News

Genuine rail freight terminal or warehouses with seldom-used sidings?

by

Sam Hewitt

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2nd January 2019

HAS anyone else noticed the large number of rail freight terminals in the Midlands which are under construction or in planning stages? At junction 15 on the M1, developers are aiming to construct five million sq ft of warehousing in what is called the Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Interchange on a wedge of land between…
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Rail Operations Group and Stadler in tri-mode loco plan

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

THE creation of a tri-mode locomotive based around the Class 68/88 bodyshell and built by Stadler could come to fruition within two years if plans confirmed by the Rail Operations Group (ROG) take shape. ROG wants to combine the best elements of the mixed traffic ‘68’ and ‘88s’, but also add in battery technology to…
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Options revealed for ScotRail Class 153 conversion

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

SCOTRAIL is moving forward with its proposal to increase capacity on its West Highland Line (WHL) services during the summer months. One of the problems faced by the services to Oban, Fort William and Mallaig (and intermediate stations) which use Class 156 units, is the lack of space for luggage and cycles, and the re-use…
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Wightwick Hall becomes 150th Barry Scrapyard restoration

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

HISTORY was made at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre (BRC) on December 11 when GWR Hawksworth ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6989 Wightwick Hall became the 150th ex-Barry Scrapyard locomotive to be restored and returned to steam. No. 6989 made its first tentative moves in preservation on the centre’s demonstration line with BRC commercial director Adrian Aylward on the regulator.…
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‘Superb’ 1903 NER autocar wins two HRA awards

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

RESTORATION of the unique North Eastern Railway 1903 autocar No. 3170 has won two major Heritage Railway Association awards. The painstaking work by the NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust, led by Stephen Middleton, to restore what was once a holiday home to a fully serviceable rail vehicle led a panel of HRA judges to award the…
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Former President Bush taken to final resting place in Texas by Union Pacific

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

A SPECIAL train was used to take former US president George H W Bush to his final resting place in Texas. Mr Bush died on November 30, and following a state funeral service in Washington, his coffin was flown back to Houston, Texas, from where it was moved the 70 miles to the George H…
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Charity event planned for Crewe Diesel

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

SOME 30 steam, diesel and electric exhibits are being lined up for a charity open day on June 8 at the former Crewe diesel depot, now the operational base of Locomotive Services Limited. The event is being organised by Virgin Trains staff based at Crewe station with the aim of raising money and awareness for…
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End of the line for Old Oak Common HST depot

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

REDUCTION of the use of HST trains by GWR and the need to redevelop parts of Old Oak Common has brought the curtain down on the west London depot’s long association with the InterCity 125. The workshops and loco depot, affectionately known as ‘The Factory’, was demolished several years ago as parts of the site…
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First Class 397 arrives for TransPennine

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

TRANSPENNINE Express took delivery of its first ‘Civity’ Class 397 five-car EMU on December 4. They are being built in Beasain, Spain, by CAF, with 12 sets having been ordered. They will replace the Class 350/4 EMUs currently used on Manchester to Glasgow/Edinburgh services. They are being branded ‘Nova 2’ by TPE. Set No. 397003 –…
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MPs savage “system-wide failures”for last year’s timetable change fiasco

by

Sam Hewitt

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31st December 2018

A CROSS-PARTY committee of MPs has severely criticised train operators, Network Rail, the DfT, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and the complex structure of the rail industry in a scathing report on last May’s timetable chaos, which affected around 20% of UK rail users. “The statistics cannot do justice to the severe effects on people’s lives,”…
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