AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR RAIL USERS No 143 £2 April 2015 ‘New’ trains for northern England See page 2 and back page Pictures: NORTHERN RAIL Pictures: NORTHERN Page one picture LOCAL ACTION For 25 years the train pictured on page one expected to be available at half the cost of Yorkshire was crammed with commuters on the Bed- new diesel trains. ford-London Thameslink route. By Chris Hyomes Rail expert Paul Salveson said the con-
[email protected] Now it is being refurbished and will enter verted trains could be a useful addition service in the north of England in May on to the regional fleet, and could be used n n Harrogate triumph the newly electrified route between Liv- on many local lines across England and The new Virgin-Stagecoach erpool and Manchester via Newton-le- Pictures: VIVARAIL Wales. franchise for the East Coast main Willows. He added: “As far as I can see its main line includes seven trains a day each Six of the dual-voltage class 319 trains will problem is the 60 mph maximum speed. way between Harrogate and London be based at Allerton depot in Liverpool However, there are quite a few routes on Kings Cross, just as Railfuture where the trains will be maintained. which the D-Trains would be appropri- proposed in a detailed submission ate and that have 60 mph maximum line The trains are being refurbished inside and to all three bidders, the Department speeds, including some quite long routes. out at Wolverton works in Buckingham- for Transport and the Office of Rail If acceleration is as good as it is claimed shire by Knorr-Bremse.