Network
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Virgin Trains signs off in style with video featuring Mr Blobby
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With the end of the Virgin Trains franchise taking place at 01:59am on December 8 after 22 years of running trains between London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, they’re going out with a bang!
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Eurostar marks 25th anniversary with first ‘plastic-free’ train
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Eurostar is operating a train with no single-use plastics to mark the 25th anniversary and will plant a tree for every service it runs.
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Hitachi Class 802 enters service with TransPennine Express
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By Tony Miles THE first of 19 five-car Hitachi Class 802 bi-mode trains entered passenger service with TransPennine Express on September 28. They had received clearance from ORR late the previous evening. Set 802201 operated the 06.03 Newcastle-Liverpool Lime Street and 09.25 return as a one-off working ahead of regular service introduction later in October. …
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London to Glasgow passengers choose rail over air
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The proportion of people travelling between London and Glasgow by rail rather than air has reached a record level, according to Virgin Trains.
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‘Azuma’ trains improve direct Lincoln services
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LNER launched its new Lincoln to King’s Cross ‘Azuma’ service on October 21, increasing the single daily service to five per day. A sixth service will be introduced at a later stage. A five-car bi-mode ‘Azuma’ will provide a two-hourly Monday to Friday service departing London at 10.06, 12.06, 14.06 and 16.06. Southbound services will…
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South Western Railway workers to strike for 27 days
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Workers on South Western Railway are to strike for 27 days before the end of the year in the long-running dispute over guards on trains.
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Northern franchise hangs in the balance after Shapps warning
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By Tony Miles The future of the Northern franchise is hanging in the balance after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps addressed the Transport Select Committee on October 16. He said: “I can tell the committee that I have already issued a request for proposals from both Arriva and the operator of last resort (OLR), because I…
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December debut for Hull Trains ‘Paragon’ fleet
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November 25 saw the first of five Hull Trains’ (HT) Class 802/3s make its debut in the company’s home city. The First Group-owned open access operator confirmed that the bi-mode trains will be phased into passenger service over the next two months, releasing its ailing Class 180s for transfer to East Midlands Railway (EMR). The…
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Vivarail battery hybrid trials underway
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TRIALS using a Vivarail Class 230 battery hybrid multiple unit were operated on September 9-10 between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh. In addition to diesel power on its converted trains, Vivarail can harness battery power, with hydrogen eventually planned. The company is building on tests undertaken in 2018 when its development set No. 230002 ran 60 miles between…
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‘Plain Jane’ look for ‘Pendolino’
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THE end of Virgin Train West Coast franchise is just two months away, and an on-going repaint programme has led to the release of the first unbranded Class 390 ‘Pendolino’ set. The repaint work is part of the interim maintenance regime, which began in June 2017. Set No. 390137 was released from Alstom’s Technology Centre, at…
