International & UK Railway News Saturday 3rd August 2013

Network Rail (UK)

Raising the roof at Manchester Victoria station.

Passengers using Manchester’s Victoria station are only one year away from enjoying a newly revitalised, lighter and brighter station as part of a £44m investment programme being delivered by Network Rail.

The project to rebuild the station includes replacing four sections of the old, leaky steel roof which will be recycled and replaced with a stunning new roof which will flood the station with natural light.

Dyan Crowther, Network Rail route managing director said: “Rebuilding Manchester Victoria is an integral part of our investment plans for the North which will help provide over £4bn worth of wider economic benefits to the region. The refurbished station will be safer, brighter and more spacious and will transform Victoria into a transport interchange able to cope with the expected increase in passenger numbers in the north.”

Lee Wasnidge, Area Director for Northern Rail said: “As the old roof is dismantled and a new Manchester Victoria starts to appear, our customers will be able to see the station transform before them. This refurbishment project will not only help provide additional rail capacity to the city but will also preserve the heritage of the station while providing a bright and modern environment for our customers.”

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “The new roof for Victoria is one of the most striking changes being made and something that regular passengers will no doubt welcome with open arms. It’s key to the transformation of the station to a welcoming, world class facility and I very much look forward to its completion.”

Demolition teams are working throughout the summer to remove the old roof and will shortly be installing new steel beams up to 120 meters long which will support the new roof structure. The roof is due for completion in summer 2014 with the station refurbishment scheduled for completion early in 2015.

Notes:

The concourse at Manchester Victoria will be partially closed on Sunday 11 August from 14.00 hours until the early hours of Monday morning to facilitate dismantling of the roof section

The concourse will be closed from the toilets near Soldier’s Gate to Northern Rail’s Customer Information Point. There will be no access to the station platforms from Long Millgate or Victoria Station Approach:

• access to the station will be from the bottom of platform three. The entrance and exit will be clearly marked with additional staff on duty to assist customers
• platforms one and two will be out of use
• platforms four, five and six can be accessed by the over bridge as normal
• the ticket office will be open as normal with additional staffing in place
• train services will be running as normal with some platform alterations.

Please allow extra time for your journey and if you have any questions, please speak to a member of Northern Rail staff.
The Victoria Metrolink stop will also be closed with the nearest station, Shudehill around 120m from Victoria
Built in 1844, Manchester Victoria is a transport interchange station for train, tram and bus welcoming over six million passengers annually
Various parts of the Victoria building are Grade II listed
Labelled as Britain’s ‘worst station’ in 2009 (DfTs “Better Stations” report), the current facilities meet neither basic passenger expectations nor project the welcoming modern image expected by the many visitors arriving into Manchester
Manchester Victoria is at the heart of Network Rail’s investment plans for the North to to stimulate economic growth and enable up to 700 more trains to run across the north every day carrying 44m more passengers per year
The redevelopment of the station includes:
Improvements to the footbridge spanning platforms 3-6 allowing for future growth in passenger numbers
The old leaky roof replaced with a stunning new roof structure made from ETFE, the same material used at the Eden Project and the roof at Manchester Piccadilly station
Sympathetic refurbishment to Grade II listed parts of the Victoria Buildings, (including the war memorial, glass dome, Soldiers Gate and the wall map) restoring them to their former glory
• Refurbishment of the external glass canopy, new lighting and glazed entrances to revitalise the Victoria Buildings
• Revamp of existing retail spaces and provision of new retail facilities for a better shopping experience
• Improvements to the ticket hall and external improvements to the paving on station approach
• The Metrolink facilities in Victoria are being upgraded to provide additional capacity as the network expands, this work is being incorporated into the re-roofing works
• Electrified rail lines to the station

US Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration

Federal Railroad Administration Issues Emergency Order to Prevent Unintended Hazardous Materials Train Movement


WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today issued an Emergency Order and Safety Advisory to help prevent trains operating on mainline tracks or sidings from moving unintentionally. The FRA’s announcement was made in response to the July 6, 2013 derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada, as it awaits additional data once the investigation into the crash is complete.  The actions announced today build on the success of FRA’s rigorous safety program, which has helped reduce train accidents by 43 percent over the last decade, and made 2012 the safest year in American rail history.

The Emergency Order is a mandatory directive to the rail industry, and failure to comply will result in enforcement actions against violating railroads.

“Safety is our top priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “While we wait for the full investigation to conclude, the Department is taking steps today to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the United States.”

Today’s Emergency Order outlines measures that all railroads must undertake within the next 30 days:

• No train or vehicles transporting specified hazardous materials can be left unattended on a mainline track or side track outside a yard or terminal, unless specifically authorized.
• In order to receive authorization to leave a train unattended, railroads must develop and submit to FRA a process for securing unattended trains transporting hazardous materials, including locking the locomotive or otherwise disabling it, and reporting among employees to ensure the correct number of hand brakes are applied.
• Employees who are responsible for securing trains and vehicles transporting such specified hazardous material must communicate with the train dispatchers the number of hand brakes applied, the tonnage and length of the train or vehicle, the grade and terrain features of the track, any relevant weather conditions, and the type of equipment being secured.
• Train dispatchers must record the information provided. The dispatcher or other qualified railroad employee must verify that the securement meets the railroad’s requirements, and they must verify that the securement meets the railroad’s requirements.
• Railroads must implement rules ensuring that any employee involved in securing a train participate in daily job briefings prior to the work being performed.
• Railroads must develop procedures to ensure a qualified railroad employee inspects all equipment that an emergency responder has been on, under or between before the train can be left unattended.
• Railroads must provide this EO to all affected employees.

“Today’s action builds upon a comprehensive regulatory framework we have had in place for some time,” said FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “The safe shipment of all cargo is paramount and protecting the safety of the American public is fundamental to our enforcement strategy and we are encouraged by the industry’s willingness to cooperate with this approach going forward.”    

In addition to the Emergency Order, the FRA, together with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), issued a Safety Advisory detailing a list of recommendations railroads are expected to follow.  U. S. DOT believes that railroad safety is enhanced through the use of multiple crew members, and the Safety Advisory recommends railroads review their crew staffing requirements for transporting hazardous material and ensure that they are adequate. Other recommendations in the Safety Advisory include:  conducting system-wide evaluations to identify particular hazards that may make it more difficult to secure a train or pose other safety risks and to develop procedures to mitigate those risks.  A copy of the Safety Advisory can be viewed HERE. 

“When PHMSA talks about the transportation of hazardous materials, safety is a prerequisite to movement,” said PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman. “We are taking this action today and we will be looking hard at the current rail operating practices for hazardous materials to ensure the public's safety.”

As FRA continues to evaluate safety procedures following the recent crash, it will convene an emergency meeting of its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee to consider what additional safety measures may be required.  FRA plans to develop a website that will allow the public to track industry compliance with the Emergency Order and Safety Advisory issued today. FRA has developed a plan that outlines six major actions that have occurred or will occur to further ensure that our regulatory response to the Canadian rail accident remains transparent. 

Under current DOT regulations, all freight railroads are required to develop and implement risk assessments and security plans in order to transport any hazardous material, including a plan to prevent unauthorized access in rail yards, facilities and trains carrying hazardous materials. Railroads that carry hazardous materials are required to develop and follow a security protocol while en route; railroad employees are subject to background checks and must complete training.  Training programs and protocols are reviewed and audited by the FRA routinely and generally designed to be progressive so as the level of risk increases so does the level of security required. A description of past, present, and proposed FRA actions on this issue can be found here. 

Shedmaster Railway News

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World Heritage & Railway News

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76084 - Standard 4

76084 is BACK

On Sunday 21st July 2013 ex-British Railways Standard 4 Mogul number 76084 returned to traffic after an absence of some 46 years. Our friends and partners, the North Norfolk Railway organised a Shareholder's Special for 76084 to haul which fulfilled a promise by the 76084 Locomotive Company Limited to all its shareholders that they would get to ride behind 76084 on her first outing.
The Shareholder special was slotted into the Railway's timetable on one of their busiest weekends - that of their Beer Festival. It did mean that there were some interesting shunt releases and public service trains were topped and tailed to ensure on-time running without the need for more shunt releases.

76084 shareholders treated royally

Before the running of the first train 76084 came into Holt Station whistle blowing and looking resplendent with the finishing touches completed during the week prior to the event. A Champagne Reception was held on the Platform and shareholders were welcomed onto the footplate to see the controls. Just before embarking a few words were said by a major shareholder followed by NNR Managing Director Hugh Harkett and 76084 Loco Co Ltd Chairman Ian Story

 and finally Steve Davies MBE President. Steve ended his address by saying '...if 76084 could no longer go to Lower Darwen then Lower Darwen would come to the locomotive.' He then proceeded to unwrap a brick taken from the site of the former Engine Shed only the week before.

When on board the train the shareholders could not have failed to be impressed by the high standard of cleanliness in the carriages coupled with the fine food laid out for their consumption. Couple this also with a glass of whatever colour of wine you fancied and the 2 round trips passed quite quickly. Members of the Restoration Team where invited to ride the footplate during the trips.

76084 Locomotive Company Limited are justly proud of their achievement in returning what was once a stripped hulk of metal back to a living, breathing working locomotive. The Company would like to thank all those who have worked to make this possible. The long hours in arduous circumstances put in by the Restoration Team through to the financial support from the 180+ shareholders and not forgetting the unstinting support of the North Norfolk Railway Management Team. To you all - THANK YOU.

76084 Print Available

Nick Harling, a Lancashire based artist and tactfully crouching on the right of our picture, has painted an exciting image entitled 'Under the Box at Entwistle, 1960'. 150 professionally produced prints have been produced which have been hand numbered and signed by Nick with 50% of the post-production profits going to 76084's restoration/upkeep.
The prints are available at Nick's Traction Art website. Click the link below to visit Traction Art.

Traction Art Prints »

Railway Herald - Railtours

Listing offered in good faith. No guarantees offered or implied.
Please confirm runnings with operators.
Please observe Network Rail photographic guidelines.Thank you.

 

Monday 5th August 2013

(Private Charter)

• 86259 London Kings Cross - Peterborough - Grantham - York - Newcastle upon Tyne - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh Waverley

(Private Charter)

• DRS Class 47 (Pair) Luechars - Cowdenbeath - Forth Bridge - Edinburgh waverley - Berwick upon Tweed - Newcastle upon Tyne - York - Doncaster - Grantham - Peterborough - London Kings Cross

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Tuesday 6th August 2013

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Scarborough Spa Express (West Coast Railway Company)

• WCRC steam pool York (pu) - Normanton (pu) - Wakefield Kirkgate (pu) - Wakefield Westgate (pu) - Woodlesford (pu) - Castleford (pu) - York (pu) - Scarborough
• WCRC Steam tbc Scarborough (pu) - York (sd) - Normanton (sd) - Wakefield Kirkgate (sd) - Wakefield Westgate (sd) - Woodlesford (sd) - Castleford (sd) - York

Wednesday 7th August 2013

The Dorset Coast Express (Railway Touring Company)

• 34067 or 34046 or 30777 London Victoria (pu) - Barnes - Staines (pu) - Woking (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Eastleigh - Southamptonb Central - Bournemouth (sd) - Poole - Wareham - Dorchester South - Weymouth
• To be confirmed Weymouth - Dorchester South - (steam banker from Weymouth to Dorchester South)
• 34067 or 34046 or 30777 Dorchester South - Wareham - Poole Bournemouth (pu) - Southampton Central - Eastleigh - Basingstoke (sd) - Woking (sd) - Staines (sd) - Barnes - London Waterloo

Cancelled

The Fifteen Guinea Fellsman (Statesman Rail)

• 46115 and tba Lancaster (pu) - Preston (pu) - Blackburn (pu) - Clitheroe (pu) - Long Preston (pu) - S&C - Carlisle (break/rev) & return

Additional Tour Information

26/9: 40TH Anniversary of BRs Fifteen Guinea Special-last steam hauled working. 46115 & 45699 or 45699 & 45690 requested.

Added 17:34 on Wednesday 26th September 2012

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Scarborough Spa Express (West Coast Railway Company)

• WCRC steam pool York (pu) - Normanton (pu) - Wakefield Kirkgate (pu) - Wakefield Westgate (pu) - Woodlesford (pu) - Castleford (pu) - York (pu) - Scarborough
• WCRC Steam tbc Scarborough (pu) - York (sd) - Normanton (sd) - Wakefield Kirkgate (sd) - Wakefield Westgate (sd) - Woodlesford (sd) - Castleford (sd) - York

Thursday 8th August 2013

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Scarborough Spa Express (West Coast Railway Company)

• WCRC steam pool York (pu) - Normanton (pu) - Wakefield Kirkgate (pu) - Wakefield Westgate (pu) - Woodlesford (pu) - Castleford (pu) - York (pu) - Scarborough
• WCRC Steam tbc Scarborough (pu) - York (sd) - Normanton (sd) - Wakefield Kirkgate (sd) - Wakefield Westgate (sd) - Woodlesford (sd) - Castleford (sd) - York

Friday 9th August 2013

The Scarborough Flyer (Railway Touring Company)

• 46233 Crewe (pu) - Wilmslow (pu) - Stockport (pu) - Denton - Rochdale (pu) - Hebden Bridge - Brighouse (pu) - Wakefield Kirkgate (pu) - York (sd) - Scarborough (break/rev) & return

Cancelled

Edinburgh Military Tattoo Statesman: Day 1 (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Cambridge (pu) - Waterbeach (pu) - Ely (pu) - March (pu) - Whittlesea (pu) - Peterborough (pu) - Stamford (pu) - Oakham (pu) - Melton Mowbray (pu) - Loughborough (pu) - East Midlands Parkway (pu) - Langley Mill (pu) - Alfretoin (pu) - Chesterfield (pu) - Edinburgh Waverley

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Saturday 10th August 2013

The Forth & Tay Bridges Scenic Scotsman (Compass Tours)

• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Saltburn (pu) - Redcar Central (pu) - Middlesbrough (pu) - Thornaby (pu) - Stockton (pu) - Billingham (pu) - Hartlepool (pu) - Sunderland (pu) - Newcastle Central (pu) - Berwiock upon Tweed - Edinburgh - Dalmeny - Forth Bridge - Kirkcaldy - Cupar - Leuchars - Tay Bridge - Dundee (break/rev) & return

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Statesman: Day 2 (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Edinburgh Waverley (pu) - Chesterfield (sd) -Alfreton (sd) - Langley Mill (sd) - East Midlands Parkway (sd) - Loughborough (sd) - Melton Mowbray (sd) - Oakham (sd) - Stamford (sd) - Peterborough (sd) - Whittlesea (sd) - March (sd) - Ely (sd) - Waterbeach (sd) - Cambridge

Cathedrals Express (Steam Dreams)

• 60163 London Kings Cross (pu) - Potters Bar (pu) - Stevenage (pu) - Peterborough (pu) - York (sd) - Newcastle Central (break/rev) & return

Postponed

The Great Eastern Freighter (Charity Railtours) (To Be Confirmed)

• DRS Class 37 (Pair) Eastleigh (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Woking - Staines - Acton Central (pu) - Stratford (pu) - Colchester (pu) - Ipswich (pu) - Bury St.Edmonds - Soham - Ely - Wymondham
• DBS Class 60 Wymondham - Dereham
• DRS Class 37 (Pair) Dereham - Wymondham - Norwich (Wensum Curve)
• DBS Class 60 Norwich (Wensum Curve) - Ipswich
• DRS Class 37 (Pair) Ipswich - Felixstowe Beach - Felixstowe North
• DBS Class 60 Felixstowe North - Ipswich - Ipswich Griffin Wharf
• DRS Class 37 (Pair) Ipswich Griffin Wharf - Colchester (sd) - Stratford (sd) - Acton Central (sd) - Staines - Woking - Basingstoke (sd) - Eastleigh

The Kentish Odyssey (UK Railtours)

• GBRf 73 x 2 and GBRf 66/8 London Victoria (pu) - Dartford (pu) - Hoo Junction - Rochester - Faversham - Canterbury East - Dover - Foilkestone - Ashford I
• GBRf 66/8 and GBRf 73 x 2 Ashford - Dollands Moor International Freight Sidings
• GBRf 73 x 2 and GBRf 66/8 Dollands Moor International Freight Sidings - Ashford
• GBRf 66/8 and GBRf 73/2 Ashford - RYE - Hastings- Battle - Tunbridge Wells - Tonbridge
• GBRf 73 x 2 and GBRf 66/8 Tonbridge - Paddock Wood - Beltring - Maidstone - Strood - Hoo Junction - Dartford (sd) - London Victoria

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Sunday 11th August 2013

The 15 Guinea Special (Railway Touring Company)

• 45305 Liverpool Lime Street (pu) - Widnes - Warrington Central - Trafford Park - Longsight
• 70013 Longsight - Manchester Piccadilly (pu) - Bolton - Blackburn - Hellifield - S&C - Carlisle
• tbc and 44932 Carlisle (pu) - S&C - Hellifield - Blackburn - Bolton - Manchester Piccadilly (sd) -
• 45305 Manchester Piccadilly - Warrington Central - Widnes - Liverpool Lime Street

Additional Tour Information

5/7: 44871 is reported unavailable for this train as it will be required to remain on Jacobite duties.

Added 09:26 on Friday 5th July 2013

3/1: 44932 is due to run as 44781

Added 19:41 on Thursday 3rd January 2013

The Weymouth Seaside Express (Railway Touring Company)

• 5029 or 34046 Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Keynsham (pu) - Bath Spa (pu) - Trowbridge (pu) - Westbury (pu) - Frome (pu) - Castle Cary - Yeovil Pen Mill - Dorchester West - Weymouth (break/rev) & return

The Waverley (Railway Touring Company)

• 44932 and 46115 and 45699 York (pu) - Leeds (pu) - Shipley (pu) - Keighley (pu) - Skipton (pu) - Hellifield - S&C - Appleby (sd) - Carlisle (break/rev) & return

The Torbay Express (Torbay Express Ltd)

• 70000 or 4464 or 34046 Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Weston-Super-Mare (pu) - Taunton (pu) - Exeter St. Davids - Newton Abbot - Paignton (sd) - Kingswear (break/rev) & return

The Shakespeare Express (Morning Train) (Vintage Trains)

• 4965 or 5043 Birmingham Snow Hill (pu) - Birminngham Moor Street (pu) - Tyseley (pu) - Shirley - Henley in Arden (pu) - Stratford upon Avon (break/rev) - Stratford upon Avon - Claverdon - Hatton North Junction - Dorridge - Solihull - Tyseley (sd) - Birmingham Moor Street (sd) Birmingham Snow Hill

The Shakespeare Express (Afternoon Train) (Vintage Trains)

• 4965 or 5043 Birmingham Snow Hill (pu) - Birminngham Moor Street (pu) - Tyseley (pu) - Shirley - Henley in Arden (sd) - Stratford upon Avon (break/rev) - Stratford upon Avon - Claverdon - Hatton North Junction - Dorridge - Solihull - Tyseley (sd) - Birmingham Moor Street (sd) Birmingham Snow Hill

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

• To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return