RAIL EXPRESS

New Rail Express website

railexpressmortons — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:52:05 +0000

The Rail Express site is changing! We’re moving to a larger website which will offer an easier layout, more articles, galleries and polls.
You will still be able to comment on all articles, simply by logging into the site. Registration is free, and will also allow you access to extra articles on-line*

To view our new website: CLICK HERE

Chiltern gets bubbly for 50th

Gareth — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:33:03 +0000

Happy Birthday Chiltern ‘Bubble Car’ 55020!

CHILTERN RAILWAY’S AYLESBURY Station will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ‘Bubble Car’, between 10.00 and 17.00 on Saturday, September 4th. The single-car diesel unit – or British Rail Class 121 – is used during the weekday peak period between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury.

Entertainment at the station on the day includes music from local jazz band Anything Goes, face painting plus many other attractions. There will also be a raffle for guests to participate in, where all proceeds go to the Railway Children charity and Hugh Jones will be signing “The Chiltern Railways Story” from 11.00 to 15.00. Raffle prizes range from a Champagne Tea for two at Waddesdon Manor to family day out tickets.

Tickets are only £1 from Aylesbury station and Prince Risborough station. For only £7 for an adult and £3.50 for a child, visitors can purchase the Bubblecard, a special ticket sold at Aylesbury station and Princes Risborough station. These will be valid for Bubble car shuttles, which will run between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough exclusively available for visitors at the event.

Last chance to win From CIE to IR

Gareth — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:54:24 +0000

You can win a copy of this cracking new publication from Ian Allan.

THIS IMPRESSIVE NEW book covers the huge changes that have taken place on Ireland’s railways over the last 30 years, with particular emphasis on the Republic’s diverse fleet of General Motor’s-powered locomotives. With superb reproduction throughout and extensively detailed captions, this beautifully presented landscape format volume is the perfect reminder of the once extensive loco-hauled passenger and freight operations that used to cover the country.

Publisher Ian Allan has kindly donated several copies of this excellent book for RAIL EXPRESS magazine to give away to lucky readers. This super prize will go to the first five people drawn from the correct answers to the question below:

The 001 or ‘A’ Class GMs were repowered in the early 1970s with GM 645E engines. Which engine manufacturer supplied the original 1,200hp power units?

Closing date for entries (marked IRISH BOOK COMPETITION) and sent to the editorial address is August 31st, 2010. Make sure you include your contact details. Good luck!

New issue: RE172 September 2010

Gareth — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:15:37 +0000

RE172: Best for modern railway news and analysis
Inside the September 2010 issue:

• News: DB Schenker takes over the Network Rail test train contract, but has to call in DRS Class 37s in its first week. Class 50s for Yeovil to Exeter open access loco-hauled service? HS2 review says no to Heathrow station, and proposes Old Oak Common for interim London terminal. October will see a Channel Tunnel run for DB ICE3M high-speed trainset. Just a skeleton staff will remain at Bombardier’s Ashford workshops as work on the Class 442 EMUs and the London Overground Class 378 fleet nears the end. 3-CIG Freshwater is to move to the Mid-Norfolk Railway in the autumn. Metrolink trams will be heading for Oldham and Rochdale town centres in 2014 and Manchester Airport in 2016 following the award of £500 million in funding.
• News in pictures: Direct Rail Services runs bagged cement trial in Scotland, Freightliner helps out as the wires come down in East Anglia, Class 20s and Class 73s congregate at Peterborough and there are extra ‘Golfex’ trains to cope with the crowds visiting St Andrews for the Open golf Championship.
• Feature: NXEA’s Rural Routes operation is one of the good news stories of the economic downturn, despite the region being amongst the worst hit by the recession. Murray Brown went to meet the people in charge of the operation to see what makes it tick, with a special emphasis on the planning for the loco-hauled Airshow ‘shuttles’ which take place every August.
• Pictorial: The inevitable has finally arrived, and the first Class 58s have been consigned to oblivion, following the sale of seven of the BREL-built Type 5s in a DB Schenker tender a few weeks back. The news isn’t all bad, as one of the machines has been purchased for preservation, but the remaining six will all be disposed of. RAIL EXPRESS looks back over the life of these ‘Bones’ and salutes their brief, but interesting, careers.

• Railtours: Spitfire Railtours took a Class 33 to Whitby in the period under review – but where were all the passengers?. Plus our comprehensive railtour listings for the next month.
• Preservation: Alycidon lives up to its name with a series of high-speed runs on the GCR in July. Plus we take a look at the exciting line-up planned for the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Class 37 event in late-September. It promises to be a memorable weekend!
• Time Traveller: After decades of decline, Newcastle’s rail users were given a boost in 1980 as the new Metro system opened between Haymarket and Tynemouth.
• Columns: Your favourite in-depth monthly reading – Messroom, Traction & Rolling Stock, Unitary Authority, Coaches, Wagons and Irish Angle, complete with superb supporting photography.
• Modelling: With the Scalefour Society’s Scaleforum event fast approaching, there is plenty of coverage of the show’s diesel and electric era friendly line up. One of the layouts that will be attending, Birmingham Moor Street, which represents the West Midlands station in the 1960s or 1970-80s period, is our main feature this issue. We also take a close look at the new Bachmann Cravens Class 105 DMU and Dapol’s 4mm scale ‘Megafreet’ container flat wagon. Plus the usual news, exhibition diary and Mostyn serial.

On sale via subscription and specialist distribution now.

Rail boost for ‘V’ festival

Gareth — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:07:18 +0000

NXEA is providing extra train services for the ‘V Festival’ 2010.

FESTIVAL GOERS TRAVELLING to the ‘V’ Festival in Chelmsford, on Saturday August 21st and Sunday 22nd are being encouraged to choose the ‘green’ travel option and use public transport to the festival, reducing their carbon imprint in the process.

This year Essex’s biggest music festival has proved more popular than ever, with the Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Florence and the Machine and many other acts performing at the event.

For those planning to travel by train, National Express East Anglia will operate a normal scheduled weekend timetable with additional services running as listed below:

Travelling to Chelmsford – Saturday August 21st
Additional train services will call at Chelmsford

Travelling from Chelmsford – Saturday August 21st
Additional services will operate to London, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich.

The last trains will depart:

…to London at 01.30 on Sunday morning,
…to Colchester at 01.33 on Sunday morning
…to Southend at 01.30 on Sunday morning (changing at Shenfield)
…to Ipswich at 01.00 on Sunday morning
…to Clacton-on-Sea at 23.53.

Travelling to Chelmsford – Sunday August 22nd
Additional train services will call at Chelmsford throughout the day
Additional services will operate from Liverpool Street to Chelmsford from 10.15 to 15.15.

Travelling from Chelmsford – Sunday August 22nd
Additional train services will operate from Chelmsford to Liverpool Street from 19.45 until 01.30.
Additional services will also operate to Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich.

The last trains will depart:

…to London at 01.30 on Monday morning
…to Colchester at 01.33 on Monday morning
…to Southend at 01.30 on Monday morning (changing at Shenfield)
…to Ipswich at 01.03 on Monday morning.
…to Clacton-on-Sea at 00.13 on Monday morning

Details of these additional services can be found on the National Express East Anglia website or National Rail Enquiry Service on 08457 48 49 50 to help with travel arrangements.