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| 03/07/2008 | |
| Network Rail has reminded rail passengers that, owing to major upgrade works this summer, services in East Central Scotland will be subject to timetable alterations.
Work to double track the Edinburgh-Bathgate line will affect passengers between West Lothian-Edinburgh-Newcraighall and Edinburgh to Dunblane for a two week period from 5 to 20 July and between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street over the weekend of 12 and 13 July.
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The 1055 departure from Bathgate on 30 June 2008, with the west end of the Bathgate car compound in the right background. The train has just passed a pile of rubble that is now all that remains of the former Rennies Bridge.
[James Young 30/06/2008] | 
Newcraighall service leaving Bathgate on 23 June 2008 passing various signs of forthcoming engineering works.
[James Young 23/06/2008] | 
158714 approaches Bathgate on the single passenger line on 7 June. The goods line alongside has recently been renewed in preparation for its forthcoming role as the westbound main line.
[Bill Roberton 07/06/2008] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 02/07/2008 | |
| A man caught carrying heroin at a train station in south west Scotland is jailed for more than five years. |
Final checks at Lockerbie on 6 February before moving off with the 1311 CrossCountry service to Edinburgh Waverley. The newly commissioned footbridge can be seen towards the north end of the plaform.
[John Furnevel 06/02/2008] | 
The remains of the trainshed at the eastern terminus of the Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway stands at the north end of Lockerbie station on 6 February 2008. The line lost its passenger service in 1952 and closed completely in 1966. The bay was infilled and the roof removed in the early 1970s.
[John Furnevel 06/02/2008] | 
The new overbridge at Lockerbie - looking across to the southbound platform on 6 February. Something of a military feel about the structure?
[John Furnevel 06/02/2008] |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 27/06/2008 | |
| Network Rail has appointed White Young Green to conduct detailed survey and design work for the planned upgrade at Edinburgh Waverley station. |
GBRf Aberdeen - Harwich tanks routed through Waverley north side on 12 June. [Having photographed the train earlier passing Dalgety Bay, my own train into Edinburgh followed it, overtaking at Haymarket depot for a second chance!]
[Bill Roberton 12/06/2008] | 
An Interfrigo van guest stars at Waverley in 1973, standing between platform 21 and the former fruit market sidings. In the background a class 25 shunts the old east goods yard.
[Bill Roberton //1973] | 
View over the east end of Waverley in the early 60s with an ECML train leaving for the south. To the left of the train, the East box, New Street bus depot and the various railway buildings and sidings have all gone with the new Edinburgh Council headquarters now occupying much of the area.
[Robin Barbour Collection [Courtesy Bruce McCartney] //] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 26/06/2008 | |
| Network Rail has appointed Galliford Try Rail, part of the Galliford Try group, to undertake the building and refurbishment work needed to reopen Laurencekirk station in Aberdeenshire. |
The goods shed at Laurencekirk viewed from the south in March 2008. There are currently plans to dismantle the old shed and re-erect it at Bridge of Dun.
[John Gray 26/03/2008] | 
Interior of the goods shed at Laurencekirk, home of many (soon to be evicted) pigeons.
[John Gray 26/03/2008] | 
The 1849 station building at Laurencekirk which is to be refurbished and is scheduled to re-open before the end of 2008.
[John Gray 26/03/2008] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 25/06/2008 | |
| A new state-of-the-art training centre for Network Rail maintenance staff and engineers is opening in Larbert. [Sent in by Mike Gibb] |
You turn your head for five minutes and Network Rail build a Training Centre....the new £4m development which will provide training for NR maintence and engineering staff is due to be opened officially in June.
[Ewan Crawford 10/05/2008] |
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| BBC News item | |
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| 24/06/2008 | |
| A "fundamental shift" in attitudes to public transport boosts annual profits at rail and bus firm Stagecoach. |
A South West Trains service for Waterloo standing at Vauxhall in July 2005 in front of a certain government building...errr...enough said..
[John Furnevel /07/2005] | 
Class 450 units with SWT Portsmouth line services stand at the buffer stops at Waterloo Station in July 2005.
[John Furnevel 24/07/2005] |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 23/06/2008 | |
| The latest phase of work to upgrade the famous 72 mile Settle to Carlisle railway line begins at 9.35 pm on Saturday 5 July. Train services will be replaced by road transport to allow Network Rail to continue with its five-year, £60m programme of track improvements. The line reopens at 5.45 am on Monday 21 July. |
D200/40122 approaching Dent station on the Settle and Carlisle line on 31 July 1983 with the Kings Cross - Warcop Hadrian Pullman.
[Colin Alexander 31/07/1983] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 22/06/2008 | |
| Network Rail has announced today that it will be conducting a strategic review into the case for building new rail lines across the network of Great Britain. The review will look at five of Network Rail’s strategic routes, north and west of London: Chiltern, East Coast, West Coast, Great Western and Midland Main Lines |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 21/06/2008 | |
| Network Rail is to look into creating five new high-speed lines for the UK by 2025, as part of a major review. |
TGV on a Milan - Paris service at Lausanne in 1990.
[John Furnevel //1990] | 
TGV stands at Paris Nord in January 1994.
[John Furnevel /01/1994] |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 20/06/2008 | |
| Swiss railway workers have been told to change their orange reflective vests to prevent Dutch football fans following them onto the tracks. [Submitted by Fraser Cochrane] |
A Swiss railways Re 460 locomotive in UEFA Euro 2008 promotional livery in November 2007.
[Michael Gibb 18/11/2007] |
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| Yahoo Eurosport article | |
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| 18/06/2008 | |
| TRAINS in Edinburgh face disruption next week when station managers go on strike.
More than 100 key managers and supervisors at 17 major UK stations, including in Edinburgh, will go on 24 hour strike next Thursday, June 26.
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One of the classic views of Waverley - looking over the west end towards the National Gallery and the Castle - Oct 2005.
[John Furnevel 12/10/2005] |
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| Evening News Item | |
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| 17/06/2008 | |
| Fife Council's leader says politically bickering is threatening the proposed Levenmouth rail link. |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 17/06/2008 | |
| A French announcer at Edinburgh's Haymarket Station is proving to be a hit with female commuters. |
Station announcer in action at Haymarket station on 17 June 2008.
[Courtesy BBC / First ScotRail 17/06/2008] |
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| BBC News Item | |
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| 15/06/2008 | |
| Up to 12,000 Network Rail maintenance staff have gone on strike in a row over jobs and conditions. |
Maintenance work underway just east of Carstairs station on a frosty Boxing Day 2005.
[John Furnevel 26/12/2005] |
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| BBC News item | |
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| 14/06/2008 | |
| A MAN was rushed to hospital early today after falling around 70ft from North Bridge and through the roof of Waverley Station.
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Sunday morning at the east end of Waverley on 28 May 2006. Ironic perhaps that, in this classic North British scene, beyond the stations glass roof, over the North Bridge and beyond Edinburgh Castle, the Caledonian Hotel occupies centre stage.
[John Furnevel 28/05/2006] |
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| Evening News item | |
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| 13/06/2008 | |
| A petition aimed at bringing about changes to the 'Guidelines for rail enthusiasts' adopted by TOCs/NR/BTP etc has been lodged by enthusiast and photographer Richard Boyd on the petitions website at 10 Downing Street. Anyone interested in finding out more can visit the site at the link below. [Submitted by Mark Bartlett] |
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| Petition website | |
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| 10/06/2008 | |
| Network Rail opened its doors to local MSP Mary Mulligan yesterday (Monday 9 June) to demonstrate the innovative techniques being used to deliver the new double tracked section of railway between Bathgate and Edinburgh. |
The 1055 departure from Bathgate on 30 June 2008, with the west end of the Bathgate car compound in the right background. The train has just passed a pile of rubble that is now all that remains of the former Rennies Bridge.
[James Young 30/06/2008] |
Newcraighall service leaving Bathgate on 23 June 2008 passing various signs of forthcoming engineering works.
[James Young 23/06/2008] |
158714 approaches Bathgate on the single passenger line on 7 June. The goods line alongside has recently been renewed in preparation for its forthcoming role as the westbound main line.
[Bill Roberton 07/06/2008] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 06/06/2008 | |
| FIRE-RAISERS have caused passenger misery on the Fife-Edinburgh rail line twice in two days by setting fire to trackside signalling cables.
The vandalism attacks, at Inverkeithing in Fife, closed the route for about an hour both on Wednesday night and in yesterday’s morning peak. |
The station clock shows 7.30am as a northbound Fife Circle train arrives at Inverkeithing on a Monday morning in June 2006 with commuters gathering on the southbound platform for the next train into Edinburgh.
[John Furnevel /06/2006] | 
Train for Edinburgh at Inverkeithing in May 2005.
[John Furnevel /05/2005] |
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| Scotsman Item | |
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| 05/06/2008 | |
| Concerns over the safety of railway crossings not equipped with barriers are to be raised in parliament. |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 05/06/2008 | |
| Network Rail today responded to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) draft conclusions on the funding of the railway by warning that the settlement puts at risk much need improvements for passengers and freight users. |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 04/06/2008 | |
| A north-east MSP has expressed serious concerns about the future of an ambitious rail project after regional transport partnership officials were given the impression it is “dead in the water”. |
Edinburgh - Aberdeen service at Stonehaven in November 2006.
[John Furnevel /11/2006] | 
Aberdeen - Inverness service at Inverurie in Nov 2006.
[John Furnevel /11/2006] |
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| Press & Journal Article [Submitted by Drew McLelland] | |
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| 02/06/2008 | |
| Support is given for a campaign to reopen the railway line from Thornton to Leven in Fife. |
View east at Cameron Bridge with the River Leven on the right and the overgrown line of the former route to the Fife coast curving away to the left beyond the bridge. February 2007.
[John Furnevel 12/02/2007] | 
Cameron Bridge in February 2007 looking west towards Thornton Junction. View showing the platform remains with the modernised distillery (God Bless Her) dominating the background.
[John Furnevel 12/02/2007] |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 02/06/2008 | |
| The north car park at Livingston North will be closed Monday, June 9, until Monday, December 1. The closure will allow a new platform, staircase and pedestrian ramps to be built as part of the Airdrie-Bathgate rail line project |
Progress at Livingston North on 23 June with work underway on construction of the westbound platform.
[James Young 23/06/2008] | 
Looking back towards Livingston North on 9 June 2008 with 158714 having just left the station heading for Edinburgh.
[James Young 09/06/2008] | 
The 1125 Bathgate - Newcraighall service arriving at Livingston North on 9 June 2008 with track now in place on the new formation.
[James Young 09/06/2008] |
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| Evening News item | |
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| 30/05/2008 | |
| After £40m worth of investment and seven years hard work, Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail, today officially marked the end of the current engineering works on the High Level Bridge between Newcastle and Gateshead. |
Beyond the Tyne Bridge is the red and white Swing Bridge then Stephensons double-deck High Level Bridge wrapped in bandages for maintenance work. Below that is the outline of the QE2 Bridge which carries the Metro across the Tyne. 2006.
[John Furnevel /05/2006] | 
1970s view across the High Level Bridge from Gateshead East.
[John Furnevel //] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 30/05/2008 | |
| An £171,000 project to allow the old gas lamps on the High Level Bridge to be run using electric current was marked with an official "switch on" last night (Thursday 29 May).
Funded by the Railway Heritage Trust, Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council and Network Rail the lamps were brought into modern service as part of the £40million project to restore the bridge.
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 29/05/2008 | |
| First Scotrail says a ticket machine will be installed at Alloa train station after it was criticised for the oversight. |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 29/05/2008 | |
| WORK to create a new cycle path and walkway in an abandoned railway tunnel near the city centre is set to resume just a week after council chiefs said there was no cash for the scheme. |
View south through the former Heriothill goods station towards Rodney Street tunnel on 29 September where work on reopening through to Scotland Street is currently halted due to lack of funds.
[John Furnevel 29/9/2007] | 
Looking from the south portal of Rodney Street Tunnel over the former station site (now a playground) to the north portal of Scotland Street Tunnel. Royal Crescent and the New Town stand above. April 2007.
[John Furnevel 25/04/2007] | 
View north from the top of Scotland Street tunnel over the station site on 25 April 2007 showing work currently underway on the reopening of Rodney Street tunnel as part of an extended cycle path/walkway under Rodney Street and Broughton Road.
[John Furnevel 25/04/2007] |
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| Evening News Item | |
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| 28/05/2008 | |
| FirstScotrail says it is working to resolve ticketing problems for passengers travelling on Scotland's newest railway line. |
A third class workers return ticket, date unknown, headed Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Line, issued between Dumbarton and Glasgow (College) (NB). The original Glasgow City & District Railway station at College (so called due to being built alongside the Old College of the University of Glasgow), was renamed High Street in 1914, with Dumbarton acquiring the word Central in 1952.
[John McIntyre -/-/-] | 
Remarkably well preserved ticket windows at the long abandoned station at Whittingham, Northumberland, in May 2004. The last ticket was issued here in September 1930.
[John Furnevel /05/2004] | 
Tickets please.. Ticket barrier for the 10.00 service to Manchester at Euston in the 1970s.
[John Furnevel //] |
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| BBC News Article | |
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| 28/05/2008 | |
| Extra platforms, new stations, longer trains and more tracks are among the list of options unveiled today in a draft strategy to develop the passenger and freight railway in Wales. Drawn up by Network Rail along with industry partners, for consultation, the Wales Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) compiles the industry's aspirations and examines 24 options to cater to nearly 40 million passengers by 2018. |
Arriva Trains Wales 175 111 at Abergavenny on 8 September.
[John McIntyre 8/9/2007] | 
Barmouth Viaduct in 2002, looking impossibly long.
[Ewan Crawford //2002] | 
IC125 arriving at Cardiff Central.
[John McIntyre //] |
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| Network Rail Article | |
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| 27/05/2008 | |
| This week, work gets underway at Aberdeen Station on the installation
of a brand new lounge.
The £400,000 investment by First ScotRail is scheduled for completion
in August. The work follows the opening of the new travel centre
earlier this month and signifies the latest stage in the station
redevelopment programme.
The lounge, which will be located at the front of the station adjacent
to the travel centre, will be open - free of charge - to First Class
ticket holders. With a bright and modern feel, it will feature a range
of top quality facilities and greater overall comfort.
These include
* Free Wi-fi access
* Complimentary refreshments
* A comfortable seating area to relax in
* CIS screens providing continually updated service information
* Digital freeview television
* Complimentary newspapers and magazines
A receptionist will welcome customers as they enter, provide
information and assistance and issue tickets as required.
In addition, showers and toilets will be installed. There will be
ladies and gents toilets and two unisex showers, as well as a fully
accessible toilet and shower.
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View south from the overbridge at Aberdeen in June 1974. A class 40 stands at the buffer stops with a train on platform 3.
[John McIntyre /06/1974] | 
The concourse at Aberdeen in June 1981.
[David Panton /6/1981] | 
The station concourse at Aberdeen looking south early on a quiet Sunday morning on 5 November 2006 shortly after the station opened for business.
[John Furnevel 05/11/2006] |
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