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Themes Landslide Derailment Carmont Stonehaven derailment Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper Flood Polmont Weather cancellations Electrification Linlithgow West Highland Railway Bridge of Orchy ORR HS2 Caledonian MacBrayne Borders Railway Transport Scotland Paddle Steamer Dundee Re-opening Fifth Anniversary Troon Bridge strike Gourock COVID-19 Aberdeen Shuttle service PS Waverley Glasgow Corporation Tramways Network Rail Covid-19
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ScotRail's passengers and 5,200 staff received a significant boost today as emergency funding by the Scottish Government was extended.
The lifeline Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA) was introduced in April 2020 after the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a 95 per cent reduction in ScotRail passenger numbers. The Scottish Government reached a six-month funding agreement to allow the operator to continue to provide services for key workers tackling the pandemic. (Permalink) COVID-19 Caledonian Sleeper Emergency Measures Agreement ScotRail |
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Control of certain struggling franchises could be handed back to the government, sources say.
(Permalink) Covid-19 Nationalisation |
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In 1894, there were almost four hundred horse-drawn tramcars on the streets of Glasgow.
(Permalink) Glasgow Glasgow Corporation Tramways Tram |
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Changes are being made at the Aln Valley Railway after shortcomings were identified by inspectors.
(Permalink) Aln Valley Railway |
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The Edinburgh-Glasgow, via Falkirk High, railway line will reopen for passengers on Monday (September 21).
(Permalink) Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Flood Polmont  Polmont: Engineers have been working around-the-clock to repair the line which was partially washed away near Polmont when the Union Canal burst its banks on Wednesday, August 12.
The force of thousands of gallons of water flowing from the breached canal bank washed away sections of track and undermined the railway’s embankments along a 300m stretch of the line.  Polmont: Over the last six weeks, engineers have had to completely rebuild the foundations of the line, replacing over 15,000 tonnes of soil and stone beneath the track.
A kilometre of new double-track railway has also been laid consisting of more than 4,500 metres of new rails and 4,424 concrete sleepers along with 10,000 tonnes of new ballast requiring 27 engineering trains. Over 3,000 metres of signalling cables have been re-laid and two new twin track overhead power gantries installed. |
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The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway is to reopen fully on Monday the 21st of September following repairs after considerable flood damage was caused by a breach of the Union Canal.
(Permalink) Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Flood Polmont |
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The East Coast Main Line Power Supply Upgrade is to power forward into its second phase to enhance the East Coast network, bolstered by a £216.2m contract award for the Rail Electrification Alliance.
(Permalink) East Coast Main Line Electrification Network Rail |
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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps makes the comparison about the Stonehaven crash in the House of Commons.
(Permalink) Carmont Derailment Landslide Stonehaven derailment |
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The owners of the Maid of the Loch paddle steamer will team up with Industrial Museums Scotland this weekend to broadcast live footage of the ship's engines in steam to a global audience.
(Permalink) PS Maid of the Loch Paddle Steamer |
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Scotland's University of St Andrews issued a tender on September 10 for the conversion of a three-car class 314 EMU to hydrogen propulsion.
(Permalink) Class 314 Hydrogen University of St Andrews |
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The National Composites Centre (NCC) has partnered with Network Rail to investigate, design and build a composite footbridge.
The new partnership sees Network Rail join the NCC as a Tier One Member - the first rail infrastructure company to do so - which gives Network Rail access to use the world-leading expertise facilities and capabilities at the NCC. The concept footbridge, conceived and ... (Permalink) Footbridge National Composites Centre Network Rail |
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Rail passengers travelling between Dundee and Inverkeithing faced disruption earlier this morning after a train fault at Leuchars station.
(Permalink) Breakdown Dundee Inverkeithing Leuchars |
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The Office of Rail and Roads new accessible travel guidance has been published today. This sees new rules for train operators to maximise the use of available buses and coaches by disabled passengers during rail disruption. There is also requirement for improved information so passengers know where and when accessible vehicles will be operated.
(Permalink) Accessible travel guidance Disabled passengers ORR |
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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has officially re-opened its refurbished first class lounge at Berwick railway station.
(Permalink) Berwick London North Eastern Railway |
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Bosses at Ferguson's say that their staff will now begin to install over 15km of pipework on unfinished ferry MV Glen Sannox.
(Permalink) Ferguson Marine MV Glen Sannox |
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GWR imposed the ban after its new trains were redesigned to allow for more seating.
(Permalink) Great Western Railway |
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The Old Military Road in Argyll has reopened this morning following a safety inspection. Train services between Fort William and Bridge of Orchy have been reinstated following a safety inspection.
(Permalink) Landslide West Highland Railway |
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Work continues to be carried out to repair railway line damaged in last month's thunderstorms when Union Canal breached its banks.
(Permalink) Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Flood Flooding Linlithgow Polmont |
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Train passengers in Helensburgh are being urged to postpone their journeys after ScotRail warned of major disruption to services.
(Permalink) Cancellations Electrification |
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A vibrant yellow colour scheme for Metro's £362m new train fleet can be revealed for the first time today, as Nexus launches a major public consultation on its interior design.
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages the Tyne and Wear Metro, has chosen a modern and eye-catching yellow paint job with black and pale grey along the train sides, following input from passengers and employees. The new colour scheme is a nod to the Metro's iconic yellow PTE livery when the system first opened 40 years ago. The new Metro fleet, which is being built by the Swiss train manufacturer, Stadler, is set to enter service in 2023, transforming the experience for passengers and boosting reliability. (Permalink) Nexus Stadler Tyne and Wear Metro |
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Passengers will again be able to travel on a section of the Heart of Wales line, which runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea, from November as Network Rail has set out the timescales for repairs to the line after two major incidents within a month.
(Permalink) Derailment Heart of Wales Line Landslide |
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A landslide has shut part of a world-renowned Scottish rail line - a day after another slip has lead to the closure of an iconic Highlands road.
(Permalink) Bridge of Orchy Caledonian Sleeper Landslide ScotRail Weather West Highland Railway cancellations |
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Network Rail will shortly begin the first phase of work which will lead to the reinstatement of passenger services to Leven.
(Permalink) Levenmouth reopening  Kirkland Yard: An aerial view over the east end of Kirkland Yard (with the Fife Heritage Railway preservation site) looking to Leven, Innerleven and the mouth of the River Leven.  East of Fife Central Junction: A view of the Methil branch at Kirkland Yard in July 2020. This section of track was cleared of vegetation earlier in the year in preparation for the reopening project.
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Network Rail has acquired 'Bristol Old Station', the iconic Grade I listed building, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, that was Bristol's first railway station when it opened in 1840 as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway from London Paddington. It remains one of the oldest surviving railway stations in Britain. Its acquisition from Bristol City Council allows Network Rail to bring the building back into railway ownership for the first time since rail privatisation in the mid-1990s.
(Permalink) Bristol Temple Meads  Bristol Temple Meads [1st]: Bristol Temple Meads station, 26th May, a very impressive station. This is the entry into the original passenger terminus.  Bristol Temple Meads [1st]: Brunel's original train shed at Temple Meads in February 2013. The site is now used for car parking (with a �1 discount for parking outdoors!), but should soon be reopened as a terminus for electric trains from London. Notice the signal box on the right.  Bristol Temple Meads [1st]: Bristol Temple Meads the original western terminus of the GWR. Note signalbox back right. |
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Structural work on the temporary pre-cast factory that will produce tunnel wall segments for HS2's 10-mile-long Chiltern tunnels, has been completed at the south portal site, next to the M25. All of the steel for the frame of the factory has been made in the UK and delivered by specialist steel fabricators, Caunton Engineering, from its base near Moregreen, Nottinghamshire.
(Permalink) HS2 |
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There were no shortage of bold plans devised to improve the quality of Highland railways during the Victorian era.
(Permalink) Andrew Drummond Book Book review |
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He was the larger-than-life boss of the Glasgow tramways, a 'municipal missionary' sent around the globe to share his wisdom.
(Permalink) Glasgow Corporation Tramways |
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The famous paddle steamer may have had a difficult return to the waves but stories inspired by one of the Waverley's most famous skippers are about to sail onto the airwaves.
(Permalink) PS Waverley Paddle Steamer |
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North east of England is 'synonymous with the best trains in the world' according to Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe factory's local MP
(Permalink) Hitachi Newton Aycliffe |
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A vintage event inspired by a north-east railway line is set to take place at an Aberdeen charity shop.
Barnardos on Union Street will host the event on September 19 and 20, which will be themed around the Aberdeen to Ballater Deeside Railway line. (Permalink) Aberdeen Ballater Barnados Deeside Railway |
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ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and freight services on the West Highland Line have been affected.
(Permalink) Bridge of Orchy Caledonian Sleeper Landslide ScotRail Weather West Highland Railway cancellations |
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Two Highlands railway lines remain shut today due to severe weather yesterday and overnight.
(Permalink) Attadale Bridge of Orchy Landslide |
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severe weather will impact rail services between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness, ScotRail has warned. The rail operator has advised passengers that recent rough weather has necessitated the cancellation of some Monday morning services between the Highland capital and Lochalsh. 'Due to severe weather, services on our Oban/Mallaig & Kyle of Lochalsh routes will be disrupted tomorrow morning [Monday],' said a spokesman.
(Permalink) Inverness Kyle of Lochalsh Mallaig Oban Weather cancellations |
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Adverse weather is currently causing issues across the travel network with trains and ferries disrupted due to heavy rainfall and high winds.
(Permalink) Weather cancellations |
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A call has been made for a new platform at Port Glasgow Railway Station to introduce a shuttle service with Wemyss Bay and cope with increasing demand.
(Permalink) Platform reinstatement Port Glasgow  Port Glasgow: Standard class 4 2-6-4T no 80001 calls at Port Glasgow with a westbound service c 1965. Note the former footbridge and the bay platform that once handled Wemyss Bay services. |
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Scotland's first hydrogen-powered train is to be showcased at the postponed COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow next year.
(Permalink) COP26 Hydrogen power |
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The Peffery Way Association has launched the next stage of its campaign to secure a safe path linking Dingwall and Strathpeffer.
(Permalink) Dingwall Peffery Way Association Strathpeffer Strathpeffer Branch |
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A major £1.2m project to repair the linkspan at Gourock Ferry Terminal is due to get under way early next month.
(Permalink) Gourock Gourock Pier |
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Anoraks among the readership may delight in this third column on railways in as many months. But, unlike the previous two, this one features future expansion, not the ghosts of railways past.
(Permalink) Dunbar North British Railway |
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Poor weather conditions could cause some disruption to CalMac sailings to and from the Outer Hebrides today (Saturday, September 12).
(Permalink) Caledonian MacBrayne |
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A new rail shuttle service between Linlithgow and Edinburgh will be introduced from Monday, 14 September to keep customers moving between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The service will operate in both directions and will call at Linlithgow, Edinburgh Park, Haymarket, and Edinburgh Waverley. Existing replacement bus services between Falkirk Grahamston and Linlithgow remain in place for customers. (Permalink) Edinburgh Park Edinburgh Waverley Haymarket Linlithgow Shuttle service |
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A new shuttle service between Montrose and Edinburgh will be introduced from Monday, 14 September to allow customers travelling in the north east to complete their journey by rail.
The service will run Monday to Saturday between Montrose and Edinburgh, and between Montrose and Dundee on Sundays. It follows the introduction of a rail shuttle service between Aberdeen and Stonehaven last week. Existing replacement bus services between Dundee and Aberdeen remain in place for customers travelling beyond Montrose. (Permalink) Aberdeen Dundee Montrose Shuttle service |
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The first carriage to be removed from the site of the fatal derailment near Stonehaven has been mounted to the back of a lorry and transported south.
(Permalink) Carmont Derailment Landslide Stonehaven derailment |
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