News archive July/August
2005
National Network
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and
Miniature
Away from the tracks
National Network
Mk 3s to
get a £25m facelift
Complaints about train reliability and air conditioning are set to fall
now that one has announced plans to introduce fully reconditioned
Mk 3 coaches on the Norwich-London main line. Under a £25m project
to replace the existing Mk 2s, 110 Mk 3 vehicles will be leased through Porterbrook
and refurbished by Bombardier Transportation at Derby. Many of the Mk 3s
have already arrived, but they will now move through the upgrade programme
on a regular cycle with an eight-carriage set leaving Bombardier every two
weeks. By spring or early summer next year, all Norwich-Liverpool Street
trains should be formed of the new stock.
The upgrade will see doors and vestibule ends replaced and the air-conditioning
equipment overhauled. New seat covers, carpets and curtains will be fitted,
and the buffet areas and toilets will be improved. The coaches will return
freshly painted in one livery.
ACoRP chooses Norfolk for first-ever Rail
Festival
The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) is to celebrate local
and rural railways by staging the first-ever national Community Rail Festival
in Norfolk. What better venue, asks ACoRP than the county which has “highly
successful community rail partnerships, a very positive train operator and
a supportive local authority?”
Over the weekend of September 24/5, the Railfest will include a gala at
Norwich station and locomotives on display at Norwich, Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Rural stations will host a variety of family-oriented activities. On the
Saturday, Class 87 no. 87019, which was named “ACoRP” earlier this year,
will take a railtour from Liverpool Street to Norwich and back – possibly
the first instance of a Class 87 hauling passengers on this line.
At a dinner to be held in Norwich on Friday September 23, the national
Community Rail Awards will be presented, including Freight Development (sponsored
by EWS) and New Uses for Station Buildings (National Express).
£10,000 reward after signalling vandalism
one and Network Rail have jointly offered a £10,000 reward after
fibre-optic signalling cables on the main line south of Norwich were deliberately
severed.
The vandals struck on Thursday June 16, probably between 9pm and 10pm.
Engineers working through the night were hampered because care had been
taken to conceal exactly where the cables had been cut. They eventually discovered
damage in two places near Newton Flotman.
Train services were badly hit. Passengers returning from London on the
22:30 and 23:30 were taken by taxi to Norwich. The next morning an emergency
timetable saw many peak services start and terminate at Stowmarket.
one’s managing director Tim Clarke said: “This was an unprecedented
act of premeditated vandalism which caused significant disruption for thousands
of rail passengers. We hope this offer of a substantial reward will lead
to information to assist the British Transport Police in identifying the
culprits.”
47s take air show crowds to the coast
Extra trains were again laid on to carry spectators to and from this year’s
Lowestoft Air Festival, thanks to funding from one, Norfolk County
Council and the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership. The 9-coach non-stop
specials on July 28 and 29 were worked by 47714 (Lowestoft end) and 47316
(Norwich end). Other dmu-worked specials served intermediate stations and
a special bus service linked Beccles and Oulton Broad North and South stations
with Lowestoft.
Farewell to the 150s
The last Class 150 dmus in service with one have left our area for
a new life with Central Trains. Last to go was 150257, which was attached
to the rear of the 11:57 Norwich – Liverpool on June 1.
Double track to Felixstowe proposed
As part of the plan to increase container traffic at the port of Felixstowe,
plans have been put forward to double a five-mile stretch of the Felixstowe
branch. A second track would be laid between Nacton Heath (alongside the
Suffolk showground) and Trimley. Bridges, level crossings and signalling
would all need modifying and there would also be three new sidings in Ipswich
Yard. The Port of Felixstowe held three public information sessions in
June.
one soon back on track after bomb blasts
one’s network got back to normal commendably quickly after the tragic
series of suicide bombings in central London on July 7.
After the blasts London Underground and bus services were suspended and
passengers were advised not to travel to London. With Liverpool Street station
and other termini closed, trains from East Anglia were instructed to return.
The first arrived back at Norwich at about 14.00, having been stopped for
security checks.
An emergency timetable was brought in. Colchester and Norwich were linked
by hourly trains, and Harwich trains ran only as far as Colchester. one
West Anglia services terminated and started at Tottenham Hale.
Wagn’s London – King's Lynn services resumed in the afternoon, but using
Finsbury Park as their terminus. Liverpool Street eventually reopened at
about 16.00. Passengers were advised that travelling to East Anglian stations
would be difficult and many are thought to have given up the struggle and
stayed in London.
one’s timetable ran largely as scheduled the next day. Given the
damage a single train or track failure can sometimes cause, one did
well to restore the service so quickly, with sterling service from the 500
or so staff involved.
Cotswold 87s bring stock to Norwich
Unusual visitors in June were Cotswold Rail locos nos. 87007 and 87008.
The pair arrived at Norwich on the evening of June 21 with four Mk 3 coaches
which they had brought from Polmadie (Glasgow) via Willesden. The coaches
were Cotswold’s 17174 (Mark 3B BFO) and three ex-Virgin coaches: 11044,
10206 and 12033.
After a week at Crown Point depot, the two 87s left on June 28, taking seven
coaches to Oxley (Wolverhampton) via Willesden.
one and Wagn boost government coffers
The Strategic Rail Authority's annual report for 2004/5 shows that one
paid the government £44.9m out of its £3.6bn turnover in the
first year of its franchise. This equates to a payment of 1.2p per passenger/km.
In contrast, eighteen rail operators nationwide received subsidies. TransPennine
Express was the most heavily subsidised, receiving £119m.
Jonathan Denby, one’s corporate affairs director said: “These figures
show what some passengers might not be aware of - East Anglia’s railways
are profitable but a large part of the network is not.” The report also
reveals that Wagn had a turnover of £1.3bn in 2004/5, out of which
it paid the government £500,000.
Norfolk’s “jinx loco” to star in October steam
weekend
An Autumn weekend of main line steam could be in store for Norfolk steam
fans. The Railway Touring Company is planning excursions on October 8/9
behind ex-LNER B1 4-6-0 no. 61264. Saturday October 8 will see the B1 work
from Norwich via Lowestoft and Halesworth to Liverpool Street, and return
via Diss. It will be the Bittern Line’s turn the next day when no. 61264
makes no less than three return trips from Norwich to Sheringham.
No. 61264’s recent history in Norfolk has not been entirely happy. It
developed a hot-box while heading an excursion in November 2001, and had
to be removed from the train at Norwich. Its visit to the North Norfolk
Railway in May/June 2003 was successful and trouble-free; but then last April
it brought the Railway Touring Company's Easterling excursion into
Norwich and promptly hit the buffers hard and went into a violent reverse
wheel slip, causing it to be taken off duty once again.
Rail accidents see two Marham men in court
Two men from Marham, near Swaffham, are involved in separate rail-related
court cases.
Wing Cmdr Martin Rose of The Street, Marham, is to claim damages for the
injuries he suffered from the Potters Bar rail crash. He was in the rear
carriage of the 12:45pm Wagn train from Kings Cross to King's Lynn which
derailed at points near Potters Bar on May 10, 2002. The carriage slewed
sideways, and ended up embedded under the station canopy. Seven people
died, including a pedestrian who was hit by part of the damaged railway bridge,
and more than 70 were injured. Wing Cmdr Rose’s solicitors have filed a
writ for damages up to £50,000 against Network Rail and contractor
Jarvis Rail, claiming that the companies were negligent over safety procedures.
Meanwhile 22-year old Andrew Jarvis of Lime Close, Marham, appeared in
King's Lynn magistrates’ court after his car collided with a level crossing
barrier. On the evening of November 15 last year Jarvis failed to notice
that the barrier across the A1122 road at Downham Market was down. His car
struck it, knocking it on to the track, where it caught beneath a southbound
Wagn train and held it up for half an hour. He was fined £160 with
£40 costs, and seven penalty points were put on his licence.
First steps up road/rail competition with
London coach service
Unsuccessful in last year’s battle for the Greater Anglia rail franchise,
FirstGroup is now trying to grab a slice of one’s long-distance business
with a low-cost coach service between Norwich and London. The new Excel X11
service which began on Sunday July 24 leaves Norwich every day at 0830 and
returns from Victoria at 1800. The journey takes about three hours. Day
returns cost £12 (£10 concessions), well below one’s cheapest
rail fare. Tickets have to be booked with First Customer Services (08456
020 121) by 16.30 the day before travelling.
Late arriving in London? Have a snack!
Although SRA statistics show that in the January-March period one
’s Norwich-London line punctuality was 83.3% compared with 79.5% for the
same period in 2004, things subsequently deteriorated. Recognising that
reliability and on-train air conditioning left a lot to be desired, Andrew
Goodrum, one’s business director (mainline), issued an apology and listed
the measures the company was taking. As a goodwill gesture, one’s
Commuter Club members were offered a bacon roll, a Danish pastry and a drink!
According to the SRA Jan-Mar figures, other one services – West
Anglia, Stansted Express, Metro and Rural – showed a year-on-year improvement,
recording punctuality of 90.8%. 90% of Wagn’s trains arrived on time, an
improvement of 3.8% on the same period last year. Central Trains, though,
was among the eight UK operators whose punctuality dropped; only 74.6% of
CT services arrived on time compared with 78.2% last year.
Strikes called off after ticket dispute goes
to ballot
Further talks between the RMT union and one reached a provisional
agreement about the use of the new Avantix ticket machines
(NRS Newsletter May/June 2005)
. Conductors typically earn 4-5% commission on ticket sales, and one
’s revised offer, which gives them an extra 1% for a 12-week transition period,
is to be put to RMT members through a ballot. As a result the union called
off the one-day strikes planned for June 27 and July 15.
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and Miniature
‘Truro’ begins Sheringham summer
season
Local GWR enthusiasts are enjoying a treat this summer on the North Norfolk
Railway, where the NRM’s 104-year-old 4-4-0 no.3440 City of Truro
arrived on July 1 for a three-month stay. Soon to join it on NNR duties
is N7 0-6-2T no. 7999 (69621), in unlined BR black. Contrary to reports
elsewhere WD 2-10-0 no. 90775 is likely to remain on the NNR for the time
being. Alongside the N7 and WD in the recently extended Weybourne shed,
Class 37 D6732 is undergoing major bodywork repairs. Unfortunately the Stratford
47 group’s no. 47367 was unable to take part in the Diesel Gala on June 11/12
as its engine rebuild wasn't completed in time.
In mid-June two more Mk1 TSO coaches arrived on the NNR from the Nene
Valley Railway. E4667 is likely to enter traffic as soon as the C&W
Dept. has passed it for traffic, but E4615 will take longer: it has been
stored in Wansford tunnel since withdrawal in the early 1980s!
Bramleyline "alive and well"
With the scheme to reopen the Wisbech & March Bramleyline having seen
a flurry of activity, recent visitors to the line's website were worried
to find it closed, with merely a reference to a local telephone number.
However, after some internal difficulties, a new site –
www.bramleyline.org.uk
– has been set up.
The project remains very much alive, with a good attendance at a recent
open meeting. Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland Council and EWS all
want to retain the Wisbech line’s link to the national network, but a stumbling
block is the figure Network Rail is demanding to maintain the crucial set
of points – points, a spokesman told the NRS Newsletter, which are
already in regular use for Whitemoor Yard.
Penlee’s overhaul nears completion
Nearing end of a major engine rebuild and repaint is the Yaxham Light Railway’s
no.19 Penlee. Powered by a 25hp 2-cylinder McLaren diesel engine,
Penlee was built in 1942 by the Hunslet Engine Co of Leeds in association
with Robert Hudson Ltd. It was used for runway construction at RAF Winslow,
Bucks before moving to Penlee Quarries Ltd in Cornwall. It was acquired
for preservation in 1968, and arrived at the YLR twenty years later.
A recent arrival at Yaxham is a small lineside building from the Bygone
Village, Fleggburgh. It will be sited at Winburgh Road Halt, and will house
a lever frame to control points and signals at the junction.
Routemaster replaces horse power at Holt
A bus is once again carrying passengers between Holt station and the town
centre. With the horse-drawn “Holt Flyer” withdrawn
(NRS Newsletter Mar/April 2005)
, its duties have been taken over by a Routemaster double decker (RM 2151,
reg. no. CUV 151C). The standard single fare is £1 (children 50p).
The service began on June 25, initially at weekends, and was to become daily
from mid-July.
Smile – you’re on a NNR webcam!
Not sure what’s running today on the North Norfolk Railway? Then check
out their range of webcams, at
http://webcams.nnrailway.co.uk
. There are two cameras at Sheringham and one at Holt, which looks across
the tracks to the ex-Stalham building. All three have a time-lapse movie
facility letting you download the previous day’s operations. More cameras,
at Weybourne station and sheds, are planned.
Jazz on the MNR
The Mid-Norfolk Railway’s first Jazz Train ran on Saturday July 2. Over
120 passengers took a return trip from Dereham to Wymondham on Met-Cam Class
101 set no. L836, accompanied on their journey by music from the Lumière
Rouge Ragtime Band.
Away from the tracks
Wretham back on the market
Alongside the A1075 road a few miles north-east of Thetford, Wretham &
Hockham is the latest of Norfolk’s former stations to be put up for sale.
It was built for the opening of the Thetford & Watton Railway in 1869
and, along with the rest of the line, closed to passenger traffic in 1964.
It’s described as having 3-4 bedrooms plus an annexe, paddock and barn,
and the vendor seeks a price of £375,000 (more details from 07974 402251
or butlerfc@aol.com
). It was last on the market in December 2002, when Abbotts Country Houses
asked £285,000.
£3,000 paid for Melton Constable totem
Three desirable signs from Norfolk stations which once formed part of the
Midland & Great Northern system were on offer at Sheffield Railwayana
Auctions on June 11. Never before seen at auction, a “Melton Constable”
enamel totem sign was hotly contested by collectors for whom those two magic
words epitomise the M&GN, and it finished up at a staggering £3,000.
A “Weybourne” totem fetched £950 and a “Potter Heigham” metal-letters-on-wood
signalbox name board made a more modest £360.
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