Sam Hewitt

PORTERBROOK Leasing is working with Rolls-Royce subsidiary MTU on the conversion of Class 168/170 ‘Turbostar’ DMUs for hybrid diesel/battery operation. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin on September 19 that will see a two-car ‘HybridFLEX’ prototype train on the main line at the beginning of 2020.…

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ELECTROMAGNETIC interference from new Hitachi Class 800/801s is causing problems with signalling and control equipment on the East Coast Main Line north of York, forcing the trains to operate on diesel power until a solution is found. Extensive test running has been underway for more than two years, but as the planned introduction of the…

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TRANSPORT Secretary Chris Grayling has announced a Rail Review. The announcement comes in the wake of a troublesome and chaotic timetable implementation in May, long-running strikes, the late introduction of new trains, and a franchising system deemed broken and not fit for purpose amid rising rail fares. His decision comes following rising pressure on the…

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THE first re-livery and re-branding of a Freightliner locomotive since the acquisition of the company by Genesee & Wyoming in 2015 has been revealed. Class 66 No. 66413 has been given the orange & black colour scheme of the parent company on the bodyside, along with the new Freightliner logo.No. 66413 passes King’s Sutton in sparkling condition…

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VIVARAIL has released an image of the first two-car set destined for use with West Midlands Railway (WMR) on the Marston Vale line. The unit carries the London Northwestern Railway livery and its interior designs. Vivarail specialises in converting former Underground trains into modern multiple units, and will convert three former D78 Tube trains for…

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THE first rake of CAF-built Mk5 carriages destined for TransPennine made an impromptu visit to Anglesey at the end of July having arrived from the Velim test track in the Czech Republic. The stock arrived through Immingham, with the five sleek carriages moving to the former Anglesey Aluminium plant, where they were formed up. DRS…

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GWR has paid tribute to ballooning pioneer Don Cameron MBE by naming Class 800 set No. 800026 in his honour at Bristol Temple Meads on August 6, three days before the city’s annual balloon festival.Mr Cameron made a career of building and designing hot-air balloons, forming Cameron Balloons of Bristol in 1971, before going on to…

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TESTING of the first of 19 five-car bi-mode Class 802 units that will go into service with TransPennine Express (TPE) has begun. Branded ‘Nova 1’ by TPE, set No. 802201 has embarked on trial runs from Hitachi’s Doncaster Carr depot, with initial tests north along the East Coast Main Line to Darlington, and more recently south…

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THE launch of the new Mk5a Caledonian Sleeper carriages into revenue-earning service will be on October 28 on the ‘Lowlander’ service from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh and in the opposite direction. By early August, 40 of the order for 75 vehicles had been delivered from manufacturer CAF to Polmadie depot, from where the vehicles…

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A CLASS 66 from the Captrain fleet in Europe has been shipped from Holland to the UK to undergo unspecified repairs. Captrain is the international European rail transport brand for SNCF Logistics. Loco No. 6601 (UIC No. 92 88 0266 001-1) arrived at Hull docks from Rotterdam on August 18, sitting on a low loader. After being…

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