Marcus' Model Railway Journey

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13th June 2023

DB Cargo UK exports tracks to Belgium for British Steel​

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100-metre lengths of railway track dispatched to Belgium​

Last Friday, 9th June, DB Cargo UK launched a major campaign to transport 100-metre lengths of railway track manufactured by British Steel to Belgium.

The first consignment travelled from British Steel's site at Scunthorpe to Muizen, northeast of Brussels, and took three days to arrive at its final destination.

On average, one train a month will run for the next four years, depending on the customer's requirements.
 
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DB Cargo locomotive with Steel on Steel livery

British Steel is a strategic supply chain partner to many organisations across the globe, including Belgium's infrastructure manager, Infrabel, for its experience and expertise in producing high-quality rail products.

Infrabel will use the 100-metre lengths of steel tracks as part of its ongoing work programme to maintain and renew Belgium's rail network.

DB Cargo UK is the UK's leading transporter of steel products and was responsible for the first leg of the journey from Scunthorpe to Calais, where its French sister company DB Cargo France took over for the second part of the journey to Muizen.

The 100-metre-long rails were transported on IGA wagons, each spanning four wagons.
 
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DB Cargo freight train​

DB Cargo UK's Chief Sales Officer Roger Neary said the company had a long and proud history of supporting UK and European steel manufacturers and was looking forward to the challenge of exporting such an exceptional load for British Steel.

“Great care and skill is required to ensure that the rails can navigate a safe and smooth passage down to our international depot Dollands Moor, through the Channel Tunnel and on to Northern Europe.”

“A great deal of collaboration and planning has gone into this operation and I'm sure it made an impressive site as it made its way across the continent.”
 
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With a decent rake of loaded SSA scrap metal wagons behind it, 66089 squeals into the yard at Margam on May 12, 2023

Gregg Smith, Logistics Director, of British Steel, said: “Moving long length rails intercontinentally is a particularly complex process. We are delighted to have made such a successful start to this exciting partnership with DB Cargo and Infrabel. We look forward to future success together.”
 
13th June 2023

Direct Rail Services offer further Class 37 locomotives for sale​

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37405 stabled at Basford Hall in HNRC livery on 05 Mar 2023

Three Class 37s have been put up for sale as part of Direct Rail Services' bid to modernise its fleet.

Back in October 2021, DRS said that they were selling off some of its heritage locomotives, which included 2 Class 37s along with Class 20s and Class 57s.

Following this, in January 2022, the freight operator added more 3x Class 37s and 6x Class 57s to the sale list, this was then followed quickly by 37405 which joined the sale a few days later.

The new round of sales see 37069, 37402 and 37423 up for sale to push for lower carbon emissions.
 
Legs removed and baseboard dismantling in progress.

Looking forward to putting the project baseboards in position and tidying up the mess. :lol:

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14th June 2023

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TRANSPORT FOR WALES

Stations looking better than ever thanks to £1 million investments in 2023​

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Neath station improvements​

Rail customers across Wales and the English border stations have benefitted from more than £1 million of investments this year alone, with signage, flooring and customer waiting facilities getting a spruce up.

The key, targeted improvements are part of Transport for Wales’ aim to make stations clean, friendly and welcoming places.

Amongst those stations to benefit are Neath, Carmarthen, Cardiff Central, Carmarthen, Chester, Shrewsbury and Tenby.

Head of Station Infrastructure Adrian Carrington said the investment would go a long way towards making stations better for customers.

He said: “Customers are at the heart of everything we do as a rail operator, and we are proud to be managing almost 250 stations across Wales and England.

“Stations are the first things customers see when traveling with us so we want them looking the best they can be.

“From clear, plain bilingual signage to nicer waiting facilities and even a freshen up with a lick of paint, these small, targeted investments show we care about each and every station. The little things really do count and we are excited to see more investment over the coming years.”

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Neath station improvements​

The improvements include:
  • 24 stations having new signage
  • 17 station rooms refurbished
  • 300 new poster cases
  • 195 new ramps and boarding steps
  • 15 floor cleaning machines
  • 40 new staff radios
  • 5 stations externally decorated
  • 5 stations having fire safety improvements
  • 6 stations having bird control measures installed
 
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Neath station improvements​

One key station to receive refurbishment is Neath where more than £60,000 has been spent on the new flooring, signage, fencing and bridge repairs as well as key improvements to staff areas.

Neath Station Manager Tom Owens said: “As a busy station at the centre of town, Neath Station plays a vital role to the community. The team here do an excellent job for customers and keeping the operation here running safely and it’s great that we’ve now had some targeted investment which has made a real difference.”

The Wrexham to Bidston line has seen every station benefit from a full signage renewal, while Shrewsbury has benefitted from a full redecoration.
 
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14th June 2023

Sweden’s Snälltåget to implement new inventory and reservation system​

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Snälltåget train​

Swedish open-access rail operator Snälltåget has announced that it will be implementing a new system for pricing, reservation and inventory management.

The system is ‘S3 Passenger', and is provided by Sqills, the Dutch rail software company that was acquired by Siemens Mobility in 2021.

S3 Passenger is based on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model and is part of the open, digital business platform, Siemens Xcelerator, that enables customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier, faster and at scale.

Snälltåget and Sqills will implement S3 Passenger in phases.

The new system will ‘go live' shortly, and then additional functionalities will be added over the following months.

From the outset, Snälltåget will use the feature of S3 Passenger that allows it to co-operate with other operators and provide through tickets for journeys involving other rail services as well as its own, making it more convenient for passengers to book long-distance trips.

The deal between Snälltåget and Siemens Mobility follows previous collaboration between the two companies.

In 2016, Snälltåget bought the Vectron locomotive from Siemens.

Since 2020, Siemens Mobility has been maintaining five Vectron locomotives in its Malmö depot, which Snälltåget uses, and which are leased from the European Locomotive Leasing Group (ELL).
 
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Vectron under construction​

Snälltåget, which recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary, operates long-distance train services between twenty-seven stations between Malmö and Stockholm, and sleeper trains between Germany and Austria.

Snälltåget is the thirty-eighth transport operator to use S3 Passenger.
 
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Vectron​

Kristina Nyquist, CEO of Siemens Mobility Sweden, explained that, “The rail market in Sweden clearly aims to benefit from digital solutions. As one of them S3 Passenger will significantly optimize the passenger experience. We are delighted to continue to support Snälltåget not only with our market-leading Vectron locomotives and reliable maintenance services but also by combining the real and the digital world,”

Kasper Walraven, CCO of Sqills, said, “Snälltåget values their customers by offering value for money, which is reflected in their lean product and services. We are proud to help facilitate this where possible and look forward to building on our partnership. The fact that S3 Passenger basically meets all demands of the industry out-of-the-box allows for a quick and successful implementation project.”

Marco Andersson, Snälltåget Head of Sales, added, “Our mission is to give our customers a pleasant and affordable journey, and Sqills definitely helps us realize that going forward. From dynamic pricing to adjust for capacity, to the fact that night trains are supported out-of-the-box, those are just a few instances that highlight the flexibility of S3 Passenger.”
 
14th June 2023

Shocking footage released of children playing on the railway​

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Trespass in Syston

In footage filmed by the driver of a train in Syston, Leicestershire, children can be seen running alongside the line, putting their lives at risk.

The shocking footage was captured in Syston on Monday, 22nd May when the children ran along the lines in front of the train, forcing it to make an emergency stop.

Through their irresponsible actions, the children caused distress to the driver and put themselves at serious risk of injury or worse.

Over the past few weeks, three separate incidents of trespass have taken place in the area, all of them involving large groups of children.

It is that thought that the children are using the line as a shortcut to nearby fields to play in.

Network Rail and British Transport Police are now using drones to spot trespassers

Network Rail works closely with British Transport Police (BTP) to crack down on misuse of the railway and trespass on the line.

Trespassing on the railway is extremely dangerous and can have fatal or highly detrimental effects on those trespassing, their family, and everyone else involved.
 
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WATCH:
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To watch video click link: "https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/iqqlyafmj7"

Network Rail is reminding people that trespassing on the railway is against the law and extremely dangerous, and offenders can be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000.

Last year, Network Rail released video footage of children playing on the lines at a level crossing.

Elisha Allen, Community Safety Manager for Network Rail's East Midlands Route, said: “This behaviour is incredibly dangerous and deeply concerning. The maximum line speed in this area is 75mph, trains can't swerve out of the way, and it can take up to the length of 20 football pitches to come to a complete stop after the emergency brake is applied.

“We are currently working alongside BTP to arrange safety sessions for young people to educate them on the life-changing or even fatal consequences which trespass and railway crossing misuse can have. We would also like to remind everyone how important it is to stop, look and listen when crossing a railway crossing.

“We would encourage families across the area to sit down with their loved ones and hammer home the dangers of stepping onto the track.”

Dave Barker, Inspector for British Transport Police, said: “Trespass is a serious and sometimes deadly offence. Sadly many children and young people think the rail tracks look tempting places to play and don't consider how dangerous the tracks can be.

“Not only is it a criminal offence to trespass on the tracks, it can have life-changing and sometimes fatal consequences. We operate a range of tactics to tackle trespass incidents, and work closely with Network Rail and train operating companies to ensure the safety of the public.

“We ask the public to report anyone they see trespassing or report any concerns via text 61016, telephone 0800 40 50 40 and in an emergency call 999.”
 
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14th June 2023

ETHNON RAIL

YouTube Channel News

Great news! :D

New Video released!

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www.youtube.com

No.4 Ethnon Rail - SPECIAL - The end of the line for the testing baseboard.

The testing circuit baseboard need to be dismantled to make room for the ETHNON RAIL Project. So this video is a special as it will be the last running sessi...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

No.4 SPECIAL - The end of the line for the testing baseboard.

The testing circuit baseboard need to be dismantled to make room for the ETHNON RAIL Project.

So this video is a special as it will be the last running session for a while.

In this video will be six running sessions starring a Class 73, a Princess Coronation class, a Class A4, Merchant Navy class, Thompson O1 and a GWR 3800 class.

Sandwiched in between the running session will be the winning supporter of the NationStates Railway Blog and a short piece about my cats.

At the end of the video you'll be introduced to Phil and Bob, who are charged with recycling the testing circuit baseboard.

I would like to thank all the people who have supported this channel so far.

Also a special thanks to my son, Neonlake for all his time spent on my videos..... Yes, you are a great editor and animator.

I would ask if you could please remember to 'like, subscribe and share my videos', Thank you. :D

I hope you enjoy the video.

All the best

~Marcus
 
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15th June 2023

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Independent report:​

Safety digest 04/2023: Beeston Centre tram stop

Published: 15 June 2023

RAIB has today released its safety digest into a passenger dragged at Beeston Centre tram stop, Nottingham, 22 February 2023.

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Beeston Centre tram stop
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15th June 2023

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TRANSPORT FOR WALES

Station Improvement works to begin at Flint and Runcorn East stations​

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Flint Station​

As part of Transport for Wales’ (TfW) Station Improvement Vision, work to deliver improvements to customer facilities at Flint and Runcorn East stations will begin this month.

At the end of June work will begin on a number of upgrades that aim to enhance the overall customer experience of visitors to Flint and Runcorn East stations.

The projects will primarily focus on customer improvements within the stations and will include CCTV, help points, passenger waiting and cycle shelters, seating, lighting, waste facilities, signage and branding.

Flint station works will also include improvements to the ticket office, waiting rooms, including water refill units, toilet refurbishments, new CIS screens and landscaping.

TfW will also be completing a Social and Commercial Development Project to transform the disused building on platform 1 at Flint station, creating two new community rooms, a staff room and a new passenger waiting room.

This project focuses on renovating underutilised space to generate additional activity at stations, maximising the use of space for community and commercial purposes.

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