This day in history 09 December
Images
Norwich: There's plenty of stock on hand at Norwich on 9th December 1978. 47130 is preparing to head for London Liverpool street and 03086 is engaged on carriage marshalling duty. A Cravens DMU is stabled in the foreground.
Swindon: 37203 and 37204 passing through Swindon Station bound for Westbury and the Somerset Quarries in December 1982.
Carstairs: A London - Edinburgh - Glasgow GNER service crosses the up WCML as it snakes through the tight crossover to reach the down line at Carstairs station on 9 December 2004.
Carstairs: The rear end of a GNER Kings Cross - Glasgow Central service about to disappear under the station footbridge at a rain soaked Carstairs in December 2004. The train was accelerating away north, having negotiated the slow speed approach to the station through the tight curves off the Edinburgh line (see image [[7235]]).
Carstairs South Junction: A Virgin Voyager has just passed through Carstairs South Junction on its way from Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street on a damp December afternoon in 2004. In the middle distance the River Clyde meanders off to the right towards Lanark after passing below Float Viaduct, while on the left, part of the embankment that once carried the line between Float Junction and Lampits Junction, closed as long ago as 1860, can still be clearly seen.
Merryton: Merryton Station on the official opening day. Picture taken from opposite my office building
Merryton: Merryton Station in Larkhall with piper at the official reopening of the Hamilton to Larkhall line - 9th December 2005.
Glasgow Central: A Class 221 Super Voyager departing from platform 2 at Glasgow Central for Bournemouth
Glasgow Central: 66050 collecting the empty Caledonian Sleeper stock at Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central: 90034 with the Caledonian Sleeper following arrival at Glasgow Central.
Glasgow Central: 91114 St Mungo Cathedral sitting at Glasgow Central waiting to power the 0800 GNER service to London Kings Cross.
Berlin Technic Museum: DB Warship Diesel Hydraulic V200 018 on the turntable at Berlin Technic Museum in 2006.
Berlin Brandenburger Tor: Berlin S Bahn Station Unter Den Linden (Under the Lime Tree) a famous place and song and still with its original after the war. [The station is now known as Berlin Brandenburger Tor. The sign is, remarkably, from 1936 - Ed]
Antwerp Central: Entrance to Antwerp Central station, dubbed The Railway Cathedral... for obvious reasons. Seen here on 9 December 2006.
Ramsgate Harbour: The sealed southern portal of the 1124 yard tunnel built by the Kent Coast Railway in 1863 to reach their terminus at Ramsgate Harbour, photographed in December 2008. The station and tunnel were subsequently closed by the Southern Railway in 1926 on the opening of a new station a mile inland.
Antwerp Central: A Belgian Rail mu stands at the buffer stops at Antwerp Central station on 9 December 2008.
Wellingborough: This may be one of the best preserved goods sheds in the country - on a busy main line station with commuter traffic to London! Notice the wooden goods platform, the arched windows and door on the left, and in the gloom in the background, two goods cranes - which I thought were remarkable survivors in the seventies. This shed may soon be demolished. See it while you can.
Wellingborough: Something looking rather like a gas lamp on platform 1. It may have always had a bulb fitted, but it looks the part - especially with those two chains dangling down on the right, as if to adjust a flame.
Wellingborough: Awnings on platform 1 at Wellingborough in December 2009 - dirty, but unbowed. View looks North.
Wellingborough: Detail of goods shed window, Wellingborough, 9 December 2009.
Wellingborough: This rather splendid mid-Victorian survivor may soon be demolished to allow for a new development project. See it while you can - there is a wealth of period detail.
Noel Park and Wood Green: The site of Noel Park & Wood Green station on the former Seven Sisters to Palace Gates branch in north London that closed to passengers in 1963 and to freight in 1964, seen here on 9th December 2010. The site is now part of the vast Wood Green shopping city, as ghastly and indistinguishable from all the others that disfigure towns and cities up and down the UK. Sadly I never got to ride on this line but I do remember the station before it closed, a squat grey-stone building beneath the bridge that carried the line across Wood Green High Road. For several years after closure, it became a shop selling cheap secondhand goods but the whole station, including the derelict platforms on the embankment, were swept away in the 1970s to make way for the shopping city, The only clue nowadays to the fact there was ever a railway here is the lowering of the roadway down from the pavement for 100 yards or so which was necessary to give enough headroom for double-decker trams, then trolleybuses and buses to pass beneath the line.
Abercynon: The 15.08 mixed Pacer service from Merthyr Tydfil seen between the old and new 'signalling centres' at Abercynon on 9 December 2010. The train continues south from here as the 15.29 service to Barry Island see image [[25614]].
Merthyr Tydfil: 142074 and a sister unit wait at the platform at Merthyr Tydfil terminus to form the 16.08 service to Barry Island on a chilly 9 December 2010.
Manor House: One of the stairwell entrances to Manor House station, LUL Piccadilly Line, on the Cockfosters extension that opened as far as Arnos Grove on 19th September 1932, seen here on 9th December 2010. The stations on the extension were designed by Dr. Charles Holden (1875-1960), the Underground's Chief Architect between the two world wars. When opened, there was an additional subway from the sub-surface ticket hall giving access to two loading platforms on Seven Sisters Road for the trams running north-east/south west. The subway and platforms fell into disuse when trolleybuses replaced trams in 1939 but the platforms remained in situ until 1951. Trams continued to serve Manor House along Green Lanes from the south until 1952 and I am just old enough to remember trolleybuses here before they were withdrawn in 1961. There was a magnificent kaleidoscopic spiders' web of overhead wires where the Seven Sisters Road routes crossed those on Green Lanes. The passing bus in this picture, not half as romantic nor as comfortable as the trolleys, is HW 2 on route 141 en route to Palmers Green North Circular Road, the latter day truncated successor to the 641 trolleybus route that used to go all the way to Enfield.
Abercynon: 142076 runs into Abercynon on the 15.29 Barry Island service, ex-Merthyr Tydfil. In the right background stands the reclad former 88E Abercynon steam shed, currently occupied by a fireplace company. (It was 1 October 1966 when I was last here. On that day five Class 37s, two class 08s, and a class 14 were on shed.) See image [[32435]]
Abercynon: Pacer 142074 passes the redundant junction signal box as it runs into Abercynon on 9 December to form the 15.43 service to Merthyr Tydfil.
Havana: A sad picture of no 1334 Simon Bolivar, one of several old steam engines spotted in a Havana 'locomotive graveyard' on 9th December 2011
Princes Street [Tram]: View over the east end of Princes Street towards Waverley station on 9 December 2011 with tram works shut down for the holiday period.
Denmark Hill: The main line (ex-LCDR) platforms at Denmark Hill, looking towards Victoria, on 9th December 2012. On the left are the ex-LBSCR platforms that became part of London Overground on this very day, spelling the end of the long-established South London Metro service, to the chagrin of many south London residents. The grandiose building on the bridge was severely damaged by fire in 1980 and BR wanted to demolish the remains. However, a campaign spearheaded by Sir John Betjeman fought against this and the building was thankfully renovated. Most of it is now a pub/restaurant.
Carlisle: Season's greetings from a renascent Sir Richard at Carlisle on 9 December 2012.
Denmark Hill: 378223 to Clapham Junction arriving at Denmark Hill on 9th December 2012, the first day of London Overground services at this south-of-the-Thames station.
St Andrew Square [Tram]: Looking north from the corner of St Andrew Square on 9 November 2012 showing work underway on the final leg of the planned Edinburgh Tram route. From here the trams will run straight ahead along North St Andrew Street to a point level with the neo-Gothic red sandstone building with the spire on the left (National Portrait Gallery) where they will turn sharp right into York Place and the terminus. In the centre background is the Firth of Forth with the hills of Fife beyond. See image [[41002]]
Clapham High Street: The entrance to Clapham High Street station on the first day of London Overground services here, 9th December 2012. This station, and the next one west at Wandsworth Road, lost their long-established South London Metro services to both London Bridge and Victoria when they were withdrawn the day before, to much opposition from its passengers. The station was opened by the London, Chatham & Dover Railway as Clapham on 2nd August 1862 and was renamed Clapham High Street in 1989. It is a stone's throw from the LUL Northern Line station at Clapham North but there is no direct pedestrian subway connection between the two, passengers having to walk along the street to get from one to the other.
Clapham High Street: 378220, to Highbury & Islington, arriving at Clapham High Street on 9th December 2012, the first day of London Overground services at this station. This replaced the South London Metro service from London Bridge to Victoria so that any passengers from this station to Victoria thenceforth had to change at Clapham Junction. But with the long walks there between platforms, it is much quicker and easier to get from Clapham to Victoria by using the nearby Northern Line station at Clapham North and changing to the Victoria Line at Stockwell where same-level interchange and the minimum of walking is available. Clapham residents still protested at the loss of their direct service to Victoria - and to London Bridge too.
Hest Bank: On Day 1 of the new timetable TransPennine Express used its own EMU for driver training in place of the hired London Midland set. The almost new and still unliveried 350401 heads north on the coast at Hest Bank on 9 December. These Preston - Carlisle trips are timetabled on an as required basis until May 2014.
Edinburgh Waverley: The 13.00 Glasgow Central - Plymouth CrossCountry voyager calls at Waverley on 9 December.
Princes Street [Tram]: Trams pass at The Mound/Princes Street on 9 December. The bike gives an 'Amsterdam' feel... or maybe not
York Place [Tram]: Move it by Tram - York Place, 9 December 2014.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Christmas 2014 at Glasgow Queen Street station.
Haymarket: 67021 leading the top-and-tailed 1450 departure today from Haymarket for Inverkeithing. 67008 was on the other end and there were 7 coaches.
Edinburgh Waverley: A morning service from Fife has arrived at Platform 2 with 68 004 at its head. Once the train has disgorged its smiling commuters it will spend its day at Motherwell before returning to take them all home again.
Hyndland: Time for a crew change at Hyndland. This is the new combined footbridge and lifts structure at the north/west end of the station. The original footbridge at this station has been removed.
Hyndland: The livery seen on this city bound 318 is slowly disappearing. A mystery hut has appeared at the south end of Hyndland station. No sign of the third platform making any progress.
Hyndland North Junction: One of John Thomas's books makes reference to a bridge built of 'found stones'. This isn't that bridge but I've always thought it has that sort of appearance. Bridge over Whittinghame Drive just north of Hyndland North Junction.
Dawsholm Junction: A service for Queen Street via Maryhill leaves the terminal platform at Anniesland and approaches Dawsholm. To its right is the new chord which was installed in preparation for the Queen Street High Level closure finally closing the gap at Anniesland.
Edinburgh Gateway: Edinburgh Gateway Station was officially opened by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, seen speaking here at the opening ceremony, on the 9th of December 2016. Trains and trams will serve the station from the 11th of December.
Edinburgh Gateway: A platform view of the new Edinburgh Gateway station on the occasion of its official opening on the 9th by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf. Trains and Trams will commence calling from the 11th.
Edinburgh Gateway: Plaque unveiled by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf at Edinburgh Gateway on the official opening date, 9th December.
Edinburgh Gateway: A festive hall at Edinburgh Gateway.
Newton Aycliffe: Hitachi Rail Europe celebrates the first Intercity Express (IEP) train to be built in the UK at its manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
Courtesy Hitachi Rail Europe.
Edinburgh Gateway: Platform view on official opening day.
Edinburgh Gateway: View of the platforms at Edinburgh Gateway.
Edinburgh Gateway: Poster for the Edinburgh Gateway Interchange Community Partnership comprising Edinburgh College of Art, Queensferry Community High School, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverkeithing High School, and Concrete Scotland.
Edinburgh Gateway: Entrance to Edinburgh Gateway railway and tram station.
Edinburgh Gateway: Leaflet from the official opening of Edinburgh Gateway.
Blackpool North: Sparks flying at Blackpool North as a member of the Orange Army trims the reinforcing panels for the new platforms. One month on from closure significant progress is being made in the transformation of this station. 9th December 2017.
Poulton-le-Fylde: Refurbishment work underway on the island platform at Poulton-le-Fylde on a very dull 9th December 2017. The station will remain closed until March 2018 but the tracks must be kept clear for the numerous engineering trains passing through during the electrification closure. See image [[44330]] taken a few years earlier from the same spot.
Longniddry: A North Berwick service pulls into Longniddry, on the cold morning of 9th December 2017, while Christmas shoppers await the next Edinburgh train due in a few minutes. Despite the single line branch from Drem Scotrail can easily manage the half-hourly North Berwick service on Saturdays but it's only hourly Monday to Friday. Does anyone know the reason for this longstanding timetable oddity?
Poulton-le-Fylde: The disconnected semaphore at Poulton still stands over the Down Line but not for much longer. This was the scene on 9th December 2017 with refurbishment work continuing on the island platform but no masts in the station area yet. See image [[39235]] for the same location five years earlier.
Carleton Crossing: The little gate box at Carleton Crossing was quickly demolished soon after the photo on the left was taken on 21st November and there is now just a space alongside the barriers. See image [[34880]] taken from the same position in operational days.
High Level Bridge: There would undoubtedly be an outcry today if it was suggested that a new transport network was driven through the city walls which can be seen was the case here when the High Level Bridge was constructed in 1849. The brick building to the right is the Bridge Hotel which holds a place in contemporary railway history as the venue for the inaugural meeting of the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group in October 1966.
High Level Bridge: On 9 December 2017 a Class 156 unit has just left Newcastle Central and negotiates the High Level Bridge over the River Tyne on a service from Hexham to Nunthorpe.
Gateshead East: This view of the southern portal of the High Level Bridge on 9 December 2017 shows the site of Gateshead West station to the left and Gateshead East Station above the arches and which were joined by a footbridge. The former was closed in 1965 whilst the latter, in an almost derelict state, closed in November 1981, a week after the opening of Gateshead station on the Metro system.
Monkseaton: A Metro 4-car unit arrives at Monkseaton on 9 December 2017, heading back towards Newcastle to terminate at St James. Like the other coastal stations on the North Tyneside loop, Monkseaton has benefitted in recent years from an initiative to attract local businesses to use the vacant buildings to help maintain an attractive environment.
Blackpool North: A self-propelled rail crane positions track panels for the workforce in the new station throat at Blackpool North. 9th December 2017. The panels were being unloaded from a nearby road vehicle.
Blackpool North: New main line tracks have been laid alongside Blackpool Depot, as seen here on 9th December 2017. The rail vehicles in the foreground are the match wagon for the self propelled crane working in the station throat and another support vehicle. See image [[61832]] for the same location less than three weeks earlier, since when the gantries on the depot sidings have also advanced considerably.
Kirkham North Junction: The new layout at Kirkham North Jct can be seen in this view to the west on 09 December 2017. On the right is the Up Blackpool, then the Down Blackpool with track plant. The Up South Shore joins this line beyond the road bridge. Next is the Down South Shore and finally what appears to be a single engineers siding to replace several that have been removed. Now the track is in place perhaps the OHL masts will start to appear.
Kirkham and Wesham: Site update Kirkham and Wesham 09 December 2017 - Work has started on the renewal of the platform walls on the original island platform while the wall has appeared for the new platform 3. The track has now been positioned through platform 3 as well.
Broomhill: Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-0 46512 prepares to to run round the coaches of the 'Santa Express' at Broomhill, before the return trip to Aviemore, on 9th December 2018.
Stirling: Two Class 365 EMUs at Stirling station on 9th December 2018.
Grantown-on-Spey East: The restored Grantown East station building, seen from the platform side on 9th December 2018.
Morningside Road: A view of the remains of the retaining wall at the end of Bruce Street. This had been built to support the loading bank for goods sidings which left the South Sub just to the west of Morningside Road Station. Initially a dock siding was provided here for masons to offload the sandstone blocks from local quarries. The stone was then used to construct the outer facing of walls for the new flats in that part of Edinburgh. This siding was known as the Stone Lye; it was later taken over by the municipal authorities and became known as the Corporation Sidings. There were also several sidings along the back of Balcarres Street which were accessed from the Up line. The end of the retaining wall is just visible in the photo in A. A. Maclean's book on the South Sub page 188 and the sidings are clearly shown on the 1910 Ordnance Survey 25 inch map.
Grantown-on-Spey East: Looking over the restored Grantown East station on 9th December 2018, with part of the miniature railway in the foreground.
Dunblane: Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (SDA) electrification information poster displayed at Dunblane in December 2018.
Bolton-le-Sands: 35018 British India Line approaches the level crossing at Bolton-le-Sands with the third 2018 'Santa Special' heading for Carlisle on 9th December 2018. The following week the final excursion was scheduled to revert to the more usual Hellifield and Blackburn circular trip.
Bolton-le-Sands: 47760 accelerates hard through Bolton-le-Sands with the slightly delayed ECS from Carnforth to Lancaster for a Santa Special on 9th December 2018.
Port Rashid: The QE2 is now been restored to a fully operational hotel in Dubai and looks to be back to her splendid self as when owned by Cunard. 9th December 2018.
Bolton-le-Sands: Some of the Class 144 Pacers are reported to be moving to Transport for Wales to strengthen Valley Lines services when released from Northern in 2019. Meanwhile they continue working out of Neville Hill. 144013 is on a Leeds to Lancaster Sunday service seen at Bolton-le-Sands on 9th December 2018.
Port Rashid: After many years when it looked at less than its best the QE2 has now been restored and is a fully operational hotel. It is permanently moored in Port Rashid, Dubai and seen here on 9th December 2018.
Broomhill: Strathspey Railway's Ivatt Class 2MT No. 46512 nears Broomhill with the morning Santa Express on 9th December 2018.
Grantown-on-Spey East: The former Grantown-on-Spey East station has been beautifully restored and is now open as a visitor centre. The two coaches have been joined together and made into a restaurant. There is also a miniature railway offering rides to the public. Seen here on 9th December 2018.
Broomhill: Strathspey Ivatt Class 2 No.46512 enters the loop at Broomhill with the afternoon Santa Express on 9th December 2018.
Grantown-on-Spey East: The diesel engine and ride-on coach of the 7 & 1/4 inch miniature railway at Grantown East on 9th December 2018.
Grantown-on-Spey East: The 7 & 1/4 inch gauge 0-4-0T steam locomotive 'Lady Susan', on loan to the Grantown East miniature railway. Pictured on 9th December 2018, it is soon to be replaced by a larger, and more powerful, 0-6-0 engine.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: View west from above a festive George Square on 9th December 2019. A few seconds after taking this, a large kit of pigeons blocked the view.
Perth: Scotrail HST backlit by a low winter sun, on the morning of the 9th December 2019, inside the trainshed at Perth General.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Buffers and concourse at Queen Street on 9th December 2019.
Buxton: An attractive ceramic tile map of the historic town greets passengers who alight from the train at Buxton station on 9th December 2019. It is one of many features which have been sponsored by the very active Friends of Buxton Station Group to promote a welcoming station environment to visitors. Also see image [[68010]].
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: A view of the busy rebuilt interior of Queen Street.
Hest Bank: A glimpse of the new Avanti West Coast livery as 390156 'Pride and Prosperity' speeds north at Hest Bank with 1Z17, a launch special from Euston to Glasgow on 9th December 2019. This stopped off at various WCML stations for Avanti events. First impression - that is a very classy livery.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: The new frontage of Queen Street can be seen behind the Christmas Market in George Square.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: View north from above a festive George Square in the early afternoon sunshine on 9th December 2019. The frankincense and myrrh have still to make an appearance.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: The new Low Level foyer taking shape in early December 2019. The steps lead up to Dundas Street; the main level access is to the left.
Perth: Low winter sun at Perth General, on the morning of the 9th December 2019.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Building a station fit for a Queen Street. Work continues on the new facade in December 2019.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: An evening view of the new frontage to Queen Street, on 9th December 2019, with the Tron Church in the backdrop.
Perth: Low winter sun on the morning of the 9th December 2019 at Perth General.
Euxton Junction: 90026, still in Grand Central black but without the logo, is back working for DB and was paired with 90036 on the Mossend to Daventry service on 9 December 2020.
Didcot Parkway: 66561 and 66595 form a double headed Freightliner, westbound through Didcot on a dull afternoon, 9th December 2020.
Euxton Junction: Network Rail test train from Slateford to Crewe passes Euxton on 9 December 2020 with Colas 67027 leading and 67023 on the rear. At least it brought some colour to a rather dull day.
Oxford: GWR Azuma 800-321, complete with face mask, southbound in Oxford Station on 9th December 2020.
Oxford: DB 66086, stabled in Oxford's Hinksey PW sidings, taken through a passing DMU window on 9th December 2020.
Oxford: Chiltern Railways DMUs 168217 and 168323, in the old LNWR/LMSR platforms at Oxford on 9th December 2020. These were refurbished and brought up to modern standards to accommodate the new Marylebone services via Bicester and High Wycombe.
Didcot Parkway: Close coupled? GWR 387171 and 387169 in Didcot station on 9th December 2020.
Didcot Parkway: A Freightliner triple header, led by 66590, running from East Usk to Southampton MCT on 9th December 2020. Three locos towing three wagons is not a common sight in Didcot and I suspect this could be classed as a positioning run.
Didcot Parkway: Grab shot of DB 60065, stabled with a Class 66 in the maintenance facility at Didcot, and seen from a passing train on 9th December 2020.
Bo'ness: Looking west to the fine signal on the approach to Bo'ness Station on 9 December 2021. Until 9am that day the 600' chimney of Longannet Power Station dominated the background ...
Events
Events from the chronology which occured on this day. This generally lists events before 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1847 | Edinburgh and Northern Railway | Extended from 1st_>Lindores 1st to Glenburnie. Glenburnie opened and 1st_>Lindores 1st closed. (Lindores 1st may also have been known as Abdie?) |
| 1965 | Formartine and Buchan Railway | Newmachar signal box closed. |
| 2007 | Caledonian Railway | TPE introduces a service between Manchester Airport, Glasgow and Edinburgh using Class 185s. |
| 2008 | National Express East Coast | Takes over the East Coast Main Line franchise from Great North Eastern Railway. |
| 2011 | Forth Bridge Railway | Painting of the Forth Bridge completed. Network Rail suggests no further painting to be required until 2031-36. A glass flake epoxy paint used by Balfour Beatty. |
| 2018 | Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway | Trains stop calling at IBM. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | South part of Waverley route unlikely to re-open for timber | The Scotsman reports a study commisioned by Scottish Enterprise, the Borders Timber Transport Group and the forestry industry which suggests that it is not worth re-instating the southern part of the Waverley Route to carry timber from the Kielder and other forests. |
| 2004 | Urgent meeting sought on ferries [BBC News] | The transport minister seeks a meeting with the European Commission over the future of west coast ferry routes. |
| 2005 | New rail line for Lanarkshire [Scottish Executive] | New route means communities have direct rail access to Glasgow for the first time since 1968. |
| 2005 | New rail link for Larkhall opens [BBC News] | A major branch line railway near Glasgow with three new stations is to be re-opened by the first minister. |
| 2005 | Rail rescue hero [Scotsman] | A POLICEMAN who rescued a woman trapped in her vehicle on a railway line as a train approached was recognised by the Royal Humane Society for his bravery yesterday. |
| 2005 | Watchdog criticises ^eye-watering^ rail fares rise [Scotsman] | A PASSENGER watchdog yesterday condemned inflation-busting rail fare increases as a "disappointing early Christmas present". |
| 2008 | More and faster trains promised [BBC News] | Rail passengers across Britain will benefit from almost 700 extra services a day on weekdays when a new timetable begins next week, train operators say. |
| 2009 | Mountain railway to get more cash [BBC News Article] | Bosses from Highlands and Islands Enterprise are to give evidence to MSPs reviewing spending on the Cairngorms^ funicular railway. |
| 2010 | First new 11-car Pendolino arrives in Britain [Rail Engineer] | The first of four new 11-car Pendolino trains to be delivered by Alstom arrived on 6 December 2010. It was brought by rail from Italy to the Liverpool Traincare Centre at Edge Hill, one of five maintenance depots where Alstom maintains the current Pendolino fleet and where a six-month programme of testing and commissioning of the train will now begin |
| 2011 | Forth Bridge painting completed [BBC News] | The painting of the Forth Bridge has finally been completed and the structure is now scaffold-free for the first time in a decade. The repair and repainting project to paint the rail bridge took 10 years and cost £130m. It has been claimed it will not now need another paint job for at least 25 years. New techniques and products have been are behind the project^s success. |
| 2011 | Anger at axe threat to new city rail link [Evening Times] | A RAIL line built just six years ago could become redundant to make way for better services between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The line linking Anniesland to Queen Street, and which runs through Maryhill and Possilpark, is in danger of being cut off from the city centre to allow more trains on the main line. Network Rail are consulting on the £1billion project to reduce journey times and increase the number of intercity trains. [From Andrew Wilson] |
| 2012 | Below-inflation Scottish off-peak rail fare pledge [BBC] | Off-peak train fares will rise 1% below inflation from 2016, the Scottish government has said. The condition to peg off-peak fares at RPI -1, or 1% below the retail price index measure of inflation, will be written into the contract for the next rail franchise. |
| 2012 | London Overground: East to south London in three minutes [BBC] | Londoners have a new route on their tube map from Sunday, as trains start to run on the new extension to the Overground network. The new route runs between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction, allowing passengers to travel directly between south west and east London, via the Docklands. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2013 | Doncaster railway sleeper factory set to open [BBC News] | A new railway sleeper factory will be officially opened later creating about 45 jobs. The factory, in Ten Pound Walk, Doncaster, will supply about 400,000 concrete sleepers for Network Rail. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2013 | East Midlands rail upgrade boosts top speed to 125 mph [BBC News] | Trains on the East Midlands mainline to London will be able to hit a top speed of 125 mph (200kph) as a result of track work, train officials said. The £70m upgrade on 160 miles of track means the fastest journey from Nottingham to London will be reduced by eight minutes to 91 minutes. The fastest train from Sheffield to London will take two hours. The 125mph top speed will be possible on a total of 56 miles of the track on the route. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2015 | New rail franchise deals bring northern train improvement promise [BBC News] | Widespread improvements to trains in the north of England and Scotland have been promised with the announcement of new contracts for two rail franchises. The Northern Rail franchise is being awarded to Arriva Rail North Ltd, while TransPennine Express is going to First Trans Pennine Express Ltd. The Department for Transport said the deals would see the introduction of 500 new carriages. The outdated and unpopular Pacer trains would also be phased out. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2015 | West Coast steam train ^near miss^ firm and driver charged [BBC News] | A steam train driver and their employer have been charged over a near miss in which a locomotive stopped across a busy main line railway junction. Safety equipment had allegedly been bypassed on the Tangmere locomotive which meant it passed a signal at danger in Wiltshire earlier this year. The legal proceedings have been brought by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). |
| 2016 | Bill tabled to integrate railway policing into Police Scotland [BBC News] | A bill has been tabled at Holyrood to have Police Scotland take over railway policing duties north of the border. Railways across the UK are currently overseen by British Transport Police. The Scottish government said it would be more efficient for these duties to be integrated into Scotland^s national police force. Rail unions have spoken out against the move, while police chiefs have warned that a merger could be ^massively complicated^. However the senior police officers told MSPs at a Scottish parliament committee session in November that potential issues were ^not insurmountable^. Absorbing transport policing into Scotland^s single force has been a long-running goal for Justice Secretary Michael Matheson. The BTP wanted to continue providing the service, but with oversight from Holyrood instead of Westminster after devolution, and three railway unions came out against the plan. |
| 2016 | All aboard! The first UK-built Intercity Express rolls off the production line ... [Daily Mail] | The first UK-built Intercity Express (IEP) train has rolled off the production line. The train was showcased at the Hitachi Rail Europe factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham on Friday. It is one of 122 express trains which are part of the Government-funded £5.7 billion IEP programme designed to boost capacity, reliability and comfort for passengers by replacing the current trains on the Great Western and East Coast rail networks. |
| 2018 | ScotRail: Checks urged amid timetable change [BBC News] | ScotRail say the new timetable will allow for shorter journey times, more seating and services on updated routes. |
| 2018 | Crossrail may not open next year despite mooted extra £1bn [The Guardian] | Ministers are reportedly about to admit London rail project needs further extra funding. Crossrail could swallow up another £1bn in funding and be delayed beyond 2019, ministers are expected to admit this week.The flagship construction project to create a new high-capacity train line across London had originally been due to be opened on Sunday by the Queen, but problems with complex new signalling systems delayed testing trains in the central core. Confirmation that the opening was postponed by up to a year was only announced at the end of August. |
| 2019 | Avanti West Coast promises ^big change^ for train customers [ITV News] | The first overhaul of a Pendolino train is expected to be completed by early Autumn 2020. |
| 2019 | Premium economy class to be launched on Scotlands West Coast Main Line [Scotsman] | Three classes of travel are to be offered on Britain^s domestic railway for the first time in decades. |
