Tabla de contenidos para Issue 1019 en RAIL

Heathrow Express is offering passengers a chance to brush up on their foreign language skills and learn 15 phrases in just 15 minutes - the time it takes the train from Heathrow Airport from London Paddington. The operator commissioned research which found that 23% of Britons would love to learn a local language while travelling, but don’t out of fear they’ll embarrass themselves. The company has teamed up with Wouter Corduwener, who speaks 29 languages, to host 15-minute masterclasses. Passengers can book a slot on the Heathrow Express Instagram account.…

Nexus, the operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro, has clarified rules on taking photographs on trains and at stations. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Nexus said: “We’re happy for people to take ‘family snaps’ and selfies while on Metro, but if you’re interested in the stations or trains for larger projects - including as an enthusiast - you can speak to us first to gain permission.” Its website states that any request for photography or filming should go through the customer relations team, giving two weeks’ notice.…

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its report into a collision at Aviemore station on the Strathspey Railway on September 29 2023, in which the steam locomotive Flying Scotsman, travelling tender first, was in collision with coaches of the ‘Royal Scotsman’ train. Investigators concluded that poor visibility meant the driver was not aware how close the coaches were. There were six people in the cab, but no one raised a warning because of ambiguity of roles. RAIB makes one recommendation to Strathspey Railway Company to review its management of special events and foreseeable abnormal operations.…

A Japanese bullet train nose cone has gone on display in London, to mark 60 years since the first-generation Shinkansen entered service. Japan House is marking the anniversary with events including an exhibition (running from October 2) which features a window display of ‘eki-ben’ bento boxes - lunch boxes which are sold at railway stations in Japan. It’s the first time this nose cone has been displayed outside Japan. More than a metre tall and weighing 80kg, the nose cone was used for the very last journey of the original ‘Series 0’ Shinkansen on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line, and is commemoratively printed with the date. Visitors can see the display until January 2025.…

Direct services between the cities of Bristol and Oxford have returned for the first time since 2003. The first service departed from Bristol Temple Meads at 1018 on September 14, with the return leaving Oxford at 1203. It also restores a lost link between Swindon and Oxford. Previously, passengers had to change at Didcot, whereas the direct road link on the A420 is shorter. However, the train is a trial Saturday-only service with two round trips a day, allowing only five hours in each city for leisure day trips. And Great Western Railway has only committed to running until December. It says connecting the Bath and Oxford Christmas markets is part of its purpose, as it assesses demand for the service. The journey takes 1hr 11mins, much quicker than the…

With thanks to our sponsors GREATER Anglia and ScotRail led the way at RAIL’s National Rail Awards 2024. This year’s awards attracted a record number of entries, and 1,100 people from across the industry gathered at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on September 12 to celebrate the very best in railway excellence. Dubbed the ‘Railway Oscars’, this year’s event was hosted by television presenter Nick Knowles. And it was a successful night for Greater Anglia, which scooped three awards including Passenger Operator of the Year. It had won the blue riband award in 2022, and regained its title after an excellent year, with NRA judges commenting that they “quickly agreed” on the strength of the entry (see feature, pages 38-41). The company also picked up the Fleet Achievement Award for its…

Research by Greenpeace and transport think tank Greengauge 21 is advocating a “climate card” subscription system where it could cost as little as £49 a month to access train travel across all services in the UK. The Fare Britannia report estimates that it would mean a loss of revenues of between £45 million and £650m, depending on the scheme’s uptake. While this would be subsidised by the government, it would be offset by the expected increased demand, which the report believes could be an additional 122 million rail trips per year. It also proposes that top-up fees for ‘inter-city’ travel and London suburban travel could be introduced. It recommends a phased introduction across the network, including in devolved Scotland and Wales. Paul Morozzo, a senior transport campaigner at Greenpeace UK,…

WEST Coast Railways has purchased all the remaining coaches owned by Riviera Trains, giving it at least three further full sets of coaches fitted with Central Door Locking (CDL). The company has been short of coaching stock for several months, after losing an injunction with the Office of Rail and Road over fitting CDL to its Mk 1 fleet. WCR owner David Smith has refused to fit CDL to the company’s Mk 1 stock and has had to use what few CDL Mk 2s it has, alongside hiring in coaches from Riviera, to run its ‘Jacobite’ steam trips from Fort William to Mallaig and other charters (RAIL 1006). The deal will allow WCR to return to the market for taking on more third-party work. It does not mean the end…

Brodie Engineering has welcomed the first of eight Northern Class 158s (158752-759) into its Caledonia Works in Kilmarnock for a C6 overhaul, interior refresh, and exterior paint and relivery. The units, leased via Porterbrook, will go through a range of examination and overhaul tasks on areas including bodysides, cabs, windows, electrical circuitry such as relays/MCBs, doors, flooring, toilets, gangways, interior seating and furniture. The first to be treated is 158752, which has already been prepared for paint and carriage interior strip-out work.…

THE Severn Valley Railway has purchased a three-car Class 101 Metro-Cammell diesel multiple unit set from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, to boost its railcar fleet. The vehicles are 50170, 50253 and 59303 - the former two cars have previously appeared at the SVR during the Railcar 50 event in 2004. The unit is in its original, as-built, condition in BR green. The set was moved by Allelys on September 11. “These latest residents will be a welcome addition. We already have a Class 108 DMU at the railway, and the return-to-service of three of its vehicles last year has proved incredibly useful,” said SVR Managing Director Gus Dunster. “These agile vehicles are ideal for running shuttle services along parts of the line, and for providing shorter trains at times when…

NetworkNews Contributions for by far the UK’s most published column by the same author - now in its 43rd year -are most welcome from all sources. Personal observations, society magazines, website printouts and live links, transport group newsletters and media cuttings (with dates, please) are sought to maintain topicality. Please email your contributions direct to hj@howardjohnston.co.uk, or rail@bauermedia.co.uk WESTERN High Wycombe: Buckinghamshire New University students and the Chiltern Rangers community group have been enlisted to improve the station’s appearance. Lydney: The third phase of strengthening the Gloucester-Severn Tunnel Junction route has been completed, with three miles of rock bolts and rockfall netting installed in the cutting. Drainage work has also taken place inside Newnham Tunnel. Truthall: The Helston Railway is fundraising for a one-mile extension towards the former southern terminus…

OF the many issues facing the Labour government’s transport team, the least discussed has been the future of HS2. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has said she will make a statement. But there is little sign of that coming in the near future, as the focus has very much been on the ‘renationalisation’ of train operations. HS2 is seen as a problem for the longer term, and therefore decisions can wait. But that is a mistake. Not only is an immediate decision required on what to do about the tunnel boring machines which need to run between Old Oak Common and the approach to Euston, but the fate of the biggest infrastructure investment this country has ever seen in a single project cannot be allowed to remain uncertain. I have had…

Opinion Industry Insider ALTHOUGH the most recent rail freight traffic figures published by the Office of Rail and Road, for the quarter between April and June 2024, reveal a year-on-year increase of 7% in net tonne kilometres (ntkm) hauled, it remains below the figure recorded five years ago. Within the total of 4.18 billion ntkm, maritime intermodal movements serving rail-connected ports and inland distribution centres remained the largest component, making up 33.7% of traffic. But there was a small decline in activity compared with a year ago. And the same applied to conveying construction materials, which is the second largest category (33.5% of what is hauled). Two smaller elements of activity did show significant growth, with domestic intermodal growing by 89% to reach an 8.1% share of traffic, as a result…

A new cheaper alternative to the cancelled HS2 northern leg has been proposed by a consortium backed by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. The 50-mile-long railway would also be slower than HS2, but still deliver the majority of the benefits, according to a new report. The Opportunity Through Connectivity document has been put together by a consortium of consultants and construction specialists. It follows a major review chaired by former non-executive chairman of HS2 Sir David Higgins and led by consultancy firm Arup. The report backs construction of a new line - the Midlands-North West Rail Link (MNWRL) - running from Handsacre (near Lichfield) through to Crewe and then onto High Legh near Manchester Airport. The new line would link HS2 Phase 1 with the proposed…

IT’S “not too late” for Transport Secretary Louise Haigh to change course on public ownership and get “the best of both worlds”, says Rail Partners Chief Executive Andy Bagnall. Haigh told delegates at Labour’s annual conference that she was “ripping up the very roots of Thatcherism” in bringing rail services back into public operation. She said privatisation had “left us with a system that served no one other than its shareholders”. In her speech in Liverpool on September 23, she said: “Privatisation of our transport is not pragmatism. It hasn’t spurred innovation. It hasn’t made things better. It belongs to a past that failed.” Labour’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords, sets out “for passenger railway services to be provided by…

South Western Railway says an average of at least five mobile phones have been lost on its network every day since the iPhone 15 launched last year. More than 1,750 phones have been logged by SWR’s lost property team since September 22 2023. But the true number of lost devices is likely to be significantly higher, as not all lost property is handed in and not everyone reports their device as missing. With the launch of the new iPhone 16, priced from £799, SWR estimates that the value of phones lost on its network in the past year may well exceed £1 million.…

A record number of people used public transport at this year’s Great North Run on September 8. There were 146,000 customer journeys made on the Tyne and Wear Metro, local buses and the Shields Ferry - an increase of almost 20% in the past two years. Passengers were able to take advantage of a £6 Great North Run Rover wristband, giving unlimited all-day travel. The Tyne and Wear Metro itself registered 119,000 customer journeys - a 13.9% increase on last year’s event, and 10% more than in 2022.…

A UK project to develop new powerful underfloor batteries could be the beginning of the end of the diesel multiple unit and save the need for expensive electrification. The government is a 50:50 investor in a £1.4 million technology project that is claimed could be ideal for inter-city, regional and commuter routes. The idea is to develop batteries that are small enough to fit under train floors - hitherto a major barrier to their widespread introduction. Hitachi Rail UK is eyeing up world export markets in its collaboration with government-backed agency Innovate UK, the University of Birmingham, and the German-owned DB ESG consultancy. Hitachi said in a statement on September 19 that it is “supporting British innovation and skills” to produce a new battery pack that is 40% smaller but…

A resolution to the pay dispute at ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper is in sight, with members of three of the four unions involved voting to accept a revised 2024 offer. Voting ‘yes’ are members at the TSSA, RMT and Unite. As this issue of RAIL went to press, ASLEF’s ballot was due to close on September 25, with the result expected the following week. Details of the offer have not been released, after an agreement between the unions and ScotRail that it would not be shared with the press. All four unions had balloted their members for strikes, after rejecting the Scottish government’s three-year, capped, below-inflation pay offer to April 2027, with 2% in year one and 1% in year two (RAIL 1015). The dispute affects all ScotRail operational staff,…

Great Western Railway has been conducting a series of test runs between Reading and London Euston, as it prepares for lengthy service disruption. For periods over the next four years, GWR trains will be unable to pass Old Oak Common, while a new station is built to connect the Great Western with HS2 services. A key issue during testing is to ensure the customer information screens work on the diversionary route. This includes automated announcements and reservation systems, so that booked seats turn red, amber or green on departure. The test runs, using bi-mode Hitachi Class 801 and ‘802’ trains, have all been conducted under diesel power. But the expectation is that passenger services will run on overhead wires. The first closures are on Sunday November 17 and from December…

Harry Needle Railroad Company has completed the overhaul and repaint of 20906, one of two locomotives it has based at the Hope Cement works. The locomotive was due to return from Barrow Hill to the Derbyshire cement works in late September (as this issue of RAIL went to press). It is now ex-works in Breedon blue and yellow livery, in the same style as the other Class 20 HNRC has on hire - 20168 Sir George Earle. HNRC has 20309 as a spare cover locomotive at Hope. Unlike 20168/906, this has not been treated to silencer modifications to reduce the Class 20s’ familiar whistling noise, to appease local residents. It is therefore only used sparingly, and not at night. Meanwhile, HNRC has taken delivery of its second Class 33 that…

The first preserved Class 58 to run under its own power (58023) has been collected from Leicester and moved to the Severn Valley Railway. The move was undertaken on September 14, when 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance ran light from Kidderminster to collect the Type 5. It was then returned to Kidderminster in between the two Class 50s. 58023 had undertaken some moves under its own power within the confines of Leicester depot, but not long after its transfer it undertook a light engine test run on the SVR - the first time a Class 58 has moved under its own power for any distance in the UK in over 22 years. More shakedown runs passed the locomotive as fit for traffic, and all being well it should be able…

MOVE over High Speed 2 Phase 2a… the ‘Staffordshire Connector’ is coming. That’s the gist of a report produced at the prompting of two powerful metro mayors representing Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. While Andy Burnham is still in place in Manchester, elections earlier this year toppled his former partner Andy Street in favour of Labour’s Richard Parker. But that didn’t stop the work which Conservative mayor Street had championed hard after then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled HS2 entirely north of Birmingham (RAIL 994). And while Burnham and Street both stressed last February that they were not looking to reverse Sunak’s decision and reinstate HS2 - “This is not HS2 by the back door,” said Burnham back then (RAIL 1003)- the Staffordshire Connector will follow the same route if…

What makes an excellent train operating company on today’s railway? It’s more than just the service it provides. It’s more than just the trains it runs. While these two things are fundamental, an excellent train operating company (TOC) in 2024 is also a forward-thinking and customer-focused company that places the community it serves at the heart of what it does. Delivering this is a challenge for all passenger operators - year in, year out. However, one TOC has been doing this better and more consistently than most. Greater Anglia, named Passenger Operator of the Year 2024 at RAIL’s National Rail Awards, has also improved in many of the key areas where operators are measured. Its success is testament to planning and focus in a challenging environment, alongside a commitment to…

FIRSTGROUP has taken over Ian Yeowart’s Grand Union Trains Stirling-London open access operation, which holds five-year track access rights and is proposed to start in June 2025. Having acquired Grand Union Trains WCML Holdings Ltd and its Grand Union Trains Ltd operating subsidiary from Yeowart, the deal gives FirstGroup ownership of the open access rights granted in March by the Office of Rail and Road. The companies, newly renamed First Rail Stirling Holdings Ltd and First Rail Stirling Ltd, are now led by First Rail MD Steve Montgomery. The previous directors have resigned. Financial terms of the deal, which concluded on August 9, have not been disclosed. Yeowart continues to head the separate Grand Union Trains GWML Holdings Ltd, which was granted open access rights between London Paddington and Carmarthen…

Passengers from Gosport will have a one-off opportunity for a dedicated return train to London Waterloo. Gosport (population 82,000) is one of the largest towns in the country without a railway station. Its station was severely damaged in the Second World War and closed in 1953. In 2010, the site was converted to private housing, with its imposing façade surviving. Volunteers who ran the town’s recently closed tourist information centre have chartered a 660-seat return train from the nearest station, Fareham. Dubbed the ‘Fareham Flyer’, tickets cost £25 return, departing 0830 on Saturday October 26 and returning shortly after 1900. Organiser Mike Critchley called it “a gamble”, but said church groups, schools and local clubs have made reservations.…

The new chair of the Transport Select Committee wants to investigate restrictions on flying, rail freight track access charges, and HS2. Ruth Cadbury told a fringe meeting at the Labour conference that she also expects Great British Railways managers to be before her committee “at least once a year”, to discuss issues including reliability and cost-effectiveness to the taxpayer and the passenger. Speaking at a Railway Industry Association-organised session, the Brentford and Isleworth MP said: “There are political issues about being seen to restrict flying, but what we know is the more people know about and are able to weigh up the full cost of flying… “Last time I looked it was £17 billion in levels of tourism income because of cheap flying. It’s so much cheaper to go on…

Cardiff residents have been invited to have their say on a new tram system connecting Cardiff Central station and Cardiff Bay. The public consultation marks the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail project, a joint effort by Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales. It runs from September 16 to October 27, to gather feedback on the proposed designs. The initial phase will feature a new two-platform station built in the southern car park of Cardiff Central station, connecting passengers with existing services towards Swansea and eastwards towards Bristol and the South West. The tramway will then travel through Callaghan Square before joining the existing Cardiff Bay line. An additional third platform will be added to Cardiff Bay station, further increasing capacity. “The Cardiff Crossrail project has been a long-held dream,”…

South Western Railway is launching a campaign to recruit more female drivers. Only 8% of the operator’s current drivers are women. This figure is in line with the national average, but below some of the other big London operators. SWR said it was “committed to closing the gender gap”. It is recruiting to fill vacancies at depots in Farnham, Fratton, Weymouth, and at London Waterloo. It has produced a video to encourage more women, featuring Driver Sally (no second name given). One of 11 women drivers based at Wimbledon, she said: “It’s more than just a job, it’s a career. I’m now a driver instructor, which has been one of the most memorable accomplishments of my career so far.” SWR drivers undertake 18 months of training, starting at its Basingstoke…

Sheaf Engineering, which purchased 37402 from Direct Rail Services in early 2024, is making progress on returning the locomotive to main line use for spot hire. The team behind restoring the ‘37’ has been progressing work on it at Barrow Hill, with an engine overhaul. Work carried out so far includes: ■ Fitting of a full set of main bearings. ■ The big end bearings have been replaced. ■ The connecting rods have been checked for ovality, bends and twists. ■ All pistons re-ringed. ■ All cylinder heads overhauled. ■ Twelve fuel injectors overhauled. ■ Twelve new liners installed. ■ Both turbochargers have been overhauled. ■ The oil bypass valve removed, tested and re-fitted. ■ The water thermostat removed, tested and re-fitted. ■ The heat exchanger overhauled. ■ New batteries…

20 RAIL 1019 October 2 - October 15 2024 GB Railfreight supplied eight locomotives over two days for a weekend diesel gala at the Nene Valley Railway on September 7/8, sponsored by Key Publishing. The biggest draw was Railway Support Services shunter 08632, which is currently being hired by GBRf at its newly upgraded Peterborough depot. It was joined by 47727 Edinburgh Castle, 57310, 66799 Modern Railways Golden Jubilee and 69003 The Railway Observer on the Saturday. On the Sunday, 57303, 66312 and 69009 Western Consort took part, with 47727 and 08632 also still in use. The NVR provided 45041 Royal Tank Regiment and Class 14 9529 - the ‘Peak’ was often used as a brake translator for when the GBRf air-braked locomotives hauled vacuum-braked trains. The event proved popular,…

AN investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) into a train overspeeding incident at Spital Junction, near Peterborough, has highlighted significant safety concerns. On May 4 2023, a Grand Central train passed over the junction at an excessive speed of 66mph, well above the permitted limit of 30mph. The sudden sideways movement of the coaches caused some passengers to be thrown from their seats, resulting in minor injuries. RAIB found that the overspeeding was primarily caused by the driver’s failure to react appropriately to the signal indication. The driver, expecting the train to continue on the straight-ahead route, did not recognise the signal indicating a diverging route with a lower speed limit. The investigation also identified several underlying contributory factors. Grand Central had not provided the driver with sufficient…

Work was due to start in September to refurbish the toilets at Hull Paragon station, after complaints from users of the bus/rail interchange and from one of the city’s MPs. Dame Diana Johnson said she had asked station operator TransPennine Express for an update on its plans to “sort out the station’s unacceptably poor toilets and waiting area - an ongoing problem since 2018”. TPE confirmed that the £500,000 revamp would start at the end of September and be completed in the spring of 2025.…

FLICKING through some Transport Focus survey results the other day, I was struck by two things. London-Shoeburyness train operator c2c topped the rankings, with 91% overall satisfaction between September 2023 and June 2024. However, I found it also propping up the bottom of the table when it came to value for money, with a score of just 46%. How can an operator be, at the same time, top for overall satisfaction and bottom for value for money? I turned to Anthony Smith for the answer, leaning on his 20 years running Transport Focus and its predecessors. It’s commuters, he explained. “You can’t please commuters, you can only not displease them.” He argues that in general commuters hate going to work and see rail fares as a distress purchase, hence their…