The Railway Magazine
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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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Transport group criticises hikes in access charges
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Logistics lobby group the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has criticised what it believes are the ‘mixed signals’ being received by the rail freight sector from the Government and the Office of Rail and Road. While there is good news for rail in the confirmation of increased funding for Network Rail’s next Control Period in 2019-24,…
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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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Tube deal gives green light to Goole factory for Siemens
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SIEMENS has been confirmed as the winning bidder for the £1.5billion contract to build a new fleet of Underground trains, which means the proposed factory in Goole can now go ahead. Siemens was awarded the contract in June, but it was put on hold following a legal challenge by rivals Bombardier, Hitachi and Alstom. That…
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Blonay-Chamby museum celebrates 50th anniversary
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SWITZERLAND’s leading metre gauge heritage railway and museum at Blonay-Chamby, near Lausanne, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. The museum and the 3km line began operation in 1968 after closure of the line by operator Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV), but it retains overhead DC electrification, enabling operation of historic electric trains as well…
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World’s ‘first autonomous’ tram carries passengers in Germany
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SIEMENS and Potsdam transport operator Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam (ViP) have developed what they claim is the world’s first autonomous driverless tram. The tram carried its first passengers in a media demonstration run on September 18, timed to coincide with the Innotrans trade fair in nearby Berlin. Fully autonomous unmanned freight trains are already in operation in…
