Momentous day for ‘Bluebird’ at Crich

Elizabeth Line, at last

On the opening day of the Elizabeth Line,

Elizabeth Line opens

Ten years after tunnelling began, and more than three years after it was due to open, the new main line under central London is finally open for business.

Siemens shuts down Russian rail business after 170 years

Sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine mean no further foreign support for operator RZD.

121 Class restored to original condition

The RPSI and Iarnród Éireann have worked together on the superb restoration of diesel No. B134.

‘Restoring Your Railway’ announcement due

THE Department for Transport has indicated it expects

ETCS signalling commissioned to Moorgate

THE Mayday bank holiday saw the commissioning of

SIDELINES

‘Fact Check’ and ‘Quick Buy’ rolled out NORTHERN

‘Tagging’ will allow earlier detection of wheel issues

Two-year project will see over 15,000 freight wagons and locomotives fitted with remote monitoring devices to improve safety and minimise disruption.

Extension progresses as Bala celebrates half a century

THE Bala Lake Railway (BLR) marked its 50th

SIDELINES

MLVs for Watercress Line Diesel Gala THE Mid-Hants

Hydrogen demonstrated as secondary fuel for Class 66

Successful load bank experiment paves way for fitting on board ‘dual fuel’ technology.

Steam sign set to be ditched

A TRIANGULAR sign featuring a side-on view of

Inflation brings pay demands and industrial action threats

Action has led to a third of services being cut in Scotland, while a ballot is underway for strikes in England.

GBR legislation to be taken forward

Great British Railways will become a powerful body, but measures will be put in place to allow accountability.

More land bought for Manchester station

Agreement reached to purchase building leased by Network Rail

Going underground at Piccadilly ‘too expensive’

TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps has dismissed suggestions that

Railways in Parliament

Rail freight developing CUTTING CO2 emissions is a

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Readers ’ Platform

STAR LETTERS Purple Taw Valley: For and against

Panorama

BRANCHING OUT: The Swanage Diesel Gala, held on

FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

100 YEARS AGO JUNE 1922 Novel Underground ticketing

The RCTS: then and now

IN THE spring of 1963, in common with

Reviews

THE RISE AND FALL OF KING COAL By

Prize crossword

■ Puzzle compiled by WILL ADAMS

Where is it?

Our pictorial quiz, for fun only

‘PENDOLINO’ UPGRADE IN FULL SWING

Work on replacing the interiors of Avanti West Coast’s 56-strong Class 390 f leet is underway at Alstom in Widnes, as Paul Bickerdyke finds out.

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN RETURN

A sequel to the much-loved family film The Railway Children is set to hit cinemas from mid-July. Karen Richardson speaks to those involved to find out more.

BRIGHTON DIESELS NO MORE

The end of GWR services to and from Brighton in May brought to an end more than 60 years of regular diesel operation into the coastal terminus. David Russell looks back at some of the varied timetabled workings over the years.

Fairlie and unfairlie

John Heaton FCILT uses his first-ever footplate ride on a narrow gauge steam locomotive to examine operations at the Ffestiniog Railway.

A PURPLE PATCH

Purple has been a relatively little used colour for locomotives and stock – at least compared to the likes of red, green and blue – but following the repainting of Taw Valley at the Severn Valley Railway, we take a look at some of the more recent main line examples. Have there been any others?

THE SHREWSBURY ‘SYPHONS’

Coleham depot is home to Network Rail’s small f leet of ERTMS -fitted Class 37s, now designated Class 97/3s. Graeme Pickering finds out how these survivors from the era of British R ailways modernisation continue to perform impressively in a unique role.

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Spring steam gala success

Severn Valley and West Somerset railways celebrate their respective enthusiast events.

Quainton’s ‘Met 1’ needs £70k to steam for 125th anniversary

THE Quainton Railway Society, which operates the Buckinghamshire

Dean Forest Pannier on course for autumn return

WR 0-6-0PT No. 9681 could be back in

Hagley Hall moves again

NO. 4930 Hagley Hall moved a short distance

Pannier haulage in East Somerset

GWR 0-6-0PT No. L92 returns to Cranmore from

NE visitor to boost Rolvenden’s roster

On May 8, No. 65894 works the 2P15

SIDELINES

KESR general manager to retire SHAUN Dewey is

Steaming back to Butterley!

Midland Railway Trust plans for steam to return in the coming months.

‘9F’ next in line at Bluebell

BR Standard ‘9F’ No. 92240 is to be

Help County of Montgomery parts move to Tyseley

THE Churchward County Trust (CCT), which is constructing

GWS acquires Broad Gauge Convertible carriage

For the move from Didcot West Yard to

DIARY

JUNE June 2 Stephenson Steam Railway: The Queen’s

Bulleids prepare for boiler swap

Owning group Southern Locomotives Limited all set for ‘ambitious’ plan.

New home for HAA

Merry-go-round coal wagon departs Barry Tourist Railway.

Coal hoppers to boost NVR freight train

FOUR coal hoppers are set to rejoin the

New frames for unique GWR glass wagon at Didcot

THE sole surviving GWR Coral A wagon is

Together again! Saddle tanks Victor and Vulcan reunite on Tyneside

Bagnall duo meet again after 36 years apart.

Return of Derek Crouch steams ahead at Nene Valley Railway

THE overhaul of Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0ST No. 1539

Shackerstone homecoming for Peckett Teddy

UNIQUE Peckett ‘Yorktown’ 0-4-0ST Teddy (2012/1941) is to

Steam Portfolio

LOCAL SET: WR ‘Manor’ 4-6-0 No. 7828 Odney

SINGLE LINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Hunslet pair from Kent visit Ffestiniog Railway

Elin returns to Wales, Sybil and Britomart reunited

Perrygrove loco ahead of schedule

THE new steam locomotive being built by North

No Douglas Horse Trams to operate during 2022 season?

DOUBT has now arisen as to whether Douglas

Nipper new-build LNWR loco project moves to Statfold Barn

THE project to construct Nipper, a replica of

Leighton Buzzard opens Munday’s Hill extension

THE sun smiled on the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s

Handyman goes to ‘Workshop X’ for cosmetic restoration – as works gets underway on Luttermöller

STATFOLD Narrow Gauge Museum Trust’s (SNGMT) 3ft gauge

Lynton Ruston restored

AHEAD of returning to North Devon, Ruston 22/28hp

Blyth steams at Southwold

HAVING been steamed for the first time on

Strawberry Line regauged

Your reports and pictures are most welcome.

Bluebell to build miniature line

New railway at Sheffield Park aims to boost young volunteer recruitment and community engagement for Bluebell Railway.

SIDELINES

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Halle 902 returns from extended Blackpool ‘holiday’

AFTER almost four years in Blackpool, Halle No.

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

DIARY

June 9-11 West Somerset Railway diesel gala

Swanage Railway bounces back with a great gala

Nine heritage diesels tracked by Realtime Trains over the three-day event.

‘Pacer’ partnership benefits Cynheidre and Sharpness

THE Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway (L&MMR) and

‘Deltic’ Alycidon fails at GCR gala

CLASS 55 No. D9009 (55009) Alycidon suffered a

Scottish ‘Tractor’ works on the Moors

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway has hired recently

Beatles memorabilia on show at WSR’s diesel gala

THE West Somerset Railway’s annual diesel gala returns

Change of venue for former Cadbury Hudswell Clarke diesel

A LOCO destined for the Llanelli & Mynydd

‘Gresley’ makes main line test run

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Britain’s railtour scene could look very different in 12 months’ time

Rolling stock and rising costs among headwinds facing main line excursions.

Final call for ‘Chopper’ tour

FOR any railtour fan fancying a trip around

‘Deltic’ mainline return another step closer

THE return to the main line of ‘Deltic’

BOOKING CONTACTS

HD – Hastings Diesels www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk IC –

NOTES

■ Please note that advertised traction, routes, times

Rail-linked Cardiff sites on the market

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

More rail via Channel Tunnel?

HAVING become a ‘preferred supplier’ for the German

Commercial freight returns to the Cambrian

Regular service planned for first time in over 25 years.

Twenty years of GBRf operations from Felixstowe

THE longstanding relationship between GB Railfreight and the

SIDELINES

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Three East Anglian swing bridges to get upgrades

Refurbishment set to aid reliability.

Platform closure impacts Lichfield Trent Valley station

THE high level platform at Lichfield Trent Valley

Midlands’ longest single span railway bridge installed

A NEW single span bridge, the longest in

Four-day closure at Tyseley for points replacement

WORK to replace points and crossovers at Tyseley,

Crackdown on cable theft

A JOINT British Transport Police and Network Rail

Suppliers sought for Elephant & Castle

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Tram could ‘open up’ opportunities

THE MD of Thames Gateway Tramlink says the

Ticket changes

FOLLOWING a programme of testing, upgraded ticket validating

Northern Line’s Bank branch reopens

New southbound platform and concourse welcomes users after 17-week closure.

Historic NER bridge section earmarked for preservation

AN arched section of an iron bridge on

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

30 Stadler Class 99 locos due for GB Railfreight

New bi-mode machines heralded as Class 66 replacement.

Class 180s to work Skegness ‘Summer Specials’

Trains to start from Derby this year.

Initial phase of Eastcroft depot facilities upgrade completed

THE first phase of East Midlands Railway’s £2million

New lives for InterCity stock

Two leasing firms donate coaches for further use in training and education.

WAGON REPORT

THE third fleet of wagons financed by Swiss

Stock Update

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Operations

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

More rail for Dromod

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Irish Government signs off €74m EU funding towards Cork Area Commuter Rail

Upgrade works will allow enhanced frequencies on all three commuter lines.

Tour to offer loco haulage on Western Rail Corridor

On May 5, NIR 111 Class No. 8112

Revised Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy consultation opened

THE National Transport Authority (NTA) opened a consultation

€9 monthly tickets for the summer in Germany!

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Semmering Tunnel now six years late

ORIGINALLY due to open in 2024, the new

Sri Lankan fleet upgrade progresses

State-owned operator slowly modernises its locomotives and carriages with Indian and Chinese-built rolling stock.

Czech diesel hauled trains substitute for DMUs

SINCE December the Valašské Meziříčí to Frenštát pod

British enthusiast tour traverses ‘rare track ’ in Israel

Israeli Railways Freight Sector GM JT42CW No. 705

Belgian heritage line opens main line link to passenger trains

THE Stoomcentrum Maldegem (Maldegem to Eeklo) preserved railway

New double-deck EMU fleet set for Baden-Württemberg

‘LEGS-OUT’ RIDING MAKES A COMEBACK DOWN UNDER: THE

Battery locomotives for Brazilian iron ore railway

BRAZIL’S major iron ore mining and railway operating