The first of DB Cargo UK’s regeared Class 66 locomotives went into active service earlier this week at Peak Forest in Derbyshire.
The newly-renumbered 66651 (previously 66221) hauled a cargo of premium grade limestone from Tarmac’s Tunstead Quarry near Buxton, to Tata Chemicals Europe’s Lostock works near Northwich, Cheshire.
The regeared locomotive is the first of 10 Class 66s due to be converted as part of the company’s plans to maximise the efficiency of its fleet and phase out the use of its older, less reliable, Class 60s.
The modifications are being carried out by DB Cargo’s maintenance and engineering teams at Toton TMD in Nottinghamshire.
The Class 66s are being regeared to allow them to pull heavier loads, with a 14% increase in tractive effort.
Jon Harman, head of asset management and maintenance at DB Cargo UK, said: “We are delighted to see 66651 operating in anger for the first time. Our colleagues at Toton have done an excellent job of planning and delivering the necessary modifications, with the second locomotive now in transition.”
The 10Class 66 locomotives are being modified when their bogie overhauls fall due, with each being repainted, new LED headlights fitted, and new wheelsets being provided by DB’s wagon maintenance facility at Stoke.
East West Railway Company’s (EWR) Accessibility Advisory Panel (AAP) has drawn up a list of priority issues for train companies to address to ensure the varying needs of disabled people are fully met.
With latest figures showing that nearly one in four (24%) of people in the UK is disabled, the AAP has highlighted key areas for improvement that address the needs of disabled people to be considered early in the design and construction stages so East West Rail (EWR) can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone. The “must-haves” identified by the panel, which held its first meeting one year ago this month (17 April 2023) are focused on trains, stations and digital services. They include:
• Accessible toilets on trains and at stations, including Changing Places toilets • Step free access to and through stations, including lifts, for people with mobility aids • Level, unassisted boarding with minimal intervention • Making timetables, information boards and social media content accessible for all • Removing ticket barriers for disabled people, creating ease of access to the platform • Removing the need to use an app to park – make displaying a Blue Badge sufficient • Providing space on trains for two wheelchair users to travel together • Making lighting more suitable for people with low vision • Improving access to station staff who regularly receive disability training • Providing a wide variety of seating styles with armrests
The AAP was set up in advance of trains operating on the first stage of EWR, from Oxford to Bletchley, in 2025 with panel members providing insights on the barriers to rail travel faced by local communities along the route and potential solutions to challenging issues.
The Panel is thought to be the first of its kind considering these issues in design at the outset of building a new railway and members believe it will help EWR Co deliver a truly accessible railway.
Georgina Taylor, head of customer service delivery at EWR, said: “We are determined to make sure that all customers have a fantastic experience by building a railway that meets different physical and mobility needs, as well as mental wellbeing and neurodiversity. The AAP’s priority issues list will help us better understand barriers to travel and how to overcome them, enabling us to be a beacon for inclusive rail design.”
Paul Knowles and Craig Loveman have recently joined QTS Training Ltd, the training arm of QTS Group. Paul has joined as a new trainer and assessor, while Craig has joined as an assessor and trainee trainer.
Paul has joined QTS Training following a rail industry career spanning almost 25 years. During this time, he has covered a vast majority of rail disciplines from maintenance to planning, before moving into a training role at AmcoGiffen in 2019.
Based at the QTS’s Nottinghamshire headquarters, Paul will play a key role in building the firm’s presence in England, leading on the delivery of training courses and the assessment, training and development of their participants.
He will also have an instrumental role in developing the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) material for QTS Group’s pioneering COSS Development Academy, which was launched in 2021 to develop and enhance the skills of QTS team members who hold this key safety critical role.
Craig Loveman became a member of QTS Training in December 2023. He has extensive experience in the industry and has worked as an assessor and trainee trainer in recent years. He was eager to grow his skills and advance as a railway safety critical trainer and assessor. He can now provide Controller of Site Safety (COSS) training and various small plant competencies, and is currently working towards achieving engineering supervisor training capability.
Lorna Gibson, managing director of QTS Training said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Paul and Craig to the QTS family, enhancing our commitment to delivering top-tier training solutions. Their expertise will undoubtedly enrich our team’s capabilities.
“At QTS, we believe that a well-equipped team is key to providing unparalleled learning experiences, and these developments align with our vision for continued excellence in training services.”
HS2 has released timelapse and drone footage showing contractors moving a 1,100 tonne composite viaduct into place over two M42/M6 link roads in North Warwickshire.
The 158-metre-long structure was moved into place in 13 hours using a specialist push-pull jacking technique.
The ‘East M42-M6 Link Viaduct’ is one of 13 viaducts which make up HS2’s triangular Delta Junction. This section of the railway enables high speed trains to travel between London, Interchange Station in Solihull and Birmingham Curzon Street Station.
The operation was completed 10 hours ahead of schedule during a weekend road closure, enabling the motorway link roads to be opened earlier than planned.
It was delivered by a team of 25 people from specialist steelwork company Victor Buyck Steel Construction (VBSC), working on behalf of HS2’s main works contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV).
HS2 Ltd, BBV and National Highways collaborated to minimise disruption for people using the roads and enabling this engineering feat to take place.
This was the second ‘launch’ of this structure to move it into its final position over both westbound and eastbound motorway link roads. In February, the first launch took the first 84 metre section of the viaduct to its halfway position over the westbound link road.
Since then, three further steel girders were welded to the back of the first section and 38 precast concrete slabs were installed to complete the 158-metre-long structure. By installing the slabs prior to launch, the number of highway closures required to finish the composite deck has been significantly reduced helping to keep future closures of the link road to a minimum.
Over the summer, a similar two-stage operation will move the identical ‘West M42-M6 Link Viaduct’ which runs parallel to the East Link Viaduct.
Passengers travelling on the West Coast main line and North West rail routes are being advised to check before they travel ahead of important railway upgrades over the early May bank holiday.
Network Rail is carrying out major projects between Saturday 4 and Monday 6 May to improve the region’s railway for passengers and freight.
The work includes:
Track and drainage upgrades in Crewe.
Essential maintenance between Runcorn and Warrington.
Important drainage improvements between Wigan and Liverpool.
Continuing to electrify the line between Wigan and Bolton.
Track maintenance and signalling work in Carlisle.
For the work to take place, there will be changes to rail services. Some trains will use diversionary routes, some will not run at all. Rail replacement buses will be in operation.
Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “We made great progress on major railway improvements over Easter and I’d like to thank passengers for their continued patience while we carry out more must-do work between Saturday 4 and Monday 6 May. We know there is never an ideal time to shut the railway, but bank holidays continue to be the least disruptive time for us to carry out this essential maintenance.
“With sections of railway needing to close for our important work, please check National Rail Enquiries in advance to see how your journey could be impacted.”
In the South of the West Coast Main Line, the railway will be closed between Euston and Milton Keynes on Sunday 5 May, as engineers upgrade the track. Passengers travelling to or from Euston on Sunday 5 May are advised to travel via Kings Cross and get a bus replacement service to or from Milton Keynes. Trains will start and terminate at Milton Keynes Central, where there will be rail replacement services to and from Bedford.
Passengers are advised to plan ahead through their train operator or by visiting the www.nationalrail.co.uk website.
Sekisui manufactures synthetic wood baulks made from Fibre-reinforced Foamed Urethane (FFU). Network Rail engineers installed the first FFU baulks and sleepers as replacements for traditional hardwood on military canal bridges in Kent during 2014. The FFU product was first introduced on Japanese Railways in 1980 and early installations are still performing to specification. FFU is now widely used on railway infrastructure in 33 countries to support track on bridges, decking for level crossings, plain line sleepers, and switch and crossing (S&C) bearers.
Newark flat crossing is an example of a unique and large application of FFU technology on Network Rail infrastructure which required the development of the long FFU synthetic bearers forming a lattice track support 16 by 16 metres. Sekisui holds full Network Rail Product Acceptance Certification PA05/07176 for this project which became operational following complete track renewal in August 2019. The FFU was used to replace the traditional hardwood to support the track.
Fabricated to requirement
The FFU baulks can be fabricated and milled to meet site specific geometry requirements including providing holes, notches, pockets, and variable cross level to individual design requirements. Key benefits over hardwood include longevity with over 50 years’ service life. FFU is form retentive, not prone to splitting or absorption of water, and does not rot or deteriorate in sunlight so it contributes significantly to ‘whole life cycle cost reduction’ by reducing track maintenance and renewal interventions. The product does not require maintenance inspectors to complete micro-drilling during service life and is fully recyclable.
16-metre-long special prepared FFU baulks. Credit: Sekisui.
Situated just north of Newark Northgate station, the flat crossing is located where the east-west Nottingham – Lincoln line crosses the East Coast Main Line (ECML). It is one of the most complex track structures on the route, with no fewer than 16 crossing noses, and carries 160km/h inter-city trains running north-south and heavy freight traffic on the east-west line.
Prior to the 2019 renewal, the supporting lattice that holds the cast crossings into position was made up from hardwood and typically required replacement every 15 years. The last renewal occurred in 2003. Network Rail found that procuring suitable hardwood timbers of 16 metres for a further renewal proved problematic. This led to the decision to adopt alternative technology which ultimately led to lower whole life costs by reducing track maintenance requirements and track renewal interval.
Thanks to close co-ordination between the various partners, the installation weekend went to plan. After the end of services on 25 August 2019, the old trackwork was removed and the supporting ballast replaced, including the installation of geocells to strengthen the formation.
Whilst FFU has been used in various countries, this project is the first time that something on this scale has been fabricated outside Japan. The new bearers are expected to more than double the life of the lattice layout and reduce maintenance intervals, significantly contributing to a favourable business case. Network Rail engineers are considering how FFU could be utilised in other applications, including plain line sleepers, S&C bearers, and level crossings. Installation of FFU for waybeam bridges has full product approval. Newark flat crossing
For the Newark flat crossing renewal Sekisui offered to provide 16-metre one-piece beams, matching the existing wooden bearer layout. The FFU baulk material was manufactured in Japan to a maximum length of 8 metres. To produce the required 16-metre bearers, Sekisui partnered with Progress Rail to assemble the beams at a facility near Nottingham. This was the first time that this has been done outside Japan. From Spring 2024, FFU will also be manufactured in a new factory in the Netherlands.
The bearers were constructed from 30mm thick, 8-metres-long layers of FFU; these were manufactured in Japan and shipped to the UK for final assembly. Two densities of FFU – 740 and 1,000 kg/m3 (FFU 74 & FFU 100) – were combined in laminated form to give an increased compressive strength near the surface. Specialists from Sekisui worked with staff from Progress Rail to assemble the bearers. These were combined with the other railway elements including the rails and Cast Manganese Crossings manufactured by Progress Rail to complete the huge crossing lattice assembly, weighing more than 40 tonnes. The design was complex, with the interlocking components designed to ensure that the construction matched the specification.
End cross baulks fixing two long bearers. Credit: Sekisui.
After eight weeks, the novel FFU bearers were finished, numbered, painted, and assembled into the lattice form in the factory to confirm fit. The crossings were then attached by Progress Rail, drilling into the new material which behaves like hardwood. The trackwork was renewed using CEN56 HP rails instead of the previous 56 kg/m BS113A rails, along with new cast steel crossing inserts. Once everything had been fitted accurately each component was marked and the crossing partially dismantled for transport to site. The various components were taken to Newark by rail at the end of July 2019 and reassembled on a site adjacent to the line ready for installation.
Maintenance comparison after four years
Over four years after the renewal of Newark Flat Crossing utilising FFU, Network Rail Track Maintenance Engineers (TME) in Doncaster report significant reduction in maintenance requirements.
The TMEs gave feedback comparing the same time-period after the 2003 renewal:
2003-2007 hardwood timber renewal – track geometry deterioration, ride quality issues, splitting of timbers, failure of screws, several rail management interventions to cast crossings, including cracking of castings leading to early replacement of ironwork.
2019-2023 FFU renewal – stable track geometry with no ride quality issues reported, no screw failures, no deterioration in the FFU material, reduced rail management intervention and no cracking or premature replacement of cast crossings.
In terms of rail management, since the introduction of FFU, Network Rail’s TMEs have reduced the cyclical inspection and maintenance requirements from four-weekly to eight-weekly. There is now only minimal crossing nose profile grinding required and two small casting weld repairs have been done to date.
Sebastian Smith, route engineer (track) East Coast Route, York, commented that his team viewed the project as “a success, with the FFU seeming to offer a fit and forget characteristic which is very beneficial to a maintainer”. He is delighted with the project, stating: “the decision to install based on whole life cost is proving to be correct”.
Lifting the crossing into its final track position. Credit: Sekisui.
Sebastian is looking forward to introducing FFU into Switch and Crossing layouts in the next Control Period, as well as a continued Waybeam Bridge renewal programme on the East Coast Route.
Many thanks to Simon Hunt, track maintenance engineer, Doncaster and Sebastian Smith, route engineer (track) East Coast Route, York for their input to this article.
FFU: a background
Developed in conjunction with Japanese National Railways, FFU synthetic sleepers are made using the pultrusion process. Continuous glass fibres are soaked and mixed with polyurethane, and then hardened at a raised temperature, moulded, pulled, and cut to length. This creates a high-quality material that has the life expectancy of plastic and the weight of natural wood. It can also be worked like natural wood.
First installed in Japan in 1980, and adopted for standard sleepers since 1985, FFU has subsequently been installed on several projects in Europe over the past 20 years, particularly turnouts and bridges. FFU sleepers are currently used on more than 1,950km of track around the world.
Tests of the original 1980 FFU sleepers, undertaken by the Railway Technical Research Institute in 2011, predicted that the sleepers could safely continue in use for another 20 years, giving a total life of around 50 years. FFU sleepers have also been certified by Germany’s Federal Railway Office for use on tracks operating at up to 230km/h and 22.5 tonnes axle load.
Train operator c2c Trenitalia says its work to crackdown on fare evasion and ticketing fraud has led to one customer recently paying back £10,000.
The customer, recently travelling through one of c2c’s London stations, was asked to present their rail ticket to a revenue protection officer as part of a routine inspection. The customer in question did not have a valid ticket for the full length of the journey they had just made, and on further investigation it was found that the customer had been making this same trip and cheating the system for nearly five years.
C2c has announced that its ongoing work to crackdown on fare evasion across the route continues to be a great success – with approximately £130,000 received in fines and penalty payments so far this year.
Iain Palmer, c2c’s head of revenue protection & security, said: “Fare evasion, whether deliberately or inadvertently, is a criminal offence and c2c will always look to prosecute those who attempt to cheat the system.
“We have recently increased the number of Revenue Protection officers patrolling our stations and trains, especially during the off-peak, and we now have more eyes and ears monitoring and closing in on customers who frequently travel without a valid ticket.”
Fare evasion costs the rail industry millions of pounds every single year and is also a key contributor to anti-social behaviour across the rail network.
Operating in partnership with the British Transport Police, c2c’s revenue protection and security teams are out on the route, seven days a week – from first trains until last – working to catch and apprehend those who do not have a valid ticket for their journey. During 2023, the work of these teams led to over £315k being received in penalty fares and fines.
Iain continued: “Our work to crackdown on fare evasion isn’t just about catching and issuing penalty fares to customers who travel without a ticket, the intelligence provided by our digital sales channels and ticket barriers also help us identify those using c2c services without a valid ticket for the entirety of their journey.”
He added: “There is absolutely no excuse for travelling on c2c without a ticket!”
As thousands of runners took to the streets for the Manchester Marathon earlier this month, Metrolink was able to record a new personal best for passengers served on a single day.
On 14 April passengers made 175,000 journeys, the highest ever recorded on a single Sunday in Metrolink’s 30-year history. It was also the busiest Sunday ever recorded, and the eighth busiest day on the network since it opened in 1992.
This year’s milestone was also 20% higher than the second highest number of journeys ever recorded on a Sunday – 145,000 – which was also hit during the Manchester Marathon in 2023.
Similarly to the last year’s race the network was busiest in the morning ahead of the start of the event, and in the early afternoon once the race was run. The Altrincham, Bury, East Didsbury, and Manchester Airport lines were among the busiest on the day.
Ahead of the marathon Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) issued travel advice for runners, spectators and residents travelling into the regional centre, with many roads closed and bus services diverted, while also putting in place robust plans to provide capacity on Metrolink.
Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s head of Metrolink, said: “As always we are delighted to support the Marathon, which is one of the highlights of our events calendar here in Greater Manchester.
“To have smashed our record for the number of passenger journeys made on a Sunday for a second year in a row, and with it being during the Marathon again, is truly special. I think this shows just how important Metrolink is for people living in our region, but also those visiting too.
“I want to thank everyone who chose to travel on Metrolink on race day, as well as the race organisers and partners who helped deliver another fantastic event.
“But I also want to say a huge thanks to our staff behind the scenes and on the frontline, and in particular the two Metrolink employees who looked after a runner who was taken ill onboard a tram on the day and helped him get home safely.”
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has announced the appointment of John Whitehurst as its chief operating officer (COO). He will begin the role on Monday 20 May.
The role will see John lead the planning and delivery of services across GTR’s four brands – Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, and Thameslink – which collectively represent approximately 18% of UK rail passenger journeys. He will also hold key relations with the supply chain and industry partners such as Network Rail.
John will bring to GTR significant experience within transport, having managed large teams and multi-million-pound projects across operations, infrastructure and engineering. He has previously worked at Network Rail as route infrastructure maintenance director on the Kent and Anglia routes, and spent nearly 12 years at Serco, where he was managing director of transport and community services.
John said: “I’ve been an admirer and customer of GTR for many years, so I’m very proud to join and be a part of the UK’s biggest railway operator at an exciting and important time for the rail industry. I’m looking forward to getting out across the length and breadth of GTR’s vast network, meeting my new colleagues who work incredibly hard every day to provide customers with a safe and reliable service. I’m excited to work with all our industry partners and stakeholders to innovate and improve our services for the hundreds of thousands of customers who rely on us.”
Andy Coulthurst, who has led GTR’s operations successfully on an interim basis since November 2023, will retire this summer after more than 20 years in the rail industry. Andy joined GTR in January 2020, assuming various roles including leading a successful programme of initiatives to give customers an ever better and more reliable train service. Andy will stay with GTR to help ensure a smooth and seamless leadership transition up to his retirement in the summer.
Angie Doll, GTR’s chief executive officer, said: “I am delighted to welcome John to GTR. His impressive career both inside and outside rail will be a great addition to my team and the wider organisation. I know that John’s extensive knowledge of running operations in the UK and abroad will play a key role in our future success, bringing fresh thinking as well as years of experience to help GTR grow and deliver for our customers and communities. I very much look forward to having John in my team.
“I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to Andy, who has been an excellent interim chief operating officer. Andy joined us during a challenging period in 2020, and throughout his time at GTR has consistently demonstrated strong leadership. He will be missed, and on behalf of everyone at GTR I wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement.”
Inspirational Great Western Railway (GWR) and Network Rail director Ruth Busby was at Buckingham Palace on Friday to receive her OBE from the Princess Royal.
Ruth was recognised in the New Year Honours ‘for services to diversity in the rail industry’.
Her award recognises not only her work within GWR and Network Rail, but the numerous other organisations she represents to champion Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the rail industry.
Ruth, from Didcot, said: “It was an absolutely thrill to receive my OBE from the Princess Royal and it was lovely to be joined at Buckingham Palace by my husband, Liam, and children, Megan and Alfie.
“I still feel so humbled that people took the time to nominate me and the memories from Friday’s ceremony will last a lifetime.”
Ruth joined GWR in 2018 and, after helping to lead colleagues through the Covid-19 pandemic, was named HR Director of the Year at the 2021 Personnel Today Awards.
Last year she began a joint strategic role with responsibility for the HR and Internal Communications teams in both GWR and Network Rail’s Wales and Western Region.
Over the past few years, she has also worked with the Department for Transport, the Samaritans, and Mental Health at Work, to lead a research study on mental health and wellbeing across the rail industry.
She is also the executive sponsor for Rail Wellbeing Live, the biggest health and wellbeing movement in the history of the rail industry.
As a non-executive director of the Youth Futures Foundation, Ruth also works to improve employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds and is currently chair of its People and Culture Committee and Employer Advisory Board.
Ruth also remains a passionate supporter of Women in Rail, having previously served as co-chair of Women in Rail South.
