| 21/03/2019 | Failing ScotRail in 'last chance saloon' after string of complaints [Herald] |
| Nicola Sturgeon has warned ScotRail it is in the last chance saloon after a string of angry complaints from MSPs about its rotten performance.
The First Minister said the Dutch-owned Abellio, which has held the 10-year franchise to run most of Scotlands trains since 2015, could be stripped of the deal if it fails to improve.
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| 17/03/2019 | Furious ScotRail passengers slam appalling Borders Railway cancellations [Scotsman] |
| Angry ScotRail passengers condemned the cancellation of ten trains on the Borders Railway today as among the worst disruption since it re-opened. The train operator blamed staff shortages after five of the last seven services of the day were halted. It comes days after trains on the Edinburgh-Tweedbank line were so crowded passengers were forced to stand crammed into toilets.
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| 16/03/2019 | Tug-of-love over historic station clock that featured in Gregorys Girl [Scotsman] |
| It is the historic station clock where Gregory arranged to meet his Girl in the classic coming-of-age comedy.
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| 15/03/2019 | Video: Tornado storms in to wow enthusiasts as Aberdeen welcomes first steam engine in 25 years [Evening Express] |
| The age of steam returned to the north-east as a railway group welcomed its first locomotive for more than two decades.
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| 15/03/2019 | It’s full steam ahead for the return of charter train trips to Aberdeen [Press and Journal] |
| They evoke romantic memories of Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter and Jenny Agutter in The Railway Children.
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| 15/03/2019 | Half a million people travel to Dundee since V&A opening [ScotRail] |
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Almost half a million people travelled to Dundee since the official opening of the V&A Museum in September 2018 – a 14 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
In the first two months, over 200,000 people travelled to the City of Discovery by train, and 443,000 in total passing through the station since the opening of the V&A Museum.
The ScotRail Alliance added more seats to trains to and from Dundee during the opening weekend, which included an additional late-night service.
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| 15/03/2019 | Network Rail publishes Freight Growth Plan for Scotland [Network Rail] |
| Network Rail has launched an ambitious plan to grow the amount freight on the rail network by 2024. A target of 7.5% growth was set by the Scottish Government in the High Level Output Specification, published in March 2018, which sets out the funding available for the railway between 2019 and 2024.
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| 15/03/2019 | 'Great merit' in reopening Eastriggs, Thornhill and Beattock stations [BBC News] |
| The head of a transport body has said there is 'great merit' in plans costing up to £37m to reopen three disused stations in south west Scotland.
Andrew Wood chairs the South West Scotland Transport Partnership (Swestrans).
It has been looking at the potential of bringing the sites in Beattock, Thornhill and Eastriggs back into use.
It said a public consultation had found a 'high level of interest and expectation' in the proposals.
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The former Dornock station (latterly Eastriggs), Dumfriesshire, in 2007. During WW1 the station served the huge wartime munitions complex referred to euphemistically as ^HM Factory, Gretna^. Passenger activity generated by factory workers is well reflected in the old timetables of the day [see image 15332]. The mix of passengers would also have been interesting, with workers from all parts of the then British Empire. This continues to be reflected today in the Eastriggs village street names, which include Pretoria Road, Melbourne Avenue, Vancouver Drive, Delhi Road...etc..etc.. [Ref query 1667]
Eastriggs
[John Furnevel 30/05/2007] | 
Thornhill station still retained its canopy in 1989 and had a ^just closed^ feel to it despite its closure to passengers in 1965. The stonework has since been painted red and the building rennovated.
Thornhill
[Ewan Crawford //1989] | 
An up express hauled by a Standard Clan Pacific runs through Beattock station in July 1962.
Beattock
[R Sillitto/A Renfrew Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 14/07/1962] |
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| 14/03/2019 | 'Hitachi trains for Happy trains' ScotRail replace Class 365s [ScotRail] |
| More brand-new trains will run on Central Scotlands newly electrified railway
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| 14/03/2019 | All aboard the steam-hauled train from Edinburgh [BBC News] |
| The Steam Locomotive Tornado leaves Edinburgh, hauling 'The Aberdonian' to Aberdeen. [See link for video.]
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| 14/03/2019 | Councillors approve extension to Edinburgh's tram line [BBC News] |
| Edinburgh's tram line is to be extended from the city centre to Newhaven at a cost of up to £207m. Supporters of the plan to lengthen the tram line by 2.8 miles (4.6km) say it is needed to match the city's population growth.
But funding concerns have been raised after it was revealed the project's costs had jumped by 25%. The original tram project came in at twice its original budget and the mistakes made on that scheme are subject to an ongoing public inquiry.
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An Edinburgh tram stands at the current city terminus in York Place on 24 March 2017 ready to form the next service to Edinburgh Airport. View from the top deck of a bus, with Leith Walk straight ahead. The case for extension of the network south, in line with the original plans, is currently under debate. [See image 16868]
York Place [Tram]
[John Furnevel 24/03/2017] | 
Looking back from westbound Tram 266 turning into Princes Street from South St Andrew Street on Saturday 31 May 2014, the first day of public services.
Princes Street [Tram]
[Alasdair Taylor 31/05/2014] | 
Sign of the times ^Leith Walk^ November 2008. (No sign of rails yet ...)
Leith Walk [Tram]
[Bill Roberton 06/11/2008] |
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| 13/03/2019 | Borderlands secure £345m in support [BBC News] |
| Funding commitments of more than £300m have been announced for the Borderlands Growth Deal ... Among its main goals was also to look at the feasibility of extending the Borders Railway beyond Tweedbank to Carlisle.
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| 13/03/2019 | Union condemns Ayr station 'shambles' as staff crammed into portable cabins [Daily Record] |
| Railway staff complain they are 'crammed' into portable cabins at the Station Hotel.
And they called for better conditions for workers and customers.
It is understood Ayr railway station will never operate from the abandoned building again.
Now there are plans for Scotrail workers to move into other portable cabins at the bottom of the car park on Station Road.
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Semi-fast (left) and stopping trains for Glasgow wait in the bays at Ayr on 6 February 2019. Temporary station accommodation can be seen on the right. The screened-off part of the crumbling hotel building looks like it has been badly photoshopped out.
Ayr
[David Panton 06/02/2019] | 
Although normal trains services have been resumed at Ayr, in the closed-off booking hall / concourse, the information displays play normally for no-one to see and work continues. 22nd December 2018.
Ayr
[Colin Miller 22/12/2018] | 
The sealed-off concourse and Platform 3 steps at Ayr, seen on 6 February 2019. For now you have to buy your tickets from a Portakabin(TM) well away from the now dangerous station building. The neglected heart of the station seems to be decaying rapidly and the departures screen updates for the benefit of no one
Ayr
[David Panton 06/02/2019] |
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| 13/03/2019 | Network Rail to complete Aberdeen-Inverurie double-tracking this summer [Network Rail] |
| Network Rail engineers will be working from May to August to complete a multi-million-pound upgrade to track and signalling between Aberdeen and Inverurie as part of the Aberdeen-Inverness Improvement Project.
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| 13/03/2019 | DB Cargo fined £2.7 million after children seriously injured at rail depot [ORR] |
| DB Cargo (UK) Ltd has today been fined £2.7 million, with £188,873.89 costs, after being convicted of one offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974...
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| Tyne Marshalling Yard | |
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| 12/03/2019 | Overhead wires trip out near a train during Storm Gareth [BBC News] |
| Overhead wires trip out near a train during Storm Gareth.
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| 12/03/2019 | Lifeline ferry services to be used to bring fresh ideas to the islands [The Herald] |
| Theyare the lifeline services that ensure Scotlands islanders are connected and their communities can thrive.
Now Caledonian MacBraynes ferries are being given a new role “ as networking centres, aiming to get more businesses to set up in the islands and bring an added economic boost.
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| 11/03/2019 | LNER Azumas cleared for passenger service [Railways Illustrated] |
| InterCity East Coast operator LNER has received approval for its Class 800 Azumas to enter passenger service, conditional on final testing being completed. The Office of Road and Rail has written to manufacturer Hitachi Rail Europe, giving authorisation for theRead more
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| 11/03/2019 | Thrown stone damages train windscreen at Galashiels [BBC News] |
| A group of teenagers is sought after the incident at a station on the route of the Borders Railway.
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| 11/03/2019 | Union threatens carnage for Scotrail passengers [Scotsman] |
| Scotlands biggest rail union has threatened a repeat of the carnage inflicted on ScotRail last year if it is not offered the same new deal for working on days off as train drivers. Hundreds of trains were cancelled in the autumn after an overtime ban by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union caused a major training backlog among staff learning how to operate two new fleets.
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| 09/03/2019 | Fresh calls to reconnect Fleetwood's rail links [BBC News] |
| Residents and councillors are fighting to reconnect train links to one of the largest towns in England not to be served by the rail network.
Fleetwood's station was closed in 1966, with the nearest station now over five miles away in Poulton-le-Fylde.
The Back on Track campaign group is continuing a fight for trains to be re-established.
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Looking west from the platform at Poulton-le-Fylde with a Northern service taking the sharp left curve towards Blackpool North on 16 June 2012. The line to the right disappearing into the grass is the former Fleetwood line. Although track is in place as far as Burn Naze, the whole line is officially ^out of use^ and there are several fences across the overgrown trackbed.
Poulton-le-Fylde
[John McIntyre 16/06/2012] | 
BR Standard class 2 2-6-2T no 84018 in the sidings at Wyre Dock junction, Fleetwood, on 29 June 1963. The photograph is taken from alongside the signal box with the now-demolished Fleetwood power station in the right background. Fleetwood shed (24F) from which the locomotive was withdrawn in April 1965, stands directly behind the camera. Official closure took place in February 1966.
Wyre Dock Junction
[K A Gray 29/06/1963] | 
View south from the end of the rails on the former Fleetwood line towards Burn Naze, where the industrial complex that kept the southern section of the line open for freight until the 1990s can be seen. Right up to the 1960s this then double track line saw express fish trains to London as well as a variety of other traffic. Passenger services ceased in 1970. Map Ref SD 329455
Burn Naze
[Mark Bartlett 17/02/2009] |
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| 09/03/2019 | Aberdeen MP claims north-east village being cut off from Glasgow train route [Press and Journal] |
| Passengers in Laurencekirk have raised concerns that they have been missed out by the Aberdeen to Glasgow train, which no longer stops in the village.
There have also been complaints about a reduction in direct services raised by passengers in Stonehaven.
Both communities are increasingly relying on driving to Montrose to hop on a train to the central belt.
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The 1530hrs Edinburgh to Aberdeen in the down platform Laurencekirk on Saturday 25 August 2018.
Laurencekirk
[David Prescott 25/08/2018] | 
170 417 with an Aberdeen bound service at Laurencekirk on 19 June 2009.
Laurencekirk
[David Panton 19/06/2009] | 
An Aberdeen - Glasgow Queen Street service calls at Laurencekirk on 12 July 2009. Note the successfully restored (as opposed to demolished) main building on the down platform [see image 13322].
Laurencekirk
[Ewan Crawford 12/07/2009] |
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| 08/03/2019 | Opening of new £1.2m railway bridge reconnects Paisley communities [Network Rail] |
| Network Rail has announced that the new £1.2m Arkleston footbridge In Paisley is now open.
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New footbridge recently installed, but not yet open, at Gallowhill Junction on 20th February 2019. Viewed from north side of the lines. Another piece of my youth destroyed. I spent happy hours watching the trains from the old bridge [See image 67701], especially the Jumbos shunting Greenlaw Goods by pulling rakes of wagons out on to the Gourock line and scuttling back in before a passenger train came.
Gallowhill Junction
[Colin Miller 20/02/2019] |
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| 08/03/2019 | Key ScotRail punctuality improves for first time in 19 months [Scotsman] |
| ScotRail's key underlying punctuality improved in February for the first time in 19 months, figures showed today.
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| 08/03/2019 | Commuters warned of 'teething problems' with new rail timetable [The Guardian] |
| Rail Delivery Group says lessons have been learned following last summer's chaotic timetable overhaul. Passengers face 'teething problems' on the rail network when new timetables are introduced in May, the organisation that represents the industry has warned. However, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said that the introduction of more than 1,000 extra services will help to tackle overcrowding.Last May there was chaos when Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) “ the parent company of Southern Rail, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern “ and Northern overhauled their timetables with the aim of laying on hundreds of extra trains a day.
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| 07/03/2019 | UK to extend electrification of Midland Main Line [Railway Technology] |
| The Department for Transport (DfT) in the UK has decided to extend the electrification of the Midland Main Line up to Market Harborough station in Leicestershire.
The decision was confirmed by UK Rail Minister Andrew Jones while answering a question from Harborough MP Neil OBrien.
As per the earlier plan, electrification works would have only extended to Kettering.
Jones stated that Network Rail has been tasked to design electrification infrastructure from Kettering to Market Harborough station as part of the £1.5bn Midland Mainline programme.
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| 07/03/2019 | Gemini Rail depot in Glasgow to close with loss of 120 jobs [BBC News] |
| Gemini Rail blamed the closure of its site at Springburn in Glasgow on falling orders.
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| 05/03/2019 | Northumberland former train station-turned family home on sale for £795,000 with its own platform [Daily Mail] |
| Low Akeld House used to be Akeld Station, part of the 36-mile Cornhill branch line near Wooler, Northumberland. It is on the market for £795,000 and includes a converted railway carriage.
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Not often I find myself lost for words... the former Akeld station on the Cornhill branch. October 2006.
Akeld
[John Furnevel 24/10/2006] |
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| 05/03/2019 | Aberdeen students railway line designs go on display [Evening Express] |
| Students suggestions for breathing new life into a north-east railway line have gone on display.
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| 05/03/2019 | New train delays push back introduction of late night Elgin to Inverness services [Press and Journal] |
| Scotrail has pledged to continue working to introduce late night services between Elgin and Inverness.
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