Alstom to complete acquisition of Bombardier

Editor’s Comment

Just what havesuccessive Governments got against the East

HS2Eastern LegindoubtasNIC favoursregional developments

THE National Infrastructure Commission (NIC)has thrown the futureofHS2’sEastern

South Devon Railway eyes March reopening for passenger trains

THE South DevonRailway (SDR) has set atentativedate of

Goodand bad news over train fare rise

THE annual fares increase that is normally applied

Berney Arms ‘least used’ stationin2019/20

BRITAIN’S least used station in 2019/20 was Berney

DumbletonHall sold for main line return

THE South Devon Railway Trust and Dumbleton Hall

Midland Pullman and InterCityClass90 make a double debut

TWO new high-quality charter sets from the Locomotive

Tier 4lockdownprompts London passengerexodus

AN EXODUS of passengers leaving London by train

Vintage‘Pacers’for Vintage Trains main line plans

VINTAGETrains (VT) has unexpectedly acquired three Class 144‘Pacers’through

Class 67 tested on treatedvegetabl e oil–part of decarb onisation plans

DB CARGO UK has successfully trialled the use

Avanti and SWRagree newdeals

BOTH Avanti West Coast and South Western Railway

NR submits‘no regret’ electrification schemes to Transport department

A LIST of potential electrification schemesfor Britain’srailwaysto accelerate

Shooter urges caution in the dash to hydrogen

VIVARAIL chairman and industryveteran Adrian Shooter has courted

32 job lossesat Ffestiniog&WHR

THE Ffestiniog &Welsh Highland Railway (Ff&WHR) has made

First‘HeathrowExpress’ units sent for scrap

GBRf No.66758 takes ‘Heathrow Express’unit Nos.332012 and 332005

Middletonstalwart Ianawarded RM Lifetime AchievementAward

ALONG-standingvolunteer at the Middleton Railway has been chosen

Rail rides to the rescue as ports suffer pre-Christmas congestion chaos

UK PORTS suffered serious congestion in late-2020 after

Iconic cities return as new European night train network is announced

GERMAN Railways(DB), Austria's ÖBB,Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and

DfT approves new stations and more reopening funding

FIFTEEN rail reopening proposals will receiveupto£50,000 in Government

SIDELINES

Lucy takesupBTP Chief Constable role THE British TransportPolice

Grand Royal Train tour for Duke and Duchess

A1,250-MILE tour of England, Scotland and Wales by

Llangollen’s Dee Bridge appeal smashes target

AN APPEAL by the Llangollen Railway (LR) to

FirstHS2 tunnel boring machines delivered

THE first two of 10giant tunnel boring machines

Campaignersunveildetailed plans for Devon Northern Route

CAMPAIGNERS hoping to reopen the former London &South

SIDELINES

NewMDfor South Western Railway FIRST Group has appointed

FirstHS2 Phase 2 major civils contract tendered

HS2 Ltd has invited contractors to bid for

Onllwyncoalwashery site for test track?

THE Welsh Government is developing proposals to turn

OXTEDLINE STEAM: 1961

For this month’s feature, JohnHeatonFCILT, delves back 60years to the Railway Performance Societyarchives and looks at the final Southern suburban steam workings

KEEPING THE RAILWAY SAFE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

Global climate change is presenting an immediate and increasing challenge to the safe operation of UK railways.  BenJones looks at the risks posed by extreme weather events and what is being donetoadapt the railway to make it more resilient

BLUEPULLMAN 60th Anniversary

With the launch lastmonth ofthe Pullman HST charter train, AndyFlowers recalls the original BR Blue Pullman trains,which entered service 60 years ago

Last Steam Push-Pull Trains in Paris

In addition to documenting the last push-pull trains in the UK, Philip Horton also visited Parisin1969, wherethese type of steam operations were entering their final months

FACE TO FACE WITH THE P2

Chris Milner visits DarlingtonLocomotive Works to catch up on the construction progress of Gresleyclass ‘P2’ No.2007 Prince of Wales. When completed in threeyears’ time it will be Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive

Reviews

Books, v ideos and other items for possible review should be sent to: TheRailway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle LincsLN9 6JR

Midland Main Line electrification proposed 40 years ago!

IVERYmuchagree with your editorial concerning the lack of

Driver Mick Ingledew features strikeachord

WHAT awonderful series of features Driving Through the

Moor Street was as bad as Tyseley

The attractive concourse of Birmingham Moor Street,which has

Railways in Parliament

Decarbonisation plans EALING Central and Acton MP Dr

Winter Panorama

Diverted from its normal route, theGlasgowtoBristol sleeper emerges

FROM THE RAILWAYMAGAZINE ARCHIVES

100 YEARS AGO JANUARY1921 ‘Southern Belle’returns THE Brighton-in-an-hour

Lockdown boom sees Hornby return to profit

MODEL railway company Hornby has returned to profitfor

Heljan 2021 UK catalogue out now!

HELJAN’S2021 UK catalogue range includes many new products,including

Thomas is watching you

THOMAS the Tank Engine™ has for decades played

Countyof Montgomery frames go upright at Tyseley

ASSEMBLYofthe frames for the Churchward CountyTrust’s GWR ‘County’class

‘Clun’,‘Edgcumbe’, a‘Jubilee’ anda ‘Duchess’for Vintage Trains’2021comeback

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk Your reports

Maidenheadcanopy completedatWallingford

THE Cholsey &Wallingford Railway has completed the erection

SIDELINES

‘County’1014 boiler to get its smokebox ASSEMBLY of

TyseleyOpen Weekendto celebrate 70 yearsofTalyllyn preservation

SEVENTY years ago agroup of enthusiastic amateurs operated

‘Terrier’2678 returns after Rolvendenworks overhaul

THE Terrier Trust’s Stroudley‘A1X’ 0-6-0T No.2678 has steamed

NorthYorkMoors line extends season to March

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has elected

‘Black Five’45337 returning to East Lancs linefrom Wales

THE East Lancashire Railway (ELR) will once again

Rapid progress on ‘Clan’ continuesasappeal for bogie is launched

THE StandardSteam LocomotiveCompany’s impressive progress on the construction

1450 bows out as sister engines’ overhaulsmakegood headway

On December 9‘14XX’ No. 1450 and auto-coach No.

Llangollen Prairiemoves to West Somerset...

A SECOND Llangollen Railway-based locomotive will be spending

... as passenger trains return with Christmasspecials

PASSENGERS were carried by West Somerset Railway trains

‘Austerities’on the move

THE Embsay&Bolton Abbey Railway was able to showcase

‘8F’ group to restore historic limestone hopper wagonsat SevernValley

THE Stanier 8F Locomotive Society, owner of Severn

Mine refusal means an end to UK steam coal supplies

THE Heritage Railway Association (HRA) has described Newcastle

HagleyHall boiler steams ahead of 2021 comeback

THE long-awaited return of the Severn Valley Railway’s

Final assembly underway for Middleton’sNo. 6

Above: Drilling underway on the smokebox of Swanscombe

York No.1 leaves Embsay for restoration

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk Your reports

Hastings overhaul on last leg at Statfold

THE overhaul of Mike Hart’s Hunslet 0-6-0ST Hastings

Moorbarrow re-boilered at Gwili

AMILESTONE moment in the overhaul of RobertStephenson &Hawthorns

Steam Portfolio

‘S15’ 4-6-0 No. 506 climbs into Medstead and

NewGlasgow trains delayed

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk Your reports

Coventryprototype takesshape

THE first vehicle for the CoventryVery Light Rail

First rails laid on Newhaven trackextension

TRACKlaying hasbegun on Edinburgh Trams’ three-mile extension from

Donationsappeal as Tralee&DinglecarriagetransferstoCumbriafor restoration

THE Cavan&Leitrim Railway’s (C&LR) projecttorestore 3ft-gaugeTralee &Dingle Light

‘Grand Hibernian’ farewell to Ireland as Covid pandemic forcesBelmond to remove luxury train

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk Your reports

Donationsappea l as Tralee& Ding lecarriagetran sf erstoCumb riafor restoration

THE Cavan&Leitrim Railway’s (C&LR) projecttorestore 3ft-gaugeTralee &Dingle Light

NewGlasgow trains delayed

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk Your reports

‘Grand Hibernian’ farewell to Ireland as Covid pandemic forcesBelmond to remove luxury train‘

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk Your reports

First rails laid on Newhaven trackextension

TRACKlaying hasbegun on Edinburgh Trams’ three-mile extension from

Coventryprototype takesshape

THE first vehicle for the CoventryVery Light Rail

New Gowrie to start taking shape

THE Gowrie Locomotive Trust has ordered the frame

Statfold Baldwin will be restoredby‘Workshop X’

MARTYN Ashworth’s‘Workshop X’team in north Derbyshire are restoring

SIDELINES

■ JAMES Gordon,one of the founders of the

New loco will bring steam to West of Fife Munitions Railway

THE new 2ft-gauge Bagnall ‘Sipat’0-4-0ST being built by

TeifiValleyrecovery continues –but more help will be needed

TEIFIValley Railway (TVR) was one of veryfewWelsh lines

SIDELINES

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk Your reports

SIDELINES

■ JAMES Gordon,one of the founders of the

New Gowrie to start taking shape

THE Gowrie Locomotive Trust has ordered the frame

SIDELINES

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk Your reports

Statfold Baldwin will be restoredby‘Workshop X’

MARTYN Ashworth’s‘Workshop X’team in north Derbyshire are restoring

TeifiValleyrecovery continues –but more help will be needed

TEIFIValley Railway (TVR) was one of veryfewWelsh lines

New loco will bring steam to West of Fife Munitions Railway

THE new 2ft-gauge Bagnall ‘Sipat’0-4-0ST being built by

DB Cargo extends marine aggregates contract

DB Cargo UK has signed anew 10-year deal

Track faultled to Sheffield freight derailment

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk Your reports

Major blow to Cornish freight as Moorswater cement traffic ends

TARMAC closed its Moorswater cement distribution depot near

Ipswich wagon depot takes shape

Construction of Freightliner’s new wagon maintenance depot in

Wascosa secures NR wagon deal

NETWORK Rail will continue the renewal of its

FirsttrainstoTilbury2 terminal

INTERMODAL trains have started to serve the new

Major blow to Cornish freight as Moorswater cement traffic ends

TARMAC closed its Moorswater cement distribution depot near

Ipswich wagon depot takes shape

Construction of Freightliner’s new wagon maintenance depot in

DB Cargo extends marine aggregates contract

DB Cargo UK has signed anew 10-year deal

Track faultled to Sheffield freight derailment

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk Your reports

FirsttrainstoTilbury2 terminal

INTERMODAL trains have started to serve the new

Wascosa secures NR wagon deal

NETWORK Rail will continue the renewal of its

Firstpassenger trains on WSRfor nearly ayear

One of the most notable West Somerset Railway

SIDELINES

Call: 01507 529589 email: classic.traction @btopenworld.com Your reports and

IoW Transport group secures EMU for preservation

THE London Transport Traction Group (LTTG) received confirmation

‘Pacer’car runs away at Dereham

THE MNR has acquired athird ‘Pacer’, ex-Northern three-car

SIDELINES

Call: 01507 529589 email: classic.traction @btopenworld.com Your reports and

‘Pacer’car runs away at Dereham

THE MNR has acquired athird ‘Pacer’, ex-Northern three-car

Firstpassenger trains on WSRfor nearly ayear

One of the most notable West Somerset Railway

North Norfolk Class 31 fitted with steam-heating

BRUSHType 2 No. D5631 (31207),owned by the Midland

SpaValleyRailway services truncatedbypandemic

INTRODUCTION of the Tier system to combat Covid-19

New Weardale Railway owners look to the future

There was a move of stored Mk3 coaches

Mid-Norfolk DMU update

Class 117 DMS No.51412 was delivered to the

Mid-Norfolk DMU update

Class 117 DMS No.51412 was delivered to the

SpaValleyRailway services truncatedbypandemic

INTRODUCTION of the Tier system to combat Covid-19

New Weardale Railway owners look to the future

There was a move of stored Mk3 coaches

North Norfolk Class 31 fitted with steam-heating

BRUSHType 2 No. D5631 (31207),owned by the Midland

SIDELINES

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk Your reports

GOBLIN trackand bridge repairscomplete

TWOmiles of track on the Gospel Oak to

Prudhoe’slistedNER footbridge restored

A£500,000 projecttorestore aGrade II-listed former North Eastern Railway

World’s longest bench restored

SCARBOROUGH’S famous Grade II-listed station bench has been

Canal restoration to help Midland Main Line

NETWORK Rail is investing £350,000 to help restore

SIDELINES

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk Your reports

GOBLIN trackand bridge repairscomplete

TWOmiles of track on the Gospel Oak to

Prudhoe’slistedNER footbridge restored

A£500,000 projecttorestore aGrade II-listed former North Eastern Railway

World’s longest bench restored

SCARBOROUGH’S famous Grade II-listed station bench has been

Canal restoration to help Midland Main Line

NETWORK Rail is investing £350,000 to help restore

Fast trackfor Ely upgrade?

RAIL Minister Chris Heaton-Harris has expressed his frustration

SIDELINES

£4m renewalfor Marlowbranch TRACKonthe two-mile branchbetween Bourne End

Lockdown ‘quick wins’ to increase Thameslink reliability

NETWORK Rail took advantage of the recent lockdown

Harrogateloopsignalling upgrade

Engineering works between Harrogate and York in late-November

Portsmouth &Southsea viaduct repairs

THIS month will see one of Portsmouth’s landmark

West Midlands Pioneers First Community Station Partnership

SEVENTYper cent of Britain’s railway stations are falling

Mayflower leadsSteam Dreams’2021 railtour programme

THOMPSON‘B1’4-6-0 No.61306 Mayflower will return to frontline action

A busy year for ‘Scotsman’after 2020 cancellations

Call: 01507 529589 email: gboyd-hope @mortons.co.uk Your reports

No.60007 to make Saphos Trains debut in 2021

PACIFICS take centre stage for Crewe-based SaphosTrains in

New‘Traxx’ 3MS for Czech Republicand Luxembourg

ČD Cargo No. 388 002 at KarlovyVary during

Double-deckEMUs introduced in Hungary

MÁV‘KISS’815 001 stabled at Dunakeszi on August 18

More ‘Chargers’ forCalifornia

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk Your reports

Metropolis forBucharest

BUCHAREST metro operator Metrorex has awarded Alstom an

BuenosAires museum tram celebrates 40 years

THE Buenos Aires tram museum line celebrated its

Siemens‘Mireo’ enters service– plans for hydrogen version

THE first two fleets of Siemens’ new EMU

Dutch firm NS sells DM90 DMUs to Polish private operator

DUTCH national rail company NS has sold 32

GBRf’s firstClass 69 readyfor testing

THE first of GB Railfreight’s (GBRf) Class 69

End of the line for the VP185 power cars

THE last of the PaxmanVP185 power cars in

Class 91 and Mk4s for temporarywithdrawal

LNER has confirmed plans to temporarywithdraw Class 91

Anglia Class 720s now in service

INTRODUCTION to passenger service forGreaterAnglia’s Class 720‘Aventra’ sets

SWR‘Arterio’ startdelayed

HOPES of a start of service by South

‘Pacers’ finale at Northern and GWR

TWO train operators,Northern and GWR have ended passenger

Parryrailcar demonstration trials at Severn Valley

THERE is a new interest in light rail

EMR completes driver trains in spite of Covid-19

First day in service:‘Adelante’set No 180110 passes Barrow-upon-Soar,with

Class458 derails at Clapham Junction

SERVICES on the Windsor and Staines side of

TfW’stram-trains starting to take shape

CONSTRUCTION of the new Class 398 tram-train fleet

Island Linetrain back after three years–new trains on test

Left:Set No.483007 emerges from the works at Ryde

WAGON REPORT

INCE andElton is the destination fortwice-weekly trains of

StockUpdate

Class 50 No. 50007 Hercules passes Lower Moor,

Traction Portfolio

DC Rail No.56103 crosses the RiverAvonat Evesham on

Operations

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk Your reports

Hitachito developGWR inter-city battery hybrid train

Call: 01507 529589 email: cmilner @mortons.co.uk Your reports