Sam Hewitt

OPEN access operator Grand Central will make the step of withdrawing its HST fleet by the end of the year. The company has made no secret of its plans to run an all Class 180 fleet from the start of 2018, and its six HST power cars – Nos. 43423/ 465/467/ 468/480/ 484 – along with…

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GWR has doubled the number of diagrams for the Hitachi Class 800 IET (Intercity Express Trains) following problems during the introductory week. Each train initially ran two diagrams, using a pair of Class 800 units, but the four sets accepted for service (Nos. 800005/6/8/9) were supplemented from November 13 when sets 800010-013 began operations. This has…

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THE first completed Class 710 ‘Aventra’ EMU for several Overground routes, including Gospel Oak to Barking, has emerged from Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane works. No. 710201 has also been tested on the short internal test track (pictured). The four-carriage unit is mechanically and electrically similar to the Class 345 Crossrail train, but has an orange warning panel…

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SCOTRAIL has unveiled the interiors for its new Class 385 EMUs. Hitachi is building 70 sets at its County Durham factory – 46 three-car and 24 four-car trains. Each pair of seats will have power sockets, and there will be increased luggage space and free wi-fi, as well as space for cycles, a flexible storage…

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GOVIA Thameslink Railway has introduced new Class 700 EMUs on Great Northern line services from Peterborough to London King’s Cross. Initially, there are two peak-hour diagrams, but as more sets are delivered the number of diagrams will increase, ahead of the May timetable change. At this point, the Class 700s will work from the East…

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IN a surprise move, Devon & Cornwall Railways (DCR) has put its entire 12-loco fleet up for sale. The tender for the sale was announced on November 10 by BARS (British American Railway Services) via the RMS Locotec arm of the operation, and is for six Class 31 and six Class 56 locos. The sole operational loco,…

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THE CZECH Republic has no fewer than three open access operators – all of which compete with national operator ČD on parts of the same main line route from Prague to Ostrava via Olomouc – and all three are expanding their operations from December. Czech long-distance bus operator Student Agency started open access inter-city services…

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BOTH Czech Railways (České dráhy: ČD) and Slovak national operator ZSSK are planning to use leased Siemens ‘Vectron’ locos from December 10. The new locos will replace older Škoda-built locos, originally built for Czechoslovak Railways (ČSD), operating Eurocity international express trains on the route from Budapest to Berlin. This means within months these services will…

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ALSTOM has won a contract to supply three more ‘Coradia Nordic’ four-car 160km/h type X61 EMUs to Swedish regional concession Östgötatrafiken, which will add to their current fleet of 15 similar trains. The concession for Östgötapendeln services centred on Norrköping, in southern Sweden, is currently run by Arriva. The new trains will be delivered in…

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BUENOS Aires metro (Subte) operator Metrovías and the government of Buenos Aires are restoring 20 of the original 1913 vintage Subte coaches to working condition for the operation of tourist services in the future. The first test operation on September 2, organised with just 48 hours notice, saw 7,000 people apply for the 270 tickets…

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