RailwayThe Herald www.railwayherald.co.uk Issue 121 - 21st February 2008 ISSN 1751-8091 Contents Newsdesk London Overground stock to be leased from QW Rail Leasing Ltd Page 3 170 ticket barriers for London Waterloo New automatic ticket barriers completion by the end of between Platform 8 and Platform Class 458 'Juniper' refurbishment are at last to be fitted at December, will see the 13 with two further like phases programme commences Waterloo station to aid security, introduction of 170 ticket gates to follow. Access to platforms will Page 4 make it quicker and easier to exit at the entrance to all main line be maintained while the work is the platforms and to dispense platforms and in the station carried out. Steamy Affairs placed into with a number of the many ticket subway connections with the To make way for the gating line, voluntary liquidation inspectors currently employed at Underground. Waterloo East retail units between the platforms Page 5 the platform entrances most of station is not at present affected. and the station concourse will every day. In order to minimise disruption have to close, with new facilities All change for West Somerset The £20 million investment, to passengers, the project will take planned to open once work is Railway Spring Gala weekend which is scheduled for place in phases, with work starting complete. Page 15 Railtour Listings Page 6 Full steam ahead to Scarborough in 2008 Preservation View Page 11 The West Coast Railway running back to York and then Thursdays from 22nd July until Events Diary Page 14 Company (WCRC) has announced calling as outward with an 28th August, including August Bank plans to operate the popular anticipated 20.15 arrival back at Holiday Monday, 25th August. Front Cover steam-hauled 'Scarborough Spa York. Additionally, WCRC plans A Central Trains-liveried Class 170, Express’ service during both Details of the locomotive pool to run steam specials over the now operated by Arriva Cross- Spring and Summer this year. allocated to work these trains is Settle and Carlisle route on each Country, departs from Cheltenham Final confirmation of timings is currently not available and will be Saturday in August. These trains in mid-February. Ken Brunt awaited but the train is expected announced nearer the time. will operate between York and to leave York around 09.45 calling The train is scheduled to Carlisle and return. Rear Cover at Knaresborough, Harrogate, run during the Spring Bank Further information will be During the Keighley & Worth Valley Leeds and York with an anticipated Holiday from 26th May through available shortly by telephoning Railway's Steam Gala weekend on 16th/17th February, LNER 'K1' arrival at Scarborough at 13.15. to 29th May inclusive, and then 01524 737751 or 01524 737753 2-6-0 No. 62005 storms up- The return is planned for 17.00, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and or going to www.wcrc.co.uk grade out of Keighley with the 13.25 goods to Damens Junction. Providing banking assistance at the rear was BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T Railway Herald WORLDWIDE RailwayThe Herald No. 80002. Phil Sanderson WORLDWIDE Publication from the publishers of Railway Herald The Railway Herald is due to be A new monthly round-up of news and some of the best railway photography from published every Friday and is available around the world in a digital magazine, available direct to your desktop on e-mail subscription or from our website at www.railwayherald.co.uk Railway Herald Worldwide is published on the first Tuesday of every month and available on e-mail subscription (free of charge) or it can be downloaded Submissions direct from our new look website at www.railwayherald.com We welcome submissions from all Issue 1 readers, especially digital photographs. Inside our very first issue: February 2008 Pictures should be sent to the editor at [email protected] u The latest news and events from across Europe, the America’s and the Asia Pacific region Good quality scans of colour slides and prints are also acceptable. u Winter railroading - USA style! A look a the snow covered railway scene in the United States. Currently there is no financial payment made for photographs u Australian High Speed - A pictorial review of the Australian XPT trains and a round-up of the current fleet. published in Railway Herald. Where possible we always try to use news u Up and over the Rockies - Ian Lothian takes us on a journey photographing Canada’s ‘Kicking photographs taken within the Horse’ pass. production week of the publication date. u Plus much, much more! Website Visit www.railwayherald.com/worldwide for more details Our website contains all the back Available free-of-charge in PDF format. issues of the magazine together with a host of new features which will be Issue 1 available now. Issue 2 available from 4th March online soon! www.railwayherald.co.uk Railway Herald on the web ... www.railwayherald.co.uk National Rail Timetable The entire UK National Rail Timetable is now available as a PDF download Editorial Team: from the Network Rail website. Richard Tuplin Editor [email protected] Produced in the same fashion Brian Morrison Contributing Editor [email protected] as the printed version and John Whitehouse Railtour Editor [email protected] ordered by table number, the current timetable is available by Editorial Address: clicking here. The Railway Herald, PO Box 252, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. United Kingdom. DN17 2WY The railway by-laws and Telephone: 0844 870 0735 E-mail: [email protected] information for enthusiasts are also available online from the Network Rail website, by Railway Herald is produced by Railway Herald Ltd (Registered as company number 05837609 in England) clicking here. Registered office: Hobarn House, 12 Brompton Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 1DY © Copyright Railway Herald Ltd 2006-2008 2 RailwayThe Herald NewsDesk DRS holds Open Day at Crewe DRS is organising an open day at Crewe Gresty Road Depot on Saturday 19th July from 10.00- 16.00. Like the events at Carlisle, entrance will be by ticket only, applications for which should be sent to [email protected] clearly stating your full name and postal address. Each application is valid for one applicant only, although family groups (maximum of two adults and two children) can be made by clearly indicating ‘Family Group’ on the email and stating the number of adults and children attending. Closing date for applications is 22nd June. Tickets will be picked at random after the closing date and all successful applicants will be then p Vandalism in the Greenford area resulted in considerable service disruption on 7th February. As a result of the informed within the following two problems, the Cricklewood-Calvert 'binliner' was diverted via Reading and Oxford. The 'down binliner' service is weeks. recorded passing Cholsey behind Freightliner Class 66/5 No. 66518. Don Gatehouse On the day, a donation of £2 is requested for each ticket issued, which will go to the DRS London Overground EMU stock to be leased Sponsorship and Donation Fund to A leasing contract for a new London Overground operator’s franchise. In 2027, when the fleet is half be distributed to various charities fleet of EMUs is set to release millions of pounds way through its economic life, TfL will have the option and local communities. for investment by the operators Transport for of taking on a second lease or entering into a new London (TfL), as it will avoid some £250 million agreement with another party for other more up-to- being spent on acquiring the fleet of 47 four-car date trains. There is also an option for TfL to extend RBS to sell units. the fleet by seven trains to 54. The trains for the London Overground network London Overground Rail Operations Ltd., the Angel Trains are to be leased from QW Rail Leasing Ltd, a London Overground operator, has also confirmed Royal Bank of Scotland-owned joint venture between National Australia Bank and that an order for a new generation of DMUs has Angel Trains is up for sale. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. The contract been placed with Bombardier. The trains will be Three bidders have indicated an will give TfL use of the trains until 2027 or longer manufactured for Angel Trains who will lease them to interest in taking over the business, if it wishes. This differs from the usual rolling stock London Overground. The eight Class 172 Turbostars a Deutsche Bank, AIG, Babcock & lease in the UK, which lasts only as long as the train will be delivered from the end of 2009. Brown consortium, Macquarie of Australia and Terra Firma, a private Alstom pulls out of Intercity Express Programme equity house. Alstom has announced its Alstom says that the decision sales potential outside the UK is withdrawal from bidding for the to withdraw was taken after a thought to be the main reason Merseytravel Inter-city Express Programme complete analysis of the Invitation behind the decision, coupled with investment (IEP). to Tender document and that it a reluctance to divert engineering The French-based company would now concentrate on other resources from the Automotrice Merseytravel is to support the had been on a short list along important opportunities in the UK a Grand Vitesse (AGV), the redevelopment of Chester and with Hitachi and the Express Rail relating to rolling stock, signalling company’s current flagship train. Ormskirk stations with grants Alliance, made up of Angel Trains, and maintenance. The IEP contract is due to be totalling more than £400,000 Babcock & Brown, Bombardier and The high bidding costs for a awarded to the successful bidder over the next two years.