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Network chaos after heaviest snow for two decades THE severest winter experienced in many parts of Britain for two decades brought chaos to large areas of the railway network in early February. Although forecasters had warned of snow, the volume that fell overnight on February 1/2 was so great that Transport for London suspended its entire morning bus operation and many Underground services. The third-rail network was particularly badly hit due to the conductor rails being under thick snow. One main line operator, SouthEastern Trains, abandoned all its morning services with tracks and platforms under four to six inches of snow and many staff unable to get to stations and depots. Later in the day, SET managed to get some services running, but only on five routes. Services on the neighbouring Southern franchise were also severely disrupted, with two trains per hour between London and Brighton, and other services badly affected. Services on three lines – Brighton to Seaford, Lewes-Keymer Junction and RedhillTonbridge were suspended and stations

at Merstham, Coulsdon South, Salfords, Earlswood, Horley and on the Seaford branch were closed South West Trains cut its WaterlooSouthampton, Waterloo-Basingstoke, Alton and Reading services to two hourly and suspended all trains between Waterloo and Chessington South, Guildford via Leatherhead, Weybridge via Staines and Shepperton. The snowstorm blanketed the northern Home Counties and the Midlands too, with Chiltern Railways suspending all services between Marylebone and Amersham, and almost all trains on the West Coast Main Line being cancelled or heavily delayed. The situation did gradually improve during the day, but all impending passengers were warned not to travel unless absolutely necessary and, as a consequence, most central London offices were almost empty. On February 3 and 4, there were improvements with operators running reduced services, however a dozen stations in Surrey remained closed and other lines ran reduced services.

Mobile ski slopes? The scene at Gatwick sidings on February 2. PETER STARKS

With passengers clamouring for information, the Association of Train Operating Companies said that during the morning peak on February 2, the nationalrail.co.uk website handled 48,000 hits – 16 times more than the busiest point in a normal day (it is only

designed to cope with six times the normal peak demand). Other record figures from National Rail Enquiries that day included 387,000 telephone calls to contact centres and 109,000 calls to the TrainTracker service.

Virgin nameplate sale raises £106,000 for cancer charity VIRGIN Trains has raised £106,000 for charities after auctioning more than 100 train nameplates at London’s Waterloo station on February 14. It is thought to have been the biggest nameplate sale of its type ever. The plates, which had been removed from a variety of Virgin trains over the last decade, were sold by Sheffield Railwayana Auctions in the former Eurostar booking hall. The money raised will go to Virgin Group’s charitable arm, Virgin Unite, and the Railway Benefit Fund. The Virgin Unite contribution will benefit Virgin Trains’ chosen charity, CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity. The sale of 107 plates and nose-end badges was so successful that nothing from the catalogue was left unsold! Top bid was for the nameplate off No. 86226 Charles Rennie Mackintosh,

which attracted a bid of £4,700. Even though the names on Voyagers and ‘Super Voyagers’ have been fitted for a relatively short time, there was brisk bidding with Devon Voyager going under the hammer for £2,600 and Doctor Who being sold for £2,000. Pride of Toton, from ex-CrossCountry Class 47 diesel No. 47805 fetched £3,600. ■ Virgin has generously donated a nameplate to The Railway Magazine for sale by sealed bid as part of our ‘Money Can’t Buy’ auction to raise funds for charity at our Eastleigh Works open days on May 23-25. Items have also been promised from DB Schenker, First Great Western and Freightliner. Full details next month.

Right, upper: Part of the scene in the old Waterloo Eurostar concourse. Right, lower: The most valuable plate. VIRGIN TRAINS

Tory call for a passengers’ ‘champion’ SHADOW transport secretary Theresa Villiers has announced an eight-point plan, including making more use of existing track, creating a passengers’ champion and increasing the length of passenger franchises to up to 20 years to encourage investment. In a move designed to reopen defunct lines, Ms Villiers proposed a moratorium on building over disused tracks still in public ownership. She said “We desperately need new capacity – longer trains, longer platforms and, ultimately, additional lines.” The Tories propose strengthening the powers of rail regulators to create a passengers’ ‘champion’ – a consumerfocused watchdog able to ensure performances improve, regardless of where the fault lies. That would include tougher penalties for failure. The Conservatives are also in favour of HS2 from London to Birmingham.

Bluebell to end 48 years of steam with first diesel train

THE Bluebell Railway’s unique selling point – that it has never operated a diesel-hauled passenger train in its 48 years as a preserved railway – is to end in March when it runs a special hauled by electro-diesel No. 73136, ironically named Perseverance. Much to the anger of many of its

members, the railway is to give up on its famous 100 per cent steam stance because it needs extra income as it bids to remove the spoil tip standing in the way of its East Grinstead extension. Diesel shunting has been done on the Bluebell before, but never on a diesel-hauled passenger service.

Norfolk Orbital hopes dashed

A SPECULATOR “on a whim” has unwittingly dealt a blow to campaigners’ plans to create an orbital railway around Norfolk. Members of the Norfolk Orbital Railway company – who intend to link North Norfolk, Mid-Norfolk and Network Rail lines – had appealed to anyone interested in seeing tracks returned to Pudding Norton, near Fakenham, not to bid at an auction in Norwich in February. The group had raised £7,500 to buy the 3.5 acre site, complete with

two railway bridges, valued at £3,000-£5,000, but could afford no more. Infuriatingly for the members, a property speculator called Giles de Lotbiniere, who was unaware of the group’s plans and didn’t even know the auction was on until shortly beforehand, bid £12,000. He hadn’t even seen the site. Orbital project chairman David Rees, said: “I’m flabbergasted. The site has no access and cannot be developed.”

April 2009 • The Railway Magazine • 11