The Railway Chronicle: International & UK Railway News Sunday 6th July 2014

A year on, the citizens of Lac-Megantic, Canada are still traumatized by the devastating oil train derailment that wiped out a part of the town taking 47 lives in the process.
Various articles have been written on the anniversary date, and what has been learned..and/or done, about making oil transport safer.... if that is possible...
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada have issued a Statement too, expressing both condolences, and the hope that their work will lead to the prospect of such an accident never happening again.

Meanwhile, China has set out ambitious plans to recreate a "New Silk (iron) Road" between East Turkestan and Turkey..... a 6,000 km railway, with most of this line being open for service by 2020!

On a smaller scale, plans to further extend and expand the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, have been approved.

And if you like the idea of a long rail trip, than the Trans Siberian Railway is the one to take!

Click on the links for the full stories....

Headlines

Canada

Lac-Mégantic remembers: 1 year later.(cbcnews montreal).

Lac-Mégantic disaster anniversary is time to focus on oil-by-rail threat to Maine.(PenBayPilot).

Statement by Chair of Transportation Safety Board of Canada, on the anniversary of Lac-Mégantic train accident(eturbonews).

Gatineau, Quebec, 6 July2014 – As we approach the first anniversary of the most devastating train accident in Canadian history, I assure the people of Lac-Mégantic, and all Canadians, that the ongoing investigation into this tragedy remains our top priority.

Investigations are complex, and we take the time to conduct a thorough, science-based examination to find out what happened and why. We have a team of highly-skilled experts dedicated to this investigation, and we expect to release the TSB's report in the next few months. However, if crucial safety information needs to be communicated right away, we don't wait for the final report to be released.

Throughout this investigation we issued 3 recommendations and 4 safety advisory letters which are all found on the active investigation page on the TSB website.
On this somber anniversary, I would like to say to the families who lost loved ones – you will soon have more answers, and we will continue advocating for the changes needed to ensure this never happens again.

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
For more information, contact:
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Media Relations
819-994-8053 FREE

Goods sidings at Cork,Ireland. (May 1980)

UK

Patrick McLoughlin backs paying HS2 bosses more than PM.(BBC News)

Lincolnshire campaigns for better Lincoln to Sheffield trains.(Lincolnshire Echo).

Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal approval confirmed.(BBC News)

BBC News - Network Rail fine to help pay for faster train wi-fi

Sunderland’s seafront train carriages reopen as tea rooms.(Sunderland Echo).

Previously known as "The Pullman Lodge Hotel"

UK Mainline Steam Schedule
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 7th July 2014

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

The Jacobite (Afternoon Train) (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Tuesday 8th July 2014

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

The Jacobite (Afternoon Train) (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Wednesday 9th July 2014

The Pennine Explorer (Pathfinder Tours)

DRS Class 37 (Pair) Taunton (pu) - Bridgwater (pu) - Highbridge (pu) - Weston-super-Mare (pu) - Worle (pu) - Yatton (pu) - Nailsea & Backwell (pu) - Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Cwmbran (pu) - Abergavenny (pu) - Hereford - Shrewsbury - Crewe - Preston - Shap - Carlisle
DRS Class 37 (Pair) Carlisle (pu) - Appleby - S&C - Hellifield - Blackburn - Crewe - Shrewsbury - Hereford- Abergavenny (sd) - Cwmbran (sd) - Bristol Temple Meads (sd) - Nailsea & Backwell (sd) - Yatton (sd) - Worle (sd) - Weston-super-Mare (sd) - Highbridge (sd) - Bridgwater (sd) - Taunton

Additional Tour Information

19/3: now re-named Pennine Explorer with 2 x DRS Class 37 instead of previously advertised DBS Class 66s.

Added 20:54 on Wednesday 19th March 2014

The Dorset Coast Express (Railway Touring Company)

34046 or 34067 or 70000 London Victoria (pu) - Barnes Bridge - Staines (pu) - Woking (pu) - Winchfield (water) - Basingstoke (pu) - Worting Junction - Winchester - Southampton - Bournemouth (sd) - Weymouth and return

34046 or 34067 or 70000 Weymouth - Upwey Bank - Dorchester South (detach banker) - Bournemouth - Basingstoke (sd/water) - Woking (sd) - London Waterloo (sd)

The Fellsman (Statesman Rail)

WCRC Pool Lancaster (pu) - Preston (pu) - Blackburn (pu) - Clitheroe (pu) - Long Preston (pu) - Settle - Appleby - Carlisle (break) and return

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

The Jacobite (Afternoon Train) (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Thursday 10th July 2014

Cathedrals Express (Steam Dreams)

Steam tbc London Victoria (pu) - Staines (pu) - Chertsey (pu) - Woking (pu) - Eastleigh - Southampton - Wareham - Corfe Castle - Swanage and return

The Cathedrals Express (Steam Dreams)

70013 London Victoria (pu) - Staines (pu) - Woking (pu) - Bournemouth (sd) - Corfe Castle (sd) - Swanage (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

The Jacobite (Afternoon Train) (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Friday 11th July 2014

The VSOE British Pullman Surrey Hills Luncheon Train (Belmond (British Pullman))

35028 London Victoria (pu) - Staines - Woking - Guildford - Shalford - Reigate - Redhill - East Croydon - London Victoria

The White Rose Moorlander (Compass Tours)

WCRC Class 47 & 57 Morpeth (pu) - Alnmouth (pu) - Berwick upon Tweed (pu) - Dunbar (pu) - Drem (pu) - Longniddry (pu) - Musselburgh (pu) - Edinburgh Waverley (pu) - Kirknewton (pu) - Lockerbie (pu) - Carlisle (pu) - S&C - Hellifield - Skipton - Leeds - York
To be confirmed York (pu) - Durham - Newcastle - Morpeth (sd) - Alnmouth (sd) - Berwick upon Tweed (sd) - Dunbar (sd) - Drem (sd) - Longniddry (sd) - Musselburgh (sd) - Edinburgh Waverley (sd) - Kirknewton (sd) - Lockerbie (sd) - Carlisle

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

The Jacobite (Afternoon Train) (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Saturday 12th July 2014

The Heart Of Wales Rambler (re-dated From 22 March) (Pathfinder Tours)

DRS Class 47 x 2 Banbury (pu) - Oxford (pu) - Swindon (pu) - Kemble (pu) - Stroud (pu) - Stonehouse (pu) - Gloucester (pu) - Cheltenham Spa (by service train to Gloucester) - Chepstow - Newport - Cardiff - Port Talbot - Swansea District Line - Hendy Junction - Llandovery - Llandrindod Wells
DRS Class 47 x 2 Llandrindod wells (pu) - Knighton - Craven Arms - Abbey Foregate Curve - Telford Central - Wolverhampton - Banbury (sd) - Oxford (sd) - Swindon (sd) - Kemble (sd) - Stroud (sd) - Stonehouse (sd) - Gloucester (by service train from Cheltenham Spa) - Cheltenham Spa

Cumbrian Mountain Express (Railway Touring Company)

86259 London Euston (pu) - Watford Junction (pu) - Milton Keynes Central (pu) - Northampton (by service train to Rugby) - Rugby - Nuneaton - Crewe (pu) - Preston - Carnforth
60009 Carnforth - Shap - Penrith - Carlisle
60009 Carlisle - Appleby - S&C - Hellifield - Blackburn - Preston
86259 Preston - Crewe (sd) - Nuneaton (sd) - Rugby (sd) - Northampton (by service train from Rugby) - Milton Keynes Central (sd) - Watford Junction (sd) - London Euston

The Wizards Express (Railway Touring Company)

WCRC 47s Manchester Victoria (pu) -Bolton (pu) - Wigan North Western (pu) - Preston (pu) - Lancaster (pu) - Carnforth (pu) -
5972 Carnforth - Wennington - Giggleswick- Hellifield - Skipton - Leeds - York (break/rev) & return
WCRC 47s Carnforth - Lancaster (sd) - Preston (sd) - Wigan North Western (sd) - Bolton (sd) - Manchester Victoria

The Long Wey Round (UK Railtours)

SWT Class 159 London Waterloo (pu) - Woking (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Eastleigh - Southampton - Bournemouth - Weymouth
SWT Class 159 Weymouth - Dorchester West - Maiden Newton - Yeovil Pen Mill - Castle cary - westbury - Warminster - Salisbury - Andover - Basingstoke (sd) - Woking (sd) - London Waterloo

The Scarborough Flyer (Vintage Trains)

46233 Tyseley Warwick Road (pu) - Coleshil Parkway (pu) - Tamworth (pu) - Burton upon Trent (pu) - Derby (pu) - York (sd) - Scarborough
46233 Scarborough (pu) - York (pu) - Derby (sd)
47773 tbc Derby - Burton upon Trent (sd) - Tamworth (sd) - Coleshill Parkway (sd) - Tyseley Warwick Road

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

Sunday 13th July 2014

Weymouth Seaside Express (Railway Touring Company)

5029 or 34046 Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Keynsham (pu) - Bath (pu) - Trowbridge (pu) - Westbury (pu) - Weymouth and return

The Humber Bosun (UK Railtours)

tbc Finsbury Park (pu) - Stevenage (pu) - Peterborough (pu) - Doncaster (pu) - Goole - Brough - Hessle Road Junction - Hedon Road Sidings (Hull Docks)
tbc Hedon Road Sidings (Hull Docks) - Hessle Road Junction - Ferriby (break) - Brough - Gilberdyke - Goole - Hatfield & Stainforth - Kirk Sandall -Barnby Dun (rev) - Kirk Sandall - Stanforth Junction (rev) - Skellow Junction - car croft Junction - Doncaster (sd) - Peterborough (sd) - Stevanage (sd) - Finsbury Park

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan - Mallaig (break) - Glenfinnan - Fort William

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China
'New Silk Road' rail line to link E. Turkestan and Turkey.(WorldBulletin.net)

Europe
The impact of high-speed rail and low-cost carriers on European air passenger traffic.(ScienceDirect.. pay per view)

India
Indian trains can run at 300 kmph: Expert (EconomicTimes)

Poland

Poland conducting ERTMS Level 2 testing.(Global Rail News)

World!!
The world's best rail journeys - A Luxury Travel Blog

Christian Wolmar - To The Edge of The World at the Hay Book Festival on the 27th May 2014

It is the world's longest railway line. But it is so much more than that, too. The Trans-Siberian stretches nearly 6,000 miles between Moscow and Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast and was the most ambitious railway project in the nineteenth century. A journey on the railway evokes a romantic roam through the Russian steppes, but also reminds travellers of the vastness of our world and hints at the hardships that were endured in its construction.

Christian Wolmar expertly tells the story of the Trans-Siberian railway from its conception and construction under Tsar Alexander III, to the northern extension ordered by Brezhnev and its current success as a vital artery. He also explores the crucial role the line played in both the Russian Civil War -Trotsky famously used an armoured carriage as his command post - and the Second World War, during which the railway saved the country from certain defeat. Like the author's previous railway histories, it focuses on the personalities, as well as the political and economic events, that lay behind one of the most extraordinary engineering triumphs of the nineteenth century.
To the Edge of the World

Other Christian Wolmar titles....