October 19 2011

East Midland's Trains' Meridian 222002 was named "The Cutlers' Company" to mark a sucsussful partnership with the city of Sheffield which has resulted in significant improvements to rail links to and from Sheffield, including faster journey times, extra services and fully refurbished trains

The first female Master Cutler, Pam Liversidge OBE DL, said: “Good links and efficient rail travel are important to all of us and particularly to business in the current climate. East Midlands Trains provides efficient and comfortable travel and I am delighted that they are associated with the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire. It gives me great pleasure that they have named a train ‘The Cutlers’ Company.”

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October 13 2011

Network Rail and contractor C Spencer Ltd are undertaking a £2.1m project, completely rebuilding Cosford railway station on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line, which will enable visitors to continue to use trains to visit the famous RAF museum nearby.

Work is due to take place between 31 October 2011 and  mid-March 2012. London Midland will be providing replacement road transport during this time.

Adam Checkley, Network Rail’s senior building surveyor, said: “We chose this time to do the work because we were conscious that it had to be completed in time for the air show next summer.”

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September 30 2011

C2C was the most reliable operator during Period 6 (August 21-September 17) with 97.5% punctuality. The current holder of the National Rail Awards’ Suburban and Metro Operator (RAIL 680) beat London Overground, which recorded 96.6%. Bottom of the pile was Virgin Trains, with 82.1%, although this was partially caused by a freight train fire, signaling power supply, flooding as well as several fatalities and trespass incidents.

Caption
357035 heads for Fenchurch Street, passing homeward-bound commuters checking their mobile phones at Limehouse. ANTONY GUPPY. 

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September 28 2011

To highlight it's sponsorship of travel for a number of sportsmen and women on September 28, at Wolverhampton station, Virgin Trains' Pendolino 390007 was named after Long Jumper Abigail Irozuru.

The initiative, 'Supporting British Athletes' supported by Alstom, which builds and maintains Virgin's Pendolino fleet, enables a number of sportsmen and women to attend training camps, key competitions and championships up and down the country, a key part of these althlete's careers.

Abigail said; “Training and competing across the nation is amazingly great fun but the travel can take it out of you. Having the support of Virgin Trains means that I have been able to travel comfortably and stress-free, arriving at each event ready to win. Having a train named after me is so exciting and I would absolutely love to get to travel on my namesake on my way to big competitions; reminding me of my talent... that would be the ultimate confidence-booster!”

Paul Holland, General Manager Wolverhampton at Virgin Trains, said: “We think it’s fantastic that Abigail has agreed to have one of our trains named after her. At Wolverhampton we are very proud to be helping British athletes on their journey to the podium.”

Richard Woodroofe, Alstom Transport UK’s Mainline Operations Director said: “We are proud to accompany Virgin Trains in this great initiative to support British sporting talent. Providing the trains for service every day, Alstom teams can identify with the drive and commitment athletes like Abigail need to deliver top performance and wish her well for the challenges ahead."

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September 20 2011

Southern has made available their autumn leaf fall timetable, showing a number of changes to the morning peak services. From Monday October 3, services will start a few minutes earlier, ensuring that they arrive at their destinations on time. Problems with heavy leaf fall, particularly on areas joing the Brighton Main Line, have brought the changes into place.

Picture credit: Paul Bigland/RAIL

September 19 2011

East Midlands Trains reveals 222022 ‘Invest in Nottingham’ at a naming ceremony today. The partnership marks the success between Nottingham City Council and the Invest in Nottingham club with EMT. Strong growth in connections with London and refurbishment of the Meridian fleet are due towards the end of the year.

September 5 2011

Train operator ScotRail is adding more carriages to services into Glasgow Central from Larkhall, Motherwell, Lanark, Dalmuir and Milngavie from today. The extra carriages will provide about 400 additional seats for commuters and is the final phase in a cascade of 60 existing rolling stock in the West of Scotland, which has come as a result of the introduction of 38 new electric Class 380 trains to Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire earlier this year. Transport Scotland has invested £430 million on the ‘380s, adding more than 7,500 seats across the Scottish rail network.

August 31 2011

Cable thieves targeting areas in Sunderland and Wakefield are going to come up against a new 'weapon' being used by Network Rail. A unique forensic taggent from RedWeb Technologies is being applied to the cables in these areas to provide police with the all-important link between crime scene and criminal.
Despite procedures already in place, such as extra police patrols and CCTV, to protect the overhead cable used to signal trains thieves continue to target it for its scrap value. In the past 12 months Sunderland has seen 9 incidents where services were disrupted by thieves, costing around £71'300 and Wakefield has seen 20 thefts, costing around £400'000.
Detective Inspector Mick Jackson, of British Transport Polices dedicated cable team, Operation Leopard, said, “Using Red Web on the rail network will assist us in identifying those responsible for stealing cable."
“Technological and forensic advances such as Red Web, are making life more and more difficult for thieves, and are increasing the opportunities for us to detect criminals."
“British Transport Police will continue to work hard to catch offenders in an effort to stamp out this problem. We will also continue to seek methods of detecting and preventing cable theft, and will endeavour to secure prosecutions on every occasion.”

Caption.
Rail workers deploy a forensic taggent from RedWeb Technologies on Tuesday August 30. NETWORK RAIL.

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August 25 2011

London Midland announced today that it now recycles approximately 2000 tonnes of waste every year, this means 80% of all waste left at its stations, depots and offices is avoiding landfill, reducing the company’s carbon emissions by 680 tonnes per annum.
The keys to London Midland’s success are special recycling bins, which are now available at select stations, for customers to sort their own rubbish, such as newspapers, magazines, tin cans, plastic bottles and cups and plastic packaging, and Greenstar UK, whom they contracted in April 2010 to sort waste from normal bins by hand and machine, rather than send it to landfill. 
Kathryn Jacques, Environment Manager at London Midland, said “We believe we have hit upon a winning formula for easy recycling. We specifically chose a contractor who could recycle waste no matter how it is deposited. It is vital that sustainability is embedded into procurement tenders for waste contracts to help customers and colleagues recycle more easily.”
London Midland’s wider environmental aim is to reduce its carbon emissions per passenger journey by 20% by 2015.

Caption.
London Midland's passenger service. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL

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August 24 2011

Brian Skeet, a Colchester based train driver for National Express East Anglia, and five friends from his local caravan club, are raising money for Help for Heroes by undertaking a mammoth 92 mile charity bike on Sunday August 28.
The group will be cycling from Kings Lynn in Norfolk, through Ely, Fordham, Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow, before finishing in High Ongar, Essex.
Brian Skeet said: “’Help for Heroes’ is a charity which is close to our hearts. Working in Colchester and living in North Essex, one can’t help but be moved by the events affecting the brave soldiers of our local barracks. That’s why this year ‘Help for Heroes’ is our chosen charity.  We’re particularly pleased that a soldier from the Royal Anglian regiment will be able to join us for the last section of our charity bike ride.”
To sponsor Brian’s bike ride please visit:  www.justgiving.com/brian-skeet  

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August 23 2011

Network Rail has launched an initiative to help out small businesses affected by the recent riots with an offer of one month’s free rent and a discount of 50% off subsequent month’s rent on selected commercial properties until the end of the year. Simone Bailey, Network Rail’s head of commercial estate, explained: "For many people running small businesses the riots weren’t only frightening and dangerous, they also left some small premises destroyed and so badly damaged that business could no longer continue.”

The scheme has been introduced to assist small business owners to get back on their feet following damage to property as a result of riots across the UK in early August, with help available to more than a 100 commercial premises in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Salford and Liverpool. Network Rail is the country’s largest provider to small and medium sized business enterprises, owning more than 7,000 properties nationwide equalling a total 18 million sq ft of space. Properties vary widely, with current tenants ranging from car mechanics, hairdressers and cafes to architects, specialist cheese manufacturers, bathroom retailers and even a theatre group, with many of the units located under railway arches. Bailey added: "We have reacted to these unfortunate events and drawn up a list of vacant commercial properties which will be offered on special terms and shorter leases. Most premises will be available to occupy within 24 hours. "Small businesses are the lifeblood of their local community and this is our small way of trying to help them to recover from these appalling events.”

Network Rail’s commercial property teams managing the initiative can be contacted using the contact details shown against the selected properties at www.networkrail.co.uk/property or by calling 0800 830 840.

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August 16 2011

Rail passengers will face the first of three years of inflation-busting fare rises in January 2012.  The RPI figure released today, confirms that the new formula for Government capped fares will mean an average rise of 8%; regulated fares in England will rise by RPI+3% in January, Scottish fares remain at RPI + 1%. However, train companies can set fares on individual routes by up to an extra 5%, if the train company puts up a particular fare by up to 5% it must balance this by reductions on others.

Passenger Focus' director, David Sidebottom said: “Having some fares regulated is clearly in passengers’ interests. However, the way that train companies are allowed to set fares on individual routes is deeply unfair. Some passengers, who may have seen no investment or improvements, can get hit year after year. Passenger Focus will forcefully advocate change to this system in the Government’s forthcoming fares review.”

Caption
Passengers at a busy station wait to board their train. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL

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August 15 2011

South West Trains has announced plans for its first ‘Rainbow Day’, a special initiative to encourage people to give the train a try for the bargain price of £10 return.  The first ‘Rainbow Day’ will be held at Winchester station on Saturday 20^th August and will offer a day return ticket to anywhere on the South West Trains network for just £10 for adults and £5 for children.
Jake Kelly, Customer Service Director for South West Trains, said: “We are always looking to see how we can continue to develop our commitment to offering value for money travel through developing new initiatives. The Rainbow Day ticket is a great example of this – and the first of its kind on our network, starting with Winchester. This will offer a fast, flexible and very affordable £10 return to anywhere on South West Trains’ vast network."

Caption
South West Trains' 450559 approaches Egham Station on February 24 2009. CHRIS NEVARD/RAIL

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August 12 2011

GB Railfreight's Class 66, 'Chinook', travels by road, via a few tight squeezes, to RAF Odiham for their friends and family day which took place on Wednesday August 10.

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August 10 2011

Minister of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers has announced a £16.7m investment in extra capacity for passengers traveling on key commuter routes with Northern Rail, First Great Western and London Midland.
The deal, funded by the Government, will provide an additional 22 carriages to Northern Rail, 6 carriages to First Great Western and 4 carriages to London Midland. These carriages, to be in service by December 2011, will create capacity for up to 8,800 extra passengers.
Theresa Villiers said: “I am delighted we have been able to finalise these important deals which will make a real difference to passengers. Even at a time when we are tackling the huge deficit we inherited, we are determined to invest in Britain’s future. That is why we’re committed to a major investment programme in our railways to deliver a big increase in capacity to ease crowding and provide commuters with more comfortable journeys.”

Caption
Theresa Villiers speaks at the RAIL 100 Breakfast Club. RAIL

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August 2 2011

Network Rail, together with the British Transport Police, has introduced cutting-edge camera technology in its fight against level crossing misuse. A purpose built marked police van, fitted with nine cameras which use number plate recognition, has been introduced. BTP officers operate it. It operates at level crossings across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and London. On the Anglia route in total last year there were 895 reported incidents of misuse, 68 near misses and 62 incidents of vehicles striking barriers or other level crossing equipment.

Caption
The fully equipped van BTP and Network Rail will use at Anglia level crossings. NETWORK RAIL.

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July 27 2011

March Whitemoor Yard opens its doors on August 14 allowing visitors the opportunity to see the completed Phase 2 project.
The yard has been extended and is home to NR’s recycling centre, with more than 40% of sleepers and materials being sent to the Cambridgeshire yard for processing.
There will be various displays including NR equipment in action, model railways and it is expected that a locomotive naming will be carried out.

Caption
Phase 2 of March Whitemoor Yard uses land once occupied by a locomotive depot. On July 26, the ‘new’ yard can be seen from the top of a machine used to clean ballast. RICHARD CLINNICK.

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July 26 2011

 As a result of a survey carried out by Network Rail, which revealed two thirds of parents have not taught their children railway safety, and to coincide with the start of the summer holidays Network Rail has released a hard-hitting video about the dangers of trespassing or playing near the railway.

Featuring graphic images of people who have suffered horrific injuries as a consequence of playing on or near railways the video delivers a stark message centring on the dangers of electricity used on the railway. A Network Rail engineer and a skin biologist explain that the power in overhead lines to power trains (25,000 volts) is ten-times more powerful than that used by an electric chair, and a young man tells of how his life was changed when a game involving discarded electrical wire and a railway bridge went wrong.

With the number of trespass incidents from March 2010 to April 2011 reaching 7,800, and of those 27 were fatalities, it is hoped that this video will make children and adults alike think twice about railway safety.

Caption From left to right, a burn victim featured in the video, hand burns suffered by Nathan Wood aged 12, overhead lines. Network Rail.

 

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July 19 2011

Arnside Viaduct has reopened after a 16-week closure during which Network Rail and its principal contractor May Gurney completely rebuilt the deck of the 155-year-old structure, on time and £1.3 million under the original budget of £12m.
 

Jo Kaye, currently Network Rail’s route director for London North West, said passengers are now reaping the benefits of the work. “The first thing regular passengers will notice is how quiet the ride is over the viaduct compared with before. We have taken away the old jointed track and replaced it with continuous rails. Not only is this quieter but it is also makes the ride over the viaduct a lot smoother.
 

The 30 mph speed restriction currently in place is due to be increased to 60 mph following a settling in period, likely to be by the New Year, which could, according to Kaye, “lead to reduced journey times in future timetables”
 

The type of base plates and track used will also result in less maintenance for both Network Rail and train operators.
 

Tackling one line at a time, the contractors completed the line towards Barrow, and then began work to renew the viaduct in the Carnforth and Lancaster direction.

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July 13 2011

German operator Deutsche Bahn has submitted an application for approval of its ICE trains for the Channel Tunnel to the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC). An independent Swiss engineering office has prepared a comprehensive study for the submission on behalf of DB having assessed the safety of the world’s longest railway tunnel – the 57 kilometre long Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. Evacuation tests were also successfully completed with ICE trains in the Channel Tunnel last October.

DB says it is optimistic it will gain full clearance for the trains before the end of summer 2011. It still needs to apply for safety certificates for the ICE in the Channel Tunnel, and this will be followed by extensive trial and licensing runs with the trains earmarked for running to London. Regular services using ICE trains between London St Pancras International and Brussels, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Cologne and Frankfurt are planned to start during 2013.

Caption
A DB ICE train at St Pancras on October 19 2010. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL

July 8 2011

DRS will be holding their annual Open Day in aid of local charities at Kingmoor Depot, Carlisle on the July 16 2011 between 10:00 – 16:00.

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July 5 2011

1,429 jobs are being cut by Bombardier at its Derby Litchurch Lane facility, with the Canadian company blaming the failure to win the £1.5 billion Thameslink contract as well as the completion of other contracts with no other orders as the reason behind the decision. President of the Passengers Division for the UK Francis Paonessa said: “The culmination and successful delivery of these projects and the loss of the Thameslink contract, which would have secured workload at this site, means that it is inevitable that we must adjust capacity in line with economic reality.”
Bombardier today enters a 90-day statutory consultation process to downsize and adjust capacity at the Derby facility.

Caption
377506, built by Bombardier, arrives at London Bridge with a Bedford-Brighton Thameslink service. The new Siemens trains from 2015 will replace the ‘377s’. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL.

July 4 2011

GB Railfreight unveiled an eye-catching livery on 66720 at Wansford, on the Nene Valley Railway yesterday. The new livery is six-year old Emily Goodman's design. Emily, the daughter of a GBRf staff member, won  a competition to design the loco's new look. The freight company also named 66708 Jayne at the NVR’s Peterborough station the same day to honour another female member of the company’s staff.

Caption
66720 stands on the turntable at Wansford. JON BENTON.

July 3 2011

July 1 2011

Network Rail has published a report which suggests a new high-speed line could well be the best solution for future capacity problems on the West Coast Main Line.

The West Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), predicts the line will be running at full capacity at the southern end of the route by 2024 as demand is forecast to grow. It also suggests that some of the worst overcrowding is likely to occur on the commuter and longer distance services between Northampton, Milton Keynes Central and London Euston during peak hours.
NR feel that new high-speed line between London, Birmingham and Manchester would free up much-needed capacity on the existing line, providing significant extra capacity for faster commuter journeys at the southern end of the route and enhanced frequencies between the major towns and cities along the route, as well as more room for rail freight.

The strategy was produced following consultation with key stakeholders including train operators, local authorities and passenger groups.

Caption
New Lines concept image. NETWORK RAIL.

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June 23 2011

 Network Rail’s annual report and accounts, which were published today, record a £400 million cut from the cost of running the railways. NR’s revenue was £5,712m compared with £5,668m last year. It recorded operating profits of £2,028m compared with £1,981m last year. Its profit before tax was £438m, up £43m from last year while its capital expenditure was £3,997m. The net debt at is £25,049m.

Caption
Network Rail 31285 (left) and 31105 (right) stand at Derby RTC. RICHARD CLINNICK.

 

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June 7 2011

Locomotive hauled trains will return to East Anglian branches later this month. National Express East Anglia will use top and tailed Direct Rail Services Class 47s to work between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. This follows the decision by London Midland to recall two Class 153s that were hired to NXEA, and which were subsequently hired to First Great Western. NXEA had introduced a bus on a morning peak train between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. The ‘47s’ are expected to take over from June 20.

Caption
Direct Rail Services 47802 Pride of Cumbria stands at Norwich on February 26 2010, with the 1736 to Great Yarmouth. These trains ran to cover for a damaged DMU, and ended in March 2010, but will return later this month. RICHARD CLINNICK.

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May 27 2011

South West Trains' plans to install Oyster top up facilities at its stations within the London Travel zones have been delayed. The cause is a “technical issue” with Transport for London’s data chip provider, Cubic. The ticket vending machine (TVM) modification project, announced in November last year, was due to be up and running by this month.

The operator told RAIL that Cubic was now installing new software and, as a result, work was “taking longer than envisaged”. South West Trains said they are now “working very closely with suppliers to resolve the technical issue as soon as possible”.

Passengers have been able to travel using the Oyster pay as you go system at the company’s Greater London stations since January 2010.

Caption
An Oyster card. Transport for London

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May 26 2011

Southern Railway is offering thousands of passengers 90% off Southern Advance tickets, valid on Standard or First Class single tickets on selected Southern routes.  With the ability to book up to 12 weeks in advance (excluding public holidays) this is currently the biggest ticket sale in the industry. Southern Railway’s Head of Marketing, Alistair Buckle said “Outside commuter times, we have plenty of spare capacity, and we want to get people out of cars and on to the train.” Southern have 45000 advance seats to Brighton each week.

Caption
Passengers boarding a Southern Railway service. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL

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May 25 2011

47790, fresh from a repaint into Northern Belle livery, passes Hest Bank on May 24, with a Keighley-Crewe train. It had been in Yorkshire for filming purposes. This was the first duty for the Class 47, owned by Direct Rail Services, since it was repainted into the colour scheme at Eastleigh Works, where it was released earlier this month. A second DRS '47' will be repainted into these colours.

Caption
47790 passes Hest Bank on May 24. PHIL METCALFE.

May 24 2011

From the start of the May timetable, National Express East Anglia has been forced to introduce buses on a peak-time service between Norwich and Great Yarmouth due to a unit shortage. Two Class 153s hired from London Midland, 153354 and 153364, to cover a damaged NXEA ‘156’ returned to LM on May 20, with LM hiring two ‘153s’ to First Great Western (153325 and 153333). As a result the 0809 Norwich-Yarmouth and 0847 return are now a bus, with NXEA expecting this remain the case until September.

Caption
A sign ay Norwich on May 24 warns passengers of the introduction of a return bus service to Great Yarmouth. RICHARD CLINNICK

May 23 2011

Caption
378149 heads south from Haggerston on the East London Line. NETWORK RAIL.

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May 20 2011

A new entrance has opened at Clapham Junction, with London Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport Minister Norman Baker there to see its first day.
Using a disused station building, passengers will now have better access at the busiest station in the UK in terms of train movements and passenger interchanges.
Canopies have also been constructed over two of the platforms, and more are planned, along with another new entrance. It has also been announced that Birse Metro has won the contract to construct the East London Line extension from Surrey Quays which will ultimately serve Clapham Junction in what Johnson called "the Inner Wheel".

May 16 2011

Network Rail is ‘employing’ a flock of Wiltshire Horn sheep, under an agreement with Huntingdonshire District Council, saving £50,000 a year in maintenance costs. NR has coined its own acronym for the flock - the 'High Output Ovine Vegetation System' (HOOVES).
The animals will maintain a 35-hectare field adjacent to the East Coast Main Line at Great Stukeley, one of 146 sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) which NR has a legal responsibilty to protect. The site is home to numerous plant species including cowslip, lady’s bedstraw, bird's foot trefoil, fairy flax, hairy violet and rare pyramidal orchids, forming a natural habitat for butterflies and scores of other insect species.
The sheep eat the brambles and hawthorn bushes that threaten the rare species if left to grow unchecked, leaving the rare plants untouched.

Caption An East Coast train passes Marholme on November 5 2009 PETER FOSTER

 

May 13 2011

May 13 marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of our very first edition, while the railway industry's premier awards ceremony, the National Rail Awards was victorious in the Event of the Year category at the annual Bauer Awards on Thursday May 12

May 10 2011

Cable theft costs the railway £15 million per year according to figures released by Network Rail. Thieves are stealing cable to sell for scrap.

Figures reveal that over the past three years there have been 16,000 hours of delay and in 2010/11 there were nearly 1,000 individual attacks – a 52% rise on the previous year. The British Transport Police recorded 3,000 crimes and made more than 900 arrests.

Caption

Cable at a scrap yard. More than £15m per year is raised by thieves selling railway cable to scrap dealers. NETWORK RAIL.

May 9 2011

The Swanage Railway held its annual diesel gala and beer festival on May 6-8, featuring several visiting locomotives. Attending the event were: 37503, 56301, 73136, 73205, D1062 Western Courier and D9009 Alycidon, which worked alongside residents 33012 and 33103. The former Class 33 had returned to the railway following a major overhaul at Eastleigh Works that has seen it returned to main line standards.

Caption
Newly main line-certified 33012 arrives at Hermans Cross on May 7, hauling preserved 3-CIG 1498 with the 1110 Swanage-Nordern. RICHARD CLINNICK.

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April 26 2011

April 20 2011

Caption
The ‘08’ crosses the junction between Barton Dock Road and the A5181 as it heads for Trafford Park on April 19. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL.

April 15 2011

Caption
47798 stands inside the Great Hall at the National Railway Museum on November 12 2005. Plans to introduce the NRM display have been shelved. RICHARD CLINNICK.

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April 12 2011

Caption
An Arriva Trains Wales Class 150 leaves Cardiff Central, as a steel train passes it. Work over the next three years will boost capacity at this station for passenger and freight trains. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL.

April 11 2011

GB Railfreight has hired a Deltic to haul freight in the north east until July 1.
Preserved 55022 Royal Scots Grey will be used to haul trains between North Blyth and Lynemouth. It will cover 36 miles per day over two trips, releasing a GBRf Class 66 for duties elsewhere.
The locomotive ran to Tyne Yard on April 10, and is due to enter traffic today. Two Class 09s will be used on these duties from the summer once they have been returned to operational condition. 

Caption
55022 heads for Robeston with a Pathfinder charter on September 18 2010. The Deltic speeds through Sinderberry on the approach to Ashchurch. JACK BOSKETT.

April 8 2011

Network Rail will build a canopy at Blackburn over platform four, the only one not covered when the station was rebuilt a few years ago. That, NR says, was largely because it was hardly used by trains.
A lift will also be installed as part of the £1.7 million project, which will be ready for next winter.

Caption
An artist’s impression of the new canopy for Blackburn station. NETWORK RAIL.

April 6 2011

National Express East Anglia named 321342 R. Barnes at Ilford depot on April 5, honouring a depot-based technician who recently retired after more than 50 years working on the railway.
Robert Barnes joined as a coach maker apprentice based at Stratford in 1957. He also worked at Bounds Green and Holloway Sidings before moving to Ford for two years. He returned to the railways in the late-1960s as a technician at Ilford, where he remained until retiring aged 68 in December 2010.

Caption
Picture shows Bob Barnes with Jason Carey. Antony Guppy

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April 5 2011

A plaque has been placed on railings at the head of Platforms 1 and 2 at Manchester Victoria, to mark the location of a former burial ground.
While the station was being rebuilt last year, bones were discovered close to the foundation of the island platform. Investigations discovered that the bones were ‘very old’.
The site was originally called Walker’s Croft Cemetery, and owned by the collegiate church of Manchester. The remains have been moved and re-buried in Manchester Southern Cemetery.

Caption
The plaque at the end of Platform 1 at Manchester Victoria. NETWORK RAIL.

March 29 2011

East Coast named 91109 Sir Bobby Robson on March 29. The naming was carried out at Newcastle Central by former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer, Lady Elsie Robson (Bobby’s wife) and EC Chairman Elaine Holt.

Robson was a former manager of Newcastle United, as well as England and Ipswich Town, whom he led to domestic and European honours. He died on July 31 2009 and hailed from the North East. 

Caption
Left to right; Alan Shearer, Lady Elsie Robson and EC Chairman Elaine Holt unveil Sir Bobby Robson nameplates on 91109. RON COVER

March 25 2011

Abellio, GoVia and Stagecoach are in the running to operate the next Greater Anglia franchise, after the bid by current incumbent National Express was rejected by the Department for Transport.

The DfT has shortlisted Abellio Greater Anglia Limited, Eastern Railway Limited and Stagecoach Anglia Trains Limited for the franchise, which will start in February 2012 and last for 17 months.

NX says it will seek an explanation as to why its bid to carry on running the franchise failed.

Caption
National Express will not be running the Greater Anglia franchise after February 2012. On June 27 2009, 90008 (left) and 90003 (right) stand at Norwich, both in NX livery. RICHARD CLINNICK.

March 24 2011

Network Rail has applied to extend one of the platforms at Grade 2-listed Stoke-on-Trent station, to accommodate 35 new 11-car Pendolino trains.
The Government plans to operate the Pendolinos on the West Coast Main Line under a new franchise agreement due to begin in March 2012.
The longest Pendolinos currently in use along the Stafford to Manchester route are nine-car trains. Platform 2 is to be extended by 16m (52ft) to accommodate the 11-car sets.
Network Rail says red bricks will be used to match the existing brickwork, thereby preserving the historic look of the station, which was built in the 1840s.

Caption
A Pendolino arrives at Stoke-on-Trent bound for Manchester on November 2, 2009. Les Nixon. 

March 22 2011

Additional London Midland trains will run between the West Midlands and London Euston from April 1 2012.

According to local newspaper reports, the operator plans to run three additional trains between the capital and the Midlands once the new West Coast franchise starts, with current restrictions on services lifted. There will also be additional trains on a Sunday.
There will be three new services in the morning and evening peaks. Local user groups have welcomed the move.

Caption
London Midland 350233 pulls into Tamworth with a train bound for London Euston on October 1 2009. PHIL METCALFE

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March 18 2011

National Express East Anglia launched the first of its 30 new Class 379 Electrostars yesterday (Thursday March 17).

All will be in traffic by August 2011, providing 11,000 more seats a day for commuters. Three of the new ‘379s’ have so far been accepted.

On March 17 397005 was named Stansted Express by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, before taking invited guests to Stansted Airport and Cambridge.

Caption
One of the new 379 Electrostars, 379001 National Express

March 16 2011

Characters from the Muppets travelled on Northern Rail on March 12, to promote the Bradford International Film Festival.

Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear used a Northern train to travel across Yorkshire promoting the event, which takes place on March 16-27. They handed out ‘golden tickets’ giving passengers the chance to win a family ticket for two adults and two children to watch a film at the festival and free travel with Northern to Bradford.

Muppets were used as there will be a tribute to their creator Jim Henson at the event.

Caption
Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear aboard a Northern Rail train. NORTHERN RAIL.

March 11 2011

Virgin Trains believes it can reduce journey times between Birmingham International and London to under an hour, while it also intends to cut journey times to the UK’s second city and run four trains per hour during the peak.

VT Chief Executive Tony Collins told the Birmingham Post that these would be a priority as the company prepares its bid for the West Coast franchise.

Collins also challenged ministers to put funding into the WCML over the next decade to provide additional capacity.

Caption
Passengers board a Pendolino at Birmingham New Street in July 2008. VT wants to increase the number of trains serving Britain’s second city. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL.

March 9 2011

Work has begun on the redevelopment of Nottingham station. When complete in 2014, a new 950-space car park with office and retail premises will be open, while there will also be work carried out to provide better facilities within the main station building including a new ticket office, waiting rooms, shops and cafes.

A new concourse will be constructed that will allow better interchange with lines two and three of the proposed Nottingham Express Transit extension (NET Phase Two). Network Rail will also fully re-signal the area to improve reliability of trains.

Caption
An artist’s impression of the new car park to be built adjacent to Nottingham railway station. NETWORK RAIL.

March 6 2011

St Albans MP Ann Main has written to new Network Rail Chief Executive David Higgins urging him to do more on Thameslink performance.
She said that a recent announcement by the Office of Rail Regulation that Network Rail will miss its performance targets “underlines serious failures" to consistently deliver the infrastructure commuters need, and they must be held to account about that.”

Picture: PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL

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