Sam Hewitt

‘BIG BOY’ No. 4014 has been undergoing a mammoth restoration – and you can be one of the first to ride behind the Union Pacific (UP) giant. The Railway Magazine is in discussions with specialist tour operator Darjeeling Tours to take you to see the ‘Big Boy’, the UP heritage base at Cheyenne and lots…

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By Ben Jones NETWORK Rail’s draft strategic business plan for 2019-24 prioritises renewals and upgrades aimed at reducing delays by 15% across the network, plus a greater emphasis on safety and a commitment to recruit 50% more women by 2024. More than £47billion will be invested in completing previously agreed enhancements, maintaining and improving Britain’s…

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VIRGIN and Stagecoach have been granted a further extension of their contract to operate the InterCity West Coast (ICWC) franchise, taking their deal through to March 31, 2019. However, the troubled Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) franchise could come to an end even more quickly than feared as its losses mount. The current ICWC franchise…

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By Keith Fender The first of 43 Class 331 EMUs being built by CAF for Arriva Trains Northern was unveiled to the media and stakeholders at CAF’s Zaragoza factory, Spain on January 31. Body shells for both the EMUs and the Class 195 DMU fleet on order for Northern are made in Zaragoza, with the…

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DIESEL-powered trains could be a thing of the past by 2040 under a new Department of Transport (DfT) initiative to reduce air pollution. The announcement comes just a few months after the Government curtailed a rolling programme of main line electrification in favour of bi-mode trains that are heavier and more expensive to buy and…

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The first Thameslink services operated from Peterborough and Cambridge to south of the River Thames using the new Canal Tunnel ran as preview services from February 26. The tunnel connects the East Coast Main Line, north of King’s Cross, to the sub-surface platforms at St Pancras International. Two Peterborough to Horsham services (and return) and…

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A FLORAL wreath in tribute to former Doncaster Premium Apprentice and BR divisional manager R H N (Dick) Hardy, who died on February 18, is carried by BR ‘Standard’ No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell, which is approaching Stratford on February 22. A hot big end was discovered on the loco at Diss, and it continued to…

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WITH increasing numbers of the new bi-mode Class 800 trains entering service on the GWR, Keith Farr analyses whether these sleek units can match the performance of the venerable HST125. AS IN the title, ‘bi-modes’ came first, arriving on the Great Western Railway before wiring was complete. Electrification had fallen behind schedule and exceeded budget;…

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