Tabla de contenidos para Issue 1016 en RAIL

IS using the train your first choice to go on holiday this year? It’s not a question many of us are likely to ask, and the answer would probably (and sadly) be a firm negative. The railway industry is fully aware of how important off-peak travel now is, especially as commuter and business use went off the boil when the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how easy it is to work from home. Sadly, few train operators seem to be trying that hard to capture our interest in going out just for pleasure, while at the same time introducing our next generation to the many benefits that rail can offer. It seems so much different over in mainland Europe, with many countries offering a host of railcard incentives to make journeys satisfying…

Hopes for a rail link between the Great Western Main Line and Heathrow Airport appear to have finally ended. The scheme had been on hold since 2021, when Network Rail staff working on it were transferred to other tasks. At the time, NR called it a “controlled pause”, but a pre-application process has now been withdrawn, according to the Planning Inspectorate website. Rail passengers from west of the airport have to travel via London Paddington to catch the Heathrow Express, or alternatively take the RailAir Bus from Reading. The project, launched in 2012 and updated in 2017, involves a four-mile link from east of Langley station, passing beneath the M25 to the station box beneath Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Most of the route would be in a tunnel. Work on the…

New “innovative approaches” to prevent platform/train accidents are being sought by Transport for London. It follows several ‘trap and drag’ accidents where passengers’ clothing has been caught in the closing doors of a train, which has then moved off. In its formal reports, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has told TfL to investigate options to minimise the risks at what it calls the ‘Platform Train Interface’ (PTI). TfL says it is looking for innovative solutions to “reduce the risk of falls, accidents on the track, and falls or accidents between the platform and train, as well as how we might reduce potential consequences of such incidents in the event they do occur”. Issuing a call to technology firms, TfL wants to receive initial expressions of interest before it starts a…

East Midlands Railway is due to introduce its much-delayed Class 810 Aurora sets to the Midland Main Line in 2025, with more seats promised to help with capacity. CrossCountry is also planning on refurbishing its Class 220s and ‘170s’, although many other trains operating in the region are approaching the end of their operational life. The report therefore calls for a long-term rolling stock strategy that covers 2030 onwards, focusing on upgrading fleets with more sustainable and efficient rolling stock. As well as the possibility of new trains, Transport for the East Midlands is hopeful that funding can be secured for both the Ivanhoe Line between Burton and Leicester and the Barrow Hill line (Chesterfield-Sheffield), despite the cancellation of the Restoring Your railway scheme (RAIL 1015).…

Thousands of properties along the route of HS2 could gain access to ultra-fast broadband, using spare data capacity sold to broadband providers. Phase 1 of the line from London to the West Midlands runs through largely rural areas of Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire.Many of the areas identified are said to lag behind the rest of the UK in terms of data speed and mobile coverage. Installation of direct fibre connections for the highest broadband speeds in rural areas can be expensive, due to small number of potential customers. However, HS2 believes it could sell mobile and broadband providers access to spare capacity in the fibre-optic cabling and telecoms masts being built to support the railway’s signalling and telecoms. HS2’s analysis of data held by regulator Ofcom found that more…

RAIL industry plans for dealing with stranded trains require greater focus on the safety and welfare of the passengers involved, according to a report for the Office of Rail and Road and Transport Focus. The study by consultancy Steer examined four incidents when passengers were stuck, including the high-profile failure on December 7 2023 outside Paddington on the Great Western Main Line (RAIL 999). Damage to overhead power lines brought four Elizabeth line trains, two Heathrow Express services and one Great Western Railway train to a halt at Ladbroke Grove. Thousands of passengers were affected, and after several hours some climbed down to the track to make their own way out. The report found the lack of toilets on Elizabeth line trains was “a contributing factor in passenger distress”. It…

■ Alliance Rail (five daily services between Cardiff and Edinburgh using Voyager Class 22X diesel multiple units, with stops at Birmingham New Street and Newcastle). ■ GO-OP (Taunton to Swindon or Weston-super-Mare). ■ Grand Central (Arriva - to Bradford, Wakefield and York, and additional stops at Peterborough). ■ Hull Trains (FirstGroup - two additional return services from King’s Cross to Sheffield, one extending to Meadowhall, and King’s Cross extra). ■ Lumo (FirstGroup - Euston to Rochdale, extending some London-Edinburgh services to Glasgow, and additional daily Newcastle-London service). ■ Virgin Group (35 services a day from Euston to various West Coast Main Line destinations). ■ Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (five daily services from Euston to Wrexham, with stops such as Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, and Milton Keynes).…

Irish planning body An Bord Pleanála has approved an extension of Dublin’s DART network, two years after the application for the Railway Order was lodged in July 2022, but without the proposed new depot. The application from Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) for the DART+West line to Maynooth and M3 Parkway included plans for a new station at Spencer Dock (to interchange with Luas Red Line trams), a second station entrance on Preston Street, and rail capacity enhancements at Connolly station. However, the proposal to build a depot west of Maynooth station, to maintain the new DART+ fleet, was rejected. Concerns included noise, air pollution, and visual impact on the local community, while the depot’s location in a floodplain was said to present significant flood risks that were inadequately addressed. The board…

Upgrades to the Chiltern Main Line between Bicester and Leamington Spa have been completed, following a five-day closure. Network Rail and Story Contracting used the time to replace a bridge which carries the railway over the River Cherwell in King’s Sutton (near Banbury). A new 240-tonne bridge deck was lifted into place using two rail-mounted ‘Kirow’ cranes. At the same time, more than 500 metres of railway north of Banbury station was upgraded, including replacing sections of track and drainage.…

The only Class 90 that can so far be regarded as preserved, last-built 90050, has been repainted in a clever ‘dual’ livery. On one side it sports the original Railfreight Distribution livery it carried when constructed as 90050 in May 1990. On the other side it carries its second (and final) livery - the original 1995 Freightliner grey from March 1996, along with its second number 90150, which it carried from July 1991 to August 2002. The locomotive was written off after it caught fire at Coventry on September 30 2004. It was reported that the fire was the result of inadequate procedures during maintenance by EWS. To solve a ‘warranty claim’, EWS agreed to ‘swap’ 90050 for one of its fleet, with 90016 selected from its stored fleet, repaired,…

The final trio of Class 60s acquired by Land Recovery have been collected from Toton and taken to Radway Green for storage. The last locomotives to move were 60036 on July 29, followed by 60077 two days later and finally 60037 on August 2. They join 60012/032/048/052/068/078/084/089/093 already in Cheshire. The 12 Class 60s are all now sitting on track panels awaiting developments. However, while all are structurally complete, they were withdrawn between January 2006 and June 2011 and have been lain out in the open at Toton ever since. They were advertised for sale in January 2023, and a deal concluded in January of this year. Their sale leaves DB Cargo with 47 Class 16s still for sale and five yet to be tendered. So far just one of…

Campaigners trying to break the deadlock in their bid to reopen the 12-mile Skipton-Colne link will be forging links with new MPs. Of the scheme’s most vocal Conservative supporters, only Robbie Moore (Keighley and Ilkley) and Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) were returned to the House of Commons. However, Shipley’s new Labour MP Anna Dixon said: “I would be happy to do what I can to support the reopening of the line.” Pendle and Clitheroe’s new Labour MP Jonathan Hinder pledged: “After years of talk, it is now time for action, and I would be an outspoken advocate for this project.” Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) met with Skipton Town Council on July 11, to try to regain some lost momentum for the long-running project. The route was abandoned…

UH-OH. I emerged from the Underground station at London King’s Cross the other day to find a dense throng of people filling the main line station’s concourse. Such a packed concourse is a ready sign of delays and cancellations. And so it was - some poor soul had been hit by a train somewhere a little north of London. Knowing this usually removes frustration from waiting passengers, and that was the situation I found at King’s Cross. Hundreds of us waited as Network Rail and the British Transport Police dealt with the situation to reopen lines and allow trains to restart. While the crowd I was in remained calm and understanding, we didn’t know when our trains might leave or what services might be cancelled. We could sometimes hear a…

Some final thoughts from the team at RAIL @RAIL Send contributions to: mike.wright@bauermedia.co.uk For the first time in more than 60 years, trams are running to Blackpool North station after the opening of a £23 million double-track extension along Talbot Road from the promenade. And passers-by can take a seat to watch the resort’s new trams go by in Talbot Square, thanks to these ingeniously designed benches alongside the new route, which celebrate the resort’s pioneering tramway heritage. Photographed by former RAIL sub-editor Barry McLoughlin, the nearer bench is modelled on one of the streamlined Art Deco railcoaches built by Brush in the 1930s. The other is based on a 1970s OMO (One-Man Operated) car. Artist Andy Hazell was inspired to come up with the designs for the stainless steel…

TRANSPENNINE Express remains confident that the reintroduction of services in the December 2024 timetable will go smoothly. TPE originally scaled back its timetable in December 2023, from 320 services a day to just under 300, as it struggled to get to grips with driver training and crew availability, and with operational issues that had complicated service delivery. However, services have since gradually returned to previous levels, with some in June made possible in part because of the reinstatement of rest-day working agreements with ASLEF and RMT. The current rest-day working agreement is now in place until March 2025. TPE Managing Director Chris Jackson confirmed to RAIL that four trains per hour between Leeds and Manchester would return in December, and that he was confident other services would return, ensuring that…

THE 22-month ASLEF pay dispute appeared to be on the cusp of a settlement as this issue of RAIL went to press. In a meeting at the Department for Transport on August 14, ASLEF was understood to be on the verge of receiving an offer that could end the dispute. Details were not disclosed, but RAIL understands that a multi-stage deal was being considered. The dispute affects the 16 passenger train operating companies (TOCs) in England controlled by the government. It is suggested that an offer could comprise a 5% pay increase for April 2019-April 2022, a further 5% for April 2022-April 2024, and 5% for April 2024-April 2025. If agreed, ASLEF will put it to members in a ballot, recommending acceptance. It would bring to an end a dispute…

UK rail companies have directly funded personal protection equipment for more than 2,500 Ukrainian railway workers since Rail Partners’ Kit for Kyiv campaign was launched at Rail Live in June. Donors include Arriva, DB Cargo, FirstGroup and TransportUK. Every £20 raised ensures that one frontline rail worker can be supplied with an armoured protective vest and helmet. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its railway system has played a key role in evacuating civilians from the east of the country, provided a vital lifeline for grain exports following the closure of the Black Sea ports, moved thousands of troops to and from frontline areas, and evacuated injured personnel. Railway facilities have been a prime target since the first days of the war. Since February 2022, more than 680…

DB Cargo and renewable energy producer Drax Group are switching to 100% renewable Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel for their biomass transport. The freight operator hauls around 4.5 million tonnes of biomass pellets annually to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, using approximately 3,000 trains. It expects to slash carbon emissions by up to 90% and save over 12,000 tonnes of carbon each year. HVO is regarded as one of the purest fuels, produced synthetically from waste vegetable oils or animal fats, with no modifications needed to power a locomotive. “This decision by Drax to use HVO in its trains is a win-win for both companies,” said DB Cargo UK Chief Sales Officer Roger Neary. “It brings us closer to the government’s target of net zero rail emissions by 2050…

Driver training has finally started on South Western Railway’s long-delayed fleet of 90 Class 701 Arterio trains. The fleet has largely been in storage, with just a few units working a limited service since January between London Waterloo and Windsor. Now that agreement has been reached with drivers’ union ASLEF, 700 drivers will undertake eight-day conversion courses. “Unlocking the start of driver training is the result of months of hard work and marks a significant milestone that clears the way for the full introduction of the Arterio fleet,” SWR told RAIL. “We will now work closely with all our partners to deliver our training course and begin the phased rollout plan for the fleet in the coming months.” SWR said this would mean more trains entering passenger service in late…

The way in which rail schemes are financially assessed could change. Currently, improvement schemes have to pass certain government targets to be approved. Critics say that in some cases, worthy schemes don’t meet the requirement because these tests are flawed. Answering a question in the House of Lords from Liberal Democrat peer Lord Bradshaw, about what plans the government has to review the assessment criteria used to forecast the results of investment in railway infrastructure, Rail Minister Lord Hendy said the Department for Transport is “actively considering” research carried out by the Institute for Transport Studies, on behalf of the Rail Safety and Standards Board, and that it “plans to bring forward improvements to associated guidance”. The DfT has a long-standing and established appraisal framework within Transport Analysis Guidance, which…

ALSTOM has agreed a £10.4 million contract extension with TransPennine Express to maintain the operator’s 12 five-car Nova 2 electric multiple units. The contract will see Alstom continue to offer train maintenance, stabling, servicing and cleaning services for the Class 397s until December 2025. Work will continue to be carried out at Alstom’s Traincare Centres at Manchester Longsight and Glasgow Polmadie - two of five such facilities the company operates along the West Coast Main Line. The contract supports more than 50 roles across the two sites, including production managers, site operatives and train movement operators. “Securing this contract extension is a testament to the quality of our services portfolio and the strong partnership we have developed with TransPennine Express,” said Peter Broadley, Alstom Services Managing Director, UK and Ireland.…

The latest former DB Cargo Class 90s to be scrapped by Sandbach Dismantlers at Middlewich are 90023 followed by 90032. Both were disposed of in early August. They followed the scrapping of 90022/027/038 in July, leaving 90017/030/033 still to be broken up, while 90025/031 remain at EMR in Liverpool, pending disposal. There are still no developments on the sale of DB Cargo’s last 12 remaining Class 90s, all of which were offered for sale in December 2023, and which are in much better (and generally operational) condition.…

A four-day gala at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway on July 25-28 celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Class 14 Type 1 diesel hydraulic locomotives (built at Swindon Works in 1964-65), and brought together seven survivors of the once 56-strong class. Resident D9537 was joined by guests D9504 from the Kent & East Sussex Railway, D9523 from the Wensleydale Railway, D9529 from the Nene Valley Railway, D9551 from the Severn Valley Railway, and D9553 from the Caledonian Railway. The EVR’s other resident Class 14, D9525, was not fit to haul trains. However, ex-works in original British Railways green, it was able to take part in a one-off septuple-header of one train. Organiser Chris Baily, who had previously arranged the 14s@50 event at the East Lancashire Railway a decade ago, said the…

TRANSPORT Secretary Louise Haigh has written to the interim directors of CrossCountry Trains to raise “serious concerns” about poor performance - and has threatened to take action if services do not improve. She has “reluctantly” approved a request for a temporary reduction in services, which the operator said was necessary because of a backlog of driver training. CrossCountry, which operates to most of the UK’s biggest cities outside London, said it would lead to a more resilient timetable. It had announced the smaller timetable in July, to run for three months from August 10. XC said prolonged industrial action meant it had been unable to deal with a backlog of training days required by drivers. The temporary timetable would reduce the number of on-the-day cancellations, which caused the most inconvenience…

ONE of the worst ideas of the previous Transport Secretary Mark Harper was to scrap WiFi provision for rail passengers. They don’t need it, was the argument. People could always get connected through the mobile signal - and cutting it would save money. Had the man ever tried to use his phone on a train? Harper and his Rail Minister Huw Merriman tried to argue that it would save a lot of money and that passengers did not use the service. However, it soon emerged that the equipment would still be needed to ensure connections for the staff and to enable card payments in buffets, which meant savings would be minimal. Not surprisingly, the plan was quietly dropped. That, of course, did not solve the problem with which all of…

Transport for London has announced plans to move forward with a Docklands Light Railway extension from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside, following overwhelming public support for the project. The proposed extension, which will include two new DLR stations and a tunnel under the River Thames, aims to unlock the development of up to 30,000 new homes and create thousands of jobs in the area. It is seen as a crucial step in boosting the local economy. A consultation revealed strong support for the plan, with 58% of respondents stating it would improve local journey times and 75% believing it would enhance connectivity to wider London. TfL also conducted polling in key areas, finding that 85% of residents supported the proposals. The extension is expected to significantly improve public…

A “mess of their own making” is how drivers’ union ASLEF has described the looming threat of all-out strikes at ScotRail and the Caledonian Sleeper. The RMT, representing 2,743 employees, has already received a ‘yes’ vote for strikes (see panel), while ballot results from Unite and the TSSA are awaited. ASLEF sent voting forms out on August 5, with a deadline of August 29. The next strike ballot to close is Unite’s (August 20), followed by the TSSA (also on August 29). Although industrial action has yet to start (it is likely to be September at the earliest), passengers are already facing disruption. Since July 10, ScotRail has been running an emergency timetable with 25% fewer trains, and on some days no trains at all on some lines. It was…

Organisations across the East Midlands have united in calling for a significant boost to rail services in the region. A report from Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM) has highlighted the region’s potential for growth, but warns that underinvestment in rail is hindering progress. A Platform for Growth reveals that the East Midlands rail network is significantly less reliable compared with other regions, leading to a direct impact on the economy. With rail services estimated to be worth £356 million per year, TfEM Chair Sir Peter Soulsby told RAIL that after previous calls for investment and improved infrastructure had fallen on deaf ears, the time for investment in the region is now. “We have an excellent common understanding across the whole of the East Midlands about the importance of rail…

Network Rail and ScotRail, under the Scotland’s Railway partnership, have published their Climate Action Plan for 2024-29, setting out what they intend to deliver over the next five years to help address the climate crisis and to be prepared for further action in the future. The plan is broken down into five priority areas (climate ready, net zero, environmental management, biodiversity, and social value), with the overall vision “to serve Scotland - now and in the future - with a greener, more resilient and responsible railway”. It incorporates previously published climate adaptation objectives, which will see more than £400 million contributed towards the resilience of the network against extreme weather and future changes in climate. This includes more than £100m on earthworks, £100m on lineside infrastructure including drainage, and more…

An engineering firm has been ordered by a court to pay nearly £60,000, after an employee suffered life-changing injuries working at an HS2 construction site. The engineer, employed by EMC Elite Engineering Services Ltd (EMC), was repairing a conveyor at Chalfont Lane in West Hyde (Hertfordshire) on November 20 2022 when he fell 11 metres, due to missing stair treads. The 57-year-old landed on a concrete floor, sustaining a fractured pelvis, skull, hip, jaw and two broken wrists. During two months in hospital, he had surgery to have six plates inserted into his face. His wife has become his carer. A HSE investigation found that EMC failed to ensure the work was properly planned, supervised, and carried out in a manner that was safe. Pleading guilty at St Albans Magistrates’…

OPEN Access - the operation of passenger rail services without public subsidy - faces an uncertain future, because of a lack of space on already congested main lines and problems with acquiring new rolling stock. These are among the findings of a new report from the Office of Rail and Road, which currently has a record total of seven applications in its in-tray. It is the role of the ORR to judge whether new private enterprises will generate new customers to rail, rather than merely abstracting existing customers from the present operators. While there seems to be unprecedented interest from new entrants, they have complained of uncertainty about the new government’s investment in creating extra track capacity. So far, the ORR and its predecessors have only approved three. In December…

Eurostar’s monopoly since the 68-mile High Speed 1 line from St Pancras International to the Channel Tunnel opened on November 14 2007 is under attack from competitors seeking to reach European destinations other than Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Potential newcomers are unhappy at having to negotiate with Eurostar over sharing the use of Temple Mills International depot, which means having to reveal the secrets of their plans. There are similar problems with using the cramped St Pancras station (RAIL 1014).…

REOPENING and establishing new rail lines to increase the rail network from approximately 1,440 miles to almost 1,900 miles is recommended in Ireland’s All-Island Strategic Rail Review. This includes extending rail services into under-served areas such as the North Midlands and North West of Ireland, and enhancing cross-border connectivity between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Three years after launching the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, the Irish Department of Transport and Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) published the final report on July 31. It sets out 32 recommendations for developing Ireland’s rail network up to 2050, to meet net zero commitments. Arup was commissioned in April 2021 to produce a strategic assessment of the network in both the Republic and Northern Ireland, but publication was delayed by two…

Nearly 91,000 journeys have been recorded in Thanet Parkway station’s first year of operation, with the 100,000th customer expected this month. Since it opened on July 31 2023, daily services have increased from 51 to 80, with both high-speed trains to London St Pancras and main line trains serving other London stations as well as other destinations in Kent such as Canterbury, Ashford and Ramsgate. As the service improved, the number of customers has increased from just over 6,000 last summer to an average of 8,500 in recent months. The neighbouring stations at Ramsgate and Minster have also seen an 11% increase in customer journeys over the past year.…

A month after its ran into issues at Blair Atholl, Direct Rail Services 66122 was still dumped in a siding at Dunkeld & Birnam. As this issue of RAIL went to press, the locomotive was due to move to Motherwell. A DRS spokesperson said: “The locomotive encountered a fault with its traction motor and was safely recovered to Dunkeld sidings. “We’ve taken the necessary steps to enable 66122 to travel under its own power to our depot at Motherwell, where it will be given a full mechanical assessment.”…

Former Metropolitan Railway locomotive 12 Sarah Siddons has been repainted at Arlington Fleet Services, and returned to the LU depot at Ruislip by GB Railfreight using four of its Class 73s. The locomotive (named after a famous 18th century Welsh actress) was built in 1923 and lasted in traffic until 1962. It is one of just two survivors of the 20-strong fleet, and the only operational example. It has been used on the main line, but mostly sees very occasional use on London Underground’s Metropolitan Line, although it has not run since 2019. 73109 Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary and 73213 Rhodalyn ran light from Tonbridge to collect the locomotive from Eastleigh Works on August 5. On the following day, 73213 was joined by 73141 Spa Valley Railway 25th Anniversary…

ROMIC Group has moved 465237 to Great Yarmouth from the Potter Group site at Ely, for it to be inspected and evaluated by a potential client The company told RAIL: “The ‘465’ was moved from Ely by road. It’s in Great Yarmouth now for evaluation and inspection by a client. If it all goes to plan, then expect to see more moving.” ROMIC says there is nothing planned yet in terms of further HST exports, either power cars or Mk 3 trailers, but it is still working on more vehicles being sent abroad. So far, several HSTs have been exported to Mexico and Nigeria.…

THE first of South Western Railway’s refurbished four-car Class 458/4s have entered service, with 458415/420/422 all initially being used to operate eight-car trains between Waterloo and Weybridge via Brentford, and Waterloo and Twickenham. So far, 18 of SWR’s Class 458 fleet have been refurbished (458401/404/405/407/412/413/415-417/420-428), with a further ten to follow. Each four-car unit has 234 seats in 2+2 formation, all with seatback tables and charging points, as well as space for two wheelchair users. Each carriage also has two tables fitted with wireless charging points. There are also two First Class compartments with two tables and 12 seats, but these have been declassified for suburban services and can be used by passengers with Standard Class tickets. SWR has indicated that eight five-car Class 458/5s not earmarked for refurbishment will…

Network WESTERN Moreton-in-Marsh: Public consultation is taking place on the remodelling of the Cotswold Line station forecourt, which will have 56 long-term parking spaces, bike stands, a taxi rank, a new drop-off and bus areas, and a walkway into the town. The project requires demolition of the former Royal British Legion building next door, which is jointly owned by Great Western Railway and the town council. Seaton: An outbreak of offensive graffiti sprayed across the frontage of the former LSWR Seaton Junction station (closed in 1966 and now used as a community centre) is being investigated by police. The footbridge and old dairy building have also been targeted. St Erth: After some heavy delays, work on the new accessible station footbridge is making steady progress, with installation of the two…

WHILE the new Labour government has pledged to create Great British Railways and improve the quality of passenger services, will it fundamentally have the money to do all that it wants? The truth could well emerge in November, when the Office of Rail and Road publishes its annual report on the UK’s railway’s finances. This is an independent health check of the greatest significance, and there is hope that the taxpayer will not have to stump up anything like the £11.9 billion support that was required for the 12 months to the end of March 2023. New Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has already made it clear to all public sector bodies -including the National Health Service, education and social services - that there is no blank cheque. Investment…

Opinion Industry Insider CASE studies where rail services have been restored demonstrate that when these reopenings are integrated into overall development plans for regeneration, a business case can be established and funding provided. The pattern of employment and the location of essential services such as education and health provision have changed beyond recognition since the Beeching era closure programme. Perhaps the starkest example is the coal mining communities, where a local population served the needs of a pit and had little requirement to travel elsewhere on a day-to-day basis. There are similar characteristics with the decline of the steel industry and the closure of labour-intensive plants that has taken place over recent decades. Hence the justification to provide access to employment and other essential services from Ebbw Vale to both Cardiff…

WELCOME to the RAIL Crossword. In this issue, two successful solvers can enjoy more than 100 fabulous images of the Tube, with Luke Agbaimoni’s London Underground Symmetry & Imperfections, courtesy of The History Press (www.historypress.co.uk). There are currently 272 London Underground, 113 Overground and 45 Docklands Light Railway stations. Luke Agbaimoni has been slowly attempting to capture visual moments at each one. In his first book, The Tube Mapper Project: Capturing Moments on the London Underground, Luke captured themes such as light, reflections, tunnels and escalators. This follow-up project sees Luke delve into his obsession with symmetry, seeking out stunning and powerful examples across the network in his quest to find beauty in the seemingly mundane. London Underground Symmetry & Imperfections (hardback, 160 pages, retail price £25) considers such questions…