South Western Railway
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More issues mean delays for SWR Class 442 return
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PLANS by South Western Railway to re-introduce Class 442s to the third rail network have been delayed again. The refurbished sets were due to enter traffic between London Waterloo and Portsmouth last December, but bodyshell corrosion was greater than envisaged. This meant more work was needed, with February being the predicted date for completion. So…
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Union threatens further action on fourth day of rail strike
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Rail workers were said to be “solidly supporting” the fourth day of strikes in a bitter dispute over guards on trains.
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With Full Regulator: LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW
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In his latest column, Don Benn describes the performance of Ian Riley’s ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 on two main line trips in December 2018 and May 2010 – plus some additional information about Bulleid Pacific No.35028 Clan Line’s on November 24’s ‘The Chilterns & Downs’ tour. It HAD been some years since I had a…
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Designated charter network capacity
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In the latest in our series examining the issues of operating special trains on the main line with heritage rolling stock, Andy Castledine looks at what the future is likely to hold for pathing – and the processes and implications required in planning. He also shares the view of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s Graeme…
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Island Line Tube stock stored at Ryde pending future disposal?
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THE modernisation of the 8½-mile Island Line between Ryde Pierhead and Shanklin should have commenced at the start of 2019 but the Department for Transport extended its own deadline until the end of March to determine what shape the modernisation will take. When South Western Railway was awarded the franchise it was mandated to propose…
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Heritage Explorer: Four lines in four days
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Last summer Robert Drysdale embarked on an 800-mile round trip to visit four heritage railways in four days using the national rail network and occasionally a local bus. His personal account provides some interesting observations and food for thought. On the morning of Friday, July 3, 2018, I arrived at Newark North Gate station to…
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DfT decision on Island Line future deferred for three months
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By Phil Marsh THE Department of Transport has extended a deadline for South Western Railway’s (SWR) plan to transform the operation of the Island Line on the Isle of Wight (IoW). One of the franchise conditions of SWR taking over the loss-making Island Line was to work with the Isle of Wight Council and Isle…
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Former Eurostar platforms in full-time reopening for Waterloo suburban services
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THREE former Eurostar platforms at London Waterloo reopened permanently on December 10 as part of the £800million project to increase capacity on the South Western Railway network. Apart from a brief period where they were used during engineering work in 2017/18, the platforms have been disused since international services switched to St Pancras in November…
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Waterloo is still busiest station – British Steel Redcar least used
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LONDON Waterloo station remains the country’s busiest station for the 15th consecutive year, even though the total number of passenger entries and exits fell by five million to 94.4 million. The figures for 2017/8 have been revealed by the Office of Rail and Road. Some of the reduction in use has been attributed to the…
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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…
