THE first units of a fleet of Class 387s that will take over Heathrow Express services by December have been returned from Bombardier Ilford with a new external livery. GWR is taking over responsibility for the 15-minute frequency operations, and the current Class 332s, now more than 20 years old

GWR has unveiled a series of new cast nameplates with ‘Castle’ names that will be applied to its HST power cars.  The HST power cars are used on the shortened 2+4 formations, which run between Bristol and Penzance. The plates are of a new design and feature

Although summer is currently in full swing, charter operators have already turned their thoughts to the end of the year. UK Railtours is no exception and has announced a trio of days out by train visiting Christmas markets in Manchester, Lincoln and Beverley during December.  The empty stock of UK

CZECH REPULIC: Expanding independent operator RegioJet has ordered 15 Bombardier Transportation Traxx MS3 multi-system electric locomotives, with an option for more. The contract announced on September 3 follows RegioJet’s 2017 order for eight Traxx MS2e locomotives, which entered service last year. The additional locos are intended to work domestic routes including

CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has been fined KC274·8m after anti-monopoly office ÚOHS ruled that it had abused its dominant position in an effort to prevent competitors entering the passenger market. ÚOHS found that ČD had violated Czech and EU competition laws by submitting artificially low bids for 10-year contracts to

This year sees the 150th anniversary since the ‘Pacific Railroad’ was finished, which linked the existing eastern US network with the Pacific coast at Omaha, Nebraska. The 1,912 miles of continuous railway line was built between 1863 and 1869. 2019 also marks 60 years since the “Big Boy”

EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Eurotunnel is prepared for the UK’s scheduled departure from the European Union on October 31 ‘no matter the outcome’, it said on September 2. The company said there would no change to immigration formalities for the 22 million passengers/year who use Shuttle and Eurostar services. Additional VAT

SWITZERLAND: Private markets investment manager SIG-i Capital  and established leasing company VTG  have formed Prio SA as a 55:45 joint venture which aims to acquiring a lease fleet of around 2 500 mostly new intermodal and tank wagons. The deal announced on August 30 has been structured by Patrimonium Asset Management.

INTERNATIONAL: European suppliers’ association UNIFE reiterated its call for ‘a real level playing field’ and ‘fair conditions’ for both European and Chinese manufacturers on September 2. It said this should include specific rules excluding non-European state-owned enterprises from EU procurement in the absence of reciprocal market access. The call came a

THE Branch Line Society and West Coast Railways operated the ‘Luca Pezzulo Express’ on July 20, visiting rare freight lines around Yorkshire.  Highlights included a rare trip over the remnants of the Woodhead Route, running beyond the Network Rail boundary into Liberty Steel’s Stocksbridge Steelworks, near Sheffield, and the former