EUROPE: SNCF’s international ticket retailing platform Loco2 is to be rebranded as Rail Europe with effect from November 6. Announcing the change on September 2, Loco2 said Rail Europe was ‘a well-established market leading brand worldwide in the Americas, India, across Asia, Australia and New Zealand’, and the change would provide

THE Class 27 Locomotive Group’s No. 27001 received attention at Bo’ness prior to making an extended visit to the Spa Valley Railway in Kent (RM June, p93).  It is seen outside the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s modern motive power depot at Bo’ness on July 12, ready for departure, set for the

THE Avon Valley Railway took delivery of fully operational Class 08 No. 08663 on July 8 – being in effect a donation from Great Western Railway (GWR). The loco has been used in recent years at GWR’s St Philip’s Marsh depot, Bristol for moving diesel multiple units and high-speed train

THE North Norfolk Railway (NNR) has launched a £35,000 appeal to cover the costs of transporting Reedham Junction signalbox in Norfolk to its new location at Holt, and its restoration as a working museum, reports Richard Horner. The 1904-built Great Eastern Railway ‘box has been gifted to the NNR by

GATWICK Express and Southern services suffered severe disruption on July 9 after a Network Rail stoneblower derailed at London Victoria.  The vehicles had been engaged in overnight track maintenance in the station throat when one of the three sections became derailed on pointwork at around 03.00. 

THE Conwy Valley Line in North Wales was due to reopen throughout on July 24 following extensive repairs to six miles of track washed out by a storm in March.  Llandudno Junction to Llanrwst North reopened to passengers on July 18, in connection with the Welsh National Eisteddfod, while the

WORKSOP station in Nottinghamshire has won a prestigious National Railway Heritage Award following a £1.1million investment to restore and conserve parts of its listed structures. The Railway Heritage Trust’s Conservation Award was given to the station following work carried out by Network Rail to strengthen and refurbish the lattice footbridge,

RUSSIA: Deltatrans has begun taking delivery of 60 Type 13-6903 wagons ordered from United Wagon Co. The wagons are designed for carrying heavy containers with a gross weight of up to 36 tonnes, including refrigerated and tank-containers with non-hazardous loads. They have a loading length of 80 ft and loading capacity

HST power car No. 41001 was moved from its base on the GCR(N) Ruddington as 5Z50 to Leeds Neville Hill Depot on June 29, arriving at 11.24, 44 minutes ahead of schedule.  It is seen pausing at Rotherham while waiting for a TransPennine Manchester to Cleethorpes service to pass at about

A1A Locomotives’ Class 31 No. 31271 Stratford 1840-2001 made a successful debut on the Llangollen Railway (LR) on June 16.  This follows its eviction from the Nene Valley Railway and May 4-6 gala appearance on the Churnet Valley Railway (RM March, p91). Class 31 No. 31271 Stratford 1840-2001 is