The Railway Magazine January 2018

1968 HIXON CRASH: WAS IT AVOIDABLE?

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CROYDON TRAGEDY: RAIB DEMANDS TRAM SAFETY SHAKEUP ◆ GRAYLING’S NEW VISION FOR RAIL ◆ EAST COAST BAILOUT ROW ◆ ‘JEEPS’ IN NORTHERN IRELAND ◆ HLF DROPS GCR MUSEUM FUNDING

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EDITORIAL

Editor: Chris Milner Deputy editor: Gary Boyd-Hope Senior correspondent: Ben Jones Designer: Tim Pipes Picture desk: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield Publisher: Tim Hartley Editorial assistant: Jane Skayman Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Sub-editor: Nigel Devereux Consultant editor: Nick Pigott Classic Traction News: Peter Nicholson Operations News: Ashley Butlin Narrow Gauge News: Cliff Thomas Metro News: Paul Bickerdyke World News: Keith Fender By post: The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 529589 Fax: 01507 371066 Email: railway@mortons.co.uk © 2018 Mortons Media ISSN 0033-8923

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This issue was published on January 3, 2018.

The next will be on sale on February 7, 2018.

Kenilworth: Playing the blame game...

A

NEW station at Kenilworth was due to open in December 2017. It has already missed two previous opening dates and now might open in February 2018 – more than a year late.

The missed deadlines will come as no surprise to those who have closely monitored the project from its inception. Neither does it help that project sponsor Warwickshire County Council is pointing the finger at the Department for Transport for the delay.

The department has batted criticism away, saying blame lies with the council, as sponsors, together with contractors and others for repeatedly missing completion dates.

In a classic case of ‘fake news’, the council claimed on local radio, and in a statement, that the station “was complete, looks amazing and the facts speak for themselves”.

Judging by the picture (above right), taken less than 24 hours after the radio interview, the facts do indeed speak for themselves.

It’s nowhere near ready!

There’s a good few weeks of work for contractors to complete before the regulatory inspections can even be made – discounting any bad weather delays and Christmas holidays.

At the front of the station, the car park and walkways need surfacing, and contractors’ cabins are all over the car park. There’s no signage, no passenger safety features. It gets worse.

Even the new winter timetable doesn’t include Kenilworth, not even as ‘opening during the currency of the timetable’. A missed opportunity.

When work started, the cost of the project was £11.3million, but now stands at £13.6m – a rise of more than 20%. Like me, you will be asking: Who pays for the overrun?

With any project sponsored by a local authority,

A view of Kenilworth station taken four days before the new station should have opened. FRASER PITHIE

taxpayers have a right to know whether their money is being spent wisely, and are there adequate project management and cost control safeguards in place?

There have been many concerns raised over this project, and knowing something isn’t quite right prompts people to dig deeper for the real answers.

In fact, some of the answers provided to the many questions Warwickshire County Council has fielded under Freedom of Information legislation – and seen

by The RM – have been less than forthright.

My previous comments have covered cost overruns and project management issues, yet here is a project that is over budget and has missed its opening date THREE times. The failures are casually shrugged off by the council’s joint managing director who said: “...two more months, having waited 53 years is not long”.

I could say so much more but will leave you with this question: Why are we so poor at getting things right first time, to schedule and on budget?

TRAIN OF THOUGHT

Editor’s Comment

Communication breakdown – not good enough THE news that around 500m of overhead wires were brought down near Wembley on a Friday night (December 1) was unwelcome, throwing the weekend and commuting plans of thousands into chaos who used the West Coast Main Line.

Bad enough to happen on one of the busiest mainlines in the country, but as the problem dragged into the weekend, Network Rail said there would be no trains in or out of Euston until midday Sunday.

National Rail was tweeting passengers ‘not to travel’, but is that even a realistic suggestion? To achieve that, passengers need accurate and timely information, and alternative route suggestions.

Several friends and colleagues who were on trains or about to catch trains on the West Coast said there was a paucity of communications from the rail industry – not for the first time either.

Different information was being given to passengers, there was no consistent message, and many were left to their own devices.

It’s all very well passengers being told they could use other operators’ services if they were at a London terminus and could get to another station, but not much help to those waiting at places like Bushey or Apsley, for example, where there is no other option.

Just 10 days later (Dec 11), Waterloo’s evening commuter service descended into meltdown after a lineside fire damaged signalling cables and track circuits, putting many platforms at the country’s busiest station out of use. The effects were still being felt the next day.

Transport Focus has criticised the lack of information to passengers waiting at Waterloo.

To quote their blog: “There was no attempt to display what was actually going to run, nor any

announcements saying what is coming in next. It seemed pure pot luck.”

For a growing and dynamic industry, this simply won’t do. Passengers pay good money for their fares and season tickets, and with the availability of the internet and social media, expect and deserve better quality information.

Neither can I see the point of the higher echelons of the industry banging out scheduled tweets containing good news messages during periods of major disruption. It’s not only pointless, it just winds passengers up and suggests the industry doesn’t care.

Situations like this can also lead to angry exchanges between passengers and public-facing staff who were doing their best with the limited information they were being provided with.

BR had a variety of contingency plans, yet with far more effective communications today than 30 years ago, passengers are still left in the dark as to how to get to their destination. Why is it so difficult? Are there no major disruption plans?

Have we really moved forward from the dark days of December 2009 when five Eurostar trains failed in the Channel Tunnel with 2,500 passengers stuck for five hours, and the resultant appalling publicity for the railways?

Contingency plans were criticised as insufficient then, and after the latest debacles, many will say they are still insufficient now.

The treatment of passengers at times of disruption is key to how a level of trust develops and builds between the customer and the train operator: a fact the industry should never forget.

CHRIS MILNER, Editor

January 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 3

Contents

January 2018. No. 1,402. Vol 164. A journal of record since 1897.

Headline News

The Highland Main Line saw its first Hitachi Class 800 bi-mode set on December 15, when Virgin-branded No. 800101 worked from Doncaster to Inverness and back. BOB AVERY

Government’s ‘New Vision for Rail’ overshadowed by East Coast bailout row, Hosking buys two ‘Deltics’, new London Northwestern and West Midlands brands launched, Tyseley unveils £3m TOC share offer, Lottery withdraws funding for Leicester North museum.

On the cover COVER: A new golden era beckons for Tyseley as it bids to become the latest heritage Train Operating Company.

On December 9, No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe catches the sun as it heads for York with the ‘Christmas White Rose’ tour. ROBERT FALCONER

Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 66 Steam & Heritage

76 Network

Gloucs-Warks set for Broadway reopening in March, North Norfolk secures No. 76084, New-build ‘Grange’ to steam in 2018, ‘Santa Specials’ disrupted by snow.

Portishead scheme to be scaled back, Glasgow tram-train scheme under threat, Shoreham Viaduct

71 Industrial 72 Steam Portfolio 74 Irish

78 Narrow Gauge 80 Metro 82 Miniature 84 Railtours 86 Classic Traction 90 World 94 Freight 96 Traction & Stock

refurb complete, London Bridge on track for completion.

Network Rail unveils new Rail Grinder fleet, GBRf buys Colas Class 47s, LSL Class 47s on test, Class 68 returns to Spain for TPE Mk5a testing.

Network Rail has invested in three more US-built rail grinding trains to correct rail defects. CHRIS MILNER

99 Stock Update 100 Traction Portfolio 103 Operations

Regulars

SETTLING SNOW: DB Cargo No. 66077 heads the 4M00 Mossend-Clitheroe cement tanks passing Angerholme, near Mallerstang, on the Settle-Carlisle Line, on December 8. CAMERON WALKER

The Railway Magazine’s audited circulation of 37,250 copies per month makes it by far the

41 Multiple Aspects

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With Lord Berkeley.

41 Railways in Parliament 42 Readers’ Platform 48 Railway Holidays 2018 60 Winter Panorama A seasonal gallery of the best railway photography.

64 From The RM Archives Find out what The RM was reporting 20, 50 and 100 years ago.

92 Subscription Offer

Recalling its unstreamlined days, NRM ‘Duchess’ No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton crosses Swithland Viaduct on the GCR on December 29, 1995. JOHN COOPERSMITH

110 Heritage Diary

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Details of when Britain’s unique collection of heritage railways and railway museums are open.

108 Meetings

122 Crossword & Where Is It?

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Features

16 Practice & Performance: NCC ‘Jeeps’

32 Bredgar’s Little Gem

44 Signs of the Times

Keith Farr looks back at the ‘go-anywhere’ 2-6-4Ts built by the LMS Northern Counties Committee for use in Northern Ireland, which became the last main line steam locomotives in revenue service in the UK.

Gareth Evans visits the Bredgar & Wormshill Railway to discover the latest developments at this 2ft-gauge line in Kent, run by a group of friends and open to the public just once a month.

A pictorial study provided by Steve Ryszka of some of the remarkable railway relics of a bygone era that can be found in many towns and cities around the British Isles.

24 Ignorance from Arrogance

38 Narrow Gauge under South London

48 Railway Holidays 2018

In the last of his series looking at serious rail accidents from 50 years ago, Fraser Pithie considers the tragic events that led to the devastating level crossing collision at Hixon on the West Coast Main Line in January 1968.

Deep under south London, a narrow gauge railway is essential to the construction of a new extension to London Underground’s Northern Line, as Keith Fender discovers.

Thinking about your railway ‘trip of a lifetime’ or just a flying visit to see the fascinating railways of our near neighbours? Our latest rail holiday guide is packed with inspiration for your next trip.

MULTIPURPOSE: Keith Farr assesses the performance of the Derby-built 2-6-4Ts used in Northern Ireland - p16

DEVASTATING COLLISION: A damning reappraisal of the events that led to January 1968’s Hixon collision – p24

TWOFOOT WAY: A rare visit to a private narrow gauge railway run by a group of friends in Kent – p32

January 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 5

HeadlineNews

RAIB report outlines Croydon tram operator’s safety failings THE crash of tram No. 2551 on a bend at Sandilands, Croydon on November 9, 2016 was, in all probability, caused by the driver suffering a micro-sleep during a 49-second period when the tram was passing through three consecutive tunnels in the hours of darkness.

That is the view of investigators from RAIB (the Rail Accident Investigation Branch) into the accident in which seven passengers were killed and 61 injured (19 seriously) when the tramcar came off the track and overturned while travelling at 73kph (45mph) on a 20kph (12.5mph) bend.

The tram driver, Alfred Dorris (43), could have been suffering from ‘sleep debt’, an accumulation of lack of sleep, which fatigued him.

Mr Dorris has said he has no recollection of the moments before the crash.

RAIB has said FirstGroup’s Tram Operations Ltd (TOL) failed to understand the risks, and didn’t put sufficient safety measures in place. RAIB’s chief inspector Simon French said TOL lacked the understanding of the risk of a vehicle overturning. He said: “It

appears there was a gap here. It had been dismissed or thought not to be credible.”

Since the accident, RAIB has conducted detailed and lengthy investigations and concluded new and more stringent safety measures are needed across Britain’s tram networks, especially the intoduction of a device that will – should the driver fail to – reduce speeds at junctions and tight bends.

One of the RAIB recommendations is that UK tram operators and infrastructure owners should work together to develop a system to reduce tram speeds at high-risk locations as well as developing a system to detect reduced driver alertness.

Investigators also found CCTV footage had, in some cases, been overwritten within a week, and in the case of tram 2551, on the day of the crash, the equipment had not been recording since October 16, possibly earlier.

The RAIB also revealed that during interviews with other drivers, nine admitted to braking heavily before the Sandiland curve. There has also been a culture of fear at TOL, drivers being afraid to report

The speed limit sign before the bend at Sandilands, which has a surface area equal to 43% of an equivalent road sign. PICTURE: RAIB

The stricken tram – No. 2551 – after the derailment on November 9, 2016. PICTURE: RAIB

near misses or incidents, RAIB revealed.

Even prior to the accident, another tram had come close to overturning on the same junction only nine days before.

Computer modelling tests carried out for the RAIB indicate the tram would have overturned

The new reflective chevron warning signs for the bends at Sandilands. KEITH FENDER

Transport Secretary Grayling launches East West Railway Company at Bletchley Park THE creation of a direct rail link chairman of the company, said: operations also serving Aylesbury between Oxford and Cambridge “This railway has huge potential and Milton Keynes. came a step closer on December to spread prosperity all the way Track between Claydon 14 when Transport Secretary along the line, making life better Junction and Bletchley has Chris Grayling officially launched for those who live and work here. ‘mothballed’ since the early-1990s, the East West Railway Company “That’s why it’s so important and as part of the rebuilding, at Bletchley Park. to deliver it quickly and cost a new station will be provided at The new company will oversee effectively. That’s what the East Winslow. the reconstruction of a key West Railway Company has been At Bletchley, a new high-level missing link in the country’s rail set up to do.” platform will be constructed, network, the route already being Also present was former BR providing an interchange with dubbed the UK’s own ‘Silicon executive Cyril Bleasdale, who West Coast services.

Valley’. dug the first sod when the East of Bedford towards Speaking at the launch, Mr Bletchley flyover was built in 1962. Cambridge, reconstruction of Grayling said: “East West Rail is With the first part of the the former ‘Varsity Line’ will be the perfect example of how we western section from Oxford the most difficult and costly part can revitalise the railways, grow to Bicester having opened in to reinstate as large sections of the network and unlock jobs and December 2016, work to clear the former line, which closed housing growth. vegetation and prepare phase 2 in 1967, have been dismantled “The line will be key to the from Bicester to Bletchley for new and the land disposed of. The development of this corridor as a double track is underway.

Bedford bypass severs the former world-class centre for innovation, This will connect to the trackbed. technology and high-skilled jobs.” Bletchley to Bedford line, and Long term are plans to extend Rob Brighouse, interim is due to open in 2022, with services into East Anglia.

6 • The Railway Magazine • January 2018

at 49 kph (30mph), and RAIB has called for a dedicated safety body to be created to cover the eight urban tram systems in the UK. Fifteen recommendations were made by the RAIB in its 175-page report, one of which is for an industry-wide consultation on how to improve passenger containment by modifications to doors and windows.

Around 34 passengers were ejected completely or partially through damaged doors and windows.

The RAIB wants to see emergency lighting that cannot be switched off in an emergency; a review of options for rapid evacuation of a tram on its side; better management of and minimisation of driver fatigue; encouragement of a culture where drivers are willing and

able to report safety incidents; and a review and improvement of CCTV equipment maintenance, which would aid accident/ incident investigation.

TOL has to date installed additional speed warning signs, reduced maximum speed on the network from 80kph to 70 (50mph to 43), trialled illuminated overspeed warning signs, installed a cab vigilance/ alert system that focuses on the driver’s eyes, and replaced the CCTV recorders with updated units.

Changes have also been made to the management structure.

Mr Dorris remains on police bail having been arrested after the crash on suspicion of manslaughter.

British Transport Police is preparing a report for the Crown Prosecution Service.

c2c orders six ‘Aventra’ EMUs LONDON and South East commuter operator c2c has ordered six 10-car ‘Aventra’ EMUs from Bombardier.

The trains will be built in Derby. c2c owners Trenitalia, together with Porterbrook Leasing and the DfT, have signed off the deal, worth £100million, that will see the 60 carriages delivered in 2021, three years earlier than previously planned.

The new fleet will add nearly 20% more seats and capacity to c2c’s current fleet – for more than 5,000 more passengers – and meet the expected future local passenger growth across south Essex and east London.

Each set will have more than 900 seats, together with air-conditioning, wi-fi, plug

sockets and three toilets onboard, with the capacity equivalent to a 12-car Class 357 formation.

The delivery programme for new trains has been accelerated by c2c following its acquisition by Italian rail giants Trenitalia earlier this year. The entire new fleet had been scheduled for a phased delivery until 2024, but will now be entirely delivered by the end of 2021.

Last year, c2c introduced 24 new carriages on a short-term contract, and the lease of these will be extended until the arrival of the new fleet. c2c also remains in discussions for leasing additional carriages from December 2019 until the new trains arrive 18 months later.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Abellio revives London Northwestern for new WCML operation

By Ben Jones and Chris Milner

‘ONE Business, Two Brands’ is Abellio’s tagline for its new West Midlands Trains operation, which took over Govia’s London Midland franchise on December 10.

Outer-suburban, long-distance and semi-fast services between London Euston and the West Midlands via Northampton and between Birmingham, Crewe and Liverpool will be operated under the London Northwestern Railway (LNR) brand, reviving memories of the pre-1923 LNWR. Local authority regulated routes around Birmingham will fall under the new West Midlands Railways operation.

December 11 saw LNR’s new corporate image launched at Siemens’ King’s Heath EMU depot in Northampton.

‘Desiro’ EMU No. 350373 was the first train to be rolled out in LNR dark green and silver-grey, complete with green cab ends.

Interestingly, the main silvergrey of the vinyl decoration has a reflective, pearlescent finish. All LNR Class 350s will carry the new colours by May 2019.

A simultaneous launch was held at Birmingham Snow Hill for the West Midlands operation, Class 172 No. 172339 having been vinyled in the purple and

silver livery. The set also has promotional vinyls on the centre car for local tourist attractions.

The Abellio franchise is being headed by former Merseyrail managing director Jan Chaudhry-Van der Velde, and will be investing more than £1billion over the next seven years, with around £700million being spent on more than 400 new EMU and DMU vehicles.

The fleet will increase by around 25% by mid-2021, rising from the current 550 vehicles to 710. This will be made possible by the delivery of 333 Bombardier ‘Aventra’ EMU cars, formed into five-car outersuburban sets for LNR (225 cars) and 36 three-car ‘Metro’ units to replace 26 ex-BR Class 323s on Birmingham’s Cross-City Line.

Boosted

CAF has also been contracted to build 82 DMU cars to supplement the current West Midlands Class 172 fleet.

The latter will be boosted from July by the addition of eight two-car Class 172s (Nos. 172001008) cascaded from London Overground’s Gospel Oak to Barking route.

LNR will also receive 10 four-car Class 350/4 EMUs (Nos. 350401-410) from TransPennine Express in 2019 to

OTHER FRANCHISE COMMITMENTS: ■ Major timetable re-cast to reduce turnaround time at New St ■ Delay repay compensation after 15 minutes ■ Live train loading information ■ Ticket machines at every station ■ Ticket carnets and wider introduction of smartcards ■ 1,050 more car parking spaces ■ 20,000 more seats to Birmingham in the peak ■ Free wi-fi on all mainline services by 2019 ■ Additional and upgraded CCTV network ■ Smartphones for frontline staff ■ 24-hour Twitter and social media info by March 2018.

■ Reduction in passenger assistance to four-hour notice by 2021 ■ £18million for staff and management training ■ Deep clean for all stations ■ Free tickets for long-term unemployed/higher graduates going to interviews ■ Diversity improvements, by employing more from under represented groups

Above: Wearing the new West Midlands Railways livery, ‘Turbostar’ No. 172339 sits in the sun at Birmingham Moor St, returning to Tyseley depot on December 11. BOB SWEET Right: Unit No. 350373 in its new LNR guise at Siemens King’s Heath depot, Northampton. BEN JONES

boost capacity prior to the arrival of the new ‘Aventras’ in 2020/21.

However, once the new Bombardier five-car sets are in traffic, LNR will dispense with the 36 Class 350/2s (Nos. 350231267), dating from 2008/09, and with their 3+2 seating for outer-suburban routes.

Ten-car ‘Aventras’ – with a mix of 3+2 and 2+2 seating – will provide more seats than the Class 350s they replace. It is not yet clear where the ‘350/2s’ will work after 2021 – that is a decision for the leasing company.

The Bombardier EMUs will be based at a new depot, which will be built at Duddeston, Birmingham, as part of a £70m investment in depot facilities by the new franchisee, while the CAF DMUs will be maintained across the city at Tyseley depot,

First Look: Production underway on TPE Class 802s HITACHI’S plant in Japan has started work on the first two Class 802/2 bi-mode trains for TransPennine Express.

The two trains – Nos. 802201 and 802202 – will arrive in the UK later this year and are expected to start main line testing in the summer.

The remainder of TPE’s fleet will be assembled at Hitachi Rail Europe’s Newton Aycliffe plant in County Durham during 2018/19.

The 19 five-car sets are due to enter service in December 2019, and will work TPE routes from Manchester and Liverpool to the north-east of England and Scotland, replacing Siemens Class 185 DMUs and Class 350/4 EMUs. They will be maintained by Hitachi Rail Europe at its £80million depot in Doncaster, with day-today maintenance also taking place in Liverpool, Newcastle and at Craigentinny in Edinburgh.

Along with the ‘Civity’ EMUs and Mk5a locomotive-hauled sets being supplied by CAF in Spain, the ‘802/2s’ will add an extra 13 million seats every year on TPE routes. PICTURE: HITACHI

home to the Class 150/170/172s.

Abellio is a subsidiary of Siemens will continue to state-owned Netherlands maintain the award-winning Railways, and is now the second Class 350s for LNR at King’s largest operator of British trains Heath. by mileage travelled (after Other investments by Abellio Deutsche Bahn-owned Arriva). and its Japanese partners JR East It is investing more than and Mitsui, include £60million £3billion in new trains across on refurbished stations, its UK franchises over the next with major improvements four years. at Worcester Shrub Hill, Dominic Booth, managing Birmingham Snow Hill and director of Abellio UK, said: Watford Junction; £13milion “We’ve big plans with this on training and recruiting £1billion investment, and while around 900 apprentices; new it only covers the next eight smart ticketing; and retail years, we will build a legacy for improvements. years to come.”

Riley & Son to continue operation of Flying Scotsman HEYWOODBASED Riley & Son (E) Ltd – owned and operated

by Ian Riley – has been selected by the National Railway Museum (NRM) as the preferred custodian to operate and maintain its celebrity Gresley ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman.

Mr Riley has been operating the ‘A3’ on behalf of the NRM since his company completed its £4.5million overhaul in January 2016, but the contract was due to expire at the end of 2017.

In August the NRM’s parent body, the Science Museum Group, opened invitations to

tender for the custodianship of the Pacific, which had been due to close on September 13.

This date was later extended to September 27.

A statement from the NRM said: “We are currently negotiating the final contract and more information will be released once the process has concluded.

“All parties that submitted a response to the tender have been informed of the result.

“Further details of Flying Scotsman’s operating schedule for 2018 will be announced in the new year.”

January 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 7

HeadlineNews Rail Express Kenilworth station opening promotes Class 50 delayed - for the third time charity tour FOLLOWING the success of a THREE opening dates have been double-headed Class 50 tour set and three opening dates have last October promoted by The passed by for the new station at RM, our sister title Rail Express will Kenilworth, Warwickshire. be promoting another outing for When first approved, the the Class 50s that continue the opening was planned for celebrations to mark 50 years of December 2016, but after various the English Electric-built loco. delays, meaning construction Teaming up with Pathfinder didn’t begin until July 2016, the Tours, Riviera Trains, GB Railfreight opening date slid back to August and the Class 50 Alliance, the 2017.

Rail Express-promoted 'Cumbrian When it became evident that Hoovers' charter will start at date could not be met, opening Birmingham International and was put back to December 2017 run to Carlisle on April 14 over the to coincide with the start of the famed Settle & Carlisle line. The winter timetable. However, in outbound train will be via Wigan, early December, came the news Blackburn and Hellifield. the third date would be missed, The return will see the very with February 18 pencilled in as rare spectacle of Class 50s on the the new opening date.

Cumbrian Coast Line before reThe station is being delivered joining the West Coast Main Line

by Warwickshire County Council, back to Birmingham. whose joint managing director While Class 50s worked diverted Monica Fogarty has pointed the Anglo-Scottish expresses over finger of blame at the Department the S&C, the use of Class 50s on for Transport. the coast line north of Barrow-inShe said: “The department is Furness is scarce, and is a route unable to supply the train and never regularly used in BR days. drivers in order to meet the The trip is shaping up to be December opening date, and this one of the most sought-after is beyond disappointing for the charity railtours of 2018, and like people of Kenilworth.” the October 14 tour last year, the In an interview on BBC two locos expected to haul the Coventry & Warwickshire radio on 13-coach train are Nos. 50007 December 5 Ms Fogarty insisted Hercules and 50049 Defiance. the station “was complete, looks The train will depart Birmingham amazing and that the facts speak International around 06.00 and pick up at Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.

It will then travel via Blackburn to a planned photo stop at Hellifield, before tackling the famous gradients of the S&C, and A PAIR of Class 55 ‘Deltic’ arriving in Carlisle just after midday. locomotives – Nos. 55022 Royal After a break of a couple of hours Scots Grey and D9016 Gordon to service the stock, the ‘50s’ will Highlander, which were put up head south along the Cumbrian for sale by businessman owner Coast, with planned photo stops at Martin Walker – are assured a Workington and Barrow. The tour new lease of life having been will set down as outward to arrive bought by a company called back at Birmingham International Locomotive Diesels Ltd, whose before 23.00. director is multi-millionaire Fares for this special train are: Jeremy Hosking.

Standard Class: £105, child £55 Mr Hosking (who is named First Class Plus: £169, child £129 in the Sunday Times rich Premier Dining: £259, child £219 list) already owns, through a Table for two seats in First Plus and number of companies and Premier carry a £30 per person trusts, more than a dozen supplement. steam locomotives from the Seats for the tour went on sale ‘Big Four’. Several of them on December 18 and demand is are prestigious, including ‘A4’ expected to be extremely high No. 60019 Bittern, LMS 4-6-0 with 150 selling in the first five No. 46100 Royal Scot, No. 70000 hours.

Britannia, ‘King’ No. 6023 King Proceeds will be donated to The Edward I and ‘A2’ No. 60532 Blue Railway Children charity.

Peter, as well as ‘Peak’ No. D100 Bookings are on a first-come, Sherwood Forrester. first-served basis and are being He is also a shareholder of handled by Pathfinder Tours on Crystal Palace football club and 01453 835414 or 834477. holds a one-third stake in the To book online, go to: https:// Dartmouth Steam Railway plc. tinyurl.com/ybkmb2s9 and select In a statement, former owner ‘The Cumbrian Hoovers’ from Mr Walker, said: “As many are the drop down list of tours, and aware, the last few years have select your requirements. Postal not been easy for myself and bookings should be sent to small team, both maintaining Pathfinder Tours, Stag House, No. 55 022 and restoring D9016.

Gydynap Lane, Inchbrook, “Since leaving the East Woodchester, Glos, GL5 5EZ, and Lancashire Railway I’ve not are subject to availability.

for themselves”. She added: “That said, two more months, having waited 53 years, is not long.”

However, the DfT refused to accept any of the blame, saying: “The station was originally supposed to open many months ago, and the council and its contractors again appear to have failed to meet a revised delivery date to get the station ready for service.

“As the sponsor, it is the council’s responsibility to obtain industry agreement from Network Rail, the train operator and the ORR to enable the service to start operation – which it has been unable to achieve. The department remains committed to assisting it and industry parties to deliver this project.”

Separate to the row between the council and DfT erupting, agreements with train operators had not been completed, no timetable has been agreed or published, even though it will be an hourly service in each direction, and no dates had been set for safety inspections and sign-offs.

When the radio interview was broadcast, many aspects of the project were visibly incomplete and the station some weeks from being completed.

Services will be provided by

Two ‘Deltics’ bought

by Jeremy Hosking

8 • The Railway Magazine • January 2018

being in a position to make the most of many kind offers of assistance made.

“I said that I would love to hear from anyone with the necessary resources and passion who may be interested in taking over, and what I believe is a fantastic opportunity for the best interests of both locos has arisen.

“This will involve myself and a very experienced support crew continuing to be involved in all aspects of maintenance, operation and restoration, working with a highly skilled engineering team with access to facilities that are second to none.

“The sale price includes all spare parts, components and consumables.”

Both locos have moved to Crewe and are under the ownership of Locomotive Diesels Ltd, a division of Locomotive Services Ltd. The locos will be returned to full operation as soon as possible and the royalscotsgrey. com website and 55 022 Facebook pages will remain unchanged. Future news should still be available via these and other avenues.

Kenilworth station car park on December 6, showing its incomplete state. FRASER PITHIE

West Midlands Trains when the station opens, and it is hoped CrossCountry can be persuaded to have some services call there.

Since being approved, the cost of the station has risen from £11.3 to £13.6million in two years. However, even though the station has two platforms connected by lifts and a new footbridge, these

will be redundant until the installation of additional track between Milverton Junction and Kenilworth South Junction for the second platform.

According to Network Rail this work is scheduled to take place in Control Peroid 6, running between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2024.

■ See Comment on p3.

Thameslink recast forces MML timetable changes LONGDISTANCE trains on the some EMT schedules, although this Midland Main Line will be re-timed has not been confirmed officially. and stopping patterns altered Jake Kelly, managing director of to accommodate the new East Midlands Trains, explained: high-frequency Thameslink “In order for this to be successfully timetable from May 2018. introduced by the Department With up to seven Thameslink for Transport and GTR, we have trains south of Bedford every had to make some changes to hour, capacity for East Midlands our timetable to allow additional Trains (EMT) inter-city services GTR services to run on the lines we will be restricted, with the current share into London. stops at Bedford and Luton being “We’ve carried out an extensive eliminated during weekday peak review of our timetable and hours. have managed to largely protect This will release some capacity journey times from the north and for long-distance passengers to/ East Midlands to London, and will from the East Midlands and South be able to run faster trains on a Yorkshire at busy times, but will number of services. break long-standing connections He continued: “As well as from stations such as Leicester investment in extra staff, we’ve and Wellingborough to Bedford also got three additional HST trains and Luton. coming into our fleet (from Grand A bus connection will be Central) to help provide extra provided from Wellingborough to resilience for the new timetable.” ensure southbound passengers The Government-sponsored can reach Bedford after May 2018. £7billion Thameslink programme EMT says inter-city journey times is one of the biggest timetable will be affected by the changes, recasts in recent railway history, adding an average of one minute providing new cross-London to southbound trains, but saving connections, longer trains and an average of 90 seconds heading thousands of extra peak-time seats. north.

Detailed planning has been Full details of the new timetable taking place over several months will be published in February, but across the rail industry to ensure the MML operator acknowledges the new timetable can be some trains will take longer, while successfully introduced without others will be less affected. reducing reliability and punctuality Industry sources have suggested on routes shared with other up to 12 minutes may be added to operators.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

Tyseley launches £3million share offer for new TOC

By Gary Boyd-Hope

Double-headed ‘Castles’ anyone?

Nos. 7029 Clun Castle and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe stand together on the Tyseley turntable on October 28 last year following the launch of the former. The experience of travelling behind them double-heading will be the exclusive preserve of the first 2,000 shareholders in the new Vintage Trains CBS until 2021. GARY BOYDHOPE

FROM the momentTyseley unveiled its newly overhauled flagship locomotive No. 7029 Clun Castle at the end of October, fans of the Collett 4-6-0 began to ask when the famous BR(W) ‘Castle’will double-head with sister No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on the main line.

The answer could be regarded as bitter-sweet, as the two‘Castles’ will take to the main line together very soon, but the general public will not get the opportunity to travel behind them until at least 2021.

Why? BecauseTyseley is exclusively saving that privilege for founding shareholders of the all-new VintageTrains Community Benefit Society (CBS), the only publicly owned main line railway company in Great Britain operating steamhauled express trains.

Three million £1 shares in the new CBS went on sale on December 6 in whatTyseley believes is the first new British public main line railway company share issue offered in more than 100 years, probably since the formation of the Great Central Railway in 1897.

Publicly-owned TOC

The aim of the share offer is simple: to provide the funding required that will enableTyseley to set itself up as a wholly independent, British, publiclyownedTrain Operating Company (TOC), the application for which has already been submitted to the Office of Road and Rail (ORR).

In order to achieve this, the CBS has a six-month window to raise a minimum of £800,000 before the offer closes on May 31. Shares are available at a minimum subscription of £500, or a maximum of £100,000.

Amounts must be bought in blocks of 500 shares.

BeforeVintageTrains (VT), which is a subsidiary of the CBS, can begin operation of its own trains without the need of a third-party TOC, it must satisfy the ORR it has the necessary resources, staff and capital.The £800,000 will therefore provide that required cash flow to support VT during its initial solo-operating period until the company can generates its own trading income.

The £800,000 is the absolute minimum required to achieve the first stage of theTyseleyTOC dream. Without it, the project cannot proceed.

“If don’t we get it we’ve had it.

Show’s over,” the CBS’chairman Michael Whitehouse told The RM.“However, the real target is £3million, with the additional income supporting our capital expenditure projects.

“Subscribing via this offer will allow us to create a train operating company and to maintain our fleet of locomotives and coaches to national railway standards.”

The additional £2.2m will be poured into upgradingVintage Trains’rolling stock fleet and providing improved facilities

atTyseley for its continued maintenance. Plans include the creation of a new kitchen car and an on-train cafe/bar, provision of increased disabled facilities, development of training schemes and apprenticeships, the upgrade of safety systems and on-train ambience, and the creation of carriage facilities atTyseley, including a training, education and heritage centre.

The CBS would also look at adopting some of the stations on the route of the‘Shakespeare Express’, betweenTyseley and Stratford-upon-Avon, for the benefit of the local communities.

The society may consider extending the closing date of the share offer by six months if it feels that it can achieve the £3million target within that time.

The CBS will be the parent body ofVintageTrains Limited, but the charity will remain a subsidiary of VintageTrains CharitableTrust.

Double-headed‘Castles’

“The neat part of this offer is that the money the public invests will allow us to expand.The increased profits generated will all be ploughed back into the business,”

said Mr Whitehouse.

“Those who subscribe can expect to receive interest on their shares from year six and we will provide a fund for them to withdraw their money over time.This is additional to the benefits received as a shareholder.”

These‘extras’include exclusive membership to the Founders Club for the first 2,000 subscribers, who in turn will have the opportunity to travel on five shareholder-only railtours behind Nos. 7029 and 5043 over appropriate Great Western metals.

Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis, and are limited to 560 Premier Dining seats, 300 in Club Class and 1,250 Standard Class seats. For example, for a £2,000 subscription, shareholders can have their choice of one Pullman Dining seat, two Club Class seats or four Standard Class seats. Shareholders will automatically be entered into a prize draw for a footplate trip on one of the‘Castles’for part of a double-headed railtour.

Other benefits include lifelong complementary access toTyseley open days, a say in the governance of the CBS, the opportunity to

stand for election to the board, and the chance to earn interest on shares.

Subject to the £800,000 minimum being achieved, the CBS hopes the ORR will award the licence to operate as aTOC by this April, with the first independently operated trains being the ‘Shakespeare Express’service in July.

VT envisages running 33 charter trains during 2018, with 58 in 2019, which will be roughly equivalent with current levels, and increasing to 82 trains in 2020.

The stock renovation plan will begin immediately, with planned completion by February 2020.

“With this public share offer we are inviting people to own part of the magic of express steam train travel,” added Mr Whitehouse.

“We shall sustain local employment, encourage international tourism, and encourage people to visit great British institutions by actually travelling in one, and by so doing stimulate the local economy to everyone’s benefit. It is a bold proposal to offer the public a share in preserving express steam trains for all to enjoy, rather than imprisoning them in museums.”

The cover of the Vintage Trains CBS share prospectus illustrates the Tyseley dream – a British main line railway company operating steamhauled express passengers trains.

More information and details at: www.VintageTrains.co.uk/shares

A full share prospectus and share application form can be found online at www.VintageTrains. co.uk/Shares.

If the ORR elects not to grant the TOC license for any reason, all funds will be returned, minus any operating expenditure that had been incurred to that date.

January 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 9

HeadlineNews SIDELINES Bethnal Green memorial unveiled A MEMORIAL to the 173 victims who died in a crush at the bottom of a set of station steps at Bethnal Green tube entrance on March 3, 1943 has been unveiled near the site of the tragedy.

The station was being used as an air raid shelter, but the incident happened during a test of the air raid sirens.

News of the disaster, the largest loss of civilian life in a single incident on the London Underground network, was covered up for many years after the end of the war.

Groupe Eurotunnel rebrands as GetLink CHANNEL Tunnel operator Groupe Eurotunnel is to rebrand as Getlink.

The company says the new name will better reflect the businesses it owns beyond the tunnel.

The change will be at group level, with the brand Eurotunnel remaining.

Railway Performance Society passes new milepost THE Railway Performance Society – Britain’s leading authority on train and railway performance – has just passed a major milepost in its history, with the addition of the 500,000th entry into its database of train performance.

The actual record entry was provided by one of the first runs of the new Class 800 IETs, which are set to transform travel on the East Coast and Great Western main lines.

The society is keen to recruit new members with an interest in train timing.

Information and details at: www.railperf.org.uk

Euston used for festive homeless event NETWORK Rail allowed the concourse of London Euston station to be used on December 25 by homeless charities Streets Kitchen and St Mungo’s to provide 200 Christmas dinners for some of the capital’s homeless people.

Doncaster P2 convention date confirmed THE Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust – the charity which is dedicated to building streamlined ‘P2’ No. 2001 Cock O’ The North – has confirmed its next convention will be held at Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery on February 10.

There will be five guest speakers, who will be talking about Doncaster Council’s plans for a new railway heritage centre.

More information at: www.cockothenorth.co.uk

Landslips hit Far North line SERVICES on the Far North line beyond Lairg faced problems at the end of November after the line was hit by four landslides in three days following several days of torrential rain.

GB Railfreight buys DB Cargo Class 66s GB RAILFREIGHT has confirmed it has bought 10 Class 66 locos from rival operator DB Cargo.

It was back in August that the German-owned company said eight stored and two active members of its fleet were to be sold, some having serious engine defects, including cracked blocks.

DB has suffered more than other freight companies in the downturn following the collapse of coal movements, because of increased carbon tax, and in the past has sold Class 60s to Colas Rail.

Expansion plans

The value of the deal is undisclosed, but GBRf has expansion plans, and the company was recently advertising for six drivers on a salary of more than £55,000 a year.

The locos GBRf has bought are Nos. 66008, 66016, 66046, 66058,

Back in traffic: One of the 10 locos bought by GB Railfreight is No. 66141, seen passing Chellaston, near Castle Donington, on December 14 with 6E02, the 11.03 Bescot Down Side-Boston Docks empty steel carriers, a working previously operated by Colas. PAUL A BIGGS

66081, 66132, 66141, 66184, 66238 and 66250 – the last of the class delivered to former owner EWS. No. 66141 had been stored

since April 2014, but has been reinstated to traffic.

GB says it will number the locos from 66780 to 66791, and in time,

all will get GB branding.

The latest purchase comes on top of three Class 47s bought from Colas Rail – see p97.

Barry Links is now officially Britain's ‘least-used’ station BRITAIN’S least used railway Shippea Hill numbers rose station is Barry Links, between from 12 to 156, partly because Dundee and Carnoustie, which of publicity from Great British takes over the mantle from Bake Off finalist Ian Cumming Shippea Hill, in Cambridgeshire. offering mince pies to people The news was contained in the who disembarked at the station round up of passenger station on Christmas Eve 2016. useage from the Office or Rail The station has also been and Road for 2016/7. promoted by Geoff Marshall Barry Links is an unstaffed and Vicki Pipe, the couple who station, which is served by visited every UK railway station just two ScotRail trains each – all 2,563 of them – in the day, and recorded only 24 summer of 2017. passengers.

Also in the top 10 least used Local councillor Brian Boyd stations were Teesside Airport said the station was used more (30), Breich (48), British Steel than the figures suggested, as Redcar (50), Kildonan (76), many people buy Carnoustie Reddish South (94), Golf St (104), tickets but get off at Barry Links. Havenhouse (106), Buckenham He said he expected the (122), and Stanlow & Thornton station would get more use in (128).

2018 when Carnoustie hosts At the other end of the golf’s Open Championship. scale, the ORR has reported

Barry Links station on the Fife Coast, which was used by just 24 passengers in 2016/7, making it the least used station on the network. DENNIS LOVETT

the 10 busiest stations were all London stations except one: Waterloo (99,403,096), Victoria (75,889,396), Liverpool Street (67,339,218), London Bridge (47,874,250), Euston

Berlin to Munich in under four hours as Angela Merkel opens new high-speed line opened in phases: in 2006 between Nuremberg and GERMAN Chancellor Angela Ingolstadt; 2015 between Leipzig/ Merkel officially opened the new Halle and Erfurt; and finally, 2017 high-speed line between Erfurt saw the section completed from and Ebensfeld, in Bavaria (just Bavaria through the hills of the north of Bamberg), on December 8. Thuringen Forest. This 107km Passenger services started two section has 41km of tunnels and days later with the fastest ICE trains 12.3km of bridges and viaducts. taking just 3 hours 55 minutes The Erfurt to Ebensfeld section to cover the 623km (387 miles) has cost around €10billion, with between Munich and Berlin, with work stopping for several years stops in Nuremberg and Erfurt. in the late-1990s because of a The project to build a high-speed shortage of funds. railway between Berlin and Between Berlin and Leipzig Munich started just after German the line was rebuilt for 220km/h reunification in 1990.

(136mph) operation in 2006.

Three separate 300km/h Work to rebuild the Nuremberg (186mph) high-speed lines to Ebensfeld section has been

By Keith Fender

10 • The Railway Magazine • January 2018

delayed by planning disputes, but most work is now underway.

Services are being operated using the Deutsche Bahn ICE fleet, which has been fitted with ETCS to operate on the new line.

At the southern end of the new line a new regional service connects Sonneberg and Nuremberg, using the new line from Coburg to Ebensfeld with leased ETCS-equipped Siemens ‘Vectron’ locos in top-and-tail mode.

The new line and the Erfurt to Leipzig line are designed for freight use, with passing loops provided to allow ICEs to overtake freight – however, so far no freight has used the lines.

(44,059,402), Birmingham New St (42,366,776), Stratford (42,251,292), Paddington (35,835,970), King’s Cross (33,816,396), and St Pancras (33,492,476).

Fatalities after Belgian runaway train TWO Belgian rail workers died and two more were injured when Belgian AM96 EMU No. 449 broke away during recovery operations after a collision with a car on a level crossing at Morlanwelz on November 27.

No. 449 had been damaged by fire after the collision and became detached from No. 442, running away unchecked for 14km (8.7 miles) through three stations and over five level crossings, hitting four Infrabel staff, before colliding with another train at StrépyBracquegnies.

A further five people were injured in this collision.

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk

E&G electric services meet December target

ScotRail Class 380 No. 380114 leads 380004 past Park Farm, east of Linlithgow on December 10 with the 11.00 from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley, the first day of electric operation. IAN LOTHIAN

SCOTRAIL started running electric trains between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street on December 10, although diesel units will continue to operate well into 2018.

ScotRail introduced two sevencar sets of Siemens Class 380 EMUs from its fleet following the completion, approval and testing

of the delayed electrification project over the last few weeks.

The full electric service is expected to start in the spring, once sufficient Class 385 EMUs are available from Hitachi Rail Europe.

In the meantime, six-car Class 170 DMUs will continue to run alongside the electric trains.

ScotRail Alliance managing

director Alex Hynes described it as“another key stage”in the plan to build the best railway Scotland has had.

He added:“The running of these electric trains from our existing fleet is an important milestone ahead of the arrival of the brand-new Hitachi trains.

“Being able to run some services

with seven carriages will mean more seats, and we will also deliver some faster journey times.”

HumzaYousaf, Scottish Government Minister forTransport and the Islands, said:“The introduction of electric services is a key milestone in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme.

“I’d like to offer my personal thanks to all the many people who have worked on this significant electrification project as their efforts come to fruition.”

A dedicated webpage has been set up at scotrail.co.uk/ newtimetable, with further information on the revised timetable.

Shock as HLF withdraws £9m for Great Central museum Three die THE Great Central Railway’s management has been left stunned after the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) board of trustees informed them on December 13 it will no longer be supporting the project for a new railway museum at Leicester North.

The HLF earmarked more than £9.5million for the museum project in 2015, which was to be a joint partnership between the GCR, Leicester City Council and the National Railway Museum.

The funding was to be subject to a Stage Two submission, which was being prepared.

The HLF has cited concerns over the progress of the development of the project and perceived delivery risks, including extended

timescales, future operational costs and management arrangements, plus the potential for costs to increase further as the primary reasons for its funding U-turn.

“We were genuinely astonished to hear the news about the HLF’s decision and I have to question their rationale,” said GCR managing director Michael Gough.

“Since joining the GCR in July of this year, I have been highly impressed by the support the project had from the city mayor and his team, and I was confident the strength of our combined proposal would be a winning solution.

“Our proposal to HLF Nottingham consisted of, as

requested by them in October 2017, a comprehensive strategy and action plan from the city council, and a detailed business plan from the railway. Taken together this provided an approach that had almost zero risk. We will now explore a number of alternative plans.”

Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby added:“We are obviously very disappointed, but this is not the end of the project.

“We remain committed to it, and the challenge now is for us to find a Plan B and an alternative source of finance.”

Sir Peter also claimed every time the GCR had answered HLF questions they had invented new concerns.

The museum was due to open in 2021 and it was estimated 230,000 visitors every year would visit.

Sir Peter concluded:“The final insult delivered by the HLF in their letter is to say the Great Central Railway is so successful it did not need the museum to secure its future.”

■ The HLF’s decision could throw a question mark over the future of several railway exhibits that were previously on show at the now-closed Snibston Discovery Museum in Coalville.

They include the unique 1903-built Brush 0-4-0ST No. 6 for Powlesland & Mason (later GWR No. 921), which remains in store. It was destined for the new GCR museum.

Rail Camera Club gets exhibtion exposure at Locomotion Shildon THE Rail Camera Club (RCC) is holding an exhibition at Locomotion Shildon from January 20 to March 4.

The Rail Cameramen exhibition features images from 36 RCC members. It has material from past members, including W JV‘Bill’ Anderson and EricTreacy.

Some original EricTreacy prints will be displayed, in addition to his cameras, plus some early images from the NRM/Science Museum Archive and the Paul Getty Collection.

A number of associated events are being arranged by Locomotion

to run concurrently with the photographic display.

The first of these will be on January 20 (5.30pm) – an open meeting – when Brian Stephenson will give an illustrated talk about the early railway photographers, using material from his extensive archive.The event will be held at Redworth Hall Hotel.

Exhibition sponsors include The RM, Hitachi Rail Europe and the Bahamas Locomotive Society.

RCC had its origins in the prestigious Railway Photographic Society, and was formed by MauriceW Earley in 1922.

Sunlight, smoke and shadows inside Croes Newydd loco shed.This is one of the Rail Camera Club’s superb images that will be on display at Locomotion Shildon between January 20 and March 4. JOHN HILLIER

in Amtrak derailment

THE inaugural run of a new Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland that derailed near the town of Olympia (Washington state) killed three people and injured more than 80.

Some of the train’s carriages came off a bridge spanning the main west coast motorway (Interstate 5) and landed on the road below. The fatalities were on board the train.

The train, formed of 14 ‘Talgo 6’coaches, was operated in top-and-tail mode with new Siemens‘Charger’loco No. 1402 leading and Amtrak GE P42DC No. 181 on the rear.

The‘Charger’finished on the interstate and was badly damaged.

The train was the first service to use a newly refurbished inland route – the Point Defiance Bypass – between Tacoma and Olympia, which has been rebuilt for passenger use at a cost of $181million.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators at the scene have confirmed the train was travelling at 80mph over a 30mph curve where the line crosses the Interstate, and that Positive Train Control – installed as part of the line’s refurbishment - had yet to be commissioned.

January 2018 • The Railway Magazine • 11

HeadlineNews East Coast bailout row overshadows minister Grayling’s ‘new vision for rail’

By Ben Jones

SECRETARY of State for Transport Chris Grayling has unveiled his vision for the evolution of passenger rail franchising in the UK. A new ‘partnership’ model, bringing together franchise holders and Network Rail management teams on a more formal basis, will be introduced, with the next Southeastern and East Midlands franchises expected to be the first to move to the new model.

Other proposals include smaller franchises designed to offer more local control of routes, including a possible split of the Great Western franchise to create a new Devon and Cornwall operator, and the possible reopening of long-closed lines to create extra capacity and open up new areas for housing and economic development (see separate stories).

However, the announcement also contained the controversial news that the Department for Transport (DfT) will end the struggling Stagecoach/Virgin East Coast franchise early and replace it

with a new ‘East Coast Partnership’ alliance.

The franchise was originally planned to run until 2023 and pay more than £3billion in premiums back to the Government over eight years, but it now seems likely taxpayers will miss out on at least £1.5billion of the premiums promised by Stagecoach and Virgin in 2015.

It has become clear in recent months Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) is not meeting its ambitious targets for growth in passenger numbers and revenue.

Planned infrastructure improvements on the ECML, allowing VTEC to run more trains from 2020, are also in doubt, jeopardising the operator’s ability to meet its commitments.

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With premium payments set to increase significantly in the last four years of the franchise (rising from £325.7million in 2020 to £594million in 2023), DfT is keen to avoid a repeat of previous failed East Coast franchises, which saw both GNER and National Express default on their contracts.

VTEC majority shareholder not be disadvantaged by the other franchise holders could Stagecoach Group is now new arrangement. Mr Grayling seek a similar solution if they were renegotiating its contract with the said the changes would “end the struggling to meet their targets.

DfT to ensure a smooth transition operational divide between track Shadow Transport Secretary to the new arrangement, and is and train” by allowing local private Andy McDonald said a Labour keen to retain the operation after partners more control over track as government would ban 2020. However, the company has well as stock and services.”

Stagecoach from running said it will honour other financial passenger rail services in the UK, commitments, including forfeiting Criticism adding: “The idea Stagecoach its £165million guarantee lodged Network Rail will work closely may again bid for rail contracts with the DfT. with the primary operator under following the company’s failure on From 2020, a single an ‘alliance manager’ in an attempt the East Coast line shows the rail management team with one to bring those responsible for franchising system is truly broken leader – a collaboration between track and train closer together and beyond repair.”

Network Rail and the new improve performance.

Paul Plummer, chief executive Inter-City East Coast operator – will The new partnerships will be of the Rail Delivery Group replace VTEC under a new brand. supported by regional brands, and (RDG), called the announcement DfT says the new alliance will will allow TOCs more influence a “sensible evolution of the allow Network Rail and the private over infrastructure projects on partnership railway”. He added: sector operator to combine their routes, and possibly create “For rail to secure prosperity for their expertise when planning smaller, more locally focused train Britain in the years ahead, it must infrastructure management and companies. change and improve. improvements.

However, the move drew fierce “Developing different types of The recently formed Route criticism from pro-nationalisation alliances between those running Supervisory Board will ensure politicians and trades unions. trains and those responsible other ECML operators, which Former Labour Transport Secretary for the tracks and signalling will include open access companies Lord Adonis, now chairman allow us to run more services and Grand Central and Hull Trains, plus of the National Infrastructure operate them more punctually.

Arriva Northern, TransPennine Commission, tweeted that the “Introducing greater competition Express, Great Northern, ‘strategic vision for rail’ was really by creating smaller franchises CrossCountry, ScotRail, East “a disguise for bailing out the will ensure customers and the Midlands Trains, and all four major failing Stagecoach/Virgin East communities we serve are even freight operating companies, will Coast franchise” and predicted more the focus of what we do.”

VIRGIN ‘AZUMA’ DEBUT ON HIGHLAND MAIN LINE: Testing of Hitachi Class 800 IET trains ahead of their introduction on Virgin East Coast services from December 2018 took a step further when a nine-car set made its way up the Highland Main Line to Inverness. Set No. 800101 worked from Doncaster to Inverness and back on December 15, and is seen approaching Bardrill Road, between Blackford and Gleneagles. The sets are expected to take over the ‘Highland Chieftain’ workings in 2019. BOB AVERY

12 • The Railway Magazine • January 2018