RAILDATE 2025.01.31

Your free weekly guide to what's happening and what's new.

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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

• Greater Anglia tickets from just £3 as Great British Rail Sale gets underway

East Midlands

• Alstom to host Britain’s biggest rail celebration as part of Railway 200
• Derby to host major gathering of historic railway vehicles
• Delays after lorry hits notorious railway bridge
• Greater Anglia trains cancelled as tree blocking railway
• Launch of Rail200 at Derby
• Great Central Railway Winter Gala preview

London

• Overspeed incident at Manor Park
• Job done in Hackney as bridge replacement complete
• A New London Overground Line Could Soon Be Added To London’s Transport Network
• How Covent Garden station nearly closed in 1935
• London Overground trains to call at London Bridge station in March
• The famously quirky Osterley Bookshop is closing down
• Recycling GTR Thameslink & Southern uniforms
• Elizabeth line passenger thrown to floor when 'confused' driver went through points too fast
• MP to grill train bosses over Watford Junction cancellations

Midlands

• Severn Valley landslip
• Severn Valley landslip
• Fourth crash into railway bridge in one month
• Longer trains set for popular commuter route
• Coventry rail system's first route could be to airport zone
• Coventry's light rail network could launch in a different part of the city than first planned
• Major landslip affects Severn Valley Railway

North East

• How the new Metro train fleet will be introduced
• Half a million pounds to boost County Durham towns around railway line revival plans

North West

• RAIB Full Report
• Landslip near Darwen
• Rail body criticised by report on derailment
• Landslide closes railway lines
• RAIB report on derailment at Grange over Sands
• Restoration of Bootle Signal Box
• Race-against-time to spend £3.8m on train station as new car park remains shut
• Warrington set to feature in Manchester Bee Network 2030 rail plan
• RAIB Grange over Sands, 22 March 2024

Scotland

• Disruption to continue after Storm Eowyn causes 'unprecedented' damage to railway
• Nearly Over 400 incidents in Scotland from Storm Eowyn
• Group of engineering students start petition to reopen Edinburgh’s South Sub railway as an extension of the tram network
• Now Storm Eowyn stops trams, as Scottish standstill continues
• Talgo give up idea of a factory at Longannet

South

• Transport correspondent leaving BBC South.
• Works to Dorset History Centre delayed by Network Rail
• More disruption to South Western Railway services in early February

South East

• Network Rail completes pre-Christmas works on c2c network
• High tech batteries used on 4VEP 3417
• Botley Road bridge at Oxford station to reopen in August 2026
• Greens push for legal action over Botley Road closure
• Guildford Gatwick 16 day line closure
• Landslip causes delays for Gatwick rail passengers
• Kent Cheese and Wine trains
• Record attendance at East West Rail consultation events
• Trains at a standstill in East Sussex after passenger is 'taken ill'

Wales

• Cardiff Parkway station approved by Welsh government
• Cardiff Parkway station approved by Welsh government
• Llangollen Railway signal box to become wildlife hide
• Heritage railway signal box could become wildlife viewing hub

West

• Council short on up to £50m for new railway line
• Wish list for service improvement in the South West
• Managing Chipping Sodbury railway tunnel flooding
• Penzance – Cardiff service to be split from May
• Gillingham to Yeovil line to close for Network Rail works
• 35011 to leave Swindon & Cricklade Railway
• Britain’s trains weren’t working – so we set up our own railway line

Yorkshire

• Fight for half hourly train service to Scarborough
• Trains running to and from Bradford station may be cancelled due to issue

National

• Major plans to halve train journey times and build new stations unveiled
• GBR to take over TOC web sites
• Storm causes widespread delays and cancellations

International Rail News

Canada

• Some labour peace on Canada’s railways

France

• France plans major sleeper fleet order

Switzerland

• Repairs to Simplon Tunnel over the next 3 years

Tanzania

• Chinese Firms to Build $2 Billion Tanzanian Rail to Nickel Mine

USA

• What the US Intercity Rail System Could Look Like
• Phoenix Rail rises with acquisition of Lehigh Valley Rail Management
• New York rail ridership up since start of congestion tolling

Other Transport Modes

Bus

• Community minibus for Lyme Regis

Marine

• Hythe Ferry news
• Historic WWII UK Warship Secures Grant to Support Revitalization Program
• Ramsey Harbour swing bridge closed to vehicles
• Campaign to restore Dunkirk tug to former glory
• Cowes floating bridge out of action due to battery failure
• Tension and defiance in Panama after Trump threatens to ‘take back’ canal

Credits

Thank you to this week's contributors.

• Alan Rushworth
• Andrew Nummelin
• Bill King
• John Oliver
• Matthew Shaw
• Mike Price
• Neil Kearns
• Paul Tambini
• Richard Buckby
• Richard Maund

The Weekly Poser: Where is this?

All the features of a railway town - station, roundhouse, various workshops. Where is it?

Please send your answers to raildate.co.uk@gmail.com

Last week's Where is this?

Somewhere in the Welsh Valleys. Where is it?

Answer: Treherbert on 23rd April 1986. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: John Czyrko, Colin Penfold, Chris Parker, Paul Hopper, Mike Wilcock, Jim Allwood, Phil Deaves, Bryn Pitcher, John Lacy, Chris Gibbard, Dave Goodyear, Brian Francis, Ian Lowe, Bernard Gudgin, Martin King, Simon Wass.

Image credit: Kevin Hughes RCTS Collection.

At the head of the Rhondda Fawr Valley, Treherbert sported several major collieries requiring a 3-track line down to Pontypridd (the Taff Vale Rly Co). Above Treherbert, the 2 mile long Rhondda Tunnel provided an alternative outlet via Port Talbot. Tracks north of Treherbert have been removed since the photo, and the colleries served have closed - Bute, Ty Draw, and Fernhill; the passenger line singled.

A renaissance is taking place. The line is the process of being electrified down to Cardiff and will use tri-mode (electric, battery, diesel) Class 756 FLIRTs to bridge a few gaps in the wires. Parts of the line are being doubled again to allow for a 15 minute service frequency.

SMALL PRINT

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©  Matthew Shaw 2025