CONTENTS IssueNo. 348May 2025
Carrying ‘The Greatest Gathering’headboard,RailOperations Group Class 37 No. 37608 Andromeda hauls tri-mode Class 93 Nos. 93001 and93002 past Milford, Derbyshire,onMarch 17, returningthe Stadlerlocos to Worksop from St Andrew’s siding, Derby. The locos had visited Tyseleydepotfor tyre turning. AthirdClass 93, No. 93006, wasdelivered to WorksoponMarch 21
FEATURES
68 THE CLASS 180 ‘ADELANTE’STORY
Now25years sincethe Class 180 ‘Adelantes’ frst entered service,David Russell traces their chequeredhistory
76 THE DEMISE OF DP2
Fraser Pithie tells the story of the derai lment and demise ofprototype DP2.
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MODELLING
Reviewedindetail this month is Heljan’s ‘O’ gauge Class 02 shunter, along with Accurascale’s ‘OO’ 16-ton mineral wagons. Another model under the spotlight is the Class 31 ‘Skinhead’,also from Accurascale. Thereisnewsoffrm plans by Accurascale –inconjunction with retailer RailsofShefeld– to produce arange of ‘Electrostar’ EMUsin ‘OO’ gauge. There’sanother joint venture between Heljan and RainbowRailwaystoproduce aScotRailClass 153 activetravelunit, while thebenefts of modelling with styrene sheet is considered in the frst section of atwo-part feature.
8 HEADLINE NEWS
LNER ‘Azuma’visits St Pancras, newliveryfor Class 69,Grand Central orderstri-mode Hitachi trains,Temple Mi lls does have some space capacity,Chi lterntooperate East West line.
16 POWERBYTHE HOUR
Ex-Fastline ‘Grid’ No. 56301bought by Cappagh/DC Rail
22 UNITS
FinalClass 720and 805units delivered.
25 COACHES
Debut forEastern Rail ServicesMk.2stock.
26 POWERSCENE
Around-up of this month’s interesting and unusualworkings, class-by-class.
34 PRESERVATION
Sporting avintage gold andblack livery,No. 69014 is unveiled inside the EMD Workshops at Longport on March26. RICHARDTUPLIN
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Appeal launched for Western Lady repairs.
36 SHUNTERS AND INDUSTRIALS
37 WAGONS
Converted KEA wagons stored after twoweeks.
38 IRISHANGLE
NewAlstombi-mode appearsontest.
74 TIME TRAVELLER
Aretrospectiveviewofthe past 50 years.
80 RAILTOURS
AClass 37 returns –witharai ltourrescue!
82 LU WORLD
Testing times fornew Piccadi llyline stock.
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HEADLINE NE WS Chris Milner
NewClass 69 livery variant marksEMD-GBRf relationship
THE latest addition to the Class 69 feet, No. 69014, has been outshopped in avintagegolden livery,rather reminiscentofthe Hawker Siddleyprototype HS4000 Kestrel.Itisthe ninth diferent livery tobeused on theClass 69s, which is afeet of 16 locomotives.
Thename EMDLongport was unveiled by John Smith, chief executiveofcer of GB Railfreight, and Jonathan Caen, director of Progress Rail UK, on March26, in aceremonyattended by EMD’s and GBRf’s maintenance and feet teams.
At the event, John Smith OBE said: “This is the fourth loco we have named on behalf of EMD, which just goes to showthe strength of the relationship our twocompanies share.”
EMD arerebui lding 16 Class 56 locosfor GBRf,replacing theRuston Paxman engine with an EMD 710 variant, along with upgraded control systems based on aClass 66.
Despite the complexprocess which involves stripping the Class 56, dealing with corrosion and undertaking modifcations to the body beforerebui lding it, GBRfsays the process is cheaper than buying newlocomotives.
No. 69014 wasbui lt at Doncaster in 1982 as No. 56104, and after working forBRincluding the Trainload Coal sector,itwas withdrawninFebruary 2004 and repainted and sent to work forFertis in France in October2005 on the LGV-Est construction, returning to the UK in January 2007. After a period in store, it wasreactivated and re-entered service in Apri l2015 as part of the UK Rail Leasing feet, beforebeing sold to GBRf with the intention of becoming adonor loco forthe Class 69 programme.
The twofnal locos forthe feet,
CLASS 69 LIVERIES AND NAMES
GB RAILFREIGHT
Nos. 69015/6, areatLongport. No. 69016 wi ll emerge frst as the other loco needs morework Meanwhi le, No. 69013 has movedto Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh forpainting. E
‘Azuma’ visits St Pancras in night-time test
AN LNER ‘Azuma’ has undertaken atest run from Leeds to London St Pancras, the frst time the operator has used the terminus.
The night-time run on March28 sawnine-car bi-mode set No 800108 run as 5Q98 at 23.20 from Leeds to Doncaster,then via Barrow Hill to join the Midland Main Line at TaptonJunction, before running via the ErewashValleyline and Leicester to St Pancras.Arrival wasat03.31. The set returned to Leeds via the same route, departing St Pancras at 04.25, arriving in Leeds at 08.39. LNER undertook the test run as part of ongoing work to keep customers moving
during signifcant engineering work when partsofthe East Coast Main Line (ECML) will be closed, LNER is currently exploring options to divert into alternativeLondon stations.
While further work to operate into London St Pancras with customers on boardwouldberequired, LNER saythe test is an exciting step towardslooking at the potentialofofering customers moreoptions andfreedomtotravel during engineering work. Mark Smith, Development Engineer at LNER, said: “Thereisstill work to be done, but this is an encouraging development for futureservice options.”
Hull Trains has diverted its ‘Paragon’ services into St Pancras on anumber of occasions.
In its vintagegold and black livery,No. 69014 inside the workshops at EMD ProgressRail, Longport. RICHARD TUPLIN
The unusual sight of Azuma No. 800108
Class360 EMU at London St Pancras on March28, following atestrun from Leeds. LNER
John Smith, chiefexecutive ofcer of GB Railfreight, and Jonathan Caen, director of Progress Rail UK, following the nameplate unveiling.
ArrivaordersHitachitri-modes and eyesGrand Centralexpansion
THE ArrivaGroup has placed an order with Hitachi forits Grand Central Railwayoperation to bui ld newtrimode trains. These wi ll replace the existing diesel-poweredClass 180 and 221 feets operating between West YorkshireorWearsideand London King’s Cross.
The order,worth around £300 mi llion, is for45vehicles, which wi ll be formed into nine fve-car sets, with fnance provided by Angel Trains. Included in the deal is a10year maintenance contract. There areoptions to order additionaltrains.
The newt ra ins wi ll increase the number of seat sby2 0% , wh ich mea ns 40 0, 000 addit ional se at sp er ye ar wi ll be avai lable to passengers trave lling between th e North Ea st, Yo rkshirea nd Lo ndon. Because of their tri -mode capabi lity the trains could be used on oth er ro utes in th ef uture. Fu el co sts an d emis sio ns areexpec ted to re duce by around 30%.
The newtrains, whichwillbe
battery, diesel andelectricpowered, wi ll begintobedelivered from early 2028.
News of the orderfollows an extensionofGrand Central’strack accessrightsfromDecember 2027 unti lthe end of 2038. The applicationstated anew feet of trainswas planned.
Amanda Furlong, managing director of ArrivaUKTrains, said: “This major investmentunderscores ourcommitment to the UK market. We areproud to connect underservedcommunities with regional and national centres, helping make sustainable train travelthe easy choice.
“These greener trains wi ll deliver morecomfortable journeys and astep-changeincapacity on our popularGrand Central services. We lookforwardtoannouncing further rolling stock orders, providing jobs and wider economic benefts,asand when our networkgrows.”
In addition to the newtrains,
GrandCentralhas embarked on an applicationprocess fordirect services betweenCleethorpes andLondonKing’s Cross, calling at Grimsby, Habrough andScunthorpe
The companysaysitistargeting an area whichisunderserved, andthe newservice proposal is welcomedbycommunities, businesses,and organisations, who have been actively campaigning for the introduction of direct rail linksto London
GrandCentralsay thatifapproval is given by the Ofce of Rail and Road, the service could be running by December2026. The routewould have four newreturn services per day, providing more than775,000 additionalseats annually.
The operator woulduse spare capacity betweenGrimsbyand Doncasterand wi ll connect with other GrandCentralservices at Doncaster. It is notclear at this point what tractionwillbeusedbetween Grimsbyand Doncaster.
Chi ltern confirmed as East West operator
THE Department forTransport has confrmedthat Chi ltern Railways wi ll be the operator of the frst phase of the soon-to-open East West Line.
Although the line has seen severaltrain movements,anopening date is yettobeconfrmed. Chi ltern drivers have been route learning between Oxford, BicesterVillage and Mi lton Keynes Central fora number of weeks.
When the line is open, it wi ll connect Oxfordand Mi lton Keynes forthe frst time in nearly60years. Whi le the timetable is yettobe released, the hourlyservice is expected to takebetween 45 and
50 minutes. Comparablejourney time by busis1hr 50min.
Chi lternwillsub-lease Class 196DMUsfromWestMidlands Railwaytouse on the service, and wi ll also managethe newstation at Winslow. The units areexpected to be reliveried andrebranded. Chi ltern has increased stafngbymorethan 90 to operate the newservice
Rail Minister Peter,LordHendy, said: “Appointing Chi ltern Railways to runthe frst East West Rail services is oneofthe cruciallaststeps in getting the lineupand running later thisyear,and meanslocal peoplein the area arecloser to experiencing
IN BRIEF
NETWORK RAIL CEO TO RETIRE
NETWORKRailchief executive ofcer Sir Andrew Haines has announced his intention to retire from the company in October.Sir Andrewled NetworkRailthrough the Covidpandemic and was involved in the process to create Great British Railways.The search forasuccessor is under way.
23-DAY CLOSURE OF CUMBRIAN COASTLINE
NETWORKRailistoclose the Cumbrian Coast route between Sellafeld and Workington from August 30,for approximately 23 days.This is to replace track in Branstytunnel,Whitehaven. The tunnel is afected by the ochre-contaminated water fowing from abandoned mines before discharging into Whitehaven Harbour,and is subjecttoongoing discussions with severalpublic bodies and local stakeholders. Track and drainage channels are being replaced inside the tunnel.
MAINTENANCE UNIT FORBARNETBY
NETWORKRail, with contractors Henry Boot Construction, aredue to beginwork on disused railway land at Barnetby, to create a Maintenance Delivery Unit. The unit is expected to open in the spring of 2026.
STEP FORWARD FOR OKEHAMPTON
the benefts of thistransformative project.
“This mi lestone demonstrates thatweare seriousabout unlocking thepotentialofthe Oxford-CambridgeGrowth Corridor, providing greater connectivity across the region.”
The announcement comes following a10-week consultation whichgave peoplealong the route from Bletchley to Bedforda chance to shapethe second andthird stages of East West Rail.Current intentions arefor the line to be rebuilttoBedford by 2030, reaching Cambridgebythe mid-2030s
THE frst major stageofwork to buildthe newOkehampton Interchangestationwas completed in mid-March.Three hundred metresofthe single-line trackwas moved90cm north to allowa newplatform to be bui lt alongsideit. The previous track layout didn’t permit platform construction with regulations for newstations. Twonew chambers were installedunder thetrack fordrainage. Work is nowfocused on platformconstructionand a200-space car park. The next phase of work takes place in summer,with the stationdue to openin2026.
AGCI of aHitachi tri-mode train in Grand Central livery
NewHNRCSwietelsky livery emerges
Following the sale of the Harry Needle Railroad CompanytoSwietelsky,the frst mainline loco to getthe newlivery is Class37No. 37422. The repaint to this half-and-halflivery of orangeand dark blue wascompleted at the UK Rail Leasing workshops at Loughborough. Released to trafconApril 2, the loco carries HNRC Swietelsky Rail Services brandingonthe sideand isseen at Stanton Gate north of Toton on its waytoWorksop Down Yard. STEVE PRITCHETT
Severn Valley secures two Class 56s for diesel gala
TWOColas Rail Class 56s areset to be added to the guest line-up forthe Severn ValleyRai lway’s four-daySpring DieselFestival from May15-18.
The twolocos areexpected to be Nos.56090 and 56094, subjecttoavailabi lity.The pair wi ll join HSTpower carsfromRai l Adventureand Class 66 andClass 70 locomotives from Freightliner, and support the SVR’s ownfeet of Classes17, 20,33, 37, 40, 42, 50 and52.
An intensiveservice wi ll operateover12miles of line between Kidderminster and Hampton Loade, with January’s landslip leaving Bridgnorth severed.
At Kidderminster,tours of the Traction Maintenance Department and the CarriageShed arebookable on the dayatthe Fifty Fund stand on the station concourse.
The prototype Coventry Very Light Rail vehicle undergoing testing on trackat the National Innovation CentreatDudleyonMarch 19. CHRISMILNER
Tracklaying underwayfor Coventry VLRdemo
WORK has begun to laytrack on a220 metresection of road in Coventry, in readiness to demonstrate the Very Light Railway project (VLR).
The slab track doesn’t need the depth required forconventional tram trackssoisless intrusive, costs less and reduces theneedand expense to divert uti lities. By the summer, demonstrations wi ll run overafourweek period with aVLR vehicle on GreyfriarsRoad in thecity.Members
of the public wi ll be abletosample the VLR and ofer feedback.
The intention had been for alonger section of track,800 metres, but wasviewedasabit too ambitious.Longer term, Coventry City Counci lhas ambitions to develop aVLR network across the city that wi ll integrate into other forms of transport.
The test track wasinstalled at the Very Light Rail CentreinDudley in just eight days
Expansion at London Gateway
PLANS have been announced to create asecond rail terminal at the London Gateway container port.
Port owner DP World is investing £1 bi llion in the project which wi ll makeitthe UK’s largest container port. The project wi ll takefour years to complete and create 400 newjobs.
The terminal wi ll have two 400-metrelong all-electric berths, however, the line to the port from Thames Haven Junction is not electrifed, and it is uncertain at this point whether asmall inf ll scheme wi ll be carried out.
The expanded container port, part of the Thames Freeport, wi ll be able to accommodate six of the world’s largest container ships simultaneously.Workisdue to begin on the terminal in May.
Pl an st ob es ub m i tte dfor Ca rd if fC en tral upgrade
TRANSPORTfor Wales, who are leading ascheme to revamp Wales’ busiest railway station, have released newvisuals whichprovide aglimpse of howthe station could look, and arepreparingtosubmit planning documents
Afull business case foraproject valued at up to £140 mi llionto modernise the station and support long-term passenger growth, whi le sti ll complementing the history and heritageofthe Grade II listed bui lding, wassubmitted to Government at the endoflast year The Department forTransport, Cardif Capital Region and the Welsh Government wi ll provide the funding forthe enhancements.
Plans include alargerconcourse to increase capacity,improve passenger fowand access through additional gate-lines, and help customers to connect to other forms of travel. Thereplans also include afocus on alleviating overcrowding and congestion and enabling better accessi bi lity for thosewithreduced mobility.There wi ll be improvedwaiting areas, retai l choices and morecycle storage faci lities.
Within the plans arenew bui ldings forplatform 0and a newsouthern entrance which wi ll connect to the Metroservice to Cardif Bay. The plans form a keycomponent of creating an integrated transport hub called
MetroCentral which is being delivered throughthe Canolog alliance, apartnership of public sector organisationsworking together to transform travel in the heart of Cardif.The alliance wi ll work to deliver transformational changetotransport thecity and the wider region,improving connections between bus, rail,walking,wheeling andcyclingand encouraging sustainable travel.
Adecision on the plans is expected in the autumn. Enabling workson the southern side of the station areexpected to begin later in2025.
Gemini Trains plans Eurostarchallenge
ANOTHER potential entrant intothe open access market is aiming to challengethe Eurostar’s dominance of the cross-Channel rail market.
Gemini Trains has applied to the Ofce of Rail and Road foranopen access licence to introduce services initiallybetween London and Paris and further afeld at alater point. The companyhas also applied foraccess rights to Eurostar’sTemple Mills maintenance depot, which is facing access requests from three operators hoping to begin international rail services. (See story p13).
BEHIND Gemini –which is registered at Companies House as Gemini TOCLtd and not to be confused with Wolverton Worksbased Gemini Rail Services –isits chairman Lord Tony Berkeley, chair of the Rail Freight Group and HS2 critic, and CEOAdrian Quinewho was involved in the Rail Charter Services
Settle &Carlisle specials in 2020 Gemini,which has been working on its plan fornearlytwo years, says it has aspirations for‘brandnewcutting-edgetrainsand afresh approach to sales and ticketing’ With growing interest to run international high speed services from Virgin and Spain’s Evolyn Group, it takes the number of applicants forpathsand maintenance access to three. It is hoped that one of the newentrants wi ll also serveEbbsfeet and AshfordInternational whichhave not seen international trainssince September 2020.
CEOAdrian Quinecommented: “With awhole newgeneration now choosingtrainsoverplanes, there is agreat opportunity to bring real entrepreneurial fairand dynamism with competitivefares to Europe’s premier route.”
Continued rise in passenger numbers
QUARTERLYfgures from the Ofce of Rail and Road forthe period October to December 2024 areshowing that rail passenger numbers have grown 7% year-on-year,with passenger revenue fgures rising 8% over the sametime period.
With passenger numbers getting close to pre-Covid levels, the ORR says therewere446 mi llion journeys,comparedwith 417 mi llion journeys made in the samequarter in 2023.
Forthe whole of 2024, passengers made 1.7 bi llion journeys,a 9% increase on the 1.6 bi llion who used trains the 12 months to December 2023. Passenger revenue wasupto £2.9 bi llion from £2.7 bi llion, an 8% increase when adjusted forinfation.
The biggest increase by percentageinpassenger numbers waswith TransPennine Express(16%) followedbyLNER (15%), with Transport forWales and CrossCountry both reporting 14% increases on the quarter
However, passenger numbers on Heathrow Express continue to decline. The latest quarter shows afall of 18% on top of previous quarterlyfalls of 8% and 12%. The ORR saythe drop is due to increased competition with Elizabeth Line between Heathrow and Paddington.
Heathrow Express is trying to combat the fall by ofering a£10 Advance Single fare
IN BRIEF
LOCALGROUP SEEKS MEMORIES OF WESTERFIELD STATION
ANYONE with memories of Westerfeld station, Sufolk, or travels between Ipswichand Felixstowe,are being asked to sharetheir stories fora commemorativebook. Greater Anglia station adopters at Westerfeld station areseeking the recollections of Westerfeld to compile into abookaspart of ‘Rail200’ celebrations. Stories should be amaximum of 500 wordsand submitted by May30to mary@jjp.myzen.co.uk or by post to Westerfeld Station Adopters, Collingwood, Westerfeld Road, Westerfeld IpswichIP6 9AJ.
NEW STATION PLANNED FORFILTONNORTH
WORK has commenced on anew station at Filton North, Bristol. The station will be constructed on the freight onlyline between Hallen Marsh Junction and Filton West Junction which will become part of the MetroWest network to Henbury The station site is adjacent to the former Filton airfeld whichisbeing redeveloped. The area is destined to have 2675 newhomes, 62 acres of employment spaceand will be home to the YTL Arena, anew entertainment venue.
4G AT CORROUR IMPROVES CONNECTIONS
THE installation of a4Gmobile phone mast at Corrour station on the West Highland Line has provided asignifcant step forward in supporting local tourism and enhancing passenger experienceon the West Highland Line. The station is one of the UK’s most remote, accessible by train, foot, or bike. The connection extends to afew hundred metres beyond the station.
WESTMIDLANDSOPENS EMU MAINTENANCE DEPOTINCOVENTRY
WESTMidlands Railwayhas completed a£5m EMU maintenance facility on sidings to the north of Coventry station. The sidings will be used to maintain the Class 730 feet which entered service with the operator last year.The upgrades arepart of amajor £1 billion investment in newtrains and infrastructure, in conjuction with sister company London Northwestern Railway. Separate upgrade work is under wayatSoho depot –the primary base forthe Class 730s –and Tyseleydepot in Birmingham, whereits diesel trains are maintained.The newsite can handle up to six Class 730 trains.
An impression of the southern entrance at Cardif,which will ofer access to Metrolineservices to Cardif Bay. TRANSPORTFOR WALES
Lineside signs to mark Stockton &Darling ton bicentenary
ANUMBER of newsigns, in the same style as those installed on the East Coast Main Line in the 1930s, areto be installed along sections of the Stockton &Darlingtontocoincide with the 200th anniversaryofthe frst passenger railway journey.
The signs arethe idea of Maurice Burns, vice-president of the North Eastern LocomotivePreservation Group, who has taken the project forwardinconjunctionwith Network Rail and his friends RichardBarber, Gordon Best and Nick Carter
The agreed proposal is to install fvesigns, on the basis thatNetwork Rail wouldinstall themifMaurice could coordinate the design, supply of materials andoverseetheir fabrication.
Workingwith the Friends of the Stockton &Darlington Railway, grants were secured from The RailwayHeritageTrust,Durham County Counci land Northern Trains. Network Rail and its sub-contractors Amco Gifen, Construction Marine Limited and QTSGroup gave in-kind
support. Fabrication wasundertaken by Northern Heritage Engineering.
The fvesigns wi ll be erected on the Shi ldon to Stockton route at Shi lton, Heighington, Darlington North Road, near Allens West station (UrlayNook) and at Bowesfeld, Stockton.
Agreement has alsobeen reached forasixth signtoreplace a‘lost’ one which indicated the line west from Darlington. Originallythis pointed towardsthe ‘LakeDistrict, Teesdale and Weardale’but with
HEADLINE EVENTS
August 1-3 –Alstom presents: The Greatest Gathering, Litchurch Lane Works, Derby September 26-28 –Locomotion No. 1onthe Stockton &Darlington Route TBC
EXTENDED CELEBRATIONS
National RailwayMuseum and Locomotion Shildon –activities, displays and events throughout the year including the reopening of Station Hall in York in September
Hopetown Darlington –nine-month festival celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton &
Darlington Railway.Art exhibitions and augmented-reality digital games, displays of treasured artworksinthe region forthe frst time, awe-inspiring outdoor events andsomeofthe world’s favourite locomotives. Unti lNovember 30, 2025
May1-31 –Swanage Railway SwanageRailway 140th anniversary &Railwaystothe Seaside
May2-5 –WestSomerset Railway Spring Steam Spectacular
May10/11 Micheldever Station 185th anniversary MicheldeverStation, Winchester
May24-26 –Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Cotswold FestivalofSteam
RAIL 200 TALKS
April24 –Rails to Midhurst (Bill Gage), The Novium Museum, Chichester
May10 –Thunder &Smoke: the arrival of the railwayinto Llangollen (Peter Dickinson), Llangollen Station, Denbighshire
May17 Middleton Railway –A Preservation Pioneer (Ian Smith), Moor Road,Leeds, LS12 2JQ.
the closureofthe Stainmoreroute to Penrith and the Lakes, and the branch to Middleton-in-Teesdale in the early1960s, the sign was cut down by British Railways.The newsign located on the ECML wi ll promote the route to Shi ldon, Bishop Auckland and Weardale.
In earlyMarch came conformation of aseventh sign to be erected at Preston Park, Stockton, wherea preserved but abandoned stretch of the original 1825 line runs through the museum grounds. E
GREATEST GATHERING
A TRIAL of an of-lease Class 221 ‘Voyager’ unit has run from the Alstom Maintainence depot at Central Rivers to Wrexham General as part of a fami liarisation exercise.
The trip on March10was via Walsall, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury,and the ‘Voyager’ returned to Litchurch Lane works on completion of the trial run.
Currentlya potential new open accessoperator,the Wrexham, Shropshireand Midlands Railway has atrack application to start anew service from Wrexham to London Euston being considered by the Ofce of Rail and Road, and it is understood this trial wastocheck platform lengths and point-to-point timings. The Department forTransport has stated that of severalrecent applications foropen access services, onlythis one meets the necessary criteria (RE347).
The application currentlywith the ORR is backed by SLCRai l and Alstom and the intention is forfve return services Monday to Saturdayand four on Sundays, with the services connecting with the West Coast Main Line at Nuneaton.
May24 –Corris Railway Gala.
Fabrication of one of the signs in the workshopsofNorthern HeritageEngineering. FRIENDS OF THE S&DR
Report says Temple Mi lls could handle other international trains
AN independent report commissioned by the Ofce of Rail and Road (ORR) says that Temple Mi lls International Maintenance depotinEast London does have the capacity to handle additional trains. The depot is operated and exclusivelyused by Eurostar
With interest from three potential newentrants in running trains from London to Europe –the Virgin Group, Evolyn and also Gemini Trains (see separate story) –Eurostar claimed the depotlacked the capacity to service the trains of rival operators alongside itstrains, hence theindependent report.
The ORR added that changes to operational and maintenance arrangements at the depot, as well as possi ble alterations to infrastructure, would be required to access the extracapacity and allowmoretrains to be stabled and maintained there.
Welcoming the report,Eurostar said: “Wehave complied fullywith theregulatory processand wi ll
continue to do so. This is in advance of anytrain ordersbeing placed –and yearsahead of those trains beingbui lt andneeding to access Temple Mi lls.
“Webelieve the conversation now needs to move beyond the inadequate space within the existing depot to look at the bigger picture. Capacity constraints have always been achallenge –whether in stations, at the borders or on boardtrains.
“Eurostar is wi llingtoinvestonce again in newmaintenance capacity and in manyother areas to help deliver our ambitious growthplans. Other operators should consider investing in the system as well. Demand forinternationalrai land sustainable travelisatan all-time high, which is ahugelypositivestory forEuropean connectionsand the planet.”
AVirgin Group spokesperson commented: “Finallya green signal forcompetition. The Temple Mi lls depot is the onlyfacility in the UK
which can accommodateEuropeanstyle trains and claimssuggesting it wasatcapacity have been blocking Virgin from coming to the line. Virgin is thereforeverypleased with the outcome which wi ll now unlock competition on the crossChannel route forthe beneft of all passengers. Virgin is ready to take up the challengeand we expect to be able to makeanannouncement very soon.”
Stakeholders arenow being asked to provideevidence by April28 that theybelieve would support or changeORR’s initial fndings
IslandLine to reopen earlier
REOPENING of the IslandLine wi ll takeplace on May2,four days earlier than planned.
The Ryde Pier Headto Shanklin line has beenclosed since September 6lastyear, to allowNetwork Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) engineers to repair and preservethe Ryde Pier structure.
Prior to the full reopening on Friday, May2,the entireline from Shanklin to Ryde Pier Headwill close from Saturday, Apri l26, to allowengineers to complete fnal preparations forthe resumption of services, which wi ll include removalofall materials and the temporary bufer stops on Ryde Pier,and to complete signal testing. Driver route knowledge wi ll also be refreshed.
Further work is planned to replace the rail between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde St Johns Road, as well as replacing the footbridgeatRydeStJohns Road. Further closuredetailswillbe announced in due course.
Longer ScotRai ltrains to Fort Wi lliam
SCOTRAIL started operatingsevencarriagetrains between Glasgow and Crianlarich from March11, as a result of platform extensions at 10 stations completed by Network Rail
The trains areformed of three Class 156 DMUs and aClass 153
‘Highland Explorer’ active travel carriagewhich contains space for cycles and large luggage. The use of activetravelcarriages had previously been limitedtocertainservices due to platform length limitations.
ScotRai lsaystherewillbe
Additional carriages wi ll be added to the following services:
08:15 Fort Wi lliam to Mallaig.
08:22 Glasgow to Fort Wi lliam andMallaig.
10:10 Mallaig and Fort Wi lliam to Glasgow.
somefve-carriagetrains between Crianlarich and Fort Wi lliam.
The operator says it began strengthening its summer service from March11, rather thanthe last weekend in Marchtoaccommodate increasesindemand.
12:22 Glasgow to Fort Wi lliam and Mallaig.
16:05 Mallaig and Fort Wi lliam to Glasgow
18:15 Mallaig to Fort Wi lliam.
IN BRIEF
FIRE CUTSHEATHROW SERVICES
AFIRE at an electrical substationat Hayes, Middlesex, on March21, which shut down London’s Heathrow airport and led to more than 1300 fight cancellations and diversions, also disrupted Elizabeth Line services whichserveHeathrow Terminal 4. Heathrow Express services were suspended but recommenced later in the morning, however, the Elizabeth Line to Terminal 5remained suspended until14.00. Services to T4 were suspended forthe rest of the day. Services returned to normal from March22.
Because of the widespread disruption, Eurostar ranadditional services between London and Paris.
SCOTRAIL TRIALS HVOFUEL
SCOTRAILhas been using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oilasa trial in one of its Corkerhill Depot-based Class 156 DMUs. The trial, which began on February 19, will run for 12 weeksand is being delivered in partnership with Angel Trainsand CrownOil.Ifthe trial is successful, HVOcould ofer astep towards reducing greenhouse gasemissions on Scotland’s Railway, acting as a transition fuel while carbon-neutral fuels such as green hydrogen become more readily available. The unit used in the trial is No. 156436.
THREE-WEEK CLOSURE OF FARNORTH LINE
ATHREE-WEEK closureofthe FarNorth line beyond Dingwall is planned by Network Rail between June 8and June 30. This is to undertakean£11.5 million track upgrade project. Work will focuson afve-mile stretch of trackbetween Broraand Helmsdale and also the replacement of almost nine miles of track between Invergordon and Fearn. Rail replacement buses will connect stations with Dingwall.
NEW STATION FOR ROTHERHAM
PROPOSALS to buildanew station, Rotherham Gateway, areata fnal business case stage, and will be submitted by the South Yorkshire MayoralCombined Authority to the Department forTransport forfunding in May. The proposed station will be located at the Parkgate area, near ForgeWay, north of the former Masborough station which closed in 1987. The newstationwillbeonthe main line, and due to open by 2031 and is closer to the town centreand new housing development. The station will also ofer improved connections to Leeds, Shefeld and Birmingham.
Eurostar’s e300 trains inside the Temple Mills maintenance depot.
56301 soldtoDCRai lasColas stores twomoreClass 56s
Nowback in trafc, the Class56Group has been able to complete the transfer of theirmain line registered locomotivetoDCRail.
AFTER repairs and maintenance at UKRL Leicester and Boden Rail’s Colwick TMD, BREL Type 5s Nos. 56103 and 56301have returned to service forDCRail, the pairundergoing an initial 0Z56 shakedown run on March12from Rectory JunctiontoAllington West Junction and back
The following daythe pair departed under the same appropriate headcode to Chaddesden Sidings (Derby). However, it wasn’t until March16whentheywerelet loose with their frst train, the pair taking an empty set of JNAs north as a 4M70 22.01toTunstead, to work the loaded 6M71 03.38toLeicester HumberstoneRoad the next day.
On March21, the pair were still together to haul asimilar train of boxwagonstoEast Anglia as a4L92
11.08 Chaddesden Sidings to King’s Lynn, forloading at the nearbyWBB Minerals’ Leziate sandquarryadjacent to the former Middleton Towers station. Unfortunately, the return loaded 6M89 09.01 to Ravenhead Sidings (St Helens) did not go to plan. Already over an hour late by the time it reached Ely, the train wasdiverted to Chaddesden due to issues with No. 56103. The latter wasshut down part way through the journey, with No. 56301 admirablytaking the heavy load, usuallyentrustedtoaClass 60, to Derby. No. 60046 William Wilberforce had already been summoned from Leeds by the time the pairarrived and it took the 18 JNAsontotheir destination as a6Z89. Meanwhile, the two‘Grids’ returned to Colwick TMDon March24, returning to
Chaddesden three days later
The prizefor No.56301’s successful return to employment was forthe sale of the locomotivefromthe Class 56 Group to DC Rail/Cappagh Group to fnally be completed. The former No. 56045, which still wears the livery of its previous owner Fastline Freight,was purchased by the preservationists in 2011 at aknockdown price as areplacementfor No. 56040 Oystermouth,which required expensivemajor traction motorand alternatorrepairs.
Meanwhi le, No. 56301 had onlybeen refurbished by Brush at Loughborough in 2006 so wasin excellent condition and stillmain line registered, so it went on hire to DC Rail the following year.The consolation wasthat the group wasable to purchase No. 56006 at the end of 2012 after the National Railway Museum declined it, after which anyexcessrevenue generated by the former Fastline machine could contri bute to the
restoration of the ‘Romanian’, as well as spares and equipment.
No. 56301’sfrst duty in DCR ownership wasa 6L92 Chaddesden to King’s Lynn on March28, the train length reduced to 15 JNAs as the Class 56 wasfyingsolo. The loaded leg returned west the following Mondayasa6M89 04.05 Middleton Towers to Ravenhead Sidings.
The news from Colas Rail’s feet wasnot so positive, with Nos. 56078 and 56105 both being sidelined in the middle of March, as foreshadowedin RE346. The two BREL Type 5s were the ffth and thirdmembers of the class to be reinstated by Colas in December and March2013 respectively, and they join Nos. 56087/096 in what the operator descri bes as ‘warm store’ at Colwick TMD. No. 56094 had also been stopped but is in restricted use as a‘super shunter’ at Rugbydepot. This leaves Nos. 56049/051/090/113/302 in the active feet. E
Sold to DC Rail/Cappagh Group isformer FastlineClass 56 No.56301, seen approaching Marchstation on March28, working train6L92 11.08 Chaddesden to Kings Lynn empty boxwagons KEITH PARTLOW
NEWS ROUND-UP
DB CARGO
No. 66119 wasbriefystopped WQAA in mid-March, but was returned to WBAT beforethe last week of the month. Also back in business is recentlyrepainted No. 66053, whichhad been taking abreak at Toton since the end of 2024. FormerDRS hireNo. 66091 wasreallocated from XHIM to WBAT,complementing its newcoat of DB ‘Trafc red’ applied at the Nottinghamshiredepot’s paintshop, which replaces its obsolete simplifed ‘Compass’ scheme.
Meanwhi le, the ranksof maroon and gold were further reduced with the makeovers of EWS-branded No. 66011 and DB-branded No. 66112, with exEWS liveried No. 66199 also part way through losing its original 1999-applied paint job.
Finally, No. 66136, which was given commemorative‘YiwuLondon Train’ lettering and a host of partner logos in January 2017, also appears to have been repainted, or refreshed back to the standardDBcorporate image. However,its partner,No. 92015 still retains its brandings from the event and is one of just four active Class 92s with the operator
The number of planned ‘high output’ Class 66/6shas beencut back to 10 with the with transfer of unmodifed Nos. 66155/ 165/172/181/197 from the WBHT pool backtoWBAT. This makes recentlyregeared No. 66660the fnal member of the feet, at least fornow.The
former No. 66161 made its frst test run on March4,running from Toton to Doncaster Belmont Yard and back as a0E23/0M22. It was let loose in angerthree days later, on the usual 6E02 12.30 Toton Up Sidings to Boston SleafordSidings steel empties, ready to bring the heavyweight 6E03 back to Wolverhampton Steel Terminal the following day.
Another locomotiveabout to receiveits frst repaint since the 1990s is No.92011 Handel, which is nowatToton following repairs at Crewe Electric Maintenance Depot. Currentlystored WQAA,itwas draggedeast on March13by No. 67005 Queen’s Messenger, which is itself expected to be tweaked soon, to refect the change of monarch. The Class 92’spaint wasapplied by BombardierProrail in 1994, the bodyshell construction having been sub-contracted to the Horbury-based wagonmanufacturer, previouslyknown as Procor
BEACONRAIL
With Chi lternTrain’s proposed takeoverofthe former TransPennine Express Class 68s and Mk.5a stock nearingareality,eight of the 14 former TPE locomotives have swapped from XHTP to the private owner MBDL pool, Nos.68020/ 022/026-028/030-032. Currently Chi lternhas Nos. 68010-015 on sublease fromDirect Rail Services in the XHCE pool, with Nos. 68008/ 009 spareinXHCS,although these areonlyequipped to work with the operator’s existing Mk.3 stock, not
the ‘Nova 3’ loco-hauled feet. In amoreconcrete expression of this plan moving forward, Nos. 68020/028 have joined No. 68027 at UKRL Loughborough from storeat Long Marston, to begin the journey back to activeduty.The pair were movedonMarch 21 as a0Z69by No. 68029, which hasitself reportedlybeen returned to Beacon Rail.Ofthe other fveMBDL Class 68s, No. 68026 is stillatLeicester and wi ll not nowbeused by Europhoenix, whi le Nos. 68022/030032 aresti ll at Porterbrook’s Warwickshirestoragefacility
FREIGHTLINER
Stored DHLTinDecember 2023, No. 66501 has been returned to the operational DFIM pool following arepaint at UKRL Loughborough.
It wasnot the onlyFreightliner GM Type 5toreceivecosmetic attention in March, with No. 66601 also gaining anew look courtesyof Arlington Fleet Services (AFS), at Eastleigh Works. The two‘frst in sub class’ machines have both gained 60th anniversary transformations with the doyenofthe Class 66/5s in Genesee &Wyoming orange, and the frst of the Class 66/6s in British Racing Green. Whi le the latter is almost identicallyturned out as No. 70008, No. 66501 has black and white body stripes complementing its ‘60’ branding and ‘1965-2025’ legend. This rantoLeeds Midland Road on March8,whi le No. 66601 departed Eastleigh on March19. In other GM news, No. 66517 has transferred from the restricted DFLS pool back to DFIM.
Averysmart-looking No. 90018 wasback on the main line on March 17, partnered with No. 90040 for the start of three days of test runs between Crewe BasfordHall and Staford,with the fnal daytaking the pair on an 0Z90/0Z91 jollyto Carlisle. The next day, March20, the former DB CargoClass 90, which wasstored as long agoasAugust 2019, wasentrusted with a4S59 20.57 Crewe BasfordHall Yard to Coatbridge, again with No. 90040. The ex-DB duo were sti ll teamed up as the month ticked into Apri l.
GB RAILFREIGHT
Having entered Eastleigh Worksfor its turn in the AFSpaint booth, No. 69014 departed the Hampshire facility exactlyone monthlater on March20, wearing an attractiverif on Progress Rail’s ownlivery usedon arangeofNorth American and even Australian demonstrators and lease locomotives. With gold replacing the Caterpillar yellowusuallyusedonthe upper bodyside, the lowerhalf of the Class 69 is black with dark grey and white stripes. The former No. 56104 departed as a0M45 to EMD Longport May 2025 RAIL
Forming the newTransPennine Route Electrifcation test train, Colas powercars Nos. 43303 and 43301 work 1Q10 10.15 Brush LoughboroughDoncaster West Yard (via Peterborough and York)with No. 91117 marshalled in the centre. The train is passing Copley’sBrook on the approach to Melton Mowbray on March24. CHRIS MILNER
In the shadowofRatclife Powerstation, nowundergoing decommissioning, LSLClass 20 Nos. Nos. 20132 and 20118 Saltburn by the Sea haul former East Midlands Trains HSTtrailers from Carlisle UpperbytoBrush Loughborough on March20. The LSL-owned carriages were reformed around Class 91 No. 91117 which is to be used as atest trainfor the TransPennine Route Electrifcation project, pictured above. PHIL CHILTON
POWERBYTHE HOUR
NEWS ROUND-UP
❮
and wasnamed after this location on March26tocelebrate the partnership between GBRf and Progress Rail on this project, as well as on theupkeep of the operator’s Class 66 feet.
GBRf’s DirectorofEngineering, Bob Ti ller,has revealed that the remaining trio of Class 56 conversions wi ll also be gaining special liveries, which he states wi ll “tell an important individual messagetothe railway industry, enthusiasts and public ali ke.” We arelikelytosee the fruits of this as soon as No. 69013fnally received itscall to Eastleigh on March31, the primer green ‘69’ running south as a0O69 from Toton North Yard
Not to be outdone, the fnal member of the Akiem Rail-leased Class 66/3s, No. 66316, wi ll also be receiving auniquepaint scheme. The former Heavy Haul PowerInternational No. 29003, which sti ll wears its HHPI ‘F=ma’ decals, wasmovedfromUKRL LoughboughtoEMD Longport overMarch 25 and 26, being hauled by Nos.57310 and then No. 66707 with an eclectic collection of other locomotives.
GREAT WESTERN
With No. 57604 Pendennis Castle sti ll undergoing its GexamatLaira and No. 57605 Totnes Castle also
at the Plymouth depotwith power unitissues, having been failed at Tauntononthe sleeperonJanuary 16,Great Western have been forced to call on the assistance of further locomotives. These wi ll supplement existinghire-in No. 57312, and its owntemperamental operational Class 57/6s.
GBRfprovidedNo. 57305 from March8,whi le LocomotiveServices’ No.57311 wasalso draftedinfor around aweek in the middleofthe month, both covering sleeper and emptystock dutiesasrequired. With the GBRfClass 57/3 requiring an exam, this coincidedwith the takeoverofNo. 57301 after handback work wascompleted andthe former DRSmachine has been reallocatedtothe GWR EFOO pool forlong termsecondment to the prestigiousduty.Itran south to Reading on March24, as a0Z57 fromCrewe Gresty Bridge, buthad notworked atrain by the endof the month.
HNRCSWIETELSKY
Cosmetically, the newoperator’s branding continues to spread across the feet, with No. 20168 Sir George Earle (running as No.2)atHope Cement Works, the latest to be treated. As of the endofMarch, its operational partner at the Breedon site, No. 20906(runningasNo. 3) wassti ll fyingthe fagfor HNRai l.
Both were only recentlyoverhauled andpaintedinto Breedonblue,the Class20/0 returning in October 2024and the Class20/9 in August 2023. Also at HopeisNo. 20309 which wasoriginallyprovided as coverfor the pair.However,itisonly rarely used
Rather more involved is the completion of the repaint of No 37422, the former Victorious,at UKRL Loughborough. Unli ke Nos. 37405 and37607 andthe twoClass 20/3s,which co-incidentallywear a simi larorangelivery to Swietelsky’s principalhouse colour,this Class 37/4 is the frstlocomotive in the feet to be given afullmakeover. It continues the trendofhalfand half liverieskick-startedbyColas Rail, wherethere is an angled break in colourinthe middleofthe design, which hasalsorecentlybeen adopted by LoramRai lonNo. 37418
An Comunn Gaidhealach. The orange anddarkblue scheme is completed with HNRC, Swietelsky andRai l Servicesbrandings, although it wi ll be interesting to seeifthe orange windscreens andbonnet tops survive long at the No.2 end.
Four of the remainingClass 47s thathavebeenlivingunderthe swordofDamocles since2023, with former HNRCmanaging directorHarry Needle threatening to send them forscrap, have been sold.Whi le No.47769 wassent
fordisposalatEMR Kingsburyin September2023assomething of a‘shot across the bows’, Nos. 47703/714/715 and 47843/847 managedtoescape asimi lar fate. Since then, No.47714 wasacquired by the WensleydaleRai lway in June 2024and is nowatLeeming Bar,and nowex-ScotRai lpush-pullcolleague No.47715 hasalso founda new home at Rail Engineering Solutions. Ironically, the Network SouthEast-liveriedClass 47/7 had been basedatthe Wensleydaleuntil June 2019whenitwas transferred to Worksoptoprovide ElectricTrain Supply(ETS) to storedrollingstock, although more recentlyithas been stored in the Up Yard.OnMarch 21 it beganits journeytoits newbaseof operationsatthe Chinnor &Princes Risborough, with No. 66106being rostered to take it to Knottingley under a0D47 headcode.Itwas collectedfromthe West Yorkshire depot by No.50008 Thunderer with Nos. 45108 and50015 Valiant,the Hanson+HallClass50assembling a team to take on theC&PR’s diesel gala in Apri l. The trioarrivedon March25asan0E50fromCastleton North Junction(East Lancashire Railway)and then continued as a quartetontothe MidlandRai lway –Butterleyasan0M50the following daytocollect No. 31108, before the quintet made the fnal move to Chinnor as a0P50
Finally, West Coast Railwayshas completed its acquisition of the fnal pair of outstanding former Rail Operations Group Class 47s from HN Rail,long-stored Nos. 47843 and 47847 being movedfromWorksop to Carnforth on March10byNo. 37706, 37685 and 37518, the ensemble running as a6Z47. WCRC had taken ownership of the four operationalmembers of the ROG ‘Brush 4’ feet, Nos. 47812/ 813/815/848, directlyfromthe operator in Apri l2021, and all have since been repainted and returned to service.
Meanwhi le, Riviera Trains’ blue No. 47843 and former Virgin large logo‘heritage’ liveried No.47847 were sold to HNRChavingnever worked forROG, the pair moving to Worksop from UKRLLeicester in August 2022. The saleleft asingle Class 47 on the HN Rail books, but it hasnow emergedthat No. 47703 has been sold to Nemesis Rail
RAIL OPERATIONSASSETS
LIMITED
Thereare nowthree Class 93s in the UK withthe arrival of No.93006 atPortbury Docks on March18. The Stadler tri-mode began its journeytoWorksop on the back of an Allelys’low-loader the following day, although problemswith the road vehiclemeant an extended stayatWoodallServices on the M1
On its waytoEMD Longport forconversion forUKoperation is former Heavy Haul PowerInternational Class 66 No. 266015, which is to become GB Railfreight No.66316. This is the last of the imported locos to beconverted and is seen inconvoypassing Barrow-upon-Soar JAMESGARTHWAITE
and aMarch 21arrivalat the HNRC
Swietelsky faci lity.Nos. 93003-5/710 arereportedly also completed at Valencia and awaiting onward movement to theirnew owner
ROMIC GROUP/ANGEL TRAINS
Thirteen months after the Louise Auerbach departed Great Yarmouth docksfor Mexicowith eight HST powercars on board, Romic Group is assembling the nextbatch of Class 43s in East Anglia ready for asimilar journey. On March3,No. 50008 Thunderer movedNos. 43238/312/319as a5M4314.31
Dereham (Mid-Norfolk Railway) to Nemesis Rail,Burton-upon-Trent, while Nos. 43160/162 made the same journeybyroad over thenextfew days.Meanwhile, ex-Great Western Nos. 43153/194made atwo-stage journeyunder their ownpowerfrom
LairatoDereham via Chaddesden (0E43/0L43) on March3.OnMarch 7, British Steel blue No. 37501 Teesside Steelmaster and Europhoenix No. 37884 Cepheus were tasked with delivering Nos. 43174/191 from Ely Papworth to Dereham under a0Q48 headcode, with the twoClass 37s then taking Nos. 43017/020, which also started the journeyatEly as a0Q98 to Nemesis at Burton. The following day, No. 43315 departed Elyonalow-loader,again forthe Mid-Norfolk Railway.
Then on the lastday of the month, RailAdventureNo. 43480 –unusuallyoperating without a partner –was sent to Burton to return Nos. 43162/160 and newly primer grey Nos. 43112/238/319 as a0Q45 back to Dereham. The last week of Marchalso sawthe frst pair of powercars loaded on road transport forthe journeytoGreat
Yarmouth Docks, Nos. 43027/153 being the frst to move VINTAGE TRAINS
Last used on the main line between Apri l2020 and June 2021 when under the aegis of Boden Rail,No. 37240 has nowreturned to action forVintageTrains,happi ly sti ll in its Transrai l‘big T’ paint scheme. Sold to the railtour operator in November 2022, the Class37/0 has been acquired as asupport locomotive, forwhich its operational vacuumbrakeequipment is essential. Following alengthyoverhaul, which included the provision of refurbished bogies, it worked a0Z37 shakedown run from TyseleyonMarch22, with No. 47773 (D1755) and assisted the ai ling Brush loco on March29from Hellifeld to Birmingham NewStreet after the Class47developed low powerissues.
RailAdventurepower carNo. 43480, running with former GWRpowercar No. 43162, is towing Nos. 43160, 43312, 43238 and 43319 from Nemesis Rail,Burton-on-Trent, to Dereham (Mid-Norfolk Railway), forexport beforeusing road transport to Great Yarmouth docks. With three vehicles, Nos. 43312, 43238 and 43319, painted in grey primer,the movement is passing Willington on March31. PHIL CHILTON
