Alstom Anxious : Hitachi Hopeful (2)

Good News For the North East

There was dancing in the streets of Newton Aycliffe when it was announced that a brand new train building factory was to be built on a brown field site just outside the town.

The Newton Aycliffe facility was created as a result of the Agility Trains consortium being selected to produce high speed trains for the Intercity Express Programme in 2009. During 2011, Hitachi announced its selection of the site and construction work commenced two years later. The 43,000 m2 (460,000 sq ft) factory, which was officially opened on 3 September 2015, was completed at a cost of £82 million. Initially, the facility only performed assembly, using components that were produced elsewhere to complete trains, and no actual manufacturing operations took place. However, some manufacturing activities have been performed at Newton Aycliffe for later-built trains.

The factory is notable as the source of the 800 series of trains.

Originally, the factory assembled the Class 800 and Class 802 trainsets for the IEP. However, Hitachi subsequently secured further orders, such as to produce Class 385 EMUs for the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme, Class 802s for TransPennine Express, and a fleet of 165 vehicles for East Midlands Railway. By 2020, the plant reportedly employed around 700 people, and was engaged in building the Classes 803, 805, 807 and 810 trainsets. 

Bad News For the North East?

All was looking hunky and dory for Hitachi after it secured a share in the project to build the trains or the High Speed 2 line. But as we know, Rishi has scuppered most of that and Keir won't reverse the policy.

Not good news ... BUT!

Faced with the "black hole" in the Government's finances (isn't there always a black hole when a change of government happens?) you do wonder how the lovely Louise (this week's Transport Minister) is going to manage it.

Meanwhile down souh at Derby ...

Alstom looked like joining the Closure Club which, if both "go under" would mean that there would be no train building left in the UK. 

The press are, as expected, full of doom and gloom.

Bad News For Derby?

With the end of production of the Aventras of assorted hues, there is no work for the lads and lasses of Litchurch Lane.

Illustrated above are the Aventras now trundling up and down the Elizabeth Line line in London.

... and there's more.

Good News For Derby - For Now

Hooray! The very nice people at Transport for London have worked out that passenger numbers on the purple lines have grown so much that they need more trains.  Thy need ten more trains.

Presumably the original contract for the main fleet included some complex add-on deal which has now been switched on.

A £370 million should keep things going at Litchurch Lane for a week or so.

Huge sighs of relief.

The North East Awaits

Will the lovely Louise pull the wiggly rabbit train orders out of the government finances empty hat?

The Labour Party might not want to risk losing votes once again from its "red wall" heartland; so expect the bunnies to start gamboling all over Newton Aycliffe in the very near future.

Meanwhile, many pensioners will be shivering this winer.

Thankfully, the fbb's finances, combined with a brand new boiler ...

... will ensure that they manage, despite young Rachel's efforts to ensure otherwise. And the fbbs have got "Hive" - whatever that may be.

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 7th Sept 

Carousel And Water Don't Mix

But Not Like This!

Above shows part of Drayton Manor Theme Park closed by flooding for a whole week in February 2020.

On the other hand these are bottles of water on offer from Reading Buses ...

... part of a bit of a do in Henley, outside the town hall.

A close up of the bottles' caps may give a clue.

Somebody has stuck neat little blue labels on the bottles' lids. They read "Aqua 28".

Also there for a time was a bus ...

... beautified by a Bearded Beautifier from Shepherds Bush, one Mr Stenning. The bus, incidentally, is a bit of a mystery. It was one of a batch delivered to Stagecoach Sunderland ...

... gas powered and thus well up on the scale of environmental brownie points. Here is the bus in Stagecoach garb ...

... and in service in Sunderland. Here it is again, repainted and promoting Service 28 Aqua at Reading.

So, what;s going on? 

It is possible that readers may recgnise this map ..

... as it is remarkably similar to route 800, just taken over by Carousel buses.

The 800 has a few journeys via Binfield Heath with its clearly marked bus stop.

But then until 28th inst it was operated by Arriva - so there is no bus stop sign and no timetable display.

There, told you. The 0945 from Reading runs via Binfield Heath at 1010.

What fbb does not know is whether Reading Buses started their Aqua 28 as a spoiler for the ailing Arriva or a warning shot across the bows for the more alive and kicking Carousel.

There is good route promotion inside the Aqua bus ...

...with a route reminder as well.

There are high quality leaflets ....

... and, best of all (or worst of all depending on who you are), Reading runs half hourly whilst the 800 is only hourly along the same roads. 

Of course, Carousel does run half hourly between Reading and Henley but via two different routes.

Will GoAhead's Carousel company respond?

Watch this blog!

There is no new network map on Carousel's web site but each route does have an updated timetable and a simple map attached ...

... both hugely better than the poor offerings of the outgoing Arriva.

Good Time In Lyme 

Trips For Chips (2)

fbb plus Mrs fbb took a trip on Axe Valley 378 from Seaton to Lyme Regis on Friday 26th July. The trip was not particularly dramatic in any way, but thoroughly enjoyable and is a good example of the pleasure of simply taking a bus ride. It's cheap (either £2 or, in the aged fbbs' case, free) and you don't have to drive. 

More importantly in  Lyme Regis, you don't have to park!

Axe Bridge

Once a toll bridge but built as part of the project to bring the railway not quite close enough to Seaton.

The toll house and the bridge were constructed in cast concrete, certainly the first road bridge to be so built in England. Here we see old and new looking back towards Seaton itself.

With the opening of the bridge, the former track to Axmouth Harbour became a proper road from which the views of the estuary and the wetlands are glorious. When the tide is out, the views are, well, mud!

Axmouth

Before the bridge the only link across the Axe was by ferry from Axmouth village, once sited here at the foot of Church Street. That's  Axmouth church.

Seaton Church, the alighting point of the ferry, is behind the tree!

Axmouth has two nearly adjoining pubs, both serving good nosh, but the fbbs' favourite the Ship.

Axe Valley's finest now joins the A3052 for the run to Lyme.

Rousdon

The time point is Rousdon "Garage" which hasn't been a true garage for many a short year or so. There is still a car sales lot but no fuel sales or car maintenance facilities. The old showroom has been an "artisan" (aka ludicrously expensive) bakery and now trades as ...

... "Koffie". fbb s not sure what it sells!

If you look VERY carefully to your left (as you speed to Lyme) when passing signs to Ware (Where?) you might be clever enough to see Cannington Viaduct in the misty distance.

It's hard to spot but a visit (on foot or car) is a delight.

It is almost all that remains of the branch line from Axminster to Lyme Regis. The double arched bit is where the viaduct started falling down as they built it, so extra bracing was added - sounds very much like fbb's railway modelling skills!

Lyme Regis

The views as you enter the town are wonderful, but ony feebly photographed.

Two buildings attract the eye as the bus descends steeply into the town. There is Umbrella Cottage ...

... a singularly appropriate name! Then comes Coram's Tower, now assorted flats.

We alight at the Co-op ...

... and stride off down the hill to find Chips.

There will be more on the buses when we come back, replete with unhealthy fried food, from Lyme Regis tomorrow.

The Delights of Journalism

An article appeared recently in an on-line piece from Liverpool.

There is even a picture of a Belfast "Glider" to set the juices flowing.

But reading on, things look a little different.

It appears there are no fixed plans as yet (that catch-al phrase "plans are ongoing") and a Glider bus might be appearing in the next two weeks or it might not, "I think actually there's one coming to the Wirral."

Don't hold you breath Birkenhead!

 Next Red Book blog : Wednesday 31st July