Thames Valley
September 2008
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56311 at Swindon on Fastline route learner. Andrew Jenkins |
Didcot is the main railway centre in the Thames Valley area. As well as the Great Western Society depot there is much for those interested in current railway operations. Two train operating companies provide passenger services.
First Great Western operate HSTs, Adelante and Turbo units and class 57/6s. All regular locomotive haulage has ceased apart from the night sleepers, which use the class 57/6s. Express services using HSTs or Adelantes. The HST refurbishment program is believed to be complete apart from a few catering vehicles.” Three Adelante units are expected to be retained for the time being. All of the Turbos now carry First Group Livery
Cross Country services are diagrammed for Voyager and Super Voyager units. This franchise is now operated by Arriva. For more information see http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk. Voyagers are normally used on services that are routed via Solihull, whilst Super Voyagers are used on services via Coventry and operate in tilt mode between Oxford and Banbury. Several Voyagers and Super Voyagers have been re-liveried
English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) operates Didcot yard. The bottom corner of Didcot yard abuts the station. Locomotives are stabled in the yard and adjacent to the station. 08567 shunts the yard. Class 37s are now rarely seen at Didcot. Class 60s mainly work tanker trains from Robeston and Lindsey Refineries to Theale, Didcot Power Station and Colnbrook. Class 66s dominate most freight. Class 67s appear on the Monday 15:31 Avonmouth to Wembley Enterprise trains. They also frequently appear on charters and empty stock workings. Class 59s may appear on Appleford or Oxford Banbury road stone trains. These run in via the west curve.
Freightliner work intermodal, and various aggregate trains, as well as the Avon binliner through Didcot using class 66 locomotives.
GB Rail Freight have one regular working through Didcot. This is 4V11 Peterborough to Taunton departmental due through Didcot at 22:55. The return working runs via Newbury. A new freight flow of steel traffic, between Swindon and Didcot is expected to commence shortly. When engineering work diverts it from its regular route, 4M21 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal runs via Didcot on a Saturday.
Network Rail test trains appear from time to time. The HST is a regular visitor. Less regular are class 31s and the class 950 track assessment unit.
Fastline are expected to commence running coal trains from Portbury to Ironbridge and Ratcliffe shortly. Route learning light engine movements have mainly used class 56 locomotives, but class 66 locomotives are expected to be used on the coal trains. Empty trains will run via the Lickey. Full trains will run via Didcot’s west curve.
20 006 Clyde Voyager at "Moreton Cutting |
Reading is a town with major junction railway junctions. Reading station is on the Great Western main line between Paddington and Bristol/South Wales. Reading station is the junction where the lines to Basingstoke and Cornwall lines diverge through Reading West and split to the south of the town, at Southcote Junction. There is also a west curve to enable trains to and from Didcot to take the Basingstoke line.
Also at Reading the former Southern Railway lines to Waterloo and Guildford head off in an easterly direction splitting at Wokingham. Three train operating companies provide services. First Great Western and Cross Country operation is similar to Didcot, but with more First Great Western workings. The maintenance depot in Reading services the First Great Western Turbos. Two car units can be seen on services to Newbury and Basingstoke and also on the various branch lines between Reading and London.
South West Trains provide services to and from Waterloo. Class 458 units are used.
The South West Train Services from Reading to Brighton has now ceased
Freight. More freight goes through Reading West as Freightliner traffic from Southampton to the North does not go through the main station. Freight traffic is similar to that described for Didcot, but without the coal trains. However Reading does see far more stone traffic than Didcot and a day's observation will certainly provide both sub classes of Mendiprail's class 59s, and possibly an EWS class 59/2. Additionally Freightliner operate a cement train from Earles sidings to Theale and return. Also GBRF run a Peterborough to Taunton departmental at 22:30 Monday to Thursday, returning at 09:25 the following day..
Oxford has similar traffic to that of Didcot. The only regular traffic found at Oxford, which is not found at Didcot is the Stud Yard to Hinksey Yard ballast trains. Hinksey yard has an 08 shunter.
Photography: Oxford station is particularly good for photography as freight traffic uses the two centre roads. Another good venue is Hinksey Lakes, where a footbridge overlooks Hinksey Yard. Hinksey Lakes is situated off the Abingdon Road in Oxford. Park either in Lake Street or in the car park adjoining the public park. From the car park follow the footpath/cycle track to the left. Turn right into Lake Street and then left again on a path adjacent to the lake. Shortly turn right on to a footbridge which crosses both the lake and the railway line.
Princes Risborough: A single car class 121 unit 121020 (55020) is used on peak hour services (07:00 to 09:30 and 16:00 to 19:00) Monday to Friday. Other passenger services use Chiltern Railways class 165 or 168 multiple units. A new open access company “Wrexham and Shropshire” has commenced running direct services from Wrexham to Marylebone. At present this uses mark 3 coaches, topped and tailed by EWS class 67s. Eventually one of the class 67s will be replaced by a driving vehicle trailer (DVT). The EWS locomotives in the dedicated Wrexham and Shropshire pool have received a silver livery.
See www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk for more information.
A few regular freights pass through. There are a couple of day time binliners. The former Cricklewood - Forders binliner operated by Freightliner now runs to Calvert (Reporting code 6M22). This goes through Princes Risborough around 13:10. A long standing Freightliner binliner from Dagenham to Calvert appears at around 16:10 Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In the other direction an empty Calvert to Northolt empty binliner runs at around 11:10. At the time of writing there is an as required Willesden – Calvert spoil train at around 11:45. This working may only be short term. Other workings at Princes Risborough run during the night.
On many Saturdays over the next few months and August 23rd, 24th and 25th pairs of Virgin Super Voyages will operate diverted Virgin west coast services via the Chiltern line.
Information and photographs provided by David Evans-Roberts Thames Valley Web Correspondent. If you spot any errors or have information about new services please email me.
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