Network
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Class 195 unveiled – future plans revealed
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By Tony Miles NORTHERN has formally unveiled the first two trains in its new £500million fleet which it says “will set new standards for customers using local rail in the north of England”. The sets were unveiled by Northern managing director David Brown and Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry at Edge Hill depot, Liverpool, in…
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First refurbished Class 444 in service for South Western
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SOUTH Western Railway’s (SWR) first refurbished Class 444 EMU has returned to service with additional seating capacity and high-quality improvements to passenger accommodation. The refurbishment and reconfiguration of the train is part of SWR’s £50million ‘Desiro’ interior upgrade programme. It is being delivered by Siemens, the company which built the units from 2002. All 45…
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Last levers in the Calder Valley
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FOUR heritage Network Rail signalboxes were abolished at the end of their signallers’ shifts on October 20, in the final phase of the West Yorkshire Resignalling Scheme, reports Richard Horner. The scheme is part of the Great North Rail Project, with the first phase, completed in January, leading to the closure of post-war Huddersfield and…
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Breakwater repairs to protect Dawlish sea wall route
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WORK is underway at Dawlish in Devon to repair four breakwaters which help to protect the west of England main line from the force of waves. The work is being undertaken with the help of ‘world-leading engineers’ in coastal, tunnel, cliff and railway engineering, and is expected to take six months. Expert engineering teams from…
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Railway Heritage Trust supports projects worth more than £5m
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THE Railway Heritage Trust (RHT) supported 65 restoration and conservation projects during 2017/18, with grants worth £2.15million. Further partnership funding from organisations, including the Department for Transport, the Scottish Government, train operators, local authorities, private companies and community groups, added another £2.9m across the country. Of the 69 grants awarded by the RHT in 2017/18,…
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Public feedback forces NR to change Bescot sleeper plant plans
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NETWORK Rail has significantly altered its plans for a new sleeper factory at Bescot Yard following feedback from local residents, councillors and MPs. Residents raised concerns during consultation on the original plans over the proximity of the factory to houses backing on to the yard site, its visual impact, and increased traffic on local roads.…
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Network Rail consults on ‘Croydon Bottleneck’
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NETWORK Rail’s proposed solutions to reduce congestion in and around Croydon were opened to public consultation in November. The Croydon area is reported to be the busiest and most congested part of Britain’s rail network, with 30% more passengers and trains passing through it each day than London Euston and King’s Cross stations combined. Punctuality…
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Special ‘A4’ charter as UK Railtours outlines 2019 plans
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WHAT could be the final chance to enjoy ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa over the Settle to Carlisle Line heads a varied programme of days out being organised by UK Railtours for the first half of 2019. On March 9, the popular ‘Streak’ will take over the as-yet untitled train in York and head…
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‘Treatment’ season sees Class 111s out in the north
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THE annual Rail Head Treatment Train (RHTT) season got underway on Northern Ireland Railways’ (NIR) metals in October. And, for the first time in 12 years, the work did not feature the use of an old Class 80 DEMU ‘Thumper’ – the unit having been retired to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway. Instead, NIR’s…
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Roof renewal for Ireland’s busiest commuter station
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THE Republic of Ireland’s busiest commuter station, Dublin Pearse, is to have its 1880s-built overall roof renewed as part of a €17million project by Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail (IÉ). The iron-vaulted, glazed structure dates from the construction of the City of Dublin Junction Railway to Amiens Street in 1891, and has been suffering in recent years…
