Rail Express - January 2019 - Preview

‘31s’

QUIT NENE VALLEY

AIA Locos asked to move elsewhere

HSTs IN

FLUX

Full survey of GWR/ ScotRail power car fleet

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

ROSSENDALE RAIL

RAIL EXPRESS No. 272 JANUARY 2019

Commuter plan threatens East Lancs Railway

MODELLING SECTION

■ Accurascale ‘Deltic’

Super-detail loco announced

■ ‘O’ gauge ‘Rat’

Heljan's Class 25 reviewed

■ DCC running lights A step-by-step fitting guide

ALL CHANGE FOR DERBY Railwayman’s view on £200 million station project

CONTENTS

Issue No. 272 January 2019

A stunning pre-dawn shot taken at Gainsborough Trent Junction (Lincolnshire) on December 4 as DMUs Nos. 153331+153324 head away with the 07.02 Lincoln-Sheffield.

West Burton Power Station simmers in the distance as the mist lingers in the fields. Dafydd Whyles

FEATURES

NEWS

16

8

22

24

26

CALLING AT DERBY

A railwayman’s view on the recent station remodelling and upgrade.

GAS GIANTS

A look at the distinctive former BOC, which are reviewed in model form on page M26.

0-60: CLASS 321

It is back to East Anglia to test out these ex-British Rail workhorses.

FATE OR COINCIDENCE?

The bizarre story of No. 47299’s fatal crash.

REGULARS 28

TIME TRAVELLER

31

EXPRESS MAILBAG & REVIEWS

78

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MODELLING

We have got a full round-up of new releases at this year’s Warley show from all the major manufacturers. Then we have step-by-step guides to fitting DCC lighting and converting ‘Limpet’ wagons; plus reviews include Heljan’s ‘O’ gauge Class 25/3 and Hornby’s DCR ‘Grid’.

GTR keeps Thameslink at a cost; New ombudsman created; Crossrail funding package agreed; HSTs in the news; ‘Generational opportunity’ for Wales; NER Autocar wins Heritage Awards; Freight operators want more say in Williams Review; ‘Nova 2’ delivered; Commuter rail proposals could hit ELR operations; No end in sight for DCO disputes.

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LU WORLD

LU signs contract for ‘Inspiro’ fleet.

RAILTOURS

Class 50 farewell tour recreated; DPS battles to fix No. 55009 Alycidon.

72

PRESERVATION

75

POWER BY THE HOUR

80

POWERSCENE

90

UNITS

93

SHUNTERS

94

COACHES

95

WAGONS

96

IRISH ANGLE

News headlines from decades past.

First Generation DMUs; NRM Funding and a selection of modern traction books.

HEADLINE NEWS

Class 31s forced to leave Nene Valley; Llangollen Diesel Class 37 for sale; Western Champion goes blue; First visitors announced for KWVR and SVR galas.

More ‘Tugs’ for sale; HSTs in flux.

Notable workings, Name Game and Spectrum.

‘Flirt’ bi-mode arrives at Norwich.

Rare outing for GWR shunter.

Angel HST rake formed up for Hull Trains.

Disposal of PCAs begins.

IR and NIR face capacity shortage.

The East Lancashire Railway is one of the most diesel-friendly heritage lines in the country, but it could be under threat if a plan to reintroduce rail services to Rossendale comes to fruition (see page 13).

On August 11, 2018, Type 4 No. 47765 approaches the ELR’s station at Irwell Vale with a Rawtenstall-bound working. Liam Barnes

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 December 21, 2018 Next issue January 18, 2019 Advertising deadline January 4, 2019 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.

Much to savour

T

HIS is the final issue produced in 2018, and what a year it has been for diesel and electric enthusiasts.

Standout highlights for me include our Class 50 tour to Carlisle and the Cumbrian Coast in spring, and then the Severn Valley Railway’s magnificent ‘Hoover’ gala in autumn – who would have thought we would have so much ‘50’ action a quarter of a century after they were withdrawn

by British Rail. GBRf’s four-day marathon tour around the country was another unforgettable event, plus at the other end of the spectrum was the return to service recently of the NER 1903 Autocar – the stunning restoration and importance of which has now quite rightly been recognised by the Heritage Railway Association (see page 9).

This time of year is one of reflection, and I often feel the next one surely cannot live up to the last – but in this I am happy to say I am usually wrong, such is the nature of the railway scene these days!

Already there is much to look forward to

in 2019 – for example, the changing role of HSTs, which (happily) refuse to go away even after 40 years of front line service.

Then there is the large new fleets arriving for operators like TransPennine Express and Greater Anglia, and maybe – hopefully – we will finally get chance to travel under London on the delayed Crossrail route (see page 8). Plus, who knows what surprises the preservationists and railtour operators have in store?

While we look forward to all those developments, it just remains for me to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – and I thank you for choosing Rail Express, our resolution is to carry on keeping you informed and entertained throughout the coming year.

Paul Bickerdyke

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David Russell Nigel Burkin

David Rapson

Preservation Units Coaches

Editor Rail Express Modeller

Gareth Bayer Wagons

LU World (with Piers Connor)

Powerscene

William Watson Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)

‘Industry Witness’ News Writer

GOLDEN ‘GOYLE’: Class 31 No. 31190 has become the second loco in the

surviving fleet to carry 1960s experimental golden ochre livery (after No. D5830/31463 at the Great Central Railway). The ‘Goyle’ is pictured doubleheading with classmate No. 31459 on December 9 between Frosterley and Wolsingham while heading for Stanhope on the Weardale Railway. This was a seasonal ‘Train to Christmas Town’ working, which ran on the heritage line from November 24 to December 23. No. 31465 was at rear, while No. 31106 was standby loco at Stanhope. John Askwith

HEADLINE NEWS

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GTR keeps Thameslink at a cost Govia will retain the Thameslink contract, but must pay £15 million to address customer service deficiencies.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE Department for Transport has judged there is little to gain by removing the Thameslink franchise from Govia, which is 65% owned by UK transport company Go-Ahead, on the grounds that it would cause further and undue disruption for passengers.

The DfT has, however, imposed a fine of £15 million, which is claimed to be the equivalent of the operating profit this year. A similar amount has also been paid out to date for passenger compensation under the delay-repay regime.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

The cash is to be used to strengthen customer service activities, which were lacking at the time of the timetable disruption in May when there was little

information about trains that were expected to run. There was a situation at King’s Cross and St Pancras stations where staff had no idea which services were running at the other terminal, even though the stations are next to each other. This has since been rectified, with Great Northern line departures from St Pancras now shown on the King’s Cross departure board and an information screen at the St Pancras ticket barrier about the status of services at King’s Cross.

The £15 million injection of funds will allow customer-facing staff at stations to be equipped with smart phones that allow access to the National Rail ‘live trains’ app, which was not the case before and resulted in passengers having more knowledge about the performance of the train service than the staff.

There has been criticism that, after accepting performance of Thameslink services after the May timetable change was unacceptable, the DfT claimed it was not in a position to intervene – which led to a perception that no one took charge of the situation. There had been foresight in establishing an Industry Readiness Board to give approval to the implementation of the timetable, but the effect of issuing late notice traincrew diagrams was underestimated.

DECEMBER CHANGES

There were further changes to the timetable from December 10 when 200 weekday services that were temporarily withdrawn were reinstated.

This is hoped to address the current service gaps that have caused overcrowding and missed advertised

connections with other services.

Attention is also being paid to the part-cancellation policy adopted by the Rail Operating Centres at York and Three Bridges, when delayed trains miss out stops to make up time. This causes frustration when half-empty trains pass platforms with waiting passengers, and also destroys any pretence of offering reliable assisted travel as staff might not be there for passengers forced to switch trains.

There is also no contingency plan to cover an operational incident on one of the three routes used by Thameslink (Southern, Midland, and Great Northern) so that a reliable service can continue on the remaining parts – for example, operating Cambridge to King’s Cross as an alternative to cancelling the complete journey to Southern destinations. E

New ombudsman created

Crossrail funding package agreed

A NEW rail ombudsman has been created with the appointment of a third-party company, Dispute Resolution Ombudsman, by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on behalf of Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies.

Customers unhappy with the outcome of their complaint to a rail company will now be able to get a ruling from experts in consumer rights. The ombudsman will go one step further than the present passenger watchdogs, Transport Focus and London Travelwatch, as decisions made will be binding and rail companies will have to take action if failings are identified.

The ombudsman will only deal with complaints when efforts to resolve them in other ways have failed. The RDG has said that 99% are dealt with by the TOCs without the need for an appeals process, although this figure is disputed by consumer organisation Which? However,

THE Mayor of London, the Greater London Authority, and Transport for London announced on December 10 that an additional financing package worth up to £1.7 billion has been agreed with the Government to complete the Crossrail project and open the Elizabeth line to passengers as quickly as possible.

The new east-west line under London had been due to open in December 2018, but a few months before this date it was put back to autumn 2019, although this date is now also in doubt after engineers found that more work is required to complete the infrastructure so that full-scale testing can begin.

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8 RAIL EXPRESS January 2019

rail companies are supporting and funding the new arrangements to build greater confidence with passengers.

There also continues to be a low number of passengers seeking redress for delays, with the Office of Rail and Road saying that where journeys were delayed by 30 minutes and more in 2016/17, only a third of passengers involved were compensated with refunds totalling £81 million.

It is likely that areas of future dispute will be the consequential losses incurred by a failure to run the advertised service.

There has been a past principle in law that if you buy a ticket, the obligation is to convey you but not at a given time. A more modern approach is the adoption of delay-repay schemes, but these do not extend to costs associated with events such as missed airline flights or cases where the unreliability of services has caused a loss of employment.

FINANCE REVIEW

Core elements, including the stations and the fit out of the tunnels, are at varying stages of completion – plus

the complex signalling systems and integration need further testing.

Initial findings from a review by accountants KPMG found that the likely capital cost of the delay to the project could be £1.6bn to £2bn. This includes the £300 million extra already contributed by the Department for Transport and TfL in July 2018, leaving an estimated £1.3bn to £1.7bn to complete the project.

The Greater London Authority will borrow up to £1.3bn from the DfT to be repaid from the existing Business Rate Supplement and Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy.

The GLA will also provide a £100m contribution. Because the final costs are yet to be confirmed, a contingency arrangement has also been agreed between TfL and the Government in the form of a loan from the DfT of up to £750m.

END FOR CHILTERN ‘GHOST TRAIN’: The

weekday 2V27/10.57 South Ruislip-Paddington and 2M29/11.35 Paddington-High Wycombe parliamentary service, which was operated by Chiltern Railways to preserve its rights into the London terminal, has come to an end following the decision to allow HS2 to tunnel under the line in the Old Oak Common area. No. 165006 is pictured on December 6 passing the former Guinness factory at Park Royal with the penultimate northbound service. No. 165038 worked the final one the next day, when the normally empty service was reported to have nearly 200 passengers aboard.

Alan Wallwork

HEADLINE NEWS

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HSTs IN THE NEWS

The Branch Line Society/East Midlands Trains ‘Screaming Valenta’ tour on November 11 took a former 2+6 Grand Central set (Nos. 43423 and 43467) from Derby to the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), and at Ruddington (pictured) No. 43467 was replaced by HST prototype power car No. 41001 for a trip over the heritage line’s main line and sidings. The trip raised £21,000 to go towards the 125 Group’s depot appeal. Richard Gennis

The new winter timetable introduced HSTs to the Aberdeen-Inverness route, No. 43036 (plus 43143 and ‘classic’ stock) being pictured at Nairn on December 10 with the 1A52/12.33 Inverness-Aberdeen crossing No. 170414 with a late-running 1H27/10.00 Aberdeen-Inverness. Nigel Burkin

December 8 was the official closure of Great Western Railway’s Old Oak Common depot, as the timetable change saw more IETs introduced to service and the HST fleet transferred away. The last set to leave used celebrity power cars Nos. 43185 Great Western and 43093 Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976-2018, which is seen arriving into Paddington with a suitable headboard just before 17.00 that day. Ethan Wilson

December saw more HSTs in action with ScotRail, although a lack of refurbished examples meant ‘classic’ slam-door sets had to be used. On December 1, former GWR No. 43179 is seen at Edinburgh Waverley having worked the 1B35/14.04 from Aberdeen with No. 43044. Jack Prentice

‘Generational opportunity’ for Wales By ‘Industry Witness’ THE Welsh Government believes the new Wales & Borders franchise represents a once in a generation chance to redesign and repurpose the railway network in Wales.

A £5 billion investment is headlined by a £700 million electrification project for the Core Valley Lines to Treherbert,

Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Coryton, where the infrastructure ownership will be transferred from Network Rail to the Welsh Government.

In addition, the scope of the network will be increased by light rail operations using tram-trains in the Cardiff Bay area. £800 million is also allocated to the provision of new rolling stock, with further funding

for at least five new stations.

Connectivity between population centres was a strand running throughout a Welsh Transport Conference organised in Cardiff on November 29, when the lack of express services offering faster point-to-point timings was seen as a challenge throughout Wales and the Borders. The first tangible improvement will be the arrival of three four-car

sets of Mk.4 coaches cascaded from East Coast operations for use on the enhanced Cardiff to Holyhead services via Shrewsbury and Chester.

Beyond Cardiff towards West Wales and on the North Wales coastal route, journeys can best be described as semifast operations, which would benefit from limited stop trains overlaid on the current timetable.

NER Autocar wins major Heritage Awards THE NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust has won two major prizes in the Heritage Railway Association’s 2019 Awards for the stunning restoration of Autocar No. 3170 (see last issue).

The Trust has won the Modern Traction Award, which is sponsored by this magazine, and also the HRA’s prestigious Manisty Award for

Excellence, which is only given to truly outstanding projects.

Despite entering service in 1903, No. 3170 was the first to combine an internal combustion engine with a generator and traction motors, thus becoming the first example of what we today call modern traction. Its restoration from just a bodyshell has

been remarkable, having the look and feel of the original despite having to conform to modern safety standards using ‘upcycled’ parts from NIR trains, HSTs, Class 08s and others.

The HRA’s other awards will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on February 9. More details on the event can be found at www.hra.uk.com.

January 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 9

HEADLINE NEWS

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag GLORIOUS LIFTED: After

IN BRIEF

its staring role in the Severn Valley Railway’s Class 50 gala in October, No. 50033 Glorious was lifted at the SVR’s Kidderminster depot on December 1 in preparation for its main line move to Eastleigh, where it will receive large logo livery. The loco will make its way south during the week beginning January 14 in the company of Nos. 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance, both of which will have their paintwork touched up during their stay at Eastleigh. The ‘50s’ will return to the SVR in April in time for the line’s May diesel gala. Jonathan Webb

IRISH BI-MODE

IRISH Rail has taken the first step into the bi-mode field with plans to test jointly, with Rolls Royce, nine MTU Hybrid PowerPacks that are to be installed in members of the 22000 Class ICR DMU fleet. There is also an option for a further three packs. If the tests, which are to begin during 2021, are successful, then it is planned to retrofit the equipment in the remainder of the 234-strong fleet of vehicles. It is claimed that the benefits of the diesel/battery combination will give lower emissions and significant fuel savings of up to 33%. The diesel engine and electrical unit will also have a regenerative braking capability, with the power generated being used to charge an EnergyPack battery.

■ Updating the report in Irish Angle this month (page 96), Northern Ireland Railways announced on December 6 that it had awarded a £50 million contract to CAF to build 21 intermediate cars to strengthen its 4000 Class DMU fleet.

TPE HIRE CLASS 170

TRANSPENNINE Express has split its Manchester Piccadilly to Leeds stopping service into two separate services from the December 9 timetable change in an attempt to improve reliability. Stopping trains will now run Piccadilly-Huddersfield and Huddersfield-Leeds, reversing a change that was only introduced in May 2018 when TPE took over the stopping services from Northern. To make this possible, TPE will hire in a Class 170 DMU from Northern that will have a Northern driver and TPE conductor. TPE previously operated a small fleet of ‘170s’ until the last were transferred to Chiltern Railways in 2016.

LEEDS EXTRA PLATFORM

NETWORK Rail has begun work on a £161 million project to improve capacity at Leeds station, the country’s third busiest outside of London. The work includes a new platform (platform 0), extensions to platforms 1-6, plus a new transparent roof above the southern concourse to let more light in.

The project is expected to be completed by autumn 2019 when the city hosts the cycling UCI Road World Championship.

NR HEDGE TRIAL

NETWORK Rail’s London North Eastern and East Midlands route (LNE & EM) has launched a trial to manage lineside vegetation and establish hedgerows alongside railways. As part of the response to widespread removal of vegetation on the banks of the cutting around Hadley Wood Station, NR has taken advice from the Tree Council and will begin the hedge planting trial. These will be monitored over five years to see which method of establishment achieves the best results in terms of community appeal, wildlife habitat, safety and cost.

LINCOLN BOGIE DEPOT OPENS

SIEMENS Mobility has officially opened an £8 million Bogie Service Centre in Lincoln.

Work will initially focus on the servicing of ‘Velaro’ Eurostar e320 bogies before moving on to ‘Desiro City’ bogies. The facility should create 40 skilled jobs by the end of 2019.

10 RAIL EXPRESS January 2019

Freight operators want more say in Williams Review

Freight needs a say on the panel if it is not to lose out to passenger traffic.

By ‘Industry Witness’ THE ‘root and branch’ review of the current rail structure has concentrated a lot of passenger services, but little mention has been made of any freight implications.

There is speculation that the outcome is going to be a return to more integrated passenger operations – indeed chairman Keith Williams has so far refused to rule out nationalisation saying he will consider all options – although how this will be implemented with a publicly-owned infrastructure provider and privately-run franchises can only be a matter of speculation.

If the principal passenger operator and route provider becomes a single entity, the freight companies are rightly concerned that they may not have access to paths at the times they needed, and that track access charges may not reflect market conditions.

It would seem the retention of an independent regulator, as we have now in the form of the Office for Rail and Road, is an essential part of any future structure to ensure that the

Competition and Markets Authority does not have to intervene if there is an abuse of market power.

FREIGHT GROWTH

There is no specific mention of open access principles in the terms of reference for the Williams Review, or any presence among panel members of freight industry stakeholders, which is dominated by passenger expertise.

As a result, the Rail Freight Group (which represents freight operators), users, and wider stakeholders have issued a timely reminder of what is needed for rail operations to successfully continue given the substantial economic and environmental benefits that exist. Traffic growth of up to 3% per annum is forecast over the next five years despite the decline in coal haulage, which will require continuing investment by Network Rail in the Strategic Freight Network. Current projects include providing double track on the Felixstowe branch, which will allow 47 daily services to operate to/ from the port.

The freight operators and terminal providers have invested £2.8 billion over two decades, and as a result the payload of trains measured in nettonne-kilometres has risen by 80%, which has allowed 50% of freight paths on the national network to be relinquished for use by other freight services or passenger operations.

These levels of efficiency have enabled the freight operators to gain a 25% share of international container movement between ports and inland distribution terminals. Another strongly performing sector is construction aggregates, where rail has a market share of 40% for demand in London and the South East.

In summary, freight operations are worth £1.7 billion annually to the economy, with goods conveyed worth £30 billion and a 76% reduction in carbon emissions for each tonne conveyed by rail compared to road.

On average, 76 heavy goods vehicle movements are removed for each rail service operated, which has resulted in 7.8 million fewer trips, the equivalent of 1.66 billion fewer kilometres travelled. E

‘NOVA 2’ DELIVERED: CAF-

built ‘Civity’ EMU No. 397003 headed north to its new owners TransPennine Express on December 4, running as the 5Q32 from Portbury-Crewe behind ROG Type 4s Nos. 47815 and 47812. The move is pictured at Stafford during a crew change.

Simon Poole

HEADLINE NEWS

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Commuter rail proposals could hit ELR operations

The East Lancashire Railway could see its heritage operations severely impacted should proposals to reintroduce rail services to Rossendale be implemented.

A RAIL feasibility study by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, which has been sent to Barry White the chief executive of Transport for the North, suggests that a significant amount of road traffic could be reduced around Manchester if rail services are reintroduced north of Bury in Rossendale, writes Jonathan Webb.

The report claims Manchester has the worst road congestion of any city in the UK outside of London and that Rossendale is the only borough in Lancashire without a main line rail link.

The only problem is it would have to use the route currently used by the East Lancashire Railway heritage line.

A survey carried out in 2011 revealed that nearly 7000 residents commuted from Rossendale to Greater Manchester, with their destinations including Bury, Rochdale, Salford and Manchester. Of these journeys, 93% of those to Bury were made by car.

Residents commuting from Bury amounted to 23,195 with most destined for Manchester, Salford and Rochdale. In total 1281 were recorded as commuting to Rossendale, with 91% making the journey by car and 4% by bus.

‘DELTIC’ ITEMS FOR AUCTION

THE next Stafford Railwayana Auction on February 2 will include a number of choice modern traction items, including the nameplate from No. 55014 The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, the worksplate from No. 55017, and a flamecut panel from No. 55008.

Also included in the sale are the nameplates from Nos. D1047 Western Lord, D831 Monarch, and 40014 Antonia, plus worksplates from Nos. 40022 and 40148.

■ The same company has also announced a new twice-yearly sale to be held in Alresford, Hampshire to be known as MidHants Railwayana Auctions. The first event is set for April 20, 2019.

FARSAP CENTURY

RAIL OPTIONS

There are five rail options outlined in the study, some impacting on the ELR’s operations more than others.

Option 1 would see the Metrolink system extended to Bury Bolton Street station and onwards to Rawtenstall.

This would offer competitive rail journey times, but have a very heavy impact on the ELR’s heritage operations. It would also create more congestion on an already congested Metro network.

Option 2 would see an interchange created at Buckley Wells (just south of Bury) and a peak-time shuttle service introduced between there and Rawtenstall. This option would also put an additional strain on the Metrolink system, but would be less intrusive for the ELR. Option 3 involves the introduction of a heavy rail service along the ELR route via the main line connection at Castleton, which would connect Rawtenstall with Manchester. The main benefits of this option are seen as its ability to significantly reduce congestion, connecting Bury and Rochdale to the national network, and opening up the possibility of a freight terminal being constructed at Heywood, which could fund the required infrastructure works.

However, the biggest disadvantage of this proposal is that the ELR’s character would be significantly altered, moving away from a heritage line to a commuter route.

IN BRIEF

One option for Rossendale is to run heavy rail services from Castleton to Rawtenstall.

Another would be to join the Metrolink line to ELR metals so that through services could run.

Option 4 also relies on heavy rail, and would see rail services extended from Castleton to Bury with a peak-time shuttle service, possibly operated by the ELR, operating between Bury and Rawtenstall. The report claims that this option would not only see a modal switch from car to rail, but provide a financial boost for the ELR with relatively little impact on its heritage operations.

As in option 3, mention is made of the possibility of a freight terminal being constructed at Heywood.

The final rail-based option would involve a peak-time heavy rail service being introduced between Rawtenstall and Rochdale, via Manchester Victoria.

This option is also seen as having a very limited impact on the East Lancashire Railway’s heritage operations.

ELR CLASH

The study concludes: “Overall, we believe this work indicates that feasible options exist for investment which could deliver significant economic benefits, reduce congestion, and meet environmental targets in a way which will not harm the valuable operations of the East

Lancashire Railway, and may even be to their benefit.”

Chairman of the ELR Mike Kelly told Rail Express in December he had not seen the report yet or its contents, so was unable to comment. However, when the idea was being discussed in October, Mr Kelly said: “We have to be concerned as to the potential impact of a commuter service on the continuation of our heritage operations, visitor economy and crucially retaining the passion and loyalty of our many hundreds of volunteers, where many have become disconcerted by previous transport studies commissioned by Transport for Greater Manchester in 2008 and by Lancashire County Council in December, 2016. The results of which found a commuter service to be wholly uneconomical.”

The proposals are far from becoming reality, but if they did it would be the end of the East Lancashire Railway as a heritage line as we know it. Not only could there be a mix of modern and heritage traction, but the signalling systems would likely need to be upgraded and line speeds raised from the current 25mph limit. E

THE Film Archive of Railway Signalling and People (FARSAP) has compiled its 100th film. Over the past four years, FARSAP volunteers have filmed the people, practices, equipment and buildings used in railway signalling across Britain, creating a database of 100 films. Prompted by the move to Rail Operating Centres, FARSAP’s aim is to preserve a visual record of signalling operations before they are lost.

The archive has been created by volunteers from the Signalling Record Society and the Friends of the National Railway Museum with support from local Network Rail managers. The website features a wide range of films from humble crossings to large power boxes. The 100th film covers four signalboxes in Calderdale – including Hebden Bridge, which closed in October 2018 after 127 years.

WATERLOO EXPANSION

THREE former international platforms at Waterloo have been fully reopened for domestic traffic from the December 9 timetable change. Platforms 20-22, which were previously used by Eurostar until it moved to St Pancras in 2007, will now be used for services to Reading, Windsor and South-West London. This follows work to extend platforms at Waterloo and nine other stations along the route to allow longer trains to run. Platforms 23 and 24 are set to come into use in May 2019 with the next timetable change.

SAFEWISE SWR LIVERY

THE Skills for Life charity, SafeWise, has had its mock-up train at Bournemouth brought up-to-date in the colours of South Western Railway. SafeWise provides skills for life for people of all ages at its learning villages, and the charity’s facility at Bournemouth has an indoor village with a full-size high street, beach, train and road.

SafeWise constantly updates the scenes to make them as real as possible, and the local train operator SWR agreed to vinyl-wrap the carriage in its latest colour scheme.

January 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 13

14 RAIL EXPRESS January 2019

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