well presented documentation and a presentation box with high quality graphics to match the high end positioning and price of the set. The…

AS part of its new ‘OO’ gauge range of Mk.2f coaches, Hornby has issued the BSO and TSO in ScotRail Saltire livery as currently leased from Direct Rail Services (DRS) for peak hour Fife Circle services. Hauled by Class 68 locomotives, two sets of air-conditioned Mk.2 coaches comprising of five TSOs and one BSO placed in the centre of the rake make the circular journey connecting Edinburgh Waverley to Glenrothes with Thornton and Cardenden. Empty stock movements (ECS) run to and from the DRS maintenance depot at Motherwell, running either via Slateford or Falkirk Grahamston, widening the scope for modellers to incorporate the new Hornby coaches into a ScotRail themed layout. The perfect traction for the new Mk.2f models is Dapol's acclaimed Class 68 locomotive model which has been produced…

WITH 2010 HAVING ALREADY seen the first Class 58s reduced to scrap, the year could yet end with the first Class 60s suffering the same fate after DB Schenker included no less than 20 examples of the Brush Type 5 design on its latest tender list. The sale includes a total of 103 locos and represents a large chunk of the stored locos remaining on DBS’ books. Notable amongst the ‘Tugs’ are the class pioneer 60001, Brush Traction’s 1,000th loco 60098 and former Great Western green celebrity 60081. While many of those on the list are the examples in the worst condition with many suffering from engine damage, fire damage or heavily stripped for parts, some are known to be in a reasonable state and may well be of interest…

PASSENGERS FACE a considerable increase in controlled fares in January, with a rise of 5.8% expected after July’s inflation index figure came to 4.8%. In addition, the Government is considering a further increase to help pay for investment as a result of the reduced funds available to the DfT. Controlled fares (eg season tickets) are adjusted annually in January on the basis of the retail prices index for the previous July. Passengers had a reprieve in 2009 as the recession caused prices to drop and a -1.4% figure was recorded in July 2008. As the Government currently requires TOCs to apply a RPI+1% formula, the figure meant that prices declined by 0.4%, which was welcome news for season ticket holders in particular. Statistics recently published by the Office of Rail…

EMT Class 222s get Wi-Fi East Midlands Trains has introduced a passenger WiFi service on its six seven-car Class 222s (222001-6) with the remaining ‘Meridians’ along with the HST fleet due to be similarly equipped over the coming months. The service is complimentary to First Class passengers with a charge in Standard Class. The company has also introduced an ‘eco-mode’ on all of its Bombardier DEMUs, this shutting down some engines and on-board systems during station layovers to save fuel. ‘Networkers’ monitored Southeastern and Angel Trains have awarded contracts for the fitting of remote monitoring systems to part of the ‘Networker’ fleet. Encompassing the Class 465/2, 465/9 and 466 fleets, the 93 units will be fitted with Alstom data acquisition units to monitor various systems with the data being transmitted…

THE FIRST PHASE of a £3 million refurbishment of Southampton Central has been completed with the opening of a new ticket office. Funded by Network Rail, South West Trains and Southampton City Council, the remaining work will see the booking hall enlarged along with the installation of new waiting areas and toilets. The work is due for completion late next year. Elsewhere on the SWT network, remodelling of the station forecourt at Farnborough has been completed, which includes a new bus interchange, while work on constructing a new station footbridge with lifts is due to begin shortly for completion next spring. The same project is also now under way at Staines, funding for both coming from the DfT’s Access for All scheme. The weekend of September 4th/5th saw the new…

NETWORK RAIL has awarded the first contract for the upgrade of Manchester Victoria to Hyder Consulting, which will work up the various options available for renovating the station within the specified budget by next spring. Despite the loss of £5 million in funding earlier this year following the axing of the Better Stations scheme, £25 million remains available for the project, this coming from Network Rail (£16 million), Manchester City Council (£5 million) and Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (£4 million). Due for completion in 2014, the centrepiece of the renovation is expected to be a new station roof along with concourse upgrades the station’s period features. Meanwhile, the contract for the upgrade of Swansea station has been awarded to Strategic Team Group by the Welsh Assembly Government. Working in…

IN DECEMBER, the re-laid line between Bathgate and Drumgelloch re-opens to passenger services, with trains operating over the route at 15-minute intervals. With the rebuilding of the line due for completion at the end of October, tour operators have been given a window of opportunity of around a month to run charters over the route without any major pathing problems. Three such trips are planned, two of which are scheduled to run on November 6th. On this date, Spitfire is running from Birmingham to Edinburgh and return with a pair of WCRC Class 37s, and the locos/stock will then form a mini-tour to Glasgow taking in the re-opened line on the outward route. Profits from this mini-tour will be donated to the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes charities.…

AS PART OF ITS preparations for this year’s imminent Railhead Treatment Train campaign, DB Schenker is repatriating a number of its Class 66/0s from Euro Cargo Rail operations across the Channel. By early September, no less than 10 of the 60 ECR machines had returned to the UK, being gathered together at Toton. Here, they are undergoing the minor modifications required to allow their use on Network Rail metals once again in advance of deployment on RHTT duties in the autumn. With 66026, 66029, 66033, 66071 & 66073 having returned in late July, August saw 66028, 66042, 66062 & 66072 arrive at Dollands Moor before continuing northwards. For example, 66042 was included in the consist of the 4E32 Dollands Moor–Scunthorpe behind 92031 on August 7th while 66028 was towed light…