This day in history 09 February
Images
Newington Goods: BRCW Type 2 D5305 between Newington and Blackford Hill (with Mayfield Road bridge in the background) in February 1970, heading west along the Edinburgh Sub with an ex-LMS brake-van in tow. No doubt it is engaged on an Edinburgh area target working.
Newington Goods: Late on the afternoon of 9 February 1970 and not far from journey's end at Millerhill Yard, EE Type 3 No D6903 negotiates the sharp reverse curves between Blackford Hill and Newington with the 13:22 partially fitted freight from Carlisle New Yard. Until just over a year earlier this train had been booked to run as an unfitted through train (8S50) over the Waverley Route, departing from Carlisle only a few minutes later, but train classifications had been altered in the interim.
Millerhill MPD: A class 20 inside the servicing shed at Millerhill on 9 February 1978.
Millerhill Yard: Looking over the hump at Millerhill on a cold February day in 1978.
Helensburgh Central: The imaginatively decorated platform terminus at Helensburgh Central as recorded on February 9th 1985. The poster on the right hand end of the blue cladding warns that playing 'Station Invaders' is a potentially fatal game. Since then, both the Class 303 units and computer games have moved on……
Ness Viaduct: The sad sight of the remains of Ness Viaduct on 9th February 1989, just after it was washed away. The east end of the viaduct can be seen.
Ness Viaduct: This is Ness Viaduct, Inverness on 9th February 1989, just after it was washed away. The west end of the viaduct is seen here.
Denby Dale: A class 141 Leyland/BREL Pacer in later West Yorkshire PTE red livery runs across the lofty Denby Dale viaduct in February 1991, before entering the station out of view on the left. See image [[41362]] for a view of a class 141 in an earlier PTE livery.
Biggar: Looking east along the trackbed at Biggar in February 2004 with housing developments and a scrapyard gradually encroaching on the site of the old station.
Syston: A building by the road leading to the platform at Syston Station.
Girvan (Old): The remains of a loading bank at Girvan (Old) station.
Girvan: Girvan (New) station looking south towards Stranraer.
Girvan (Old): Site of the bridge which carried the line into the original Girvan station.
Girvan: Girvans signalbox viewed from the southbound platform.
Girvan: Sprinter resting in Girvan (New) station.
Girvan: Sprinter waiting in Girvan (New) station.
Girvan: The new Art Deco building at Girvan (new) station.
Girvan (Old): Remains of the platform at the former Girvan (old) terminus.
Yoker Depot: Bathtime! An EMU passes through the train washer at Yoker Depot in February 2006.
Quintinshill Loops: Quintinshill EGF standing alongside the up WCML in February 2006.
Quintinshill Loops: View south at Quintinshill in February 2006, showing the PW compound and access point on the east side of the line.
Quintinshill Loops: Looking south west over the Quintinshill loops from the road bridge on a rainy February morning in 2006.
Edinburgh Waverley: Looking east along the refurbished platform 3 at Waverley in February 2007 as the Network Rail Measurement Train leaves the station.
Edinburgh Waverley: A PW train with a class 66 locomotive at each end pulls away from platform 17 on 9 February 2007, just as a westbound service leaves platform 20.
Edinburgh Waverley: Overall view of Waverley west end on 9 February 2007.
Dumbarton East: Base of the old signalbox at Dumbarton East.
Dalston: 71000 Duke of Gloucester steaming north towards Dalston station, Cumbria, early on 9 February 2008 with the Cumbrian Coast Express special.
Millom: 71000 Duke of Gloucester passes Millom station on the Cumbrian Coast line with a charter special to Carlisle on 9 February 2008.
Glasgow Central: 334025 and 334010 passing at Glasgow Central on 9th February 2009
Glasgow Central: 156494 at Platform 14 of Glasgow Central on 9th February. This is the first Class 156 that was in SPT colours to be repainted in the new ScotRail blue, and is currently awaiting its new branding to be put in place
Glasgow Central: 314201 on the snowy approaches to Glasgow Central on 9th February 2009
Glasgow Central: 156513 held at signals at Glasgow Central, as it waits to proceed with a service to Barrhead on 9th February 2009
Ashton Gate: The future of Bristol looks on as Freightliner 66560 passes Ashton Gate on the Portishead branch with a loaded coal train from Portbury import terminal on the morning of 9 February 2010. The probable destination in this case is Rugeley power station.
Ashton Gate: Freightliner 66560, passing Ashton Gate on the Portishead branch, heading for the mainline at Parsons Street on 9 February 2010
Ashton Gate: Freightliner 66560 passes Ashton Gate, Bristol, on 9 February with coal from Portbury import terminal on the Portishead branch destined for Rugeley power station.
Tay Bridge: View north from Wormit on 9 February with trains about to pass on the Tay Bridge.
Clifton Bridge: Coal empties heading back to Portbury coal import terminal run west alongside the Avon on 9 February, photographed passing Rownham.
Clifton Bridge: EWS 66016 running west light engine towards Portbury coal import terminal on 9 February 2010.
Ashton Gate: DB 66016, light engine on the Portishead Branch, heading for Portishead docks through the former Ashton Gate station on 9 February 2010.
Arnside: A view across the Kent Estuary to the South Lakeland Fells from Arnside village as a Barrow to Manchester Airport TPE service runs along the causeway towards the viaduct. [Photo by John Spencer]
Clifton Bridge: EWS 66016 heads west light engine towards Portbury import terminal on 9 February 2010. The south tower of Brunel's Clifton suspension bridge stands on the horizon.
Rancleugh Viaduct: Remains of Rancleugh Viaduct see image [[6749]] looking south on 9 February 2011. The higher piers supported plate girders and the lower ones the underslung trusses.
Helensburgh Central: View out from the concourse at Helensburgh Central on 9 February 2011 with a blue class 334 at the buffer stops on platform 2.
Plates, signs, notices etc: A prospectus issued in the 1850s on behalf of the proposed Alford Valley Railway. As it transpired, the line, which opened in 1859, was built from Kintore to Alford, with stations at Kenmay, Monymusk, Tillyfourie and Whitehouse. The route was eventually closed to passengers in 1950 and to all traffic in 1966. The town is now home to the Alford Valley narrow gauge railway.
Crystal Palace: Exterior of the surviving Low Level station at Crystal Palace, on 9th February 2013. This station opened in 1854 and was totally separate to the grander High Level station of the LBSCR which opened in 1865 as the terminus of the branch from Nunhead. It closed in 1954 and had it been preserved would have served well as a museum but it was sadly demolished in 1961 and a housing estate now covers the site.
Hoboken: NJ Transit Light Rail unit preparing for departure from the dedicated Light Rail platforms at Hoboken NJ Transit Station and Ferry Terminal on 9th February 2013.
Garstang and Catterall: The Lancastrian was scheduled to run on two consecutive Saturdays in February 2013, steam hauled over the Preston-Carnforth-Hellifield-Preston loop. Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48151 is seen here approaching Garstang on the first leg of the steam trip. On this day the train had originated in Cleethorpes but the following week was scheduled to run from St Neots in Cambridgeshire.
Whalley: WCRC ran their own tour on 9 February 2013 with diesel from Cleethorpes to Preston where ex LMS 8F no. 48151 took over for a circular trip via Carnforth, Hellifield, Clitheroe and Blackburn. The 8F can (just) be seen restarting from a signal check at Whalley with the drain cocks open doing a bit of ballast cleaning as it moves off. See image [[42008]]
Whalley: Brush Type 4 no 47760 brings up the rear of the WCRC Lancastrian leaving Whalley on 9 February 2013. At the head of the train 8F no. 48151 hauls the 13 coach excursion across the Whalley viaduct and up the steep climb through Langho and Ramsgreave & Wilpshire on the route southwards towards Blackburn. See image [[42002]]
Box: Having regained the right line see image [[42041]], a London-bound HST clears Middle Hill tunnel and heads for Box tunnel on 9 February 2013. Although the residential development on the right looks rather like an old station site, Box station was beyond the small tunnel. On this occasion, at the far end of the tunnel, both Up and Down line signals showed green.
Gipsy Hill: The new footbridge at Gipsy Hill on the Crystal Palace Low Level Line, south-east London, provided during the station's refurbishment in 2009 and seen here looking towards Crystal Palace, on 9th February 2013.
Shockerwick: A London-bound HST accelerates away wrong line from a signal stop at Bathampton Junction on 9 February. Despite the adjacent road traffic, the HST exhaust could be heard all the way from the stop, 2.5 miles away! The line of hills in the background appears to be that which separates the Bath-Southampton line from the trackbed of the late-lamented Somerset and Dorset Railway.
Box Tunnel: This plate adjacent to a 'green space' near the Western portal of Box Tunnel commemorates the refurbishment of the portal in 1986.
Hoboken: Unidentified NJ Transit 'Switcher' shunting at Hoboken NJ Transit Station and Ferry Terminal.
Lodge Road, West Bromwich Town Hall [Tram]: A tram heading for Snow Hill stops on a quiet Sunday evening at Lodge Road. West Midlands Metro
Eastoke Corner: Alan Keefe built 0-4-0 diesel no 3 Jack operating on the 2ft gauge Hayling Seaside Railway (formerly East Hayling Light Railway) at Eastoke Corner on 9 February 2014.
Morecambe South Junction: The deck of the new Heysham link road bridge was put in place over the WCML near Morecambe South Junction during a line possession in January 2015. 150224 passes under the new structure on 9th February on a Morecambe to Leeds working that has just left the Morecambe branch. See image [[48728]] taken a few months earlier.
Fushiebridge Junction: Train in the rain. The 1125 Edinburgh – Tweedbank heads south shortly after restarting from Gorebridge on a wet 9 February 2016. ScotRail 158719 is about to run through Fushiebridge points and onto the double track section past the site of the former station (1849-1959). A photograph recently made possible following construction of a footbridge at this point see image [[51917]].
Cardonald: DBS 66104 and 66102 near Cardonald with a very long Didcot - Mossend car train, diverted off the WCML.
Cardonald: 380 010 calls at Cardonald with a Gourock service.
Dalry: Colas 60056 enters Dalry with the diverted Dalston - Grangemouth empties. The goods yard was located on the right.
Fushiebridge Junction: The 1128 Tweedbank - Edinburgh has just left the double track section at Fushiebridge points on 9 February 2016 and is passing below the new footbridge constructed over the railway here. The old Fushiebridge station site can just be seen in the background on this side of the road bridge.
Dalry: 380 106 nears Dalry with a southbound service. Evidence of much lost trackage.
Barrhead: 156 503 in the bay platform at Barrhead with the 14.57 to Glasgow Central.
Gailes: 380 106 approaches Gailes level crossing, south of Irvine, with an Ayr-Glasgow Central service. Gailes Station was situated to the rear of the train and closed on 2 January 1967.
Fushiebridge Junction: Footbridge in a field. Looking back towards Gorebridge on a wet 9 February 2016 from the new footbridge just north of Fushiebridge points. The bridge is presumably to cater for new housing to the south of the village, some of which has already appeared top right. About to pass below the bridge is the 1125 Edinburgh – Tweedbank service. The current 'path' back to the Lady Brae entrance to Gorebridge station runs alongside the fence. For a view of the bridge itself see image [[54187]]
Gorebridge: ScotRail 158719 leaving Gorebridge on 9 February 2016 forming the 1125 Edinburgh - Tweedbank.
Newcraighall South Junction: A northbound ScotRail service on the Borders Railway comes off the double track section from Kings Gate at Newcraighall South Junction on a cold February morning in 2016. The train is less than half a mile from its next scheduled stop at Newcraighall.
Aberdour: Aberdour in Bloom. A different design of barrel train at Aberdour. (Looks a bit Caley blue though? -Ed).
Aberdour: Aberdour's former signal box with conversion under way to a pottery studio for Kinghorn artist Lynette Gray.
Shotts: Progress at the site of the Station Road overbridge works at Shotts on 9th February 2017 see image [[57763]]. The use of precast concrete sections has expedited the construction of the new bridge.
Shotts: View over the parapet of the temporary footbridge as the new Station Road overbridge takes shape. When the bridge is complete there will still be much work to be done to reroute the services which have been temporarily diverted see image [[56590]]. It is due to open in August 2017.
Waterloo International: Work in progress at the end of the former Eurostar platforms 23 and 24 at Waterloo on 8 February 2018. Platforms 21 and 22 are temporarily back in use during the current station upgrade works.
London Euston: Freightliner 90045 at the front of the Lowland Sleeper at Euston on 9th February 2018. It only made it as far as Tring where it was declared a failure, leading to an 1213 pm arrival for Glasgow passengers. I can live with that on a Saturday.
Newhaven: Four tracks passed under the (surviving) station building at Newhaven. The passenger lines, now a cycleway, were to the left of this view which looks west. The course of the goods line in the foreground was long ago fenced off, concreted over and blocked off under the station building. This view was photographed through the fence on 9th February 2018.
Wyre Viaduct: DRS 37424 Avro Vulcan XH558 seen approaching the viaduct over the River Wyre at Scorton at the head of 2C47 1003hrs Preston to Barrow-in-Furness on a crisp 9th February 2018.
Harringay: 43296 to Kings Cross, passing the north London suburban station at Harringay with three miles still to go, on 9th February 2019.
Greenford [LPTB]: 165135 departing from Greenford for West Ealing, less than three miles away, on 9th February 2019. This view, from the bay between the Central Line platforms, is towards the adjacent 1904 GWR cut-off line to Birmingham on which the Parliamentary service between London Paddington and High Wycombe was recently withdrawn. Note the semaphore signals; the remains of the GWR Greenford station, closed in 1963, are further back behind those. Opened on 30th June 1947 in the last few months of the LPTB, Greenford was the first Underground station to have an escalator that took passengers UP to the platforms and as late as 2014 still had wooden treads. Most LUL escalators were converted to metal treads soon after the terrible fatal King's Cross fire in 1987.
Harringay: What passes for Harringay station these days is a paltry shadow of its former self. This one-time island platform has been reduced to the outer edge only for down local trains to Welwyn Garden City or Watton-at-Stone or Stevenage, the latter two via Hertford North. The graffiti-scarred building seen here replaced the original when the London Suburban GNR services were electrified in 1976 and has obviously seen better days. A similar demolition job was also done on the southbound platform. This view is on 9th February 2019.
West Acton: LUL 1992 stock with a Central Line train to Ealing Broadway calling at its penultimate stop at West Acton, seen from stairwell to westbound platform, on 9th February 2019. This section of the Central Line was promoted by the GWR as the Ealing & Shepherd's Bush Railway but GWR trains never ran, instead Central Line trains were extended over the line from the 1908 terminus at Wood Lane (replaced by White City in 1947) to Ealing Broadway in 1920. East Acton was originally the only intermediate station but North Acton and West Acton were added in 1923. The branch from North Acton to West Ruislip (originally intended to continue to Denham with an intermediate station at South Harefield), was part of the LPTB's 1935 New Works programme, delayed by World War Two, eventually opened in stages in 1947/48.
North Acton: LUL 1992 stock with a Central Line service arriving and terminating at North Acton on 9th February 2019. This train then formed a return service as far as Loughton in Essex. Behind the wall and railings is the site of the GWR station that closed in 1947. Until recently a Parliamentary service between London Paddington and High Wycombe passed the site.
North Acton: LUL 1992 stock train, on a Central Line service to Epping, departing from North Acton on 9th February 2019. The 1904 GWR cut-off line to Birmingham and the site of the GWR's North Acton station, closed in 1947, are on the left but obscured by the bushes.
Castle Bar Park: A deserted Castle Bar Park (West Ealing bound platform), seen from 165135 on a service to Greenford, on 9th February 2019.
Acton Central: 378227, with a London Overground service from Stratford to Richmond, arriving over Churchfield Road level crossing into Acton Central, on 9th February 2019. This station is the changeover point between overhead and third-rail electrification for co-running with the LU District Line between Gunnersbury and Richmond.
Turnham Green: LUL S7 stock with a District Line service to Upminster heading away from the camera as it departs from Turnham Green station, on 9th February 2019.
West Acton: Some cosmetic work is urgently needed on the interior of the entrance hall of West Acton, on the LUL Central Line, as seen here on 9th February 2019. It is a disgrace.
Harringay: 700026 to Kings Cross, passing Harringay on what is ostensibly the up slow line, on 9th February 2019.
Donibristle Platform: 68033 leads a Kirkcaldy - Haymarket rugby special towards Donibristle with 68006 on the rear.
West Acton: The shabby interior of the entrance hall at West Acton, LUL Central Line, on 9th February 2019.
Harringay: 82224, heading to Kings Cross, passing Harringay station on 9th February 2019.
Blackpool North: The first Class 88 electro-diesel at Blackpool North was 88003 'Genesis' on the rear of the 'Blue Boys' railtour. This ran from Newport on 9th February 2019 on a circuitous route with several motive power changes. 88003 was on the rear on a leg from Blackburn hauled by 57307 but unfortunately arrived just after dusk. The long train also meant that 88003 was off the end of Platform 2 at Blackpool and is seen on arrival, just before the tour participants swarmed the loco. It later hauled the train to Birmingham. [Photographers beware: The bingo hall car park from which this image was taken is now enforcing parking charges by CCTV. This turned into a very expensive photo].
Greenford: View from 165135 about to pass under the westbound LUL Central Line flyover and then climb steeply up between the Central Line tracks as it approaches Greenford with a service from West Ealing, on 9th July 2019. The track on the right connects with the ex-GWR cut-off line of 1906 to Birmingham, mostly unused as far as South Ruislip. It has just been announced that this branch has been approved for trials of fast-charging battery trains.
West Ealing: Bombardier Aventra EMU 345013, from Hayes & Harlington to London Paddington, at West Ealing station on 9th February 2019.
Donibristle Platform: The 09.52 from Aberdeen to Kings Cross near Donibristle with power cars 43239 and 43314.
North Ealing: LUL 1973 stock on eastbound Piccadilly Line train at North Ealing, seen through the trees from the road overbridge, on 9th February 2019. This station was originally opened by the Ealing & South Harrow Railway, worked by the Metropolitan District Railway, in 1903 and has been served by what is now the Piccadilly Line since 1932 after these were extended out over District Line tracks although the name 'Piccadilly Line' was not established until 1937 by the LPTB. This is the only station on the 1903 line not to have been extensively rebuilt for tube trains and survives as a delightful example of a turn-of-the 19th/20th Century District Railway station.
Blackpool North: 57307 'Lady Penelope' arrives at Blackpool North in fading light at the head of the 'Blue Boys' railtour from Newport on 9th February 2019. The Thunderbird had hauled the train from Blackburn with electro-diesel 88003 on the rear. This was the first Class 88 to visit Blackpool but presumably 57307/47225/D1901 has been here before. [Photographers beware: The bingo hall car park from which this image was taken is now enforcing parking charges by CCTV. This turned into a very expensive photo].
North Ealing: Original Metropolitan District Railway sign to the Uxbridge platform at North Harrow, now the Piccadilly Line, on 9th February 2019.
North Ealing: Exterior of North Ealing station on 9th February 2019. This was opened by the Metropolitan District Railway on 23rd June 1903 when trains began running from a connection with the Ealing Broadway line at Hanger Lane Junction as far as Park Royal & Twyford Abbey in connection with that year's Royal Agricultural Show. Five days later trains were extended to South Harrow. North Ealing was the only station on this line not to be rebuilt in Holden style for the takeover by Piccadilly Line tube trains in 1933 and remains today as a pleasant example of a turn-of-the-19th/20th Century District station. (The original Park Royal & Twyford Abbey station was re-sited to the south in 1931 with an entrance on the A40 Western Avenue. The new station was called Park Royal (Hanger Hill) but the suffix was later dropped.)
West Acton: LUL 1992 stock with a Central Line train to Ealing Broadway, arriving at its penultimate stop at West Acton on 9th February 2019. This line was opened by the GWR for freight with a passenger service provided by the Central London Railway (now the Central Line) from 3rd August 1920 but West Acton station did not open until 5th November 1923. It was rebuilt by the GWR for the LPTB as part of the latter's 1935 'New Works' programme, the present station replacing the original in November 1940.
Turnham Green: Flanked by two S7 stock trains on District Line services to Upminster (left) and Richmond (right), a train of 1973 tube stock rushes westbound through Turnham Green on 9th February 2019. Piccadilly trains were first extended west over District tracks on 4th July 1932, 11 months prior to the inauguration of the LPTB and 16 years after LSWR trains along this section ceased.
West Ealing: Now that passengers from the Greenford branch have to change at West Ealing, the least the rail operators can do is make sure the 'connecting' service actually waits for them. 345013, from Hayes & Harlington to Paddington, is departing just as 165135 from Greenford is still slowing to a halt. 345013 had spent at least three minutes dwell time at the station, yet as soon as the Greenford train appeared, off it went. This view is on 9th February 2019.
Gunnersbury: LUL S7 stock with a District Line train from Richmond to Upminster arriving at its second stop at Gunnersbury on 9th February 2019. This station was opened by the LSWR as Brentford Road on their Kensington & Richmond Line and renamed in 1871. At opening of this line in 1869, a link was also opened to the North & South Western Junction Railway and LNWR trains from Broad Street to Richmond also served the station. LSWR trains ceased in 1916; today the station is still served by District trains and London Overground trains over most of the former LNWR route.
North Ealing: LUL 1973 stock train, with a Piccadilly Line service to Cockfosters, arriving at North Ealing on 9th February 2019. This station was opened by the Metropolitan District Railway in 1903 and remains substantially as built (see image [[80765]]), being the only one on the South Harrow line not to have been rebuilt by Dr. Charles Holden (1875-1960), the London Underground's Chief Architect between the two world wars, for the takeover by tube trains in 1932. The line did not become known as the Piccadilly Line until 1937 during a general renaming of lines by the LPTB.
Brownhills West: A Corus of disapproval - a diesel shunter from a steelworks is certainly industrial, but its roots in Midland coal mining are not quite clear. Good to see it preserved, anyway.
Harringay: 387128 to King's Cross, passing Harringay, on 9th February 2019.
Gunnersbury: LUL S7 stock with a District Line train from Richmond two stops into its long journey to Upminster calling at Gunnersbury, originally opened as Brentford Road by the LSWR in 1869 and renamed in 1871. Nowadays, the rebuilt station is hemmed in by ghastly concrete car parks and a dreadful muti-storey office block but back in December 1954 the roof of the original station was torn down during a freak tornado, resulting in six people being injured. This station is also served by London Overground trains between Richmond and Stratford and vice versa.
North Ealing: View from the Uxbridge platform across to the Cockfosters platform at North Ealing, opened as the Ealing & South Harrow Railway section of the Metropolitan District Railway in 1903 and part of the Piccadilly Line since 1932, on 9th February 2019. The footbridge is a very distinctive feature. This is the only station on the Ealing & South Harrow line that was not rebuilt for when tube trains took over.
Acton Town: This disused platform on the east side of Acton Town station (LUL District and Piccadilly Lines) was used by the single-coach District Line shuttle service to South Acton until withdrawal on 28th February 1959. This station was opened by the Metropolitan District Railway in 1879 on that company's freehold line from the LSWR at Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway and was known as Mill Hill Park until 1910. The District had had running rights over the LSWR from Studland Road Junction, just west of Hammersmith, to Turnham Green and on to Richmond enabling their trains to be extended to the latter. LSWR trains ceased in 1916, involving the abandoning of the line between Kensington Addison Road (now Kensington (Olympia)) and Studland Road where the District tracks joined and the closure of the LSWR stations at Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith Grove Road. It is still possible to see remains of the LSWR's curved viaduct at Hammersmith, cut into by modern office blocks.
South Acton [Met]: These garden allotments and the buildings in the background are on the site of the District Line tracks of the former shuttle service from South Acton to Acton Town, which ceased on 28th February 1959. This view, almost exactly 60 years later, is looking towards Acton Town, just south of the site of the demolished South Acton terminus, on 9th February 2019. The adjacent London Overground station on the Stratford to Richmond section (formerly the Broad Street to Richmond line in days of old and which the hapless Beeching nonsensically wanted to close but was defeated by widespread opposition) is still open.
Edinburgh Waverley: 66421 Gresty Bridge TMD, coupled to 92014, with 90042 in the Klondyke at Waverley on 9 February 2019.
South Greenford: The sleepiness of South Greenford station is briefly disturbed by the arrival of the ex-13.31 service from West Ealing to Greenford in the opposite platform on 9th February 2019. Though the line opened for goods in 1903 and passengers in 1904, this establishment was not opened until 20th September 1926 as South Greenford Halt and, until quite recent times, was still graced with GWR pagoda-style waiting shelters. The platforms (now also replaced) originally came from Trumpers Crossing (Osterley Park) Halte (sic) on the Southall to Brentford branch, which had closed on 1st February 1926 although the line stayed open for passengers until 4th May 1942 and is still partially open for freight. The Brentford branch is currently being considered for reopening to passengers.
South Acton: 378219, with a London Overground service from Richmond to Stratford, departing from South Acton on 9th February 2019. This line was opened by the North & South Western Junction Railway from Willesden Junction to the Hounslow Loop at Kew in 1853; a link to the LSWR at Gunnersbury (known as Brentford Road until 1871) opened in 1869 shortening the journey to Richmond but South Acton station was not opened until 1880. LNWR (later LMSR) trains from Broad Street continued to run between South Acton and Kew Bridge until 1940. The flats on the left are of fairly recent construction and occupy the site of the former LUL District Line station, terminus of the one-stop shuttle from Acton Town that ceased on 28th February 1959. For many years, its site was a derelict wasteland.
Hanwell: 387155, on a down service from Paddington, passing Hanwell station, west London, at speed on Saturday, 9th February 2019. Minutes later, this train will cross Brunel's 890ft. long Wharncliffe Viaduct, consisting of 8 semi-elliptical spans and which carries the GWR main line 66ft. above the valley of the river Brent, begun in 1836 and opened in 1838. It has been a Grade I Listed Structure by English Heritage since 8th November 1949 and is now recognised as a World Heritage Site. The hollow piers have become the present day home to a colony of bats.
South Greenford: South Greenford 'station' nameboard on the West Ealing to Greenford branch, on 9th February 2019. West Perivale, in smaller font, is a fairly recent addition to the station's name. The platforms are accessed by two steep ramps either side of the railway, to and from the major A40 Western Avenue trunk road that the line crosses on viaduct immediately to the north.
Hanwell: Hanwell, looking east towards Paddington, on 9th February 2019. The main up and down fast lines are to the right of the fence, blocking off access to the other side of the central island platform. The down platform on the fast lines was removed many years ago. The sign on the up platform shows 'Hanwell and Elthorne', the name of the station from 1896 to 1974.
Acton Central: The grand Victorian entrance to Acton Central, opened in 1853 and now part of London Overground, on 9th February 2019. Only the doorway on the left of the main building is now used by passengers, the rest is now a pub/restaurant. The west London suburb of Acton has more railway stations than any other in the Capital: Acton Central and South Acton on the London Overground, East Acton, North Acton and West Acton on the Central Line and Acton Main Line on the GWR. Neighbouring Ealing runs it a close second with Ealing Broadway on the GWR, Central and Piccadilly Lines, West Ealing on the GWR, Ealing Common on the District and Piccadilly Lines and North Ealing and South Ealing on the Piccadilly Line.
Ealing Broadway: View from a Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 4 service, approaching Ealing Broadway, as a train of LUL S7 stock departs with a District Line train to Upminster on 9th February 2019. In the foreground are the LU Central Line tracks.
Princes Street [Tram]: Edinburgh tram 268, about to call at the Princes Street stop, on 9 February 2019.
Turnham Green: S7 stock on a District Line train calling at Turnham Green, a few minutes into its long journey from Ealing Broadway to Upminster, looking back west, on 9th February 2019. This station was opened by the LSWR in 1869; in 1877 the District made a connection with this line at Studland Road Junction, just west of Hammersmith, allowing District trains, with the aid of running rights, to be extended over the LSWR to Richmond. With these running rights, the District opened its own freehold branch from Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway in 1879. LSWR trains ceased in 1916 and it is still possible to see bits of the curved LSWR viaduct at Hammersmith, cut into by modern office blocks.
Acton Central: Acton Central, dating from 1853, platform for trains to Richmond, on 9th February 2019. This is a replacement canopy for the original but in the same style. Churchfield Road level crossing is just to the left.
Gunnersbury: 378219, with a London Overground service from Richmond to Stratford, via west and north London, arriving at Gunnersbury on 9th December 2019. This station was opened by the LSWR as Brentford Road in 1869, renamed Gunnersbury in 1871, LSWR trains ceased in 1916 and is also served by the LU District Line. It achieved notoriety in December 1954 when the roof of the original station was blown down in a freak tornado, injuring several people. There was also a spur south of this station which led onto the Hounslow Loop towards Chiswick that closed in 1932.
West Ealing: 387153 from London Paddington passing West Ealing station, on the GWR main line in west London, on 9th February 2019.
West Ealing: Bombardier Aventra EMU 345013, arriving at West Ealing on a working to Paddington, on 9th February 2019. On the right is the new bay platform for the Greenford branch service which has been truncated from Paddington to just shuttle to and from here and no longer serving Ealing Broadway, the hub of this west London suburb, where most local people, I suspect, want to get to. This has thrown more traffic onto already overcrowded local bus services while the Greenford shuttle now runs almost empty; when I travelled on it on this day, I was the only passenger with the intermediate stations at Drayton Green, Castle Bar Park and South Greenford totally deserted.
Hanwell: Hanwell, on the GWR main line in west London, looking west from the up platform on 9th February 2019. The period 'subway' sign is a nice feature.
Hanwell: Taken with a zoom lens, 345012 has just passed through Hanwell and is heading east as it speeds its way over the last seven and a bit miles of the GWR main line to Paddington on 9th February 2019.
Acton Central: 378220 with a London Overground service from Richmond to Stratford arriving at Acton Central station, opened in 1853, on 9th February 2019. When this station was part of the Broad Street to Richmond line, it was listed for closure in the infamous Beeching Report of 1963 but the line was reprieved, after much opposition from local residents, in 1966. It would have been madness to have closed an orbital suburban line that gets passengers from suburb to suburb quicker than any of the English Capital's buses can. Broad Street did, however, close in 1986 and this part of today's London Overground network runs to Stratford along a reopened section of the eastern part of the North London Railway through the Hackney district of east London that had closed following war damage in 1944 and now carries more passengers than it ever did. Beeching must be spinning in his grave or at least hanging his head in shame for ever having had the audacity to propose the line for closure in the first place.
West Ealing: 360202, from Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 4, departing from rebuilt West Ealing on 9th February 2019. This line opened on 4th June 1838 but the station was not opened until 1st March 1871, as Castle Hill & Ealing Dene, and renamed on 1st July 1899. 360202, and its four sister EMUs, were withdrawn in 2020 but later purchased by Rail Operations Group for possible future use.
Greenford [LPTB]: View looking east from Greenford with the westbound Central Line flyover above the single track used by the GWR shuttle service, which now only runs as far as West Ealing, a very short-sighted truncation as most people want to get to Ealing Broadway and don't relish changing at the wastes of West Ealing just to go one stop so this has thrown more traffic onto already overcrowded buses. The change is all to do with the delayed Crossrail, as the Greenford trains would have 'got in the way' but it never occurred to anyone to electrify the line as a branch of Crossrail.
Drayton Green: Drayton Green station (platform for West Ealing trains), west London seen from 165135 departing for Greenford, looking back on 9th February 2019. I was the only passenger the whole way to Greenford.
North Acton: LUL 1992 Central Line train to Ealing Broadway arriving at North Acton (opened 1923) on 9th February 2019. Though the Ealing & Shepherd's Bush Railway was opened by the GWR in 1920, the Central London Railway (renamed Central Line in 1937) always provided the passenger service.The line was quadrupled in 1937 between North Acton and the point where the Central Line trains joined from Wood Lane (replaced by White City in 1947) with the extra tracks being used to segregate freight trains to and from the West London Line from the tube trains. The freight trains ceased in 1964 and the 1937 tracks were lifted with the junction north of the former Uxbridge Road station severed. Today, while there is still evidence of the extra tracks between North and East Acton, at White City new buildings and roads have completely obscured the link to, and junction with, the West London Line. (For further details of the Ealing & Shepherd's Bush line, see my photo of West Acton (image no. 80248).
Exeter St Davids: Platform view at Exeter St Davids on a sunny May morning in 2002. South West Trains 159011 is running into platform 1 ready to start its journey to London Waterloo.
Donibristle Platform: 66004 brings up the rear of a Millerhill - Stonehaven ballast climbing Donibristle bank on a stormy 9th February 2020. 66083 was the leading loco.
Farington Junction: After failing early on on the 6H51 Hardendale to Tunstead empties on 9 February 2021, 70008 was rescued from Shap loop by 90005 sent from Crewe. The train is seen heading south at Farington Junction running as 4Z51 to Crewe.
Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal: A landslip at Kilsby led to a Northbound closure of the WCML from 27th January 2021, and diversions via Northampton. On 9th February this bright red Voyager contrasts vividly with the surrounding (inevitably short-lived) snow. Beyond the fence, 66004 heads for the Eddie Stobart sidings to do some shunting.
Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal: A down Avanti Pendolino passes DIRFT after diversion through Northampton on 9th February 2021. Meanwhile, 66004 draws some Cargowaggons out of the Eddie Stobart sidings.
Holm Junction: Under normal circumstances this unit would be sitting at Largs waiting to form the 1553 to Glasgow Central. However, due to the landslips at Fairlie and West Kilbride there are no trains beyond Ardrossan. 380002 bides its time tucked into the rarely used turn back siding at Ardrossan South Beach, which was specially cleared for this purpose by Network Rail, awaiting its booked departure time on 9th February 2021.
Kinlochailort Camp: A photograph of Cooper&Co's store at Kinlochailort, not far from Camas Driseach, in the book Building the Mallaig Railway, A photographer's story by Hege Hernaes.
Donibristle Platform: 67027 and 67023 pass Donibristle with an Edinburgh (ex-Derby) - Montrose - Slateford test train on 9 February 2021. Heaviest snowfall of the winter so far in Fife. Taken during permitted daily exercise.
Didcot Parkway: GWR 387147 arriving under the Didcot Meccano from Paddington on 9th February 2022.
Morecambe South Junction: 158796 approaches Morecambe South Junction, where it is signalled onto the branch, on 9th February 2022. This was a Leeds to Morecambe service, which had passed this way a short time earlier heading for Lancaster where it reversed.
Didcot Parkway: EWS/DB Schenker 66007 and 66097 haul a fresh ballast train through Didcot station sidings on 9th February 2022. This train weighs in at 3,400 tons, starting out from Wytherington Quarry, Gloucestershire to end at Appleford, Oxfordshire. It journeys on a very roundabout way. Down to Bristol Parkway, Bath, Westbury avoiding lines, Newbury, Reading through Didcot to the Appleford Stone Terminal. 66097 displays a Highland Rail 'Stag' logo on the cabside. Has it spent time north of Perth?
Morecambe South Junction: Barley Cop Lane at Lancaster was flooded under the low WCML bridge as 390045 crossed on a service to Edinburgh on 9th February 2022.
Hindley: Northern Pacer 142063 approaches Hindley, while on a Manchester Victoria to Kirkby service in March 2013. Under the road bridge in the background is Crow Nest Junction SB from where image [[35555]] was taken looking back to Hindley.
Events
Events from the chronology which occured on this day. This generally lists events before 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | Stockton and Hartlepool Railway | Opened to passengers. |
| 1870 | Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal Paisley Canal Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway) | Glasgow and South Western Railway shareholders refused possibility of joint ownership of proposed line. |
| 1991 | Springwell Colliery Branch and Barrow Hill Shed (Midland Railway) | Barrow Hill Shed closes, latterly simply as a sign-on point. |
News
These are old news items which which occured on this day. This generally lists events after 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Commision for Integrated Transport Report ^High-speed rail: international comparisons^ | Following the opening of phase one of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link this commission was asked to look into merits of building a north-south link. The report asserts that establishing high speed links would be worthwhile. Compared with many countries Britain is poorly served by high speed links. One should remember that many mainlines lines were provided in Britain during the Victorian period; generally more than in other countries. Our situation is somewhat different therefore. One has to hope that if the Government decides to establish new links this is not done by the usual cheap method; run faster trains on lines which were not designed for such high speeds. Lines with bends, steep gradients and multiple junctions. Further if new lines are not built local traffic must be removed from existing lines. Whilst arguably much of the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Liverpool and Manchester could be upgraded, (there is less local traffic), the route from there on to the south is congested. In Scotland an independent Motherwell to Glasgow link (perhaps two more lanes on the M74 and its controverial extension) would be worthwhile along with some form of North-South connection. A separate Kirknewton to Edinburgh section may also be required due to local traffic (or perhaps platforms at local stations should be put onto new passing loops as on much of the former GWR). Perhaps the greatest challenge is removing all the curves from Carstairs to Lockerbie and the English equivalents. |
| 2005 | ^Forgotten^ castle could be a major draw for tourists [Scotsman] | A FORGOTTEN royal fortress, which was once occupied in turn by Scottish and English kings, but later ruined by stone-robbers and Victorian railway engineers, has the potential to become a major new tourist attraction of national importance, according to... |
| 2005 | East Coast rail bid scrutinised [BBC News] | Competition Commission officials ponder a bid to run the East Coast rail service by transport giant FirstGroup. |
| 2005 | Air link could derail trams, Holyrood told [Scotsman] | MSPS today raised fears an airport rail link will "undermine" a proposed tram line stretching from the city centre to the west of the Capital. |
| 2005 | Is it worth redoing the locomotion? [Scotsman] | The South Suburban Railway may soon be up and running again for the first time in almost half a century. Is the commuter route really the answer to the Capital^s congestion problems? |
| 2005 | Trams clear first Holyrood hurdle [BBC News] | MSPs say plans to re-introduce trams to Edinburgh should proceed to the next stage of the parliamentary process. |
| 2007 | Council calls for crossing review [BBC News] | Highland Council is seeking a probe into the safety of level crossings in the wake of two teenagers^ deaths. |
| 2007 | Second day of train chaos [Scotsman] | NETWORK Rail last night admitted a second day of Scottish rail chaos in 72 hours was "totally unacceptable", after a double fault caused disruption to services. |
| 2008 | Six people hurt after van crashes [BBC News Article] | A van carrying railway detonators crashes into a double-decker bus and a car, causing injuries to six people. |
| 2009 | New Caldercruix station location plan [Network Rail] | [Project team announcement dated 9 Jan 2009] Network Rail has today announced its intention to apply for planning permission to relocate the proposed Caldercruix station on the new £300m Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link. [With thanks to Tracy Brady.] |
| 2010 | Rail centre fire ^was deliberate^ [BBC News Article] | Police say a fire at a former railway training centre in South Lanarkshire is thought to have been started deliberately. |
| 2010 | Rail staff vote for strike action [BBC News] | Commuters face three days of disruption after rail staff vote to strike in protest at the absence of conductors on a new service. |
| 2011 | Rail-link £500m upgrade feasible [Press & Journal] | A major study has found that a £500million upgrade of the Inverness to Aberdeen rail line can be delivered, it has emerged. |
| 2013 | Edinburgh city bypass: Rail tunnel plan unveiled [Scotsman] | A HUGE tunnel is to be built beneath the City Bypass this summer – as work on the £300m Borders Railway gets under way. The major engineering project will see a 130ft-wide tunnel excavated beneath the vital road link. The excavation will allow a double track section of rail to pass under the A720, at a site just 200 metres east of Sheriffhall Roundabout. |
| 2014 | Keeping up to speed with Borders rail work timetable [Southern Reporter] | A popular footpath between Langlee and Tweedbank is to close for eight weeks from February 17 to allow repairs to be carried out on Redbridge Viaduct. The work is linked to the reopening of the Borders Railway next year. The bridge deck will be waterproofed and resurfaced, utilities will be moved and masonry repairs carried out before it is reopened in April. A footpath diversion via Galafoot Bridge will be in place for the duration of the job. Work on the bridge will continue once the path reopens, with the walking route fenced off. Once the railway opens in autumn 2015, a footpath will be retained alongside the track. Hugh Wark, Network Rail project director for Borders Railway, said: “We know that the Redbridge Viaduct link between Langlee and Tweedbank is an extremely popular walking and cycling route, and we’ve done all we can to retain that access until now. |
| 2014 | Landslip causes further rail misery for South West travellers [BBC News] | The weather has caused more damage to the South West^s rail network with a landslip on the Exeter to Waterloo line, Network Rail has reported. It said the incident at Crewkerne in Somerset meant passengers could not get to Exeter by train. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2015 | Railway police fight Scottish control proposals [Scotsman] | POLICE officers who patrol Britain’s railways are fighting a rearguard action against plans to switch them to Scottish control under new post-referendum powers. The Scottish Government will take over British Transport Police (BTP) north of the Border if the Smith Commission proposals are implemented. The move has sparked fears among officers, believed to be shared by the force’s leadership, that its expertise would be harmed if BTP is split up. |
| 2016 | Germany train crash: Several killed in Bavarian town of Bad Aibling [BBC News] | Two passenger trains have collided in the German state of Bavaria, with police saying several people have been killed and scores injured. The head-on crash happened at Bad Aibling, a spa town about 60km (37 miles) south-east of Munich. One of the trains was derailed in the crash and several carriages were overturned, German media reported. Police said rescue teams were trying to free people still trapped in the wreckage. |
| 2016 | Highland Spring freight plan changed after local backlash [Courier] | Bottled water giant Highland Spring has scaled down controversial plans for a new Perthshire freight depot after a backlash from neighbours. The firm sparked a row with a bid to expand its rail yard at the edge of Blackford, installing a huge crane and creating storage space for hundreds of shipping containers. Bosses said the project would help slash the company’s carbon footprint and help the business grow. But the proposal has come up against a wall of opposition from the village, with more than 60 people writing to council planners calling for the scheme to be scrapped. |
| 2017 | SCOT-FAIL Outrage as ScotRail passengers left in 100-metre queue at Glasgow Central AFTER their journey [Sun] | SCOTRAIL have been branded a disgrace after commuters were left in a queue stretching over 100 metres to buy tickets after their journey. A picture taken at Glasgows Central Station yesterday morning shows a line of disgruntled travellers stretching in to the distance as they wait to leave the platform. |
| 2017 | Major road and rail improvements for Buchan take step forward [Press and Journal] | Multimillion-pound proposals to reintroduce a railway line north of Aberdeen and upgrade the regions busiest road have taken a step forward. Transport partnership Nestrans is currently considering how to overhaul road and rail links in Buchan and has now appointed two consultancy firms to explore how the project could be delivered. American engineering firm Aecom has been commissioned to review the rail infrastructure, while transport consultant group Systra will investigate how the A90 between Ellon and Peterhead could be improved. [From Charlie Niven] |
| 2017 | Northern rail conductors to be balloted in guard row [BBC News] | Northern rail conductors are to be balloted for strike action. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said members will vote on whether to take action, citing a failure by the company to give assurances on the future use of guards on trains. The union is involved in a row with Southern Rail on the same issue and also recently announced a ballot of its members on Merseyrail. Northern called the move to ballot staff ^extremely premature^. |
| 2018 | Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route [BBC News] | Channel Tunnel train operator Eurostar is launching direct services between London and Amsterdam. Trains will run twice daily from 4 April, with the journey from St Pancras to Amsterdam taking three hours and 41 minutes. But for an initial period, the Eurostar service will only run direct one-way, from London to the Dutch city. Passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will have to change at Brussels to clear passport controls. Eurostar says the connection at Brussels is a temporary measure until the British and Dutch governments reach an agreement to allow passport checks to be conducted on departure in the Netherlands. It says this should be in place by the end of 2019. |
| 2018 | Key ScotRail performance measure falls for fifth month [Scotsman] | ScotRail has again failed to hit a key performance target, with the punctuality measure falling for the fifth month in a row. A total of 90.1 per cent of its trains arrived on time in the year to last Saturday, figures published today showed. It is 1.6 percentage points below the company^s contractual target with the Scottish Government. That is also nearly 1 point below a lower target that was agreed as part of a performance improvement plan - which has been in force since autumn 2016. |
| 2018 | New Allander rail station is a step closer [Kirkintilloch Herald] | The campaign for action on the Milngavie rail line has been given new traction after an SNP-Green deal in the Scottish budget. A £2 million feasibility fund for rail improvement projects was a key demand made by Green MSPs in exchange for supporting the budget vote at Holyrood last week. It is hoped the funding will support calls to redual the Westerton to Milngavie line and lead to the opening of the long-proposed Allander station between Milngavie and Hillfoot. |
| 2019 | Report predicts substantial car park expansion needed at north-east train station [Evening Express] | A railway station in a north-east town could require a major car park expansion in the future, according to a new study. Transport partnership Nestrans approved the appointment of a consultant to examine potential future parking and access demands at Portlethen, Stonehaven and Laurencekirk railway stations. The findings of the study show that Stonehaven station is expected to require up to 294 additional spaces by 2032. |
| 2019 | Barcelona crash: one dead and 100 injured after two passenger trains collide [Evening Standard] | One person has died and around 100 others were injured after two passenger trains were involved in a head-on collision in Spain. The commuter trains collided on Friday evening between the towns of Sant Vicenc de Castellet and Manresa, northwest of Barcelona. Three of the injured passengers were in a serious condition following the incident. Around 100 others escaped injury, officials said. One train was heading to Barcelona and the other was going to Manresa, in northeastern Spain, when they ran into each other on the same track. |
| 2020 | Storm Ciara: Major disruption on Scotland^s railways as services cancelled and delayed due to extreme weather [Scotsman] | LNER have issued a ^do not travel^ warning while CrossCountry are running no services north of Edinburgh. Those travelling to Glasgow from the south using Avanti West Coast will be forced to deal with a reduced hourly service, however most ScotRail trains are operating normally with some delays. ScotRail said the routes most likely to affected by the weather include Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, Glasgow to Fort William, Oban and Mallaig, and Kilwinning to Largs and Ardrossan. Services will be suspended on the West Highland Line from early afternoon until noon on Monday. Those travelling to Largs or Ardrossan should expect disruption around high tide, at midday, with the storm potentially meaning trains will be unable to run. Trains going between Edinburgh and Helensburgh Central will terminate at start back from Dumbarton Central with a shuttle bus operating between Dumbarton and Helensburgh in both directions. |
| 2020 | UKs most hated trains to run on Waverley route [Scotsman] | They are Britain^s most hated trains, condemned as ^noisy, draughty, bouncy and outdated^ by passengers, but largely spared from Scots - until now. They are due to run on the Waverley Route Heritage Association^s (WRHA) track south of Hawick this summer - giving people north of the border the chance to judge the trains for themselves. |
| 2020 | Calls for Kintore station memories [Grampian Online] | The Garioch Heritage Centre is looking for memories of the original train station for a retrospective exhibition. |
