News

FROM the moment Tyseley unveiled its newly overhauled flagship locomotive No. 7029 Clun Castle at the end of October, fans of the Collett 4-6-0 began to ask when the famous BR(W) ‘Castle’ will double-head with sister No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on the main line. The answer could be regarded as bitter-sweet, as the two ‘Castles’…

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One Business, Two Brands’ is Abellio’s tagline for its new West Midlands Trains operation, which took over Govia’s London Midland franchise on December 10. Outer-suburban, long-distance and semi-fast services between London Euston and the West Midlands via Northampton and between Birmingham, Crewe and Liverpool will be operated under the London Northwestern Railway (LNR) brand, reviving…

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THE crash of tram No. 2551 on a bend at Sandilands, Croydon on November 9, 2016 was, in all probability, caused by the driver suffering a micro-sleep during a 49-second period when the tram was passing through three consecutive tunnels in the hours of darkness. That is the view of investigators from RAIB (the Rail Accident…

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VIVARAIL is progressing well with the first production ‘D-Train’ set – No. 230002 – at its Long Marston base in Warwickshire. Unlike the prototype, No. 230001, the three-car diesel unit, will feature AC rather than DC traction motors, and is fitted out in what Vivarail calls its ‘City’ configuration, similar to the District Line ‘D Stock’, with…

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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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