News archive January/February
2006
National Network
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and
Miniature
Away from the tracks
National Network
FirstGroup
carries off TLGN prize with ‘Capital Connect’
National Express’s rail monopoly in the Eastern counties will be broken
on April 1 when FirstGroup takes over the newly-created Thameslink/Great
Northern franchise.
On December 13 the DfT announced that First had beaten off four other shortlisted
applicants to land the TLGN contract for up to nine years. TLGN will combine
GN-line services (King’s Lynn/Cambridge and Peterborough to London) with
the current Thameslink network (Bedford to Wimbledon and Brighton). The
new entity, which carries about 80m passengers each year, will go under the
name First Capital Connect. First will pay the government a £808m
premium over the nine years. It will also spend £52m on making trains
more frequent and reliable, cleaning up stations and trains, and improving
ticketing facilities and security.
On the same day First learnt that it had also been awarded the new ‘Greater
Western’ franchise.
CT 156 plugs the gap during 170s mods
one has begun a programme to modify the interiors of its eight Class
170/2 three-car dmus.
The 170/2s entered service in East Anglia in 1999 and now operate London
trains to and from Lowestoft and Peterborough, as well as some rural services.
The £450k programme, being undertaken by Bombardier at Norwich Crown
Point depot, sees them get an extra 46 standard class seats per train by
removing the now-disused buffet and slashing the number of first class seats
from 29 to 7. At the same time passenger information systems and internal
door controls are being modified and carpets renewed. The first unit to
be treated was no.170203, and all eight should be completed in the Spring.
To maintain dmu numbers during the modification programme, one
has hired Central Trains 156415 in CT green livery. Its first duty was
to form the 16:45 Norwich – Sheringham on January 23.
Class 86s bid farewell to East Anglia
Having carried out the very last of their ‘last train’ duties on September
17 (NRS Newsletter Sept/Oct 2005)
the remaining Class 86s have left Norwich. Nos. 86218, 86235 and 86246
were hauled from Crown Point depot to Immingham Railfreight terminal via
Ely, Peterborough, Grantham and Wrawby Jc., on November 24. The remaining
three, nos. 86232, 86234 and 86260, followed on November 29, behind no. 66199.
All nameplates had been removed earlier at Crown Point.
Options for the six, owned by HSBC Rail, include sale – possibly overseas
– or preservation. A static preserved future has been proposed for a couple
of the class, with high-mileage locos whose transformers have failed being
the likely candidates.
Clarke is shown the door as one’s punctuality
falters
A sign that all is not well at one came just before Christmas when
Tim Clarke was replaced as managing director. Clarke was appointed to the
post last year when one began operating the Greater Anglia franchise,
having held the same position with Anglia Railways, one’s predecessor
in our region, since April 1998. Acting managing director is now Dominic
Booth, deputy chief executive of NatEx’s trains division.
NatEx has not revealed why Clarke was shifted from his post but it is likely
to stem from one’s operating performance and public perception. Between
June and September 2005 one’s punctuality drop since the previous
year was bigger than any other TOC’s. Performance on the main Norwich –
London route fell over 6 points to 81.2%. Meanwhile, nationally, 87% of
trains in the UK ran punctually compared with just 83.3% a year earlier.
one admits that the move to Mark 3 train sets has not gone as smoothly
as hoped; however it says several factors affecting the fall were beyond
its control, including signalling and ohl problems, over-running engineering
work, rail accidents and lineside fires.
In January one launched its “Leading Service Excellence” programme, under
which each employee will spend a day concentrating on customer service standards
and “how our people can make the difference”.
North Walsham sees new stone traffic
With support from Norfolk County Council, a new mineral flow from Whitemoor
Yard to North Walsham began on February 3. The trainloads contain cleaned
rail ballast, for re-sale as roadstone. The first train was hauled by GBRf
no. 66717.
Electric convoy finally leaves Norwich
At last September’s Community Rail Festival three of the visiting exhibits
were electro-diesel Class 73 no. 73138 and 25kv locos nos. 84001 and 89001.
Originally due to return in October to the AC Locomotive Group’s base at
Barrow Hill, in the event they remained at Norwich for more than three months.
They departed on the morning of January 16 (not 19 as reported in The
Railway Magazine), but the hauling loco, FM Rail’s no.47145, ran into
problems and the four were temporarily stabled at Ilford carriage sidings.
Classmate no. 47709 was summoned from Derby, and the five locos left Ilford
that evening, getting as far as Peterborough at 22.40 where they halted for
the night.
WAGN unit to honour FLUA
Another WAGN Class 365 unit is to receive a name. On March 10, Robert Stripe,
vice-chairman of the Fen Line Users’ Association, will name the unit at Kings
Lynn station in recognition of FLUA's 21 years, 1985-2006.
There’s another one behind (if you hang on
for an hour)
The much-publicised national shortage of rolling-stock was highlighted by
an incident at Norwich station on December 29. A crowd of passengers was
waiting for the one 16:45 to Sheringham train, but as it was a one-carriage
dmu, only around 150 of them were allowed to board. The rest, around fifty,
were offered a hot drink to placate them while they waited for the 17:45
train.
Jonathan Denby, one’s head of corporate affairs, admits that stock
shortage is a problem. “Once we reach the limit of what the current fleet
can carry”, he said, “the cost of extra trains – up to £300,000 a year
to lease – is a challenge.”
New year, new industrial discontent
Train drivers’ union Aslef is balloting one staff over pay. one
has offered a 13-month deal giving Anglia drivers 4.5% and Great Eastern
drivers 4% in return for “productivity, harmonisation and other” elements.
ASLEF says that “action appears to be the only way to secure a strings-free
pay rise for our members.”
Meanwhile talks between Central Trains and representatives of the RMT union
managed to avert industrial action planned for December 27 and January 2.
The RMT had threatened to strike over payments to senior conductors for working
on Bank Holidays over the Christmas period.
Major parking improvement for Wymondham rail
users
With passenger numbers at Wymondham having more than doubled since the Norwich
– Cambridge service began in 2002, Norfolk County Council is to create a
100-space pay-and-display car park on nearby Cemetery Lane. The present
station forecourt parking area will be earmarked for disabled drivers and
customers of the Brief Encounter restaurant. The scheme will also see pedestrian
facilities and street lighting improved.
Construction work on the £250,000 scheme is planned to start in
early 2006, but the project may be delayed as until recently the land was
used as an unauthorised travellers’ camp.
Where’s my timetable?
In December one changed its timetable booklets. Instead of including
all “ex-Anglia” local services in a single booklet, it now produces a separate
leaflet for each group of services – no.15 for the Wherry lines, no.16 for
the Sheringham branch, and so on.
The new arrangement has not been popular. At Norwich station only leaflets
for services to and from Norwich are available. For the East Suffolk route,
for example, you have to search elsewhere. Arthur Barrett reports that
staff at Norwich's customer service office may, “if you persist”, provide
copies.
Early-morning Norwich – Liverpool train withdrawn
With the start of the current timetable on December 10, Central Trains’
Mon-Fri 06:52 (Sats 06:56) Norwich-Liverpool train has been altered so that
it now starts its journey at Cambridge at 07:26. Maintenance capacity at
Crown Point depot is said to be behind the change.
The most noticeable improvements on the one network, are to Sunday
trains. Between Norwich and Great Yarmouth trains run every hour from 07.30
to 22.30, and there’s a later evening Bittern line train.
New station for Snetterton?
Visitors to Snetterton motor-racing circuit could once more arrive by train,
it has been revealed.
The race track’s owner, MotorSport Vision, has unveiled plans to make it
a “hub of the UK motor racing industry”. The proposals include building
a commercial complex to be known as Snetterton Business Park. The Park will
feature a race school, hotel, restaurant and conference facilities, shops
and industrial units.
Norwich – Cambridge trains pass close to the site’s southern edge. To increase
the Business Park’s attraction, MotorSport Vision is reported to have held
talks about improving rail access. This could be at the infrequently-served
Eccles Road station, less than a mile away, or might involve building a new
station.
New lifts and forecourt at Bury
Improved passenger facilities at Bury St. Edmunds station were officially
unveiled on December 7. Under the £400,000 project, two new passenger
lifts give full access to both the Cambridge- and Ipswich-bound platforms,
while the station forecourt includes new bus interchange facilities and a
taxi waiting area.
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and Miniature
North Norfolk named Independent
Railway of the Year
The top prize in the National Railway Heritage Awards, the Ian Allan Publishing
‘Independent Railway of the Year’ award has gone to the North Norfolk Railway.
NNR general manager Geoff Gowing and marketing manager Colin Borg were presented
with the award at a ceremony held in London on December 6.
Earlier this year the NNR won an Archant “Tourism in Norfolk” Award
(NRS Newsletter Nov/Dec 2005)
.
WWLR’s Harvester gets to work
A new member of the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway’s active fleet
is diesel-hydraulic Norfolk Harvester. The loco was bought in 2004
from the Ferry Meadows line near Peterborough, and rebuilding was completed
in time for it to enter service before the end of the 2005 season. Wearing
GER blue, Norfolk Harvester has banked heavily-laden trains out of
Wells and performed “Thunderbird” duties for trains in trouble.
Work has started on a new boiler for WWLR 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garrett Norfolk
Hero, which has run 125,000 miles and needs a major overhaul.
Back through the decades at Dereham
There’ll be a novel nostalgic twist to three Mid-Norfolk Railway ‘Transport
through the Decades’ weekend events.
A 1950s Weekend on May 20/21 will bring the long-promised steam traction
to the MNR. Classic cars, motorbikes, tractors and other pre-1960 vehicles
will be displayed at Dereham Station, and there’ll be an exhibition of archive
railway photos and paintings.
On June 17/18, to coincide with Fathers’ Day, a 1960s Weekend will see MNR
trains hauled by rail-blue diesel locos with ‘D-prefix’ numbers, as well
as a display of vintage machines from the 1960s.
It’ll be the turn of the 1970s on July 15/16. To operate an intensive timetable,
the MNR hopes that its Mk 2 carriage set, by then newly-restored in BR blue-and-grey
livery, will be in action.
J15’s ‘cousin’ gets the Weybourne treatment
In June 2003 the M&GNJRS’s J15 0-6-0 no. 65462 visited Beamish Open-Air
Museum, where it was steamed to launch the restoration appeal for its ‘cousin’,
Beamish-based ex-NER J21 0-6-0 no. 65033. Now the Beamish loco, which was
last in steam around twenty years ago, is to be restored at the North Norfolk
Railway’s recently extended Weybourne workshop. Assuming that the project’s
cost of around £250,000 can be raised, the work should take 21/2 years.
No. 65033 will remain on loan to the NNR for twenty years, and in return
an NNR engine will make regular visits to Beamish.
T W Worsdell, who left Stratford in 1885 to become the NER’s Chief Mechanical
Engineer, designed both the GER J15s and the NER J21s.
B12 4-6-0 no. 61572 was not available for the NNR’s Winter Steam Gala (Dec
31 – Jan 2), and its place was taken by WD 2-10-0 no. 90775. Joining them
as a guest loco was Bressingham-based ex-LBSCR ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T Martello
. One of the UK’s oldest working steam locos, Martello will operate
special trains between Sheringham and Weybourne on eight dates in March.
Mid-Norfolk set to welcome a Grid
Another ex-BR main-line diesel loco is destined for Dereham. After raising
funds for thirteen years, a subsidiary of the Class 56 Group has bought no.
56040 Oystermouth from EWS and has reached agreement with the Mid
Norfolk Railway to base it at Dereham. The group now needs to raise the
cost of moving it to Norfolk from storage at Immingham.
Nicknamed ‘Grids’ by enthusiasts, the Class 56s bear a resemblance to
the more numerous Class 47s and were built to haul merry-go-round coal trains.
All 135 have been withdrawn by EWS. Unlike the first thirty which were
assembled in Roumania, no.56040 is a product of BREL Doncaster, and entered
service in 1978.
Away from the tracks
No reprieve for Hemsby bridge
After much debate, demolition contractors were given the go-ahead to move
in on a road bridge which once crossed the M&GN near Hemsby. The work
began in late January.
Bridge no. 158, thought to date from the 1930s, lifted the Martham – Hemsby
road pointlessly over a flat field. Norfolk County Council says the girder
bridge wasn’t strong enough to carry 44-tonne loads, and the cost of strengthening
it couldn’t be justified.
Demolition of the local landmark came despite a petition from around 70
local residents who had grown fond of this reminder of the old railway.
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