TheRai lway TouringCompany
UK DayT rips –August202
5
Saturday 2August
Steam over the Settle &Carlisle Line. Join us from London Euston, WatfordJunction, Milton Keynes, Rugby, Nuneaton, Creweand Preston to visit Carlisle.
Wednesday6August
Steam to the coastalresor ts of Nor th Kent. Join us from LondonVictoria, BromleySouth, Canterbury West, Ramsgate,Broadstairs, Margate &HerneBay to Faversham.
Thursday 14 August
Steam along the beautiful Dorset coast. Join us from London Victoria, Staines,Woking and Basingstoketo visit either BournemouthorWeymouth.
Sunday 3August
Steam across the Fells and the RibbleheadViaduct. Join us from York,Leeds,Keighleyand Skipton to visit the border cityofCarlisle.
Saturday9 August
Steam to coastalMinehead. Join us from London Paddington,Slough, Reading and Newbur ytovisit Minehead.
Saturday16August
Classic steam to Devon and Cornwall. Join us from London Waterloo, Woking, Basingstokeand Salisbur yto visit Exeter
CONTENTS IssueNo. 351August 2025
Repainted to match the Belmond’s BritannicExplorer, GB Railfreight’s No.66748 approaches BasingstokeonJuly3, takingthe newluxury train from Eastleigh(Arlington) to London Euston fora preview. Thelocohas also been named St Michael’s Mount.GBRfhas said that from 2027, Class 99s will be usedonthis train. SPENCER CONQUEST
FEATURES
36 DIESEL GALA PICTORIAL
Afour-pagepictorial specialfeaturing someofthe best action from dieselgalas at fiveheritage railways.
66 THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Andy Flowers tells the story of some Class 20s which were exported to France andrepatriated, one nowactiveonthe GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway
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MODELLING
Thismonth’s modelling section presentsa detailed reviewofHeljan’s ‘O’gauge Class 24 in BR green. While forwagon fans it’s abumper month forreviews, as REM casts an eye overRapido’s ‘OO’ gaugefish vans, Accurascale’s HOP21 coal wagons in ‘OO’, and Revolution Trains’ ‘N’ gaugeIHA steelcarrying wagons. D&E files looksatthe LMS-designed ‘Salmon’ bogie wagon, and the wagonfocus is completed with four pages of tips on wagondetailing. Newsdesk brings youdetai ls of forthcoming modelsand there’s the chance to showcaseyour layout and wina prize!
8 HEADLINE NEWS
RoyalTrain to be decommissioned, HS2 project describedasan‘appalling mess’,Severn Valley Railwaytofullyreopen, Open Access bids rejected forWCML, Delayfor Class 810 ‘Auroras’.
16 POWERBYTHE HOUR
Debut forfirst twoGBRailfreight Class 99s.
22 UNITS
Former Class 210 DMU vehiclesent forscrap.
25 COACHES
‘BritannicExplorer’ Mk.3s hit the tracks.
26 POWERSCENE
Around-up of this month’s interesting and unusual workings, class-by-class.
34 PRESERVATION
Sale of ex-StratfordClass 47 imminent.
72 RAILTOURS
Target reachedtoreturn 55019 to mainline
74 SHUNTERS AND INDUSTRIALS
Celebrity Class 08s to be plinthed.
75 WAGONS
78 IRISHANGLE
In its newRail200 livery, GB Railfreight Class 66 No. 66710arrivesat London Paddington on June 26,with the ‘Inspiration’exhibition train. Inset: No.67005 on the RoyalTrain
Both: JACK BOSKETT
EDITORIAL
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Email: RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk
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Rail access to DublinPort suspended until2027.
80 LU WORLD
Delays untillate 2026 forPiccadilly Linestock.
81 TIME TRAVELLER
Alook back at what washappening 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
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One of Cornwall’s most scenic lines isthe short freight-onlybranch from Lostwithiel to Fowey, from wherechina clayisexported.OnApril 1, 2025, DB CargoNo. 66127 passes Golant at lowtidewith 16 loaded wagons from Parkandillack to
Carne Point. CRAIG MUNDAY
HEADLINE NE WS Chris Milner
RoyalTrain to be decommissioned
BUCKINGHAM Palace has decided to call time on the RoyalTrain.
With adedicated RoyalTrain having graced Britain’s rail network since 1869, the decision has been made to decommissionthe current RoyalTrain.
The contract to operate and maintain the nine-carriagetrain is held by DB Cargobut expires at the end of March2027, and the decommissioning process wi ll aim forthat date. Recently, Class 67 No. 67005 wasrepainted and named King’s Messenger
Whi le the decision is acostsaving measure, the timing is curious considering DB announced on March4ithad been awarded anew contract to operate the train. The train wi ll be replaced by twonew helicopters and is part of ongoing plans to modernisethe monarchy. Other royaltravelwillbe by car or timetabled train.
JamesChalmers, Keeper of the Privy Purse said: “The RoyalTrain,of course,has been part of national life formanydecades.
“But in moving forward, we must not be bound by the past. Just as so manyparts of the royalhousehold’s work have been modernised and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too, the timehas come to bid the fondest of farewells. WithHis Majesty’s support, it has thereforebeen decided that the process to decommission the RoyalTrain will commencenextyear.”
News of the decision came in the annual publication of royal finances. The document showed that between ajourneyinMay
The RoyalTrain, with DB Class 67 No. 67005 King’s Messenger, ticksoveratKemble
Majesty KingCharles to arrivefromHighgrove
wasstabled overnight
2024 and another in February this year,the train wasnot used but those twotrips cost £78,000. Operational, storage, maintenance andsecurity costs forthe train have been risingtoo. The train waslast used between June 8and 11 when the king travelled from Kemble to Lancaster,and thento London,with the train stabled at undisclosed locationsovernight.
Class 810 ‘Auroras’
hit by newdelay
EXPECTATIONS of placing the first of the East Midlands Railway Class 810 bi-mode units into service in the autumn has hit another delay.
The £400 mi llion fleet of the 33 five-car units wasordered in August 2019 and expected to enterservice in December2022.
It hasbeenhopedthat the first ‘Aurora’ would begin service in late September/earlyOctober, but testing has nowbeen paused to allowthe manufacturer,Hitachi, to investigate some undisclosed issues which have arisen with the earlyproduction units. It is unclear at this point howlongthe delay might be, or whether the units wi ll need anyremedial work which could add to the delay.
Anydelaytointroducing the
‘Auroras’ is li kely to impact the cascade of EMR’s existingClass 222 units to other operators. In issue350, we reported how FirstGroup’s open access brand Lumo wouldtakefive ex-EMR sets which wouldberefurbished by Alstom forits Stirling-London Euston which is dueto begin in the summer of 2026. ScotRai lis expected to takemost, if not all, of the remaining 22 units to replace its HSTfleet.
With the first 222 due to return to leasingcompanyEversholt by the end of September,EMR says it is bearing in mind the fixed return dates of the Class222s, and assessing the potential impact on the timetable from October 2025, along with exploring
Whennot in use, the carriage set is stored in the RoyalTrain shed at Wolverton Works. What wi ll happen to the train isn’t yetclear,however saloon Nos. 2903/4 have already been decommissioned. It is li kely several vehicles wi ll be preserved within the National Collection. Decisions on each vehicle wi ll be part of the decommissioning process.
The current Mk.3 carriages areclose to 40 years old and are rather dated internally. The levelof investment needed to keep the train fit foruse beyond the end of the present contract isn’t justified with its current lowlevel of use. What do readers think should happen to the RoyalTrain?Emai l your viewtoRai lExpressEditor@ mortons.co.uk E
On test on the Midland Main Line on April29, Class 810
mitigation strategies to ensure service continuity.EMR added it was‘committed to introducing the Aurorafleet in 2025, with phased rollout continuing into 2026’ One option forEMR could be the
short-term return of the four Class 180s which it handed back to Angel Trains in May2023; all arepresently of lease and twoare receiving attention at Alstom,Widnes but have no confirmed work.
station on June 8, waiting forHis
House before taking him forvisit to Lancaster the following day. The train
in asecret location before continuing to Lancaster JACK BOSKETT
‘Aurora’ No. 810004 climbs Sharnbrook towardsWellingborough during atesting sessionusing electric power. RICHARD GENNIS
Chris Milner HEADLINE NE WS
Three WCML OpenAccess bidsrejectedbyORR
BIDS forthree newopen access services on theWest Coast Main Line have been rejected by the Ofce of Rail and Road (ORR).
FirstGroup had applied to begin services from Rochdale to Euston, whi le Wrexham, Shropshireand Midlands Railway(WSMR)wanted to startaservice from Wrexham to Euston via Nuneaton.Virgin wasalso bidding forpaths from Euston to Birmingham NewStreet, Liverpool Lime Street, Preston and Rochdale.
The ORR which determines track access applications, says thereisinsufcient capacity on the West Coast Main Line south of Rugby, and the introduction of additional services wouldbe
detrimental to performance on the WCML, and all passengers and freight customers. Theapplications gained objections fromexisting operatorson the grounds of rolling stock avai labi lity,commercial risk, revenue extraction and stabling implications.
It has also emergedthat Network Rail has nine ‘firebreak’ paths within the WCML timetable, which it says areregularlyused. These paths help to maintain arobust andresi lient schedule on congested or high-frequency routes such as theWCML, and any newservices would erode these.
The ORR’s decision comes days after the Department forTransport recentlytoughened its stance
on open accessapplications, pointingout that the current crop of applications could abstract £229 mi llion in revenue from existing train operators.
The DfT has highlighted aconflict-of-interest issue wherebycompanies currently operating services with contracts that wi ll soon be taken over by Government arealso proposing open access services over sections of the sameroute
Both Avanti West Coast and GWR areownedbyFirstGroup, but the companyacquiredthe rights forthe approved Stirling to Euston service when it bought Grand Union Trains. These services should commence from
summer 2026 under its Lumo brand, and wi ll call at Motherwell, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Nuneaton, and Mi lton Keynes –the same stations used by Avanti.
It’s asimi lar situation in South Wales wherethe Grand Union acquisition camewith approved plans foranew service between Carmarthen and London Paddington that wi ll call at anumber of stations also servedbyGWR.
In response to the decision, all three bidders have expressed immense disappointment, Virgin Group saying it was‘ablowfor consumer choice and competition’, whi le FirstGroup said it would begin to look at other opportunities on the WCML route.
First freightoverEast West Route
THE first revenue-earning freight train over the East West Route ran on June16, whenanintermodal trainfromDidcot operatedtothe newNorthampton Gateway freight terminal which opened forbusiness thesameday
It marked the first time East West Rail infrastructurehas been used forcommercial freight, and comes after manymonths of signaller training and driver route training sincethe £1.2bn railway wascompleted in October 2024.
The train had been stabled at Didcot having worked from Southamptontwo days earlier.The DB Cargo-operated train used No. 66090 Maritime Intermodal Six, which wasappropriate as Maritime operate the terminal.
Since last October,the line has been used by diverted GWR trains to LondonEuston during work forHS2 at Old Oak Common, occasional enthusiast specials,and fordriver training workings, primari ly by Chi ltern ahead of the start of passenger workings between Oxford and Mi lton Keynes.
Although Government has pledged afurther £2.5 bi llionin funding forEast West Rail as part
newNorthampton Gateway terminaltoSouthampton Maritime container terminal. However, services have been temporarily diverted following aderailment at BletchleyonJune26.
Oxford, with intermediate stops at BletchleyHigh Level, Winslow, Bicester town and OxfordParkway.
The new35-acreNorthampton freight terminal hasbeen developed by Segro, and with its warehousing has cost £200 mi llion.
It is situated next to Junction 15
of the M1 and on the Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line. The rail junctions to enter or exit the faci lity aredesigned forspeeds of up to 40mph, substantiallyfaster than conventional freight terminal connections, which wi ll allowtrafc to clear quicker
More moneyfor railways in Infrastructureplan
THE publication of the Government’s 10-year InfrastructurePlan, which confirms previouslyannounced fundingof£15.6 bi llion foranew tram system forLeedsand Bradford, and £3.5 bi llion forthe Transpennine Route Upgrade, also includes other schemes.
Thereisa £2.5 bi llion investment forfurther development of the East
of the SpendingReview, thereis no further news of astart date forservices, howevera working timetable forservices has been created. The half-hourfrequency service, which wi ll be operated by Chi lternRai lways, wi ll take45mins fromMilton Keynes Central to West Route ultimatelyconnecting Oxfordand Cambridge. Thereis £300 mi llion towardsstations featured in the Burns Review at Cardif East, NewportWest, Somerton,Llanwern, anda station forMagor andUndy,aswellas projects at Padeswood Sidings and Cardif West Junction andonlevel crossingsin North Wales.
Funding wi ll also be provided to progressthe next phase of the Midland Rail Hub West, improving connections across the West Midlands, and there’s£240 mi llion to unlock capacity improvements at Leeds station.
The controversial HS2 project has £25.3 bi llion funding allocated which wi ll support afull reset
of the HS2 programme under the leadership of the newChief Executive. See separate story To improvewi-fi on trains, funding of £41million will be provided. No funding has been announced forany addditional fill-in or wider electrification schemes, other that what’s planned forthe TransPennine upgrade.
DB CargoNo. 66090 Maritime Intermodal Six approaches Whaddon Road bridge, Newton Longville, just west of BletchleyonJune 17, working 4O56fromthe
DAVE SMITH
HEADLINE NE WS Chris Milner
Bri tishSteel gets £500m deal to supplyrai ltoUK
FOLLOWING emergencyGovernment action to prevent the British Steel Scunthorpe steelmaking plant closing, the Department for Transport has announced adeal for the manufactureofa minimumof 337,000 tonnes of rail forNetwork Rail over the next fiveyears.
The announcement, made by
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, will securethousands of jobs in the manufacturing sector,and comes after British Steel’s Chinese owners, JingyeGroup, announced it intended to shut down the site’s blast furnaces and some otherkey steelmaking operations.
With the closureofthe Port
Rai llink toHor ton quarry reopens after 60 years
ARAIL link from the Settle &Carlisle Line to aquarry at Horton-inRi bblesdale has reopened, and GB Railfreight has operated the first train into the quarry since 1965.
The quarry is owned by HeidelbergMaterials UK and has produced limestone and highquality gritstone forroadand runway surfacing since 1889.
After atwo-week trial phase, regular rail freight services from Horton Quarryare expected to resume forthe first time in six decades.Each rail movement wi ll bearound 1650tonnes of limestone, takingaround 129 HGVsofthe road. The materials aretobedistributedtoa rangeof destinations across the northwest.
Viewedfromthe station footbridge,the first working overthe newlyactivated line into Horton-in-Ribblesdale quarry on June 17 originated from Tuebrook on Merseyside and wasworked by GBRf Class60No. 60087 Ingleborough. The Settle &Carlisle line is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year IAN McCART
Talbot blast furnaces by Tata last year,had Scunthorpe closed, the UK would have lost its abi lity to makevirgin steel which is why the Government stepped in with emergencylegislation back in Apri l.
The Scunthorpe plant hasbeen producing rail since 1865.
The contract with Network Rail
is worth around £500 mi llion, starts on July1and wi ll provide 80% of rail needs. The remainder,113,000 tonnes, wi ll be supplied by specialist European suppliers of rail products. The plan bui lds on the Government’s £2.5 bi llion steel fund established to revitalise UK steel production over the next fiveyears. E
Some of the Class 769 units which were converted to tri-mode units forGWR services, but neveractuallyentered service, areinstoreatPorterbrook’s Long Marston site, and areseen during the Rail Liveevent on June 19. From left, Nos. 769943, 769923, 769932 and 769947. CHRIS MILNER
Go-op signs access contract with 769s in theframe
GO-OP,the first cooperativeaiming to run regular public rail services, has signed atrack access contract with Network Rail
In addition, the company has turned its attention to leasing Class 769 units as opposed to the exTransport forWalesClass 150/2s that were in the frame previously.
Go-op is aiming to introduce services from Swindon to Westonsuper-Marevia Taunton, with a coreservice of six trainsper day between Taunton andWestbury
However, the entrepreneurial operation sti ll needs to raise £2.5 mi llion beforeitcan start, and is nowseeking keyinvestment partners.
Initiallythe funding began using public crowdfunding, but Go-op believesithas fullyexhausted that avenue. Go-op chairman Alex Lawrie said: “What we need nowis strategic partnerships with asmall number of specialist investors who see the connection between our operations and the big capital projects in the area that have gained momentum on the strength of our track access contract.”
Of the £2.5 mi llion, just over £1 mi llion is start-up costs, whi le the remainder wi ll be used to fund improvements at levelcrossings which the Ofce of Rail and Road insist arecarried out before services begin.
Severn Valleyshareholdersvoteonrestructure plan
SHAREHOLDERSofthe Severn Valley Railway’s owning and operating company, SVR(Holdings) Plc have voted overwhelminglyinfavour of converting the companyinto aCharitable CommunityBenefit Society (CCBS).
The resolution required the support of at least 75% of voting shareholders to go ahead. The companywillnow takethe necessary legal steps to enact the conversion.
The vote pavesthe way for changes that wi ll secure astronger
and moreresilient futurefor the railway.AsaCCBS,the SVRwillbe eligi ble forsignificant newstreams of grant funding, and can apply to HMRCfor Gift Aid recovery on donations and potentiallyonmany ticket sales. This wi ll givethe railway
greater financial security
In August, members of the Severn ValleyRai lway Company Limited wi ll vote on whether to amalgamate with the newlyformed CCBS, and again a75% majority is required to proceed with the merger.
An extended lease of lifefor the SWRClass455s,possibly until2028 as the result of anew direct contract, hasbeen agreed. Class 455EMU Nos.455857 and 455710approach Wimbledon on May29, 2024, working 2H42 14.11 SheppertonWaterloo, and areabout to be passed by Class159 Nos.159015 and 1590188 on the11.25 from Exeter. CHRIS MILNER
Class 455s tocling on alittle longer
IT seems that the venerable Class 455 units used by South Western Railway (SWR) wi ll be aroundfor a little longer–possi blyunti l2028.
Ongoing delays getting the Class 701 ‘Arterio’ fleet into service has led to the Department forTransport issuingathree-year contract to Porterbrook, to continueleasing 79 four-car Class 455 units forthe next threeyears. SWRwas renationalised by the Government on May25.
Althoughthe contract is initially forthree years and valued at £55 mi llion, it has afinal date of May25, 2030, which keeps options
Deighton station to close unti l2027
DEIGHTON station (pictured), between Huddersfield and Leeds, is to close from August 30 for majorrebui lding as part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade.
The rebui ld wi ll include longer platforms, anew footbridge and lifts forstep-free access, a newstation forecourt, including adrop-of point. The track formation wi ll be expanded to four tracks, allowing faster services to pass slowertrains.
Unti lrai lservices call at the station again, on adate in 2027 to be confirmed, an hourlyrai l replacement bus servicewill operate between Huddersfield and Deighton.
IN BRIEF
OPEN DAYATHEATON…
TRAIN operator Northern has confirmed it is planning atwo-day charity open dayatits Heaton train caredepot on September 20/21. The event will celebrate 150 years of the depot. Exhibits will include trains from Northern, TransPennine Express and LNER, and A4 steam loco No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley. Tickets, priced at £12 foradults and £5 forchildren, go on sale from mid-July. Moreinfoat www.northernrailway.co.uk/ railway-200/heaton150
…ANDFOR HITACHI NEWTON AYCLIFFE TOO
open should the ‘Arterio’ roll-out hit further problems. The contract includes the provision to hand units back to Porterbrook at one month’s notice. SWRwillcontinue to maintain the units at Wimbledon.
The lease also contains aright to transfer or sub-let the contract to certain thirdparties and adds that the Class 455s arerequired onlytocoverthe introduction of the remaining Class 701 fleet which is anticipated to becompleted within arelatively shorttimescale.
Rail Express understands that units wi ll be withdrawn based on
either amileagecei ling since the last C4 overhaul, or atime duration since aC6overhaul, whichever occurs sooner. C4 overhauls have been carried out at Bournemouth and the last unit is currentlybeing overhauled.
Additionally, the DfT has issued adirect contract to Porterbrook worth £94.6 mi llion, forthe continuing leaseof29three-car Class 159s and 10 two-carClass 158 DMUs unti lMay 25, 2030. These areused between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids and on Salisbury-Romseyservices
Northern Class 158branded ‘Northumberland line’
MARKINGthe success of the Northumberland linewhich opened in December 2024,Northern has branded unit Class 158 No. 158844 in aspecialwrappromoting the line
The vinyl wrap on the unit features local landmarksand hasalso been named The Northumbrian.
In the six months since opening, morethan 400,000 passengers have
been carried on the 18-mi le line. The number farexceeds business case estimates from 2016 which suggested 380000 passengers by year 10.
With three stations stilltoopen at Bedlington, Blythe Bebside and Northumberland Park (interchange with Tyne &WearMetronetwork), the line is aremarkablesuccess.
HITACHI will be holding an open dayonOctober 4, whichwillmark the 10th anniversary of train building at the Co Durham site. Entrance is from 10.00, closes at 18.00 with last entry at 16.00. Although tickets have sold out, thereisawaiting list. More at www ticketsource.co.uk/hitachirail
NEW STATIONS FOR WELLINGTON AND CULLOMPTON
FUNDING fornew stations at Wellington (Somerset) and Cullompton (Devon) have been confirmed as part of the chancellor of the exchequer’s recentspending review. Wellington stationwillbe built of Nynehead Road, while Cullompton will be near the M5 services. Together,the stations areexpected to cost around £45 million. Funding, previously allocated forCullompton under the Restoring Your Railwayfund was withdrawninAugust 2024.
£850,000 PAYOUT FOR BOTLEY ROAD DELAYS
SMALL businesses in Oxfordwhich have been afected by the ongoing worksatBotleyRoadmay be eligible to receivea shareofan £850,000 goodwill payment, the DfT has confirmed. Bridgework on BotleyRoad and the plan to create anew western entranceand platform, became protracted after the discovery of aVictorian brick arch under the bridge, and issues moving utilities. The road is set to reopen in August 2026.
CHRIS GREEN GETSOBE
FORMER Network SouthEast and Virgin Trains directorChris Green, who wasfeatured in issue 350, has been awarded an OBE in the King’s BirthdayHonours list, forservices to the rail industry spanning almost 60 years. Chair of London St Pancras Highspeed, Keith Ludeman, formerlyCEO of the Go-Ahead Group, is awarded an OBE forhis services to the transport industry.
HEADLINE NE WS Chris Milner
Southeasternand Network Rail uniteundersingle leadership
TRAIN operator Southeastern and Network Rail’s Kent Routehave become united under asingle leadership team in amovewhich wi ll driveinvestment andefciency.
Southeastern has been under control of the Department for Transport since October 2021 and going forward, the Network Rail/ SouthEastern Railwayteam wi ll be overseen by managing director Steve White.
Since coming under public
ownership Southeastern have delivered some of the lowest cancellation rates nationally andhaveforecast a£50mi llion reduction in taxpayersubsidy The move also marks asignificant mi lestone towardsvertical integration under Great British Railways,eventuallycreating clear accountabi lity forperformance, delivering better public transport.
The changereflects a contractual arrangement, and
Severn Valleytoreopen after landslip repairs with ‘Scotsman’ visit
HAVING seen its16-mi le line severedasthe result of alandslipin January.The Severn ValleyRai lway wi ll reopen fullyonJuly25, the occasion being marked with avisit from legendary A3 Pacific No.60103 Flying Scotsman.The loco wi ll haul the first passenger train along the reopened section, paired with Gresleyteak carriages, and remain at the railway overthe weekend of July26-28 as part of the SVR’s ‘Swinging Sixties’ event.
After landslip at MorBrook between Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth curtai led services to a 12-mi le section from Kidderminster, the railwayplaced aclaim for repairs with its insurers which wasaccepted. Repair work commencedatthe beginning of June, contractors CML excavating morethan 2,500 tonnes of
material fromthe track formation andembankment. Temporary culvertingwork hasbeen completed on the watercourse belowthe bridgetofaci litate full access to the embankmentfor plantand machinery. This wi ll allowfurther excavation to takeplace around the collapsed wingwall of the bridge.
Installation of aconcrete footing has commenced which involves lifting in morethan 100 huge‘Legato’ concrete blocks, each weighingaround 2.5 tonnes, to form asolid structure. The embankment structurewillbebackfi lled using alternate layers of geogrid matting andimported aggregate, to tie the newwall into the embankment. Finally, large L-shaped precast concrete units wi ll be placed across the top of the bridgefor the base to carrythe track bed, ready forthe
no accountabi lities arebeing transferred, each organisation wi ll remain responsi ble for decision-making forits respective accountabi lities.
Formorethan ayear Southeastern worked increasingly closelywith Network Rail,and this collaborativeapproach has resulted in greater efciencywith faster decision-making which ultimatelybenefits the fare paying customers. Overall satisfaction
of Southeastern is at 86 per cent following recent surveys.
Southeastern has started to modernise its metrofleet and has been fitting passenger trains with thermal imaging cameras and AI CCTVisbeing used to monitor tracksand giveearlyindications of potential issues.
■ Afeatureonthe diverse natureofSoutheastern’s operations is planned forafuture issue of Rail Express E
reinstatement of the track.
Alongside the repair work, ecological surveyshave been undertaken to determine the impact on wi ldlifesuch as otters, fish and crayfish. The contractors have also had to work with NationalGrid, as high voltagepower lines run right across the middle of the site.
The cost of repairs is estimated to be excessof£500000. An
Planning consent granted toreunifyGreat Central
THE ambitious plans by the Great Central Railwaytorebuildthe missing 500 metres of railwayto reunify the twosurviving sections of line in Leicestershireand
An impression of the ‘urban viaduct’ being planned by the Great Central Railway to complete the missing gapand create an 18-mile heritageline.
Nottinghamshirehavebeen given the green light by planners.
After an 11-month process, Charnwood Borough Counci l plannershaveapprovedthe exciting
plans to rejoin the tworai lways.
Three sections of the reunification project –two involving bridges –have been completed using donated funds,but the final section hinged on planning consent. Supporters from around the world have donated morethan £2.5million forthe project.
GCR General Manager, Malcolm Holmes said: “This is a reallyimportant moment forthe Reunification project. We’regrateful to Charnwood Borough Counci l forcarefullyworking through our application. It has been amajor piece of work which in itself has cost asix-figuresum. Nowweare masters of our owndestinyaswe
press ahead with our ambitious plans.”
Work wi ll nowresume with a ground investigation survey to support final design work which alone wi ll cost £250000 and the process of turning the designs into engineering and construction documents forthe contractor wi ll cost afurther £500000. This is aprecursor to constructing 200 metres of ‘urban viaduct’ which wi ll be cheaper and simpler than rebui lding the previous embankment. Anew metal bridge wi ll need to be constructed over Railway Terrace and asewer outfall. Readers can donate to the scheme at www.gcrai lway.co.uk/unify
Adrone viewshowing repair progress at Mor Brook on June 28 with anumber of the ‘Legato’ concrete blocksinplace. CourtesySVR LTD
impression of the finished design.
HS2 in ‘appalling mess’ as opening pushedback again
TRANSPORTSecretary Heidi
Alexander has confirmed that the controversial HS2 project is ‘in an appalling mess’ and wi ll not be completed as expected by 2033.
Areview, commissioned in October 2024 and undertaken by infrastructuredelivery specialist James Stewart identified critical governance failures, escalating costs, along with alack of trust and capabi lity within the project, highlighting the need forareset. The reviewalsoidentified slow decision making across the project, issues between HS2 Ltdand the Department forTransport hampered by political interference.
MS Alexander blamed the Tories forwhat she called a“litany of failure” adding that costs had soared by £37bn.
To cancel the projectnow, Ms Alexander said, would be a waste morethan £30bn already spent. She addedthat with the significant capacity issues between Birmingham and London, HS2 could sti ll address these constraints
In December 2024, after Mark Wi ld wasappointed CEOofHS2 Ltd.
He undertook an initialassessment of the project in hisfirst 100 days, and concluded futuretimelines were wrong and aproposed 14-month testing phase would more realisticallytakethree years.
In aletter to Ms Alexander,Wild wasof the viewthat the overall situation with respect to cost, schedule and scopeisunsustainable and eventold Government that unless it considers renegotiating manyofthe engineering contracts awarded five yearsago,costs wi ll continuetorise.
The Transport Secretary said it wastime to ‘drawa line in the sand’ and said Government accepted the recommendationsofthe Stewart reportand wouldlook to implement them as soon as possi ble.
As regards work on the project, completed the installation of the first platforms at Old Oak Common at the endofMay.Then in earlyJune, the first partof amajor320-metrelong viaduct into position thatwill carryhighspeed trains across the M6 near Birmingham Airportwas slid into place. Thismulti-stage process meansthatthe weight of
the deck wi ll increase with each push from 1,300 tonnes this weekend, to 3,290 tonnesfor the final slide. Subsequent slides wi ll takethe deck out over the main M6 carriageway and then finallythe M6-M42 link roads.
On June 27, boring of the 8.4mi le Northolt Tunnel, the longest on the HS2 route wascompleted when the fourth of four tunnel boring machines (TBM) being used to dig the twin-boretunnel installed the final concrete ring underground beforeemerging into aventshaft at Green Park WayinGreenford. Two weekspreviously, the thirdTBM completed its work. The tunnel had taken 14 months to complete.
GWR publishes results if battery train trial
THE results of the trial of batterypoweredtrain have been published by GWR in alandmark white paper It outlines the successofits fastcharge battery trial andsaysuse of such technologhycouldbe used morewidely.
The trial involved aformer London Underground District Line train, the Class 230, which wasupgraded and converted to run on battery powerbyVivarai l, prior to the companygoinginto administrationinNovember 2022 GWR purchased some of Vivarai l’s assets, including intellectual property rights and rollingstock, to allowthe battery technology trials to continue.
ForGWR, the year-long trial would explorewhether battery trains could provide arealistic and cost-efectivealternativeto diesel trains, particularlyasGWR is preparingplans to renewits aging regional DMU fleet. The test results using the train on the Greenford
branch linehavedemonstrated how discontinuous fast-charging could help to remove theneed formore costlyOverhead Line Equipment (OLE).
The train is chargedfromlarge batteries located inshipping containersatWest Ealing, with the batteries trickle chargedovernight.
Although the trial has concluded andfurther conversions of ‘D’ stock areunli kely,GWR is ofthe opinion that fast-charge battery trains canbeused to deliverservices across branch lines in the Thames Valley, and in Devonand Cornwall, includingthe long line from Exeter to Barnstaple. GWR says that the results could be applied to other, branch lines across Britain. The trial also demonstrated favourable results in terms of the environment, with the batterytrain showing an 80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to its diesel equivalent.
As atrial, GWR says that if the results aretobetaken forward
and supported by the Department forTransport, closework would be needed with manufacturers to incorporate fast-charging equipment into designs of newtrains.
IN BRIEF
AUREOLTOJOINLSL FLEET
THE Class 40 Appeal’s No 40012 Aureol has been sold and is set to join No. D213 Andania on hiretoLocomotiveServices Group The ‘Whistler’ made its final runs at the East LancashireRailway during its recent diesel gala and wasdue to leave shortlyafterthe event forwork to be undertaken to bring it up to main line standards in advance of it becoming part of the Crewe-based stable.
NORTHERN, TPE AND EMR AGREE TICKET
ACCEPTANCE
TRAIN operators Northern, East Midlands Railway and TransPennine Express have agreed to automaticallyaccept each other’s tickets during times of disruption. Customers holding a valid ticket will be able to travel on anyNorthern, East Midlands RailwayorTransPennine Express train between Nottingham, Shefeld, Manchester and Liverpool, twohours beforeorafter acancelled train.
Battery-poweredGWR
Class 230 No. 230001 at GreenfordonJuly1,onthe daythe results of the year-long trial waspublished. Because of the high temperatures, the air conditioning on the unit struggled to cope in the summer heatwave. JACK BOSKETT
The first section of viaduct ready to begin its slide over the M6. HS2 LTD
Rail 200exhi bi tion trainlaunched
Moredates to visit ‘Inspiration’ added to
THE Rail 200 exhi bition train, called Inspiration, wasformallylaunched at the Severn ValleyRai lway on June 27.
The five-carriage train emerged from Loram’s workshops on the evening of June 25, making its first appearance at London Paddington for sevenhours the following day, before travelling to Kidderminster on June 26 forthe ofcial launch. Here, press and visitors were abletovisit the travelling exhibition forthe first time.
The train comprises four carriages plus agenerator vehicle. Each vehicle has arangeofinformation panels and interactivedisplays,and is aimed atpromoting the past, present and futureofthe railway,helping to attract the next generation of pioneering talent. Morethan 200,000 visitors areexpected to visit the train during its year-long tour.
Other than former ‘Nightstar’ generator vehicle No. 96371 which is owned by ERSand supplies power whi le stabled, the other vehicles are
calendar
owned by Network Rail.Fitting out the carriages has been supported by a£250,000 grant fromThe National Lottery HeritageFund, and thetrain wi ll be operatedby GB Railfreight, normallywith two dedicated Class 66s in aspecialRai l 200 livery, Nos, 66710 and66719.
The exhi bition vehicles are No. 11092 ‘Rai lway Firsts’, No. 11093 ‘WonderlabonWheels’, No. 11101 ‘Your RailwayFuture’, and No.10406,the Partner Coach, which has an exhi bition or meeting area forsponsorsand others.
When nothaulingthe exhi bition train, the Rail 200 GBRf Class 66s wi ll resume duties.
From Kidderminster,the train starts its nationwide travels to morethan 60 locations over the next 12 months, first to Birmingham Moor Street, then London Euston, and then to the locationsnoted in the adjacenttable. Tickets via www.rai lway200.co.uk E
RAIL 200 EXHIBITION TRAIN CALLING POINTS
July20-21
July23-29
Aug 1-3
Aug 7-10
Aug 11-14
Aug 16-17
Aug 23-31
September 10-17
Margate station
Bluebell Railway
DerbyLitchurch Lane (Greatest Gathering)
Norwichstation
Lowestoft station
Freightliner Doncaster Railport
National Railway Museum, York
Darlington station (as part of S&DR200)
Sept 20 –Oct 1Locomotion museum,Shildon(as part of S&DR200)
October 4Hitachi, Newton Ayclife(open day)
October 5-7
October 11-12
October 13-14
October 16-17
October 19-20
October 22-23
Oct 25-Nov2
November 4-7
November 24-29
December 8-13
December 14-16
December 18-20
North YorkshireMoors Railway,Grosmont
Glasgow Central station
Bo’ness and KinneilRailway
StrathspeyRailway
Aberdeen station
Edinburgh Waverleystation
Keighleyand Worth ValleyRailway
Blackpool North
Bishops Lydeard,West Somerset Railway
London Paddington
Southampton
London Victoria
Some of the interior displays on the exhibition train. JACK BOSKETT/ CHRIS MILNER
The Rail 200 exhibitiontrain led by GBR No. 66719 approaches Breaston on June 25, on its wayfromDerbytoReading TraincareDepot, beforegoing on displayatLondon Paddington the following morning. CHRIS MILNER
CHRIS MILNER
ChrisMilner HEADLINE NE WS
GreatestGathering to displaymore than 120exhi bits
WCML
disruptedbyunit
SERVICES on the West Coast Main Line were badlydisrupted forseveraldaysafter aLondon Northwestern Class 350 derai led at Denbigh South Junction, just north of BletchleyonJune 26.
SetNos. 350247 and 350370 had been working 1Y26 09.06 Birmingham NewSt-Euston which had been terminated at Bletchley due to brakeissue. Returning to Northamptondepot during a‘wrong line’ move to access thedownslow, the front bogie of 350247 derai led leaving six of the other eight carriages sti ll on the up slowline.
Theincident resulted blocked slowlines and access to the East West line to Oxford. With only
derai lment
twolines open between Ledburn Junction and Mi lton KeynesCentral to sharebetween freight and passenger services, therewere manycancellationsand delaysunti l the unit had been recoveredand movedtothe depot by ROGClass 37 No. 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer
Temporarytrack repairs which were completed on the afternoon of June29allowing the slow lines to open,but specialist track parts areneeded to allowaccess to the East West line. This has meant the cancellation of training trips andthe newfreight working to Northampton Gateway(see p9), which has been temporari ly diverted via Acton and Wembley.
16 HSTpowercarstoget ETCS
SIXTEEN Class 43 HSTpowercars aretobefitted with European Train Control System (ETCS)equipment. The work is part of the £1.4 bi llion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP).
The powercars include four belonging to LocomotiveServices, four owned by Rail Adventureand the remaining eight areoperated by Colas, leased from Porterbrook, andare used on infrastructure
THE organisers of the sell-out Greatest Gathering arebringing morethan 120 rail exhi bits onto Litchurch Lane Works, Derby overthe weekend of August 1-3, representing the past, present and futureofrai lwaysand creating a fitting pinnacle forthe Rail 200 celebrations.
The number of locomotives and units attending surpasses that seen at anyprevious celebratory rail event in the UK.
As well as aselection coming from passenger andfreight operators, preservation, a2ft gauge line wi ll be installed on siteto include narrow gaugelocomotives, with the Ffestiniog Railway’s0-4-0ST Prince and Statfold’sHunslet 0-4-2T Trangkil No. 4 operating public rides
Therewillalso be a15-inch gaugeoperation forrides behind Katie (Ravenglass &EskdaleRai lway) and Anne (PerrygroveRai lway).
On June 27, afurther batch of 2500 tickets foreachofthe three days wasmade avai lable, taking the attendance to 12,500 per day.
Therewillbea model railway vi llage, trade stands, entertainment and food stalls.
The list of exhi bits confirmed to July7isasfollows:
GREATESTGATHERING EXHIBITSLIST
Diesel &Electric
08721 KenDavies 12099
13000
D8568
20007
20205
‘BabyDeltic’ D5910
D5054
26007
27056
31108
33012 Lt JennyLewis RN
D7076
D6700
West Coast Class37
37401 Mary Queen of Scots 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach 37501 Teesside Steelmaster 37508
ROGClass 37
D213 Andania
40106 Atlantic Conveyor
D821 Greyhound
RA Class 43 powercars (pair)
125 Group HSTpowercars &stock
44004 Great Gable
45118 The RoyalArtilleryman
D9015 Tulyar
55019 RoyalHighland Fusilier
56301
57003 InterCity RailwaySociety
West Coast Class 57/0
57307 Lady Penelope
57313 Scarborough Castle
57604 Pendennis Castle
58023 LeicesterDepot
60099 +JNA-T wagon
66004
Freightliner Class 66
66301 +IID biomass hopper
67005 King’s Messenger GBRf Class 69 70008 83012
85006
86101 Sir William AStanier
86401 Mons Meg
87002 RoyalSovereign 89001
90018
91101 Flying Scotsman
91130 Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 92011
ROGClass 93
Eurostar powercar 3999 Sentinel shunter10077
Steam Locomotives
Locomotion No. 1
Furness RailwayNo. 20 4930 HagleyHall 6023 King EdwardI
35018 British India Line
35028 Clan Line
Midland Compound 1000
LNWR ‘Coal Tank’ No. 1054
LMS 13268
LMS ‘Black Five’ 44932
45596 Bahamas
45627 SierraLeone (45699 Galatea) 46115 Scots Guardsman 46203 Princess Margaret Rose 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley
60103 Flying Scotsman 60163 Tornado (Aug 1/2 only) 73129 92214
Units, carriages and other exhi bits Class 108 DMU 55022 Flora 4-Vep No. 3417 142013 150235 313201 323221 390119 455868
monitoring trains forNetwork Rail
The fitment means all16willbe able to travel overETCSsignalled sections of theEast Coast Main Line, and the work is due for completion by mid-2026 which is roughlywhen transition to the first phase of digital signalling is anticipated on the ECML. Two Rail Adventurepower cars,Nos. 43468 and43480 arealready at Loughborough forthe work.
46045
47593 Galloway Princess
47715
West Coast Class47
50033 Glorious
50035 Ark Royal
50044 Exeter
50049 Reliance
D1015 Western Champion
D1062 Western Courier
D9000 RoyalScots Grey
55009 Alycidon
465908 Chris Green 507001 720506 799201
LNW Class 350/2 EMU
GWR Class 80x IET
LNW Class 730
Class 331
Class 755
LT 4-TCset
LT saloon No. 45029
LORAM RGXRai lGrinder
Saloon No. 975025 Caroline All
UK debu to f GBR f’s fi rst twoC las s9 9s
The newface of GB Railfreight motive powerarrives in theform of the dual-mode Class 99, the latest iteration of theStadler Rail Valencia UKLight/UKDual platform thathas included Classes 68,88and 93
HAVING made their way from Stadler Rail’s plant in Valencia, Spain, the first twoGBRailfreight Class 99s, Nos. 99001 and 99002, arrived in the UK at Avonmouth DocksonJune 10.
Theyare the first of aplanned fleet of 30 of the 75mph dual-mode
electro-diesels orderedbyGBRf in Apri l2022. As well as featuringa Co-Co bogieconfiguration, the first six-axle locomotives in the Stadler/ Vossloh fami ly of products delivered to the UK, theyare also notable for including amorepowerful 2400hp
(1790kW) Cummins QSK50engine compared to the ‘lastmile’ variants installed in the Class88and 93 (940hp and1200hp respectively). The poweroutputfromthe 25kV overhead wires is also significantly higher thantheir forerunners,
developing 8270hpor6170kW.
After aweek in the Bristol area forcustoms formalities, the two Class 99s, nowallocated to the MBEL privateowner electric pool, were hauled to Leicester,theirnew base of operations, by No. 66307 Ipswich Town as a0Q66 13.53 on June 17. Just three days later the pair were on the move again, No. 47739 tasked with the moreappropriately numbered 0Q99 to UKRL’s Loughborough facilitytoready them forcommissioning, the trioreturning to Leicester on June 23 (0Q30).
Formainlinetesting,No. 66313 Lucie wasassigned to No.99001 to drag it around untilthe pair were cleared formovement under theirown power, the pair being partneredwithfive Mk.2 coaches hired from Eastern Rail Services. This commenced on June 23 with a5Q30 11.49 to Crewe and a5Q31 15.46 return to Leicester
The following daytook the formation back to Creweand then north to Carlisle Kingmoor TMD, with the reverse journey taking placeon June 25. Over thenexttwo days there wasasenseofdéjà vu as the same train worked the samediagram, with everything having returned to Leicester by the afternoon of June 27, although June 26 wasnotable for ameeting with Vossloh, later Stadler, Class 68 No. 68017 at Kingmoor
As the month ended, No. 99001 wasout againsandwiched between Nos. 66313 and 69009 Western Consort fora0Q90 circular tour of the East Midlands taking in Melton Mowbray and Toton, while the Class 99 waspartnered with No. 99002 later in the daybehind No. 66313 for a0Q94 15.48 to Peterborough GBRf depot ready forfurther testing. E
GBRf Class 66 No.66307 IpswichTown leads the twonew Class99s,Nos.99001/002, along the goods line at Leicester on June 17,wheretheywereshunted into anew maintenance shed builtfor Stadler to maintain the class. LOGHAN SMEDLEY
The Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s Class 37 No. 37403 Isle of Mull wasdrafted in to work the AberdeenEdinburgh portion of the CaledonianSleeper formorethana week, and the locoisseen withNo. 73968 passing Newtonhill, just north of Stonehaven, working the 1A25 21.15 London Euston to Aberdeen service on June17. IANHOLMES
20311/302 movetwo
Neots, working adelivery run from DollandsMoor to Pelawon
NEWS ROUND-UP
CHILTERN RAILWAYS
Although the deal is still yetto be signed, further moveshavetaken place in conjunction with the much anticipated replacement of the Mk.3 stock by ex-TransPennine Express Mk.5s on Chiltern Railways loco-hauled services. Thereare nowsevenClass 68s at UKRL Loughborough with the move of Nos. 68022/030/032 from Long Marston by GBRf No. 69013 as a0Z68 on June 12. This leavesjust No. 68031 at the Porterbrook facility
COLASRAIL
The first of Colas’Class 37s to undergo an ‘F’ exam– the highest levelofwork accorded to these 60 year old locomotives –at Swietelsky’s Worksop facility, 37421 is still part waythrough the process having beenonsite since January 28. Although it received protracted repairs at Washwood Heath ahead of its return to main line service in September 2015, this is its firstmajor overhaul since the1990s andwillstand it in good stead to continue in servicefor another15years. Like No. 37099 which wasgiven asimilar upgrade at Boden Rail in 2024, the original tail-lights have been replaced with newLED units. This particular Class 37/4 has also hadits Electric Train Supply(ETS) capability decommissioned, which is not required forits usual Network Rail infrastructuremonitoring work.
DC RAIL
The operator has continued to hire GB Railfreight Class 60s with No. 60096 Skiddaw being seconded to DCRsince March. The failureofNo. 60046 William Wilberforce on the singleline section near Kings Lynn while
working the 6L92 11.08 ChaddesdenMiddleton Towers empty JNAs on June 28 required No.60026 Helvellyn to be expedited from Toton whereit wasundergoing maintenanceahead of apreviously planned transfer to assist the beleaguredDCR fleet. The Beacon Rail blue machine’s first duty wascollecting the errant No. 60046 and its train from MarchYard, whereit returned the empty sand wagons to Chaddesden under a6Z60 headcode.
DB CARGO
Afurther four Class 60s have been transferred from WQBA to the WQDA disposal pool, Nos. 60017/ 024/062/074. The latter three were the final trio of the Brush machines to remain in service, being sidelinedahead of schedule in January 2024 after the discovery of an issue withthe running gear on No. 60062 Sonia during routine maintenance.Theywerealreadyon course to be taken out of service that Aprilwith DBC regearing 10 Class 66s to takeoverany remaining ‘heavy haul’ duties. Meanwhile, No. 60017 had been culled the previous October along with Nos. 60001/007/010/044/059/066/100, although these had alreadybeen reallocated to WQDA in March2024, along withNos. 60015/040, stored in November and December 2023. The movesput 51 of the 52 remaining DBC ‘Tugs’ in the same pool with just No. 60011, retired in June 2023, still designatedWQBA.
Theperiod under review sawa further fiveClass 66s downgraded to the WQAA storagepool after 10 were stopped in Apriland May, Nos. 66083/121 and 66006/040/080 being removedfromservice at Knottingleyand Toton respectively With No. 66002 moving in the opposite direction and back into trafc in the standardWBATpool,
this givesatotal of 21 examples with no gainful employment. In a related development,anew WQNC pool, forDBC LocomotivesStrategic Store, has been introduced and now contains nine locomotivesNos. 660 40/075/076/083/089/095/119/1 21/140. Thisleavesthe following in the regular storagegroups: WQAA Nos. 66006/080/085/087/170 and WQBA Nos. 66018/037/043/ 138/145/160/187.
Thereare nowthree Class 66s in the WBVT pool forVicta Railfreight shunting duties at Peak Forest. No. 66078 has replaced No. 66133, the latter having movedback to Toton but not yetreallocated toits original WBAT home. In paintshop news, No. 66098, waylaidatToton since December,has swapped its DB-branded EWSmaroon and gold for the standardTrafc redlivery
Also treated to arepaint while brieflystored WQAA at the Nottinghamshire depot was No. 67012, which wasthe last survivorinthe fleet to wear the illfated Wrexham &Shropshire scheme. Outshopped in the silver and grey look in April2008, it wasone of five Class 67s to wear the open access operator’s colours, along with Nos. 67010/67013-015 and also carried the name AShropshire Lad between July2008 and May2015. It nowbecomes the eighth of the type to carry Transport forWales livery and the fourth into the hybrid black with DB redroof along with Nos. 67016/020/022. Reactivedto its previous WAWC pool it returned to CreweonJune 11 behind No. 67005 King’sMessenger and undertook ashakedownrun to Stafordtwo days later.ByJune 16 it wasback in action on the Cardif-Holyhead and Cardif-Manchester diagrams. Meanwhile, TfW black/red colleague No. 67020 has been stored,joining
the WQAA pool at CreweElectric Maintenance Depot. Finally, following the scrapping of No. 67003 at the end of May, No. 67030 lookslikelyto be the next Class 67 to takeits last trip having been positioned at Toton forremovalbyroad.
Therewas one in, one out, with the Class 92 fleet, with recently repainted No. 92011 moving from WQAA to WFBC, while No. 92015 –still with its Yiwu-London Train brandings –madethe reverse changeinstatus after returning from DollandsMoor to CreweonJune 13.
EUROPHOENIX
Out of action at Leicester since powering the Stevenage-Preston ‘The Capital Tractors’ railtour and associated empty coaching stock movesonDecember 15 last year, No. 37407 Blackpool Tower has returned to duty forEurophoenix’ spot hire subsidiary EP Rail.This follows upgrades forstock transfers that have seen the locomotive equipped with Dellner couplersand an additional socket on the nose endsfor connecting to multiple unit control systems along with the associated translator equipment. It wasreleased from the UKRL depot on May30onan0Z02/0Z03 test run to Bletchleyand return with No 37423 as insurance. The same pair were out againonJune 2and June 3 forturns to Staford/Rugbyand Crewerespectively,beforethe large logomachine wasdispatched on its ownonJune 6, foran0E37/0M37 to Doncaster Decoyand back. It was on manoeuvres againfive days later, nowbedecked with large black ‘EPR The Rail Services Partner’ decals on the secondman’s cabside, foran 0Z06 to Wembley. This wasfollowed by an 0Z07 to Boden Rail at Colwick TMDthe following dayfor further attention, whereitjoins colleague
HNRCSwietelsky Class 20 Nos.
newClass 555 Tyne &WearMetrounits northwardsalong the East CoastMain Line at Great Paxton, nearSt
June 19. DAVE SMITH
POWERBYTHE HOUR
NEWS ROUND-UP Continued
❮ GB RAILFREIGHT
No. 37218. No. 37407 is currentlythe onlymember in the operator’s EPRL pool, with the rest of the non-RailOperations Group allocated fleet, Nos. 37218, 37423, 37901 and not yet operational No. 37069, all EPUK.
FREIGHTLINER
In what would normallyhave been acontender forthe headline story in anyother month, Freightliner hastaken on asecond pair of Class 90s in the form of Nos. 90021 Donald Malcolm and 90039 The Chartered Instituteof Logistics &Transport. These were notablythe most striking of the 12 members of the class remaining on the booksatDBCargo withNos 90019/020/024/026/028/029/ 034-037, wearing ‘Malcolm 100 Years’ and ‘Backbone of the Economy’ vinyls respectively. The twoBREL/GECelectrics were among thefinal fiveto be stored at Crewe Electric by DBC in July2023, along with Nos. 90026/028/035 and theywere originally put up fortender in December 2023. Theyare all currentlyconfined to the DB WQDA disposal pool. Therehave been more transfers to and from the restricted use DFLSpool, including the first Class 70 so farthis year.Nos. 66418, 66538 and 70014 movedoverfrom DFIN,DFIM and DFGI, while Nos. 66572/585 were released back to DFIM and DFIN. This leaves10 locomotives allocated to DFLS.
The Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s No. 37403 Isle of Mull was back on hirefor Caledonian Sleeper duties during the month, kicking of with a0Z37 to Craigentinnydepot to collect Nos. 73967 &73971 for onward transfer to Glasgow Works. Between June 12-20 it wasactive every day, usuallyonthe Edinburgh Waverley-Aberdeensection of the 1A25 service from London Euston or the 1B16 return, sometimes both, plus the associatedempty stock and light engine moves. Its constant partner in this adventurewas No. 73968 acting as atranslator and ETS supplyfor the Mk.5sleepers.
While the Class 99s were grabbing the headlines, the month has been busier than usual forimage makeovers and naming ceremonies. June commencedinalow keystyle with the outshopping of No. 66745 in the standardGBRf identity courtesyofUKRL at Loughborough, the ex-Colas Class 66 losing both its former Europorte livery and its Modern Railways Thefirst 50 years nameplates at the sametime. Arlington’s Eastleigh paintshop released both Nos. 66710 and 66719 –also nowdenamed (ex-Phil Packer and Metro-Land)–ina bright red ‘Railway 200’ schemeonJune 7and 19 respectively, the pair going on to partner the Mk.3-based‘Inspiration’ train that has beenput together at LoramRail, Derby. Oddly, despite the train commemorating the 200th anniversary of the railways in this country,the twoClass 66/7s are branded on each cabside with the logos of the ‘big four’ companies that existed forjust one eighth of that
time period.Also at the Hampshire works, No. 66748 has become the first of twodedicated EMD Type 5s to be giventhe ‘Britannic Explorer’ pale blue livery to match the ex-Irish Mk.3s nowrepurposed by Belmond foranew lifeinthiscountry.Itwas also named St Michaels Mount at the same time (see p4)
Following the naming of No. 66310 afterthe Bo’ness&Kinneil in December,GBRf has dedicated alocomotiveafter another well deserved heritagerailway,its 13th such naming. On June 13, No. 69010 wasunveiledatSheringham with nameplates that read North Norfolk Railway 1975-2025 The PoppyLine, which is alsonotablythe 13th of the 15 currentlyoperational Class 69s to be so treated, withjust Nos. 69011/013 plateless. Meanwhile, on June 17, an event at Newcastle station sawNos. 66313 and 66314 receivenames in the operator’s longlived ‘ladies of GBRf’ series,becoming Lucie and Katie respectively.
HNRCSWIETELSKY
English Electric Type 1s Nos. 20302 and 20311 were back on hireto RailAdventureduring the month under review, making the epic trip–atleast forapair of 64-yearold locomotives–fromWorksop to DollandsMoor on June 18, to collect Tyne &Wear Metro units Nos. 555017/031, returning the barrier and translator wagons to the Kent Channel Tunnel yard nine days later In between, the twoClass 20/3s had been busywith RA moving various items of Network Rail on track plant between Harwich and Worksop Awelcome return forNo. 37419
after being on sabbatical since being stopped with traction motor issues while on Railhead Treatment Traindeploymentfor then owner Direct Rail Services in the second week of December 2023. It was subsequentlysold to HarryNeedle RailwayCompanythe following April and then movedtoBarrow Hill for rectification work on May28, 2024, behind No. 37409 Loch Awe.Now part of the HNRCSwietelsky fleet, it is nominallythe sixth activeClass 37 on the roster with Nos. 37405/425, 37607/610/612, althoughNos. 37607 and 37612 have been out of use at Barrow Hill since April7 this year and June 14 last year respectively.No. 37409 departed the roundhouse site on June 30 on a 0Z37 to LeedsMidland Road fortyre turning. While the Class 37/4 still wears its heritageInterCity Mainline livery,thiswillbesoon be replaced by arepaint into asimilar livery to No 37422 with the operator also likely to continue the naming policy based on characters from Greek mythology. Correcting last issue’s comment about the renaming of Europhoenix/ ROG’s ownNo. 37611 Pegasus as Denise (after Network Rail’s Denise Wetton) in April2023. This wasreversed at the end of April while the Class 37/6was at UKRL’s Leicester depot, giving us two locomotivescalled Pegasus on the national network.
LOCOMOTIVE SERVICES
Out of action since September 2023, D05 Preservation Ltd’s No. 37688 madeits return to the main line on June 3, with alongdistance 0Z37 run from CrewetoGrosmont on the
North YorkshireMoors Railway. This wasaheadofthe diesel gala and to kick of aseason to support the heritageline’s diesel fleet on the Network Rail-owned Whitbysection while steam is banned. The Class 37/5 is still on long-term lease to LocomotiveServices and will return to Crewe in due course.
LS has named the thirdofits activeClass 57s, No. 57002 being dedicated after WinstonChurchill, with the nameplates and crests being reproduced in asimi lar style to ex-Southern Railway ‘Pacific’ No. 34051, currentlyondisplayat Locomotion Shi ldon. The replica ’plates,which were unveiled at London Paddington station on Apri l17, replace the legend ‘Battle of Britain Class’ belowthe name with ‘The Roaring Lion’, whi le a separate plaque is also fitted carrying an extract from Churchi ll’s ‘NeverGiveIn, Never’ speech from October 1941.
Following the news that Freightliner has secured Nos. 90021/039 from DB Cargo, LS has acquired No. 90026 from the same tender.This wasone of the Class 90s that wasrepaintedfor theaborted Grand Central service between London Euston and Blackpool North, and lasted right to the end of DBC domestic electric operations in July 2023. ScotRail-liveried No. 37409 Loch Awe wassent to collect the locomotivefromCrewe EMD on June 12, which will join No. 90001/002 on the ever-growing LS roster
It has already been transferred from WQDA to the Locomotive Services LSLO pool.
RAIL OPERATIONS ASSETSLIMITED
The month began with seven of the Stadler tri-modes in the country and ended with all 10 present and accounted forasNos. 93005/006/009 arrived at Portbury Dock on June 3, June 13 and June 30, all moving by road to HNRC Swietelsky’s Worksop depot within the usual dayortwo of arrival. All three had transferred from the MBEL pool to GROG by the end of the month as well.
After Nos. 93001/002, the thirdClass 93 to makeits maiden run on that national network was, appropriately, No. 93003 on June 3, working an afternoon 0Q06 13.29 Worksop to Newark Northgate with No. 93002. This wasfollowedby No. 93007 the next day, which
Sharing ‘Night
Riviera’ sleeper duties with the three active Class 57/6s, Nos. 57602/603/604 areGBRf’sNos. 57301/305/312, with GWR leaning particularlyheavily on Nos. 57301 and 57305 forcover while No. 57604 settles down after its ‘G’ examand a repaint into the same lined GWR green livery ready forthe Railway 200 event at Derby. On June 12, No. 57305 wasat Paddington ready to work the 5A50 07.33 to Reading Traincare DepotECS move with No. 57602 Restormel Castle at the other end. GARETH BAYER
worked an identical diagramwith No. 93001. The doyenofthe fleet wassent out on atour of the country on June 9, initiallyworking to Glasgow Central as a0Q07 06.16 from Worksop,then back to Carlisle to layover. On June 10, it worked a 0Q72 08.53 down to Wembleybefore breaking newground forthe type twodayslater with a0Q26/0Q27 out and back run along the southern half of the ECML as farasDoncaster.On June 13 it ranback to Worksop under a0Q17 under a0Q26 headcode, while No. 93007 headed south-west as a0Q17 to Long Marston forthe Rail Live 2025 Event
The next pairtomaketheirdebut on the main line wasNos. 93004/010 on June 18, working a6Q57 10.19 to DerbyRTC,albeitwithout the planned vehicle in towthat justified the Class 6headcode. After running to Tyseleythe following day, they returned to Worksop on June 20. The much-anticipated freight trials commenced on June 23 with Nos. 93002/007 working a6Q09 22.32 CreweBasfordHall-Carlisle NewYard with eight Network Rail JNA ‘Falcons’ in tow, with acorresponding 6Q42 return. No. 93010 joined the party on June 25 and between them the three Class 93s madefour round trips between the twolocations over the course of the week, all returning to Worksop on June 27. While this wastaking place, No. 93001 was retaining itsposition as most widely travelled member of the fleet, with trips to King’s Cross and Ipswich on June 24 and then to Bristol Parkway and back to Wembleytwo days later
ROMIC GROUP
Previouslyowned by Michael Owen/20189 Ltd., Nos. 20007 and 20205 were let out forfirst time under newownershiponJune 10, running from the Mid-Norfolk Railway as a0Z33 with No. 33202 DennisG
Robinson to Barrow Hill to collect No. 55009 Alycidon foronward movement as a0Q34 to Grosmont on the NYMR. Although the twoEnglish ElectricType 1s were not used during the line’s diesel gala, theydid hang around to takethe ‘Deltic’ along with No. 50021 Rodney onwardstothe Keighley&Worth ValleyonJune 16 under a0Q35 headcode. In this case theydid join in during the railway’s diesel event,eventuallyleaving on June 23 with No. 55009 and Rail Engineering Services’ No.47715 in towworking a0Z36 to Derby Litchurch Lane.
WESTCOAST RAILWAYS
The twoHST powercars based at the West Somerset Railway,Nos. 43154/155 have been indicated as likely to transfer to West Coast Railways,following the operator’s acquisition of the four ex-GWR Mk.3 trailers also stored at the heritage line and the recent movement of a further eight HSTMk.3s to Carnforth from Plymouth LairaonMay 20 (see Coaches RE350). Other Class 43s are expected to followindue course. Last used over nine years ago in December 2015, while in DRS employment, No. 57008 made its main line debut in WCRC maroon on June 10, with an 0M50 evaluation run to Hellifield,notablyinpartnership with No. 57006. This waslast used by the Carnforth-based operator on arun out on March27with Nos. 47813 and 86401 and beforethat its onlyuse wasa couple of movesin November 2023.
While that wasNo. 57006’s onlyappearance during June, its colleague –the former Freightliner Explorer –was deployedfrom Stafordwith No. 57012 on a5M43 10.19 Southall-Carnforth move with No. 60163 Tornado,the A1 ‘Pacific’ requiring the use of diesel chaperons due to an elevated firerisk.
Rail Operations Group Class 93s have been busy visiting manylocations around the country as part of their testing process, and on June 9, No. 93001 is seen leaving Glasgow Central with 0Q08 15.33 to Carlisle. GRAEME ELGAR
