News

THE sound of crashing levers and ringing bells in the signalboxes of the Fylde Coast line will be heard no more after November 10, writes Richard Horner. The five remaining mechanical signalboxes on the Preston to Blackpool North route, among which are the largest survivors from the pre-Grouping Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR), will be…

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AUGUST 6 saw work begin on the next phase of redevelopment of Glasgow’s Queen Street station. Unlike earlier reconstruction work, this phase does not involve station closures and diversions to scheduled trains, but instead focuses on preparations for the new main entrance building. The station ticket office has moved to the former Vale pub on…

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£7.5MILLION is being invested in mid-Wales to make the Shrewsbury to Machynlleth line and local roads safer for users. The project includes the construction of two kilometres of new highway and two new road overbridges at Ystrad Fawr and Rallt, enabling the closure of eight rural railway crossings. The Welsh Government is providing £3m of…

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ELECTRIFICATION work is proceeding on the Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley route, with 25kV AC catenary masts now appearing along the line, writes Simon Poole. The 15-mile line across Cannock Chase is being electrified at a cost of more than £100million, and was closed for 16 days between August 13 and 28 to allow reconstruction…

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AS THE £14.5million restoration of Carlisle station roof draws to a close, passengers are once again enjoying lighter, brighter platforms as natural daylight pours in again. The 1847-built overall roof has been refurbished with safer, easier-to-maintain plastics replacing the previous glass panes, the metalwork is receiving a complete repaint, and new lighting is being installed…

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THE Lee Valley route through north-east London will be receiving a major upgrade over the next few years. The route forms a key section of the proposed Crossrail 2 route, and is also part of extensive regeneration plans for the area. To cope with the predicted increase in demand, a third track is being built…

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THE Chasewater Railway held its annual Burton Brewery Locomotives Day on July 9 to showcase some of its many locos – steam and diesel – originating from the local industry. Four diesels were in operation, including these two four-wheel ‘Simplex’ types. Left, is Worthington’s No. 21 (Kent Construction 1612 of 1929) and right, No. 15099 Morris, Motor…

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THE East Kent Railway (EKR) was recently rather lacking in the Class 08/09 department, but this has now been rectified, thanks largely to HN Rail. On Friday, August 4 the railway hosted a joint visit by the Preserved Locomotive Enthusiast Group (PLEG) and the Branch Line Society (BLS). In action were Dutch English Electric 0-6-0DE…

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THE Great Central Railway will be running two special trips from the main line on to the Mountsorrel Branch on both days of the September 9-10 diesel gala. This is the first time the branch has been open to passengers during a gala. The Class 101 DMU departs Loughborough at 11.30 and 13.45, calling at…

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MEMBERS of the Bodmin & Wenford Railway (B&WR) have restored 0-4-0 diesel shunter Peter. It was built by Fowler in 1940 and bought by the North Devon Clay Co in 1950 to work ball clay trains on the extensive network of lines connecting Peters Marland clay works to the main line between Halwill Junction and…

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