TheGreatBritishRailScene

SouthEastern have updated the software for CIS screens at their stations.  More information here.  Meanwhile, South Western Railway will introduce the ATOS system for their announcements as of October 28th.  Default announcements, using Roger (also heard on Great Western Railway) and Anne (used around most of the UK).  In other news: GWR Night Riviera Lounge Cars fully refurbished . 3 ScotRail 314s off-lease, as the new fleet is introduced.  Class 320 on test with LNWR.  HST for ScotRail. 

As previously reported , GWR are gradually repainting their fleet. Rather than being in "Dynamic Lines" (with the colourful swirls) or "Local Lines" (with place-names of stations on their network) livery, they're going into a two-tone green guise.  This is most certainly a hint of nostalgia for how GWR used to be before privatisation. This is as part of First Group's, whom run the Great Western franchise, plan to create the new brand identity.  Rather than summarising all the different units again in the livery, I'm just going to reproduce these images so you can see for yourself.....  As you can see, even the 153s are getting a facelift! I take the opportunity now to t hank J.Greener for the photos.  Here you can compare the old blue livery to the shiny new guise. Also note the affirm of the logo to the doorway..... But of course, it isn't all green galore. Here is their variation of their heritage Intercity Swallow colours...

As you've probably seen, Southern Rail let a 15 year old on work experience takeover their Twitter account earlier this week. Within hours, #AskEddie was trending on Twitter, with many people asking questions like what they should have for tea, and requesting that Eddie solved their riddles or answered their dilemmas. Exactly one month ago Greater Anglia unveiled an artist's impression of the Stadler FLIRT, which will replace class 153s, 156, and 170 units on its rural lines, as well as having another variation of the stock for the Intercity Norwich to London mainline and the Stansted Express.  This invoked over 1000 responses, with feedback on the seating layout, wide doorways and vestibules, USB ports and plug sockets. Greater Anglia have used the Feedback to finalise the design of the Stadler FLIRT fleet.  Also this week, the BBC have reported that Sugar Loaf station on the Arriva Trains network is Wales quietest station. A visitor book has bee...

GENERAL NEWS AND UPDATES..... Firstly, class 88  testing is soon to commence , as reported in this link from Rail Magazine. Meanwhile, sister 68027 of the older batch is currently being used on the Greater Anglia Short Hauled Set. It's only in standard blue livery because it'll be transferring to Transpennine Express to haul their MK5 coaches, thus will be repainted.

Soon we'll say farewell to the final few 442s which are being leased at Gatwick Express, as 387s step in fully.  But the 442s aren't going without a fight. On Sunday 12th March, it'll be there farewell tour as arranged by the Branch Line Society and Govia. The service will be formed of at least 5-cars, 442 402 or 410, and there'll be catering facilities onboard. The route currently planned (awaiting Network Rail schedule) is: 10:30 London Victoria - Clapham Junction - Beckenham Junction - West Norwood and then back to London Victoria via Clapham Jctn. The train will then run south towards East Croydon and Three Bridges, then onto Brighton before heading back up towards New Cross Gate, Selhurst Depot and London Victoria (19.43). Finally the train will operate down to Stewarts lane and back to Victoria in time for 21:09. 

AN UPDATE TO HERE (ONE) AND THIS (TWO), REGARDING EX- GATWICK EXPRESS CLASS 442S WHICH ARE CURRENTLY (OR ARE SOON TO BE, AS ARE STILL AT GE) GOING INTO STORAGE.......                                                                                                 As previously reported, Class 442s have gradually been going into storage following the arrival of Class 387s. Angel Trains, the leaser of these units, will undertake an overhaul on the fleet though to give them a lease of life. Well, since that announcement, Alliance Rail Holdings has proposed to launch a Southampton to London Waterloo service from December 2017, to compete with the current demand for services in the region, using this fleet of refurbished Class 442s.

RILA Equipment - Colchester ~ J Maxim 2016. Harry Here, With An Automated Post As I Post Rarely Now..... Great Work Jonathan Who Now Runs The Blog. I Thought You'd Appreciate Me Summarising Some Of The News Stories From October 2016.  The RILA equipment shown below monitors the track, and has been used on the Norwich to London mainline this autumn. Also, GWR have a new livery for one of their GWR green HSTs , following the reopening of the Severn Tunnel. 

TIM MILLER   First Video Progress Of The Manufacturing Of ScotRail Class 385 - First Units Undergo Tests -  CLICK HERE... SUMMARY ONCE AGAIN: The first 24 are due in service in December 2017, arriving from Japan .  The 385s will be used on routes around Edinburgh and Glasgow, replacing some of the TurboStars ( some already at Southern ) - Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street (via Falkirk), Edinburgh to Dunblane/Alloa, Glasgow to Dunblane/Alloa, Glasgow to Cumbernauld/Falkirk Grahamston, Edinburgh to North Berwick / Dunbar / Berwick and Edinburgh to Newton/Neilston routes  FACTFILE HE RE. 

06:19 London Midland Service from Milton Keynes to London Euston station formed of 350264 at the front  has derailed at Watford Junction.  This is after hitting obstruction on track as result of a landslide outside the Hunton Bridge tunnel which occured due to heavy rain. There are currently two injuries, and the train has some damage to the cab as it was clipped in by 350 233 going the other way. Line reopened 4 hours later. Now From George Browning Rail Photos: "66727 Approaching Eastleigh platform 3 working 0Z27 Eastleigh Works GBRF - Peterborough GBRF. Seen in a brand spanking new livery with a covered name plate. Previously in First GBRF Barbie livery."

East Coast Main Line Modernisation, by Peter Skuce. The East Coast Main Line is Britain’s flagship main line, with a length of 393 miles between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, with a secondary main line from Doncaster via Wakefield to Leeds. It is noted for both it’s high speed of 125 mph and also the sheer amount of tunnels on the route, particularly on the southern stretch of line, indeed Gasworks Tunnel is located immediately north of Kings Cross and then it is quickly followed by Copenhagen Tunnel.

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.

Harry here, I'm on the Saturday shift as Matthew's away. Just a quick report today.... Between 2002 and 2004, Southern acquired nine 2-car ( 171721-730 ) and six 4-car ( 172801-171806 ) 171 Turbostars for the non-electrified routes. In 2006, one further 171 transferred from South West Trains.  Now, all of these units are used for the Marshlink Line, between Ashford and Hastings, for Ashford-Brighton, London Bridge to Oxted, Ashford to Rye/Hastings (Peak-Time, using 171/7s) and also the Oxted to Uckfield Branch (6 or 8 car units, so 2x 4-car or 1x 4-car coupled to a 2-car).

Welcome Back. Today, We Take A Look At Some Photos From Thameslink, Of Their Own Class 700 Units Which Begin To Take To The Tracks In South Easterly England....  A stock focus of these units can be found   here if you missed it, as this will summarise the majority of train specifications and features already announced. All I will state about these units (in roughly 50 words) are that they are Class 700s, built by Siemens, are more suitable for the audience, have lots of gadgets and features, are cutting edge, used primarily on the Bedford-Brighton route and are in the 2+2 style seating. Phew! Wow!

Kirkstall Forge station, on the Northern Rail network in Leeds, opened on Sunday 19th June - providing one train per hour in each direction. The orignal station was not too far from the current site, but this one is host to numerous aspects: 129 spaces in the carpark; Fully accessible platforms; A footbridge and ramps; Secure cycle parking; and Waiting shelters.

The Week Review Is Back, By Popular Demand! And We're Giving This Series A Whole New Lease Of Life With A New Style! So Here We Go.... Today, we tie up loose ends of news we haven't yet reported on this blog.

I'm Harry, providing today's News Roundup - Prescheduled with updates from a variety of TOCs and FOCs. Without waiting any longer.... Firstly to announce, the scheduled GBRf tour on 31st July 2016 (One Month Away Now) to raise money for charity. Named the Crystal Maze II (I'm not on about Indianna Jones) ,  hauled by a GBRf 66 throughout, this service departs  Birmingham at lunchtime running to Eastleigh, calling at Cheltenham Spa and Didcot Parkway only (non-stop via Swindon and Basingstoke). 

Edd Hughes.   Southern: As announced in 2015, ScotRail lost 9 of their 170/4 units as they prep for new additions  - though  5 of these have returned to ScotRail following  sub-lease.  The units which are staying were cascaded to Southern due to plans to use the stock on the Uckfield branch - converted into 171s so they're compatible with the existing units of their fleet. Anyone wishing to identify these ex-170/4 units, just look at the headlight arrangement compared to sister 171 units.