The February 2025 issue of Today's Railways UK is packed with interesting articles and features, plus all the very latest news from across Britain’s railway network. We also include all our regular monthly sections covering light rail, heritage railways, preservation and railtours, with readers’ letters and our grumpy old man also in attendance.
Feature articles this month include:
First Phase of East-West Rail Almost Ready: Test trains are now operating over the initial East West Line, with services between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes due to start running in the summer. Chris Howe looks at the newly reinstated line and the prospects for operating the route further eastwards towards Bedford and Cambridge.
The Versatile Class 73s at Work: Ian Buck provides an illustrated review of the Class 73s that were still in work on the main line during 2024.
Tri-mode in The Valleys: Robert Pritchard samples the new tri-mode Class 756s now in service in the Welsh Valleys.
Photographing on the Horseshoe: The Railways of March: Peter Foster explores the railways around the Cambridgeshire town of March.
Slade Green: Maintaining Southeastern's Metro Fleet: Robert Pritchard visits Slade Green depot to look at the recent investment here to maintain the Class 707 units.
2024 - Scotland's Year in Review: A photographic review of the last year north of the border, looking at both significant and minor changes to have occurred during 2024.
DB Prepares for a Digital Future: In November, DB Cargo UK held an event at its headquarters in Doncaster to mark the opening of its ERTMS Training Centre of Excellence. Ian Beardsley visits the training centre to find out more.
News stories this month include:
- Northumberland line opens
- New Tyne & Wear Metro trains enter service
- SWR, c2c and Greater Anglia to transfer to public ownership in 2025
- Heidi Alexander is new Transport Secretary after Haigh quits
- Publicly owned operators agree ticket acceptance
- First Group orders 14 new trains from Hitachi
- ScotRail looks for early replacement of HSTs
- TPE Launches new timetable with more electric operation
- Storms Conall and Darragh disrupt services across the country
- Northern introduces emergency timetable on Sundays
- Khan launches new Overground line names
- Green light for December 2025 East Coast Main Line timetable
- Banbury pram accident shows importance of platform design
- HS2 and National Rail to share single Euston concourse
- Blackpool trams suspends heritage operations
- Test train takes LNER Class 91 + Mark 4 set back to Newcastle
- Class 99s to run exclusively on either electric or renewable fuels
- New low-emission Zephir shunters in service at Celsa Steelworks
- Final two Middlewich 90s scrapped
- Laira clear-out as GWR's HSTs days are numbered
- Low key farewell for Avanti Class 221s
- 197s on Cambrian line in late 2025
- Alstom marks completion of 458/4 refurbishment
- Extra 3-car 150s for Northern
- Somerset Council looks to restore through services between Bishops Lydeard and Taunton
- Wingfield station restoration wins National Railway Heritage Award
- Q Stock moves to Rampart for underfloor attention
- GWR HST power card finds new home at Plym Valley Railway
- 47714 makes preservation debut
- Another series of "Cambrian Coast" trips planned
- Dates confirmed for forthcoming "Jacobite" season
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