News
-
Hull Trains reveals new fleet name
Posted
by
THE five Class 802 bi-mode trains that will begin work with Hull Trains (HT) are to be called the ‘Paragon’ fleet. HT says it has significance in Hull from when Paragon station first opened in 1848, with the dictionary definition defining paragon as ‘a model of excellence’. In addition to the fleet name, HT has…
-
Must-read railway bookazines from just £5!
Posted
by
Bookazines from Mortons Media, publisher of popular railway magazines, tell you everything you need to know about the history of the UK’s railways and locomotives.
-
Factory commissioning of Merseyrail Class 777 begins
Posted
by
STATIC factory-based testing of the first of 52 Stadler Class 777 four-car EMUs for Merseyrail has started in Switzerland. When engineers are satisfied, the set will be moved to Germany for dynamic testing on Siemens Wildenrath test circuit, before the first completed set is delivered to Merseyside later in the year. The first trains of…
-
Anglia ‘FLIRTs’ get formal launch
Posted
by
By Ben Jones GREATER Anglia’s (GA) rural services are beginning to see a radical transformation as new Class 755 bi-mode ‘FLIRT’ units enter service. There was a ‘soft launch’ into passenger service on July 29, with GA officially introducing the new Stadler-built trains at Norwich on September 4. No. 755413 worked return trips to Great Yarmouth…
-
‘Aberdonian’ success prompts return in 2020
Posted
by
TORNADO Railtours’ series of Edinburgh to Aberdeen day trips concluded on September 7 after a successful first season, with dates having been announced for next year’s trains. The tours are hauled by ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado and will operate on July 23, September 3 and September 10, offering passengers a diverse selection of off-train excursions as…
-
Big Pacifics dominate RTC autumn/winter tours
Posted
by
THE Railway Touring Company’s regular summer operations are over for another year, but there is a tempting selection of railtours for the autumn and winter months. October 12 sees one of its regular ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ trips from Euston to Carlisle, utilising electric No. 86259 Les Ross as far as Carnforth, where one of the West…
-
Tornado set for ‘Great Britain’ debut
Posted
by
CONTINUING co-operation between West Coast Railways and The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust means Peppercorn ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado will make its debut on the ‘Great Britain’ landcruise train in 2020. The 13th edition of the Railway Touring Company’s grand tour of England, Scotland and Wales will roll out of London King’s Cross behind the ‘A1’ on…
-
Five locos add even more power to Turkish open access operator fleet
Posted
by
TURKISH open access freight operator Körfez Ulaştırma (KU) took delivery of five DE36500 Wabtec (formerly GE Transportation) ‘Powerhaul’ locos this summer. KU is the rail freight subsidiary of Tüpraş, Turkey’s largest oil refinery. The locos were ordered in 2018 and assembled by Wabtec’s Turkish partner Tülomsaş, in Eskişehir. They will be used alongside five similar DE36000…
-
Belgian heritage line hosts gala weekend
Posted
by
BELGIAN national rail enthusiasts’ group Patrimoine Ferroviaire et Tourisme (PFT) held its annual gala weekend on the Chemin de Fer du Bocq heritage line from Ciney to Bauche in mid-August. A wide variety of visiting diesel locos, from several operators, visited the line, along with preserved ex-Belgian State Railways Canadian-built (Montreal Loco Works 74511/1945) 2-8-0…
-
Leaked draft confirms Oakervee support for full HS2 route
Posted
by
An early draft of the Oakervee Report – leaked to national media in November – confirms the expert panel will recommend High Speed 2 (HS2) should proceed, despite worries the revised £88billion budget could be exceeded. Supporters had been concerned that parts of the ‘Y’-shaped route could be scrapped to save costs, but the draft…
