NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN
THIS ITEM from a recent Network Rail press release on the use of Dynamic Track Stabilisers caught the eye of one of our resident ELBOWS. ‘Over Christmas and New Year a number of higher speed handbacks took place. Handing back the railway at 125mph following major plain line renewal works is a first for the modern day railway’.
Well, it depends on your definition of ‘modern day’. According to the late, great, Brian Perren’s East Coast main line timetable review in the April 1988 Modern Railways, a new approach to track relaying and reballasting, known as production line relaying, could achieve, in one weekend, work which previously required four weekends with a Temporary Speed Restriction at the end of it. Not only was it faster, with the new system the line reopened at 125mph after the weekend.
This was thanks to InterCity’s £4 million investment in 10 Dynamic Track Stabilisers, and took about 10 minutes out of the 24-minute London-Edinburgh recovery time. The saving was reflected in the new timetable, with a flagship time for the 10.30 diesel IC125 ‘Flying Scotsman’ of 4hr 23min with two stops. Today’s equivalent, the 11.00 IC225, is timed at 4hr 17min with three stops. So s…
