Regional News

WESTERN

Exeter: Two stations on the Exmouth branch, St James’ Park and Lympstone Commando, have been extended to accommodate three- car DMUs.

Oxford: The restorers of the LNWR Rewley Road swing bridge have been awarded an additional £ 50,000 by the Railway Heritage Trust, to meet additional costs caused by COVID-19.

Portbury Dock: The coal handling terminal has lost its rail connection.

Swindon: The redundant station footbridge may be re- erected at Lostwithiel.

Woodchester: The remains of the level crossing hut from the Nailsworth branch, which survived its closure in 1966, have been donated to the Vale of Berkeley Railway. The structure survived as a garden shed near Stonehouse.

Plymouth: The Plymouth- Gunnislake line was closed from November 7-10, to enable unhindered repairs to the 1889 Grade 2- listed River Tavy bridge and renew track over the River Tamerton. A similar possession was taken of the Liskeard- Looe branch at the same time, to undertake heavy maintenance.

EASTERN

Esk Valley: Network Rail has donated two miles of replaced bullhead rail from the MiddlesbroughWhitby line to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway,

for reuse or onward sale.

King’s Cross: The refuges inside the eastern bore of Gasworks Tunnel, built into it in 1892 for track workers, have been closed off because new track and signalling laid across them has made them unsafe.

Lowdham: The 1896 Midland Railway- design signal box from the Nottingham- Lincoln line, decommissioned in 2016, has been moved in one piece to a local garden, where its new owner wants to set up a museum.

Tweedmouth: The derelict former locomotive depot has been demolished. Following closure in June 1966, it was occupied by a builders’ merchant.

Tyne & Wear: Work to alter track layouts and adjust platform heights, to accommodate the 42 new Stadler trains in 2023-24, has moved to 12 locations on the Airport- Wansbeck Road line.

MIDLANDS

Brierley Hill: Construction of the Metro’s new 17- stop extension is reported to be now running six months behind schedule. Sections of the Tame Valley, Walsall and Old Main Line Canal will be closed until early spring for preliminary works.

NORTH WEST

Carlisle: Renewal work at the station means that

a new home must be urgently found for the body of the city’s last surviving tram, which has been undergoing restoration in the undercroft since 1995. The Workington Transport Trust fears it may have to be scrapped - call 01228 522118 if you can help.

Hightown: The Merseyrail station has a new footbridge.

Manchester: The Railway Heritage Trust has provided £46,000 towards the conversion of disused space by the Soldiers’ Gate at Victoria station, to set up a Manchester Tap pub.

Southport: Up to 14 Class 507/ 508 electric multiple units may have to be retained until the platform end signals are moved, to allow their replacement Class 777s to be used in peak periods.

Wigan: Platform 2 at North Western station has been taken out of use, probably permanently.

SOUTHERN

Ashford: The south east London station is receiving a new waiting shelter.

Crystal Palace: The remains of Brunel’s water tower have been awarded Grade 2- listed status. Most of the 1854-56 building was demolished during the Second World War, but its base was located by archaeologists about 30 years ago.

Vauxhall: The south London station will be closed from December 24-January 4 for track renewals,

along with nearby Queenstown.

Waterloo: The closure of the Ian Allan transport bookshop in Lower Marsh on October 31 marked the end of an era for the publishing group, which was established 75 years ago this month. It was the company’s last shop. It has diversified from railways into other business areas.

ANGLIA

Brandon: Historic England has awarded the reprieved main station building Grade-2 listed status.

Ilford: Transport for London has installed temporary shelters outside the station, in case passengers need to queue up. It ensures that both platforms and trains do not become overcrowded.

Ingatestone: Restoration of the old crossing keeper’s office for conversion into a museum is about to get under way. Nearby, the conversion of the stationmaster’s house into offices should be complete by the end of the year. SCOTLAND

Aviemore: The £16 million Cairngorm funicular repair programme began at the end of October. The Scottish Government is paying most of the bill. Edinburgh: Lord Provost Frank Ross has called for battery- powered trams to run in Princes Street, although it has been pointed out that it would be a costly exercise to retro- fit 27 vehicles, as well as dismantle the almost new poles and overhead wires in the city centre.

Ravenscraig: Logistics firm Russell Group has submitted a formal planning application for its £ 200 million headquarters railhead on 930 acres of the former steelworks site, and hopes construction could start next year with a view to full operation by early 2026. There is already outline approval for the project from North Lanarkshire Council.

WALES

Aberystwyth: The Vale of Rheidol Railway has completed its new £ 531,000 museum and carriage shed, which can accommodate 36 vehicles.

Bridgend: The connection to the former Ford motor plant, which shut in mid-2019, has been disconnected with a view to complete removal.

Llanbradach: A new footbridge should open at the Rhymney Valley Line station in early 2022. A temporary structure will serve passengers until then. Llangollen: Vandals caused extensive damage to two coaches parked at the station between October 9-12.

PROJECTS STILL ON THE WISH LIST…

Fawley ( November 1990): Hampshire County Council has received BR’s proposals for a passenger service over the branch from Totton. Progress depends upon finance and BR’s ability to provide staff resources and rolling stock.

■ South West Railway had a proving run on July 28, the first for 54 years, since when it seems to have gone quiet.

Amlwch ( November 2000): Discussions continue over the future of the 17 ½ - mile mothballed line through Anglesey. A promising sign has been its reconnection after the construction of a tunnel taking it under the new A55 expressway road to Holyhead… the county council wants to buy the line from Railtrack. ■ Lots of talk since then, but little else to report. Beverley ( November 2010): Private investors are being asked to raise £ 500,000 for a detailed engineering survey of the former railway route to York via Market Weighton and Pocklington. The ambition is to secure government funding support in 2013.

■ The private money wasn’t forthcoming. It remains an outside runner, especially if Government money becomes tight.