Marcus' Model Railway Journey

5th February, 2026

Brake Van Ride to mark ‘first’ at East Lancashire Railway​

Small Engines Gala Brake Van Rides


The East Lancashire Railway is hosting its Small Engines Gala on the 21st and 22nd February.

On the 21st, there will be brake van rides, hauled by 4002 ‘Arundel Castle’ Top and tailed with 32 ‘Gothenburg’ from Bury to Rawtenstall.

This is an exclusive brake van ride as it marks the first time that 4002 has taken passengers to Rawtenstall.

Tickets for the brake van rides will be going on sale soon and will be limited.


Further information will be available on their website.

5th February, 2026

Victor steam locomotive to return to Somerset after four decades​

Bagnall 0-6-0ST No.2996 ‘Victor’ to return for the 50th Anniversary


As part of their 50th anniversary event, the West Somerset Railway has announced that after many years, Bagnall 0-6-0ST No.2996 ‘Victor’ will return for the celebrations.

After nearly four decades, Victor will be returning on the 28th and 28th March thanks to a sponsorship from the West Somerset Railway Association.

The locomotive will be recreating the first public service down to the minute, along with other recreations, including milestones from their early days.

It will join resident locomotives: WSR Mogul 2-6-0 no.9351, GWR Manor 4-6-0 no.7812 ‘Erlestoke Manor’, Class 35 Hymek D7017, and Class 115 DMU.


Victor’s private owner, Mr M. A. Maher, The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway and the West Somerset Railway Association have all supported this visit, which will be extended to allow for it to appear that the railways’ Spring Steam Spectacular in May.

Further information on the anniversary weekend can be found here.

5th February, 2026

Harry Styles Themed London North Eastern Railway Service this June​

LNER Together Train


London North Eastern Railway has announced that it will be running a one-off Harry Styles-themed train to mark the concert at Wembley on the 12th June.

The ‘Together, Together Train’ will depart Edinburgh Waverley at 8:30 am and travel south.

The journey will involve surprises and limited edition merchandise to help make it not just about the destination.

The Taylor Swift and Oasis equivalent of this went down a treat with customers, prompting them to do it again.


Tickets are on sale now with further details to follow.


“Bringing our ‘Together’ Pride train to celebrate Harry Styles’ ‘Together, Together’ tour feels like the perfect match. Both are rooted in inclusivity, joy and bringing people closer, and we’re proud to help fans travel in the spirit of what Harry’s shows are all about.

“It’s a great reminder that rail, and music, have the power to connect people – not just to places, but to each other. From Edinburgh to London, and all the stops between, we want fans to feel the excitement build because when you’re heading to Wembley, ‘as it was’ just isn’t good enough.”

Stuart Thomas, Communications Director at LNER

Class 66 No.66555 - proving that rail transport is more efficient, than road.​

Class 66 No.66555 passing through Belper Station at a leisurely pace with its long load of aggregate.

807007 forming the 16.43 Liverpool Lime Street to Euston service today

Found in my change today..........

Ethnon

5 Feb 2026

Transport for Wales (TfW) and Lloyds Coaches are introducing a series of measures to keep passengers moving during essential construction​

TfW North Wales by bus


From 5 February 2026 until May 2026, the junction at Comins Coch, joining the A487, will be fully closed as a new cycle path will be delivered as part of ongoing active travel improvements.

Throughout this period, TfW and Lloyds Coaches are committed to maintaining reliable travel options for residents, students, and commuters who rely on local bus services.

To minimise disruption and ensure continued access to key destinations, the following arrangements will be in place:

A dedicated temporary roadworks shuttle service, CC2, will operate between:

• Comins Coch (Brongwinau Bus Shelter)
• Lluest for Coleg Ceredigion
• Waunfawr
• Aberystwyth Bus Station (Stand 4)

The CC2 will provide a reliable connection for those who would normally access services from the A487 stop at Comins Coch.

The TrawsCymru T2 and T28 services will operate their current timetables but will follow a diversionary route along the A487.

They will serve CK’s Supermarket and Maesceinion in Waunfawr before rejoining the A487 to continue their journey.

This ensures essential links are maintained for passengers travelling to Ysgol Penglais and Hafan y Waun Care Home.

Neither service will serve the A487 Comins Coch stop during the closure period.

To help passengers travelling the Waunfawr Loop during the diversion, the following stops will be in use:

• Maesceinion Bus Shelter for all T2 and T28 services.
• On Waunfawr Road all existing stops will remain in operation.
• No stops along Rhoshendre will be served during the works.

TfW and Lloyds Coaches are working closely to minimise disruption and ensure the community remains well connected throughout the construction period.

Mark Jacobs, Senior Planning and Development Manager for TrawsCymru said:

“We understand how vital reliable public transport is for the community, particularly during periods of roadworks. These temporary arrangements have been designed to ensure passengers can continue to access education, employment, services and the wider network with confidence.”

Dan Lloyd, Managing Director of Lloyds Coaches added:

“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with TfW to keep local people connected while these essential improvements take place. Our priority is ensuring that passengers can continue to travel safely and reliably, and the temporary shuttle and diversions will help maintain those crucial links for the community.”

Passengers are encouraged to check before they travel throughout the closure period for the latest updates.

New Class 730/2 train

47 593 "Galloway Princess" heads UKRT's "The Canary Brush" positioning move @ Nuneaton, 23/1/26

Friday 6 Feb 2026

One week to go: Passengers are advised to check their journeys ahead of essential track renewal work between Pwllheli and Dovey Junction​

Region & Route: Wales & Western: Wales & Borders


four-car-train at Machynlleth station

Rail replacement buses will operate from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 February while essential upgrades are completed to improve safety and reliability.

As part of ongoing investment on the Cambrian Coast Line, engineers will install new track between Pwllheli and Dovey Junction during this period.

Network Rail teams will work continuously to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.

Track renewal involves replacing key components of the railway, including rails, sleepers, switches and crossings, and sets of points.

These are critical to ensuring trains can run safely and reliably and help reduce future disruption caused by faults or speed restrictions.

Alongside the track renewal, engineers will also carry out vital maintenance on the railway and level crossings along the route, as well as inspections of bridges, helping to ensure the long-term safety and resilience of the railway.

Train service alterations​

During the closure, rail replacement buses will operate between Machynlleth and Pwllheli from Saturday 14 February until the line reopens on Monday 23 February.

Trains will continue to run between Birmingham International/Machynlleth and Aberystwyth but might be subject to alterations or replaced by buses.

Rugby fans travelling to the Wales v France Six Nations rugby match in Cardiff on Sunday 15 February are reminded to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys into the capital.

Up to date information will be available via the Transport for Wales (TfW) website, the TfW app, station notices or at nationalrail.co.uk.

For more on planned improvements, head to: tfw.wales/service-status/planned-improvement-works

Road closures at level crossings​

For safety reasons, temporary road closures will also be required at the following level crossings while work takes place:

Llwyn Cadwgan level crossing, Station Road
Saturday 14 February: 6pm – 6am (Sunday 15 February)
Tuesday 17 February – Friday 20 February: 7pm – 7am (each evening)
Friday 20 February – Saturday 21 February: 8pm – 8am

Bennar Fawr level crossing, Ffordd Isaf
Sunday 15 February – Monday 16 February: 11pm – 11am
Tuesday 17 February – Friday 20 February: 7pm – 7am (each evening)
Friday 20 February – Saturday 21 February: 8pm – 8am

A Network Rail Wales and Borders spokesperson said: “This work is part of our ongoing investment to keep the Cambrian Coast Line safe and reliable for the people who depend on it.

“By renewing the track between Pwllheli and Dovey Junction and carrying out essential maintenance on level crossings and bridges at the same time, we can make the most of the closure and reduce the need for further disruption in the future.

“We know this will impact journeys while the line is closed, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience. We’re asking passengers to check before they travel and allow extra time, and we’d like to thank local communities and road users for their patience while our teams complete this important work as quickly and safely as possible.”

6th February, 2026

Construction completed of portals to prevent sonic boom at HS2’s longest tunnel​

Completed north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel


Engineers constructing a tunnel for HS2 beneath the Chiltern Hills near Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire have completed work on two large extensions at its northern end.

The extensions, known as ‘porous portals’, are designed to eliminate the possibility of a sonic boom being created by trains when they enter the tunnel at 200mph.

Engineers constructed two identical structures 10 miles away at the tunnel’s southern portal earlier this year.

Completed north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel


The porous portals are needed because when a train enters a tunnel, it creates a pulse of energy that causes air pressure to be released at the tunnel exit.

These pulses are of no consequence on conventional railways, but when trains travel at high speed, the pressure waves create an audible thud or sonic boom as they emerge from the tunnel exit.

The Chiltern tunnel is the longest of five twin-bore tunnels on HS2 between London and Birmingham.

The portal extensions in the tunnel beneath the Chiltern Hills are up to 220 metres long, with the shorter one being 135 metres long.

Ventilation portholes along one side allow some of the air pushed forward by the train to escape, so that there is a more gradual increase in pressure, which makes the pressure wave emitted from the exit undetectable.

Completed north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel


The civil engineering main works contractor for this section of the line is Align JV, which includes Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and Volker Fitzpatrick.

They completed construction of the southern portals in January 2025 and used lessons learned to reduce construction time for the northern portals from 20 months to just 12 months.

Completed north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel


“The porous portal team at Align has demonstrated exceptional commitment and expertise over the past three years. By embracing collaboration and actively applying lessons learnt from the construction of the south porous portals, we have significantly enhanced productivity during the build of the north porous portals. These achievements not only highlight the team’s dedication to continuous improvement and innovation, but also set a benchmark for knowledge-sharing on future projects.”

Jean-Lou Grenard, porous portal lead engineer at Align, HS2’s civil engineering main works contractor for this section of the line

East Midlands Trains 158777 at Manchester Piccadilly with a service to Liverpool Lime Street

Manchester Piccadilly​

6th February, 2026

New video shows behind the scenes of training on new East Midlands trains​

Final episode of Aurora documentaries


The final episode of an award-winning series of documentaries about the rollout of East Midlands Railway’s Aurora fleet and the training of frontline staff has now been released.

In this episode, the focus is on how East Midlands Railway staff are being trained to work on and operate the new £400 million fleet.

The video includes drivers, train managers, and senior management undergoing training on the new trains, explaining their benefits to passengers, and staff getting ready to work on them.

New Aurora train


Five Aurora trains are currently operating on the Midland Main Line, with the first having entered service last December; when complete, the full fleet will comprise 33 trains.

WATCH VIDEO:

Customer information screen on a new Aurora train


Built by Hitachi Rail at its state-of-the-art factory at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, the new Aurora trains have 24 per cent more seats than their Meridian predecessors, improved air conditioning, better WiFi, plug sockets at every seat, and improved customer information displays; carriage windows have special features that facilitate the transmission of mobile signals to provide better connectivity.

The trains are bi-mode, enabling them to work on both electrified and non-electrified lines; when running on electric power, carbon emissions are 66 per cent lower.

On board a new Aurora train


Great attention was given to the design of the new seats, with East Midlands Railway working closely with DG DESIGN of Derby to adapt and refine the existing FISA Lean seat, and refine it to make it more comfortable and to provide better support than existing seats.

Improvements were also made so that all seats now have power and USB points, more legroom, coat hooks, and seat-back tables, as well as ensuring there is a sufficient space under each seat for stowing cabin bags.

6 Feb 2026

Six Nations travel advice​

TfW - Major Ents Photo


Transport for Wales (TfW) welcomes fans back to the capital for what is set to be another extraordinary year of high-profile events and is working with industry partners to ensure all fans get to and from the game safely.

To support the thousands of supporters heading to the stadium, TfW will be providing additional capacity where possible on key routes across the network.

Passengers are encouraged to plan ahead, check before they travel, and allow plenty of time for their journeys, as engineering work may impact some lines.

TfW reminds all passengers to treat our staff and volunteers with respect.

Our teams are working hard alongside industry partners to keep everyone moving safely, and verbal abuse or any form of antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated.

Marie Daly, Chief Operating Officer at Transport for Wales said: “We look forward to welcoming fans to the six nations. We are working closely with our partners across the rail industry to get fans to and from the game safely.

“We want everyone to enjoy the game day experience, and we ask that passengers help us achieve that by planning ahead, checking their journeys, and travelling with patience and kindness."

A full queuing system will be in place for the first two home fixtures, Wales v France (Sunday 15 February) and Wales v Scotland (Saturday 21 February).

Queues for mainline rail services will operate on Central Square, while queues for Valleys services will be located to the rear of the station.

For these first two fixtures, Cardiff Queen Street station will be closed, with access available only for passengers requiring accessible travel and those travelling to Cardiff Bay.

Cardiff Bus Interchange will also be closed in line with local road closures.

Details for the final fixture against Italy on 14 March will be available soon as TfW continues to coordinate plans.

For more information, visit: Six Nations 2026 | Transport for Wales

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Pre and post-event revenue checks will take place at Cardiff Central.

Passengers are encouraged to purchase a rail ticket before entering a queuing system.

Pay as you go is currently available on TfW and Cross Country services across the South Wales Metro network, though it is not available on Great Western Railway (GWR) services.

Passengers using this method should tap in at their departure station and tap out via the dedicated lanes at Cardiff Central.

Northern Class 156 in Ormskirk