News

NORTHUMBERLAND’S Aln Valley Railway will take delivery of its second operational steam locomotive in mid-March when Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 60 (3686/1948) arrives from the nearby works of Ian Storey in Hepscott, near Morpeth. The former National Coal Board locomotive is owned by Stephen Wood and began its preservation career at the Strathspey Railway, where Mr…

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RICHARD Hardy, who died on February 18, aged 94, was one of the last remaining professional links with the ‘Big Four’ and a railwayman who commanded as much respect in the preservation era as he did during his illustrious career with the LNER and British Railways. Known affectionately in his autumn years as ‘the Grand…

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Britain’s train fleet is undergoing its biggest transformation since the 1950s, with around 5,700 new vehicles being delivered or on order. Ben Jones looks at what we’ll be seeing on the rails over the next few years and how it will affect existing trains. If you keep an eye on the railway press, the large…

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‘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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