Tony Miles
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New platform at Dunbar as Robroyston and Warrington West stations open
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TWO new stations opened for the start of the winter 2019/20 timetable, with a new platform at a third. Robroyston, between Stepps and Springburn on the former Caledonian Railway line to Cumbernauld, has been built close to the site of its predecessor, which closed on June 11, 1956. It serves a new development of 1,600…
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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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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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TPE accepts first ‘Nova 2’ CAF set
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By Tony Miles TRANSPENNINE Express accepted the first ‘Nova 2’ Class 397 EMU into its fleet on July 25, meaning units from all three new ‘Nova’ train types have now joined its fleet. The first sets to be delivered are still being used for type testing, and require some final rectification work by manufacturer CAF,…
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The shocking state of trackside vegetation in public areas
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I AM constantly depressed by the lack of vegetation control on our national network, as highlighted in your Readers’ Platform this month (RM August). On a recent visit to St Mary’s crossing near Stroud I was shocked by just how bad things have got. Not only were there weeds growing between the track but small shrubs…
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MP’s electrification call as Northern marks Class 195s switch on Windermere branch
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By Tony Miles EVERY Northern service to and from Windermere is now operated by new Class 195 units, with the transition being marked at Windermere station on August 21. Services to Windermere and Barrow-in-Furness became the first to be worked by then new CAF DMUs in July, and with additional sets now in Northern’s operational…
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TransPennine ‘Nova 3’ enters passenger service after extensive testing
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A TRANSPENNINE Express ‘Nova 3’ train finally entered passenger service on August 24 after extensive testing and a start to driver and crew training. Each ‘Nova 3’ set comprises of five CAF Mk5a coaches powered by Class 68 locomotives, and have been working regular test runs across the Pennines in the lead up to the…
