It was great to join the Northern “Weardale Explorer” today raising money for charity with two through services using 158844 onto the scenic Weardale Railway from Bishop Auckland to Stanhope, and then a direct service back through to Darlington

Some mixed weather today but it was great to see the Watercress Line’s former Transport for Wales 150231 make its debut between Alton and Alresford!

An interesting day travelling around the Tyne & Wear Metro network today capturing the remaining old stock (five pairs in traffic) and the new Stadler units. The final 3x555s are due to be delivered next week with the old stock expected to be withdrawn from passenger service by early May

At least ten former SWR Class 455s are currently at Alstom’s Derby facility, having arrived from Wimbledon by rail. They are then being moved by road to the Wards scrapyard at Ilkeston and I was lucky to see some vehicles from 5719 being roaded away during my visit today

Thanks to Alstom for a tour of the production line at Derby today where they are building the next batch of 10 x Class 345s for the Elizabeth Line. Some vehicles of the first unit of this batch, 345071, are now nearing completion

The first refurbished CrossCountry Voyager, 220033, was unveiled by Alstom at Derby today and will re-enter service in late Feb. All 70 units in the XC fleet are to be refurbished over the next 18 months as part of a £75M programme funded by Beacon Rail which includes new seats

The March issue of @todaysrailwaysuk.bsky.social includes a detailed look at "Bellingham Bridge" (Curzon No.2 Viaduct) and the complex #HS2 approach into Birmingham. Available now!

Enter the “Serenza”: @LNER has released the first interior images of its ten new 10-car tri-mode CAF Class 897s which are due to enter service in 2028. It has also christened the trains “Serenza” and LNER says they will be the first new trains introduced as part of GBR and will be branded as such

Batteries are go: GWR will introduce battery unit 230001 into passenger service on the West Ealing-Greenford branch from this Saturday, 31/01. Initially it is planned to use the unit in service on Saturdays only with a view to increasing use through the year

Today was the formal launch for the Chiltern Railways Mark 5A sets, now named “Chiltern Explorer” sets, with 68022 working the 08.15 Birmingham MS-Marylebone. Chiltern is leasing all 13 of these former TPE sets which will eventually work most of its Birmingham route trains

Was great to be with the 125 Group today for their “Big Reveal” at UKRL’s Loughborough Works to mark the start of the HST’s 50th anniversary year. 43025 is now in Intercity Swallow, 43048 in Midland Mainline teal & tangerine and 43060 in GNER livery. More in the next TR UK!

More 66s to leave the UK: DB Cargo UK has agreed the sale of 25 of its redundant 66s to Romania’s largest private railway company, Grup Feroviar Roman. The first is 66014, already repainted into dark blue livery at Toton depot. All 25 are due will be exported by mid-2028

Tomorrow the new blue, red & white GBR livery & brand will be launched. The new design will be displayed on digital displays at a number of major stations. The DfT says the livery will appear across already publicly owned train operators from spring 2026, with the roll-out being gradual. 📷DfT

Great to be on the first East Midlands Railway “Aurora” to enter passenger service this morning - 810010 working the 07.00 Sheffield-St Pancras as its first train. More on the 810s in the next TR UK

Confirmation from East Midlands Railway this morning that the fleet of Class 810 “Auroras” will start entering service in December on the Midland Main Line. The first Class 222 has already gone off lease

Thanks to West Midlands Railway for the opportunity to look round Tyseley depot this afternoon to view the £70 million upgrade and rebuilding work carried out over the last 3 years. The depot is big so a tour around the site in 196008 was much appreciated! Read more in the next TR UK

Called into the NRM York this afternoon to have a look at the refurbished Station Hall, which has just reopened having been closed since January 2023. The exhibits are largely as before but lighting is improved with the new roof and the cafe has also been revamped

Great to be in Darlington today for the Railway 200 celebrations on the 200th anniversary of the modern passenger railway, with the “Locomotion” replica recreating the first day of services back in 1825 on the restored Skerne Bridge

Following conversion to UK spec the final former German 66 GBRf is leasing from Akiem - 66316 - is ready to enter traffic, being taken from Longport to Doncaster today by 66307. Due to time restrictions with the RHTT season ahead the loco has had GBRf vinyls applied over its former HHPI grey livery

Thanks to Southeastern for organising the excellent open day at its Ashford depot for Railway 200 today with a great selection of locos and units on display and the rare chance to look round this depot

And then there were none! This afternoon I completed my tour around Britain’s 10 least used stations with East Midlands Railway’s sparsely served Elton & Orston, involving a very hot walk from charming Bottesford, the least used station in Leics!A full write up of all 10 will appear in the next TRUK

After a break I’m continuing my tour around the ten least used stations - this evening it was the turn of Northern’s Ince & Elton on the Helsby-Ellesmere Port line, luckily the sparse two trains a day service has become more reliable recently, allowing me to alight and join 156412

Class 68s+Mark 5As for Chiltern Railways. The contract has finally been signed, with the 13 former TransPennine loco-hauled sets due to be introduced on Chiltern’s London to West Midlands route from next Spring, replacing the Mark 3 sets

Thanks to Alstom and the wider rail industry that all pulled together for an epic few days at the Greatest Gathering in Derby over this weekend. Certainly the biggest and best open day I’ve ever attended with well over 100 exhibits!

At Nottingham this morning for the launch of the first refurbished East Midlands Railway 158 - now in purple livery 158847 is due back in service tomorrow and will also be on display at the Greatest Gathering. The whole fleet is due to be done by the end of 2026

Thanks to GB Railfreight for hosting a launch event for its new bi-mode Class 99s at Peterborough today, with plenty of ice cream, CEO John Smith even arrived in his “Triumph”. Testing in electric mode starts on the ECML next week - more on these exciting new locos in our next issue

There’s a third station in Greater Manchester that’s in the ten least used stations, forgotten and neglected Clifton on the Manchester-Bolton line, served by just one train a day in each direction, Mondays-Saturdays. This evening’s 17.52 Stalybridge-Southport calls in the hands of Northern 769431

Back to visiting Britain’s 10 least used stations today, and two are served by the weekly Northern “Parliamentary” train from Stalybridge to Stockport, this morning 150113. We certainly weren’t the only ones travelling on the line today!

Thanks to the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway for a superb behind-the-scenes visit this afternoon - as well as the train ride it was also great to visit the “smallest pub on the planet”!

Glorious weather today in south Wales to look at new TfW trains and old on the Cardiff-Rhymney line as well as at the electrification progress for a future article. There are a number of long engineering blocks coming up on the route to finish the electrification

Arguably the hardest “least used” station to travel to, and No. 4 in the list is Polesworth, near Tamworth. Only the northbound platform has been in use for the last 20 years and is only served by one train a day, the 06.01 Northampton-Crewe, today LNR 350120

Further west with GWR today and its great to be back in Cornwall again and at No. 6 on the list of Britain’s least used stations - Coombe Junction halt on the Looe branch - and not as the only passenger! This station, just a short walk from Liskeard, is served by two trains a day in each direction

My tour around the ten least used stations has brought me into GWR territory today and charming Chapelton station, near Barnstaple. This request stop is No. 7 in the list and has a much better train service on Sundays than during the week.

Rather different to last Saturday’s trip to Kildonan, this afternoon my tour around the ten least used stations in Britain has brought me to No. 2 in the list, Shippea Hill (near Ely), where the Saturdays Greater Anglia 15.21 Norwich-Stansted calls but very little else does!

On a glorious day in Newcastle, today was my first chance to try out the new Tyne & Wear Metro trains in service, as well as to ride some of the old units they are replacing. The roll-out has been stepping up with eight units - 555003-007/020/021/027 - all in service today

To operate with the Railway 200 Inspiration Train, GBRf 66710 has been outshopped from Eastleigh Works in its special livery. 66719 will follow later this month in a revised scheme. 📷 Arlington Fleet Services

Thanks again to Barrow Hill and the DPS for hosting the Pennine Railway Society’s annual visit to Barrow Hill Roundhouse tonight. Although some locos have left for Derby already we were able to see the @GBRailfreight weedkilling train (66739/798) and lots of other interest, as always

First Class 99s arrive: The first two 99s (99001/002) for GB Railfreight were unloaded at Avonmouth yesterday afternoon and will soon be taken to the new Stadler depot at Leicester. 30 of these bi-mode locos are on order and the first will enter service at the end of 2025. 📷 GBRf

Some more views from this afternoon’s trips with ScotRail on the Far North Line - always one of my favourite lines in the country! 158s continue to be used having worked the line for more than 25 years

This summer I’m visiting the 10 least used stations for a TR UK article. Today I’m up on the Far North Line at remote Kildonan - No. 10 on the list & also the only ScotRail station in the list of 10 least used.Great to be back on the Far North Line for the first time in a few years!

Today saw the London Northwestern Railway 730/2s launched to the railway media with a press run from EUS to MKC using 730205. The 5-car trains enter service on Monday with the 16.19 EUS-Northampton being the first service. Thanks also the LNR for a rare opportunity for a short cab ride on the WCML!

222s for Lumo and its Stirling service. First Group has announced that Lumo will operate five reformed 6-car former EMR 222 sets on its new London Euston-Stirling service when the service starts mid-2026. The 222s are to be replaced by new 810s at EMR

“Police” livery for 69016. The latest GBRf 69 to the outshopped from Eastleigh works looks stunning in this special British Transport Police livery. The loco is due to be named at Waterloo on Friday. 📷 Arlington Fleet Services

At Northampton today for the press launch of the 730/2s for LNR - a 5-car long-distance version of the 730/0s originally specified with First Class. These go into service from 9 June, initially on one diagram on the WCML south. They will also be used on Trent Valley services and on BHM-LIV

Thanks to East Midlands Railway for the chance to have a detailed look at the first refurbished 170 (PRIDE branded 170501) at Derby today. Very much an improved train and the whole fleet is due to be refurbished by late 2027 - the 170 will soon be joined by the first refurbished 158

Today Grand Central has received approval to continue to operate its Sunderland & Bradford services until 2038. At the same time owning company Arriva has confirmed an order for nine 5-car tri-mode Hitachi IETs for service from 2028, to replace the 180s. Arriva has also put out these interior images

The latest TR UK, which includes a look at the recent resignalling at Crewe, a guide to Westbury area freight traffic, a profile of the Western Locomotive Association, a review of the Greater Anglia Class 745s & all the latest news from the UK rail network, is now on sale: bit.ly/TRUK278

Class 175s on the way for @gwr.com: the 26 2 and 3-car 175s being leased by GWR will enter service from later this year, the operator has confirmed - replacing its remaining HSTs.

East-West trials: Testing using three of the 196/0s that will be used on the line when it opens this summer has now started - 196008 is seem here at Winslow station and Steeple Clayton. 📷 Alan Wallwork

Today's Photo from the Stour 📸 The freshly refurbished XC 170 appears! 170101 looking very bright and colourful passes through Wolverhampton headed for Tyseley 💯 #DOTS #railwayphotography #trainphotography #class170 #crosscountry #refurb