News

VIRGIN Trains East Coast (VTEC) completed the transfer of the business to the Government-backed LNER company over the weekend of June 23-24. The new company was set up to take the business to the next franchise award. The VTEC franchise, 90% owned by Stagecoach, had been suffering losses, and had pumped more than £160million of…

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AN INDEPENDENT inquiry into the widespread timetable disruption that affected Govia Thameslink and Northern passengers following the timetable change on May 20 has been announced by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The enquiry has been commissioned by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and will be led by Professor Stephen Glaister, who will: ■ Identify…

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THE Austrian Alps echoed to the sound of a Brush/Sulzer Type 4 for the first time on June 9-10 when Continental Rail Solution’s No. 47375 Falcon hauled a unique railtour from Budapest to the world-famous Semmering Pass. Around 50 visitors from the UK enjoyed the ex-Tinsley, ex-Fragonset Class 47/3 performing faultlessly throughout the 430-mile round…

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THE opening of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway’s (GSWR) extension to Broadway at Easter must surely rank as one of modern preservation’s greatest achievements, not only in terms of physical construction, but also for the effect it has already brought to the Cotswold line. Up until the end of May the GWSR had carried 42,000…

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By Richard Tuplin THE final piece of the electrification jigsaw of the Derbyshire area in general, and the Midland Main Line in particular, will see Derby station and its approaches controlled by the East Midlands Control Centre (EMCC) from mid-August, as track rationalisation and improvements works close Derby Power Signalbox (PSB). Resignalling work in the…

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By Peter Nicholson Following closure of the Electric Railway Museum in October 2017 considerable effort has gone into securing the long-term future of all of the vehicles in the collection – and by the end of June clearance of the site was finally coming to an end. Among the last items remaining at the Coventry…

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NEWS that Windermere would be without its regular train service for several weeks as a result of the Northern Rail timetable crisis has led to the West Coast Railway Company (WCRC) stepping in to provide a free service. Growing local concern that since the timetable change on May 20 use of buses rather than trains…

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By Ben Jones RAIL services across Wales will be transformed over the next six years as KeolisAmey and the Welsh Government invest around £5billion in a complete fleet replacement, new stations, electrification and the creation of a higher frequency ‘metro’ network, centred on Cardiff. Every train in Wales will be replaced as part of an…

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SCOTRAIL has begun the process of training drivers on Class 365 EMUs that are expected to begin service between Edinburgh and Glasgow from July. As of May 22, ScotRail had received four Class 365s – Nos. 365513/517/523/525 – which have undergone minor modifications for gauge clearance as well as the application of branding. Up to ten…

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