Railways Illustrated April 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**

Welcome

I’venever really been very good at saying goodbye,but this is my final issueasyour editor.Aferanenjoyable three-and-a-half years, Ihavebeen ofered the opportunity of returning to the light rail sector, whereIspent muchofthe previous two-and-a-half decades of my career beforetaking over the magazine in summer 2021, so the time has come to swap trains fortrams onceagain!

When Iwas first appointed to edit Railways Illustrated, it wassomething of aleapoffaith forMortons, as Ihadn’t held an editor’s position beforehand and only had limited previousexperienceofmagazine production. However, with support Iquickly found my feet and haveworked to create amagazine thatwould appeal to the generalrailwayenthusiast, but with agentle bias towardsheritagemodern traction.

The days of office-based productionisnow largely athing of the past and magazines are mainly produced remotely fromhome offices withcopyand pictures sent overthe internet, rather than teams working in busy newsrooms. Under my tenureIhaveproduced44issues, andthe time haslargely flownby, aidedby having the bestsupport teamaneditorcould askfor.

It would be wrong if Ididn’t take this opportunity to say thanks to some of the keypeople who havemade my time at Railways Illustrated so enjoyable. The writerswho help withthe wordseach month –Simon Bendall, Pip Dunn, Chris Gee and Andrew Watts–and also those who havecontributed towardsthe title in the recent past –RichardClinnick, MelHolleyand, neverforgetting, the late Alistair Grieve –have all made my job so much easier fortheir help and support. Special thanks mustgotoour fantastic production editor,LucyWood,for ensuringthatmy ramblings areturned into readable copy each month and forher consistent supportinhelping me complete the magazine in time to meet each deadline, even if it has been aclose-runthing on acouple of occasions.

Thanks also to Mortons arteditor Kelvin Clementsand publisher TimHartley,who have both always beentherewith help and advice wheneveritwas needed. While we all work remotely,support is always availablebyemail or at the end of aphone line, and the work done behind the scenes by people likeLucy, Tim and Kelvingoeslargely unrecognisedbut is just as important as the work doneby myself andthe rest of the writing team.

Iamalso grateful to all the photographers who submit their pictures forconsideration ea ch month. We re ce ivem any times mo re images than we havespace to include,and

someissues presenta real dilemma when it co mes to pi ct ures elect ion. Thanks als oto those readers whohavesubmittedfeatures, ne ws items or tip -offs on possible stories –without your effortswewouldn’t be able to producethese magazines forthe enjoyment of like-minded enthusiasts

My aim has alwaysbeen simple: to produce amagazine that would be of interesttothe modern traction enthusiast, butwith afocus towardsthe heritage sector,asthisisanarea thatI believe hasbeen under-represented in the railway publishing world.Diesel –and to alesser extent,electric –preser vation is asignificant area of interest both on heritagerailways and on the main line network

All thatremains is formetoalso thank you, our readers, foryour support both of Railways Illustrated and to me as your editor

Awelcome return

Iamdelighted to confirm thatmyreplacement is aname thatwill hopefully be familiar to regular readers–established railway and trucking journalistPip Dunn is taking overasofthe next issue. Long-standing readersof Railways Illustrated will knowthatPip previously edited thistitlefor nine yearsbetween 2006 and 2015, creating a magazine aimed at moderntraction enthusiasts, and he has remained acolumnistonour What’s Happening To…locomotiverestoration update pagesand From the Front Coach charter pages ever since handingthe reigns over to the late MarkNicholls in 2015.

AlthoughI’vebeen aregular reader ever since thetitle waslaunchedbyfoundingeditorColin Marsden to replace Railway World in 2003, Pip’s time in the chair really gave the magazine its unique selling point and with his enthusiasm and detailed knowledgeofthe railways, it quickly grew to become amust-read magazine.

It’sfairtosay that it’s the spirit of Pip’s first periodincharge thatIhavetriedtoemulate during my time as editor,soit’sreassuring to knowthatasI move on to anew work adventure, Railways Illustrated is in the bestpossible hands and I’mexcited to see whathehas plannedfor the title duringhis second period in the hotseat

Coming up in thisissue

Although this is my lastissue as editor,abusy first fewweeks of 2025 meant there’sbeen no time to put my feet up and relax

At the end of JanuaryIpaid avisit to Pickering to speak to North YorkshireMoorsRailway chief executiveoficerLauraStrangeway and NYMR plc chairman –and our Living Lifeinthe Past Lane columnist–Chris Gee to find outhow the leading

KEEP IN TOUCH

If youhaveany comments, photographic contributions,featuresuggestions, or constructivefeedback,please contact Pip Dunn by emailat rieditor@mortons. co.uk or via thepostaladdress provided on page 4.

heritage railwayhas respondedtothe challenges of dealingwithever-increasing costsand dificult trading conditions.

I’vealso spoken to Andy Gillett from theHeavy TractorGroup about the work being carried out at LoramUKinDerbyon37714 Cardif Canton. The work being done by HTGvolunteersonthe Heavyweight Class 37 –aided by Loram’sfantastic facilities and expert engineering staf –is extensive, butbythe time it returns to itsGreat Central Railway base in the spring, 37714 will be in farbettercondition than when it arrivedin Derbyatthe end of January.

Businessman,barristerand enthusiastBen Denton-Cardewexplains howhesaw an opportunity to securesome of the Glasgow Subway second-generation Metro-Cammell cars for alternativepurposes afer theywerewithdrawn and replaced by abrand-newfleet of Stadler trains lastyear. Thework done by Ben through his business, ExecutiveOutcomes, led to the trulyremarkablesur vivalofhalf of the overall fleetfor arangeofnew roles.

We also take alook at thestory of theGreat Western RailwayCastle Classshort-formedHST, which were introduced ontoregional ser vices in Devonand Cornwall when the trains were retiredfromlong-distancehigh-speed running on the Great WesternMain Line out of London Paddington.

Although no confirmed date has yetbeen announced forthe surviving fewCastle sets to the withdrawn by GWR, the intention to lease Class 175s as areplacement fleet means thattime is running out forthese popular trains so,asever, catchthem while youcan.

10 Pictures comes from the lens of Derbyshireba sed Phil Chilton, another long-sta nding co ntributor to Ra ilway sI llustrated, and his chosen selection this month is up therewith thebestofthose that have appeared on these pagessincethe featurewas first launched in the September 2021 issue.

As ever,Ihope youenjoythis issue. Welcome aboard. And thank you.

Andy Coward Editor

On Sale Date: Usually first Thursday of the month

This Issue On Sale: March6,2025

Next Issue On Sale: April 3, 2025

EDITOR: Andy Coward

ARTEDITOR: Kelvin Clements

PAGE DESIGNERS: Druck Media

PRODUCTION EDITOR: Lucy Wood

PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: DanSavage

EDITORIAL ADDRESS: Railways Illustrated,Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN96LZ

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EMAIL: rieditor@mortons.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Allatt,Paul Aspinall, Alex Ayre,David Barnsdale, Simon Bendall, John Binch, David Bissett,Phil Chilton, Spencer Conquest, Jason Cross, Kevin Delaney, Ben Denton-Cardew, Ian Dixon, Pip Dunn, Gordon Edgar, JohnEyres, TerryEyres, Robert Falconer,MattFisher,Chris Gee, James Hartley, Anthony Hicks, Martyn Hilbert,Jon Hird, Paul Keightley, TomMcAtee, Craig Munday, James Palmer,Chris Perkins, TerryPickthall, Jim Ramsay,Steve Seal, Hayden Sheppard, SteveSienkiewicz, Alex Stojanovic,PaulSumpter, HenryThomas, Nigel Valentine, Phil Wallis, AndrewWatts,RyanWebb, Lucy Wood.

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Contributions to this magazine should be clearly typedand ideally sent by email. Please contactthe editorbyemail with anypossible featureideas beforesubmission. Photographssubmitted to Railways Illustrated areacceptedonthe basis that theyare the copyright property of the person submitting them, or afertheyhave received suitablepermission fromthe copyright owner. Please do not submit pictures to Railways Illustrated thathavebeen senttoother publications. Opinions expressed in this magazine arenot necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

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FRONT COVER: Nemesis Rail’s main line-registered31128

Charybdis arrives at Levisham station on the North Yorkshire MoorsRailway, working 1T13, the 12.35 WhitbytoPickering service, on August13, 2022. In this issue we speak to NYMR chiefexecutiveoficerLauraStrangewayand NYMR plc chairman Chris Gee about thechallenges of leadingthe popular heritagerailwayinthe current economicclimate

Phil Chilton

Features

44 Managing the Moors

Andy Coward headstoPickering to meetNorth YorkshireMoors Railway chief executiveoficerLaura Strangeway and NYMR plcchairman Chris Gee and find out howtheyare guiding the popular heritage railway out of aparticularly dificult period both forits financesand services. The green shoots of recovery arestarting to appear,aswefind outin our latest Meet the Managerprofile.

52

Heavy maintenance

The Heavy TractorGroup’s preserved flagship locomotive, 37714 Cardif Canton, has movedfromthe Great Central Railway to LoramUKin Derbyfor aprogramme of heavy maintenance.Wespeak to Andy Gillett from the HTGabout the work being done on the Class 37 and the unique partnership with Loram.

58 Newlives forold trains

The replacement of the secondgeneration Metro-Cammell Glasgow Subwayfleetwith newtrains last summer lef all but one of the ‘Clockwork Orange’ trains facingaone-

waytrip to the scrapyard.However, businessman andenthusiastBen Denton-Cardewcame up with aunique initiativethathas seen morethan half ofthe vehicles nowsecured forarange ofalternativepurposes.

62 Disappearing Castles

Following the withdrawal of High Speed Trainsonthe GreatWestern Main Line out of London Paddington in 2019, GreatWestern Railway retained afleetofshort-formed HSTs for working regional services in Devonand Cornwall, to be known as the Castle Class. Now, justasmall number remain in service, and with their impending replacement,wetakealook at the storyofthe modern-day Castles.

68 10 Pictures: Phil Chilton

Our popular 10 Pictures photographic featurecomes from regular contributor Phil Chilton, who developed his love of railways spotting Westerns at Dawlish, beforelatertakingup railway photography.This stunning submission features awide variety of diesel traction at work across the UK throughout severaldecades.

Setbackfor Severn Valley Railwayafer landslip cuts of section of runningline

THE SEVERN ValleyRailway sufered adevastating blowatthe end of Januaryfollowing aserious embankment failureatMor Brook,nearSterns, making the railway impassable over the afectedsection and resulting in the closureofthe northernsection of the 16-mile heritagerailway between Bridgnorth and HamptonLoade.

SVR staf discoveredonJanuary 29 thata30-metresectionofan embankment had collapsed, along with the facing wall of abridge,leaving trackwork partially unsupported and impassable by trains.

Investigations intothe failure and repair options beganimmediately, with specialistengineersvisiting the railway,and Network Rail also sent a teamofgeotechnical and infrastructureexperts as part of the partnership agreementinplace betweenitand the SVR. Boreholes havebeendrilled to allowgeotechnical data to be gathered to establish the condition ofthe ground on the site, as well as assisting with the information required for asuitable long-term repair.

Ameeting with external consulting civil and structural engineering firm J Turner and Associatestook placeon February12toreviewtopographical and borehole data.Antony Bartlam, of the company,said: “The good newsis thatwehavenarroweddownthe possibilities to acouple of potential solutions. However, there’sfurther work to do beforethe projectteamfinalises the routewewill take,and that’swhen we will be able to understand moreabout the timescale and the costs.”

SVR’sh ea do fi nfrastruc tur e, Chris Bond, said: “This really isn’t athing we canrush. It’simportant to bear in mind thatthereare extra

complications involved with this particular problem.Aswell aschoosing the bestrepair option,wewill havetoliaise with external agencies and thirdparties, such as landownersand National Grid, because power lines areveryclose to the slip site.

“The realityisthatthere’s alot of preparatory work to do before thereare spades on the ground. We aredeterminedto deliver asafe, long-lasting and cost-efectiverepair as quickly as circumstances will allow so we canopen up the northernmost section of our line.”

The SVR has also engaged with popular social media trainspotting personalityFrancis Bourgeois to highlight itsplight.A film has been recorded forrelease to his fivemillion TikTokand Instagram followers, explaining what hashappened and whatpeople candotohelp.

The railway wasclosed at the time, meaning itsoperational steamlocomotivefleetwas at Bridgnorth, so arrangementsweremadetomove one of thelocomotives by road to Kidderminsterfor useon thetruncatedroute.

Whilethe SVRreopened to passengerservices on February15–operatingoverthe unaffected 12-mile section of itsroutebetween Kidderminsterand HamptonLoade –itis actively raising moneythrough its ResilienceFund to assistwith what is likelytobeaconsiderable repair bill forthe damagethatithas sufered.

Commenti ng in mi d-Februar y, justbeforethe railway reopened forits 2025 operating season, SVR managing directorJonathan ‘Gus’ Dunstersaid: “Weare delighted we still have12miles of theline in full operation, and we arelooking forwardtowelcoming lots of visitors forwhatpromisestobea busy half term.

“Getting the full line back in operation is of course ahugepriority for us, and in civil engineering terms we aremaking greatprogress.

“Weare so grateful forthe incredible public response to this incident.

Donations arearrivingevery day,and in thecouple of weeks sincethe news broke, morethan£75,000was raised towardsthe costsofrepairingthe landslip.Thank-you to everysingle one of the 1427 people who haveso fardonated.”

The SVR’sroutehas sufered landslip incidentsona numberofoccasions in the past,mostnotably in 2007 when localised flooding resulted in severalsectionsofthe heritageline requiring significant repair work.

Any reader wishing to donateto thefundraising initiative should visit https://svr.co.uk/resilience/

Investigation work wasunderwayonthe afectedsection of line by mid-February, with boreholedrilling taking place. The sitehas nowbeen protectedwith plastic sheeting. SVR/GaryEssex

An aerial view of the landslip at Mor Brook on the Severn Valley Railway on February2,beforeinvestigation work intothe failure gotunderway.The incident has severed the heritageline’s routefor the northern section of therailwaybetween Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth. SVR/GaryEssex

The view of the landslip from rail level, showing the extent of the damage sufered to the line.The location is close to Sterns. Work is nowunderway to establish the necessaryrepairs and costswhich will allowSVR services to be reintroduced overthe afected section of the railway in thefuture. SVR/ Leigh King

NetworkRailfined £3.75m fortrack worker safety failings followingORR prosecution

NET WORK RA IL pleaded guilty to offences under the Health and SafetyatWork etc. Act1974 in a court hearing on February 14, with the infrastructurecompany fined £3.75million,pluscosts of £175,000, following an investigation and prosecution brought by theOfice of Rail and Road (ORR) in connection with the deaths of twotrack workersat Margam, in Wales.

The incident took placeonJuly3, 2019, when Michael Lewis,Gareth Delbridgeand athirdworker were carr ying out track maintenance work.MrLewis and Mr Delbridge were fatally struck by aSwanseatoLondon Paddington passenger service,and the train narrowly missed the third worker who had been with them.

Theywereonthe railway without any siteordistant lookout protection –asystemdesigned to warn track workersofthe approach of oncoming trains –orwith aline blockagein placetoprevent trains from running on the section of track theywere working on.

An ORR inv es tig at ion fo und Network Rail had inadequacies in its processes and management systems which had led to sy stemic and wide-ranging safetyfailures in the protection of people working on or near operational lines. The Margam investigation resulted in similar findings to twopreviousincidentsthe ORR had also investigated in 2018 and 2019, withthe regulatortaking

enforcement action againstthe infrastructurecompany to improvetrack worker safety.

HM chief inspector of railways, RichardHines, said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the family,friends and colleagues of Michael Lewis and GarethDelbridge. Iamdeeplysorry fortheir loss. The court has imposed afine of £3.75 million, which reflects the natureand gravity of Network Rail’sfailings.

“The rail industry needstodoall it practically cantohelpeach worker gethome safely ever yday.Much progress has been made in reducing risk to track workers, with new protectionsintroduced.The industry is committedtoseeingthese technologies implementedfurther and faster.This will requirea relentless, collectiveindustryfocus to continue to drivedownrisk to ensurethat tragic incidentssuchasthis are neverrepeated.”

NetworkRailsaidithad committed£70 million of investment into track worker safetyinitiatives when the Margamincident happened and thatthis work significantly acceleratedfollowing the accident.

Atrack worker safetytaskforce has been setup, bringing all existing initiatives together and introducing acomprehensivethree-year programme to overhaul working practices and improve track worker safety, focussing on the removalof unassisted lookout working and a

reviewofthousandsofmaintenance tasks, aided by the development of newtechnologyand working systems.

The companyhas also enhanced the training fortrack workersand investedmorethan £300 million in delivering reforms to working practices thathavenow almostentirely elimina te du nassiste dl ookout working on the railway,which has resulted in asignificantreduction in thenumberofnearmissincidents involving trackworkers.

Networ kRai lWal es &B orde rs routedirectorNick Millington said: “Weknowthatthe tragicdeaths of our colleagues, GarethDelbridge and Michael ‘Spike’ Lewis, should neverhavehappened on our railwayand thathas been reflectedby today’sjudgment

“Over the lastfiveyears Ihavemet regularly with Garethand Spike’s families and our thoughtsremain with them, and all those friends and colleagues who havebeen impacted by their deaths.

“Sincethis tragedy we havecontinued to transform the safetyofour workforce through the development of newtechnologyand planningtools, whichhavealmostentirely eliminatedthe need to work on the railway when trains arerunning.

“Tod ay’sj udg me nt re inforce s why safety mustalwaysbeour first consideration,and we will continue to do all we cantomakeour railways the safesttheycan be.”

IN BRIEF

Amemorial plaque has been unveiled at HullParagon station to honour the victims of the city’s worstrail disasterthanks to a campaign by localhistorian RichardJones. Aceremony was held at the station on February 14 to mark 98 yearssincethe tragedy,attended by Mr Jones, representatives from TransPennine Express, Hull City Council and relatives of the victims, with a minute’ssilenceheld at 09.10, the exact time of the accident in 1927. Atrain from Withernsea wasapproaching the station, whileanother train destined for Scarborough had just departed in the oppositedirection. Both trains were mistakenly directed onto the same line by asignalmen in a nearbyjunction box, and 12 people were killedinthe resulting accident

East Midlands Railway has sold morethan 130,000 advance purchase ticketssincetheir introduction on the Nottingham to Lincoln and DerbytoCrewe routes last year.Advancepurchase ticketsallowtravellerstosave up to 60% on their journeyand help EMR manage demand by encouraging travel during off-peak times, reducing crowding on busier services. EMR said that popularity of the ticketshighlights the growing demand forrail travelinits region and demonstrates how passengers areincreasingly planning ahead to securethe best-value fares.

ScotRail has launched an exclusive£17 flat fare offer forClub 50 members, allowing passengers the opportunity to exploreScotland at alow price. The limited-time deal runs until March 21 and is available fortravelbetween anytwo stations in Scotland. Return ticketsare valid forone month from the date of outwardtraveland must be completedbyApril 20. Club 50 membership is available for£15 per year,giving the over-50s access to a range of benefits, including a20% discount on advanceand off-peak faresthroughout the year

East Coast Main Line open access operator Hull Trains has donated fivelifesaving defibrillatorstoa keymedical serviceafter upgrading the devices it uses on boardits train fleettothe latest versions. The donated machines, which arein perfect working order,havebeen given to Bloodfast,a Hull-based organisation that provides roundthe-clock emergencyresponses for the deliveryofblood and essential medical supplies around the UK, including travelling to incidents in various locations that areservedby Hull Trains on the ECML.

NowonhiretoColas Rail Freight following itsrecent overhaul at Barrow Hill, 37402 Oor Wullie continues to see use on Network Rail test and infrastructureservices.OnFebruary 12, the LargeLogoClass 37 passes thesignalboxatGoonbarrow in Cornwall, with HNRC Swietelsky’sRegional Railways-liveried 37425 SirRobert McAlpine/ConcreteBob on the rear. Craig Munday

Wabtec announcesintention to closeits Doncasterfacility

AMERICAN-OWNE DR AI LW AY

engineering companyand train

maintainer Wabtec has confirmed thatitislooking to close itsfacility at DoncasterinSouth Yorkshireonce it has fulfilled itscurrent contracted workload at thesite.

The company operates out of the former wagonworks at the DoncasterWorks facility,where it carries out maintenanceworkonrailway coaches, wagons and multiple units, as well painting and wheel lathe services. The worksisprominently locatedadjacent to Doncaster railwaystation on the EastCoast Main Line, with theareaalso beingahub forfreight operating companies.

It is understood thata skilled workforceofabout 400 employees are employedatDoncaster and that Wabtec has entered intoconsultation with staf afectedbythe decision. Some mayberedeployedtoother UK sites operated by the company

Astatement issued to Railways Illustrated by Wabtec said: “Wehave made the dificult decision to entera period of consultation with regards to thefutureofour Doncasterfacility. Following acomprehensivereviewof the productlines and cost challenges at the Doncasterplant, ourproposal is to complete our projects, then withdraw from the vehicle maintenance market in the UK and close the site.

is settoclose itsmaintenancefacility

and

is nowconsulting withimpacted employees. The

from the roof of the Frenchgateshopping centre on November 30, 2023, with arakeof ScotRail Inter7City Mk.3HST trailer coaches on site, alongside47703 and 47714.Onthe sidings alongside the station, the Crewe Diesel Preservation Group’s 47712 Lady Diana Spencer is also stabled. 47714 has sincemovedintopreservation on the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire. ChrisGee

“A formal statutoryconsultation period will begin in the coming weeks, during which we will actively engage withcolleagues. We arecurrently evaluating severaloptions, including the

ChilternRailwaysrecoversmorethan

£1.1 millionin fare evasioncrackdown

CHILTERN RAILWAYS has recovered morethan £1.1 million in lostrevenue throughout 2024 following acrackdown on fare evasion.

The operator’s economic crime, fraud and prosecutions unit (ECFPU) recoveredmorethan£400,000of lostrevenue in 2023, with theoverall totalrecovered in 2024 being of £1,051,287.The unit wasoriginally set up in 2019 and the amountofrevenue recoveredfromfareevasion has steadily increased year on year

In 2024 the operator launched a BuyBeforeYou Boardcampaignat stations, with posters and vinylfloor signageprovidedtoremindpassengers that theymustpurchase their ticket beforeboarding atrain and thattravelling without avalidticket is acriminal ofence.

Chiltern said thatwith so many o pt ions fo rt ick et pur c hasin g, su ch as th ro ug ht ic ke to ff ices , online purchases, ticket vending machines, smartcards, the operator’s mobile phoneapp,and contactless payments, therereally is no excuse

forpassengerstonot havea ticket prior to joining their train.

Atotal of 8064 cases were reported forinvestigation by the ECFPU in 20 24, which mainly fo cus ed on passengersnot paying fortheir full journey, adultsbuying child tickets, and railcardmisuse. Between £12,000 and £15,000 each wasrecoveredby Chiltern from three individuals who had systematically avoided paying the correctrail fare over asubstantial period of time.

Additionally,2156 penalty fares were issued throughout 2024 and 149 of these progressedthrough to prosecution. The penaltyfarewas increased to £100 forevery train operator in Januar y2023 following consultation by the Department forTransport.A totalof£114,330 wasrecovered by the operator via penalty fares, taking the totaloflost revenuerecoveredbyChiltern Railways in 2024 to £1,165,617.

Operations directorTony Baxter said: “The va st majority of our customerspay fortheir ticketsbefore

potential consolidation of remaining component production at another UK location, or relocation to anearbysite.

“Our toppriority is the wellbeing of our impacted colleagues, and we are

theytravelbut unfortunately there is still alot of moneylostonthe railwaythrough fare evasion everyyear.

“Weare determined to ensurefairness forthe paying customer and thereisnoexcuse forfareevasion as

committedtoofering them full support throughout this process. Work will continue on all current projects at the Doncastersite, and we remain focused on delivering our customer commitments.”

it has neverbeen simpler to purchase aticket

“Anyoneriskingboarding without buying the correctticket fortheir journeyisatrisk of apenalty fare or prosecution.”

On February6,when the majority of the countrywas blessed with unbroken sunshine, DirectRail Services 68003 Astute traverses the Kent estuaryover Arnside Viaductworking 6C15, the 10.00 Drigg to Shap empty stone train. The current flowoftrains aremoving stone from Shap Quarryintothe LowLevel WasteRepositoryatDrigg forthe capping of vaults. This wasthe first time one of the trains had been routed via the southernCumbrian Coastsection, as previous trains had been routed via Whitehaven and Carlisle. SteveSienkiewicz

Wabtec

alongside DoncasterWorks

the company

complex is viewed

Pip'sbackfor thefuture!

AS MENTIONED in our Welcomepage, Railways Illustrated editor Andy Coward lefthe titlefollowing completion of this issue to return to the light rail sector, having been appointed operations

improvements manageronWest Midlands Metrotohelpprepare the tramway forits forthcoming expansion. Taking overisexperienced magazine editor,author andjournalist

PipDunn, whopreviouslyedited this magazine between 2006 and 2015, and who has re mained a co lumnista nd co ntributor ev er sincerelinquishing the editor’s role adecade ago.

The incoming editor said: “It really is aprivilege to be returning as editor of Railways Illustrated adecadeon sinceI stepped down. Andy has done afantastic joboverthe lastfew years in retaining itsplaceasthe best railwayjournal forthose interestedin modern traction and theheritage sceneand Iintendtocarrythaton.”

Andy said: “I ’m real ly look ing forwardtothe challengesofmy newrole but will miss puttingthe magazine together each month. I’m extremely grateful to the whole team at Mortons and to everycontributor and photographer whohavehelped shape Railways Illustrated intothe magazine it is today

“I am also delighted to see Pip return as editor,ashis lengthy first period in the editor’s seat wastransformativefor the magazine and its readership.Asanestablished editor with ahugeamount of experience and knowledgeofthe railway, Railways Illustrated is in the safesthands possible.”

Theeditor’s contactemail address (rieditor@mortons.co.uk)and telephone number remain unaltered.

DB Cargo’sroyal warrantisrenewed

DB Cargo’s royalwarrant has beenrenewed by King Charles III,meaning the operatorwillcontinue to operate and maintain theRoyal Train. On July 10, 2014, 67006 RoyalSovereign leads the RoyalTrain through Chevin in Derbyshire, with67005 Queen’s Messenger on therear. Sincethis picturewas taken, the redand yellowband along the bottom of thelocomotives hasbeen changed to silverand DB Cargo has also announced that67005 is to be renamed King’sMessenger to reflectthe changeinmonarch. Phil Chilton

DB CARGO UK has been awarded a newroyal warrant by King Charles III, allowing the freight operatorto continue maintaining and operating the RoyalTrain.

The company –under the ownership of Deut sche Bahn and it s predecessor, WisconsinCentralowned EnglishWelsh &Scottish Railway –has nowheld itswarrant continuously sincerail privatisation, the rene walmarking more than 30 yearsofcontinuousservice to the royalhousehold.

The RoyalTrain is maintained at Wolverton, and DB Cargo has two Class 67 locomotives –67005 Queen’s Messenger and 67006 RoyalSovereign –thatare painted in amatching Royal Plum livery. DB Cargo also confirmed in itsFebruary 10 announcement that both locomotives will nowhavetheir Queen Elizabeth II royalcyphers removed, with replacements fitted to reflectthe Carolean era. Additionally, 67005 is to be renamed King’sMessenger,while the existing name carried by 67006 will be retained

IN BRIEF

Network Rail has started a £2.9 million project to renewboth platforms at Hillington West station on the GlasgowtoPaisleyroute, which is managed by ScotRail. Work began on February16with the closureofPlatform 1and work is nowunderwaytodemolish and rebuild the platform with improved surfacing and drainage. It is expected to reopen on May 18, when Platform 2will then be closed until August 17 forthe same work to be carried out.Passengersshould use Hillington East station while this work is taking place.

TransPennine Express driver Don Coffey hasraisedmore than £55,000 forcharity through uploading cabviewvideos of journeys in the north of England and Scotland on his YouTube channel. Mr Coffey’s filmsfocus mainly on TPE routes, but he has also filmed forother train operatorstoo,and the videos havebeen used as part of TPE’s driver training, providing new and experienced driverswith valuable routeknowledge. Moneygenerated from YouTube is donated to good causes, principally Samaritans, and sincebeing setupin2017, the channel nowattracts morethan 51,000 subscribersand 150,000 monthly views.

c2c Trenitaliahas funded the installation of anew ‘talking’ telescope on the viewing platform of Essex Wildlife Trust’s Thameside NatureDiscovery Park’s visitor centre. The park, which is built on aformer landfill sitenear Stanford-le-Hope station, has become ahaven forwildlifeand is apopular destination forlocal Essex residents, who canenjoyviews over the Thames Estuary. When activated, the telescope gives a90-second narration of the historyofthe site.Onaclear day, the telescope even allows views over to Southend Pier.

DB Cargo chief executiveAndrea Rossi said: “This is atremendous honour fo rt he co mpany which comeswith hugeresponsibility as we aretrustedtosafely carrysenior membersofthe RoyalFamily around the UK rail network

“There’salways agreat sense of occasion when the RoyalTrain is seen out on the mainlinenetwork,asight we hope to see morefrequently in the yearstocome, particularly with His Majesty’sfocus on promoting sustainability and the environment.”

Network Rail’sCentral routehas teamed up with the National Trust,Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway and the Canal &River Trust to offer visitorstravelling by train from Birmingham Moor Streetto BaddesleyClinton and Packwood House afreeregular hot drink Visitorstothe on-site café at either propertycan showtheir same-day train ticket to receivea free teaorcoffee. Both locations arewithin atwo-mile radius of Lapworthstation, on the Chiltern main line, and walking routes are provided from the station.

Andy Coward and Pip Dunn at Mortons ofices at Horncastle on February5for a handovermeeting. Pip Dunntakes over as editor of Railways Illustrated from the next issue. Lucy Wood

Transpor tfor Walesinvests in its on-board premierdiningser vices

TR ANSPOR TF OR Wa les has appointed anew head chef and opened adedicated food preparation kitchenatNewport station, as the operatorpreparestolaunch a series of newmenus forits premier dining services on itslong-distance locomotive-hauled services.

Mark RobertsjoinedTfW as head chef at the endoflastyear, having spent the previous eight yearsworking forthe popular restaurant chain Wagamama. He is nowoverseeing the introduction of newmenus forthe acclaimed premier dining service, promising amix of homestyle cooking forpassengers,with adashofAsian flavour.TfW is also planning an exciting dining menu as part of theRailway 200 celebrations and further details areexpected to be released soon.

The newpreparation kitchen was completedinJanuary, and ateam of chefs will work there, putting together dishes forpassengers traveling between on TfW’slong-distance

ser vic es be tw een Holyhe ad , Manchesterand Cardif. The service operatesonthe five-coach Mk.4 sets thatare hauled by DB Cargo Class 67s.

While much of the preparation work will be done in Newport and lo aded ont ot he trains as the y head nor th ,o n- boardc he fs will co nt inue to put di she stoget her from the on-boardkitchens. Food prepared on southbound journeys back towardsCardif is then stored in on-boardfridges before being unloaded at keylocationsenroute, ready foruse on returnservices and also forbreakfastthe following day.

Mr Robertssaid: “I love classic home cookingusinglocal produce thatcan s ho wcase the bestw e have to ofer in Wales, but we will also be ofering some Asian-inspired disheslikeThai fishcakes, so I’mnot totally leaving behind my recent experiences

“Wehaveafantasticfacility here thatwill allowustoprepare so much more. I’mplanning to work at least

EMRopens newLondonSt Pancras travel centre andassistancelounge

EAS TM ID LA NDS Ra il wa yh as enhanced itspassenger facilities at London St Pancras International station, with itsticket officerelocatedand additional ticket barriers provided to help improvepassenger flowatthe station.

The relocatedticket ofice–which has beeninstalled on the concourse close to Platforms 1-4 at the station –also includes apassenger assistancelounge, providing adedicated waiting area forpassengers requiring

assistanceoradvice. An accessible toiletand baby changing amenities havealso been provided.

Additionally,EMR hasinstalled fiveextrasingle ticket gatesand two wide-aisle gates, allowing theoperator to speed up passenger boarding of trains and enabling faster exits during busy periods. The work on the additional barriers wascarried out over Christmas while the Midland Main Line wasclosed forengineering works.

recently-appointed

twomenus ahead and can’twait to sharesome of my ideas forthe spring, the Eisteddfod, and Christmas with our customers.”

Moreinformation on Tf Wcateringservicescan be foundat https:// tfw .w ales/w ay s- to -tr av el/r ail/ food-and-drink/first-class-dining

EMR customer ser vice director PhilippaCresswell said: “These impr ov ement sa tL on don St Pancras International willbegreat forcustomers.

“Thenew travel centreprovides customersa one-stopshop to buy ticketsorget help completing their

journeys andthe assistance space provides aclear location forthose custo mer sreq uiring additional support

“The newticket gateswill also allow us to improveeficiencyduring busy periods, ensuring customerscan board and disembarkquickly and with ease.”

Astunningnighttime composition of Liverpool LimeStreetstation from the air,asNorthern CAF-built electric multiple unit 331103 prepares to depart with 1N82, the 18.39 Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North serviceon January 25. TomMcAtee

Transport forWales’s

head chefMark Roberts, who joinedthe train operator from Wagamama at the end of 2024. The train operatorhas recently investedinanew food preparation kitchen forits premier dining services at Newport station. Transport forWales

The interior of the new EastMidlands Railway travel centreand assistancelounge by Platforms 1-4 at London St PancrasInternational station. EMR

DRSlaunches12-week rail servicetrial

Direct Rail Services’68033 ThePoppy works4Z59, the15.25 SouthBankTees Dock to TrafordParkEuroTerminal, throughSouth Bank on February 3. This service is beingoperatedasa trialfor an initial12weeksbut couldbecomea permanentroute forthe NTSowned freightcompany Alex Ayre

CUMBRIAN FREIGHT operating company DirectRail Serviceshas started an ew trial ra il ser vice between Teesport and TrafordPark in Manchester,withthe firstservices running in early February.

The newserviceisthe first to be operatedonthe routeand uses ultra-lowIDA wagons, which allow the use of standardhigh-cube containers, opening up the routeto newcustomersand productsthat canbemoved by rail. The trial will initially run forupto12weeksand if successful it will then be adopted as apermanent rail flow

The servicewill operate from the PD Ports-ownedterminalinTeesport and demonstratesthe collaborative work which is going intodiversifying supply chains and improving their environmental credentials.

Gottfried Eymer,managing director forrailatNuclearTransport Solutions, DRS’sparent company,said: “This trial ofersa newroutetocustomerswho may nothaveconsidered rail before. It is an openaccess servicewhich will amalgamate diferent customersto one train, saving time and cost.

“Railismuch moreenvironmentally friendly when compared to road,

ControversialNottinghamfootbridge platformaccessclosure plan paused

APLAN by EastMidlands Railway to close access to platforms from Nottingham station footbridgefromFebruary 22 waspausedless than aweek afer being announced following interventions by local MPsand neighbouring businesses impactedbythe proposal.

EMR announced on January31 thatthe footbridgewould be closed to rail users following athree-week trial in November,which the operatorsaid showedan estimatedrevenue loss of £80,000during the time of the trial –equating to an estimatedannual loss of about £1.1million based on those figures.

Rail passengersneeding to access Platforms 1-6wereadvisedthatthey would need use the main entrance of the station and to allowextra time to walk through the station to catch their train. The footbridge, which connects StationStreettoQueen’s Road, is apublic right of wayand also provides alink to the nearby Nottingham Express Transit tram stop.

The announcement led to immediate criticismfromNottingham MPs Lilian Greenwood and Nadia Whittome, as well as from local businesses and tradersadversely afectedbythe first pilotclosure.

However, justfivedayslater, on February 4, the operatorconfirmed that

the closureplanhad been paused, with an EMR spokespersonsaying:

“The first short closureofthe bridge laid bare thestark extent of ticketless travel taking placevia thefootbridge–estimatedtobeabout£1.1 million ayear.

“This m one yb elo ngs to th e taxpayer and is vital forthe railway to operatesuccessfully,improve and

producingupto76% fewerCO2 emissions and each train canremove up to 40 HGVs from the roads, reducing congestion.

“This is afantastic opportunity forcustomersnew to rail and we’d welcome anyone considering a switch to rail to getintouch.”

PD Ports’ keyaccount manager for rail freight services, Jo Edmenson, said: “Trans Pennineconnections foroperatorslookingtomovegoods across the countryhavebeen confined to road freight formany yearsdue to the constraintsofthe rail network, with height restrictions at stations, bridges and tunnels causing anumber of issues.

“Thereismuch anticipation about the Trans Pennine upgrade, which will hopefully remove many of those blockages, but with acompletion date of 2030, we felt that wastoo long to wait when we considered the importanceofrailfreight as ameans of decarbonising the supply chain and removing road movements from congestedmajor routes.

“Weare excited to partner with DRS to ofer this newservice, directfrom the UK’s sixth largest porttothe heart of the north west.The routeopens up amajor newconnection between thetwo regions and ofersalternativemeans of shipping goods into the east coastofthe UK and onwards, with the same true forexports.”

secureinvestment.The lastclosure also highlightedsignificantsafety andsecuritybenefits, including three directinterventions to support suicidal individuals.

“Werecognise theimportanceof ensuring that ourproposal efectively considersthoseimpacted by this change.Tosupport this, we will notbeclosing access to thefootbridgeonFebruary22and instead will be taking additional time to engagefurther with the relevant stakeholders.”

EastMidlands Railway has paused itsdecision to close access to the platforms at Nottingham station from February22, while it consultswith relevant stakeholders. During the November trial access to and from the platforms wasonly available via the main stationentrance, with access to the footbridgeprohibited. Andy Coward

IN BRIEF

Model railway retailer Rails of Sheffield is opening anew storeat East Midlands Railway’sSheffield station in March. The branch will sell model railways, railwayana and rail-themed merchandise, ranging from train sets to affordable entrylevelmodels, catering forenthusiasts and families. The shop will also sell limited-edition models and wagons featuring partnerships with local brands such as Henderson’s Relish, Seabrook Crisps and James May’sGin. Rails of Sheffield, which also runs a shop on the city’sChesterfield Road, waslaunched in 1970 by Hedley Barber and nowemploys morethan 60 people, with Mr Barber’s son and grandchildren running the business.

Astaff uniform recycling scheme by Govia Thameslink Railway has seen 620 sacks of clothing recycled in the past year through an advanced process called material reclamation, saving enough energy to charge 194,032 smartphones, or to drive6112 miles in apetrolpowered car, as well as preventing the emission of 2400kg of carbon dioxide intothe atmosphere. The scheme has seen used Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express branded garments, gear and shoes provided forreuse in alternative products such as mattress filling and sound buffering forcars, while preventing the textiles from going to landfill.

Northern is working with the Rail DeliveryGroup on atrialtointroduce welcome points at stations across its operating region. The standalone yellowand black units, whichhave been developed in partnership with accessibility groups and passenger bodies, aim to improve passenger serviceand accessibility,and they aredesigned to meetthe needs of wheelchair usersand also include the latest British Sign Language translation to support deaf passengers. Welcome points have been installed at Northern stations including Blackpool North, Deansgate, Harrogate, Hazel Grove, Manchester Victoria, Sunderland and Windermere.

TransPennine Express has now installed shelves, hooks to hang belongings on, mirrors, and disposal facilities in all of their accessible station toilets to meetthe Colostomy UK requirements to be stoma-friendly People canend up with astoma as part of treatment forconditions including bowelcancer,Crohn’s disease, ulcerativecolitis and bowel incontinence. The improved facilities havebeen fitted at Cleethorpes, Dewsbury, Grimsby, Huddersfield, Hull, Malton, ManchesterAirport, Northallerton, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Selby, Stalybridge, Thirsk and Thornabystations.

Nexusoutlinesrolloutprogramme forits newStadler Class555 fleet

Nexus plans to introduceits newfive-coach Class555 trains intoservice on Tyne and Wear Metroata rate of one or twoper month, with theoperatoraiming to have 23 of thenew fleetinservice by the end of this year,withthe other halfofthe 46-train fleetdue to follownextyear. On May 15,2024,555005 undergoes test running at Tynemouth Metrostation. Nexus NEXUS HAS outlined itsplans for the continued rollout of itsnew £362 million Stadler Class 555 fleet, which is currently being introduced intoserviceonthe Tyne and Wear Metronetwork

The first of the 46-strongfive-coach train fleetentered serviceonthe Metro systemonDecember18, when555021 wasoficially launched intopassengerservicebyNorth EastMayor Kim McGuinness, with one daily diagram worked by the newtrains each weekday in December and January.

It wasoriginally planned thatthe first of thenew trains would enterservice beforethe end of 2023, but the amount of testing and commissioning required saw this target delayed by about ayear.

Stadler is responsible fortheir construction and ongoing maintenance, with 13 Class 555s delivered to Metro’sG osforth depot by the end of Januar y(555001007/013/015/020/021/027/028),with afurther 20 expectedtoarriveinthe North East during thecourseofthis year,while the remainder of thetrain order will followin2026.

It is expected that oneortwo Class 555s will enter serviceonthe Metro each month,although this is subject to change, with Nexus aiming to havehalf of the newfleet– 23 trains –inservicebythe end of this year.A second diagram to be worked by a Class 555 wasintroduced in February.

The driv er co nv er sion co ur s e includes classroomlearningand training on astate-of-the-art driving simulatorbased on the Class 555s, beforepractical training and

familiarisation with the trains operating out of ser viceonthe Metro network,with the newtrainsrepresenting asignificant modernisation on the Metrocarsthattheyare replacing. Training beganlatelastyear and will continue until early 2026, by which stageall drivers should be passed to operatethe Stadler fleet.

As thenew trains come on stream, the original Metro-Cammell Metrocar

trains –which have been in service sincethe systemfirst opened in 1980 –will be withdrawn, as theyare now considered to be life-expired. A number will undergo component recovery to provide spares towards the co ntinued operat ion of the remainingMetrocars until the introduction of the newfleetiscomplete.

Nexus’s head of fleetand depot replacement,MichaelRichardson,

said: “A sweget moreMetro driverstrained up and morenew trains heref ro mt he Stadler fa ctor yi n Switzerland, then the introduction of newtrains will move forward. Eventually,wewill see morenew trains on the systemthan theold ones and, withintwo years, allof the old trains arescheduled to be gone completely.

“The rolloutisacomplex mixof continued technical performance monitoring, tweaking operational practices, and understanding how customersare interacting with the rangeofnew features of the train.

“This is astandardpart of the introduction process, and we continue to work closely with Stadler to review andcontinually learn. Thisiswhy we havetaken acareful phased approach to fleetintroduction.

“The testing process is avital part of the programme, and Iampleased to say thatithas gone well. We haveworked closely with Stadler and our ownworkforceevery single step of the way. Thousands of checks havebeen carried out and many thousands of kilometres coveredduring the testing process.

“Weare nowtraining 200 Metro driversonthe newtrains. This has to be doneinsmallgroupssothey canmasterthe leapfromthe old-style train to thenew technologyofthe Stadler units. It’sabig changefor our driversand the driver conversion training is broken down with ablend of classroom andpractical traindriving lessons.”

AGreat Western RailwayCastleClass HSTworked by leading powercar 43097 Castle Drogo andwithlast-built 43198 Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947 –5October 1999/Driver Stan Martin 25 June 1950 –6November 2004 on therearheads acrossSt Pinnock ViaductatLargin in CornwallonJanuary22, with 2C68, the 11.42 Plymouth to Penzanceservice.Afeature on the Castle Class HSTfleet, which is possiblynow in itsfinal year in servicewith GWR, canbefound on pages62-67 of this issue.

Craig Munday

GreaterManchesterTransport Commissioner is broughtintoreviewMerseyraildisruption

LIVERPOOL CITY RegionMayorSteve Rotheram has appointed Greater ManchesterTransport Commissioner Vernon Everitttoconduct an independent reviewfollowing severe disruption to servicesonthe Merseyrail network on January9.

RepresentativesfromMerseyrail, Network Rail and Stadler appeared beforethe LiverpoolCity Region Combined Authority’sTransport CommitteeonJanuary30to explain the reasons behind the disruption three weeks earlier,which caused widespreaddelaysand cancellations to Merseyrail services.

The reviewwillexamine the rail ind ustr y’sw in te rp re pa rati ons on the Merseyrail network and its response to the snowand freezing temperatures which resultedinthe major disruption to thesystem. It will also look at the wider winter planning process and whether lessons havebeen learned from previous similarweatherconditions.

Mr Rotheram said: “The recent disruption on our rail network was completely unacceptable and had a significant impactonour residents who rely on trains to gettowork, school, and important appointments.

“With the appointment of Vernon Everitttoleadthis independent review, we aretaking athorough,

Merseyrail 777011 departsFreshfieldstation, passing Fisherman’s Walk foot crossing,onNovember 21, 2024, working aLiverpool Central to Southport service. Liverpool CityRegion Mayor SteveRotherham has appointed Greater ManchesterTransport Commissioner Vernon Everitttoleadanindependent review intowinter preparations forthe Merseyrail network following major disruption to serviceonJanuary9 KevinDelaney

im pa rtial look at ho wt he ra il industr yplans forand responds to extreme weather.Vernon brings with him awealth of experiencein the transport sector, and his expertise will be invaluable in ensuring we learn from this and improve our winter preparedness.

“My priority is making surethat passengersinthe Liverpool City Region not only have areliable transport system, but also thattheyreceive clear communication from Merseyrail in the event of impactedservices.”

The 53-strong Stadler-built fourcoach Class 777s havebeenintroduced into serviceonMerseyrail over

Stockpor tstation renamedfor Radio2breakfast show launch

New BBC Radio 2BreakfastShowpresenter ScottMills poses with aminiature Scottport station sign, as applied throughout theAvanti WestCoast station on January27tocelebrate hisfirst dayasthe permanent host of thepopular radio show. BBC Radio 2

WESTCOAST Main Line operator

Avanti WestC oa st te mporaril y re named Stockport stat ion as Scottport to mark the launchofthe newBBC Radio 2breakfast show, whichisnow frontedbyScott Mills. Signs at thestation were changed forthe day as fellowpresenterthe RevKateBottleyled the celebrations there, which featured the Northants Sings Outchoir performing in the ticket hall during the morning.

The event wasasurprise to the presenter,withthe renaming of the station revealed live on air by the RevBottley, who also made passengerannouncementsthroughout the morning on the station’s public addresssystem.

Am inia tur ev er si o no ft he Scottport AWCstation sign was transported to London on the 06.04 departure,which wasthenhanded overtothe bemused broadcasteras

the past twoyears,with the fleet introduction completedtowards the end of lastyear. Merseyrail withdrew the last-remainingBR-built Class 507 EMUsinNovember

The Class 777 fleethas been purchased by Liverpool City Region, rather than through a conventional rolling stock leasing company.Itconsistsof46 Class 777/0 EMUsand sevenClass 777/1battery andelectricIPEMUs (Independently-Powered Electric Multiple Unit.)

The findings of the reviewwill be presented to thecity’stransport committeeonMarch 20.

akeepsake towardsthe end of his debut show.

AWCStockport station manager Lisa Magee said: “It’sbeen an absolutehonour hosting amorning of frivolities at Scottport with the team at Radio 2tomark the wonderful occasion of the launch of The Scott Mills BreakfastShow.

“Being able to bringasmile to our customers’ facesonwhatwould other wise havebeen adrear y Monday commutehas brought immense cheer to our station, and it’s been agreat laughhearing Kate making announcementsthroughout the morning. Everyone herewishes Scottthe bestinhis newadventure.”

IN BRIEF

Morethan 50,000 journeys were made on the newly-opened Northumberland Line in its first month following its December 15 opening. The line reopened following a£298.5 million project by the Department forTransport,Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and Northern and morethan 3500 journeys were madeonthe opening day alone, with 16,000 journeys recorded within the first week.The routeoperates for18miles between Newcastle and Ashington, with intermediatestations at Manorsand Seaton Delaval. Further newstations aredue to open later this year.

ScotRail staff havedonated two lifesaving defibrillatorstoMoorfoot PrimarySchool, in Gourock,and St John’s Primary School, in Port Glasgow, following an annual staff charity event which raised morethan £2500. The fundraising event was organised by station staff member Angela McEwan,withsupport from colleagues across Inverclyde and Renfrewshire. ScotRailstaff and friends attended, with moneyraised through ticket sales and araffle, with prizes donated by ScotRail, Network Rail, AvantiWest Coast and Greenock Morton Football Club.Moneyleft over following thepurchase of the defibrillatorswas donated to Age Scotland.

West Midlands Railway has revealed that morethan three million passengershaveused University station in Birmingham in the first year sinceits multi-million pound redevelopment.Serving the University of Birmingham and nearbyQueen Elizabeth Hospital, the buildings were opened on January 28, 2024, following athree-year construction project,with the station remaining open throughout the works. The station –which features twospacious pavilions and bridges linkeddirectly to the university and hospital complexes –has been built forfurther capacity growth and is designed to accommodatemorethan sevenmillion passengersannually.

Network Rail has appointed Jamie Burles as itsfirst deputy managing director forthe Eastern region to support itsleadership across four major routes. Mr Burles will work alongside JakeKelly,the currentregional managing director of the Eastern region, to provide executiveinfluenceand strategic leadership across the East Coast, Northand East,East Midlands and Anglia routes. He will also support Ellie Burrows, who will take on the role of regional managing director in April 2025, when Mr Kelly becomes regional managing director forthe North West &Central region.

Welcome to Scottport:Signageat Stockport station waschanged to Scottport on January27, with the temporarysigns finished in the usual style applied to other Avanti WestCoast station signage. AvantiWestCoast

Alstomrolls outheadliners forThe Greatest Gathering

The Sir Nigel GresleyLocomotiveTrust’sLNERA4 steamlocomotive 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley is stabled in light steamalongside the Class50 Alliance’s 50049 Defiance at Alstom’sDerbyLitchurch LanefacilityonJanuary30duringthe launch forThe Greatest Gathering, which is happeningatthe Derbytrain building plant on August 1-3. The Class 50 is carrying apromotional headboardfor theevent,which has been produced by Newton Castings. Alstom

ALSTOM HOSTED alaunchpreview forinvited guests at its90-acreDerby Litchurch Lane facility on January30 to showcase itsplans forits groundbreaking TheGreatestGathering event.The hugerailwayfestivaltakes placefromAugust1-3 and is setto be ahighlight of the Railway 200 celebrations taking placethis year. Historic locomotives at thelaunch were LNER A4 steamlocomotive 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley,Southern Region Merchant Navy steamlocomotive 35018 BritishIndia Line,and diesel locomotives 37800 Cassiopeia, 50049 Defiance,57307 Lady Penelope, 66315 and 69004 RIDC Melton Representing electric traction were newly-preserved 507001, 390200 Railway200,701003and 720503, which were on display forguestsattending the

Derbytrain-buildingfactory.Movement planning forthe launch wassupported by Network Rail, operating in conjunction with Alstom’steamatDerby.

The GreatestGathering –the largestrailway open day-style event organised foranumber of years–will provide visitorswith achance to seebehind thescenes at thehuge train building facility,the first time in morethan 50 yearsthatthe public havebeen permittedonthe site.

The highlight is the ex pec te d dis play of moret han 50 ro lling stock ex hibits, re presenting the pa st ,p re se nt and fu tu re of the railways. The organising team has nowstarted announcing the locomotives, units, and other railway exhibitsthatare expectedtobein attendance(see table).

BaggyShanker andentrepreneur,music producer and rail enthusiastPeteWaterman OBEstand infront of the newly-named 390200 Railway 200 (390016). Alstom

In addition,therewill be train rides along Litchurch Lane’s test track,with avariety of narrow-gaugetrains also in operation. Amodel railway village will featurelayoutsfromsome of the biggestnames in railway modelling, includinga section of Pete Waterman’s re co rd -brea king Ra ilnuts layout .Nameplate displays and trade stands will also be includedin the prominent railway celebratory festival.

As afamily-friendly event which is being supportedbythe wider industryand heritageoperators,interactivescience, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities will be featured, while career pathways intothe rail industrywill also be highlighted.

Fairground attractions, street food andlivemusic will addtothe festivalfeel, while historians and industryleaderswill take part in talks and discussions in the Mobility Theatre at the works facility.

Allprofits generated by the event will be split between Railway 200’s five chosen charities, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Benefit Fund, Railway Children, Railway Mission and Transport Bene volent Fund CIO, along with charitable railway heritagepartners. With capacity for 10,000 visitors on each of thethree days, the event wasdeclared asell out justbeforethisissue closed for pressinlateFebruary.

Ra ilw ay 200 is ap artne r- led programme of activities and events around the UK, supported by the rail industr y, the UK Government, TransportScotland,Transport for Wales, theNorthernIreland Executive, rail and business bodies, civic and community groups and awide ra ngeo fother pa rtners, including Visit Britain and the Museums Association.

Afull listofRailway 200 eventsand attractions canbefound at https:// railway200.co.uk

The Greatest Gathering standardgaugerollingstock exhibits announced as of the end of February2025

Class Identity Supplied by Steamlocomotives

LMS Jubilee 45596 Bahamas Bahamas LocomotiveSociety

LMS Jubilee 45599 Galatea WestCoast Railways

LMS RoyalScot46115 Scots Guardsman WestCoast Railways

Southern 35028 Clan Line Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society

Diesel locomotives

Class 08e 08308 PositiveTraction

Class 08 H3802 Severn ValleyRailway

Class 24 D5054 Phil Southern BuryTypeTwo Group

Class 33 Unspecified WestCoast Railways

Class 35 D7076 BuryHydraulic Group

Class 47 Unspecified WestCoast Railways

Class 50 50033 Glorious Class 50 Alliance

Class 55 55009 Alycidon Deltic Preservation Society

Class 55 D9015 Tulyar Deltic Preservation Society

Class 55 55019 RoyalHighland Fusilier Deltic Preservation Society

Class 60 Unspecified DCRail and Cappagh Group

Class 66 66301 Drax PowerStation GB Railfreight Electric locomotives

Unspecified

Class 91 91101 Flying Scotsman

Class

Class 93 Unspecified Rail Operations Group

Multiple units

Class 108 Unspecified DMU Group (WestMidlands)

Class 331 Unspecified Northern

Class 423 4VEP 3417 Gordon Pettitt Bluebell Railway and the SETG

Class 390 390119 Progress AvantiWestCoast

Class 755 Unspecified GreaterAnglia

Wagons

JNA-TWagon DCRail and Cappagh Group

IIA-D Biomass Hopper Drax Group

Avanti WestCoast managing directorAndyMellors, GB Railfreight chiefexecutive oficer John Smith OBE, Railway 200 programme managerEmma Roberts, Alstom Europe Region president Gian Luca Erbacci, AWCoperationsdeliverymanager James Dobson, Labour MP forDerbySouth

Avanti West CoastcelebratesRailway 200 withPendolinonamingand renumbering

THE ALSTOM event held at Derby Litchurch Lane to launch The Greatest Gathering also saw Avanti WestCoast temporarily renumber Class 390/0 nine-coach Pendolino 390016 as 390200, naming it Railway 200 in celebration of the historic anniversary.

The revised number is prominently displayed on the cabsides, while the Railway 200 logos arepositionedonthe cabfrontsdirectlybelowthe driver’s windscreen,and the electric multiple unit’scorrectoriginal fleetnumber is still featured on the upper section of the yellowwarningpanels on thecab front

This is atemporarymeasure, but the Pendolino is expectedtocarry the identity throughout the year.It remains oficially 390016onoperating diagrams worked by the train

It is intended to be used by theoperator in variousinitiatives this year for Railway 200, and 11-coach pride-liveried Class 390/1 classmate 390119 Progress has been announced as representing AWCatThe Greatest Gathering event on August1-3.

Managing director of Avanti West Coast, Andy Mellors, said: “Railway 200 is achancetocelebrate the important role the UK rail industryhas played in history during the last twocenturies. It’s our chancetotell the storyand inspire therailway workersofthe future

“Weshould be proud of thepart we haveplayed and look forwardto itsexciting future. Our newly-named Railway200 Pendolino will be seen on the length and breadth of the West CoastMain Line, arouteatthe heart of the UK’s rail network and is justone of anumber of eventswehaveplanned in the coming months.”

The operator also announced plans to attemptanother non-stoprun betweenLondonand Glasgow later

IN BRIEF

Merseyrail fundraising officer Alex Rigbyishoping to raise morethan £35,000 fordomestic abuse charity Centre56bytakingona unique ultramarathon challenge on February28. Mr Rigby’s107-mile routewill cover the full Merseyrail Network,visiting all 69 stations on the Wirral and Northern Lines, and follows a60-mile ultra marathon taking in all Merseyrail’s Northern line stations which he completedin2024. Centre56isa placeofsafetyfor families in Kirkdale and provides specialist nurserycare forchildren who haveexperienced domestic abuse or crisis situations.

Transport forWales is supporting wellbeing and reducing loneliness in men by providing anew Men’s Shed forthe local community at MilfordHaven station. Men’s Sheds arecommunity spaces where individualscome together to make, repair,and repurpose items,all while supporting projects in their local communities. The facility at MilfordHaven Station will provide a placefor the community to connect and build friendships,shareskills and knowledge, and reduce feelings of loneliness. As it is forthe use of the community,members candecide howtheyfeel the space should be used.

Avanti has confirmed thatitisarranginganother attemptatbreakingthe time record foranon-stoprun between London and Glasgow as part of the Railway 200 celebrations. The operator’sprevious attempttook placeonJune17, 2021, with 390044 RoyalScot narrowly failing to breakthe 1984 record-breakingrun.Duringthe lastattempt, 390044 heads through Docker on the WestCoast Main Line. TomMcAtee this year,aiming to beat the record of three hours, 52 minutes and 40 seconds which wasset in 1984. At the time this issue went to press, adatefor the latest record-breaking attempthad notbeen confirmed, but the operatorwas hoping it would take placebeforeEaster.

Aprevious attemptbyAvanti to beat therecordwas held on June 17, 2021, where390044 RoyalScot completedthe runinthree hours, 53 mi nu te sa nd on es ec ond , narrowly missingout on the record by just21seconds.

TheRailway 200campaignhas launcheda newtimeline, featuringmaps, audio, explainervideosand more.The timeline includes 65 momentsintime, beginninginthe 1700s when wooden trackwas used to haul coal across theNorth East usinghorses, andends with therecentGovernmentlegislation introduced to nationalisemostofthe passenger railway network. Thetimelinecan be viewed at www.railway200.co.uk/timeline/. NetworkRail

Greater Angliahas invested £285,000 in aproject to upgrade and refurbish the platform canopies at Cambridge station. The original life-expired glazing wasreplaced with 200 new polycarbonateglazing panels along the entirelengthofthe canopies over Platforms 1and 4 as part of thework, which was completedonDecember 27-30. The replacement glazing nowprovides morelight to theplatforms, while creating amorecomfortable environment forpassengers waiting on the station during inclement weather conditions.

TransPennine Express has launched anew graduate scheme, offering opportunities forpeople looking to embark on acareer in the rail industry. Four placements areonoffer forrecent university graduates, covering multiple areas in the business including corporatemanagement, customer experience, dataand insight,engineering, financeand major projects.TPE is looking for candidates who areenthusiastic about learning, havestrong communication skills, and a passion foroutstanding customer service. The roles offer successful candidates thechancetogain ablendofpracticalexperience and formal learning alongside experienced professionals.

The new-look AvantiWestCoast Pendolino renumbered 390200 Railway 200 wasunveiled at the launch event forThe Greatest Gathering event at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane works in Derby on January30. Avanti WestCoast

Electrostars areleasedbyGovia Thameslink Railway to improve GreatNor thernser vices

GOVIA THAMESLINK Railway(GTR) is leasing the 30 four-coach Class 379 Electrostarelectric multiple unitsfor use on itsGreat Northern operation, with the first of the trains entering serviceonFebruary 10.

The first twounits– 379002 and 379022 –entered trafic with Great Northern as an eight-coach formation, wo rking the 17.42 ser vice from London King’sCross to Letchworth Garden City,beforeworking the 07.45 Letchworth Garden Cityto London King’s Cross train the following morning. It is intended thatthe Class 379s will continue to work these twospecific services each weekday, with further Class 379s being brought intouse laterinthe year

GT Rs aid thatt he leasing of the Class 379 fleetwill allowitto provide additional services between King’s Lynn, Cambridge and Londonfrom the December2025 timetable change. Additionally,the introductionofthe Class 379s will allowGTR to release a number of itsdual-voltageClass 387s to work on Thameslink servicessouth of London on thethird rail network.

The Electrostars were originally built in 2011 and lastinservice with Greater Anglia, prior to being takenout of use in

2022 as Greater Anglia wascompleting itstrain fleetreplacement programme In recent months, the trains havebeen in storeatthe HNRC Sweitelsky facility at WorksopinNottinghamshire

The Class 379s were built by Bombardier at DerbyLitchurchLane (now Alstom) and arenow owned by Porterbrook,withthe leasing company acquiring the fleetfromAkieminMarch 2024.

Linkedtothe GTRdealfor the Class 379s, Alstomhas signed a£24.5 million variation contracttoassistwith the reactivation of the 30-strong fleet.

As part of the variation contract under the current Technical Support and Spar es Supp ly Agr eement (TSSSA), Alstomisproviding both engineering and on-train technical support to ensurethe first unitswereable to enterserviceassoon as possible.

The trains arealso the first GTR fleettou ti lise Alsto m’sH ea lthHub web-based platform thatanalyses and displays all data captured by thetrain when it is operating, providing real-time monitoring that alerts maintenanceteams if thereis anything wrongwiththe train.

Govia Thameslink Railwayisleasing the 30 four-coach Class 379 Electrostarsfrom Porterbrook foruse on itsGreat Northern Services, with Alstomcontractedto provide engineering and on-train support forthe fleet. The first of the trains were returned to serviceonFebruary10, with 379002 and 379022 working the 17.42 GreatNorthern servicefromLondon King’sCross to Letchworth Garden City. Alstom

Severalnew rolesare being supported by the variation contract, with work being carried out at existing Alstom sites, including at CreweWorks,which is nowresponsible foroverhauling the Class 379 bogies, alongside the overhaul of heating,ventilation andair conditioning (HVAC)unitsfor the trains.

The original TSSSAwas signed between Alstomand GTRinOctober 2022 forabout £256 million, with aduration thataligns with the length of the operator ’s National Rail Contract. This contracthas seen Alstomcontinue to support the Class 377 and Class 387 Electrostar fleets currently in operation on GTR’s Southern,GatwickExpress and Great Northern services.

Re -powered Class08HydroShunter launched at Severn Valley Railway

Forits launch on January31, H3802 (08635) made shortdemonstration runs along the platform at KidderminsterTownstation at the Severn Valley Railway.The main external diferenceisonthis side of theClass08, withanew cabinetfittedinfront of the air filtersand acharging socket on the front of the lead cabinet. Aproduction conversion would notrequirethe new cabinet,withthe equipmentinstead fitted inside the repurposed fuel tank SimonBendall

The latest projecttore-engineer a Class 08 waspublicly demonstrated forthe first time at Kidderminsteron the Severn ValleyRailway on January31. Dubbed the HydroShunter,the scheme to re-power08635isacollaboration betweenVanguardSustainable Transport Solutions and the SVR and is the culmination of four years of work to date

The first stageofthe rebuild saw the shunter converted to batter y power, with charging carried out via

ashore-supply.Ultimately,itwill be fittedwith ahydrogenfuel cell to charge thebatteries whileitisinoperation. This work will be the next phase of the conversion, with Vanguard having already obtained the fuel cell.

The SVR acquired 08635 from the Stocktonscrapyard of TJ Thomson in April 2007, originally to serve as aparts donor,with it eventually moving inside the carriageshed forstorage and out of sight.With no immediate use, the shunter wasmade available forthe

Positive Traction securesanorder from Heidelberg Materialsfor 08elocomotive

Following successful trials of PositiveTraction’s prototype 08e battery shunting locomotives at Whatley QuarryinSomersetlastyear, HeidelbergMaterials has ordered one of the locomotives from the company

Heidelberghostedthe prototype 08e locomotive, 08308, at itsSomerset quarryfacility fortwo weeks of trials in October,wherethe battery locomotive

project,with ateamofyoungvolunteersfromthe railway leading the initial phase of the rebuild from 2021.

This saw the shunter stripped down inside Kidderminsterdiesel depot, with auxiliarycomponents overhauled and the engine bay prepared forthe newtractionequipment.Corrosion wasdealt with externally and the locomotivewas then repainted intoavariation of InterCity colours,the shade of upper grey being the mostobvious diferencewith amuch stronger green tint

The locomotivewas also given its original number of 3802 but withthe ‘D’ diesel prefix replacedwith an ‘H’ forhydrogen. The volunteersand facilities available at the SVR have played asignificant role in creating the HydroShunter and this is reflected on a‘Rebuilt 2024 Kidderminster’ worksplate,applied on the cabsides beneaththe locomotive number.

The main conversion work began with the installation of anew steel bedplate ontowhich wasfitteda bank of lead acid batteries. These were utilised in favour of lithium batteries to regain some of the weight lost by the removalofthe English Electric engineand generator.Equally, the radiatorcasingwas retained to keep weight over thefront of theshunter, although it is nowdevoid of acooling fanand radiatorelements

One aim of the projectistodevelop ashunter thatcan work forabout24

converted by PositiveTractioninto itsfirst zero-emission battery shunting locomotive, whichwill support internal rail operations at Whatley, one of the UK’s leading quarryfacilities. Work on itsconversion is now underwayatPositiveTraction’s Chesterfield facility,and it is expectedto move to Whatleyfollowing completion at some point in the summer

hoursbeforeneeding itshydrogentank refilled, although this specification will only apply to production conversions. As aprototype, 08635 is designed to provethe conceptand will havea smaller-capacity hydrogen fuel cell as aresult.Vanguardalso envisages that ahydrogen-powered shunter would havebetteravailability than both diesel and purely battery-poweredequivalentsasthereisnotime losttopreparation, such as priming theengine or stopping to recharge the batteries.

Arequirement of the projectwas thatthe Class 08, which remainsin the ownership of the SVR, should be convertible back to diesel powerin the futureifrequired. As aresult,its bodywork is largely unaltered, with the existing traction motors and cab controls retained. Futureconversions would, forexample, see the redundant fuel tanks repurposed as equipment cabinets,removing the need forthe newexternal cabinetthatfeatures on onesideofthe runningplate on 08635 along with other boxesinside the cab.

The partnership between the railway and Vanguardhas allowedthe Severn Valleytofulfilseveral of itsobjectives, with the projectbringing in some commercial work to thewell-equipped diesel depot, as well as allowing links to be forged with the widerrail industry. Createdfiveyears ago, Vanguard initially carried out all the design and feasibility work,aswellasobtaining the newpower equipment.

2019 baseline and to be fully carbon neutral by 2050.

wasput through its pacesand itsperformancemonitoredona rangeofloads and gradient workings. The prototype 08e used forthe testing wasconfigured with twoPTPowerpod batterypods, which deliveredsuficientpowertohaul morethan 1000 tonnes up thesteepest gradientswith someheadroom.

Heidelberghas nowsupplied 08296 from itsfleetasthe recipient to be

The HeidelbergM ateria ls 08e production shunter will be upgraded to zero-emissionsoperation and equipped with six upgraded battery pods, giving atotal of morethan 600kW hoursofavailable energy This willallowthe production locomotivetocompleteafull shift of constant activity underheavy load with agood margin. The production shunter will also have redesignedand improved traction andauxiliary units, informed by theexperiencegained during trials of the prototype.

Hei delbergM aterial’sU Ka rea general manager,Vincent Pitt, said: “Our order fora batter ypowered 08e shunterispart of Heidelberg’ Mate rials’2 030 co mmitment to reducescope threeemissionsin deliverytransport by 15% from our

“Wewereenormously impressed by the trial of the prototype 08e, easily mastering 1000-tonne aggregate trains on whatisasteep and challenging internal quarrynetwork in places. By ofering a donor vehicle forconversion by the PositiveTraction team,wecan capitalise on our existing assets and securethe longterm futureofthese powerful shunting locomotives in asustainableway.”

PositiveTractiondirectorAlistair Gregorysaid: “I’dliketothank the HeidelbergMaterials team at WhatleyQuarry forinvitingustotrial theprototype 08e lastyearand fortheir swif move in placing an order foran08e designed with their specific and demanding requirementsinmind. All of us at PositiveTraction arehugelyexcited by Heidelberg Materials’recognition of the opportunities presented by repurposing existing traction to meetthe zero emissions demands of tomorrow’s railway.”

WhatleyQuarrysupplies about four milliontonnes of material by rail each year,supporting construction activities around the country, including national infrastructureprojects

ACGI render of 08296 following conversion as an 08e locomotive,carryingamockup of Heidelberg’sliveryonthe batteryshunter. Antonio Serban/Positive Traction

NinthDBCargo Class66/6conversionenterstrafic

On itsfirst workings following completion of itsregearing conversion, 66659 passes Sleafordstation working 6E02, the 12.30 TotontoBostonSleafordSidings empty steel hoods, on January24. As withthe other conversions,66659 spent much of itsinitial duties working on thesteel trains between Boston Sleafordand Wolverhampton. David Barnsdale

RegearedDBCargo 66659emerged from TotondepotinNottinghamshire in January, as theconversion of a number of DBC Class 66s forworking heaviertrainsasreplacementsfor the withdrawn DBC Class 60 continues. The latest regearedlocomotivehas been converted from 66171and re-enteredserviceonJanuary 24, working

theToton to Boston Sleaford Sidings empty steel hoods, before spending the next fewdays working the steel trains between BostonSleafordand WolverhamptonSteel Terminal. 66659 nowjoins the previous eight DBC regearedClass 66/6s which have been completedand entered trafic with the operator between April and

DB Cargo Class 66/6 Conversions: February2025

LocomotivePrevious identity Entered service

66651 66221 April 2024

66652 66164 May 2024

66653 66194 June 2024

66654 66149 July 2024

66655 66167 August2024

66656 66156 September 2024

66657 66183 November 2024

66658 66147 December2024

66659 66171 January2025

66660 66161 February2025

December 2024. The regeared freight locomotives havealowergearratio, enabling them to haul heavier trains than an unmodified Class 66, and the projectnow involves the conversion of 15 Class 66s, rather than the 10 originally announced by the freight operator when theClass 60swere withdrawn in Januarylastyear.

Work on the conversion of 66161 to become 66660 wasprogressing as this issue wasbeing prepared,with 66155/165/172/181/197 currently in the WBHT pool, which is being used forthose locomotives involvedinthe Class 66/6 project, although the identityofselected locomotivesfor regearing is subjecttochange.

ColasRailFreight stores threeofits Class56fleet

light engine, 56094 passes Elfordworking fromBescotUpEngineers

to RectoryJunction on January28. In need of an overhaul, upon arrival at the Boden Railway Engineering depotfacilityinColwick,Nottingham, the Class 56 wasstored. Paul Keightley

Fo llo wing much speculati on i n recent monthsabout thefutureof thefreight locomotives, ColasRail Freight has stored three of itsClass 56s, with 56087/094/096all oficially removedfromservicewith the operatoratthe end of January. While both 56087 and 56096 had been out of trafic forsome time at Boden Rail Engineering’sdepot at Colwick,Nottingham, 56094 wasoperational but in need of an overhaul, the funding forwhich has notbeen

approved.56094 wastemporarilyreinstateda week lateronFebruary5,due to ashort term traction shortage. Colas’sremaining operationalfleet of Class 56s consists of 56049/051/078/090, 56105/113 and 56302, while the freight company also has Class 37s and Class 43 HSTpower cars,Class 66s and apair of Class67s in itslocomotive fleet. The company also hires anumber of Class 37s from HNRC Swietelsky Altho ugh the Class 56s inherited from British Ra il fo llowi ng

privatisation soon fell out of favour with English Welsh &Scottish Railway (nowDBCargo), alarge numberof the locomotives survived. While Colas had the largest number of the locomotives returned to service, some were also revived foruse by DC Rail, GB Railfreight andUKRL. Three of the locomotives were also exported to HungarybyEurophoenix However, although GBRf still has 56098 in itsfleet andDCR also has

56103 operational in itsfleet, the vast majority of thesur viving Class 56s havebeen takenonbyGBRf for conversion intoClass 69s, with 16 of thelocomotives involvedinthe projectatProgress Rail.

The GBRf Class69project is now at an a dvanced stag e, with 14 conversions nowcompletedand just56009 and 56097 still to emerge from Longport as 69015 and 69016 respectively.

Welcome back:Colas Rail Freight’s37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 has returned to trafic following amajor overhaul by Boden Railway Engineering at Colwick depot. Visually,the cabfrontsofthe Class 37 havebeen modified with the former split headcode boxesremoved, and the locomotivehas been fully repainted. Afer successful testing and recommissioning, it returned to trafic in early Februaryand stands on Platform 4atDerbyonFebruary3,working a Network Rail test train with on-hire37402 Oor Wullie on the rear. James Hartley

Running

Sidings

CoachingStock News

Yarmouth arrivals

TheEastern Rail Services Mk.3 stock employedonthe latest Class 93 test runs between Creweand Carlisle wastransferred to Castle Donnington on February1 andthen continued onwards to Great Yarmouth 10 days later. 37901 wasinsole charge of the second working, returning 10229, 10413, 11078/095, 12021/064/091/098 and 82306.

On February12, the Mirrlees-engined Type 3set out forEly Papworth with the Mk.2f trio of 5919, 6046 and 9525toact as barrier coaches to collectHST trailers40715, 40734, 42024, 42506 and 42584. Theconsist then headed back to Yarmouth laterthatafernoon, but 5919 subsequently derailed on onebogieas the train wasshunted intothe carriage sidings. Recovery wascarriedout overnight,with the move completedthe following morning.

Meanwhile, recently acquired Mk.2f FO 3351 is the latest coach to be repainted by ERSinits newcovered accommodation at Yarmouth, swapping itsprevious chocolate and cream coloursfor acoatofunbranded teal, as used on the Caledonian Sleeper stock.

DVTdemise

Mk.3bDVT 82113 wasdisposedof from the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway on January 22 following theprevious

Unit News

Networkersfor scrap

The scrapping of stored members of the Class 465 and Class 466 fleets has commenced in earnest, with the first four complete sets being dispatched to Unimetals at Newport Docksinmid-February. Previously, only the heavily stripped centrecars of 465235 had been sent fordisposal, with 72787 and 72788 going by road to Booth’s from Wabtec, Doncaster, at the end of July lastyear.

First to head forSouth Wales on February11were466005 and 466032 behind 37800, the convoluted cross-country routetaking in Peterborough, Loughborough, Burton and Cheltenham. Two days later, the Type 3repeatedthe journeywith 466004 and 466009.

Acceptancemilestone for Welsh Class 197s

All 26 of the three-car Class 197/1 sets arenow in passenger service followingthe debutof197126 on February 1, partnering with 197116 to work 1V94, the 08.13 Holyhead to Cardif forwardfromChester,with thepair taking over the diagram from 197121.

The penultimate three-carset to makeits passenger entry, 197123, did so on January21, forming 2D50, the 06.20 Llandudno Junction to Llandudno,and then 1H82, the 06.42 Llandudno to ManchesterAirport,working as farasChester.

completion of itstractiondevelopment role. The former WestCoast DVTwas originally acquired by Artemis Intelligent Powerin2017 forconversion intoaself-poweredvehicle forexperimentswith hydraulic motors,with this work including modifying the former guard’sareaintoasecondcab.This saw the vehicle unoficially designatedasa Class 19 and numbered 19001, although the number wasnever actually carried.

It laterpassed to Lenz Labs in 2022 formagnetic wheel adhesion tests, but subsequently languishedout of use once these trials were completed. Its final move wasbyroadtothe Gogar scrapyard of Dalton Demolition Ltd.

WestCoast news

Twomoreofthe former RivieraTrains coaches acquired by West CoastRailways lastyearhavebeen treatedtoa repaintatCarnforth, with theMk.2f First Open (FO) pair of 3334 and 3336 nowpainted intomaroon, having previously retained obsolete Anglia Railways turquoise. The duo made their first outing with their newlook on January22, departingCarnforth bound forSouthall behind 47848. Twomoreof the WCRMk.1s hired to preservedlines forfestive purposes havebeen returned to Carnforth, with 5035 and 99328 departingthe Spa

The latest of the two-carsets–fittedwith currently isolatedETCS cab signalling –tosee passenger useis197028, appearing on January29toform1K02, the 04.37 Llandudno Junction to Crewe, and the 1D50 06.17 departure back to Chester. Meanwhile, 197022 wasretrieved from storeatLongMarston on January20, with 37608 and 37510 topand tailing it to CreweSouth Yard In South Wales, 12 of theClass 756/1 sub-class havenow carried passengers with 756112 debutingon2M00, the 05.24CardifCentral to Merthyr Tydfil, on February3,while 756102 did likewise the followingday

Training role forClass 314

Gibson’s Engineering has confirmed thatthe sole-remainingClass 314 EMU has afuture, forthe moment at least, with the settoberetainedatGlasgow Works to serveasa hands-on training aidfor the company’snew engineering academy.614209 (formerly 314209) arrivedat Springburnfromthe Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway at the beginning of Januaryfor the removalofits hydrogentractionequipment on behalfof the University of St Andrews.

Bletchleyreceives EastWestRail Class196s

The introduction of passenger services over the completedfirst phase ofthe East-WestRail routebetween Oxford andMiltonKeynesmoved astepcloser on February14withthe arrivalofthe

Returning hometoCrewe DepotfollowingrepaintingbyArlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh Works, LocomotiveServices Group’s D1935 RogerHoskingMA1925-2013 (47805) heads through Reading Weststation on February 9, hauling Statesman coaches 17056, 3231, 3229 and3384, alongwith MidlandPullman HSTtrailer 41059. Spencer Conquest

ValleyRailwaybyroadinlate Januaryand early Februaryrespectively

Mk.3 movements

ScotRail Mk.3 TS 42345 departed Inverness depotbyroadonFebruary4for thelengthy journeytothe Brodie Rail workshops at Kilmarnock As aresult,HST setHA05iscurrently running as four coachesformed of 40605, 42183, 42559 and 42029, which also includes twoofthe trailersthatcan usually be found in HA04. Meanwhile, newly repaintedMk.3 sleeper 10616 wasreturned to Reading depotfromEastleigh on January25, sandwiched between 50008

first three Class 196s at Bletchleydepot. Running as 5Q77, the 14.49 departure from Tyseley, 196008, 196011 and 196012 will be used fordriver training purposes over the coming weeks. Six of the two-carunits arebeing sub-leased from WestMidlands Railwaytoformthe initial services but are expectedtobereplaced by newstock as the line develops. The other units will be 196007, 196009 and 196010, with dailyservicing to be carried out at the expanded BletchleyTMD, but with areturn to Tyseleyfor heavier exams.

c2c to the sea

Thecascade of Electrostars between Great Northern andSouthern sawa

and 50007. The same afernoon saw 17173 makethe return trip behind asolitary50008 and the twowere reunited again on February8as Thunderer took the nowrefreshed Night Rivierabrake coach back to Reading.

Mk.5 exchange

The periodic exchangeofMk.5sets between Longsight and Long Marston took placeoncemoreonFebruary 5with 68019 delivering setTP09 (11509, 12725-727, 12809) back into store. The Class 68 then returned to Manchesterwith TP02 in towfor an exam, this setcomprising of 11502, 12704-706 and 12814.

further setheadsouth of the Thames in late January, with former c2cset 387302 arriving at Brighton Lovers Walk to be prepared fortrafic. This wassoon completedwith the unit notedinservice on February4,this being itsfourth operatoraferc2c, GWRand GreatNorthern. Meanwhile, 379021 and379024 became thelatestpairofClass 379s to be delivered to Hornseytobe prepared fortrafic with Great NorthernonFebruary 14,with57303 bringing them south from Worksop. Previously,onJanuary22, 57310 hauled 379001 and 379010 from Peterborough Nene carriagesidings to WembleyYardfor further warm storagewhile theyawait areturn to passenger use.

Rail Operations Group’s 37800 Cassiopeia hauls former Southeastern Networkers 466032 and 466005 from the PotterGroupssiteatEly Papworth Sidings for scrapping at Unimetals at Newport on February11, with the train passing Lansdown Loop in Cheltenham Chris Perkins