Imagine that.... a Sapphire 142 [FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY][FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]

There's putting lipstick on a pig...

Forgot to mention the email that the current Northern are sending out.

Exciting new service from April 1 
 
HELLO xxxx AND WELCOME
 
...to this very special Northern Rail newsletter. The Department for Transport (DfT) announced that Arriva has won the bid to run the next Northern franchise with more than £1 billion being invested in new trains, better stations and services for customers across the north of England.
The next franchise, will come with a new look and lots of exciting developments to look forward to, delivering the following fantastic plans:

removal of all pacer trains by the end of 2019
£400 million investment in 281 brand new air-conditioned carriages - more than double the minimum required in the government's Invitation to Tender.
more than 2,000 extra services each week, with around 400 additional Sunday services, including new direct journeys from Bradford to Wakefield, Sheffield, Nottingham, Liverpool and Hull; from Leeds to Chester and Bridlington; from Lincoln to Leeds; and from Manchester Airport to Warrington, Bradford and Halifax.
nearly a 40% increase in capacity - creating space for 31,000 extra passengers travelling into the five key commuter cities (Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle) of the North during the morning rush-hour.
a new high-quality 'Northern Connect' service, meaning new or refurbished trains on longer-distance services, faster journeys and stations staffed daily with catering services and free Wi-Fi at each one. As well as serving the five key commuter cities, this network will also serve other destinations including Bradford, Halifax, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Lincoln, Worksop and Retford.
improved ticketing, including mobile and print-at-home tickets, and discounted fares for jobseekers.
 
 

It continues, giving a link that can be clicked to obtain further updates.

I assume all passenger data will be forwarded on to Arriva, not too dissimilar to when VTEC emerged on the ECML.

Hope this guy was OK.

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/patie...-1-7634756

TRAVEL: No service on Northern Rail between Newcastle and Carlisle because of a landslide at Haydon Bridge.

Trains running between Newcastle and Hexham. Not cancelled for the full route.

156490 is out on Bishop runs today

Another one

NRtimetable4 ‏@NRtimetable4 12m12 minutes ago

NEW: Due to a landslip between #Newcastle and #Carlisle all lines are blocked. Road transport is in place.

Another one



NRtimetable4 ‏@NRtimetable4 12m12 minutes ago



NEW: Due to a landslip between #Newcastle and #Carlisle all lines are blocked. Road transport is in place.

Back running for now.

Back running for now.

It isn't.
There is an obstruction on the line between Hexham and Prudhoe.
Westbound trains are going as far as Prudhoe at the moment.

It isn't.
There is an obstruction on the line between Hexham and Prudhoe.
Westbound trains are going as far as Prudhoe at the moment.

BBC News said its re opened however the Northern Rail website says its still shut.

BBC News said its re opened however the Northern Rail website says its still shut.

The landslide was cleared, but a tree is now blocking it.

These the more recent messages - line expected to be cleared by 11am

NRtimetable4 ‏@NRtimetable4 1h1 hour ago

AMENDED: Due to an obstruction on the line 06:18 #Dumfries to #Newcastle due 08:58 will be terminated at Haydon Bridge


National Rail ‏@nationalrailenq
NEW: Buses replace trains between Prudhoe and #Hexham until approximately 11:00 twt.lt/vy27

Pictures
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-352...nel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_news_north_east&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=english_regions

All rather muddy looking.

Pictures
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35249587?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_news_north_east&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=english_regions

All rather muddy looking.

http://m.northernrail.org/news/7842
The latest news.

http://m.northernrail.org/news/7842
The latest news.

11 am did sound optimistic, with that mess. And the wind's building up, now.

11 am did sound optimistic, with that mess. And the wind's building up, now.

It was still just a tree on the tracks this morning.
No idea whether the landslide happened as a consequence or if the information on the ground wasn't 100% accurate.

Services between Newcastle and Carlisle were meant to start again today. Northern said this on their twitter last night. Obviously the tree has fallen during the night mesning services couldnt restart as planned:

Attached Files

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image.jpeg (Size 98.78 KB Downloads 22)

The word is, now, that the replacement bus service is in place for the rest of the month.

Northern have announced that season ticket holders affected by the recent Cumbrian floods are eligible for a days free travel.

TRAIN DISRUPTION: No trains between ‪#‎Prudhoe‬ & ‪#‎Hexham‬ due to a landslip. Bus replacement in operation until 31/01/16 approx.

Alex Hynes has been appointed as MD at Arriva Rail North.

Arriva have now announced that CAF are to build all of the new units for the Arriva Northern franchise.

http://www.arriva.co.uk/media/news/2016/21-01-2016

31 x 3 car EMU
12 x 4 car EMU
25 x 2 car DMU
30 x 3 car DMU
To be CAF's Civity design

Entering service between October-December 2018

Some journeys on the Tyne Valley line will be starting/terminating at Riding Mill from next week, as opposed to Prudhoe.

Seems like the Class 156's are making more and more appearances on Saltburn services, I'm on one heading home right now and 156479 was heading the other way when I was in Middlesbrough.

Randomly there was a Class 158 at Darlington Railway Station.

Seems like the Class 156's are making more and more appearances on Saltburn services, I'm on one heading home right now and 156479 was heading the other way when I was in Middlesbrough.

Randomly there was a Class 158 at Darlington Railway Station.

5G87 Leeds-Heaton.

Seems like the Class 156's are making more and more appearances on Saltburn services, I'm on one heading home right now and 156479 was heading the other way when I was in Middlesbrough.

Randomly there was a Class 158 at Darlington Railway Station.

I have noticed the 156's appearing more too.
There was at least one on, on Wednesday night.
No idea if Heaton have gained more or if allocations are changing.

Seems like the Class 156's are making more and more appearances on Saltburn services, I'm on one heading home right now and 156479 was heading the other way when I was in Middlesbrough.

Randomly there was a Class 158 at Darlington Railway Station.

I have noticed the 156's appearing more too.
There was at least one on, on Wednesday night.
No idea if Heaton have gained more or if allocations are changing.

156s are diagrammed to work most Newcastle - Carlisle with few interworking at Carlisle to work the Heaton diagrams on the Cumbrian Coast aswell as the daily 1622? Newcastle to Whitehaven,
Only time a 156 could appear is on the early morning Saltburn to Newcastle via ECML peak working which then again, Works onto a Carlisle service. Though I believe this is a 142 Diagram.

But because of the Landslide around Corbridge, Heatons allocation has gone through the window with 156s stuck west of Hexham and 156s stuck east of Hexham.
So Heaton send them out to Strengthen other services instead of 142s, Until the landslip is cleared at Corbridge all of Heatons diagrams will be worked by either 142s or 156s with no confirmed type to run the service

The 158 will be coming to use Heatons wheel Lathe.

156s are diagrammed to work most Newcastle - Carlisle with few interworking at Carlisle to work the Heaton diagrams on the Cumbrian Coast aswell as the daily 1622? Newcastle to Whitehaven,
Only time a 156 could appear is on the early morning Saltburn to Newcastle via ECML peak working which then again, Works onto a Carlisle service. Though I believe this is a 142 Diagram.

But because of the Landslide around Corbridge, Heatons allocation has gone through the window with 156s stuck west of Hexham and 156s stuck east of Hexham.
So Heaton send them out to Strengthen other services instead of 142s, Until the landslip is cleared at Corbridge all of Heatons diagrams will be worked by either 142s or 156s with no confirmed type to run the service

The 158 will be coming to use Heatons wheel Lathe.

I get what you're saying about the blockage on the Tyne Valley line but there were increasing sightings before it happened. Some mentioned in this thread.

Initially the sightings seemed to coincide with closures down in the Boro area.
There haven't been any closures in that area for a while though.

I get what you're saying about the blockage on the Tyne Valley line but there were increasing sightings before it happened. Some mentioned in this thread.

Initially the sightings seemed to coincide with closures down in the Boro area.
There haven't been any closures in that area for a while though.

I spotted two in November/December on normal weekday workings in the form of 156479 and 156484.
https://flic.kr/p/ANspfG
https://flic.kr/p/A9vK95

5G87 Leeds-Heaton.

As seen here at Stockton - very rare up this way! Albeit to become regular over the next few years


Northern Rail 158787 by Scott Cooper, on Flickr

As seen here at Stockton - very rare up this way! Albeit to become regular over the next few years


Northern Rail 158787 by Scott Cooper, on Flickr

First time since 2006/7 a 158 has been through - great picture.