£21.4m investment in Metrolink improvements

‘Jacobite’ on the blink

AS this issue went to press, the Office

THE FUTURE FACE OF EUSTON

Three Hitachi sets were captured together at Euston

WCML open access service to Stirling given five year licence

New entrant will offer an alternative way to travel from Euston to Scotland.

Northern units derailed by sinkhole

ANORTHERN service was derailed on the approach to

Couple appear in court over Altnabreac ‘trespass’ claim

A COUPLE who own the station house at

West Coast suspends ‘Jacobite’ operation

The row over fitting Mk.1s with Central Door Locking takes a dramatic turn.

ALL CHANGE AT PAR:

The mid-Cornwall resignalling work (reported last month) has

‘FastCharge’ trial begins on London’s Greenford line

Testing on the two-mile route could pave the way for battery-powered trains on other GWR-operated branches in the Thames Valley.

Carriage shed nears completion

ANEW carriage shed at Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre,

Loughborough loco shed to be moved

THE Great Central Railway (GCR) is to relocate

BLUE PETER BACK IN ACTION:

‘A2’ Pacific No. 60532 Blue Peter has been

SIDELINES

Costly storms BAD weather, which disrupted train journeys

SIDELINES

Recruitment drive NORTHERN is seeking to recruit 108

Rail performance ‘not good enough’ says watchdog

The National Audit Office says that the rail system needs to change – and that subsidies are too high.

TBMs COMPLETE CHILTERN TUNNEL BORES:

Tunnel boring machines Florence and Cecilia have completed

GTR secures ex-GA ‘Electrostar’ fleet following sale

AFTER two years in warm storage following withdrawal

Get involved!

The 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway next year offers an important opportunity to promote railways to the wider public.

Railways in Parliament Compiled

Open access plea WOKINGHAM MP John Redwood asked

SIDELINES

Further carbon-saving bridges designed WITH work on the

Two more tunnelling machines are launched

An aerial view of the Victoria Road Crossover

‘GREEN BRIDGE’ PROGRESS:

Construction of the foundations for the largest of

New depot for Shipley

Railway land to the south of Shipley station is being converted from a scrapyard to a brand-new depot for Northern’s Class 333 fleet, as Paul Bickerdyke reports.

Finding a way

Regular readers will have seen photographs in this magazine of aggregate trains being unloaded north of Aylesbury for HS2, but the name of the firm behind this award-winning idea may be less familiar, as Phil Marsh reports.

Marylebone milestone

The Great Central Railway’s London terminus has seen mixed fortunes over the years, but is thriving today as it celebrates its 125th anniversary. Paul Bickerdyke reports.

A Baker’s dozen

THE LONDON EXTENSION

The 125 era

Midl and Transitions 3

On shed/No shed TINSLEY

Sixty years ago this month saw the opening of one of the country’s biggest purpose-built diesel depots at Tinsley in Sheffield, but it was all swept away by the end of the 1990s.

PUT TING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

■ THE article on centralised door locking (February,

Not fit for purpose

IFOUND Chris Milner’s excellent rolling stock article very

Argentina thanks

WE were part of the party whose train

Time to rethink steam?

THE March edition of TRM records the last

Missing a trick

READING the article on the draft Rail Reform

Cornish memories

IREAD with interest Craig Munday’s article about signalling

Where is it?

Our pictorial quiz, for fun only

MEETINGS

THURSDAY, APRIL 4 GCR Society. Farm Road Sports

PANORAMA

A showcase for the best in railway photography

From the archive

YEARS AGO APRIL 1924 First ever film shown

The RCTS: then and now

AMONG the large membership of the RCTS are

Can you give your time?

There are hundreds of organisations, ‘friends of ’

North Wales Rail Scene 1970s-1990s

THIS collection of photographs covers two decades of

Corners of the Cambrian

THIS new volume from the Transport Treasury is

The Railway Magazine binders and bound volumes

Binders High-quality binders to store your copies of

The New Steam Locomotive for the Corris Railway Falcon Locomotive No. 10

THIS is the story of the Corris Railway’s latest

Britain’s DMUs: 1966-1985

BRITISH Rail’s first generation DMUs were part of

SIDELINES

’Box reopened NENE Valley Railway’s Orton Mere signalbox

Wheel appeal for Calbourne

Funds required to swiftly return Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s flagship loco to traffic – plus hopes for ‘Terrier’ to be back by the autumn.

‘Grange’ joins the guest list at Poppy Line this summer

RE-CREATED GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange is

CROWD PULLER:

The Great Western Society’s ‘Saint’ No. 2999 Lady

New-build Atlantic Beachy Head emerges!

Coupled to its tender for the first time

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:

FRANK DUMBLETON/GWS The centenary of No. 4079 Pendennis

Four locomotives rostered to be in steam for Llangollen Railway Branchline gala

LLANGOLLEN Railway’s April 12- 14 Branchline Gala is

SIDELINES

‘Spaceship’ will cross Pennines to East Lancs THE

Gala to celebrate half century

Kent & East Sussex Railway’s special celebration weekend will pay tribute to the past as well as whet appetites for future collaboration with Rother Valley.

Duffield landslip remediation project takes shape

WORK to enable trains to run along the

BEWDLEY BY NIGHT

A night photoshoot was organised by 30742 Charters

‘Dukedog’ returns to Aberystwyth

SUPER STEAM POWER: LNER ‘A4’ No. 60007 Sir

New plans for returning Tenterden ‘Terriers’ to traffic

THERE are fresh hopes that both LBSCR ‘A1X’0-6-0Ts

SIDELINES

APRIL Until Apr 4 Great Central Railway: Ruffle

Oswestry station to be revitalised

Funding in place to allow historic building to be restored by local authority owner.

New cab for Dunrobin

FURTHER progress has been made on the return

Moors introduces shorter day trip fares

COMING UP WITH THE GOODS: Hunslet Austerity’ 0-6-0ST

Coalfish rescued just in time

Another chapter of ‘modern’ wagon history saved.

Month at Beamish for Sir Berkeley

Historic locomotive to operate at popular County Durham venue.

Milestone marked with May visit

Peckett 0-4-0ST May passing RSH 0-4-0ST Agecroft No.

SIDELINES

WELSH Highland Heritage Railway has repainted its carriage

DIARY

APRIL 3-12 Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway Easter

New owner and new future all set for Nesta

The most widely travelled ‘Quarry Hunslet’ clocks up more transporter miles

Corris and Talyllyn locos to make reciprocal June/July visits

TALYLLYN Railway’s (TR) ex-Corris Railway Hughes 0-4-2ST No.

Phil Robinson steps down after 25 years as MRT chairman

PHIL Robinson stepped down as chairman at the

Statfold to restore ‘forgotten’ Black Hawthorn

Black, Hawthorn 0-4-0ST 748/1883 Portugesa/Escucha pictured in the

Appeal launched to restore Peter Nicholson collection loco

AN appeal has been launched aimed at restoring

TR mother and daughter footplate crew – a preservation first?

ON International Women’s Day (March 8) Sarah Freeman

SIDELINES

THE Sybil Locomotive Trust’s Bagnall 0-4-0ST 1760/1906 Sybil

SIDELINES

THE new diesel locomotive built by Alan Keef

Further progress on Corris extension embankment

CONSTRUCTION of the embankment at Pont y Goedwig

Out of ticket Leader to take a seaside break

Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST Leader pictured in the yard

Palmerston arrives at transformed VoR Aberystwyth station

Ffestiniog confirms plans for all its England engines.

Another loco arrives at Westonzoyland as railway extension progresses

RUSTON and Hornsby 4wDM 235711/1945 has joined the

New era, new name for Evesham Vale line

THE 15in gauge Evesham Vale Light Railway (EVLR)

Fleet variety aplenty

Up to nine steam locos could be available for the Moors Valley line this summer.

Summerlee Tramway operations expected to resume ‘soon’

Timescale for resumption of services is dependent on recruiting a member of staff to ensure its safe operation.

Lisbon No. 711 prepared for events role in Lincolnshire

No. 711 was lifted on February 10 using

SIDELINES

New owners for ‘Gronks’ DEAN Forest Railway-based Class

Diesel pioneers moved

First built Class 31 and 40 locos hauled by rail from York to Shildon as part of ‘huge shunt’.

Dean Forest ‘Goyles’ move to Ruddington

No. 31210 poses in the sun outside the

Class 46 for WSR Gala

‘PEAK’No. D182 (46045) is set to be the

‘Western’ and ‘69’ for Swanage Railway gala

THE first three guest locomotives have been confirmed

‘Hoover’ to visit the Poppy Line

HANSON &Hall Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer and

BODY WORK REPAIRS FOR COTSWOLDS CLASS 26

COTSWOLD MAINLINE DIESEL GROUP Severe rot has been

DEPG locos set for a return to action

THE Diesel and Electric Preservation Group’s Class 47

SIDELINES

‘Bodysnatcher’ for East Lancashire gala LOCOMOTIVE Services Limited’s

DIARY

APRIL 4-7 Avon Valley Railway 50th Anniversary Weekend

‘Baby Deltic’ makes progress

The new-build Class 23 ‘Baby Deltic’ stands outside

125 Group revises engine swap plan

STEVE DONALD THE 125 Group has announced it

Tornado’s ETCS to be tested on Cambrian

‘A1’ to be put through its paces overnight between Shrewsbury and Newtown.

HST MARKS GCR ANNIVERSARY:

ARetro Railtours charter to celebrate the 125th anniversary

New Tornado day excursion programme unveiled

TONY WINWARD LUXURY STOCK IN THE BORO: LS

BLS tour to use locos for North Norfolk Railway gala

‘STREAK’ AT SPEED: Steaming proudly through its hometown

LSL ‘Peak’ diesel poised for main line summer return

ARETURN to the main line for Class 45‘Peak’No.

SIDELINES

Blue Peter on course AFTER more than 20

Judicial review of Radlett land sale

High Court to rule on legality of council’s site sale for rail freight development.

More business for Freightliner

OCEAN Network Express (ONE) and Freightliner have agreed

AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE:

DEREK CARRUTHERS Class 321 No. 321429 joined the

Sheffield Supertram operator changes

WITH effect from March 22, operation of Sheffield

‘MASSIVE’ RIDERSHIP BOOST:

TONY WINWARD More than 7 million journeys were

SIDELINES

Delta junction final phase underway CONSTRUCTION of the

Once abandoned, now acommunity asset

Historic Henley-in-Arden railway station transformed by partnership working.

Planning submitted for new station at Haxby

PLANNING permission for a new station at Haxby,

Plans move forward for station at Aldridge reopening

RESTORING rail services to Aldridge, which sits on

Countdown commences for Levenmouth line opening

A 100-day countdown clock to the return of

Witton station proposed for capacity enhancement

THE West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) has outlined

Southern to recast Coastway timetable from June

TRAIN operator Southern is to introduce an extensively

SIDELINES

Belmont boost AN allocation of £14.1million from the

SIDELINES

Plastic sleepers laid in tunnel MORE than 3,690

Funding found for Leamside business case

GOVERNMENT funding of £350,000 has been awarded to

Bridge in-fill removal costs £350,000

National Highways criticised over use of resources for Cumbrian bridge work.

Repairs at unique sliding bridge

An aerial view looking east of work on

Several landslips disrupt services

AN exceptionally wet February has resulted in a

Local authority commissions Cowley branch passenger train study

OXFORD City Council has commissioned consultancy SLC Rail

SIDELINES

Class 60s for sale SIXTEEN locos are included

Class 484 wheel wear rate leads to reduced timetable

Island Line train frequency reduced to one train per hour while the issue is addressed.

Class 455 goes back to blue and grey livery

SOUTH Western Railway Class 455 No. 455868 has

£1.5m Grove Park Centre of Excellence to enhance fleet cleanliness

GROVE Park depot is the base for Southeastern’s

CLASS 69 UNVEILINGS

Classmate No. 69008 was named in honour

‘AURORA’ INTERIORS:

EMR East Midlands Railway has released images of

Wagon Report

PRIVATE owner wagon fleets are now, somewhat ironically,

Porterbrook adds to its business portfolio with two new deals

Rolling stock leasing firm agrees purchase of Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre and takes stake in Brodie Engineering.

The network’s notable moves

Avanti West Coast Services in and out of

Enterprise set to go hourly in late 2024

Hopes for end-toend journey time of under two hours.

Slieve Gullion moves closer to mainline return

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) overhaul

FOYNES TRACK LAYING SET TO START

HASSARD STACPOOLE Work continues on the rebuilding of

Planning hearing for Metro North starts

ANEW An Bord Pleanála planning hearing for the

Chinese built trains for Europe

Chinese built passenger trains and locomotives are now in use or planned in multiple European countries

Classic diesel locos overhauled for Chilean tourist train

CHILEAN state railway EFE has restored two 70

Mixed-traffic Smartron electric locomotives multiply in Bulgaria

THE ‘low cost’version of the Siemens Vectron electric

Italian narrow gauge rolling stock modernisation

OPERATORS of two Italian narrow gauge networks are

Railway to Sunshine Coast

THE State government in Queensland, Australia has agreed

Battery electric traction for Chicago area

The new Stadler BEMUs will replace the Metra

$16 billion tunnel under Hudson River

CONTRACTS for the long-planned second Hudson rail tunnel

STEA M PORTFOLIO

2 STANDARD IN ACTION: Stuart Robinson’s BR ‘4MT’