News

  ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado has set a new record for a preserved steam locomotive, reaching 100mph during a covert overnight test run on the East Coast Main Line. Tornado is believed to be the first loco to reach that speed in the UK since ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35003 Royal Mail was recorded more than…

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Four-train cavalcade makes history on the ECML PAST, present and future East Coast express trains lined up for a unique event north of York early on April 23. Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) was promoting the introduction of its new ‘Azuma’ trains in 2018, and teamed up with Welcome to Yorkshire, Network Rail and the…

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FINNISH steelmaker Outokumpu has renewed its contract with DB Cargo to move stainless steel by rail from Sheffield, continuing a relationship that dates back to 1977. Three to four trains each week will continue to run from Tinsley to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract, with each train carrying around 1,300…

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GB RAILFREIGHT managing director John Smith is confident the recent success in winning a contract to move freight via the Channel Tunnel will lead to more collaboration with European railfreight companies. GBRf now moves china clay slurry from Calais to Ayrshire on behalf of Belgium’s B-Logistics (see February’s edition of The RM) and the success…

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LOCAL authorities have given the go-ahead for a new £2million railway station serving Inverness airport. Situated on the outskirts of the Highland city at Dalcross, on the Aberdeen to Inverness route, the station will be around a mile from the airport terminal, but a regular shuttle bus will provide a link between the two locations.…

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THE disparity in investment in transport infrastructure between London and the English regions is set to widen further, according to a new Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report. Despite recent Government commitments to establish a Northern Powerhouse with improved transport links, spending on transport infrastructure will be four times greater in London than across…

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RECENT vegetation clearance work at Poulton-le-Fylde on the Preston to Blackpool North route has uncovered the mothballed Fleetwood branch and surviving semaphore signals protecting the junction. Network Rail is currently preparing the Lancashire branch for resignalling and electrification and is simplifying the track layouts at Poulton and Salwick during weekend closures. Northern DMU No. 156440 and…

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BR STANDARD 2-6-0 No. 76084 made its full return to main line operation on February 25, hauling the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Buxton Spa Express’ tour of lines across the Pennines. The ‘4MT’ worked in tandem with ‘Jubilee’ No. 45690 Leander from Preston via Manchester and Chinley to Buxton, on the Railway Touring Company’s tour. Despite very wet…

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THE Branch Line Society’s sixth tour of rare track using a TransPennine Express Class 185 DMU will run on May 7. The ‘Vallum Hadriani Tracker’ tour will be raising money for the Railway Children charity, an organisation that provides support for street children across the world. The tour starts in Manchester and will cross the…

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