Structures
++


The
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
has
voiced
concern
over
a
backlog
of
structure
checks
at
Network
Rail.
The
regulator
said:
‘If
Network
Rail
does
not
complete
the
overall
examination
process
at
the
required
intervals,
faults
could
be
undetected
(or
detected
but
not
assessed).’
ORR
has
been
concerned
about
progress
since
2021,
and
its
warning
comes
as
work
continues
on
restoring
Nuneham
Viaduct,
where
the
deteriorating
structure
has
forced
the
closure
of
the
railway
between
Oxford
and
Didcot
Parkway.

Sinkhole
++


The
Environment
Agency
has
been
notified
about
a
sink
hole
which
has
opened
above
the
new
HS2
Chiltern
Tunnel,
which
is
being
built
in
Buckinghamshire.
The
hole,
near
Little
Missenden,
is
reported
to
be
about
6m
in
diameter
and
5m
deep.
HS2
is
in
discussions
with
the
landowner
and
has
said
it
is
investigating,
but
that
the
subsidence
is
probably
connected
with
ground
conditions
at
the
site
which
existed
before
the
tunnelling
began.

Testing
++


Railnews
understands
that
Avanti
West
Coast
was
planning
to
have
a
new
Hitachi
Class
807
unit
hauled
to
Darlington
last
night,
before
test
runs
start
today.
The
10
seven-car
electric
trains
have
been
ordered
as
partial
replacements
for
the
Class
221
diesel
units
which
were
built
by
Bombardier
more
than
20
years
ago
and
dubbed
‘Super
Voyagers’
by
their
first
operator
Virgin
Trains.

Timetables
++


Passengers
are
being
advised
to
check
any
journeys
they
are
planning
by
rail
from
this
Sunday,
21
May,
when
the
summer
timetables
begin.
Not
all
operators
are
making
significant
changes,
but
some
like
East
Midlands
Railway
and
GWR
will
be
running
additional
services
to
holiday
resorts
such
as
Skegness,
Paignton
and
Newquay.
Some
operators’
journeys
may
be
slightly
retimed.

Naming
++
LNER
has
named
an
Azuma
unit
at
York
to
commemorate
the
start
of
the
first
LNER
in
January
1923.
The
original
company
was
a
result
of
the
‘Grouping’
of
many
smaller
companies,
and
the
London
and
North
Eastern
Railway
continued
running
trains
on
the
East
Coast
Main
Line
and
its
branches
until
nationalisation
in
January
1948.
The
name
LNER
was
revived
in
June
2018,
when
a
new
company
owned
by
the
Department
for
Transport
took
over
from
the
failed
Virgin
Trains
East
Coast
franchise.