NEWS ROUND-UP

FREIGHTLINER

NO. 70004 is the most recent of the Class 70s to return to the main line after rectification work at Leeds Midland Road, with No. 70009 likely to follow soon.

LNER

FOUR more Class 91s were stood down in the last few days of January, reducing the LNER fleet to 23 operational examples. No. 91132 was the first to be removed from service, being stopped at Bounds Green on January 24. However, it was quickly followed by Nos. 91122 and 91128, which are now with ROG. No. 91104 met the same fate as No. 91132 three days later (27th) only to be granted a short reprieve, the Class 91/1 eventually succumbing to the inevitable storage on February 23. It was expected tomove to Crewe for storage in early March.

RAIL OPERATIONS GROUP

ROG has hired a fourth Class 57/3 from DRS, No. 57310 joining the fleet at the end of February. It ran light engine from Crewe Gresty Bridge to Leicester on February 27 to take up its new role.

Ex-LNER Class 91s Nos. 91122 and 91128 are now at Leicester, having been moved to the UKRL depot by No. 57312 on February 1 as a 5Q59 service from Bounds Green. The pair, now in the EROG pool, are set to be used on a new ROG-powered Midland Main Line electrification test train due to commence running in the spring, which will also include eight Mk.3 coaches (formed of ex-WCML ‘Pretendolino’ coaches). Monitoring equipment will be provided by Data Acquisition & Testing Services Ltd (DATS).