TheGreatBritishRailScene

IN SUMMARY: - Free Wi-Fi on Many Trains and also an  improved WiFi service at stations .  - Additional seats on trains across the network, by increasing train lengths and capacity.  - CET toilets, so waste isn't flushed onto tracks. This is already on MK3s.  - Increasing train punctuality and performance. - Entire fleet replacement (stated below), so other units are displaced or withdrawn. - Norwich to Cambridge trains extended to Stansted, and Sudbury branch lines running to Colchester. - Lowestoft connections to London Liverpool Street reinstated, using the electro-diesel units, four times per day. - Trains half hourly to Great Yarmouth, plus later connections to Sheringham and Lowestoft.

Harry Back From Vacation! No Week Review Today Though, As Peter Skuce Has Sent In Some Great Images Of His.  First, Chiltern Rail. This is the interior of a Class 168 clubman, used on their services in Western England. Chiltern operate many types of this unit... 5 from 1999 (168001-005), 8 from the year 2000 (168107-113), 6 from 2004 (214/218/219 are 3-car, and 215-217 are 4-car) and also 2-car 168/3s numbered 168321-329.

Interestingly the Great Western Main Line consists of three main lines: * London Paddington – Reading – Didcot – Swindon – Bath – Bristol * London Paddington – Reading – Didcot – Swindon – Newport – Cardiff – Swansea * London Paddington – Reading – Newbury – Taunton – Exeter – Plymouth – Penzance History: British Railways built thirty eight Class 42 Warship Diesel Hydraulic locomotives between the period 1958 – 1961 at Swindon Works, powered by two Maybach MD650 engines. Also British Railways built seventy four Class 52 Western Diesel Hydraulic locomotives between the period 1961 – 1964 at Swindon Works, powered by two Maybach MD655 engines. Both classes 42 and 52 were designed for intercity express passenger trains formed of British Railways Mark 1. They had a top speed of 90 mph.

Above, we see AGA 90s off to repair at Crewe. They returned separately, as seen here.

Peter's made some excellent reports, so we couldn't resist using them! Part 6A yesterday highlighted the Chiltern Line Modernisation, and this will lead from that.  Between 2003 to 2005, Chiltern Railways carried out a major interior refurbishment to the Class 165 Chiltern Turbo DMU trains. The refurbishment featured the following enhancements:

Chiltern 168. (C) P Skuce. Peter. Part A is for the Chiltern Line Modernisation. Part B will lead from this. During the 1960s British Railways built forty one, 4 carriage Class 115 DMU trains for the London Marylebone – Aylesbury Chiltern Line. One trailer carriage had entirely Standard Class accommodation with 106 seats, whilst the other trailer carriage was a composite, featuring First Class cabins with seating to the 2+2 layout and Standard Class with two toilets. They were powered by Leyland Albion engines, with mechanical transmission and their maximum speed was 70 mph. A new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury to accommodate the trains.

As Many Of You Will Be Aware, The Abellio GreaterAnglia Franchise Ends In October. Abellio Have Been Awarded The New Franchise Until 2025, And They Aim To Bring Many Upgrades.....

Harry Here, for a Rail News Summary For London, South East England and East Anglia.... First, Anglia. A thumper went down the Great Eastern Mainline last month off  to Sheringham . Plus another uncommon site was the Network Rail test train at Lowestoft which doesn't visit regularly. 

SEE YESTERDAY'S POST FOR PART 1 OF THE WCML MODERNISATION, TAKING YOU UP TO THE EIGHTEES! In 1982 Milton Keynes Central station opened and was to become a major interchange station between suburban and intercity express services. Also in 1984, Watford Junction was completely rebuilt with the demolition of the Victorian buildings and replaced by modern buildings. KingsLangley station was rebuilt during the mid 1980s due to theruction of the M25 motorway During the mid 1980s British Rail constructed fifteen Class 90 AC Electric Locomotives to replace ageing and unreliable Classes 81 and 85 AC Electric Locomotives. The Class 90 was supposed to be a development of the Class 87, however the Class 90 were not as reliable as the Class 87 as the electrical components were poorly placed within the body shell of the Class 90 from an engineer’s point of view.

WEST COAST MAINLINE MODERNISATION: During the early 1960s, British Railways commenced a major electrification and modernisation of the West Coast Main Line between London Euston - Crewe and Liverpool/Manchester. Electrification was completed by 1965, with regular service from Easter 1966. The route was the first in the country to be energised at the now standard 25,000 Volts alternating current and featured the chunky heavy duty, sturdy steel gantries holding both the catenary wire and contact wire itself (it is this latter wire that the train’s pantograph receives electricity from). At the same time the signalling was modernised from semaphore to colour light signals. The through trains to Glasgow Central, such as 'The Royal Scot', were hauled by Class 40 Diesel Electric locomotives.

Liam here, bringing you yet another post filled with updates regarding the South of England. Although there's not much news to bring this week, there are some important articles to raise for our readers. Enjoy the article! First off, some of you may be aware that the line in Dover has been closed since Christmas due to cracks appearing in the sea wall alongside the railway. The line will be reopened in Autumn as work is going ahead of schedule. The work involves a £39.8 million investment in a 235 metre long new viaduct supported by concrete columns.

319 Interior. P Skuce (C) WELCOME TO PART 2. Privatisation of the railway network in the mid 1990s saw Go-Via winning the Thameslink franchise and in 1997 they refurbished, at RailCare Wolverton Works, forty Class 319/0 EMU trains in a blue/yellow colour scheme, fitted the entire train with carpets, changed the seating layout to 2+2 with seats covered in a blue/yellow scheme and installed First Class cabin in one Driving Trailer vehicle with twelve First Class seats to the 2+1 layout. The Class 319/0 then became Class 319/4. At the moment same time, the Class 319/1 had their First Class accommodation removed, became Class 319/3 and moved onto Luton/St Albans – London – Elephant & Castle – Streatham – Sutton/Wimbledon Metro services.

PART 1. During 1959 and the early 1960s, British Railways modernised suburban passenger services on the first fifty miles of the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras, St Albans, Luton and Bedford with the construction of thirty, 4 carriage length Class 127 Diesel Multiple Units powered by Rolls Royce engines coupled with Hydraulic transmission. Each four carriage train seated 274 passengers in Standard Class with two toilets in one intermediate trailer vehicle. A new depot was constructed at Cricklewood to maintain and repair the trains. They directly replaced the ageing steam locomotive hauled passenger trains and became known as BedPan units by both passengers and staff alike. Intercity services would be formed of Clsss 45 Peak Diesel Electric locomotives and rolling stock formed of both Mark 1 & Mark 2 loco hauled coaching stock.

Welcome To The 1st Week Review For August. Some Of This News Also Regards The End Of June/July, Just As We Haven't Reported All Of The Significant Stories Out There Yet!  GE Focus: Following on  from older posts,  I now bring a quick update on Gatwick Express.  387s are the talk  of the town, entering service on the corridor. And they have gone elsewhere too, as  387202  has been on loan to  TLink  whilst one of their 387/1s undergo maintenance. And what happened to the class 442s and 460s? Well 442s have been  going into storage,  eventually leaving just of these at GE by Summer. The 460s have been gone a while, dismantled and the internal carriages used to add a coach to SWT 458/5s. The  driving cars are at Doncaster still.