Sommaire pour Issue 1015 de RAIL

rail@bauermedia.co.uk @RAIL RESTORING Your Railway has been killed off in the first month of the new Labour government. But was it ever really alive? Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ House of Commons statement on July 29 that putting RYR out of its misery would save £76 million confirmed to us how insignificant and grossly underfunded it was in the first place. Including road projects, Reeves claims that £1 billion of transport works that were initiated by the Conservatives are unfunded. She said that making false promises has to stop. What is much more worrying is the clear message that railways are once again an easy target for political panic. Regional and county planners who were whipped up into a frenzy four years ago to make their bids for RYR’s mythical £500m money…

Network Network Rail has appointed Mike Putnam as acting chair of Network Rail, after Lord Hendy’s appointment as Rail Minister (RAIL 1013). A board member at NR since 2018, Putnam has been the most senior non-executive director at the infrastructure company. He has extensive experience across multiple sectors, including development and the services sectors. Before joining the NR board, he was president and CEO of Skanska UK. Putnam is also a non-executive director of Transpennine Route Upgrade and is expected to remain in that role, as well as a board member at Thames Tideway. “Mike has been an invaluable member of our Board for over six years and his immense experience will continue to be a huge asset to the Board, to me and to the company,” said NR Chief…

Engineers working on HS2’s Northolt Tunnel, between Old Oak Common and West Ruislip, have completed half of the 8.4-mile twin-bore tunnel. Four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are carrying out the work. Once completed, the tunnel will be the second longest on the high-speed line after the Chiltern Tunnel. The first is expected to reach the tunnel’s end later this year. The excavated material is being reused for purposes including creating green spaces and backfilling quarries.…

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is set to make history by converting its USATC 2253 ‘Omaha’ locomotive from using coal to running on oil. Against a backdrop of rising coal prices and environmental concerns, NYMR hopes the switch to oil will reduce emissions and ensure the continued operation of its steam trains. It will collaborate with US-based FMW Solutions to complete the conversion over the winter of 2024-25. Director of Mechanical Engineering Paul Middleton said: “In recent years, domestic sources for high-quality steam coal have dried up in the UK and sourcing coal from across the world is extremely expensive. “The conversion of 2253 to oil is key to ensuring the NYMR is resilient and can operate during the peak summer months.”…

The experience gained from trial running with the first handful of Stadler Class 555s on the Tyne & Wear Metro means that all further units will be fully modified and ready to run as soon as they arrive from the factory in Switzerland. However, system owner and operator Nexus has scotched suggestions that the first public service runs will be for the Great North Run on September 8, because not enough train crews are passed on them. It has also not said if they will be launched before the end of the year. Daylight testing is being stepped up across the system, and some ‘555s’ have now been seen around the coast, at Newcastle Airport, and in Sunderland, but not yet on Network Rail-owned infrastructure. Tyne & Wear Metro faces…

The Edinburgh Trams workforce is voting in a ballot for strike action over late running times which are cutting short comfort breaks. Trade union Unite, which represents drivers, ticket service assistants, controllers and vehicle maintenance workers on the tram network, said there had been an “alarming rise in incidents at work, including stress and infections” owing to workers being unable to go to the toilet. The union said a new timetable had added four minutes to each round trip between Edinburgh Airport and Newhaven. The extension to Newhaven, which runs via Leith and opened last year, is primarily on main roads - in contrast to the ballast-based light rails on much of the route south of Haymarket. Competing for space with regular traffic on a larger proportion of the route…

“I had the immense honour of meeting Sir Kenneth a couple of times, firstly when HST prototype 41001 operated with an EMT HST rake in 2014, then when we ran the LNER HST farewell tour into King’s Cross. Sir Kenneth and his wife were waiting for us to arrive on the platform. He was a true gentleman as well as a design genius.” David Horne, Managing Director, LNER “We are saddened to hear that Sir Kenneth Grange has passed away. A design legend, Sir Kenneth created the look of the iconic High Speed Train. We were honoured to name HST locomotive 43002 after him in 2016. He also joined us in 2019 as the last HST train left Paddington. RIP and thank you Sir Kenneth.” Great Western Railway “We are…

An historic part of Skegness’s rail history is to be given a new lease of life on the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway. The Old Coal Office was originally built at Skegness station by the Great Northern Railway in the late 1800s. After renovation, it will become an interpretation centre at the light railway’s Skegness Water Leisure Park station. The new station will be the terminus for the South Loop of the line. It has been made possible with joint funding by East Lindsey District Council, South Holland District Council, and Boston Borough Council.…

A new bronze sculpture celebrating Bridlington’s ‘Barrow Boys’, who transported luggage for holidaymakers during the town’s heyday, has been unveiled at the town’s railway station. Around 30 former Barrow Boys attended the ceremony on July 25, to see the 5ft-tall artwork, created by Stephen Carvill. The project was a collaboration between Northern, Network Rail, and the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership, with funding from various organisations. The statue is the latest addition to the station, which recently underwent a £5 million accessibility upgrade.…

DCRAIL has entered a new three-year locomotive servicing contract with Leicester-based UK Rail Leasing to maintain its Class 60 fleet. Regular examinations will be undertaken at Leicester depot, where UKRL carries out maintenance, overnight servicing, train care and fuelling for a number of rail vehicle types. This contract is a development of the previous agreement that had been in place since April 2022. DCRail has four Class 60s in traffic (60028/029/046/055), with a fifth (60099) currently being overhauled. It also has 14 other Class 60s for spares or in strategic reserve, and it is anticipated that four or five of these may also be overhauled soon. They are 60008/009/013/022/038/057/060/061/064/070/075/080/090/098. David Fletcher, Director for Rail for the Cappagh Group of Companies, said: “I am very pleased that our relationship with UKRL…

GB Railfreight put 66312 into traffic on July 20. It is the fifth of the 11 Class 66s GBRf has secured from mainland Europe to bolster its fleet. And it has ‘jumped the queue’ ahead of 66310 and 66311, which are still being worked on to bring them up to UK specification. Meanwhile, 66314 is the ninth of the batch to be repainted into GBRf livery. And still in its old grey livery, 66315 is undergoing modification for UK use at the UK Rail Leasing site at Loughborough. Of the remaining units, 29003, which will become 66316, is expected to dock in late August.…

Class 90 scrapped The second Class 90 to be scrapped at Sandbach dismantlers (after 90022) is 90027, while 90038 has had its number panels removed for resale and is expected to be next in line for disposal. Aintree training role Two vehicles from 507028, Driving Motor Standard 64432 and Trailer Standard 71369, have been moved to the new Merseyside Fire & Rescue site at Aintree for use in ‘real life’ staff training exercises. ‘25’ for SVR gala The Severn Valley Railway has confirmed that 25262 will attend its October 3-6 autumn diesel gala. It last visited the SVR in 2011. ‘810’ on MML tests On July 22, East Midlands Railways’ Aurora bi-mode 810004 was on test on the Midland Main Line between Sheffield and St Pancras. DB ‘66’ repainted The…

Avanti West Coast accepted the first of its ten seven-car Hitachi AT 300 Class 807s on July 17, with 807001 added to the fleet. It now sports the AWC livery. On the same day, 807003 moved from Newton Aycliffe (County Durham) to Oxley (Wolverhampton). Because the Class 807s are not bi-mode units, to travel from the North East to the West Midlands without being dragged by a diesel locomotive, they need to head north along the East Coast Main Line to Edinburgh and then south via Carstairs. 807003 was expected to be accepted into traffic by the end of July. Both units will then be used for crew training prior to an entry into service. The training for drivers and onboard staff on the new trains is a minor conversion…

OPEN Access freight operator Varamis Rail has said it would be interesting in looking at taking on the soon-to-be-redundant Royal Mail Class 325 units. Royal Mail has said it will end DB Cargo’s rail freight contract in October, in favour of road haulage (RAIL 1014). This will leave its 15 four-car dual-voltage Class 325 freight electric multiple units redundant and facing disposal. Varamis Rail CEO Phil Read told RAIL: “The ‘325s’ are not off the table for us - we believe there are huge opportunities for them. Our ten [Class 321] trains will soon be needed to meet our needs just on the West Coast Main Line, so we will need more trains to serve the East Coast Main Line. “The ‘325s’ also have third-rail capability as well as 25kV…

WEST Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Labour Mayor Tracey Brabin wants to fast-track the proposed £2 billion Leeds-Bradford light rail system and begin its construction no later than 2028. The new tramway, which will branch out across West Yorkshire, took its first steps on July 15 with the launch of a public consultation into the exact routeing of the initial lines, coupled with some outline dates. Addressing the annual Light Rail Conference at the University of Leeds on July 17, Brabin spoke of the importance of better public transport for the well-being of the local economy. “Our productivity is still stubbornly below the national average,” she said. “Even with all the improvements we have planned for our trains, buses, walking and cycling routes, we still won’t have the transport network our region…

GB Railfreight has launched a second daily freight service between the Port of Felixstowe and Widnes, in response to soaring demand. The operator will now run 11 trains a week on the route, removing an estimated 500 lorries from the roads. GBRf has successfully moved more than 100,000 containers through Felixstowe this year, and aims to double this figure by the year’s end. The new service has been welcomed by both Stobart Ports and the Port of Felixstowe, with all parties committed to increasing the use of rail freight to reduce congestion and emissions.…

Some final thoughts from the team at RAIL @RAIL Send contributions to: mike.wright@bauermedia.co.uk An exhibition inspired by the colonial railways of Ghana has found its “perfect site” in a gallery above Edinburgh Waverley station. Artist Ibrahim Mahama’s first solo exhibition in Scotland will feature large-scale drawings, sculpture and installations drawing on Ghana’s rail network and its relationship to the country’s people. Known for working with found objects, Mahama’s exhibition will also feature repurposed material from defunct railway infrastructure. Ghana’s railways were built by British engineers to transport minerals and cocoa around what was then the Gold Coast. But much of the network is now obsolete. Housed in Waverley’s 1938-built fruit and vegetable market, Fruitmarket opened as a gallery in 1974 after the station’s markets moved out of town. It is…

NEW Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has cancelled the previous government’s Restoring Your Railway scheme, as part of her Commons announcement on July 29 to reduce national public spending. Reeves revealed that no money has been spent during this financial year for any of the schemes that were trumpeted as Restoring Your Railway (RYR) competition winners in 2021, and only £76 million had been allocated for 2024-25. This has now been wiped out. Campaigners hoping to reopen the western end of the Ivanhoe Line between Coalville and Burton on Trent have been among the first to suggest that Reeves’ decision might scupper the £100m-plus project, despite newly elected Labour MPs in local constituencies having pledged their strong support. Alongside the RYR abandonment, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has said that…

London Liverpool Street station is set to undergo a major transformation with the aim of improving the passenger experience. The UK’s busiest station, which has recorded a 16% increase in passenger numbers since the pandemic, is struggling to cope with the surge in travellers. To tackle congestion at the ticket barriers, Network Rail will install an additional 21 automatic ticket gates, increasing capacity by 58%. It anticipates that this will significantly reduce waiting times for passengers, making for smoother journeys. The work will be carried out in phases, with completion expected by spring 2025. To accommodate the new gates, five retail units will be removed, but three new ones will be created in a different location. The existing Greater Anglia ticket office will also be relocated to Platform 10. “The…

Rail nationalisation moved one step closer when the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) bill had its second reading in the Commons on July 29. Its final stages in the Commons are expected to be cleared on September 3 before moving to committee stage. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has also promised to overhaul the complex fares system and drive innovations such as digital pay-as-you-go ticketing across the network. She has also pledged to put accessibility at the “core of its rail offer”. Planned reforms to the railways were revealed in the King’s Speech at the state opening of Parliament on July 17, with two bills to be brought forward for legislation aimed at renationalising the railway and reconfiguring how it is governed. Labour intends for public ownership to be the…

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in South Wales has announced a major partnership with Network Rail that aims to accelerate innovation in the UK rail industry. GCRE, which is currently under construction, will provide testing, research and innovation support to Network Rail, once operational. The facility, backed by funding from both the Welsh and UK governments, will be a world-leading centre for developing and testing new rail technologies. Once complete, it will also be the country’s first net zero railway. GCRE CEO Simon Jones hailed the multi-million-pound agreement as a significant step forward for UK rail, saying: “This collaboration will help us to develop the ideas, research and innovation that will deliver the stronger, faster and greener railway we need for the future.” GCRE is already attracting significant…

Slow progress is being made by DfT OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL) in cutting the subsidies paid for each of the four train operators that it currently runs. The annual report from the company, which runs the nationalised train operators on behalf of the Department for Transport, reveals that revenue for the year was up from £2.8 billion to nearly £3.5bn across the four operators -Northern, Southeastern, LNER and TransPennine Express (TPE). Both Northern and Southeastern received a higher subsidy from DOHL in 2024 than the previous year. Northern’s subsidy for the year was £648 million, up from the £597m it received the previous year. Southeastern’s subsidy in the same period showed a slight increase from £308m to £315m. TPE featured in the report for the first time, having transferred to…

Exploratory work on improving rail links and development of a ‘Dorset Metro’ business case will begin this summer, according to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The newly published draft local plan identifies a need for more frequent rail services across the region, as well as the possibility of new railway stations in Poole and North Bournemouth and a new platform at Bournemouth Central. The council will also be working with the Department for Transport on a business case for more frequent services between Wareham and Brockenhurst. Councillors will now scrutinise the local plan before publication later this year.…

THE cancellation of HS2 Phase 2 to Manchester could cost £100 million and take three years to complete, according to estimates by HS2 Ltd in the latest update report on the high-speed line from the National Audit Office (NAO). The northern leg of HS2 was scrapped by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last October. The NAO report maintains that although there has been no major construction work so far, some enabling works had started - including investigative boreholes and utility diversions. HS2 Ltd has an obligation to maintain and then reinstate land to its original state. The report also suggests that HS2 has spent £592m on buying up land, and that around 1,000 properties will no longer be needed. Disposing of the land and property “will take several years” and that…

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is running a course on Carbon Literacy for Rail on September 5, combining self-paced e-learning with a day of remote instructor-led delivery. Content will cover CO2 emissions produced from different types of railway activity, low-carbon objectives in the industry, and the actions required to reduce those emissions, with rail-specific case studies. It is certified by the Carbon Literacy Project. Details of all RSSB training is at www.rssb.co.uk under Services and Resources.…

Three more of the 15 Clayton Equipment Co. Class 18s ordered by Beacon Rail have been moved for trials with prospective owners. Following 18003, which had already moved to British Steel for evaluation at Scunthorpe Steel Works, 18006 is now at Basford Hall for use by Freightliner, and GB Railfreight has taken 18012 at Whitemoor Yard and 18015 at Eastleigh. Clayton Equipment built the 15 emission-free Hybrid+ CBD90 shunting locomotives for Beacon Rail Leasing. The CBD90 is a 90-tonne Bo-Bo battery-diesel hybrid locomotive. On-board batteries can be charged via a depot three-phase electric supply for emission-free performance, and/or (for operating in more remote locations) via a small on-board diesel engine that meets EU emission standards. Clayton sees the design as replacing Class 08 diesel shunters, which date from the 1950s…

Bulgarian freight operator Express Service, which bought 16 former Freightliner Class 86s last year, has prepared its next two locomotives for traffic (with the pair after that also identified). Next in traffic will be 85613 (ex-86613) and 85607 (ex-86607). They will follow 85632 (ex-86632) and 85637 (ex-86637), which are now in service. 86609 and 86612 will then be overhauled ready to enter traffic as 85609/612 respectively. The seventh and eighth locomotives have yet to be identified. The other Class 86s now owned by Express Service are 86604/605/608/610/614/622/627/628/638/639. It is unlikely that all 16 will be returned to use, with one or two perhaps used as parts donors. 85632 is working cement trains between Devnya and Sofia, while 85637 is undertaking border transits between Bulgaria and Turkey as well as working…

Network Contributions for by far the UK’s most published column by the same author - now in its 43rd year - are most welcome from all sources. Personal observations, society magazines, website printouts and live links, transport group newsletters and media cuttings (with dates, please) are sought to maintain topicality. Please email your contributions direct to hj@howardjohnston.co.uk, or rail@bauermedia.co.uk WESTERN Bridgwater: Work is set to start on a new Celebration Mile cycle route and walkway to the station, from the reinvigorated Northgate Docks. Marsh Barton: The new £16 million Exeter station has been declared a success, with almost 90,000 passengers recorded during its first year of business. Opened on July 4 last year, it has an hourly service to Exeter. Tutshill: A section of the former Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light…

RAIL Partners’ Andy Bagnall is spearheading an appeal to provide vital safety kit to fellow railway workers in Ukraine - a campaign that is fully supported by RAIL. The aim is simple: to make sure that those on the frontline have body armour and helmets - and it costs just £20 to provide the equipment for one person. Launched at Rail Live in June (RAIL 1013), Kit for Kyiv aims for support from both individuals and organisations within the railway industry, such as the train operating companies that Rail Partners represents. Here, the industry body’s chief executive explains more about why Kit for Kyiv is so important - and why you should support it now. Why should people support the appeal? All those in Britain with an interest in rail…

THE need to reduce the timetable in Scotland by more than 25% is a salutary lesson that public ownership does not always offer the panacea to resolve service delivery issues that many have been led to believe. What has been largely overlooked is that once any activity is placed in public ownership, it is competing for funding with other spending priorities such as the National Health Service and social care, as well as education and defence budgets. This is not only in terms of investment, but also day-to-day spending. And for rail, this is focused primarily on employment costs. The long-running dispute with drivers’ union ASLEF, in respect of staff employed by train operating companies that hold National Rail Contracts, is testimony to the reality whereby the need to control…

As a competition for funding, Restoring Your Railway was a disappointment for many because it largely confirmed support for schemes that had been on the cards for many years, instead of agreeing to examine new ones. When the third and final round of ‘winners’ was announced on October 27 2021, local authorities, MPs and hired consultants were disappointed that they got little in return for giving their time and resources. Handouts of £50,000 were compared with the £17 million that was announced for the redesign of Leicester station forecourt. Five proposed major line reconstructions were awarded in the first two rounds of RYR: Stratford-Honeybourne; Consett-Newcastle; Bolton-Bury; Kemble-Cirencester; and branches on the Isle of Wight. This was followed by outline support for the Bere Alston-Tavistock route, Darlington-Weardale, Ashton-Stockport, Northwich-Sandbach, Rawtenstall-Buckley Wells,…

AMBITION to bring South London suburban services under Transport for London control has hit a stumbling block over what is known as the Southeastern Metro. Khan is keen to expand his influence beyond the Overground, but the government appears to be in favour of handing over responsibility for the ‘Metro’ to Great British Railways when the current Southeastern franchise expires (no later than October 17 2027). Although it continues to trade under the Southeastern brand, responsibility for services out of Victoria, Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Blackfriars has been under government control since October 2021. At that time, the Department for Transport ended its agreement with Govia because it said the private owner could not properly account for over £25 million worth of subsidies that should have been returned to…

Alstom has extended a contract with TransPennine Express to maintain the operator’s fleet of 12 Class 397 trains. The £10.4 million deal will see Alstom continuing to provide maintenance, cleaning and stabling services for the Nova 2 trains. The work will be done at Alstom’s Traincare Centres in Manchester and Glasgow, supporting over 50 jobs. Alstom’s Manchester facility is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, accommodating nearly 300 rail vehicles.…

LAST-MINUTE efforts are under way to rescue up to a dozen redundant Glasgow Subway ‘Clockwork Orange’ cars for re-use as holiday accommodation, a school classroom, and even a private sauna. Would-be purchasers of more vehicles have only a few days to express interest and complete deals, because replacement fleet supplier Stadler wants to fulfil its contract to clear the depot yard at Broomloan Road depot (between Govan and Ibrox stations). It has set a deadline of August 31. Stadler is asking £5,000 per vehicle, but is prepared to offer them free to charities and not-for-profit public facilities such as schools and colleges. If they are kept on their wheels, they often do not require planning permission. Car 128, considered the best of the fleet, has already been moved to Glasgow’s…

THE long-running train drivers’ pay dispute could be resolved in the coming weeks, after both the Department for Transport and drivers’ union ASLEF hailed “constructive” talks. Following Labour’s victory in the General Election, ASLEF representatives met with Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, who agreed for a new team - led by Alex Hynes, the DfT’s director general for rail services - to negotiate with ASLEF. The management side had previously been represented by the Rail Delivery Group, but a union source said: “To use a fond expression, their future is behind them.” After a meeting between the two sides on July 23, a DfT spokesman said: “The Transport Secretary has been clear she wants to reset industrial relations for the benefit of passengers and the workforce. “Today, officials resumed talks with…

THE designer of the iconic InterCity 125 High Speed Train, Sir Kenneth Grange, who died on July 21 aged 95, was already a well-established industrial designer when he founded the design consultancy Pentagram in the early 1970s. British Rail tasked him with producing a livery for its new High Speed Train prototype. However, Grange was unhappy with the shape and external design of the prototype as it was, so decided to fundamentally change both it and the styling of the power car. The result was the sleek, aerodynamic design, adorned in its striking livery, that entered service in 1976 and became synonymous with high-speed travel in the UK. The design has remained enduringly popular as ever, and can be seen across main line and heritage railways to this day. He…

CrossCountry is introducing a temporary reduced timetable from August 10 to November 9, to improve reliability. The move comes after persistent cancellations caused by a backlog of driver training, exacerbated by the pandemic and industrial action. XC says the 13-week period will allow it to address the training issue and reduce last-minute cancellations. While some services will be cut, particularly north of Edinburgh and on routes via Doncaster, the core Birmingham-Newcastle line will remain unaffected. The operator has also confirmed a trial that involved some station calls at both Chesterfield and Wakefield Westgate will end in September.…

Overall performance of the network has stabilised during the past year (excluding the Wales and Western Region), but Network Rail still has work to do on coping better with severe weather. That’s the verdict of the Office of Rail and Road, in its annual assessment of the industry. There was further bad news for NR as train cancellations remained at 3.8%, close to the worst ever. In Scotland, 2.3% of trains were cancelled, representing an improvement on the previous year. ORR highlighted the continuing issues with cancellations and lateness in the Wales and Western Region. In a previous report, it requested an improvement plan to be presented by the end of August. It warned that if NR fails to develop an adequate plan, it retains the option to implement a…

Porterbrook has confirmed that two HST Power Cars that have recently been on hire to work the Network Rail New Measurement Trains are due to be scrapped once all reusable components have been removed. Ex-LNER 43290/299 were provided as cover while NR’s 43013/014/062 were overhauled and upgraded with European Train Control System (ETCS) in-cab signalling technology. Now they are back in traffic, 43290/299 are no longer needed. A Porterbrook spokesman told RAIL: “It is correct that once component recovery is competed for the HST power cars 43290/299 that they will be going for scrap. At this stage, they are no longer in a serviceable condition.” Back in December 2006, 43290 and 43300 were the first two HSTs to be upgraded with MTU engines for use by GNER. Porterbrook’s 43257 has…

West Midlands Railway has put more Class 730s into passenger traffic, with 730029 making its debut on July 9, paired with 730036 on the 0531 Bletchley-Euston. On the same day, 730004 was in use working in the West Midlands, while on July 23, 730027 worked its first train on the 0618 Wolverhampton-Birmingham New Street. Meanwhile, the Class 730/2s are still undergoing main line testing and have yet to carry passengers. On July 16, Rail Operation Group’s 37601 Perseus took 730220 from Crewe Carriage Sidings to Long Marston for store, while 37884 Cepheus collected ex-Transport for Wales bi-mode 769006 and took it from Long Marston to Kilmarnock On July 22, 37884 worked the 0905 Willesden TMD-Long Marston, towing 730212/217. However, the train suffered brake issues and was held at Whitacre Down…

The engineering project to convert a Class 08 shunter to run off hydrogen is progressing at the Severn Valley Railway, with baseplate and batteries fitted to 08635 (now sporting the number H3802). Additionally, the pipework has been modified in the engine room to fit the pressure valves. Meanwhile, the air brake pressure governor and vacuum control governor have been moved clear of the engine room, to allow access. They are now in the old battery isolation switch housing, and the battery isolation switch and engine start contact have been removed and bypassed. Work is now focusing on the wiring of the original systems to ensure the new systems integrate with them correctly. The work is being carried out at the Severn Valley Railway shed at Kidderminster by volunteers and the…

After sustaining damage to one of its bogies, Transport for Wales 231004 has been moved to Clacton, under its own power, for a replacement bogie. It made the journey to East Anglia on July 22 as the 0435 Cardiff Canton-Clacton CSD. GB Railfreight facilitated the move. Meanwhile, crew training on Transport for Wales’ new Stadler Class 756s is continuing. The operator says they are due to be in use in September/October, with no confirmed date for their entry into service as yet. They are initially expected to be used between Cardiff, Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, pending electrification on the Rhymney route. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the Class 197 diesel multiple unit fleet is now in traffic. Just five of the three-car Class 197/1s and 21 of the two-car Class 197/0s,…

Two more GB Railfreight Class 60s are now sporting ‘Peak’ names, with 60087 christened Ingleborough and 60096 becoming Skiddaw. The latter is still in old Colas colours. Of the ten GBRf ‘60s’, 60076 is still in Colas colours with its Dunbar nameplates, and 60002 is named Graham Farish, leaving just 60056 to be named. As for the ten Class 44 ‘Peak’ names, so far the Cross Fell, Tryfan and Great Gable names are yet to be used. Named after ‘Peaks’ so far are 60021 Penyghent, 60026 Helvellyn, 60047 Scafell Pike, 60085 Snowdon, 60087 Ingleborough, 60095 Whernside, and 60096 Skiddaw.…

SO, there is a plan. A cunning plan, but also a complicated one. Remarkably, in the King’s Speech there were five bills related to transport, two of which solely concern railways. Why two bills? Because Labour and Transport Secretary Louise ‘move fast and fix things’ Haigh is in a hurry. The reason for the haste is that rail ‘renationalisation’ has become totemic for Labour. The new government wants to show that it can change things quickly and improve the delivery of services, and (rather riskily) Sir Keir Starmer and his top team see railways as a key area where a real difference can be made quickly. This explains the prominence given by Labour’s spin doctors to the railway bills in the King’s Speech, in terms of taking over the franchises…

“THE government’s decision to cancel Phase 2 created uncertainties in a range of complex areas, particularly as HS2 Ltd and other rail organisations had not been involved with the decision.” So says the National Audit Office, in its most recent report into High Speed 2. As a comment on the way the previous government ran its affairs, it’s damning. Not because of the cancellation (to govern is to decide), but because it made its decision with no understanding of the consequences. It can’t have understood the consequences because it didn’t involve HS2 Ltd or Network Rail, both of which are now having to cope with the aftermath. This relates to chiefly north of Birmingham, where the NAO notes that the Department for Transport’s revised HS2 plan does not solve the…

WELCOME to the RAIL Crossword. In this issue, two successful solvers can explore the network of British branch lines and other secondary routes that survived the mass closures of the 1960s, courtesy of Pen and Sword Transport (www.pen-and-sword.co.uk). Branch Line Britain: Local Passenger Trains in the Diesel Era (hardback, 152 pages, retail price £30) reveals that while nearly 4,000 route miles were lost between 1963 and 1970, the cuts were less severe than they might have been. Some lines were reprieved because of their social importance, even though they would never pay their way in purely commercial terms. They included some lengthy rural routes, such as those serving the Far North of Scotland, Central Wales and the Cumbrian Coast, as well as urban backwaters such as Romford to Upminster and…