RAILDATE 2024.07.05

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Raildate is a collaboration between the editor and a number of contributors. Please think about supplying links that you spot. The contact email address is: raildate.co.uk@gmail.com

The latest Raildate is always at https://latest.raildate.co.uk

There are sections on:

• UK Rail News
• International Rail News
• Other Transport Modes
• The Weekly Poser (and the answer to last week's poser)

UK Rail News

East Midlands

• Appeal for funds by Midland Railway Centre
• Last coal train to Radcliffe on Soar powerstation
• Former railway signs renovated in Peak District
• Nottinghamshire power station receives final coal delivery by rail

London

• Travel problems at Taylor Swift's Wembley Stadium shows
• Now you can wear London Underground moquette to the beach – with these swimming trunks
• TfL submits planning application for Pontoon Dock DLR station upgrade
• The Elizabeth line’s new heritage-inspired clock now arriving at Chadwell Heath
• The London Tunnels raising £30 million to open Cold War tunnels as a tourist attraction
• Vandalised heritage tube train returning to the tracks
• Planned closure of Barnes Bridge in July
• Heathrow trains suspended until further notice
• Student accommodation could be built above Southwark Tube Station

Midlands

• New rail service plan to plug HS2 scrappage gap
• West Midlands Trains proposes Manchester to London service

North East

• Behind The Scenes - Ashington & Bedlington

North West

• Train moving with open doors at Styal - RAIB report
• LNW to bid for extended services to Manchester Victoria
• Northern train leaves Manchester station with five doors open

Scotland

• Final 1970's stock withdrawn on Glasgow Subway
• Network Rail powers ahead with new feeder station at Tweedbank
• Edinburgh commuters raging as rush hour trains scrapped due to 'lack of crew'
• Creating art while on train to Leven, and exploring Tentsmuir’s Beach Of Dreams

South

• Island Line engineering works closures

South East

• Southeastern trains reduced for maintenance trial
• 101-year-old steam engine returns home after sale
• Refurbished Class 458 trains enter service on SWR network
• Southeastern ditches paper forms to improve Lost Property return rates

Wales

• Travel warning as Severn bridge and tunnel to shut
• How you maintain one of the world's oldest tunnels
• Severn Tunnel closed for two weeks for essential track replacement
• Proposal to reopen Pontrilas station  near Abergavenny
• New images at Pontypool and Treherbert. 67s and FLIRTS
• All stations from Bridgend with 197s

West

• Basic station for Wellington to open in June 2026

Yorkshire

• Northern reminds NHS workers to claim 25% discount on train journeys on eve of health service’s 76th anniversary
• 10000th Biomass train to Drax

National

• 875 trains cancelled every day in last year while fares and bonuses soar

International Rail News

Austria

• Night Jet services from Wien suspended for engineering works for two months

Belgium

• Three-country train service begins after years of setbacks
• AB InBev 'beer trains' to use new rail connection to Brussels port
• First ‘three countries train’ inaugurated at Liège-Guillemins station goes public on 30 June

Germany

• Wuppertal Schwebebahn

Ireland

• Luas Red line service disrupted after van driven onto track

Kenya

• New rolling stock delivered for Kenyan standard gauge line

Slovakia

• Fatal level crossing accident near Bratislava

South Africa

• Sanstone Estates Cherry Festival in November

Switzerland

• Gotthard base tunnel to reopen on 2nd September

USA

• Decline in USA coal tonnages moved by rail
• AMTRAK award contract for new river bridge at Connecticut

Other Transport Modes

Air

• A Ride Inside US Air Force KC-135
• Strike by West Jet engineers

Bus

• Bus scrapes scaffolding at Wareham

Canal

• New bridge to be built over canal as plan approved

Marine

• Electric hydrofoil ferries ordered by Red Funnel

Credits

Thank you to this week's contributors.

• Andrew Nummelin
• Mike Price
• Mike Wilcock
• Neil Kearns
• Paul Tambini
• Richard Buckby

The Weekly Poser: Where is this?

A magnificant viaduct. Where is it? [The correct railway line is good enough] Answers to raildate.co.uk@gmail.com

Last week's Where is this?

A tidal river reaches a town well served by railways. Where is it?

Answer: Stockton-on-Tees. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: Steve Beames, John Lacy, Colin Penfold, Chris Neale, Jum Allwood, Anthony Fox, Dave Goodyear, Blair Robinson, Chris Gibbard, Simon Wass, Keith Hanbury-Chatten, Dave Mant, Peter Tisdale, Ian Bromley, Paul Hopper, Grenville Joshua, Andrew Treves, Neil Spencer, Jeremy Harrison, Bryn Pitcher, Martin King

The Stockton & Darlington 200th celebrations next year will raise the town's profile. The original line is marked in green, with various tracks serving coal staithes, a flour mill, warehouses continuing beyond. There are two super-detailed interactive maps of the area from the National Library of Scotland. Use the transparenecy slider tool to switch to the contemporary map.

• 1840s
• 1880s

The S&D was extended across the river in 1830 to Port Darlington (now Middlesborough) using a suspension bridge. But the design failed. Successive replacements were built in 1844, 1881 and 1906. The current "Surtees" railway bridge was built parallel to the 1906 bridge, and opened in 2009.

Thornaby-on-Tees is south of the river but there was only one pedestrian or vehicle crossing until recent years. Now there are six. Images: Tees Barrage, Infinity Bridge

SMALL PRINT

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©  Matthew Shaw 2024