News

The Who frontman reopens Dungeness station

by

Sam Hewitt

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15th September 2016

ROGER Daltrey, lead singer in legendary rock band The Who, opened Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway’s rebuilt Dungeness station with RH&DR board chairman, Sir William McAlpine, on August 2, reports Cliff Thomas. The 15in gauge line’s station at Dungeness, located on a National Nature Reserve, was closed for renovation in winter 2015. The project hit…
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Partial bridge collapse disrupts Midland Main Line

by

Sam Hewitt

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15th September 2016

THE partial failure of the parapet of a two-arch brick bridge over the Midland Main Line closed the line north of Leicester on August 1 for just over 24 hours. Passengers were bussed between Leicester and Loughborough. Grove Lane bridge at Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, provides access to the station. The exact age of the bridge is…
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Long-running Southern dispute over DOO continues

by

Sam Hewitt

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15th September 2016

THERE seems no end in sight for the long-running dispute on Southern over driver-only operation (DOO) after further talks with the RMT union and the conciliation service Acas broke up without agreement. Recognising passengers are frustrated by the ongoing dispute, Southern has vowed to move forward with its modernisation plans. In a statement, Southern’s passenger…
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Time to axe the rail fare increase formula?

by

Sam Hewitt

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8th September 2016

AUGUST is bad-news month for rail passengers. It is the month that the retail price index (RPI) for July is announced, which then triggers the base figure for next January’s rail fare rises. From next January regulated fares will rise by an average of 1.9%, and with many overcrowded trains, delays and ongoing industrial disputes,…
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RAIB releases cause of enthusiast’s death

by

Chris Milner

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1st September 2016

THE death of Bluebell Railway volunteer Simon Brown, 24, on August 7 came as a result of his head hitting a signalling gantry while travelling on a train at 60mph, the RAIB has confirmed. Mr Brown was travelling on the 17.05 Gatwick Express to Victoria train formed of a Class 442 EMU when the incident…
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SWT offers driving simulator experience as charity prize

by

Chris Milner

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22nd August 2016

South West Trains has put together a package of prizes in a charity auction it is running on the online auction site eBay. The operator is aiming to raise £20,000 for four charities and SWT will match the proceeds. The charities are: Autism Wessex which provides high quality specialist services for anyone affected by autism from Dorset,…
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Southern to move forward with plans after losing patience with union

by

Chris Milner

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15th August 2016

GOVIA Thameslink Railway, the parent company of Southern trains, has said it is to move forward with modernisation plans to introduce wide use of Driver Only Operation (DOO) after the latest talks at Acas with the RMT ended without agreement. In short, GTR has lost patience with the RMT in a dispute that has been…
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Rail Operations Group to run Class 442 charity charter

by

Chris Milner

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12th August 2016

UPDATED DERBY-based Rail Operations Group (ROG) will be running its first charter train on August 29. The formation with be two Class 442 EMUs. ROG is best known for its movement of rolling stock from depot to works or storage, and this charter will benefit The Railway Children charity and is being run in conjunction…
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RMT calls more rail staff out on strike

by

Chris Milner

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12th August 2016

NEWS that the RMT union has called strikes with two more train operators will add to a summer of discontent for thousands of rail passengers. On top of the long running dispute with Southern and its parent company Govia Thameslink Railway over driver only operated trains (DOO), the RMT has called on its staff to…
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Industry needs 35 miles of sidings to store redundant rolling stock

by

Sam Hewitt

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4th August 2016

A ROLLING stock storage crisis is looming that could get worse towards the end of the decade as more than 30 miles of sidings will be needed for surplus stock. Orders for many new trains of various types are now under construction, or soon to begin, and by the end of Network Rail’s CP5 in…
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