This weekend will mark 10 years since one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, the Forth Bridge, was officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge became Scotland’s sixth World Heritage Site on 5 July 2015. It joined Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, New Lanark, the Antonine Wall, and […]
Category: heritage
Tragic story of WW2 train driver revealed at Sussex station
Historians have uncovered the story of a devastating attack in Sussex which resulted in the first death of a train driver in WW2. A plaque was unveiled at Bishopstone station on Thursday, July 3 to commemorate Southern train driver Charles Henry Pattenden, who was killed on July 3, 1940 in his line of duty when […]
First stop Kidderminster as Railway 200 train arrives in the West Midlands
The special Railway 200 ‘Inspiration’ train has arrived in the West Midlands, making its first stop ahead of a year-long tour of Britain. Severn Valley Railway (SVR) in Kidderminster welcomed the one-off train when it pulled into platform 2 at Kidderminster Town station. Teams and volunteers from SVR, along with guests from Network Rail’s Central […]
World’s oldest operating narrow-gauge locomotive in action at Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, is delighted to announce the inclusion of narrow-gauge exhibits at The Greatest Gathering, showcasing their rich history and significance in the wider railway story over the past 200 years. Alstom’s three-day festival in Derby will be the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern rolling stock. It forms […]
HS2 donates 4,000 tonnes of ballast to Bluebell Railway to mark Railway 200 celebrations
HS2 is donating thousands of pieces of ballast to the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex as the rail industry unites to mark 200 years of rail travel. Some 4,000 tonnes of ballast – enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool – was used by HS2 in specially constructed sidings while tunnelling work was carried out […]
Work commences on world’s oldest in-situ cast-iron railway bridge
Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) engineers have this week begun initial preparation work for the raising and renovation of Crawshaw Woods Bridge, the earliest cast-iron railway bridge to still be in place over an operational railway anywhere in the world. Constructed between 1830 and 1834, the Grade II listed bridge has spanned the reign of eight […]
Severn Valley Railway makes steady progress towards landslip repairs
Although a firm start date for repairs to the landslip at the Severn Valley Railway’s (SVR) Mor Brook bridge remains unknown, huge progress has been made in recent weeks. The railway has also shared details of how the work will be undertaken. Last week (1 May), the SVR signed a contract with civil engineering contractor […]
Essential work to repair Victorian-era Bee Network tunnel to start this weekend
Essential engineering work to ensure a Victorian-era tunnel remains safe will result in a reduced tram service on the Bury line this weekend. Work to replace beams supporting the roof at Whitefield Tunnel means that no trams will run between Crumpsall and Bury on Saturday (May 10) or between Whitefield and Bury on Sunday (May […]