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An incredible achievement

Never has the word ‘snaking’ been better applied

Waterloo tops station usage table

LONDON Waterloo has regained its status as the

‘Compelling’ case for £745 million Metro extension to Washington

Local authority members give go-ahead for development of plans for loop line as first phase of proposed Leamside route revival.

Porterbrook sponsors NRM’s new Futures Gallery

ROLLING stock leasing firm Porterbrook has announced a

SIDELINES

Vivarail heads for administration SOUTHAM (Warwickshire)- based rolling

Government funding of rail projects set to continue… but so is industrial unrest

Rail projects escaped major cuts in the Government’s Autumn Statement, but negotiations with unions to resolve industrial action in England are at stalemate as new strike dates are announced.

SIDELINES

HST withdrawals GWR is to cease using its

Planning consent given for Portishead route

Order granted gives ‘leap’ towards delivery phase of Bristol’s MetroWest route.

Unearthing the past for the future in Huddersfield

THE remains of the former Hillhouse shed in

Britain’s most bashed bridge revealed

JUST days after an HGV damaged a rail

GWR supports Veterans Charity with ‘Poppies to Paddington’ operation

FOR the third consecutive year, GWR ran a

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Second Northolt TBM gets underway in West London

Caroline begins its five-mile underground drive from West Ruislip to Greenford.

‘Earth Friendly’ concrete base is poured at Euston

The ‘pour’ of ‘Earth Friendly’ concrete to form

Work begins on digging HS2’s longest cutting

Cutting excavation work in its early stages between

Railways in Parliament

Timetable overhaul LOUISE Haigh, the Sheffield Heeley MP,

10 MINUTES 10 QUESTIONS

Steven Knight’s latest industry interview puts Hunslet the Bear, a railway safety ambassador at Soho depot, under the spotlight.

Royal Train charter deja vu

PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ■ IENJOYED reading ‘In

Meetings

ARE YOU STAGING AN EVENT YOU THINK SHOULD

FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

100 YEARS AGO DECEMBER 1922 Fish Traffic at

The RCTS: then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

Panorama

Panorama is brought to you in association with

The world’s longest passenger train

As part of celebrations to mark 175 years of Swiss railways, the country’s Rhaetian R ailway ran a record-breaking 100-car passenger train on a section of its Albula Line in the Eastern Alps.

FROM THE RM, MARCH 1931

A map of the Rhaetian Railway as it

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Construction of the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley has been completed and it is now ready to begin its role as a collaborative rail research facility, as Paul Bickerdyke reports

The professional

Arianne Davey speaks to TikTok star Francis Bourgeois at the launch of his debut book, The Trainspotter’s Notebook, and uncovers a more traditional side to his rail enthusiasm.

QUEEN OF PULLMANS

John Heaton FCILT looks at the testing Leeds Northern route between the Yorkshire city and Northallerton via Harrogate, and its most prestigious service the ‘Queen of Scots’ Pullman.

Boston Lodge bounty

The doors of the Ffestiniog Railway’s engineering headquarters at Boston Lodge sit at the southern end of Porthmadog’s famous Cob. Earlier this year, John Heaton FCILT was able to visit to see the wealth of engineering history that demonstrates narrow gauge railway construction, repair and modification across three centuries from 1864 to 2022

Not this one sir…

A missed train leads to an unexpected journey.

IT’S ALL IN CODE

The railway telegraphic code book was once a vital tool for effective communications, as John Heaton FCILT describes.

TRACKRECORD

The Railway Magazine news digest

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Track Record

Heritage safety deal

Agreement reached at latest trade body conference on sharing safety experiences between heritage railways.

Plan agreed for Kinlet’s return

SHOWSTOPPER: New-build BR ‘3MT’ No. 82045 was the

East Lancs gets into shape for the year ahead with more efficient use of resources

IN the face of increasing operating costs, the

Oswestry volunteers get national recognition

CAMBRIAN Heritage Railways (CHR) has scooped a prestigious

Arts funding boost for MailRail and Moorsline

THE Postal Museum in London and the North

SIDELINES

Coal Tank gears up for gala appearances LNWR

Matt black for Bulleid

Track Record

Embsay is upbeat as sales and donations break records

THE mood at the Embsay and Bolon Abbey

Flying Scotsman delights public at Swanage Railway

Frederick Sills, a volunteer with the Swanage Railway’s

Pannier and ‘Prairie’ for next Dean Forest season

THE Dean Forest Locomotive Group is set to

Grant boost for GCR loco works

THE major refurbishment of the Great Central Railway’s

No. 9 set to leave Bury for owner’s all-new museum

PACIFIC POWER: No. 34072 257 Squadron became the

Leander to star in Lakeside celebration?

Two Beet family-owned steam locos could help Lake District line to mark milestone year.

A model financial donation

‘PANNIER’ PROGRESS: The overhaul of the Llangollen Railway

Showcasing and sharing

Wagon groups from across Britain gather at Quorn & Woodhouse on the Great Central Railway to highlight their projects and discuss experiences with the public and fellow volunteers alike.

Traction Portfolio

Track Record

‘Syphons’ at work

More than 60 years after they were first introduced, the ever-useful Class 37 fleet remains true to its mixed-traffic design, as these recent images show.

Prize crossword

■ Puzzle compiled by WILL ADAMS Sponsored by

Arthur progresses at Quainton

Overhaul uncovers evidence questioning the ‘true’ identity of Hunslet loco.

Marcia to visit Mid-Suffolk Light Railway until spring

THE Mid-Suffolk Railway is receiving Peckett 0-4-0T Marcia

Barclay locos withdrawn from service

ROCKS by Rail at Cottesmore has retired its

‘Austerity’ nameplates back briefly

Errol Londsdale in steam at Marienbourg on September

Steam Portfolio

AUTUMN TINTS: BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80080 approaches

Level crossing collision occurs near Beddgelert

HERITAGE IN PERSPECTIVE: AS reported in The RM

First steam runs take place at Wigan’s Haigh Hall for 29 years

STEAM returned to Haigh Hall Miniature Railway after

New 2ft gauge line for Scotland?

Track Record

GVT revival will be 2ft 3in gauge track

THE Glyn Valley Tramway Trust (GVTT) has announced

New life for former Rhyl tramcar body at the Sherwood Forest line

RHYL Miniature Railway’s (RMR) tramcar – which ran

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s Bygones Weekend

PONY PASSENGER DUTY: George England 0-4-0STT Welsh Pony

First MRT loco returned to operation at Apedale

MOSELEY Railway Trust (MRT) has returned 20in gauge

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■ MOTOR Rail 4wDM 9837/1944, which Fairbourne Railway

Construction of Small Loco Shed gets underway

SITE work commenced in late October at Ffestiniog

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Track Record

North Cornwall MR holds an ‘official’ open day

Operations help raise funds for good causes.

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Track Record

Bottom deck of 488 reunited with wheels

Glasgow tram’s lower saloon is reunited with its truck, but a number of tasks are still to be completed at its East of England preservation era home

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Track Record

DEPG seeks to boost its operational loco fleet

The West Somerset Railway has seen much use of diesel power this season, ensuring the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group has been kept busy with operations and maintenance.

Chasewater receives nuclear Hunslet after kind donation

A remarkable sight for a heritage railway as

Western Queen reverts to its true identity

Class 52 No. D1062 Western Courier made its

Guard’s compartment back in Crewe’s HST

Above: The reinstated compartment from the outside. Right:

Ex-WD Drewry restoration gets underway at DVLR

A FORMER War Department 0-4- 0DM, owned by

OBITUARY: 10000 PROJECT PRESIDENT STAN FLETCHER

Track Record

Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway secures an ‘ED’

Class 73 No. 73130 has been acquired by a new company, signalling the start of the disposal of the COVES collection at Bicester.

NRM calls-in a modern shunter to move its stock

A FOUR-WHEEL batteryelectric road-rail shunter has been used

Four Type 3s seen at Bo’ness & Kinneil Class 37 running day

Picture: IAN LOTHIAN THE Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s

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Track Record

Shef field Supertram operation to return to public sector

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has plans for ‘arm’s length’ firm to take over from Stagecoach from spring 2024.

Faster interchange route created at Bank tube station

TWO 100-metre long moving walkways and three new

SIDELINES

Track Record

Northern’s first ‘intelligent train’ enters trial ser vice

Class 150 is testbed for technology aimed at making the railway safer and more efficient.

Preparations for £27m Javelin upgrade revealed

A computer-generated image of the new-look Class 395

Hull Trains completes naming of five-strong Hitachi Paragon fleet

Hull Trains’ Class 802 Paragon units, Nos. 802304

Great Northern Class 387/1 is in Worksop for ETCS in-cab modifications

CLASS 387/1 No. 387101 was moved from Hornsey

WAGON REPORT

TOUAX Rail is a newcomer to the UK

Stock Update

Track Record

Operations

Track Record

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Track Record

All systems go for Foynes

Work commences on Limerick route reopening as funding approved.

€120m tender launched for new wagon fleet

Opened almost 175 years ago, Limerick Works is

RPSI opens £25,000 appeal to get Slieve Gullion over the summit

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) has

French line opens to avoid refinery

Track Record

Californian ‘Arrow’ service begins

THE 14.4km ‘Arrow’ commuter rail line opened outside

Hitachi wins Milan deal

MILAN metro operator ATM has awarded Hitachi Rail

EMD celebrates 100 years

North American manufacturer commemorates milestone – its legacy visible across the globe.

Locos from across Europe converge on Czech gala

Visiting from Hungary, ex-MAV NoHAB No. M61 019

65-year-old Czech electric helps out at Regiojet

In striking blue and silver livery, based upon

Auckland’s heritage trams to stop operating

THE Auckland Dockline Tram which opened in 2011

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Track Record

Scotsman to spearhead RTC’s 2023 programme

Tour operators begin to release details of their planned trips for the year ahead.

Back to Bahamas for flagship

THE Bahamas Locomotive Society’s (BLS) flagship, LMS ‘Jubilee’

Pathfinder Tours’ Scottish Easter offering

ECS MOVE: Empty stock to form a private

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Track Record

Bridge bash has impact on Stamford line traf fic

A key crosscountry rail route faced disruption after HGV caused structural damage.

Feeder stations to support further electrification

AS PART of a £120 million Scottish Government

New wi-fi system launched for passengers at Gatwick Airport

INSTALLATION of a new free wi-fi service for

MML electrification project pushes towards Leicester

BRIDGE REFRESH: The unstaffed station at Harrington on

Carstairs upgrade progresses

NETWORK Rail has completed the installation of 121

Hope for A5 bridge relief

A CONFERENCE organised by sub-national transport body Midlands

Busy Piccadilly platforms to get £5.1m festive upgrade

PREPARATORY work for upgrades on platforms 13/14 at

Drones used to ta ckle trespassing

BRITISH Transport Police and Network Rail have now

SIDELINES

Everton’s nod to dock and railway heritage OLD

Next phase for coastal resilience work begins

NETWORK Rail has awarded BAM Nuttall a contract

Layover facility for cement traffic

Track Record

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners make it rail

Drinks brand’s largest independent bottler to move products