West Coast Main Line
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West Coast Mainline part-closed due to flood damage
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Flooding has damaged part of the West Coast Mainline – meaning no trains will run between Carlisle and Glasgow until January 6, Network Rail said.
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£31m Easter rail upgrades complete between London and Scotland
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Network Rail has completed a range of essential upgrades to the railway between Euston, the Midlands, North West and Scotland over Easter.
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Helicopter footage reveals Storm Christoph impact on railway
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Network Rail’s helicopter team is surveying the railway as flood waters recede across the North West after Storm Christoph.
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Locomotive Services buys Class 86 and 87 from ETL
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TWO former West Coast AC electric locomotives have been bought by Locomotive Services Limited from Electric Traction Ltd (ETL). The last mainline Class 87 – No. 87002 Royal Sovereign – along with 86101 Sir William A Stanier FRS had been hired by ETL to GB Railfreight for working empty stock from the Caledonian Sleeper between London Euston…
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Tornado’s 2020 tour diary takes shape
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PEPPERCORN ‘A1’ Pacific No. 60163 Tornado looks set to have another busy year on the national network in 2020 as more dates are added to the locomotive’s main line calendar. The first confirmed booking is the ‘Fen & Fells Flyer’ on April 4, which starts diesel-hauled in Cambridge, running via Ely, March and Peterborough, and down…
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West Coast looks forward with Avanti
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Words: Ben Jones NEW trains, more services and a better customer experience are the priorities for Avanti West Coast (AWC), which replaced Virgin Trains on December 8. First-Trenitalia’s West Coast Partnership joint venture will operate the country’s busiest inter-city railway until March 31, 2031, during which time it will also become the shadow operator for…
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Endangered crayfish rescued during Cumbria viaduct work
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WORK to reinforce a 173-year-old railway viaduct is helping to protect endangered crayfish in Cumbria. The Grade-II listed Docker Garths Viaduct, on the West Coast Main Line at Lambrigg, is currently being reinforced to repair damage from water erosion, at a cost of £750,000. Work includes the diversion of the Flodder Beck river to allow…
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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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Three Type 3s – to the sea!
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THREE Class 37s at the head of a heavy freight train used to be a regular sight in South Wales and around Glasgow in BR days, but such a trio has always been a rare event on passenger trains. On August 11, the Branch Line Society completed its two-day ‘Type 3 to the Sea’ trip…
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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…
