Phased introduction during 2026 for East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 ‘Aurora’ trains

East Midlands Railway Class 810 ‘Aurora’ bi-mode set

CELEBRATING THE REGION

N orthern-operated Class 158, No. 158844 The Northumbrian

Wagon Report

RECENT traffic losses for rail freight have included

Steam Around Scotland

THIS book draws upon the work of anumber

80 days around Britain’s railways

THIS is an amazing book for the price,

British Railways Steam Locomotives 1948-1968 Volume 1 GWR and LNER

THIS is the third edition of Longworth’s 1948-1968

The Settle to Carlisle line

THE author has produced a superb atmospheric portrait

THE NOSTALGIA Collection

Sponsored by The crossword winner and two runners-up

Coming up next month...

THE MAIN EVENT! All of the Railway 200 events being staged around the country this year are centred on the anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington

Lights, camera, Bluebell

WE are fortunate in Britain to have a

OUR WRITING TEAM

GRAEME PICKERING Senior correspondent JACK BOSKETT News writer

Official launch for ‘99s’

GBRf has unveiled its mighty Class 99 bi-mode locos, which are set to ‘revolutionise rail freight’.

Open access applications denied

Regulator refuses new proposals for services on the West Coast Main Line.

FIRST PASSENGER TRAIN FOR 97 YEARS!

When Glenfield Tunnel on the Leicester and Swannington

Flying Scotsman reopens Severn Valley Railway after landslip repairs

Full SVR route to Bridgnorth back in use after track was left hanging.

Passenger numbers up but revenue falters

THE latest statistics published by the Office for

Royal Train to be axed as looming refurbishment makes it too costly

THE tradition of the Monarch and senior members

SIDELINES

c2c nationalised ESSEX operator c2c became the

Chiltern to replace Mk.3s with Mk.5s in spring 2026

Former TransPennine Express loco-hauled sets to be redeployed.

CELEBRATIONS FOR ‘SWEET PEA’:

T he Middleton Railway held a special weekend

Final two Northumberland Line station openings pushed to 2026

EARLY 2026 is the latest target for the

Rail schemes get Government funding

RAIL projects are set to benefit from a

SIDELINES

Theatre show takes 200 year journey AN

DIARY

Ongoing to January 2026 NRM YORK ‘Railway

Railway 200 exhibition train begins national tour

‘Inspiration’ offers a look at the past, present and future.

Depot open days planned at Ashford and Heaton

SOUTHEASTERN has announced an open day at its

Nostalgic documentary film to get first showings

A DOCUMENTARY film is being shown that captures

Ireland gets €24 billion transport boost

THE Irish Government has confirmed plans to invest

Railways in Parliament

Fragmented rail access ALEX Mayer, the Dunstable and

Excavation of HS2’s 8.4-mile-long Northolt Tunnel completed

The last of the four TBMs which created the twin bores reached the end of its journey beneath West London in late June.

Northamptonshire viaduct deck positioned in three-day operation

WEIGHING 1300-tonnes, the 220-metre-long (240 feet) steel and

Bye-bye BR

Managed decline under nationalised British Rail was turned into a passenger boom by Privatisation, as Mike Jones describes

On location at the Bluebell

For more than six decades, the Bluebell Railway has provided authentic railway settings for films, TV dramas, advertisements and music videos, as Karen Richardson reports.

Liverpool at the double

The introduction of Hitachi-built Class 807 EMUs means Avanti can now run a twice-hourly daytime service of fast trains between Liverpool and London. John Heaton FCILT was invited aboard for a cab ride on one of the new trains.

The quest for definitive knowledge

The RCTS has launched an online database tool that provides detailed reference material about every diesel, electric or gas turbine locomotive that has ever run on the national network.

A regional rivalry

YOUR article ‘Beeching to Sectors’ (July issue, page

Run empty stock trains as public service

I AM sure that many readers of The

Cranleigh line memories

YOUR photograph of ‘The Wealdsman’railtour on June 13,

Where is it?

Our pictorial quiz, for fun only

ScotRail’s second best

TWO separate news items in the July issue

Tyne & Wear expansion

REGARDING extension of the Tyne & Wear Metro

CIG nomenclature

RYAN Hall (July issue,page 34) refers to the

Save the Royal Train

PLEASE, please raise a campaign to save the

Class 730 seating

LNR are pleased that its 10-coach Class 730/2

Nameplate mystery

IN a recent edition of BBC TV’s ‘Bargain

MEETINGS

Please check with organisers before travelling to events.

On shed

1 YORK: Ex-LNER ‘A4’ No. 60034 Lord

From the archive

Subscribe and read previous issues at www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/archive

The RCTS: then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

Young Railway Photographers of the Year 2025 announced

National competition winners revealed in ceremony held at the NRM in York

ENGLAND’S GREEN & PLEASANT LAND

The Railway Magazine neige

Chinnor independent line opens at Princes Risborough

Construction of new line means that operations no longer rely on Network Rail.

BUFFER PUFFER:

A vonside 0-6-0ST Cranford (Works No. 1919 of

Island Steam Fair’s 50th

NOW celebrating its 50th year, the Island Steam

North Nor folk re-creates its first train in preservation 50 years ago

FIFTY years to the day since public services

Night running planned for SVR autumn gala

Event will also see the debut visit of ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35006.

LNER ‘G5’ progress

The new ‘G5’ taking shape in the group’s

Eddystone main line return delayed

THE anticipated main line return of Bulleid Light

North Norfolk to stage ‘Festival on Rails’

THE NNR’s‘ Festival on Rails’ runs from August

Go-ahead given for GCR’s reunification project

Final barrier removed to allow construction of ‘missing link’.

PAIGNTON TANK TRIO

A Great Western 42XX Class 2-8-0T in the

GCR’s ‘Railways at Work’ gala set to return this month

THE Great Central Railway’s award-winning‘Railways at Work’ gala

SIDELINES

‘Q6’ moves again MORE than two years

‘Legends of Industry’ celebrated in successful gala at the Tanfield Railway

Although two members of the home fleet encountered problems, they were still able to return to traffic following repairs.

Three days of Hunslet action at Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

SIX locomotives were in action and two which

TEST PASSED:

Work is progressing on Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Slough

NVR’s Southern Railway sorting van to be restored as interactive exhibit

Internal work will form the first stage of the £25,000 revamp.

New home in Devon for former Helston Railway BR-era brake van

British Railways Standard Brake Van No. B954673 is

NEW GUISE FOR GUNPOWDER VAN:

Great Western Railway ‘Iron Mink’ Gunpowder Van No.

Talyllyn submits NHLF bid for next stages of redevelopment

Funding sought for enhanced volunteer accommodation and carriage facilities.

Frames for future GVT steam loco arrive at Chirk

THE frames, wheels, axle boxes and other components

Gowrie newbuild progress

RECENT progress on construction of new-build Hunslet 0-6-4T

VoR responds to climate and coal challenges

HAVING had to suspend steam services and operate

HISTORIC JOURNEY RE-CREATED

The star attractions at the Bure Valley Railway’s

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway wins planning permission for Beddgelert station building on appeal

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

RURAL SPLENDOUR:

T he War Office Locomotive Trust’s ex-WDLR Hunslet

Historically important MER loco and wagon are donated to the GLMR

MANX Electric Railway (MER) locomotive No. 23 and

Locos move to ‘Workshop X’

AS anticipated (RM, May), Moseley Railway Trust’s Kerr

NEW-BUILD TAKES SHAPE:

T he Brecon Mountain Railway’s new-build replica Forney

SINGLELINES

■ THE West Lancashire Light Railway’s August 2/3

DIARY

Please check with railways before travelling to events

200 wheels on the Cob

The Ffestiniog Railway celebrated 70 years of heritage passenger trains with a Platinum Jubilee gala weekend.

Why is the Ffestiniog Railway so important?

AFTER the Cob was completed by William Maddocks

Cavalcade locos in order of appearance

■ George England 0-4-0STT Prince ■ Double

Joint project under way to return Fairbourne diesel loco to working order

Tony will be tested at Littlehampton before going on loan for three years to the Ruislip Lido Railway.

SUMMER STEAM

June 14/15 saw the 7¼ inch gauge Moors

Petition gathers support for Brighton Corporation No. 53’s return home

The society behind its restoration has plans for it to be based at Stanmer Park along with Works Car No. 1, which was also part of the city’s tram fleet.

NTM pays tribute to pioneer Geoffrey Claydon

THE National Tramway Museum has paid tribute to

Track replacement work at Heaton Park Tramway

VOLUNTEERS from contractor VolkerRail have carried out track

Type One Locomotive Company to relinquish custodianship of Class 31 to complete restoration

A lack of volunteers available to complete the restoration of the privately-owned ‘Goyle’ has been cited as the sole reason for the decision.

DPS alters plans to iron out faults with Tulyar

THE Deltic Preservation Society (DPS) has had to

DIARY

Please check with railways before travelling to events

HEAVYWEIGHT AT LIGHT RAILWAY

The Kent & East Sussex Railway’s diesel gala

CLOSURE REMEMBERED

July 6 saw Spa Valley Railway-based Class 207

IMMACULATE ‘MCRAT’

Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway based Class 26, No.

INTO THE DAYLIGHT

C onsett Iron Company No.10 made a rare

EMU groups merge to form new society

ELECTRIC multiple unit (EMU) preservation groups The Clacton

‘03’ STEPS IN

D ue to the risk of lineside fires,

Eastriggs visit for High Speed Train with bonus Class 37 ‘drag’

Two-in-one tour offers an opportunity to enjoy the Lake District or continue into Scotland with options to look around the former MoD site, or be hauled by ‘Tractor’ to Kilmarnock.

To the Atlantic Coast, by train

PATHFINDER Railtours is re-creating the days of the

EAST COAST THEN & NOW

Streamlined ‘A4’ No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley is

September trips planned over freight-only Boulby line

AS part of the Railway 200 celebrations, on

‘Hoovers’ and 4TC tour Kent

LONDON Underground’s 4TC set is to make an

TRIBUTE TOUR

In tribute to Chiltern Railways driver manager Mark

Final call for next month’s Cambrian Coast trips

ON September 5, and a week later, September

DIESEL AND ELECTRIC TOURS: AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

Horton stone goes by train for first time in 60 years

AROUND 1650 tonnes of stone is expected to

Direct Rail Services served improvement notice by Office for Nuclear Regulation

DRS and contractor EnerMech were both found to have breached regulations regarding practices involving radioactive material.

Freightliner announces new heavy haul deals with Breedon Group

Freightliner says the use of Class 70s on

Introduction of new Piccadilly line fleet pushed back to 2026

The Siemens-built trains are now expected to enter service in the second half of next year.

SUMMER CITYSCAPE

Preparing to pass Nottingham Council House and its

Heatwave reveals Class 555 air conditioning issues

A PROBLEM with the air conditioning has become

Eight youths arrested during crackdown on people riding between Metolink trams

TRANSPORT for Greater Manchester has revealed that eight

SIDELINES

Extra seats for Northern’s Yorkshire passengers NORTHERN

Public-private deal struck to resolve patchy mobile coverage on rail network

Hundreds of miles of fibre optic cables will be laid to overcome issues with on-train coverage, while new 4G and 5G infrastructure will be installed at stations

East Midlands Railway and GCR link up to stage scenarios

EAST Midlands Railway (EMR) and the Loughborough-based Great

Payouts for Botley Road delays

This image shows the intended appearance of the

Network Rail campaign aims to reduce fatal accidents on the railway

CONCERNED at a 26% rise in accidental deaths

Proposals outlined for reinstating island platforms at King’s Norton

ISLAND platforms at King’s Norton, on Birmingham’s Cross-City

Three-week closure for bridge replacement in Stockport

A £20million project to build a new overbridge

SIDELINES

Lumo recruits 16 drivers for Stirling service OPEN

Mission accomplished for Great Western Railway’s battery-powered Class 230

The unit underwent a year of extensive testing between West Ealing and Greenford, but there are no plans for it or any other battery-powered ‘D-Trains’ to enter revenue-earning service.

ScotRail outlines intentions for new electric and battery trains

A MARKET engagement notice has been published by

BRITANNIC EXPLORER COLOURS

S porting its new blue livery for working

In-service debut for updated ETCS software

GREAT Northern Class 717, No. 717020 became the

STOCK UPDATE

Class 91 No. 91105 has been reliveried, named

The network’s notable moves

GWR’s No. 57603 Tintagel Castle hauls the Down

SPRAY IT AGAIN ... WEXFORD LINE TREATED

MPV 790 passes Dunbrody Abbey on its return

Green light given for DART extension after judicial review challenges are withdrawn

Enabling work is expected to begin next year for the scheme, which will see electrified rail services extended to Maynooth and M3 Parkway.

HURLING SPECIAL:

S ummer sees several additional services operated to

SIDELINES

Woodbrook station set to open this month

A period of changes for the diesel locomotive fleet in China

Despite huge investment in high-speed rail and electrification, thousands of diesel locos still remain in daily use.

FRONZ celebrates the 50th anniversary of its formation

DURING New Zealand’s Matariki public holiday weekend June

SIDELINES

New Maglev speed record CHINESE engineers set

New regional lines in Massachusetts welcome their first passengers

TWO new regional rail lines have opened to

The Railway Magazine binders and bound volumes

Binders High-quality binders to store your copies

Heatwaves lead to steam bans at heritage lines

Fire risk due to hot weather affected steam operations across the country in mid-July.

Mid Hants Railway honours long-service volunteers

IN a special ceremony at Alresford on July

West Somerset pulls out the stops for Flying Scotsman

WHILE a heatwave tried to spoil Flying Scotsman’s

SIDELINES

Blue Peter fills in WITH a temporary

DIARY

Please check with railways before travelling to events.