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TRAIN services operated by the Northern franchise continued to be disrupted during December, with the RMT union imposing strike action on successive Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas. By the end of the month, there will have been 19 successive Saturdays when it has only been possible to run 30% of planned services. Support for…

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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…

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THE Deltic Preservation Society is looking at options that might see its No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier back on the main line. A railtour operator has, in effect, offered to sponsor its return by guaranteeing a set number of charters, which would allow the DPS to procure and fit the necessary equipment. Since No. 55019…

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IT is five years now since the surviving prototype HST power car No. 41001 arrived at Ruddington, Great Central Railway (Nottingham), its operating base while under the care of the 125 Group. The Group had already pulled off what many saw as a minor miracle – not only getting the National Railway Museum to loan…

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THE pair of Autocars introduced by the North Eastern Railway in 1903 can rightly be described as ahead of their time and the forerunner of all multiple units to follow. Rather than go with conventional steam power, and having seen the superior acceleration being offered by recently introduced electric tramcars, the company opted to experiment…

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THE long-awaited launch of Britain’s first tram-train service finally took place on October 25, when No. 399204 carried the first passengers as the 09.39 Sheffield Cathedral to Rotherham Parkgate. But the day was marred just a few hours later when this same unit was involved in a crash with a lorry, bringing a halt to…

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THUNDERBIRD rescue locomotives have not previously been necessary on Great Western routes given the operational flexibility of the High Speed Trains that are now starting to be withdrawn. It has been recognised, however, that failures of the replacement Class 800 series rolling stock – which have distributed power systems rather than power cars – will…

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Former Driving Van Trailer No. 82113, which has been converted into a self-powered vehicle dubbed No. 19001, was running trials along the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway in October. The Artemis-led project has seen the DVT fitted with a JCB engine and hydraulic accumulators, which store energy during braking for reuse during acceleration to reduce overall…

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