Rail Express June 2018

WHEN SATURDAY CAME… The glory days of Blackpool’s loco-hauled holiday trains

LONDON UNDERGROUND

PHOTOGRAPHY What are the new rules for enthusiasts?

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

‘HOOVERS’ CONQUER

CUMBRIA

Our tour storms the North West!

RAIL EXPRESS No. 265 JUNE 2018

■ BR ‘50s’ 50s at Workington?

We have proof they DID work there

MODELLING SECTION

AC/DC ON TOUR What’s going on in this shot?

■ YELLOW DVTs

How to model the NR vehicles

■ BEILHACK FOCUS

Full history of the snowploughs

■ EXHIBITION DIARY There's a busy month in store

CONTENTS

Issue No. 265 June 2018

AGES OF THE TRAIN: The National Railway Museum in York staged a line-up in its Great Hall on April 26 featuring the Rocket replica (original built 1829), celebrity steam

loco No. 60103 Flying Scotsman (built 1923) and DRS dual-mode No. 88002 Prometheus (built 2016). The event launched the £50 million redevelopment plan for the museum that will see the Great Hall showcase the past, present and future of rail travel – although funding for the project is yet to be secured. Paul Bickerdyke

FEATURES

NEWS

12

6

FYLDE ELECTRIFICATION

Blackpool North reopens after five-month electrification and upgrade programme.

13

WHEN SATURDAY CAME…

20

‘HOOVERS’ CONQUER CUMBRIA

The glory days of holiday trains to Blackpool.

Our April tour that took two ‘50s’ to Carlisle.

24

‘50s’ AT WORKINGTON

27

A MOMENT IN TIME

REGULARS 18

LU WORLD

71

RAILTOURS

73

PRESERVATION

80

POWER BY THE HOUR

SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS

How to save money on Rail Express every month.

28

TIME TRAVELLER

29

EXPRESS MAILBAG

Headlines from 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.

Class 40 crash eyewitness; Damaged ICI hopper; Longport before EMD; Container ‘caboose’.

MODELLING

We have a modeller’s guide to Network Rail DVTs, plus a focus on Beilhack snowploughs following the release of Hattons’ 4mm model. We also complete our look at modelling Mk.2 coaches, while there’s news of regional ‘37s’ from Bachmann and more GWR-liveried models from Hornby.

Government management of rail franchises ‘completely inadequate’; New Moorgate EMUs on test; New TPE trains on the way; Hydrogen fuel technology could help eliminate diesel; More franchise applicants approved as First Group faces break-up; ‘Grid’ rebuild on the cards; ‘D-Train’ main line tests; GWR confirms Class 769 ‘tri-mode’ order.

30

The proof that they worked there in BR days.

Why an AC loco was on the DC Woodhead route.

HEADLINE NEWS

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What are the new rules for taking photos on London Underground stations?

‘Hidden’ Class 70 trip; ‘Dub and Grub’ ‘50’ tour.

LSL begins ‘Deltic’ repairs; Appeal to repatriate ‘04’; RMS sells ‘Goyle’ to preservation; Class 210 survivor to become café; The magnificent six line up at the East Lancs Class 40 gala.

GBRf removes ‘73s’ from traffic; Debut for Caledonian ‘47’; Alstom maintains Class 92s.

82

POWERSCENE

90

UNITS

93

SHUNTERS

94

COACHES

95

WAGONS

96

IRISH ANGLE

Key workings, Name Game and Spectrum.

Class 365 move to Scotland for evaluation.

Hitachi turns to the past.

Swanage rake returns to main line.

High-speed prototype joins National Collection.

Preserved NIR ‘Thumpers’ get retro livery.

What a sight and sound ‘Hoovers’ Nos. 50007+50049 made on April 14 when they hauled the Rail Express sponsored tour over the Settle & Carlisle Line and then round the Cumbrian Coast, where they are pictured passing Kirkby-in-Furness in the late afternoon. There’s a full review of the trip on pages 20-26.

Steve Sienkiewicz

Editor’s Comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION

Newstrade & distribution Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001 Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Friday of every month This issue May 18, 2018 Next issue June 15, 2018 Advertising deadline May 31, 2018 ISSN No 1362 234X

Paul Bickerdyke Rail Express Editor

© Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

What a day!

I

HAVE to start this month by thanking Pathfinder Tours, the Class 50 Alliance, Riviera Trains and GB Railfreight for a fantastic day on April 14 that saw many Rail Express readers join our ‘Cumbrian Hoovers’ tour from Birmingham to Carlisle. Locos Nos. 50049+50007 ran faultlessly throughout, perfectly matched with Riviera’s blue/grey stock, and the only hiccup was a delay watering the stock that was outside any of the organisers’ control.

The outward journey via the Settle & Carlisle line provided its own brand of grey weather for much of the journey. However, the highlight was the return via the Cumbrian Coast route, a line rarely visited by ‘50s’ and therefore a haulage-first for many onboard – myself included. Not only that, but the sun came out too, and once back on the West Coast Main Line we were treated to sections of near 100mph running.

There’s a full account of the day starting on page 20, plus a bonus feature showing that – contrary to popular opinion – Class 50s did work along the coastal route in BR days, and we now have the photographs to prove it.

All profits from the day will go The Railway Children charity. The final sum was still being calculated as this issue went to press and we will announce the total in due course, but it is shaping up to be a substantial sum all thanks to the generosity of those who took part.

BLACKPOOL NOW AND THEN Speaking of classic traction, we have taken the opportunity of the newly-electrified line to Blackpool reopening (page 12) as an excuse for a look back to its diesel past in the latest of our ‘When Saturday Came’ series – when summer days would bring in extra loco-hauled workings from around the country. Sadly those days are long gone (pages 13-17), but at least electrification opens the door to a whole new chapter of possibilities.

Paul Bickerdyke

Rail Express is pleased to consider contributions for publication

Please do not send images that have already been sent to other publications. Prints & slides are sent at the owner’s risk and must be accompanied by a SAE for return. Digital images can be sent by email, but please bear in mind we may not be able to reply to every one, as we receive hundreds of images each week.

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EDITORIAL

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Simon Bendall Editor Rail Express Modeller

Christopher Westcott

David Russell

Power by the Hour Shunters Name Game Spectrum

David Rapson

Preservation Units Coaches

Gareth Bayer Wagons

LU World (with Piers Connor)

Powerscene

William Watson Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)

‘Industry Witness’ News Writer

HEADLINE NEWS

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Government management of rail franchises ‘completely inadequate’ The Department for Transport must take the blame for failures on the TSGN and East Coast franchises.

By ‘Industry Witness’ AN investigation by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) into elements of rail franchising found that the performance of the Department for Transport has been completely inadequate.

The all-party PAC investigates Government spending and policy so that conclusions can be drawn on the effectiveness of its decisions. The PAC looked into the operation of the Thameslink Southern & Great Northern (TSGN) and InterCity East Coast franchises in terms of what the train operating companies were required to deliver in the franchise contract. It found the DfT can be blamed for much that has gone wrong with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates the TSGN franchise.

THAMESLINK TROUBLE

A central point of the TSGN contract was to support the delivery of the £5.5 billion Thameslink upgrade programme, which aims to increase capacity and reduce overcrowding on routes throughout London and the South East whilst maintaining existing services at agreed levels of performance.

There were problems from the start in July 2015, however, as there were insufficient drivers available for the full

service. This was because expected improvements in productivity meant the previous Thameslink franchise operator, First Capital Connect, was not required to have a pipeline of staff in training.

The DfT also expected that Driver Controlled Operation (DCO) would be extended on Southern routes, but did not anticipate this would cause the 38 days of strike action undertaken by the RMT Union in response to the changes.

The PAC investigation found that from July 2015 to March 2017, the statistic for cancelled or seriously delayed trains was just 7.7%. But this only reflected planned services, and many more trains were cancelled in advance that were not included in the figures.

Although the reliability of the service was far below the contractual figures, penalties were not applied as the Government considered the RMT strikes as a ‘force majeure’ event that was beyond the control of the operator and therefore outside the terms of the contract. This is a difficult position to understand, as the dispute was the result of a failure to win the backing of staff for the changes that were wholly in the control of GTR. The truth is that concessions to the union demands were difficult to make,

because GTR’s bid to run the franchise was £40 million per annum less than the nearest competitor, and savings from a switch to DCO were clearly part of the plan to reduce costs.

The DfT has continued to be reluctant to impose contract penalties, and the PAC report revealed that a negotiated settlement had been made that required GTR to pay £12.8 million to cover the period of disruption and future liabilities until September 2018. It was observed that agreeing such a figure covering future operations meant that fewer levers were available in the event of future performance shortfalls when the new timetable is introduced in May 2018.

Issues have also arisen with project implementation, not least of which is the revelation that the timetable does not meet applicable train planning rules.

These cover the pathing of services and includes factors such as headways, station dwell times, and the time allowed for turn rounds.

Network Rail also identified that operating the proposed 24 trains per hour through the core Thameslink section in central London would need £900 million to replace old and dilapidated assets. No action was taken on this, however, which has resulted

“The truth is that concessions to the union demands were difficult to make”

in the train frequency being reduced to 16 trains per hour from the May 2018 timetable to allow more time to improve the infrastructure on the routes involved. The full 24tph service will not be implemented until December 2019.

VTEC EXAMINED

The reasons for the early termination of the InterCity East Coast franchise were also probed. The main finding was that the revenue forecast made by VTEC was ‘wildly wrong’ and relied on headline economic factors that took little account of future passenger behaviour in the market. The premium payment promised was £700 million more for the seven-year contract than that offered by alternative bidders.

As many as 60 factors are considered to have caused a slowdown in growth, including changing lifestyles that require less travel, a reduction in five-day commuting, and reduced motoring costs.

As a result, the promised premium has become unaffordable. Despite a projected profit of £260 million in the current year, the premium due is £363 million and so the loss to date of £200 million will grow.

It is not known yet whether the East Coast contract will be renegotiated, or use made of the Operator of Last Resort, which is SAC Lavalin (formerly Interfleet). E

MOORGATE SETS ON TEST: The first of the 25 new six-car Class 717 EMUs for use on Great Northern services from Moorgate are on test with manufacturer Siemens. The

units will be used to replace ageing Class 313 units, which entered service in 1976. The first ‘717s’ are expected in service from late autumn this year on stopping services to Welwyn Garden City, Hertford and Stevenage. They are based on the Class 700 EMUs being used on Thameslink, but with design changes to suit the restricted clearances in the Moorgate tunnels – most notably a cab end door, which will be used for emergency exits in the tunnels. Designed for commuter use, the units will feature full width inter-vehicle gangways, air-conditioning, wi-fi and power points. They will be based at Hornsey depot, North London. Siemens

6 RAIL EXPRESS June 2018

HEADLINE NEWS

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NEW TPE TRAINS ON THE WAY: The first of TransPennine Express’ 13 CAF-

built ‘Nova 3’ trains (sets of five Mk.5 coaches to be powered by a DRS Class 68) has commenced testing at Velim in the Czech Republic (above). The train will undergo a variety of tests including aerodynamics, braking and on board information systems, with entry to service due later this year on routes from Liverpool and Manchester to Leeds, York, Scarborough and Middlesbrough. Meanwhile, the first of TPE’s 19 Class 802 bi-modes has left the Hitachi factory in Kasado, Japan, for its two month journey to Britain by sea (below). The five-car ‘Nova 1’ trains are due to enter service in December 2019. TPE’s ‘Nova 2’ trains are the 12 Class 397 EMUs being built by CAF for services between Liverpool/Manchester and Glasgow/Edinburgh, and testing of these is expected to start in May or June. TPE/Hitachi

ELEMENTARY MY DEAR ‘CHOPPER’: Class 20 No. 20227 was named Sherlock

Holmes by Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy in a ceremony at Quainton Road on April 29, the ‘Chopper’ having worked a special train from Harrow-on-the-Hill paired with classmate No. 20142 Sir John Betjeman and ‘top and tailed’ with Type 3 No. 33012 Lt Jenny Lewis RN that was organised by the London Transport Museum. The ‘20s’ carry Metropolitan Railway-style lined maroon livery, and No. 20227 also features a ‘221B’ shedplate (Holmes’ supposed address on Baker Street) and a number ‘8’ on the bodyside, which was the number of the Metropolitan Railway electric loco that also carried this name. The special also visited Claydon LNE Junction and is pictured returning south at Calvert, Buckinghamshire. Jamie Squibbs

New hydrogen fuel technology could help eliminate diesel traction With full electrification unlikely by 2040, hydrogen fuel cells could provide a greener alternative to diesel power.

By ‘Industry Witness’ AS part of the Government’s drive to improve air quality through a policy of decarbonisation across the economy, railway diesel traction has been identified as a source of pollutants that can be eliminated in the long term.

New technology will be required, however, as it is unrealistic to expect that electrification can be extended throughout the network in the next 22 years to the proposed 2040 deadline.

Trains will continue to need a source of power for traction motors, and a pointer to the future is the development of hydrogen fuel.

The technology has been branded as ‘Hydrail’ and Alstom has already produced a fleet of 14 Coradia iLint two-car multiple units for use in

Germany. The system requires fixed charging points at depots to provide energy for roof-mounted hydrogen power cells, which have a joint function of direct power for traction purposes or to maintain the charge in a battery.

Each vehicle is powered from a 200kW (270hp) fuel cell and 225kW (300hp) battery. On its own, the battery would not have sufficient power to provide adequate range. But after providing a combined 425kW (570hp) to start and accelerate the train, the fuel cell would be used to recharge the battery. This idea allows speeds up to 100mph with a range in excess of 600 miles.

In terms of thermal efficiency, 30% of the energy is used for traction purposes – which is similar to the figure for a conventional diesel unit, but both

are well below the typical 70% figure for an electric-only unit.

The future use of Hydrail is also being considered in Canada, where it will be assessed for locomotive-hauled commuter services in Ottawa and Toronto. It is judged feasible to match the current 3,000kW (4020hp) traction units in use, but the bulk of the fuel cells and batteries would require an auxiliary vehicle to be attached to the locomotive that would reduce the number of coaches provided if there is a limit on train length.

BRITISH USE

Closer to home, both Alstom and Hitachi are investigating the potential for Hydrail trials. There are potential charging points at oil refineries, where hydrogen is used in the production

process, and Alstom has investigated using Stanlow oil refinery as a base as it is close to its own facility at Widnes.

Trials between Chester and Liverpool have been considered.

Hitachi has examined using the AT200 (Class 385) vehicle platform, and suggested there could be a 52% energy saving on the route between Norwich and Sheringham.

The Government has scope to promote the new technology by including the provision of Hydrail rolling stock in future franchise specifications, and has tasked Northern with developing suitable vehicles for use on the Windermere branch from 2021.

There is also the potential to encourage early use by offering grants of the type used in the bus industry to retrofit vehicles. E

June 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 7

HEADLINE NEWS

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag MERSEYSIDE ‘323’: Northern

IN BRIEF

EMU No. 323235 is pictured at Prescot, on the Huyton to Wigan North Western line, on April 19 forming a crew training 5Z50/09.17 Allerton depot to Preston working. Northern’s Class 323s are due to be displaced from local services around Manchester by new CAF-built Class 331 units from the end of this year. However, new uses will include Liverpool Lime Street to Crewe via Chat Moss and Manchester Airport. Doug Birmingham

ISLE OF WIGHT FLEET TO BE REPLACED WITHIN TWO YEARS

THE former London Underground 1938 Stock, which has been used as Class 483 EMUs on the Isle of Wight since 1989, could be replaced within the next two years. Franchise holder South Western Railway announced at an IoW Council meeting on May 3 that the current fleet would be replaced not with brand new trains, but ones that are ‘significantly newer’. SWR added: “Although they [the Class 483s] are an interesting historic experience, we don’t think that they give proper, modern transport experience on the Island.”

The plan will be put to the Department for Transport by the end of May for approval. There were no further clues as to what the new trains could be, although they have to fit through the restricted tunnel at Ryde. Vivarail has said its Class 230 trains will suit, although previous plans included former tram vehicles.

CORNISH SIGNALLING

NETWORK Rail has completed a signalling upgrade between Plymouth and Lostwithiel that has seen additional signals added between the current sections to allow more trains to run.

The signalling is controlled by existing signalboxes, and none of the traditional semaphores have been replaced. A similar upgrade is planned for October between Truro and St Erth in readiness for a 30-minute timetable.

SCOTTISH ‘365s’

DRIVER training has begun in Scotland on hired-in Class 365s, which will be used between Edinburgh and Glasgow while the windscreen issue with new Hitachi-built Class 385s is resolved.

Following modifications, Nos. 365513+365523 were dragged from Glasgow Works to Eastfield depot by No. 57303 on May 5, complete with ScotRail branding. Training runs began in early May between Queen Street and Linlithgow.

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Three more overseas firms gain rights to bid for new franchises Italian and Spanish operators have been added to the list of companies that have prequalified to bid for future rail franchises.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE Government has added three new overseas rail companies to the list of firms that are authorised to reply to invitations to tender for rail franchises and concessions.

The ‘passport’ process establishes that potential franchise holders have sufficient operating expertise and financial resources to apply.

The newcomers are Italian open access operator NTV, Spanish National Railway RENFE, and French firm Transdev.

It means there are now 18 potential bidders, but only five are British companies – First Group, Go-Ahead, National Express, Stagecoach and Virgin.

National Express has already said it will not bid for franchises in the future after selling its interest in Essex Thameslink operations to Trenitalia in

‘Grid’ rebuild on the cards THE long-mooted re-engineering of the UKRL Class 56 fleet looked a step closer in late April, writes Simon Bendall.

Nos. 56081, 56098 and 56104 were lined up ready for collection at its Leicester depot and joined by former DCR examples Nos. 56311 and 56312.

Although seemingly not yet a done deal, the project is being driven by GB Railfreight’s future motive power requirements, and would see up to 10 ‘Grids’ receive General Motors power units. However, GBRf is also said to be still considering doing a deal with Colas for the hire of Class 70s, both projects having now overtaken the one-time plan of overhauling Class 60s acquired from DB Cargo.

2017. It will instead concentrate on bids to operate regional services in Europe where profit margins are higher than the average 3% in Britain.

Investors in First Group are also restless, as it is considered its margins are too low, with the result that no dividend has recently been paid to

“There are now 18 potential franchise bidders, but only five are British companies” shareholders. The effect is felt on the lack of funds for investment – particularly in the UK bus business, which has experienced low growth and poor profits. The outcome being pressed on First Group management is to separate the US Greyhound and school

bus activities from rail and bus interests in this country.

DECLINING INTEREST

Recent rail franchise competitions have suffered from reduced bidder interest, and there have been two withdrawals by qualified bidders from the Wales and Borders competition and one from the East Midlands process. In addition, only two bids from First/MTR and Stagecoach were made for the renewal of the South Western contract.

The recent decline is passenger numbers, where demand fell by 1.1% in 2017, illustrates the risk that confronts the owners of large franchises where margins are small. The way forward could be to revert to smaller operational units, including separate concessions in urban areas such as Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. E

MAIN LINE ‘D-TRAIN’:

Vivarail’s pioneer Class 230 No. 230001 was back on the main line in April. Here it is pictured on April 18 at Evesham, on the Cotswold Line near the company’s Long Marston base, for testing and mileage accumulation. The former London Underground ‘D’ Stock has been refurbished and fitted with underfloor diesel engines and three two-car units should enter service later this year with West Midlands Trains on the Bedford-Bletchley route. Vivarail

HEADLINE NEWS

Follow us on twitter @railexpress BOSTON STONE: A trial

IN BRIEF

flow of stone has begun to Boston Docks, bringing grade 1 hardstone from Bardon Hill (Leicestershire) for road projects in Lincolnshire.

As part of the trial, Railfreight Services Ltd has taken a 15-year lease on the former Sleaford Sidings at Boston.

GBRf’s No. 66751 is pictured there on April 10 as unloading of the 6E51/03.40 from Bardon Hill takes place. It is hoped the move could lead to two trains a day serving the site. Dafydd Whyles

NEW WIGAN DEPOT

A £46 million depot is to be built at Wigan Springs Branch close to the site of the existing buildings. It will be used by Northern to stable and maintain 24 EMUs and eight DMUs, creating around 20 jobs in the process when it opens in December 2019. More depot facilities are needed as passenger numbers in the North are predicted to double over the next 25 years, which will require more trains.

GWR confirms order for Class 769 ‘tri-mode’ conversions

Former dual-mode Class 319 EMUs fitted with diesel engines to enter service in 2019.

By David Russell GREAT Western Railway has become the third train operating company to take on a fleet of Class 769 units, the former Class 319 EMUs fitted with diesel engines to enable them to operate over non-electrified lines.

Unlike the planned Northern and Arriva Trains Wales sets, which will operate in 25 kV AC overhead mode as well as under diesel power, the GWR units will also run on 750V DC third-rail lines, making them the first ‘tri-mode’ sets.

The ‘769s’ will release further Class 165/166 ‘Turbo’ DMUs for transfer to St Philip’s Marsh to provide additional capacity for services in the Bristol area.

Prior to their move west, it is likely that some of the released ‘Turbos’ will return to Thames Valley services for a short period in advance of the introduction of the full Crossrail service in December 2019. This will enable 12 ‘Electrostars’ (Nos. 387130-141) to be removed from service and prepared for Heathrow Express duties.

Although GWR says: “Final details of exactly how and where the new fleet will be used are currently being drawn up, and expected to be finalised later this year”, it is expected that the units will be used on the North Downs line between Reading and Gatwick Airport, their third-rail capability being put into use on the three sections of this route (Reading-Wokingham, Ash to Guildford and Redhill to Gatwick). Similarly, on Reading-Oxford services, they can take advantage of the overhead wires as far as Didcot. They are also likely to be used on the Henley-on-Thames branch and on peak hour workings between Maidenhead and Bourne End.

32 CONVERSIONS

The order by GWR for 19 Class 769s brings the total number of Class 319 How the Class 769 ‘tri-mode’ conversions will look in GWR livery.

Porterbrook

FORMER THAMESLINK ‘319’ FLEET Quantity

New operator

24 11 8 5 19

Northern London North Western Class 769 conversion (Northern) Class 769 conversion (Arriva Trains Wales) Class 769 conversion (Great Western Railway)

units planned for ‘Flex’ conversion to 32. The first two, Nos. 319434/456 – which will emerge as Nos. 769434/456 for Northern – are currently receiving attention at Brush, Loughborough, and they are set to be followed by Nos. 769424/431/442/448/450/458.

Five sets for Arriva Trains Wales will be next, and then the 19 GWR units.

The latest order means that, of the 86 Class 319s, 67 examples have found new homes (see table). These include four additional units for London North Western (Nos. 319012/215/220/446), which are now receiving attention at Wolverton. Nos. 319012/220 arrived from Crewe behind No. 37800 on March 29, the same loco also collecting No. 319446 from Long Marston on April 3. No. 319215 arrived by road from Long Marston in late March. E

FREIGHTLINER REBRAND

FREIGHTLINER unveiled a new brand identity at the Multimodal exhibition at the NEC Birmingham in early May. The yellow and orange logo ties in with that of its parent firm Genesee & Wyoming and more than 120 of G&W’s other subsidiaries in North America, Australia and Europe. Freightliner said it would take “a phased approach” to repainting locos and wagons – by which it means not yet.

LARBERT ELECTRIFICATION

THE next phase in the project to electrify the line from Glasgow/ Edinburgh to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa has been completed and the overhead power lines have gone live between Greenhill Junction, Polmont Junction and Grangemouth Junction up to Larbert Junction. The first section to be electrified covers 26-track-km and includes stations at Falkirk Grahamston and Camelon.

RCTS ANNIVERSARY

THE 90th anniversary of the founding of the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) was marked when a commemorative plaque was unveiled on platform 1 at Cheltenham on April 12.

The society’s current president, the Rev Canon Brian R. Arman, unveiled the plaque and paid tribute to the two founders, Aubrey Broad and Leslie Lapper, who lived in Gloucestershire for most of their lives.

Mr Arman also congratulated Richard Neale and his local RCTS team for organising the event, which was supported financially by GWR charities.

June 2018 RAIL EXPRESS 11

HEADLINE NEWS

Wires to the Fylde coast Electrification has reached Blackpool North after a five-month line closure and upgrade programme allowing, among other things, an enhanced London service formed of Virgin ‘Pendolinos’.

THE line to Blackpool North reopened on April 16 after a five-month closure for electrification and resignalling.

Blackpool North was one of the last remaining large terminuses to retain semaphores, but they have been swept away, along with five manual signal boxes between there and Preston, to be replaced by colour lights controlled from Manchester Rail Operations Centre.

The closed boxes are Blackpool North No.2, Carleton Crossing, Poulton, Kirkham North Junction, and Salwick No.2. All are scheduled to be demolished in due course.

The line from Preston to both Blackpool South and North closed on November 11 after the end of the town’s illuminations season.

The initial aim was to complete the work as far as Kirkham & Wesham so that trains could start running to Blackpool South again. This was completed on January 29 allowing the one train per hour service to recommence.

Kirkham to Blackpool South via Lytham has not been electrified, so this service continues to be worked by DMUs. Work between Kirkham and Blackpool North was due to be completed by March 26, but was delayed by the breakdown of critical machinery used to install new overhead line equipment and by the ‘Beast from the East’ snow and bad weather.

The line eventually reopened on April 16 with an initial one train per hour from Blackpool North to Manchester Airport via Preston. This allowed other workings to run empty for crew training ahead of a planned full reopening and new timetable on May 20.

been rebuilt, 11 platforms remodelled, 11km of track relaid, 200km of overhead wire installed, and 84 colour light signals have been commissioned.

Virgin Trains West Coast also reinstated its one train per day Blackpool service from April 16, although initially in the down direction only, the ‘Voyager’formed train leaving Euston at 16.33 at arriving at North station at 19.31.

From May 21, however, the 05.30 Blackpool Euston up working will be reintroduced along with three additional trains in each direction Monday to Saturday, which will see ‘Pendolinos’ reaching the coastal town under their own power for the first time.

These extra workings, which previously used to serve Lancaster, leave Euston at 06.46, 08.53 and 10.36, returning from Blackpool at 10.53, 13.02 and 15.00. On Saturdays, the first down train starts from Birmingham New Street at 07.32, while the mid-afternoon up service leaves Blackpool at 15.54.

The Saturdays-only Birmingham service is the first direct train from the West Midlands to Blackpool since CrossCountry (then under Virgin management) withdrew its service back in 2003. E

“11km of track has been relaid and 200km of overhead wire installed”

INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES

Besides electrification and resignalling, the track layouts at Kirkham, Poulton and Blackpool North have been remodelled. A new platform has been built at Kirkham on the trackbed of the former fast avoiding lines, while the junction to the former Fleetwood line west of Poulton station has been severed and made plain line.

The platforms at Blackpool North have been lengthened and straightened, while the nearby carriage sidings have also had their train servicing facilities upgraded – including a new washer.

In total on the route, 11 bridges have

A last look at Blackpool North in November 2017 before it closed for electrification and resignalling work. The carriage sidings have also been ungraded with new train washing and servicing facilities. Network Rail

12 RAIL EXPRESS June 2018

It’s just not the same as the semaphores have gone and Blackpool Tower is almost hidden by electrification gantries. However, new through-journeys are now possible, including more direct trains to Euston. Network Rail