CREWE-based Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) has acquired two Class 73 electro-diesel locos. One of the pair is the first of the class – a ‘JA’ type, which dates from 1962. No. 73001 (E6001) has been acquired from the Dean Forest Railway and arrived at Crewe by road on May 2.

CONSTRUCTION of the first of a fleet of 26 new diesel multiple units for West Midlands Trains (WMT) has begun at Beasain, Spain. They are being built by CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles). The units are from the ‘Civity’ family and comprise 80 vehicles. An interior view

THERE was brief chance to see two of Britain’s luxury dining trains together on May 11, writes David Staines.  ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 was recessed at Lenham Loop with the 12.50 Maidstone East-Folkestone West ‘Heart of Kent Hospice Circular’ to allow LSL’s Nos. 47810 and 47853 to overtake with a ‘Statesman’ special

‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower crosses the Beauly Firth at Invershin while working a day tour from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle during Steam Dreams’ mammoth ‘Highlands and Islands’ tour of Scotland on May 9-17.  The previous day, the Thompson 4-6-0 worked with No. 60103 Flying Scotsman over the Highland Main Line from Edinburgh. 

GB RAILFREIGHT No. 66753 EMD Roberts Road edges into Butterley loop with UK Railtours’ ‘Amber Valley Venturer’ tour from Euston on May 4, making for an unusual sight among the preserved DMUs and coaching stock at the Midland Railway-Butterley (MRB). No. 66719 METRO-LAND is out of view at the other

‘JUBILEE’ No. 45596 Bahamas will return to Tyseley for the works open days on June 22-23. This comes only a few months after the completion of its overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works and two very successful comeback runs over the Settle to Carlisle Line. The Stanier ‘5XP’ is also

MALAYSIA: Project promoter MyHSR Corp has appointed two consultancies to identify options for reducing the cost of the Malaysian section of the proposed Kuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed line. In September last year the governments of Malaysia and Singapore agreed to put construction of the 350 km line on hold

Concern over ‘gag’ on major rail schemesRAIL minister Andrew Jones has reassured the railway supply chain and engineering community after concerns grew over a lack of information about forthcoming railway projects. When the Department for Transport set out its funding plans for CP6, which began in April, it set aside

AUSTRALIA: The government of South Australia has awarded Bombardier Transportation a contract to supply a further 12 three-car A-City electric multiple-units to increase capacity on the Adelaide suburban network. The order announced on June 28 will take the A-City fleet to 34 units. The 1 600 mm gauge 25 kV 50 Hz

FRANCE: On July 1, RENFE Operadora confirmed its intention to enter the French high speed passenger market, saying it had lodged the relevant applications with regulator Arafer, safety authority EPSF and infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau.The Spanish national operator would compete with incumbent SNCF on high speed routes initially using a