Railways Illustrated August 2023

A regular comment I see in relation to almost any story about the railways is just how expensive it is to travel by train and how more people would travel if fares were lower. Certainly, when planning a journey by rail, just inputting the start and end points of the trip can bring up some truly eye-watering fares. Negotiating the range of ticket options and fares is complex and unnecessarily difficult, especially for those who aren’t familiar with using the railway on a regular basis. What baffles me is why the cheapest possible fare isn’t offered at the first option? But it rarely is. One of the joys of my job is that I regularly get to travel around the country by train and recently, while making arrangements for some…

NETWORK RAIL has published its £44.1 billion spending plans covering 2024 to 2029 for the railway in England and Wales. The funding allocated to Network Rail is made available over five-year cycles, known as control periods (CP), with the next, control period seven, beginning on April 1, 2024. The amount of money available for CP7 is £1.8 billion more than was allocated for CP6, with adjustments made for changes in electricity costs. The infrastructure company plans to deliver a more punctual and reliable railway over the next five years, having recognised the need to improve performance and more than double its investment in tackling climate change to make the railway more resilient and sustainable. The plans also include investments in reducing emissions and net-zero initiatives to improve biodi-versity and air quality,…

DB CARGO has repainted 66023 into a special celebratory livery to mark the coronation of King Charles III, which took place in May. The royal blue locomotive bears a Union Flag and the official coronation logo featuring emblems from the UK nations. Work on repainting the locomotive was carried out at Toton Traction Maintenance Depot, DB Cargo’s principal locomotive maintenance facility in the UK. Its new look was officially unveiled by Toton depot manager Matt Manson at the company’s annual family and friends event at the Nottinghamshire depot on June 17, witnessed by a crowd of about 800 DB Cargo employees and invited guests. The same event last year saw 67007 emerge in royal purple livery, applied to mark the late Queen’s platinum jubilee. DB Cargo chief executive officer Andrea…

TRANSPORT FOR Wales’ new fleet of Class 398 tram-trains made its debut on Network Rail metals late on the evening of June 15, when 398008 and 398009 worked a test run from the still incomplete Taff’s Well depot to Radyr and back. The 22.30 departure was followed by a second trip in the early hours of June 16, at 00.45. The first phase of TfW’s South Wales Metro network has now been electrified and it is anticipated that the tram-trains will enter passenger service in 2024. The Class 398s have been built by Stadler and can operate on overhead electrification or on battery power. They are 40 metres in length and can operate at 60mph on railway lines. TfW chief commercial officer Alexia Course said: “This is another major milestone…

JUNE 12 saw King Charles travel on the Royal Train behind LNER A3 Pacific 4-6-2 steam locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as part of the line’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The Royal Train travelled over the whole of the heritage railway route from Grosmont to Pickering, where the king unveiled a plaque and took the opportunity to view the legendary steam locomotive, which is celebrating its centenary throughout 2023. For the occasion, 60103’s cab roof was specially painted white and new lamps were fitted, in line with the tradition for locomotives hauling the Royal Train. NYMR chief executive Chris Price said: “It’s an honour to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the NYMR with a visit from King Charles III. For all these years we have preserved…

Staff from Northern’s Heaton depot have carried out repairs to a retired Class 144 Pacer, now used as a classroom at The Dales School in Blyth, and have built a level crossing walkway, complete with safety signs, so children can understand more about railway safety. The group, led by Northern’s senior production manager Gary Barnes, fixed a leak on the roof of 144002, replaced window seals and gave the vehicles a general sprucing up. The Pacer was donated to the primary school, which provides education for children with a variety of additional needs, by Porterbrook following withdrawal. More than 500,000 water bottles have been refilled free of charge by railway passengers as part of an initiative by Greater Anglia. The operator has invested £65,000 in installing water refill points at…