323] Hope Valley: As well as weekend line closures until 12 Feb, there are blockades from 23.00 Fri 15 until 05.15 Mon 25 Mar and from 23.00 Fri 26 Apr until (curiously) 20.00 Wed 1 May for upgrade work. EMR Norwich to Liverpool services are replaced by buses between Sheffield and Liverpool but TPE plans to run a half hourly Manchester Oxford Road to Liverpool Lime Street service via Warrington Central, in the paths usually used by EMR trains. These turnback mainly in Oxford Road P2 & 4. 324] Daisy Hill: On the Salford Crescent to Wigan direct line, work starts here in mid-Mar (for Dec completion) on a £4M project to install a passenger lift and improve accessible car parking facilities. 325] Stockport: On Sat 20 & Sun 21 Jan there were no trains south of Stockport, except for Chester via Altrincham. Northern ran a shuttle between Piccadilly and the rarely used Stockport bay platform 3a. Note that despite being '3A' on the Sectional Appendix it is '3a' on the platform sign (per TRACKmaps). During the week of 27 Nov 2023, the 23.37 from Manchester Piccadilly (normally through to Crewe) turned back in Stockport P1 due to an engineering block towards Crewe on four consecutive nights. This produced the unusual routing of a Down train departing Stockport P1*. When a member (from Coventry, of course) travelled on the return service from Stockport to Manchester, it immediately used the country end trailing crossover from the Up Slow to Up Fast, then the trailing crossover from the Up Fast to the Down Fast, before finally traversing the facing crossover from the Down Fast to the Down Slow at Heaton Norris Jn to call at Heaton Chapel! All three have very limited booked usage in normal timetables, particularly the last one which, much more often than not, is not used even when booked. Our member thanks https://uttracker.com/home.php the incredibly useful UT (Unusual Track) Tracker website, which has identified that this is planned to happen again from Mon 19 to Thur 22 Feb and also on Mon 1 Apr (no fooling). Note that the signalling at Stockport is inflexible (positively steam age in fact); trains may only turnback to Manchester in P1 or P3a (the north end bay alongside P3). *The SO 08.30 Stalybridge to Stockport and return 09.04 Stockport to Stalybridge are booked to turn back in Stockport P1 but do not use all of above crossovers of course, due to being routed via Denton. 1441 SOUTH EAST - NORTH & EAST ANGLIA (Julian James) [email protected] 326] HS1: Not previously recorded in BLN was severe flooding in the Thames Tunnels on Fri 29 Dec, possibly the first time HS1 has been affected by flooding. It was caused by a burst pipe feeding the tunnel fire safety system; water gushing from a pipe submerged both tracks. Eurostar services were initially given priority over domestic High Speed trains, then nothing ran at all on 30 Dec. The Down Tunnel reopened first and some Up trains to St Pancras crossed to the Down Line at Ebbsfleet East Jn as far as Wennington trailing crossover. Fortunately, the whole of HS1 is bidirectionally signalled. 327] Colchester - Manningtree: (BLN 1437.2396) (TRACKmaps 2 p6A 2020) At 56m 00ch, all traces of the former crossovers and Ground Switch Panel had gone by 29 Jan; a 60mph Speed Restriction was in place. 328] Denbigh Hall South Jn: (TRACKmaps 4 p3B 2022) As part of East West Rail, NR is planning Phase 1 switches and crossing renewal here in Apr 2024, the double junction with moveable angles and plain track as far as, but excluding, the facing crossover at Bletchley Flyover North Jn. Diverging speeds of 25mph are planned to be raised to 30mph without significant signalling alteration. The cost estimate is £200k to £400k. Phase 2 in Oct 2024 is just renewal of the Down Bletchley with its three convergences (from the Up Yard, Bletchley Relief 2 and Bletchley Relief 1), again to raise line speed from 25mph to 30mph. An increase in speed to 40mph was rejected on cost grounds (£20M with signalling changes). The small speed increase for Oxford to Milton Keynes trains will reduce line occupancy for conflicting moves. Firstly, Down EWR crossing Up Slow moves from Milton Keynes Central and, secondly, impact on Down Slow moves from Bletchley P3. The gain for EWR is negligible if dwell at Bletchley P7 and stand at Milton Keynes P2a and P2 is considered but it is set so that it does not require signal changes. 329] Abbots Ripton: Huntingdon Town Council held a ceremony on 22 Jan to unveil an 'interpretation board', commemorating the lives lost in the 21 Jan 1876 Abbots Ripton rail disaster. It occurred after a 'Special Scotch Express' train collided with a coal train during a blizzard. A few minutes later, a second express crashed into the wreckage. 13 passengers died and a further 53 were injured, along with six traincrew. Some victims are buried at the Priory Road Cemetery in Huntingdon, where the board is.
X.15] BELOW: (BLN 1440.212) Beaulieu Park, the former main line trackbed hathe new Up Main line moved away from its previous alignment onto the tracclosure of the adjacent direct slip road connecting the northbound A138 road t- future planning be @!@!@!@!! (Sorry, we can't use Iain's exact word here in
ad been raised through the station for construction of island P1&2 (left), with ck bed of the erstwhile New Hall Up Goods Loop. The worksite required the to the A12. It looks as though the opportunity to put in an Up Loop is now lost a family journal like BLN.) (Towards London; Iain Scotchman, 26 Jan 2024.)
330] Haughley Jn: (BLN 1439.68) The Class 755 Bimodes have been changing between diesel and OHLE here, rather than at Stowmarket as before, for a while now (a member noticed it on 9 May 2023). Then, Norwich to Stansted Airport services were still changing over at Ely station (now Ely North Jn). It looks as though the paper work is now formalised or Greater Anglia wanted a positive press release. 331] Swindon - Oxford: GWR has announced that it is planning to reintroduce a Bristol to Oxford service, last operated back in 2003 on Saturdays, from 14 Sep 2024 as a trial until Dec 2024. The online publication shows a basic route map and would suggest trains 'may/could' avoid reversing at Didcot Parkway by using the Foxhall Curve PSUL route. As plans stand at the moment, all except one each day will use the curve. There are two round trips departing Bristol Temple Meads SO at 10.18 & 15.18, returning from Oxford at 11.55&17.12, with intermediate stops at Bath Spa, Chippenham & Swindon. 332] London Gateway, Port Jn: (BLN 1433.2221 & e-BLN 1440.X.8) Track and pointwork has now been relaid at Port Jn, between Thames Haven Jn on the Tilbury to Pitsea line and London Gateway, also restoring the previously disconnected route to Thames Haven. It had been disconnected since the derailment of an intermodal train on 23 Dec 2021 (BLN 1392.93). The junction is the convergence of the double track from Thames Haven Jn and also the divergence right of the London Gateway tracks from the bidirectional Thames Haven Single ahead. The junction relay, a mere two turnouts, toes to toes, includes approximately 50m of plain line as far as the Stop Board on the Thames Haven Single. 333] Haddenham & Thame Parkway - Bicester North: At about 09.30 on 11 Jan a slip at 7m 51ch, in an area known for embankment issues south of Bicester South Jn, led to closure of the Down Main and required a 20mph restriction on the Up Main. There was bidirectional running on the Up Main from Princes Risborough(facing crossover south of the station,used by Marylebone to Aylesbury trains that go via Princes Risborough) at first to Bicester North P2, then the trailing crossover north of the station. Later on, they crossed over at Bicester South Jn (crossover used by Oxford to Marylebone services in the other direction). Only the twice hourly Birmingham to Marylebone services ran through. Oxford services turned back at Bicester Village (buses to/from Bicester Town). Piling to secure the bank began on 14 Jan, with the Down line efficiently reopening early on 16 Jan, after 65 piles had been inserted. 334] Lowestoft Freight Sidings: (BLN 1433.2216) Sea delivery of ballast has used several ships, at sporadic intervals; the 'Hagland Boss' offloading on 15, 19, 29 Aug & 18 Sep, the 'Hagland Pioneer' on 1 Oct, 'Famita' on 18 Oct and 'Falkfjord' on 12 Dec & 6 Jan, all from Rekefjord, nowadays an attractive holiday location. A railway was built in the 1860s to carry ore from the Blåfjell mines to Rekefjord for shipment. The railway has since closed and is now a pedestrian and bicycle path. There were deliveries before 15 Aug to Lowestoft Yard but, during the hiatus between 18 Oct and 12 Dec, the ballast stock was all cleaned and screened. The ballast is now unloaded onto the quay and left there, from where it is later loaded into lorries to take to the yard for screening using a Terex Finlay machine. The loading machinery has changed a bit as well. The Liebherr lh30 wheeled loader previously used could not load fast enough. There was a Komatsu as well there for a while. Land Recovery seem to have quite a lot of machinery. They are now using a Liebherr 954 tracked long reach loader together with the original CAT 982Ms. The loco runs round and pulls the wagons forward instead of pushing them back before pulling them forward. They are loaded from two points simultaneously to reduce the loading time. 335] Lowestoft: An original British Railways running in board, Eastern Region blue with 'LOWESTOFT' in white letters and 'CENTRAL' on a second line in smaller capitals, has returned to the station. It was purchased privately at Lowestoft Auction Rooms and is on public display in the restored Parcels Office Exhibition Space by the booking hall. The well known large 'BRITISH RAILWAYS LOWESTOFT CENTRAL' sign, also in capitals, high up outside the station, is made up of several mild steel stove enamelled panels. The running in board is one sheet and was originally back to back with another. When on P3 and P4 of the station, the two boards were panel mounted between two posts but without a frame. Press reports suggest both have been bought but photos of the display in the exhibition space show only one (the auction website does not clarify). OP 1 Jul 1847, the station became Lowestoft Central from 13 Jul 1903 when Lowestoft North opened on the line to Yarmouth. The latter CP 4 May 1970 and Lowestoft Central was no longer 'Central' from a date in Mar 1971 and the 4 May 1971 timetable.
336] Sizewell 'C': (BLN 1439.75) ①The project has received its Development Consent Order (DCO) in what the media described as the latest green light for Sizewell 'C' (permission originally granted in Jul 2022). The DCO allows building to start, due to take nine years to complete. Hopefully a national cement shortage will not result! Land purchase and setting up had already begun. While the DCO was celebrated on site by the Nuclear Minister, the press term is well chosen because the Final Investment Decision, when the various parties are committed to building the station, is still some months away. ②Three sites at Suffolk ports have been secured by Sizewell 'C' - 60% of freight is to be moved by sea and rail. Offsite port storage space of the scale required by Sizewell 'C' is limited, so early sourcing of space has been vital. Two sites are at the Port of Lowestoft and one is at the Port of Ipswich. Clearly there is a good prospect of onward rail transport. Whether this port use has been taken into account or is additional to the already expected levels is not clear. Significant works will be required to provide the required capacity between Ipswich and Saxmundham and Saxmundham and Lowestoft. ③(BLN 1435.241) Sizewell 'C' began formal negotiations in Nov with Essex & Suffolk Water, part of Northumbrian Water Limited, to part fund the construction of a new regional water main. The 28km pipe is expected to run from Barsham, west of Beccles, to Saxmundham, 'sized well' to provide more water than Sizewell 'C' needs, increasing water for the local area, sufficient until the early 2030s. 337] Tilbury2 Aggregate: (BLNs 1398.890 & e-BLN 1434.X.102) Thought to be the first working since 31 May 2022 from Tilbury2 Construction Materials & Aggregate Terminal (CMAT), a 22.18 train left on Wed 17 Jan for Radlett Redland Roadstone, with stone from Norway. However, it was diverted to Wembley Yard due to conflicting engineering work en route and delayed further on 18 Jan due to a lack of siding capacity at Radlett. Paths have been available for over a year but hitherto have not run. 1441 SOUTH EAST - SOUTH (Julian James) [email protected] 338] Reading West: (BLN 1411.2507) On 26 Dec the new building looked almost complete and ready to open. Looking south towards the building, the main entrance is in the middle of it, under the bridge, with the staff area to the left. On the right, entering through the door, is the gate line after which passengers will turn back on themselves into a corridor down the back of the building to Down P1 or turn right to reach the Up P2. There is what may be a booking office or an assistance counter window on the left inside the building. The bus stops outside were restored about a fortnight previously. 339] Herne Bay: (702,000 passengers in 2022-23) The remote side of Up P1, previously the location of the Up siding and onetime bay platform, has recently been fitted with waist height fencing along its length, secured at the platform edge nosing. On Down P2, the Hathats Coffee facility is open again. 340] Thanet Parkway: (BLN 1433.2224) At 11.00 on 16 Jan, there were about 30 cars in the car park. 341] Marchwood: An unusual circuit of MoD general merchandise workings to and from London Gateway and Marchwood Military Port operated over the three days from 16 to 18 Jan: 16 Jan 12.18 Marchwood - Eastleigh East Yard. 16 Jan 17.55 Eastleigh East Yard - Donnington. 17 Jan 12.19 Donnington to London Gateway. 18 Jan 02.56 London Gateway to Marchwood. 18 Jan 12.18 Marchwood to Doncaster Down Decoy. 342] Merstone, IOW: An excellent article on Merstone station is at http://tinyurl.com/3cthyx7r Merstone on the Sandown to Newport line was the junction for the branch to Ventnor West and important for transporting agricultural produce from the fertile Arreton Valley.Years ago,three trains a day took sugar beet to Medina Wharf for processing at Selby Sugar Factory. Milk was also supplied to Portsmouth. The station originally had one platform, later replaced by an island with a pedestrian subway. The article includes anecdotes and details of five operational incidents at the station during its life. The site is now a wildflower meadow, picnic area and orchard managed by 'Gift to Nature', a local project of the charity Natural Enterprise. It is on National Cycle Route 23, the 'Red Squirrel Trail'. 343] Sandown: (BLN 1435.2457) NR is seeking planning permission to demolish an empty 1960s style bungalow it owns alongside the railway line at 15 Gordon Close, Sandown, because of the risk of it causing a slip of the chronically unstable railway cutting. Ground conditions with subsidence found in a 2022 structural survey and subsequent moisture in the ground make the slip likely.
X.16] BELOW: The sign is to the old Red Star parcels office (north side of Read[Unrelated matter: Amending e-BLN 1440.X.7, closure of the Hunst
ing station) closed and demolished for many years. (Peter Scott, 24 Jan 2024.) tanton branch was from 5 May 1969, not 1959 - fat fingers again.]
BELOW: (Item 353) Nailsea & Backwell; the 15.45 to Exeter St Davids which hBy doing this it could return to Weston-super-Mare normally inclu
had arrived from Weston-Super-Mare in the Up direction on the Down Main. ding Worle Jn facing crossover. (Mark Fishlock, Wed 24 Jan 2024.)
344] Hampden Park: Unusually, the platform mounted Passenger Information Systems on each platform can display destinations such as Brighton, Ore and Victoria on both signs at the same time! Although correct, it is very confusing for someone just wanting a Hampden Park to Eastbourne train. 1441 SOUTH WEST (Samuel Taunton) [email protected] 345] Over and out: On Thur 4 Jan the water level rose to the closure mark on Over Viaduct 'over' the River Severn (115m 45ch) at Gloucester on the direct line from Severn Tunnel Jn. (This viaduct is next to Thomas Telford's preserved road bridge.) Sensors are fitted that notify Gloucester Signalling Centre when the closure mark is reached, then the viaduct has to close to all traffic until it has been inspected and passed fit for traffic. The 08.45 Cardiff to Nottingham was about 16 miles away on the Gloucester side of Naas Level Crossing (132m 36ch) and had to turn back, running in the Down direction on the Up Main to Lydney. A Mobile Operations Manager had to attend to ensure safe crossing of Naas Level Crossing in the wrong direction, amongst other things. The train, with its passengers, returned towards Lydney and ran into the Up Goods Loop,where the driver changed ends and performed a double shunt across to the Down Main via the facing crossover at the Gloucester end of the station. This crossover is used by tours etc running from Gloucester onto the Dean Forest Railway. The DMU then returned the passengers to Newport and terminated. Online systems incorrectly show that the train terminated at Lydney! Passengers were able to complete their journeys by rail via Bristol Parkway. TfW then ran between Maesteg and Chepstow (ECS shunt). The line reopened as a through route on 8 Jan at 17.18. 346] Parkandillack: (BLN 1440.224) If the branch (with reopening on to St Dennis Jn) was to replace the present Newquay branch, it would certainly need upgrading and relaying to passenger standards. 347] Newquay: (BLN 1440.224) The branch was descoped from the Devon & Cornwall Resignalling scheme (in progress) and the existing branch boxes will remain. However, the line is to be resignalled for the Cornwall Metro scheme linking Newquay and Falmouth, which has had considerable funding (see back reference). Newquay, with its second platform, and the new Goss Moor passing loop will be controlled from Goonbarrow Jn mechanical box. Its existing mechanically signalled area will remain when the new infrastructure is put onto an NX (Entrance/Exit) panel with a new relay interlocking. This was supposed to have been commissioned in May but is - just for a change - running behind, due to funding delays. The NR plan is for May 2025 but is looking difficult and it may not be until Aug 2025 (no possessions are possible before), causing much dissatisfaction with the local authorities. 348] Lynton & Barnstaple (L&B) rail replacement buses: 88 years after the original Southern Railway closed the narrow gauge line in 1935, these have appeared on Realtime Trains since the Sun 10 Dec timetable change. They are not on National Rail or GWR websites. Buses start at Barnstaple station SuX 08.45, then broadly hourly until 17.40 (SuO departures at 11.40 & 16.40), calling at the Bus Station 10 minutes later, Lynton Castle Hill (63 minutes) and finally Lynmouth Coach Park 7 minutes later. There are similar services the other way. It is 'Filers Travel' bus route 310. For those wanting to explore the L&B, other stops include Snapper Waytown, Chelfham Bridge, Bratton Fleming, Blackmoor Gate, Parracombe and Woody Bay station. They connect well with the hourly Exeter trains at Barnstaple. 349] Barnstaple to Ifracombe rail replacement buses: Similarly, over 53 years since the branch closed, since 10 Dec buses from Barnstaple station to the bus station, Ilfracombe and 'Combe Martin Seaside' have put in an appearance. They depart (SuX) 06.35, 08.35 and roughly hourly until 17.35 and return. 350] Portishead progress: (BLN 1419.631) Construction work to restore passenger services could finally start in Aug. On 9 Jan North Somerset Council voted unanimously to give council leader Mike Bell the authority to submit the full business case for the long-awaited scheme to the DfT, expected to happen in Feb. The branch would reconnect 50,000 residents with the national rail network offering an expected journey time of 20-25 min to Bristol Temple Meads. The new terminus is at 129m 29ch (TRACKmaps 3 p6B 2023), 36ch short of the previous one to avoid installing a new level crossing (which the DfT do not allow). There is one intermediate station, at Pill (126m 12ch), although Ashton Gate may follow. With all the DfT procrastination delays, costs have risen to £152M currently, funded by the West of England Combined Authority, DfT, and North Somerset Council. The DfT will cover unexpected extra costs such as inflation - let's see how long it takes them to give final sign off of the project.
351] Meldon mystery solved: (BLN 1440.221) (TRACKmaps 3 p11C 2023) The Mon 15 Jan 2024 'Civil Engineer' train from Westbury Down Yard turned out to be a ballast drop (one way to lose weight rapidly after Christmas) between Crediton (179m 20ch) and the former station at Bow (187m 55ch). It was worked 'top & tail' by Class 66s and didn't even reach Okehampton. This suggests the fallacious times (03.10-03.40) at Meldon Quarry were entered manually and shows that online systems cannot always be relied on. The giveaway is the lack of times at Okehampton which has automatic recording. The Okehampton to Meldon section remains out of use with the train staff securely locked away. 352] Hyding in the siding? (Photo e-BLN 1440.X.9) (TRACKmaps 3 p8A 2023) On 10 Jan, Hyde Park Siding at Exeter St Davids (next to the London end of Down bay P2) was graced with the rare visit of a light engine. Colas Rail 37219 ran as 09.01 to Bristol Kingsland Road via Kings Norton. Your BLN Editor joined a brakevan trip to Hemyock (milk tanks) here (there is a platform)one Sunday over 50 years ago. 353] Bristol TM to Weston-super-Mare: Although this line was closed from Sat 20 until Sun 28 Jan inclusive for work at Bristol West Jn, the 'school trains' continued to run SSuX: 06.37 Taunton to Nailsea & Backwell (07.59), forming the 08.05 to Plymouth and 14.55 Weston-super-Mare to Nailsea & Backwell (15.29), returning as 15.45 to Exeter St Davids. This was achieved by Single Line Working, with Up trains using the Down Main from Worle Jn facing crossover. No trains used the Weston-superMare avoider. Two 4-car stop boards were especially positioned on the down platforms at Worle, Yatton and Nailsea & Backwell for the benefit of the drivers undertaking this Up direction move. 1441 WEST MIDLANDS (Brian Schindler) [email protected] 354] Is this Birmingham's Most Awkward Station to Visit? Is a new 3½ min video, search that title on YouTube. Normally one train a week calls at Bordesley (13.47 SO Whitlocks End to Kidderminster). It is NOT a Parliamentary train, of course) The cameraman found the street level station entrance gates were unlocked and open but the ones at the top of the stairs to access the platform were locked. He was able to film the train calling through a gap in the palings; needless to say no one alighted or joined (a good job really in the circumstances). Our member who sent in the video link asks if this is a regular occurrence? If anyone visits the station to tick it off, a prior call to West Midlands Railway Call Centre beforehand might be a good idea! Your Regional Editor has heard of both sets of gates being locked when the train calls. Despite this, 9,088 passengers used the station in 2022-23 (compared with 120 in 2020-21 and 24,100 in 2019-20). This is because when Birmingham City Football Club is playing at home at nearby St Andrews Ground - as in St Andrews Jn - there is an enhanced service in both directions before and after the match. This last happened on Tue 16 Jan, when 13 trains called. 355] Trent Valley Line: (BLN 1441.231) Resignalling from Tue 23 Jan included recontrol of the Trent Valley lines from Brereton (125m 50ch) through Lichfield to 103m 60ch, almost to Atherstone from Rugby Signalling Control Centre to Rugby Rail Operating Centre, Colwich Workstation. 356] Great Malvern: (BLN 1410.2397) Renovation of the Victorian platform canopies was finally completed just before Christmas (taking 13 months longer than planned and 25% over budget due to the 'unexpected problems' found). There has been complete structural strengthening and repainting of the ornate ironwork on both of the station's platform canopies, with missing decorations restored and complete reglazing. The canopies are waterproof (almost!) for the first time in many years. The project, supported by West Midlands Railway, Wychavon District Council and part funded by the Railway Heritage Trust, began in Apr 2022. The station was opened by the Worcester & Hereford Railway in 1860 and its current buildings were Grade II listed in 1969 (when British Rail had considered demolishing them - the other stations west of Worcester lost all their buildings). Unlike Malvern Link, the station has retained many of its original Victorian features including elaborate cast iron girders, supported by impressive sculptures of floral arrangements. Each of the floral arrangements was carefully removed and brought back to life by a specialist company before being refitted at the station. The Up platform main beam was found to be corroded requiring partial replacement; Listed Building Consent had to be obtained, so the refurbishment took longer than expected but the result is superb. 357] Stafford: Stafford Motive Power Depot (closed 19 Jul 1965) in Castle Street, on the Down side past the station, has been cleared of all buildings leaving only several large items of plant present.
BELOW: (Item 358) Sadly this is no longer the c
case, of course. (John Cameron, 27 Jan 2024.)
358] Lichfield HS2: The Government has ended safeguarding of the route of HS2 Phase 2a between the West Midlands and Crewe, so that land on the route can now be developed. Reselling properties acquired by HS2 that are no longer needed 'will begin shortly'. Safeguarding continues for the Handsacre Link near Lichfield, where HS2 will connect with the West Coast Main Line. 359] Witton: (191,000 passengers in 2022-23) This station, on the Birmingham to Walsall via Aston line is to be modernised, as nearby Villa Park Football Ground has been selected to host some 2028 UEFA European Football Championship group matches. The stadium will also be significantly upgraded. The proposed station designs have come from a feasibility study funded by the West Midlands Rail Executive. The next stage is a business case, an upgrade was not viable until now; it will also future proof the station should a new stadium be built at Villa Park. Improvements will include new platform access ramps, increased queuing capacity after matches, a new pedestrian and cycle subway under the line at Station Road, wider and deeper platforms and platform canopies replacing the existing shelters. The station has been unstaffed since 2013, when the ticket office was closed. Due to more frequent trains and a better range of destinations, fans often use Aston station, although it is further to walk to. 360] West Midlands Metro: The final piece of track has been welded into place on the Birmingham Eastside line, completing the current (isolated) phase of construction along Digbeth High Street. The section at Lower Bull Street at the other end of the line has already been completed. It will be years before trams are able to run to Digbeth, as it is awaiting completion of the 'HS2 Curzon Station' (which has just started) but Lower Bull Street is to be a temporary terminus outside the Clayton Hotel. 361] Long Marston: (BLN 1440.235) Although TPE rakes of Mk5 coaches (out of service by 10 Dec) have been moved here for secure storage, the lease doesn't expire until May 2024. In the case of the train pictured in e-BLN, the Class 68 returned light engine but others remain in store at Long Marston. 362] University: BLN 1437.2414 explained that brand new 4-car Class 196 DMUs (which are proving very popular with passengers) could not call at University travelling towards Birmingham because of the 'wrong sort of curve' in the platform. This restricted the conductor's view of the train doors during self dispatch. The problem would not have occurred if the trains had been used as designed - for Driver Only Operations; needless to say, the RMT would not accept this. It has been solved by moving the stopping point nearer to New Street on a straighter section of platform. Longer term, it is understood that door control panels will be fitted intermediately (at present they are just on the cabs each end). The new station building finally opened on Sun 28 Jan; originally it had been intended to have it open for the Commonwealth Games in Jul 2022! The entrance has moved to the Birmingham end of the platforms but the original entrance at the south end is retained as an exit only. University opened on Mon 8 May 1978 (your BLN Editor was the first ever passenger from it), with the inauguration of the Cross City Line - the four trains an hour each way were revolutionary at the time. The station was designed for up to 500,000 passengers a year but pre-Pandemic had almost 4M (more than Crewe!) recovering to 2.633M in 2022-23. Passengers also interchange between the Cross City, Cardiff to Nottingham and the Hereford lines (despite ORR figures wrongly saying that no one does!) With expansion of the neighbouring University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the £44M station upgrade is designed for up to 7.2M passengers a year. Students now commute from further afield due to accommodation availability. The station has new wider platforms, wider entrances, stairways and exits with more open space to circulate and wait, lifts to the platforms, a larger ticket office and improved customer facilities. The main 'pavilion building' includes space for a café or convenience shop, due to be announced soon, and an NHS facility on the first floor. 1441 IRELAND (Martin Baumann) [email protected] 363] Portrush branch: With platform lengthening from 3 to 6-cars,the intermediate stations have new name boards (one each!) 'University Platform' and 'Dhu Varren Platform'. To be fair, they have very little else except one platform; shades of the original GWR with its Wootton Wawen Platform (and others - there were two platforms!) on the North Warwick(shire) line south of Henley-in-Arden. It lost its'Platform'from 6 May 1974; they were more important than a 'Halt' but unstaffed and not a station.
364] Train shafted: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch may investigate an incident on Mon 22 Jan near Templepatrick Loop between Antrim and Bleach Green Jn. The driveshaft on the rear car of unit 4015, on the 15.38 Londonderry to Belfast Great Victoria Street, broke and caused major damage to the underfloor equipment. Debris from this punctured the fuel tank of the adjacent car, causing a fire. The driver was able to extinguish it, being slightly injured in the process. Firefighters used ladders to evacuate the passengers who were transported by bus. Damage to the two vehicles is so severe they will probably have to be sent to an external repair facility in England or returned to CAF in Spain. 365] Lisburn - Antrim: New instructions have been issued for the line, described as being available for passenger diversions.However,at Jan 2024, no staff are passed for the line except a few track machine operators. If a passenger train was to use the line, the track has to be inspected 48 hours or less before it runs and the branch would require a Pilot. Signallers and Drivers will be required to use caution during all movements, due to infrequent use of the line. Engineering trains will only be permitted when the line is under possession. The related diagram includes 'future Lisburn West station' at 104m 48ch (BLN 1423.1165), which is shown as having an island platform serving the Antrim branch and the Portadown to Lisburn direction, with a separate platform serving the Lisburn to Portadown direction. Work is due to start on the new station in Jul 2025, on the limit of planning permission. The Lisburn to Antrim line remains all under possession, with a temporary buffer stop at the site of Knockmore Jn. 366] Dromod (Sligo line): The Cavan & Leitrim Railway (MR p27) has started work extending their line to Cloncurry Level Crossing Gates, described as a quarter mile beyond the existing end of track. 367] Bord na Móna (BnM): (BLN 1435.2476) With thanks to the Industrial Railway Society. It looks like peat haulage by rail will continue into 2024. All bog to tippler operations ceased on BnM by the end of Oct 2023; the last tipplers receiving peat were Mountdillon, Bellair, Coolnagun and Derrinlough. This peat was transferred by road to either Croghan or Ballycon, creating two giant stockpiles. Edenderry Power Station resumed generation in early Sep, burning the stockpiles, with the final peat moved by rail to the station on 19 Dec. This should have been the end of BnM peat transport by rail. However, the remaining peat that had not been drawn from the Bellair North and South Bogs was sold to Evergreen Ltd, a Horticultural firm at Coalisland, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, which styles itself as the UK's leading manufacturer of peat free compost!! Extra motive power, from Derrinlough, has been drafted in to clear the stockpiles; it will take 7 to 11 weeks to clear the bogs in question, around 600 lorry loads. The vintage Ruston loco, LM 163, built in 1956, is in use for shunting the tippler. Evergreen has purchased all remaining peat stocks across every BnM site. Lemanaghan North Bog at Kilnagara has four or five large piles, sheeted against the weather, to be removed, together with another six piles on the Bellair South Bog and further piles on Kilgarvan Bog (Blackwater System). Given the limited wagons available and the distances from the bogs to the tippler, these peat piles could take until Apr or May to remove by rail. Extra motive power has been drafted in to help lay new spurs to reach the piles and among the locos are three of the older Wagonmaster types, LM 214, LM 288 & LM 319. The haulage fleet is made up of five Heavy Haul (HH) locos, plus two others for use on fuel trains and for daily track repairs. Bellair is the place to go to observe final peat haulage in 2024. Other rail traffic on BnM continues in several areas for the €125M Peatlands Climate Action Scheme bog rehabilitation. This includes Derryfadda in Co Galway, where LM 390 is in use most days to haul a fuel tender out to the machines on the bog. Another loco with a fuel tender in use is the Derries Bog near Rathdrum, Co Offaly and at Rossan/Kinnegad in Co Meath, where vintage Ruston LM 62 (built in 1948) takes the fuel out. Track lifting is underway in many areas and the vast system is shrinking daily. The line between Boora Works and the Grand Canal Swing Bridge is to become a 3ft gauge Velorail, under the Lough Boora Heritage and Discovery Park. It follows the successful Mayo Velorail, at the former Kiltimagh station, now up and running and attracting good numbers. (BLN 1429.1807) The former Horticultural Bogs at Almhain North, Gilltown, Prosperous and Ummeras have all had their railways lifted. At Kilberry, (Co Kildare) and Coolnamona (Co Laois) most track is in place, as on the former Littleton System (Co Tipperary), where lifting is taking place and expected to finish soon.
368] It's a Leap Year! The National Transport Authority (NTA) has said discounted Leap Card fares that were first introduced in 2022, including the ability to travel for 90 minutes across Dublin for a flat fee of €2, are to remain in place. The Transport for Ireland (TFI) €2 fare allows commuters to transfer between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART, commuter rail and Go-Ahead services. The NTA said this has led to an increase in passenger numbers across its services. Over 308M passenger journeys were provided by Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Luas, Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI Local Link on 'Transport for Ireland' Public Service Obligation (PSO) services last year. This made 2023 the busiest ever year for its public transport network, according to preliminary figures, a 24% increase in numbers compared with the previous year and a 5% increase above the previous record year in 2019. LUAS trams carried 25% more passengers (48.2M) in 2023 than in 2022. The 'Dublin City Zone', which was announced last year, will now be extended approximately 23km from the city centre, broadly matching the existing 90-minute zone. A challenge for our members - how far can they Leap in 90 min? The 'Dublin Commuter Zone' now extends 50km from the city centre to towns such as Kildare, Trim, Drogheda, Greystones, Navan, Enfield, Clane, Prosperous, Newbridge & Wicklow. A new all modes ticket will be introduced this year, with full access to Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, and Irish Rail services within the 'Dublin City Zone'. Costing €96 per month, or €960 annually, it saves 38% for those who would have previously paid €155 or €1,550, respectively. UK members live in the wrong country! 369] Darting to the Airport: The Chief Executive of Irish Rail, Jim Mead, recently told a Government Transport Committee ('Oireachtas') that it would take about five years to complete a DART service to Dublin Airport, in addition to the long-awaited Metro to the airport, itself expected to take 10 years to build. The European Commission has an ambition to connect all major city airports that have over 12M passengers with the heavy rail network by 2040 but this is up to the Irish government not Irish Rail. Mr Meade said that, with a fair wind, planning would take 2-2½ years, then about the same time would be needed to build the line. The route would be elevated over the M1 from Clongriffin, not underground, but he could not give a cost. One Committee member pointed out that this would not alleviate congestion in the M1 corridor and excludes towns like Swords, Ballymun and DCU. Mr Meade said that the Metro North was absolutely needed in addition, saying that it's not an either/or situation. 370] Catering: Irish Rail hopes to be able to restore catering to all long distance services but cost is a major factor. Even in boom times, the company subsidised catering on trains. Restoration of a trolley service on some Cork services was providing valuable information about potential expansion. Irish Rail hoped to have costs by mid-Jun, when they will have a hierarchy of routes to have catering trolleys. 371] Capacity: The Chief Executive of Irish Rail told the recent Transport Committee that it will be two to three years before passengers won't have to stand. Government policy is officially a 2:1 spend of public transport compared with new roads. However, the National Transport Authority has said that some Irish Rail upgrade projects were 'breathtakingly expensive' (sounds like a familiar theme). 372] Recruitment: Jim Meade also told the Transport Committee they had had reasonable success so far in recruiting new drivers and mechanics. The new intake of drivers is 20% women at the moment. 373] Irish rail passenger figures: 46.1M journeys were made on Intercity, DART and Commuter trains in 2023, a 29% increase over the 35.8M in 2022 and just short of the pre-Pandemic 50M record. Intercity has had particularly strong recovery; with extra services to Cork, Limerick, Westport/Ballina and Carlow in the Dec 2023 timetable and enhanced Portlaoise and Drogheda commuter services. 41 new Intercity carriages are being added to trains and further timetable improvements are planned in 2024, particularly to Galway and Belfast routes. 19 new trains are due to be delivered in 2025 with 18 on order for 2026. The average commute (including by car) in the Republic is 16.9km (10½ miles), while the average commute for college students continues to rise, up to 34.8km (21⅔ miles) in 2022. 1441 ISLE OF MAN (Graeme Easton) [email protected] 374] Electric Railway: (BLN 1440.246) (TRACKmaps 1 p26D 2021) Regarding Eskadale to Baldromma, the area where the recent works started has now had both tracks relayed. The work is moving north and track has been lifted and there is digging down to foundation level between Poles 169 and 173.
375] SYSTRA: (BLN 1440.245) The full and final report (due last Sep) was published on 17 Jan. It is at http://tinyurl.com/2hwtr9vk and as a PDF with e-BLN. As with the recommendations, the report is littered with typos (eg Castleton instead of Castletown; maybe there is to be a tunnel to England!). The report contains much detail behind the recommendations already published and summarised in BLN 1440, including some interesting comparisons with UK heritage railways on operating costs, fares and volunteers. There are some factual errors, such as stating that the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway has paid staff filling all roles. In fact, all engineering staff and most drivers are paid but nearly all of the guards are volunteers and a lot of volunteer labour is used on P'Way. The data shows that the IOM standard fares are comparable with other railways but that this is significantly reduced by the use of the various 'Go Explore' tickets. After allowing for the impact of volunteers, the costs are also broadly similar. A good overview of the report by an IOM political commentator: http://tinyurl.com/44rbhna3 Unfortunately, the only response from the Government, so far, has been from Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall, who called the recommendation that a strategy should be produced for the development of the Island's heritage railways up to 2040 'wishful thinking' and said: I'm very grateful to SYSTRA for producing this report and providing the Department with an extremely valuable analysis of our heritage rail network. Our job now is to examine the recommendations, consider each in turn and establish next steps. How they may be progressed will depend on a range of different factors, and time will be required to establish the best way forward. Translated this probably means: The report didn't give us the answer we wanted but they're only recommendations, so we'll ignore them. 376] Dhoon Glen: The Little Shed café at the MER stop has closed; the owners cite increased costs, in particular a rent increase with lease terms which they found difficult to work with. So, the Government has lost all the rent, while passengers and walkers have lost a lovely facility. It is likely that this will end the highly successful Santa Trams organised by the Little Shed, who paid £9,000 to hire the MER trams. 377] 2024 Timetables: These are at http://tinyurl.com/nhexrtkz and an e-BLN download. The service is very similar to 2023, with a few cuts. On the Steam Railway, the enhanced 'S' timetable (six round trips) only runs on Saturdays in July and August, rather than Fridays and Saturdays. The evening service for non-diners now runs FO (rather than ThO) and only six times, rather than 14 - it is understood that the Pie & Mash train will remain ThO but this is unconfirmed. The morning commuter train during TT has been discontinued but the evening one remains. On the Snaefell Mountain Railway, there is no service on Sat 18 May & 10 Aug as Cruise Ships have booked the entire service (they pay even if it is a wet or cloudy day). During the TT (Timetable 'F'), evening trams are replaced by a note 'After 17:15 trams will run as required for evening practicing and racing'. On the Horse Tramway, the number of days with the enhanced two tram service is reduced from 23 to just 14 (but see next item). The Manx Electric Railway is essentially unchanged. A difference from recent years is the inclusion of fares tables (which appear to be identical to 2023), although the 'Go Explore' card prices are not shown. 378] Tramway Terrace: (BLN 1439.31) Responding to questions in Tynwald on 16 Jan, Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall admitted the protected building had been 'neglected' and the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) was guilty of not looking after it as well as we could. However, he said teams were working to find a satisfactory conclusion before the start of the 2024 horse tram season, adding: If that site is not fit for purpose and is not safe to enter, then the horse trams won't run. I do not think that will be the case, but that's the bottom line. The DoI is awaiting (yet) another report, this time from a conservation architect, with options as to how the site can be best restored; it was due at the end of Jan (but it is the IOM). If the Horse Tramway operates this year,there will be 'attempts to' run a service on days when cruise ships are visiting, even on 'non-operating days' such as Mondays and Tuesdays. 379] Douglas Yard: (BLN 1439.93) Relaying continues, with materials spread across all lines now that services have finished. It appears that rubber or composite sleepers are being used rather than wood or concrete. N o 13 'Kissack' remained in Douglas Carriage Shed after the New Year's Eve train, leaving N o 4'Loch'in Port Erin. On 25 Jan'Loch',without her dome, was taking fresh air with Simplex 24 'Betsy'. 380] Caledonian Sleeper: Between 29 Jan and 1 Feb, the Fort William sleeper was diverted in both directions via Mossend East Jn, Mossend North Jn, Whifflet South Jn and, unusually, Sunnyside Jn.
BELOW/TO FOLLOW: (Item 379) Douglas relaying, the sleepers appear to be rec
cycled rubber/composite. Port Erin is off left. (All Graeme Easton, 23 Jan 2024.)
BELOW: N o 4 'Loch' without her dome in the run round loop at Port Erin; uppe
r left is Birkenhead Siding. Douglas is off left. (Graeme Easton, 25 Jan 2024.)
1441 SCOTLAND (Greg Beecroft) [email protected] 381] More storms: High winds in the evening of Sun 21 Jan caused serious disruption. Wind speeds were recorded of up to 69 mph at Abington, 67mph at East Linton and 60 mph at Ardrossan and Gartcosh. That is Force 11 on the Beaufort Scale, a violent storm. Trees fell onto the line at numerous places, including at least ten between Easterhouse and Garrowhill. A train ran into a tree at Crosshill. A garden shed blew onto the line at Bellgrove and a garage roof at Kirkwood. Fencing and masonry were blown onto the tracks at Glasgow Queen Street Low Level, with precarious stonework left hanging over the line. Hardly any trains ran anywhere in Scotland during the morning of Mon 22 Jan and there was only a limited service in the afternoon; some lines remained closed. With further high winds and rain forecast, services ceased around 19.00 on Tue 23 Jan and most did not resume until the following afternoon, after lines had been checked for obstructions. Blockages included a trampoline on the line at Livingstone South. There was loss of power to some signal boxes between Kilmarnock and Dumfries, so the line did not open until the evening and there were no trains between Tain and Wick or south of Aviemore until the start of service on Thur 25 Jan. The volume of water over the dam at Pitlochry resulted in the line having to be closed at Dalguise, because of the height of the river at Tay Viaduct. No trains ran south of Pitlochry to Perth until 10.40 on 25th (they did run north to Inverness). 382] LNER to Glasgow: LNER is proposing to withdraw its residual service to Glasgow Central, 06.48 SuX to King's Cross and 15.30 SSuX (16.30 SuO) return. The SSuX 05.34 from Stirling to King's Cross and 15.00 return are also proposed for withdrawal. These trains would still run between London and Edinburgh and the SuX 07.55 (09.40 SuO) Inverness to King's Cross and 12.00 return would continue. The cuts would save significant ECS mileage out and back to Stirling each day and presumably between Glasgow and Edinburgh (as well as route knowledge) so it may be a DfT mandated economy. The claim is that it will improve reliability on the core services and there are plenty of connections available. If this goes through, it would leave the CrossCountry 07.48 SuX (10.55 SuO) Glasgow to Plymouth and 12.27 SuX (10.27 SuO) return as the only through trains to/from North East England and Yorkshire. Passengers have until 18 Mar to submit their views to [email protected] It is suggested that members wishing to do the new Carstairs Chord do not delay. LNER and CrossCountry services are the only trains to use it (the few ScotRail services running this route call at Carstairs). When Carstairs remodelling was planned and authorised, pre-Pandemic, there were 2-hourly ScotRail local services alternating with 2-hourly CrossCountry train from Glasgow to Sheffield and beyond via Edinburgh. 383]Troon:The new Up building steel frame has been erected; hopefully each bolt was a 'hole in one'. 384] Dunblane: (BLN 1434.2362) The new south trailing crossover and its signalling comes into use on Mon 5 Feb. It will allow trains to reverse in P2 and P3, avoiding the need to shunt ECS to P1 via the trailing crossover north of the station. At present all passenger trains to Edinburgh from Dunblane (generally two per hour SuX, one SuO) depart from P1. However, from Mon 26 Feb, less than half are booked to turnback in P3 (one SuX P2). Not all can do this in the present timetable due to conflicts. From 5 Feb, absolute block working between Dunblane and Stirling North is replaced by track circuit block. P3 is extended at its north end, increasing its length to 174m. The final two semaphore signals at Dunblane, Up Home and Down Starting, are abolished. All the work has cost £11.2M. A member noted that the 05.36 Inverness to Stirling terminated at Dunblane on Fri 29 Dec. It then ran ECS to Dundee, via the north crossover. He wonders how often southbound trains turn back at Dunblane and whether this ever results in passenger use of this crossover. Your Scotland Editor notes that the train was 56 mins late at Dunblane, due to blanket speed restrictions. The special workings caused by the Greenhill engineering work may have resulted in no suitable platform being available at Stirling and it would have been desired to restore the train and crew back on their scheduled diagram as soon as possible. Apart from a morning peak train from Arbroath, trains from north of Dundee or from Inverness do not normally stop at Dunblane, so are very unlikely to be terminated short there if running late. ScotRail tends to favour transfers between trains and rail replacement road transport to be at larger stations, so probably not Dunblane. Therefore, passenger use of the north crossover seems most unlikely. Another member points out that Dunblane is currently the northernmost electrified line on NR.
385] Winchburgh: (BLN 1432.2153) Scottish Government Minister, Patrick Harvie, has written to Fiona Hyslop, the local MSP, saying that NR has put a revised station proposal to Winchburgh Developments Ltd, the lead house developer in the area. Mr Harvie said he remains hopeful that funding can soon be resolved. The correspondence is bizarre, because Mr Harvie is writing to his boss. Ms Hyslop is the Transport Minister and recused from dealing with transport projects in her own constituency. 386] Levenmouth: NR provided extensive temporary accommodation on the site of Kirkland Yard, owned by Fife Heritage Railway (FHR), for people working on the Levenmouth reopening project. This included building a surfaced access road, security fencing and steel buildings (almost 500m² of open plan office space and ancillary facilities) at a cost of about £0.5M. Fife Council has agreed to fund purchase of the units at up to £80,000, a figure likely to be acceptable to NR, who would otherwise have to remove them. The units will be owned and managed by FHR as community facilities, exhibition space & etc. Planning permission will be required to keep the units on site permanently and they need to be connected to mains electricity. NR used generators. Pleasingly, the report to councillors stated: FHR has a long record of local activity and service delivery since the early 1990s and has shown itself more than capable of sourcing, funding and maintaining a strong volunteer base. There is confidence that this experience will provide a robust framework for FHR to take on and develop the new facility. 387] East Kilbride: Work on the new station building is due to start on 5 Feb for Jun 2025 completion. 388] Oban branch: (BLN 1415.137) Anderson's Piano, the automatic Stone Signals (semaphores) in the Pass of Brander, between Loch Awe and Taynuilt, is no longer fully operational. Trip wires on the mountainside put semaphore signals to danger if a rock fall is detected. It was recently noticed that a significant quantity of wire is missing, resulting in several of the signals being permanently at danger. Drivers are not required to stop if a signal is at danger but must proceed cautiously until the train passes two consecutive signals at clear or the final signal. (Is this the only example where drivers can pass a semaphore signal at danger without individual authorisation on NR?) The first four signals came into use in Jan 1882. The system was extended in Apr 1883 and Sep 1913, bringing the number of signals up to 17. Extending for four miles, it is shown on TRACKmaps 1 p23C 2021. Signal 1 (51m 72ch) is nearly a mile before Falls of Cruachan and Signal 17 is at 55m 73ch. All the signals are on the Down (south) side, except Signal N o 9 (53m 67ch) which is on the north (Up) side of the line. It is hoped that NR can renovate the original system but finding suitably experienced staff to do this may be a problem and funds are tight, perhaps it needs to be listed - the system already has a Red Plaque? A distributed acoustic sensing system was also installed in 2014, raising the alarm if an unrecognised noise is heard. 389] West Highland Line: Platforms are to be extended by up to 15m at all stations from Helensburgh to Crianlarich and also at Bridge of Orchy, Tulloch and Roy Bridge. This is subject to listed building consent being obtained for the work at Garelochhead, Ardlui, Crianlarich and Bridge of Orchy stations. The extensions will allow greater use of Class 153 DMUs to strengthen trains and help accommodate growing traffic. There were almost 500,000 journeys on the West Highland Line between Apr and Dec 2023, about 29% more than in the same period in 2022. The total number of journeys to and from WHL stations in 2022-23 was only 2.7% less than in 2018-19 but that hides some interesting variations. LEFT: ORR estimates show that traffic was higher on the Oban branch than in 2018-19 but lower elsewhere. This data does not take account of journeys on the Jacobite steam train, which carried 110,000 passengers in 2023. Traffic is highly seasonal, with passengers sometimes having to stand during the summer. There is an ample choice of seats during the winter, because many local people travel by road. The CityLink winter timetable provides five modern coach journeys a day between Fort William and Glasgow, taking little over three hours. For much of the way this is the only bus service, so Scottish residents aged under 22 or over 59 travel free of charge (but have to pay £1 for advance booking including a seat reservation). There are four trains a day, including the Caledonian Sleeper, with journey time of almost four hours. Stations Change Helensburgh Upper - Crianlarich -19.8% Tyndrum Lower - Oban +21.9% Upper Tyndrum - Fort William -11.6% Banavie - Mallaig -22.1%
BELOW & NEXT: (Item 390) Ayr today, gone tomorrow. The south end of Ayr S
Station Hotel on 27 Jan 2024, note how rusty the tracks are. (Greg Beecroft.)
390] Ayr: (BLN 1440.253) South Ayrshire Council says that work to make Ayr Station Hotel safe will continue until 'around March'. They don't say which year but it is hoped they mean 2024! The carved crest of the Glasgow & South Western Railway has been recovered from the forecourt elevation of the hotel and the war memorial on the platform side is protected. ….. 1441 WALES & THE MARCHES (Chris Parker) [email protected] 391] Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch: (BLN 1440.148) This reminded a member of an outing organised by our Member N o 1 (still going strong!) on Sun 14 Jul 1963. The party used a cheap day excursion from Manchester Exchange to Bangor, hauled by 45348. They then took a service train to Holyhead, which called at Llanfair (as it was then). The railman on duty noticed the party showing interest in the nameboard and suggested they drop off on their return, when he would have some souvenir platform tickets ready for them to buy. They duly bought these oversized tickets (6'' by 2'' - or just over 15cm by 5cm). To maximise their loco shed visiting, they picked up their return excursion at Llandudno Junction, returning to Manchester Exchange behind 45716 'Swiftsure'. The station OP 1 Aug 1848 as Llanfair but CP 14 Feb 1966; it ROP as Llanfair P G from 29 May 1970 until 30 Jan 1972 as a temporary terminus (from Holyhead), while fire damage to Britannia Bridge was repaired. It ROP again as Llanfairpwll from 7 May 1973 as a request stop and had 23,376 passengers in 2022-2023. The locals know the village as this or Llanfair PG. Historically the full correct name is none of these but Llanfairpwllgwyngyll - as used on current road signs and older OS maps. For some reason, deliberate copyright protecting mistake maybe (?), recent OS editions have Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll. A local tailor's 1869 publicity stunt is reputed to be the origin of the 58 letter version of the name. Your Regional Editor takes some comfort from the fact that his patch also includes Wem… ('Wye'?) Another Regional Editor observes with a 'Rye' smile that it is no 'Lye' that another area has one, and there are others. Our International Editor has 'Eu' station in Normandy, France, pronounced 'Ay'. Sadly the village of 'Ae' north of Dumfries was not on a railway line so did not have a station. 392] Llandudno Junction:(BLN 1409.2322) Quote from the head of Ashville Aggregates, West Drayton: https://bit.ly/3S4nV1e After months of planning with Breedon Group plc and GB Railfreight we begin the importation to the London market of Plum, Blue and Grey slate that is produced in Llandudno Wales [sic]. With Net Zero targets in mind, we continually focus on ... sustainability. Rail freight enables us to increase our product offering with the smallest carbon footprint possible. Each train carries 1,650 tonnes which directly removes the need for over 82 return 8x4 Tipper long distance truck journeys travelling between Wales and London. At Ashville, we and I personally love rail, and this is the first new rail flow for 2024, with others planned with staggered commencement dates throughout the year. This translates into a new destination for the slate waste traffic brought by road from Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, for transhipment to rail at Llandudno Junction. The fine Victorian resort of Llandudno itself, while famous for wild mountain goats sometimes roaming its streets, hasn't suddenly acquired a slate quarry or mill! The wagons for the first working (GBRf) arrived at 14.37 on Mon 15 Jan as the 07.33 from Wembley Reception Sidings via Northampton and Crewe and, after loading, departed at 20.07.
The train laid over at Wembley sidings from 01.31 until 04.49 next morning, continuing to Thorney Mill sidings on the Colnbrook branch (TRACKmaps 3 p3C, 2023), arriving 117min late at 09.30. The empties departed again for Tonbridge West Yard at 14.44. These were pathed as one off STP (short term plan) workings with no indication as to when or how often future ones will be; as of 30 Jan they had yet to run again. The trial of Ruthin limestone traffic (BLN 1416.275) did not continue and the previous regular freight traffic from Llandudno Junction to Bescot Yard has not run since 25 Sep 2023. 393] South Wales Metro/Core Valley lines: (BLN 1439.118) ❶A member visiting on Sat 13 Jan has reported two signalling changes to our TRACKmaps Editor Martyn Brailsford. Trains from Cardiff can turn back in service in Mountain Ash Down P2; a permanently red signal is provided at the Aberdare (up) end. Taffs Well Up P2 is also bidirectional; it would allow turnback for trains from Cardiff or, more likely, reversals in/out of the new Depot from/to the Cardiff direction (as the Down platform does). All the OHLE stanchions and catenary are of main line rather than tramway dimensions. Window views are much improved with devegetation/deforestation for electrification, particularly with the leaves off the remaining trees. On 13 Jan, the Coryton branch had stanchions for its full length but no OHLE yet. On the Cardiff Bay branch, the position of the substantial new intermediate Butetown Down platform and clearance on the Up side suggests redoubling includes slewing. There were plenty of passengers on the branch and on Valley trains generally. Our member has never seen so many crammed into a one-car Class 153 DMU on the Coryton to Radyr service - there was a match on at Ninian Park. ❷(BLN 1433.2281) Extension of OHLE energisation from 21m 11ch to 'Aberdare station' (22m 24ch), which should have occurred with the rest of the branch, is now planned for 05.30 on Sun 18 Feb. As at 13 Jan,this section was wireless. TRACKmaps 3 p27A 2023 gives 22m 38ch as the limit of OHLE, at least 150yd past Aberdare P1 (the present platform, the future departures platform). Incidentally, the new P2 (arrivals platform) is quite substantial but, as expected, without any facilities, although an exit ramp is provided. It will be quite a walk back to Aberdare station (free) car park opposite to P1. ❸The wired sections of all nine Taffs Well Depot roads follow with energisation at 08.00 on 25 Feb. ❹On 23 Jan Amey Infrastructure Wales, on behalf of TfW, launched a consultation with the following extra or revised target dates: ●May 2024: Pontypridd to Treherbert energised (as per BLN 1440.257) ●Nov 2024: Cardiff Bay to Coryton/Caerphilly energised ●May 2025: 'Central Cardiff' (Cathays-Queen St, Cardiff Bay and Central) signalling changes and wires energised on the second track and crossover of the Bay branch ●Sep 2025: Caerphilly to Rhymney energised. ●May 2026: Tir-Phil loop and the new Rhymney P2 energised, also new signalling commissioned on the Rhymney and Coryton lines, plus the Penarth branch south of Cogan Jn. On the Bay branch, OHLE is now shown as extending some distance north of Butetown (this updates BLN 1423.1174). However, there is now a longer than expected nonelectrified section from south of Lisvane & Thornhill to the north end of Caerphilly, except an isolated length of fixed bar OHLE above bay P1, evidently to charge Tram-Trains on Cardiff shuttle services. 394] Cardiff Parkway: (BLN1435.2512) The delay in the development of this new station and business park is down to changes in Welsh Government planning laws which have stricter environmental requirements. The business park has caused particular concerns about its greenfield site, as two Sites of Special Scientific Interest could be affected. A further planning hearing took place on 16 Jan and the inspector will now submit another report to ministers for consideration. 395] Onllwyn/Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE): (BLN 1439.124) Although little onsite physical progress is happening, the Centre has run an Innovation in Railway Construction competition, funded by £7.4M from the Department of Business & Trade in partnership with Innovate UK. 24 projects were granted funding for feasibility studies in Feb 2023, now whittled down to 15, which will each receive up to £575k to take their ideas forward to concept stage at GCRE. They include hyperTunnel, a technique to design a pedestrian underpass using Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital surveying and swarm robots, effectively to 3D print a structure in the ground before any excavation takes place. Other winners offer graphene enhanced sleepers, self-healing concrete (!) and improvements to the efficiency and cost of rail electrification. The full list and further details can be found at: https://bit.ly/42dVi6I
PREVIOUS: A fine display of original British Rail Western Region 'double sausage' totems from the Cambrian Coast. BELOW: (BLN 1439.124) (TRACKmaps 3 p23A 2023) Neath & Brecon Jn box from the B4434, looking southwest. The bridge carries the Great Western Main Line; Neath Riverside station Up platform is beyond. CP 15 Oct 1962 the station was retained for school traffic until final closure from 15 Jun 1964. (All Nick Jones, 20 Dec 2022.)
BELOW: In the other direction, northeast, left is the branch to Onllwyn and41m 11ch (BLN 1411.2526), close up bottom left corner. The t
d right to Cwmgwrach, the latter is blocked by a sleeper across the line at track going off bottom right corner only leads to a sand drag.
396] Swansea Docks: (BLN 1415.153; TRACKmaps 3 p23A 2023) By 5 Jan, a 'temporary' stop block was installed at 46m 32ch,the London end throat of Burrows Sidings,securing them out of use.Comparison with the previous (2018) edition of TRACKmaps also indicates that, at some stage, the run round loop at Jersey Marine South has been removed, probably during Port Talbot West resignalling. As noted previously (BLN 1408.2201), there has been no traffic since the last train from Onllwyn on 21 Jul 2022. OOU infrastructure no longer needs inspecting or maintaining of course and saves on business rates. 397] Port Talbot: (BLN 1440.262) After Fri 12 Jan, the next Cwmbargoed train was not until Fri 19th . Arriving on time, it left 45 min early, suggesting a less than full load (scraping the barrel), confirmed by a photo in 'Railway Herald'. It was probably the last as on 22, 23 & 24 Jan 14.24 coal workings ran from Immingham Bulk Terminal to Margam, via Scunthorpe, Barrow Hill, Toton, Camp Hill, Chepstow and Pencoed. There is a bitter irony as coal from Cwmbargoed used to go by rail to Immingham briquette factory. This is unlikely to become a regular flow; there was probably just some otherwise unwanted coal 'stranded' at Immingham! Imports via Port Talbot dock are thought to be a more viable solution. However, the steelworks will not require an alternative coal source for much longer as, on 19 Jan, owners Tata Steel confirmed it is to close both blast furnaces by the end of this year. This is expected to cause 3,000 job losses throughout the UK, starting in Apr and mostly by Sep, no doubt including some in the rail freight industry. With UK government financial aid of £500M, the blasts are to be replaced by one electric arc furnace which will use scrap steel, removing the UK's ability to make 'virgin' steel and leaving it at the mercy of countries which do. A union proposal that one blast furnace should be retained during a transitional period has not been accepted. There are environmental considerations but the primary ones are financial; ideally, the reverse should apply of course. As regards rail traffic, scrap steel might partly compensate for the loss of coal and lime. Iron ore will no longer be required either but as it currently arrives by sea this will only affect internal rail movements. 398] Ebbw Vale branch: (BLN 1440.259) A member travelled over the new layout on Tue 23 Jan and noted that the Up side (to Ebbw Vale) sign for the now non-existent Crosskeys Jn was still present. 399] Oswestry: On 17 Jan Shropshire Council voted to provide £270k in match funding for restoration of the Grade II listed station building, which has been shrouded in scaffolding for two years after storm damage a few weeks before our Society's visit of 3 Apr 2022 (BLN 1401.1318). A UK Shared Prosperity Fund government grant will meet the remainder of the estimated £900k total cost. Asbestos roof tiles will be removed and replaced, the building painted and decorative features repaired. The objective is for the building to become a 'key transport hub and interchange' with a ca and toilet facilities. The restoration project now goes out to tender; work must be completed by Mar 2025 to comply with grant conditions.The Council will then address interior problems,including the lack of heating and poor insulation. It owns the building but leased it to Oswestry Station Building Trust (which at first aimed to buy it, as the name suggests). The Council 'took possession' in early 2023 due to its unsafe condition. As with nearby Gobowen (BLN 1428.2277), this is largely due to botched/inadequate restoration! 400] Clarbeston Road: (BLN 1430.1945) NR plans a possession from Sat 27 Apr until start of service on Wed 1 May, for further platform and structures gauging work from 270m 50ch to 271m 05ch. Single line working between Whitland and Clarbeston Road on the Down line will be available but only for freight; bus replacements for passenger services would operate Whitland to Fishguard/Milford Haven. 401] Storm Isha: The only significant regional effects of this storm on 21-22 Jan, with strong winds more than rain, were the usual suspension of Conwy Valley and Central Wales lines. ECS proving runs ran in both directions over the full Swansea to Shrewsbury route on the morning of Mon 22 Jan. Both suffered severe delays and each ended up well over an hour late. However, there can't have been serious issues as the full public service ran next day. A 07.32 Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog ECS ran on Wed 24 Jan and returned in service at 08.49, 14 min late, then normal services resumed. 1441 MINOR RAILWAYS (Peter Scott) [email protected] Important note: (BLN 1439.137) Due to maintenance work, the Mease Valley Railway will NOT now be running over half term; it is due to reopen for the first Enthusiasts' Weekend (16 & 17 March).
MR17] Statfold Barn Railway, Staffordshire (MR p24) (BLN 1425.MR97): It is now confirmed that the 2ft gauge Garden Railway is permanently closed, rather than just out of use and is likely to be lifted during 2024. The two dedicated coaches were donated to the Quarry Bottom Railway (Item MR20) and left Statfold in December 2023. It is believed that the line was last used, publicly at least, during the Road, Rail & Ale Weekend on 10 & 11 September 2022. In December 2023 the expected extension of the 12¼" gauge Mease Valley Light Railway was completed as far as a new station with an island platform, adjacent to the staff car park, across the road from the level crossing at Oak Tree Halt. In November 2023 a platform canopy/carriage shed (3-4 carriages long) was erected over much of the 'High Level' Platform 3 at Statfold Junction station. Additionally, in December 2023 a carriage shed was constructed over the headshunt alongside the main running line out of Statfold Junction station. MR18] Embsay&Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, North Yorkshire (MR p8): The Railway is a 3⅔ mile long standard gauge line running on part of the former Skipton to Ilkley line (closed to all traffic in 1965). That line provided through passenger services to Leeds and Bradford. It was also an alternative route for Trans-Pennine freight together with the Burley - Arthington section which closed at the same time and Colne - Skipton line which closed in 1970. Preservation efforts began in earnest in 1970 when the Yorkshire Dales Railway Society, formed two years earlier, rented Embsay station from British Rail (BR) and set up its base. Brakevan rides were offered initially, with proper passenger services commencing after the arrival of two former EMU coaches in 1972. However, these were short lived with BR banning heritage railways from operating services on leased track. A temporary peripatetic 9½" gauge railway on the car park offered the only rides during the ban. Steam trains recommenced from Embsay in 1982, running a short distance west to a new run round loop at Bow Bridge Junction. This is just short of Embsay Junction where the goods line from Skipton to Swinden Quarry (the Grassington branch) diverges. Services were subsequently extended eastwards to a run round loop at Skibeden (1982) and onwards to a new station called Holywell Halt (1987). A further extension to a run round loop at Stoneacre was opened in 1991 and passenger train services finally returned to Bolton Abbey in 1997. Our member visited the railway on Sunday 7 January 2024, being one of the few heritage lines with services in January. Four return trips from Embsay were on offer, some with dining options in First Class. Afternoon tea is popular and can sell out weeks in advance. The 13.30 consisted of four coaches hauled by 0-6-0ST 'Cumbria' (Hunslet Works N o 3794, 1953). Loadings were fairly light but much busier on the 14.15 return. The trains did not stop at Holywell Halt and no longer run to Bow Bridge Junction on a regular basis. Bolton Abbey station was inherited in a derelict state and has had to be rebuilt from scratch using the original 1888 plans. They have done an excellent job, providing a nice tearoom in the process for those not on dining trains. Restoration of Platform 2 is still work in progress. Our member remembers travelling to Bolton Abbey and back in the early 1960s on a DMU from the original Forster Square station in Bradford. On summer Sundays, some trains from Leeds City and Bradford FS terminated at Bolton Abbey and were so popular that it was standing room only on his return. This is perhaps surprising as the Abbey itself is over 1½ miles away but it's a pleasant riverside walk if you have time. The railway would love to extend westwards to Skipton station where there is a suitable platform. However, it would cost many millions to reinstate the missing section of track, install a new point and link into the signalling system at York ROC. Having done the Swinden Quarry branch (once to Grassington) on a tour, our member just needs those few yards to complete Ilkley to Skipton. Embsay Jn, on the Swinden Quarry (Grassington) branch was reinstated at least on 8 August 1982. It is thought that this was a temporary slew of the branch (which also happened at least once for stock delivery). British Rail would sometimes do things like that and there was no freight on the branch on a Saturday. However, other sources say the junction was reinstated from 22 February 1981 and removed again after 8 August 1982; can any member confirm if it was intermittent temporary slews for sure or if a point was installed? On the latter date a 2-car DMU ran three return trips from Skipton to Embsay at 11.30, 13.30 and 15.30 returning 20 mins later. They were sponsored by a local meat company, in connection with a Real Food Festival at Embsay, hence the name 'Yorkham's Flying Banger'! Is anyone aware of any other dates that passengers were carried over the temporary connection please?
THIS PAGE: (Item MR18) Embsay Sat 8 Aug 1982; 'Yorkham's Flying Banger' DMU from Skipton. ABOVE: Looking towards Skipton. BELOW: Towards Bolton Abbey and Ilkley. (Ian Mortimer.)
From BLN 446 of 22 July 1982 - there were several notifications of this in earlier BLNs that year too… Sadly, the trackbed has been built over at Addingham making eastward reinstatement unlikely. Skipton to Ilkley Bus 873 runs three times a day on winter Sundays via Embsay and Bolton Abbey. Note that the bus passes the Abbey itself rather than the eponymous railway station. MR19] Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, Gloucestershire (MR p7): Work on the 15-span, 210yd, Stanway Viaduct, (8m 65ch) between Toddington and Broadway, was off to a good start with the Railway's P'Way volunteers removing the rails and sleepers over three days at the beginning of November 2023. The site was then handed over to the contractor who removed and sorted the ballast and fill into reusable (or not) and removed it from the immediate work area for storage. It was at this time that an issue came to light that had previously been unknown to the Railway as it lay hidden under the ballast. The parapet walls were designed in such a way that they are stepped out from the viaduct head and what was discovered is that there was an open mortar joint along the length of each side at the critical point were these walls are supported and that both sides had seen outward movement of about three degrees from the vertical. This is a serious structural and safety issue. Therefore, to 'do nothing' was not an option as there is a real danger of the walls falling to the ground below with potential serious consequences. The first step was to jet wash and grout the open joint. The Railway's engineers, with their external advisors, worked very hard in December to come up with a solution to stabilise the parapet walls that works, maintains the heritage appearance of the viaduct but is easy to install, cost effective and which can be completed without delaying the current work anymore than is essential. What is proposed is to lay a reinforcing steel mesh embedded in the new concrete deck to which anchor points will be fixed. Stainless steel plates will be attached to the parapet wall and the two will be connected with stainless steel ties. The GWR Trust has identified how it can fund the total £270k additional spend that is critical if work is to continue to ensure that trains can start running again to Broadway as soon as possible after the Railway reopens in March 2024. The current appeal, which will remain open, needs to raise as much as possible over the coming months. To donate please follow this link: www.gwrt.org.uk/donate/stanway-viaduct-appeal [The Railway now plans to reopen Toddington to Broadway from Saturday 20 April 2024.] MR20] Quarry Bottom Railway, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire (Supp 2) (BLN 1431.MR173): Four new recruits have joined the Railway, so hopefully it will operate more often this year, especially through school holiday periods. In November Statfold Barn Railway donated two coaches (item MR17), one open, one enclosed, which were no longer needed. These need some adaptation to run on the railway but will provide a spare coach and a covered one for those all too frequent showers! We have a BLS 'all available lines' railtour here (including the standard gauge lines) on Sat 24 February (see Item 270). MR21] Northampton & Lamport Railway, Northamptonshire (MRp7) (BLN 1440.MR14) Unfortunately, the gremlins got into this item, the extension is 27ch and makes the run 1½ miles. The Transport & Works Act Order for southern extension, from Bridge 11 (4m 31ch) to Broughton (4m 04ch), was made on 19 December 2023. The Order was totally unopposed, with no objections or representations made. The railway plans a 'Grand Opening' of the extension on 30 March 2024 (TRACKmaps 4 p4E 2022). MR22] Severn Valley Railway, Shropshire (MR p7): In January, after replacing rotten timbers on the running line crossover at the north end of Highley station, the P'Way team moved on to Bridgnorth to commence Phase 2A of the yard relaying project, the replacement of the points between Road 1 and Road 2 and raising of the loco pit to rail level. At the same time, Bridgnorth signal box is undergoing a complete rewire of the signalling system as part of a planned preventative maintenance project.
BELOW: (Item MR18) Embsay&Bolton Abbey Steam Railway; Bolton Abbey lo
ooking east towards the end of line (and Ilkley). (Peter Zemroch, 7 Jan 2024.)
BELOW: Embsay station looking towards Bow Bridge Loop and SkiptoNEXT: (TRACKmaps 2 p42C 2020) Approaching Embsay station from t
on; an interesting comparison with the Ian Mortimer's 1982 photos. he east (Bolton Abbey direction). (Both Peter Zemroch, 7 Jan 2024.)