Latest news with #ChilternRailways
Scotsman
7 hours ago
- General
- Scotsman
Himalayan Railway steam locomotive's return to Glasgow for Commonwealth Games
Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A steam locomotive built in Glasgow for a mountain railway in the Indian Himalayas is to return to the city for the first time since it was exported 137 years ago under plans to showcase it during the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The narrow gauge engine, simply named 19B, was among 40 constructed to haul passengers and freight from the plains of India up to Darjeeling, some of which are still running on the classic line. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Locomotive 19B is being restored at Statfold Barn Railway | Andy Savage It is being restored at a heritage railway in England. A new boiler designed by the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway in Wales is due to be fitted early next year so the locomotive can operate again from next summer. Built in 1889, the locomotive was withdrawn from service with a boiler fault in 1960, then sold to an enthusiast in America, where it remained for more than 40 years. The engine was acquired in 2002 by Adrian Shooter, the-then managing director of English train operator Chiltern Railways, who died three years ago. The locomotive was then bought by the Darjeeling Tank Locomotive Trust, a charity established to preserve it. Once restored, it is hoped that 19B will run again at the Statfold Barn Railway, near Tamworth in Staffordshire, where it has been based for the past two years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Trust vice-president Andy Savage said: 'It is part of an iconic class of locomotives, recognised worldwide, and a design of 1889, built at the Sharp, Stewart works in Springburn, that is still doing what it was built for in 2025. 'All other working B-class locos are still in use on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - ours is the only one to have left India since arrival there. The locomotive visiting the Ffestiniog Railway in 2005 | Andy Savage 'The trust particularly wants to take the locomotive back to Glasgow at the time of the Commonwealth Games, when we hope that its long history in India will be of interest to those who have links with that country, as well as being a wonderful example of how Glasgow built and exported locomotives across the world.' Mr Savage said the trust was seeking possible venues in Springburn to display the locomotive during the Games in July next year, which could be accompanied by a theatrical production. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Messner, curator of transport and technology at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, said: 'It is an amazing survivor and its service history in India and latterly back here in the UK sounds unique. 'Sharp, Stewart, and latterly the North British Locomotive Company, produced thousands of locomotives that were exported across the globe. Loco 19B represents that legacy and if it were to visit the city of its birth, I am sure that it will receive a warm welcome.' Mr Messner said the giant Glasgow-built South African Railways locomotive 3007, acquired by Glasgow Museums which is on show at the Riverside Museum, was 'another example of the global impact made by Glaswegian locomotive builders'. Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said: 'I have been working with the trust to bring 19B back to the site where it was built, now the Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Times
11-05-2025
- Times
How expensive are British trains compared with Europe and the US?
How much does it cost to take the train between Britain's two biggest cities? Simple answers to such questions are elusive. It could be as much as £98.50 (the 06:10 from London Euston to Birmingham New Street, booked for tomorrow on Avanti). It could also be as little as £6.40 (the 13:36pm from Marylebone to Snow Hill, booked several weeks in advance through Chiltern Railways). On measures ranging from punctuality to the wi-fi signal, Britain's trains get a bad rap — but is the price another problem? You can book a flight to New York (for next year at a time nobody wants to travel, if you are happy to forgo meals and dignity) for less than the most expensive fare between London and Manchester.
BBC News
21-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rail warning for Aston Villa fans ahead of Wembley FA Cup match
Aston Villa supporters travelling to Wembley by train have been collectively issued with travel advice from rail are set to play Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final, which kicks off at 17:15 BST on were advised that train travel on the day was expected to be "very busy" with "limited rail services in operation" from London to Birmingham post-match, Chiltern Railways operators in the region have also reminded customers to check their journeys and to plan ahead and purchase tickets in advance of travelling. Chiltern Railways will operate direct services from Warwick Parkway to Wembley Stadium on the day, with Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway operating services from Birmingham New Street to London Chiltern added fewer services would be in operation back to the West Midlands, should the match go into extra time and Wootton, head of the Grand Railway Collaboration, said she wanted to remind Villa fans that rail travel to and from the match would be "extremely busy"."The kick off time of 17:15 BST means that there will be limited rail services after the match for supporters returning to the West Midlands," she added."Please plan your trip in advance of travelling and you may want to consider extending your stay into the following day."No Chiltern train services would be in operation from Birmingham Moor Street, Solihull, Dorridge, Hatton, Lapworth or Warwick to London, a spokesperson added. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
