Thanks to 125 Group for the invitation to join the “Miller & Grange” tour from Doncaster to King’s Cross today to celebrate 50 years of the production HSTs. The 125 Group has done a fantastic job preserving a number of HST power cars and trailers, with several more main line tours planned this year

The first GWR Class 175 has been repainted in GWR livery - this is set 175103, seen here being shunted by 08629 at Wolverton Works prior to delivery to GWR. 📷 Mark Beal

GBR livery roll-out continues: the first c2c 357s (008 and 020) and Greater Anglia 720s (144 and 501) are now in GBR livery with GBR Anglia branding. Further 357s will now receive the new livery as they go through the current repaint programme. 📷 GBR Anglia

The new station at Balgray, on the Glasgow-Neilston line, will open on Sunday 27 Sept, a few weeks ahead of the originally planned date of Nov. It has been built to serve the growing community around Barrhead and will also serve the nearby country park. 📷 Network Rail Scotland

The Transport for Wales Class 398 tram-trains have entered service today, mainly on the Cardiff Bay branch but also with some turns from Pontypridd. 398028 is the unit in service today. 📷 Kieran Marshall

This week Tyne & Wear Metro is saying farewell to its old fleet of Metrocars. 4024+4050 are due to operate an additional diagram all week, alternating between the green and yellow lines, with Friday expected to be the last day in traffic for the old stock -which has been replaced by the Stadler 555s

Thanks to Greater Anglia for hosting an excellent open day at Norwich Crown Point depot today. There were GA 745 and 755 units on display as well as locos from Freightliner & Colas Rail and a steam loco from the NNR, with most open for cab visits

The first of the next batch of ten Elizabeth Line trains is now complete and on test at Alstom Derby. It is due to be delivered to Old Oak on 15 June, expected to be hauled by a ROG Class 93. Work on 345072 is now well underway

Thanks to East Midlands Railway for the chance to look at the first refurbished 360 (107) at Kettering today before the set enters service next month. 360109 has also now been refurbished and all should be done by mid 2027. A real step change with 2+2 seating replacing the 3+2

Today Lumo operated a pre-launch special from Stirling to Euston and back today using 222601 (ex EMR 222001). The first out and back passenger service starts on Monday, ramping up to the full timetable of five trains a day by late July

Announced this morning that the new Lumo open access service from Euston to Preston & Stirling will launch with one return trip a day from 25 May, two daily trains from 19/06, four from 05/07 and the full service of five trains a day from 27 July. Refurbished ex EMR 222s will be used

The new SY Supertram tram-train stop at Magna - for Magna Science Adventure Centre - will open on 9 April, served by the half hourly Sheffield-Rotherham Parkgate services

The first 222 for Lumo (222001) is now in Lumo blue as part of its refurbishment by Alstom at Widnes. Five former EMR 6-car 222s will be used on Lumo’s new Euston-Stirling service, with the first trains running in May and the full service launching on 27 July. 📷 Lumo

22 x 222s for ScotRail. The ex East Midlands Railway Meridians not going to Lumo have been snapped up by ScotRail to replace its HST fleet during 2027-28. The units will be refurbished by Alstom and repainted. They will initially be leased for 10 years

This year’s DRS charity open day will be at Crewe Gresty Bridge depot on Saturday 11 July

It was great to join the Northern “Weardale Explorer” today raising money for charity with two through services using 158844 onto the scenic Weardale Railway from Bishop Auckland to Stanhope, and then a direct service back through to Darlington

Some mixed weather today but it was great to see the Watercress Line’s former Transport for Wales 150231 make its debut between Alton and Alresford!

An interesting day travelling around the Tyne & Wear Metro network today capturing the remaining old stock (five pairs in traffic) and the new Stadler units. The final 3x555s are due to be delivered next week with the old stock expected to be withdrawn from passenger service by early May

At least ten former SWR Class 455s are currently at Alstom’s Derby facility, having arrived from Wimbledon by rail. They are then being moved by road to the Wards scrapyard at Ilkeston and I was lucky to see some vehicles from 5719 being roaded away during my visit today

Thanks to Alstom for a tour of the production line at Derby today where they are building the next batch of 10 x Class 345s for the Elizabeth Line. Some vehicles of the first unit of this batch, 345071, are now nearing completion

The first refurbished CrossCountry Voyager, 220033, was unveiled by Alstom at Derby today and will re-enter service in late Feb. All 70 units in the XC fleet are to be refurbished over the next 18 months as part of a £75M programme funded by Beacon Rail which includes new seats

Enter the “Serenza”: @LNER has released the first interior images of its ten new 10-car tri-mode CAF Class 897s which are due to enter service in 2028. It has also christened the trains “Serenza” and LNER says they will be the first new trains introduced as part of GBR and will be branded as such

Batteries are go: GWR will introduce battery unit 230001 into passenger service on the West Ealing-Greenford branch from this Saturday, 31/01. Initially it is planned to use the unit in service on Saturdays only with a view to increasing use through the year

Today was the formal launch for the Chiltern Railways Mark 5A sets, now named “Chiltern Explorer” sets, with 68022 working the 08.15 Birmingham MS-Marylebone. Chiltern is leasing all 13 of these former TPE sets which will eventually work most of its Birmingham route trains

Was great to be with the 125 Group today for their “Big Reveal” at UKRL’s Loughborough Works to mark the start of the HST’s 50th anniversary year. 43025 is now in Intercity Swallow, 43048 in Midland Mainline teal & tangerine and 43060 in GNER livery. More in the next TR UK!

More 66s to leave the UK: DB Cargo UK has agreed the sale of 25 of its redundant 66s to Romania’s largest private railway company, Grup Feroviar Roman. The first is 66014, already repainted into dark blue livery at Toton depot. All 25 are due will be exported by mid-2028

Tomorrow the new blue, red & white GBR livery & brand will be launched. The new design will be displayed on digital displays at a number of major stations. The DfT says the livery will appear across already publicly owned train operators from spring 2026, with the roll-out being gradual. 📷DfT

Great to be on the first East Midlands Railway “Aurora” to enter passenger service this morning - 810010 working the 07.00 Sheffield-St Pancras as its first train. More on the 810s in the next TR UK

Confirmation from East Midlands Railway this morning that the fleet of Class 810 “Auroras” will start entering service in December on the Midland Main Line. The first Class 222 has already gone off lease

Thanks to West Midlands Railway for the opportunity to look round Tyseley depot this afternoon to view the £70 million upgrade and rebuilding work carried out over the last 3 years. The depot is big so a tour around the site in 196008 was much appreciated! Read more in the next TR UK