Rail Express

RAIL EXPRESS is Britain's favourite modern rail enthusiast title. Undoubtedly the best for modern traction photography, the magazine keeps readers informed and entertained with undiluted coverage of Britain's railways in the diesel and electric era. First produced in 1996, RE has set a new standard for the hobby, with a clean design, high quality paper and the best reproduction. January 2008 saw the magazine relaunched in an innovative 'supersize' format, showing off the ground-breaking contents to the best advantage. Every issue includes news and analysis covering the present day railway scene, plus the latest preservation developments. Also inside: RAIL EXPRESS Modeler - Diesel & Electric era modeling magazine

Congratulations to the CDPG

RAIL EXPRESS

Push-pull ‘47/7’ wins prestigious heritage award

Class 321s bow out of passenger service

Swanage starts serving Wareham

UKRL expands Leicester depot

Transport for Wales withdraws Class 175s on safety grounds

Government delays HS2 by two years

GB Railfreight to take on Class 57/3s • Class 57/3s currently used by Direct Rail Services will transfer to GB Railfreight, with one destined for Great Western Railway.

Mangapps Railway Museum acquires second Class 04 • Former Embsay resident to be restored to Wisbech & Upwell Tramway condition.

Long Marston storage for up to 16 South Western Railway Class 701s • Up to 16 SWR Aventras being moved to Porterbrook’s Rail Innovation Centre

Mk.1 Sleepers in decline • Latest scrapping reduces survivors to just six

Makeover for Eastleigh Class 07 • Used daily, No. 07007 has received a much-needed tidy up and new name.

TfL confirms it should break even in 2023/2024 • Transport for London (TfL) has repeated its assertion that it will be operating at a profit, albeit slight, during the 2023/24 financial year.

Last main line run for TTA tanks • Eleven of the two-axle tank wagons made their final journey on Network Rail metals

Vintage EMUs bow out with farewell tours • It’s the end of the road for the veteran Class 313 and 321 EMUs.

Powerscene • Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.

Sperry train features a variety of traction on system-wide tour • Finale of locomotive-hauled ultrasonic track inspection train beckons as commissioning of replacement machine progresses.

Industrial action hampers recovery in demand • Industry Witness assesses the affect industrial action has had on demand, and how Government decisions will affect the railway in the long-term.

Transformation for Wales’ trains • Transport for Wales has started introducing new train fleets, but is it as easy as people may think? Richard Clinnick investigates.

Is TPE’s Nova 3 fleet close to entering full service? • TransPennine Express unveiled its Mk.5A fleet in April 2018, however five years later, they are still not in squadron service. Richard Clinnick speaks to TPE fleet director Paul Staples to find out why and what the future holds.

Diesel delight for Severn Valley Railway this May • The Severn Valley Railway is preparing for its May diesel event, one of the highlights in the heritage railway calendar. Richard Clinnick goes behind the scenes to find out what’s involved.

0 to 60! • Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest off the mark?John Heaton delves into his records to compare Class 150s operating on the Paignton-Exmouth local services.

REVIEWS

New Dapol ‘N’ gauge Class 66

Accurascale’s second ‘Tractor’ bash

Hornby TTA pre-production samples revealed

Hornby’s BR Loriot Y wagon

Diagram 1/227 ferry van

Kit Corner: ZKV ‘Barbel’ in 4mm • The former BR...