Rail Express

  BOTH Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) have been heavily criticised since the May 20 timetable change as they have been unable to deliver the promised new services, with hundreds of services cancelled each day. Both operators have suffered from Network Rail project overruns, which have prevented the necessary driver training…

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SO, the Accurascale adventure has begun. Having already helped revolutionise modelling across the Irish Sea, the team behind the highly acclaimed Irish Railway Models brand have now made their debut in the UK market with the release of the sister company’s first ready-to-run ‘OO’ gauge model. Announced less than five months ago, the subject is…

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THE Welsh Government has awarded a 15-year contract to the KeolisAmey joint venture to operate the Wales and Borders rail franchise incorporating the future South Wales Metro. Rail services will transfer from the current operator Arriva Trains Wales on October 14, giving a contract length until 2033. The successful bidder currently operates the Docklands Light…

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THEY came, they saw, but they did not conquer. Sixty years ago in 1958, 22 four-wheeled railbuses from five different manufacturers were trialled on rural lines in England and Scotland with the aim of reducing costs and thus saving the lines from closure. The idea was noble, a brave attempt by British Railways to hang…

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THE Severn Valley Railway will stage a major diesel gala on October 4-6 that will celebrate 50 years of the ‘Hoovers’. The ‘Class 50 Golden Jubilee’ should feature at least ten ‘50s’ in action over the three days on an intensive timetable. It promises to be the greatest gathering ever of any one class of…

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In a surprise development, a Class 08 has been hired to assist with shunting at the company’s north east factory. THE beginning of April brought another new contract for Railway Support Services with the unexpected arrival of No. 08484 Captain Nathaniel Darell at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant in County Durham on the 4th. The shunter…

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THE return to the UK of a Class 04 from Italy (first highlighted in our August 2003 issue) is back on the agenda again. No. D2289 has been secured from steel processing firm Lonato S.p.A. in Brescia, Northern Italy, by Mark Jones, and it is set to join the Heritage Shunters Trust collection at Rowsley.…

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Our ‘Cumbrian Hoovers’ railtour on April 14 saw crowds turn out to witness the rare sight of Class 50s on the Carlisle to Barrow line. John Heaton FCILT reports on a fantastic day, which saw all profits go to The Railway Children charity. A RAILTOUR sponsored by Rail Express should be a prime candidate for…

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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,…

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