THE Department for Transport announced on January 25 that £760 million is to be made available to complete the Western section of the East West Railway between Bicester and Bletchley.
The development plan separates the full route into three sections – Western, Central and Eastern – that will eventually provide services from Oxford to Cambridge and beyond, and each section has very different characteristics.
The first part of the Oxford to Bedford Western section has already been completed as part of Chiltern Railways’ initiative to provide direct trains between Marylebone and Oxford, which began running at the end of 2016. This required a new chord to be built at Bicester Town to access the Chiltern Main Line via Princes Risborough and High Wycombe to Northolt Junction and Marylebone.
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LNER puts remaining ‘91s' into warm store
The ongoing pandemic restrictions and major engineering works have resulted in the complete withdrawal of the last remaining ‘Electras’ from passenger service, although the plan is to resurrect them in the summer.
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Powerscene
Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.
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The company’s Class 86/6 fleet down to just two examples as seven locos are stored.
Service reductions as Covid cases increase
An increase in Covid-19 cases in early January saw the governments in Ireland and Northern Ireland impose stricter lockdown measures that impacted on public transport.
East West Rail funding go-ahead
Although it was expected, £760 million of funding has now been confirmed to build the Western Section of the East West Railway scheme.
Class 92 revolution
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Travellers-Fare with Hornby's Mk.1 Restaurant-Buffet car
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1990s ‘N' gauge Class 950
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Grove to grove
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