London Euston
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Leaked draft confirms Oakervee support for full HS2 route
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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…
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TRAIN TEST: LONDON OVERGROUND CLASS 710
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Transport for London’s Overground operation has transformed services on many local railways in the capital. As the city’s population grows and demand increases, its train fleet is expanding to create additional capacity. Ben Jones visits the modernised Gospel Oak to Barking line to sample the first Bombardier ‘Aventra’ design to enter service. Class 710 is the…
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HS2 bill up to £88billion as completion date slips to 2040
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By Ben Jones HS2 Ltd has advised the Government the first phase of High Speed 2 to Birmingham could open five years later than planned in 2031, and the overall cost of the project could rise to £88billion. Phase 2b to Manchester and Leeds has also been pushed back, with completion now expected in 2040…
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Sweet news for HS2 ‘sugar cube’
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THE first major structure to be built at Euston as part of HS2 has received planning permission from the London Borough of Camden. The eye-catching London Underground (LU) ventilation shaft and substation –nicknamed the ‘sugar cube’ – will be covered with more than 13,000 glazed white terracotta tiles, drawing inspiration from historic LU stations,…
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Loss of brakes on Caledonian Sleeper adds to operator woes
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THE loss of control of the train brakes during the operation of the ‘Lowlander’ Caledonian Sleeper service on August 1 on the approach to Edinburgh Waverley station is being investigated by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). Starting as the 23.36 from London Euston the previous evening, the Glasgow and Edinburgh portions divide at Carstairs…
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First and Trenitalia to run West Coast Main Line
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By Tony Miles OPERATION of the West Coast Partnership (WCP) will be in the hands of First Group and Trenitalia from December 8, under what will be the first of a new franchise partnership model. With a 70/30 partnership in favour of First, the pair will end Virgin Trains’ domination of the flagship route, which…
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It’s crunch time for HS2 as Government review considers costs and scope
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By Ben Jones NEW Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has thrown the future of High Speed 2 (HS2) into doubt with a new review that will challenge the £56billion project’s scope, design and affordability. Doug Oakervee, a retired engineer, former HS2 Ltd chairman ,and ally of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will lead the review, assisted by…
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Caledonian Sleeper’s Mk5 stock: an overnight sensation?
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Caledonian Sleeper’s new Mk5 stock has rarely been out of the headlines since it was introduced. Ben Jones takes a ride on this new generation of Spanish-built overnight stock to see if it delivers on its promises of a quality hotel experience. Having been in decline for decades, killed off by indifference, variable quality, high…
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Mayflower in the Highlands
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‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower crosses the Beauly Firth at Invershin while working a day tour from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle during Steam Dreams’ mammoth ‘Highlands and Islands’ tour of Scotland on May 9-17. The previous day, the Thompson 4-6-0 worked with No. 60103 Flying Scotsman over the Highland Main Line from Edinburgh. ‘Scotsman’ worked north from King’s…
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UK Railtours ventures through Butterley
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GB RAILFREIGHT No. 66753 EMD Roberts Road edges into Butterley loop with UK Railtours’ ‘Amber Valley Venturer’ tour from Euston on May 4, making for an unusual sight among the preserved DMUs and coaching stock at the Midland Railway-Butterley (MRB). No. 66719 METRO-LAND is out of view at the other end of the train. Resident ‘Generator’ No. 47401…
