", Andy added; "We have already received excellent feedback from passengers who have travelled on this train and we will continue to monitor their comments and feedback to help provide the highest possible standard of customer service and experience on our HSTs. The class 43 is with out any doubts the best trains I have ever travelled on. D-Train dream in doubt as Vivarail calls in administrators, Temple Meads chosen for technology contest, Technical issues cause GBRf to withdraw Class 69s, DB offers 12 further out of-service Class 60s for sale, Crewes record-breaking 91 saved for Boness museum, Sturgeon and Burnham secret talks to boost Scottish HS link, DB set to put international freight arm up for sale, Vivarail dream over as the liquidation process begins, GWR takes over trials of Vivarail battery train, More than 1,000 unreported cancellations by TPE in a month, Great Western Railway orders new electric trains, NR handed safety directions after woman dies at high-risk crossing. Originally conceived as locomotive-hauled coaching stock, the first coaches . 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Sayer, Alliance of Southern Preserved Railways holds its first special meeting at The Bluebell Railway, Yorkshire-based Class 04 locomotive up for sale, Lake District railway to install fully accessible facilities. Unless I'm missing something obvious how is the use of HST linked to the expiry of the RDW agreement? Ive written today to Ian Prosser, the Chief Inspector of Railways and Director of Railway Safety, calling on him to instruct rail companies across Britain including ScotRail to withdraw their HSTs because of the risk they pose to passengers. They have been developed by MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, Germany and Detroit Diesel Inc, USA. Registered No:04402048. Services can be categorised into two types: CrossCountry's official website does show a distinction between the two types of services (for example, each has a separate timetable booklet), but does not explicitly call them Inter-City and Regional. At the commencement of operations, CrossCountry's rolling stock consisted of 34 four-car Class 220 Voyagers and 40 five-car and 4 four-car Class 221 Super Voyagers from Virgin CrossCountry as well as 11 two-car and 18 three-car Class 170 Turbostars from Central Trains. [9] From May 2011, a number of services were extended from Edinburgh to Glasgow to replace East Coast services. However, sources within the rail industry suggest using HSTs is not a simple solution, as some believe. In the meantime, mk3s could be obtained and put through the required upgrade. Fax: 0844 443 2700 | Also on cross country services. [41], After driver training the ex-Midland Mainline sets returned to service in May 2008 on Glasgow and Edinburgh to Plymouth diagrams while the other Class 43 power cars were overhauled at Brush Traction including repowering with MTU engines[42][43] and the Mark 3 carriages overhauled at Doncaster Works to a similar specification as GNER's Mallard refurbishments. IN a surprise development on November 28, the Arriva UK Trainsoperated CrossCountry franchise (XC) has withdrawn its four HST sets following the cessation of a rest-day working (RDW) agreement with the drivers' union ASLEF. [10], By mid-2020, CrossCountry had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. RAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that it has declared a dispute on Cross Country trains over the failure of the company to revise its procedures and risk assessments in light of the emergence of the new COVID variant. Both the Super Voyagers and Turbostar fleets have been extended where possible to provide more capacity. It may not display this or other websites correctly. So no I dont think they will be scrapped but used either for high speed freight or in shortened 2+4 form regional passenger services replacing some or all the older diesel trains used on these regional lines. Tickets can now be purchased for the heritage leg of the unique charity railtour which celebrates the 60th anniversary of Modern Railway’s magazine. Download Class 43 - FGW 43027 Do you think COVID restrictions are being lifted on trains too soon. Your email address will not be published. Only a year earlier, these services had not only been loco-hauled - they'd still in fact been steam-heated. Re. This is all XCs making. Why not use the Class 43 HST with Mk3 coaches in Wales and yes to use the Class 43 as freight trains and used on charter services. Why should customers pay stupid prices to stand on a crammed unit. It's to do with a lack of staff, caused by the end of a rest day working agreement on Sunday. And the 170 routes are equally affected. The trip on Tuesday 27 September will run from Leeds to the Severn Valley Railway, including the unusual chance to enjoy a return trip on the preserved line on this iconic train. The station was built just before the Second World War, and the concourse is carried on a raft over three island platforms. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said it was not clear whether any corrosion had been dealt with when Wabtec had been upgrading the trains. 'We cannot allow possibly unsafe trains to continue to run on Scotlands railways. Cuts confirmed to last until at least 10th December. Well lets face it, the HSTs arent cheap to run so could be true if the funding is being cut. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Modern Railways and 40 years of HSTs on the north-east to south-west route, the tour will also raise funds to support the charity Railway Benefit Fund. We expect Cross Country to withdraw their demand that revenue staff work in a clearly unsafe fashion and we will take whatever action is required to protect our members. Ends, Login to My RMT below or email While some services on the West Coast Main Line were promptly discontinued with the introduction of a new timetable on 9 December 2007, with some transferring over to both Virgin Trains West Coast and to First TransPennine Express, new services, such as a daily Nottingham to Bournemouth service introduced during December 2008, were also implemented. Mick. - 10/07/2019 19:49. Your feedback will help us to improve this page. 3 2nd class coaches on a Scotland to Bournemouth service is ridiculous by the time you get on at oxford your standing. Your Journey During June 2006, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced its intention to restructure a number of the existing railway franchises. So it is true. Based in Worcestershire and Shropshire, the Severn Valley Railway is hosting the heritage leg of the special anniversary railtour which will take place on Tuesday the 27th of September. Perhaps a silly question, but why would a RDW agreement have an end date? The opportunity to join the railtour at Kidderminster really is a rarity. ( I'm just curious on this one ). Andy Cooper, Managing Director at CrossCountry said; "We're delighted to have our first HST operating. Heritage lines have struggled during the pandemic they are working railways which are major tourist attractions and therefore provide valuable support for the local economies of the regions they serve. For further information on CrossCountry services and future franchise plans log on to www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk CrossCountry is part of the Arriva group which operates transport services in 12 European countries, employs more than 38,000 people and provides more than one billion passenger journeys every year. Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews. While the franchise had been originally due to conclude on 31 March 2016, multiple subsequent agreements have been enacted; in October 2020, the DfT confirmed that the franchise has been extended for a further three years for a finish date of October 2023. 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8. Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; I'll start with what's already known. [3] As a result of these changes, a 'New Cross Country' franchise was produced, which incorporated the existing InterCity Cross Country franchise run by Virgin CrossCountry, while excluding those services ran on the West Coast Main Line (while the Birmingham to Scotland services were transferred to Virgin Trains West Coast and the Manchester to Scotland services transferring to First TransPennine Express). I have travelled on most trains in the UK none are in the same league as the 43 . [35], During December 2016, CrossCountry published a consultation document for changes to the timetable proposed to be implemented in December 2017. XC appear to be publicly using the Covid 19 excuse At the moment I am hearing of 3 and 4 hour gaps in service, even at the brand new Worcestershire Parkway station. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch had said the HST which was derailed at Carmont in August 2020 had shown signs of corrosion. As most of the HSTs were re engineered 10-12 years ago most of the power units have probably got another 25-20 years of life in them. Hunt. Notes to editors. [52] Three years later, a refresh of the interiors was conducted, during which the standard-class seats were re-covered in the existing red and blue moquette and while the first class seats were finished with a maroon moquette. They were great in their day, but that day is nearly 50 years ago now and they simply arent up to modern safety standards. From Monday 29th November until at least Sunday 5th December there will be no HSTs in use with XC. [citation needed]. This happened as a result of East Midlands Railway only leasing the two-carriage driving vehicles of the West Midlands Railway 170/6 sets, hence six centre cars became available when they were replaced by West Midlands Trains for transfer to CrossCountry. This site makes use of cookies. True though some unions don't appear to be particularly interested in representing the views of many of their members! Cross Country's approach is that little has changed and that revenue duties should continue in conjunction with previous risk assessments which the union says are wholly inadequate in the face of the new highly virulent COVID strain that has triggered the current lockdown. Entirely possible that this could in the eyes of XC render it to require a conversion course. XC's HST powercars have quite a few differences compared to the GWR ones, including a completely different speedometer and associated equipment, as the GWR ones are fitted with ATP whereas the XC ones aren't. Entirely possible that this could in the eyes of XC render it to require a conversion course. Scot Rail Took On 54 Class 43 units and plan to run them on InterCity routes from Edinburgh Waverley & Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen and Inverness. Best route for the HSTs is the Penzance/ Plymouth to Edinburgh/ Aberdeen. If when these inspections take place and an operator is not able to maintain the structural integrity of the coaches within commercial realities, then perhaps that is the time to call for their retirement. These are usually operated by. [33][34], The above table shows the basic service pattern; however, a small number of these services are extended beyond their usual destination:[33], CrossCountry extended some of its Bournemouth services to Weymouth for the Sailing at the 2012 Olympics & Paralympics. Open Women's 6 km - USATF National Club Cross Country Cham. Free delivery for many products! TFW UNVEILS NEW TRAIN MOCK-UPS 'Train stations are not just arrival and departure locations' Mike Goggin, Steer Davies Gleave - Webinar, Tuesday 31 October the 4/5 car HST services on Scotrail and on GWR . This type of engine is widely used on ferries, merchant vessels, yachts, railway vehicles and heavy machinery. We're absolutely delighted to hand over this accessible station to the local community.'. > [citation needed], Manea was served only by CrossCountry until 2013, when Abellio Greater Anglia started running one train every two hours at the station in addition to the CrossCountry services there. Bristol Temple Meads has been selected for a competition in which small companies try out ideas to make all UK stations more passenger-friendly places. To improve the travelling experience, CrossCountry has designated four stations as alternative changeover stations: these are Cheltenham Spa, Derby, Leamington Spa and Wolverhampton. (Clearly he would still know how to but that is a different thing.). Midland Mainline had six Class 43 power cars and fourteen Mark 3 carriages that were off lease from November 2007 that were leased. Registered in England. Companies deliberately rely on rest day working because the enhanced rates are still cheaper than hiring loads of staff to sit spare. RMT declares dispute on Cross Country trains over failure of company to recognise lethal implications of new COVID variant. Cross Countrys approach is that little has changed and that revenue duties should continue in conjunction with previous risk assessments which the union says are wholly inadequate in the face of the new highly virulent COVID strain that has triggered the current lockdown. [39], A franchise commitment was the acquisition of ten Class 43 power cars and forty Mark 3 carriages. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Is this then a suggestion that XC are never going to increase service back to what it was, e.g. 2,3,4,5,6,8 . Graeme Murray is project manager at the Taylor Woodrow-BAM Nuttall joint venture, which carried out the work, and he described the project as the 'largest and most complex accessibility upgrade' in the Underground's current programme. ", "East Coast Welcomes Future New Timetable", "Coronavirus: Rail franchise agreements suspended to avoid company collapses", "COVID-19: Christmas travel disruption as Omicron hits rail and airline staffing", "Transport Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 4 June 2020", "Coronavirus: facemask plans mired in confusion", "Railway plan puts new focus on passengers", "Franchise Letting Process Agreement Between The Secretary Of State For Transport And The Applicants (As Defined)", "Cross Country rail franchise 2018: prospectus", "Auditors raise rail red flag over fallout from Arriva's 3bn sale", "Rail franchises axed as help for train firms extended", "CrossCountry handed new three-year deal to run train services", "Strike action goes ahead on Arriva Cross Country", "Fresh festive rail chaos as CrossCountry strikes start tomorrow", "Cross Country Trains to be hit by RMT strike on Sunday", "How your journey could be affected by Sunday's rail strike", "Arriva Cross Country industrial action suspended", "Cross Country managers to receive a 3.3% pay rise", "Rail strike: RMT union votes for national action", "CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway staff vote for rail strike action", "The dates of the train, Tube and bus strikes this week, and how services will be affected", "Trains across the Midlands brought to standstill as rail workers strike over pay and conditions", "Scotland and North East to South and South West Timetable, May 2020", "Stansted, Cambridge and Nottingham to Birmingham and Cardiff timetable, May 2020", "CrossCountry Future Timetable Consultation", "Plans to cut CrossCountry trains to Aberdeen to be scrapped", "CrossCountry signs deal to overhaul High Speed Trains", https://web.archive.org/web/20070114100712/http://www.therailwaycentre.com/New%20TRC%20Main%20Pages/MTU%20Class%2043s.html, "Deal signed to refurbish high speed train carriages", "CrossCountry Unveils First Refurbished HST", "More CrossCountry seats for Holidaymakers", "Refurbishment of Class 170 Turbostar trains begins", "CrossCountry's first refurbished Turbostar enters service", "Government and CrossCountry work on train capacity plan", "East Midlands Railway plans Spring 2020 start for Class 170s", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CrossCountry&oldid=1141886948, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and North East, South East Wales, North West, East of England, South East, and Scottish Lowlands, Inter-City: long-distance, fast services between the South of England and the North of England or Scotland via Birmingham, these routes are typically operated by, Regional: medium-distance, stopping or semi-fast services between Birmingham and other cities in the Midlands, as well as some longer runs to Wales and West Anglia. 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