The Railway Magazine - August 2022 - Preview

FROM DERBY TO 90 NOT OUT The remarkable story of the Egyptian monorail cars built in Britain LMS’s first diesel shunter CAIRO New

BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING RAIL TITLE August 2022 • £4.90

Railways under pressure!

How extreme heat, strikes, and politics are taking their toll on train operations

Skelmersdale dropped

Government says no to West Lancs link

TRAMS BACK AT CRICH Full reopening after repairs

GWR ‘KING’ TAKES SHAPE Steam test imminent at Minehead

LOOKING BACK AT LION New details of ill-fated loco

HITACHI IET FLEETS TO BE FITTED WITH SPEED LIMITERS

The

EDITORIAL

Editor: Paul Bickerdyke Deputy editor: Gareth Evans Contributing editor: Chris Milner Senior correspondent: Graeme Pickering Consultant editor: Nick Pigott Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Designer: Tim Pipes Editorial assistant: Jane Skayman Classic Traction News: Peter Nicholson Irish News: Hassard Stacpoole Operations News: Ashley Butlin Narrow Gauge News: Cliff Thomas World News: Keith Fender Publisher: Tim Hartley By post: The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 529529 Fax: 01507 371066 Email: railway@mortons.co.uk © 2022 Mortons Media ISSN 0033-8923

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Accepted photographs and articles will be paid for upon publication. Items we cannot use will be returned if accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope, and recorded delivery must clearly state so and enclose sufficient postage. In common with practice on other rail periodicals, all material is sent or returned at the contributor’s own risk and neither The Railway Magazine, the editor, the staff nor Mortons Media Ltd can be held responsible for loss or damage, howsoever caused. The opinions expressed in The RM are not necessarily those of the editor or staff. This periodical must not, without the written consent of the publishers first being given, be lent, sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or, in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or annexed to or as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever.

This issue was published on August 3, 2022.

The next will be on sale on September 7, 2022.

DRS Class 66 No. 66424 powers through the heat haze at Natton (Gloucestershire) on July 19, the hottest day of the year so far, with the 4V44/10.45 Daventry to Wentloog ‘Tesco’ train. JACK BOSKETT

Things are hotting up TRAIN OF THOUGHT P Editor’s ASSENGERS have been faced with a double whammy of disruption to travel this summer, in the form of extreme weather and industrial action, and all at a time when journey numbers have still not fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic.

The extreme weather hit in midJuly, when Britain basked in a heatwave that saw new temperature records set.

The mercury topped out above 40°C (104°F) in the shade, but railway tracks in direct sunshine went even higher, and Network Rail said one location in Suffolk experienced an incredible 62°C (143°F).

Understandably, with the risk of track expanding to the point of buckling, NR and the operators had to take a sensible approach and lower speeds, or even cancel services altogether. The last thing anyone wanted was a accident caused by the heat – but even on a less serious level, conditions aboard a broken down passenger train could quickly become unbearable as most windows can no longer be opened.

In this latter respect, electric trains are more susceptible than diesels in the heat, because overhead power lines can stretch and sag to the point of potentially becoming entangled in pantographs, and a stranded EMU does not have the prolonged onboard power that a DMU has. This is somewhat ironic, because electrically-powered vehicles are cited as a key part of tackling climate change.

Comment

Either side of the heatwave, we have seen the industry hit by strikes, as first the RMT and then also ASLEF members took industrial action. The RM takes no side in this, railway employees are entitled to strike if they feel it necessary, but passengers are also entitled to grumble about the inconvenience it causes to them.

Before Covid, under the franchise system, the unions were able to negotiate with individual operators to work out agreements specific to that train company.

But now, with franchises becoming National Rail Contracts, the operators simply manage services on behalf of the Government, and so it falls more directly to the Department for Transport and Treasury to set out pay deals.

Which is where a third pressure on the railways comes in. With pro-rail Boris Johnson stepping down as Prime Minister, it remains to be seen what his successor’s views will be, and whether there will be any changes to the plan to create a Great British Railways company with greater state control.

PAUL BICKERDYKE, Editor

August 2022 • The Railway Magazine • 3

Contents

August 2022. No. 1,457. Vol 168. A journal of record since 1897.

Headline News

Avanti West Coast’s 12.40 Glasgow to Euston was cancelled at Carlisle on July 19, due to hot weather. PHILIP WINTER

Main lines closed as Britain swelters in record temperatures; Summer weather and industrial relations boil over to affect train operations; Skelmersdale rail link plan rejected; DRS to sell and lease back Class 37s; Irish Government gives green light to Dublin Metro; LSL Class 73 moves to Ecclesbourne.

On the cover

MAIN IMAGE: CrossCountry has unveiled HST power car No. 43384 in InterCity 125 ‘Executive’ livery following an extensive overhaul at Plymouth Laira. The officially renumbered No. 43184 is pictured at Powderham (Devon), leading the 1E63/15.27 Plymouth to Leeds on a hot July 7 – note the driver was feeling the heat and has the cab door open.

STEPHEN GINN

Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 62 Steam & Heritage

Flexibility is crucial says FfWHR boss; Hunslet loco will be Quainton’s new No. 1; ‘B1’ relocates to Ruddington; ‘T3’ back on its wheels; Stowe away at Quainton Road.

67 Industrial Steam 69 Steam Portfolio 73 Narrow Gauge 76 Miniature 77 Heritage Trams 78 Classic Traction 82 Railtours 86 Network 88 Freight 90 Metro 92 Traction & Stock 94 Wagons

GWR 2-8-0T No. 7200 takes shape at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre on July 17. GARETH EVANS

95 Stock Update 96 Operations 103 Irish News 104 World News

The Railway Magazine is the

Michael Owen’s Class 20 No. 20048 is now on a six-month hire to the Severn Valley Railway. STEVE WIDDOWSON

Class 230 No. 230010 arrives at Honeybourne with a ‘Rail Live’ shuttle service on June 16, 2021. IAIN SCOTCHMAN

Subscribe today and save money on every issue.

Regulars

15 Railways In Parliament 50 Readers’ Platform 53 From The RM Archives 54 Subscription Offers 56 Panorama 107 Reviews 110 Classifieds 113 Reader Services 114 Crossword & Where is it?

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Wide angle distortion at York. GEOFF GRIFFITHS

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This incredible photo shows 3ft 6in gauge Cape Government Railways loco No. 390 underneath the East Coast Main Line in York! The wood-burning 4-8-0 tender loco was built by Sharp Stewart & Co in Glasgow in 1896 and, after retiring from the Zambesi Sawmills Railway in 1973, it was brought back to Britain in 1975 by David Shepherd, who then donated it to the National Railway Museum in 2004. After a cosmetic restoration at Tyseley, the loco has been on display at Locomotion in Shildon since 2012, but has now been moved to the NRM as part of its ‘Vision 2025’ masterplan. The photo was taken on Leeman Road in the early hours of July 17 as Allelys completed the road move from Shildon. CHARLOTTE GRAHAM/NRM

Features 18 From Derby to the Pyramids

ALSTOM, which bought Bombardier in 2021, is building 70 monorail trains for two routes serving Egypt’s new capital city 45km east of Cairo. The trains are being built in the UK at Derby Litchurch Lane, and Keith Fender went along to view progress.

diesel to be constructed for a main line railway company, as the Middleton Railway’s vice-president Ian Smith describes.

28 Practice & Performance: A brief fling

36 All change at Southend

New battery-powered trains have taken over from 30-year-old diesels on Southend’s famous Pier Railway, as Simon Murdoch reports.

42 Looking back at Lion

23 Ninety not out!

The Highland Main Line beckons as John Heaton FCILT heads north to tackle the climbs of Drumochter and Slochd by ‘Azuma’ and HST, before looking at the improvements since steam days on the Perth to Stirling section.

The experimental Co-Co diesel No. D0260 Lion entered service 60 years ago. Using unpublished archive material, Andy Flowers looks back at what could have become the standard Type 4.

PIONEER: First standard gauge diesel anniversary – p23

PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE: Highland Main Line – p28

EXPERIMENTAL CO-CO: BRCW’s Type 4 – p42

This year sees the 90th birthday of a remarkable survivor, the first purpose-built standard gauge

August 2022 • The Railway Magazine • 5

HeadlineNews

Main lines closed as Britain swelters in record temperatures

No trains ran on the East Coast Main Line or Thameslink at the peak of the July heatwave as temperatures reached a new record.

By Chris Milner

A RED extreme heat warning for a large swathe of South East England, the Midlands, and South Pennines on July 18/19 had a severe impact on the railway network.

With temperatures reaching a new UK record of 40.3°C (104°F) at Coningsby, Lincs, a National Emergency was declared by the Government.

Based on forecasts some 48 hours in advance, the decision was made to close the East Coast Main Line between the hours of 12.00 and 20.00 on July 19 for all services and operators between London King’s Cross and Leeds/York.

In a bid to combat the effects of the heat, Network Rail teams were out in the lead-up painting sections of many switches and crossovers white to reflect the heat and mitigate the effects.

On July 19, Thameslink suspended all of its services north of St Pancras to destinations including Bedford, Peterborough, King’s Lynn, Cambridge, and also between Stevenage, Welwyn and Moorgate. Additionally, East Midlands Railway suspended its Corby electric service, running only one diesel train per hour to Sheffield and one per hour to Nottingham.

Services out of Marylebone were running to a restricted timetable, but trains from Euston were suspended after

lunchtime following a domestic lineside fire at Harrow, resulting in trees falling onto the slow lines. At Birmingham New Street, there was disruption caused by faulty overhead cables.

Cancellations south of London were widespread too.

As a result of the speed restrictions, journey times on ECML services were considerably extended. The down ‘Highland Chieftain’ on July 18 was impacted by a lineside fire south of Newcastle and then overhead problems near Widdrington (Northumberland), resulting in an arrival at Inverness 236min late.

Mitigation measures were also put in place in Wales and Scotland, where timetables were adjusted as speed restrictions took their toll.

Advance planning

In the lead up to the heatwave, forecasters had been predicting temperature records could be broken. The warnings were followed by advice to passengers to delay or defer journeys before or after the heatwave.

As well as a health risk to passengers and staff, it was the infrastructure that was giving the greatest cause for concern, as track temperatures can be up to 20°C in excess of ambient temperature, exacerbating the risk of a derailment. Track laid on wooden sleepers rather than

Above: Track temperature measurement. NR Right: The heat buckle in the track at Vauxhall, London, on July 18. NETWORK RAIL

“Closing the line to traffic is always a last resort but it was the right thing to do to keep people safe given the unprecedented heatwave forecast” concrete is more susceptible to heat distortion.

The heat, added to the forces of passing trains, can lead to instability, increasing the risk of rail buckling, and is a key reason for lower speeds and therefore reduced forces on the track. Heat was the cause of tracks buckling at Vauxhall on the approach to Waterloo. Here the track was recorded at 48°C (118°F), but at a site in Suffolk a track temperature of 62°C (143°F) was recorded.

Excessive heat will also expand the 25kV overhead wires, leading to sagging and the associated risk the wires might get tangled around a pantograph and create more widespread damage. Although there is

a counterbalance system to keep the wires tensioned, the expansion in the temperatures experienced exceeds what can be counterbalanced, and therefore the wires sag. For this reason, strict speed restrictions were imposed on many routes, special timetables were introduced, or services cancelled all together.

The overall impact on train services varied route by route, but Network Rail warned of a high likelihood of cancellations, delays and last-minute alterations.

Despite a huge effort, some key route sections remained closed on July 20, until the completion of repairs, including the ECML south of Peterborough after a fire at a level crossing at Sandy, and the WCML between Lancaster and Carnforth, meaning a reduced service or cancellations.

Sam MacDougall, operations director for Network Rail said: “Closing the line to traffic is always a last resort but it was the right thing to do to keep people safe given the unprecedented heatwave After effects forecast.

Even after the heatwave had “The forecast temperatures subsided and temperatures fell are well above those for which by around 10°C, Network Rail our infrastructure is designed, teams were busy making repairs. and safety must come first.”

TRACK STRESSING AND EXPANSION WHEN laid, track in the UK is pre-stressed to 27°C allowing it to function within a temperature range of -10 and 35°C. In hotter countries, that range is different. In Spain for example, where there was at least one recent heat-related

derailment, the stress range is from 0-45°C, while in Saudi Arabia it is 10-55°C. Network Rail has said it is neither practical nor cost effective to restress track for higher temperatures during the year, simply because of the rarity of extremely hot

days, but says it is keeping a watching brief on the situation.

Track laid in concrete slab will provide even greater stability than concrete sleepers, but the costs compared to ballasted track are around four times higher.

Rail temperatures taken with an infrared camera and showing 50.2°C. NETWORK RAIL

Network Rail launches hot weather resilience task force IN the aftermath of the recordbreaking temperatures that caused havoc to passenger and freight services, Network Rail has announced a new taskforce to investigate and make recommendations on how the railway can develop its approach to resilience during hot weather.

Led by independent experts in their field, one area of study will be gathering insights from other countries and making comparisons with international rail networks that are more used to dealing with extreme heat and fluctuations in temperature.

Andrew Haines, chief

6 • The Railway Magazine • August 2022

executive of Network Rail, said: “The weather we’ve experienced this week has put a huge amount of pressure on our infrastructure, our staff, and our passengers, and with extreme weather events becoming more frequent as our climate continues to change, we’ve got to pull

out all the stops to make our railway as resilient as possible.

The experts will be Dame Julia Slingo FRS, former chief scientist at the Met Office and a worldrenowned expert in climatology; Sir Douglas Oakervee, who has 60 years’ experience of railway infrastructure; Simon Lane, former managing director and

CEO of railways in Melbourne and New South Wales, who has experience of running railways in extreme temperatures; and Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, who will examine how Network Rail communicates with passengers in the run-up to and during periods of extreme weather.

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

The 12.40 Glasgow to Euston was cancelled at Carlisle on July 19, due to the hot weather, No. 390121 later going back to Glasgow. The ‘Pendolino’ somewhat ironically carries the climate change livery applied for last year’s COP26 conference in Glasgow. PHILIP WINTER

Summer weather and industrial relations boil over to affect train operations Rail reliability nosedives due to strike action and extreme temperatures.

By ‘Industry Update’

A STRONGPOINT of rail travel in the past has been that, while there may be periods of disruption, steps have been taken to enable essential journeys to be made.

Such a notion has evidently become a thing of the past, as now advice is increasingly given to avoid travel if possible, as no attempt will be made to provide any form of substitute service, both in response to industrial action and extreme weather.

Network Rail and the train operators will no doubt justify the decision made to suspend services on July 19 in view of the unprecedented heat, which exceeded 40°C (105°F) in some parts of the country, and brought widespread infrastructure failures and lineside fires.

Early morning effects

Service recovery varied considerably, with disruption to services the following day in some cases due to track inspections, which was seemingly done on foot rather than using the rule book provisions that allow a route proving train to be used to examine the line while being prepared to stop short of any obstruction.

A big issue with the cancellation of early morning trains is that they are extensively used by traincrews to reach depots some way

from where they live. In fact, many early morning services are provided for that purpose alone, so if they do not run then cancellations soon follow and passengers are advised there is a shortage of traincrew, which is factually incorrect.

A question to ask is whether traincrew rostering has been made too complicated, with numerous changes en route in the belief that this maximises productivity. It only needs one link in this chain to break down and a complete out and home service is lost, such as a Thameslink working between Peterborough and Horsham.

For this through route, it is noticeable that as soon as any disruption takes place, controllers abandon the idea of running through the central section and revert to uncomplicated traincrew working between Peterborough and King’s Cross, which brings an immediate reduction in cancellations. This is the planned procedure on Sundays, where no use is made of the Thameslink central section for these services.

There are wide ranging issues to address in respect of accurate weather forecasting, design changes to system infrastructure, and

communication with rail customers in an environment where the information needs to reach users who arrive at stations with the expectation that the train service will be available.

In the latter respect, an example of the type of issue that can occur happened when a passenger boarded a Caledonian Sleeper service at Glasgow late on July 19 having been told that the expectation was that the service would run as normal.

However, he was woken up at 05.00 the next morning to be informed that the train was still

“A question to ask is whether traincrew rostering has been made too complicated”

at its starting point (although at least he received the on board breakfast service).

Risk to life

A concern identified by NR is the potential risk to life when power failures cause ventilation systems (including air conditioning) to fail, leaving passengers exposed to rising temperatures within rolling stock. A number of evacuations to the track took place on July 19, with passengers detraining on their own initiative because of unacceptable onboard conditions.

An event on May 26, 2011 may be recalled when passengers detrained from a Thameslink service that had broken down outside Kentish Town station due to a pantograph failure, which caused a loss of power

that included the driver’s public address system. The crowded train was stationary for more than two hours and, with no information provided, passengers took matters into their own hands and walked on the track to the nearby station.

An inquiry by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch made recommendations that train operators should ensure that trains without on board power should be evacuated once the delay exceeds one hour. The proposed method is to draw up an alternative train alongside on an adjacent line and allow passengers to cross a board to the ‘rescue’ train. The practicality of this has to be questioned, as track layouts may often be unsuitable.

It is easy to understand why

BORIS JOHNSON’S RESIGNATION AS PRIME MINISTER WILL RESET GOVERNMENT TRANSPORT POLICY THE departure of a Prime Minister who has favoured public transport investment as a key element of the strategy to reach net carbon emissions leaves a legacy that may not continue when a new Government is formed.

The response to the impact of Covid on the demand for rail services has seen an outcome that has effectively renationalised the franchised train operating companies in

all but name, with contracts being granted for operating services with no responsibility for revenue generation.

This approach has been criticised by candidates in the Conservative leadership election who believe that Great British Railways is being set up as a highly centralised organisation with insufficient local input about train service requirements and fares.

Measures to cut costs

by reducing timetable frequencies have continued, and it has recently been confirmed that the planned December 2022 timetable has been deferred as passenger demand remains uncertain.

Large projects are also at risk as the Transport Secretary has said that the East West Railway extension from Bletchley to Bedford and from there to Cambridge may now be unaffordable.

August 2022 • The Railway Magazine • 7

HeadlineNews

It was not just main line companies taking action in the hot weather but also heritage lines, where diesels were pressed into action to replace booked steam – such as on the Dartmouth Steam Railway on July 17, when Type 3 No. 6975 (37275) was used to power all services and pictured heading one on the approach to Paignton. DAVID HUNT

both Network Rail and the train operators do not want the hassle of dealing with stranded passengers who cannot reach their destination, but the instruction not to travel is a blunt instrument. It can be accommodated by people able to work from home as an alternative, or those postponing a leisure-based trip.

But there remains many reasons for travel that are not optional and where a face-toface presence is needed – such as at hospitals, schools, and in the hospitality sector. If future climate change objectives are to be met, there must be reliable public transport provision if people are to switch from the use of private cars.

It has been recognised that an effort must be made to operate a timetable during periods of strike action, although this will become more challenging

if ASLEF (which represents train drivers) joins with the RMT union (which represents operating staff, including signallers) to call strike action at the same time.

Fair pay issues

There is increasing public awareness that many rail staff have seen pay increase sharply as a result of employment by private sector companies. As an example, a 1995 article in The Independent newspaper identified that basic pay for drivers (under British Rail) was £11,180 per annum (equivalent to £23,890 today), although there were opportunities for overtime and rest day working that increased this to £21,580 (now worth £46,110).

A current search of recruitment agencies advertising for train drivers revealed basic salaries of

£56,000 for Chiltern Railways, £61,730 for GB Railfreight, and up to £70,000 for Avanti West Coast.

Since Privatisation, the industry has experienced a

“A 1995 article identified basic pay for drivers was £11,180 per annum” lengthy period without labour disputes. But decisions to bring both Network Rail and the franchised train operations under direct Government control has meant that employers are now constrained by overall public sector pay policy.

This is a fast ball that policy

makers failed to anticipate in the decision to create Great British Railways, where trade unions will now expect a single point of negotiation.

As far as current disputes are concerned, at the time of writing the position with Network Rail negotiations is that an offer has been made of a two-year deal with a 4% increase paid now and backdated to January, with a further 4% next year subject to agreed productivity changes.

A cash bonus is also on offer of £650, which rises to £900 for those earning less than £24,000 per annum. The pay offer is also increased to 5% this year for all employees earning less than £30,000 per annum. An added commitment is that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

The offer has been rejected by the RMT union, and a further strike of NR staff was due to

take place just after this issue went to press on July 27, which will again have a major impact on services where signalling is controlled by traditional methods.

The train operators in England holding National Rail Contracts, which have replaced franchises, have less freedom to act as their cost base is fixed by the Department for Transport and improved pay offers can only be made if there is agreement on productivity measures to reduce costs. To date no linkage has been offered to revenue improvement, as has been the case in Scotland.

In any case, negotiations are being overseen by the DfT even if they are not present at the table, and the re-emergence of a requirement to extend Driver Only Operation has resulted in poor prospects for an early settlement. ■

Above: The West Coast Main Line out of Euston was closed on July 19 after a lineside fire at Harrow led to trees falling and blocking the tracks. NETWORK RAIL Left: The Bluebell Railway had to rely on its only serviceable main line diesel on July 18, when Class 09 No. D4106 (09018) was pressed into front line service and is pictured at Horsted Keynes with the 11.30 East Grinstead-Sheffield Park. DAVID STAINES

8 • The Railway Magazine • August 2022

August 2022 • The Railway Magazine • 9

HeadlineNews Skelmersdale rail link plan rejected DfT says report failed to make ‘compelling case’ for West Lancashire line extension and station.

By Graeme Pickering

LEITH TRAM MILESTONE: A key section of Leith Walk reopened on July 18, as work continues to build the Edinburgh Trams extension from the city centre to Leith. This shot shows the new-look section between Pilrig Street and Annandale Street, and the extension is said to be on target for opening in spring 2023. EDINBURGH TRAMS

BARKING RIVERSIDE OPENS: The 2.8-mile (4.5km) London Overground line to Barking Riverside opened to passengers on July 18, just over three years since construction began in February 2019. It is an extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line, being served by four-car, dual-voltage Class 710/2s – No. 710268 pictured at the new terminus on the opening day. The station will support the development of up to 10,000 new homes by the side of the Thames. TOM PAGE CC BYSA 2.0

THE Department for Transport has rejected proposals for a long-discussed rail connection and station in Skelmersdale after reviewing a strategic outline business case (SOBC) which was submitted to it last year by Lancashire County Council.

The plan, which had been developed in partnership with Merseytravel, Network Rail and West Lancashire Borough Council, had progressed through GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) Stage 2 with a view to the third stage being completed later this year.

Options included the construction of a two-mile route from the Wigan to Kirkby line (between Rainford and Upholland) to a new station on the site of the former Glenburn College, close to the town centre, and the creation of east and west-facing spurs allowing it to be served by trains to and from Wigan and Liverpool.

Terminating the route at Thorn Island and an alternative alignment, leading to a parkway station for the M58, were also suggested, along with ‘valueengineered’ versions of the proposals.

The DfT told The RM that the document “did not make a compelling case for prioritising this scheme at this time”, but added that it would work with local authorities to explore “other options to enhance Skelmersdale’s public transport connections.”

West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper branded the decision “a betrayal” and dismissed suggestions of a bus connection to the new station being built at Headbolt Lane on the WiganKirkby route as “simply not good enough”.

RYR funding update

The news came just over a fortnight after rail minister Wendy Morton announced nine schemes, for which SOBCs had previously been submitted as part of the Government’s ‘Restoring Your Railway’ (RYR) programme, would receive further development funding.

The Barrow Hill route (Sheffield to Chesterfield via Barrow Hill and Killamarsh), Ivanhoe Line (Leicester to Burton-on-Trent), the proposed reinstatement of the Fleetwood line, the Mid-Cornwall Metro scheme between Newquay and Falmouth, and a project to provide a station and train service for Aldridge in the West Midlands will benefit, along with plans for new stations serving Meir in Staffordshire, Haxby near York, Devizes in Wiltshire and Ferryhill in County Durham.

A further four schemes (the reintroduction of passenger services between Totton and Hythe in Hampshire; the Portishead phase of Metrowest; reopening of stations at Wellington in Somerset and Cullompton in Devon; and a new station for Deeside) are also listed by the DfT for progress beyond the SOBC stage as part of RYR. Eight schemes from the first two ‘Ideas Fund’ rounds of the competition received support to produce SOBCs but will progress no further under RYR. These are: a passing loop for the Watford Jn-St Albans Abbey line; Bury-HeywoodRochdale reinstatement; Clitheroe-Hellifield; Isle of Wight branch lines; KembleCirencester; Stratford-uponAvon-Honeybourne; Melton Mowbray-Nottingham and Alfreton-Ashfield.

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COMMONWEALTH BATON: The 2022 Commonwealth Baton relay arrived at the Severn Valley Railway on July 23, on its way to the start of the Commonwealth Games on July 28. Jess Benyon, the West Midlands Regional coordinator for Dwarf Sports Association UK, is pictured carrying the baton along the platform at Kidderminster before it departed for Bridgnorth. JACK BOSKETT

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SIDELINES Stock highlights

LOCOMOTIVE Services Ltd has purchased a third Class 142, currently at Eastleigh Works.

No. 142014 will join Nos. 142003 and 142007 already owned by LSL at Eastleigh.

A further HST power car No. 43059 is now in Blue Pullman livery, although unlike the previous examples, this one only carries the branding ‘Pullman’ not ‘Midland Pullman’.

HNRC has purchased the two remaining Mk.4 DVTs Nos. 82210/18 currently stored at its site at Worksop. Meanwhile, Network Rail has acquired two further Class 153 units Nos. 153379+153384, and GWR has bought No. 57002 – although it is understood to be for spares for its Class 57/6 fleet.

For the full Stock Update, see page 95.

Trams to Edgbaston

PASSENGER services on the £149 million West Midlands Metro extension from Library to Edgbaston started running on July 17.

Phase two of the Birmingham Westside Metro extension takes the line along Broad Street to Hagley Road, adding three stops along the way at Brindleyplace, Five Ways, and the end of the line at Edgbaston Village.

Trams in the WMM fleet have been undergoing an extensive repair programme as a result of cracks found in the bodypanels, but enough vehicles have been repaired to allow passenger services to resume on the line through Birmingham city centre and the new Westside extension.

Battery ‘Dusty Bin’

EVERSHOLT Rail and Vivarail have announced plans to add battery power to the Class 321 ‘Renatus’ fleet. The 30 units are currently operating on the Greater Anglia network until the introduction of replacement trains is complete.

The idea is to develop suitable battery technology to provide 20 to 30 miles of self-propulsion to allow the trains to operate on nonelectrified or partly electrified routes, and discussions with train operators, regional sponsors and the Department for Transport are said to have identified a number of possible applications.

The technical and safety case will be developed throughout 2022 in parallel with further talks to assess the viability of potential routes.

NRM plans on hold

YORK City Council has deferred a decision on whether to approve plans for a central hall linking both sides of the National Railway Museum.

It is hoped to build a drum-like structure, including an exhibition space and cafe, but councillors questioned whether the plan had factored in access needs for disabled people.

Concerns have also been raised about the closure of Leeman Road, a major road route, to allow for the expansion.

August 2022 • The Railway Magazine • 11

HeadlineNews

OPEN DAY RAISES £39k: Direct Rail Services held its first open day since before the pandemic at Crewe Gresty Bridge depot on July 16. The event was attended by around 3,500 people and raised more than £39,000 for its sponsorship and donations fund. Two locomotives were unveiled at the event – No. 66422 Max Joule (a tribute to one of DRS’s founders and its managing director until his death in 1999), and No. 66424 Driver Paul Scrivens (who had been a DRS driver for over 20 years until his death last year).

This drone shot shows DRS Classes 37, 66, 68 and 88 at the open day, while LSL’s depot can just be made out in the background, with the station just beyond. STEVE DONALD

DRS to sell and lease back Class 37s

Arrangement will allow use of the locomotives to continue on Rail Head Treatment Trains.

By Graeme Pickering

THE fourth and final sale of heritage assets by Direct Rail Services includes a pool of 10 Class 37s from which the company will be able to lease back locomotives on a shortterm basis.

Those offered under the ‘buy and lease back’ are No. 37218,

Nos. 37401/402/407/419/422/ 423/424/425 and No. 37716.

The exact terms will form part of the tender agreement with the new owner, but DRS has told The RM that the ‘wet lease’ will give it the ability to hire the machines when they are needed for Rail Head Treatment Trains.

Autumn is traditionally a busy time for DRS, which operates

a number of RHTT diagrams for Network Rail, and it has continued to deploy Class 37s to top-and-tail workings in Yorkshire and East Anglia.

‘37s’ have lower axle loadings (and therefore better route availability) than more modern locomotives, and this is one of the reasons they still have a useful role to play despite

WELLINGBOROUGH EXPANSION: New trackwork has been installed at Wellingborough Yard for a wagon maintenance road. This shot was taken on June 23; by early July it was in use. RICHARD GENNIS

12 • The Railway Magazine • August 2022

being almost 60 years old.

The DRS sell-off, which began last October, was regarded as an important step towards achieving a more modern fleet with lower carbon emissions.

In total, the three previous phases consisted of the sale of the eight remaining Class 20s, nine Class 37s, 10 Class 57s, four Mk.2 coaches, five Mk.2 Driving

Brake Standard Open (DBSO) vehicles and two Mk.3 Driving Van Trailers.

In addition to the 10 locomotives designated for lease back in this final round, two other Class 37s (Nos. 37069 and 37602) and one Class 57 (No. 57002) are listed for sale.

The closing date for the return of bids was July 29.

‘ED’ ON THE MOVE: First-built Class 73 No. 73001 (the former No. E6001) has been moved from Locomotive Service’s main base at Crewe to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, and is pictured in the abnormal load bay at Junction 24 of the M1, where it was parked overnight mid-journey. The ‘ED’ was one of two acquired by LSL in early 2019, the other being second-built No. 73002 (ex-E6002).

STEVE DONALD

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