Is time running out for the Scottish Queen ?
Having been associated with the DfT sponsored hire arrangement between Direct Rail Services and Northern Rail almost since its inception in May 2015 37 401 'Mary Queen of Scots' is seen passing the terraced cottages at Comley Bank on the approach to Aspatria station. She is working train 2C45 the 09.18 Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle on a grey damp winters morning.
Northern Rail are keen to dispense with this hire arrangement ASAP but it has been subject to a DMU cascade from ScotRail and Anglia releasing suitable class 156 DMU's to Northern which have been delayed. There have been several dates suggested for the final day but one has passed already namely the timetable change on the 8th December. Another possible end date was mid January but a new date of the 28th December is being banded about after 4 x 156's arrived from Scotland in mid December. That said the contract doesn't formerly finish until the end of March 2019, there was never an intention to run them to the bitter end so the two class 37 diagrams could finish at very short notice. I guess the motto "Catch them while you can" holds true. The four year hire period was deemed long enough for Northern Rail to obtain replacement stock after a botched cascade by the DfT in 2015 saw TPE 170's go to Chiltern to be replaced by 156's from Northern who were already short of units to the point it left an operational shortfall of stock.
Is time running out for the Scottish Queen ?
Having been associated with the DfT sponsored hire arrangement between Direct Rail Services and Northern Rail almost since its inception in May 2015 37 401 'Mary Queen of Scots' is seen passing the terraced cottages at Comley Bank on the approach to Aspatria station. She is working train 2C45 the 09.18 Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle on a grey damp winters morning.
Northern Rail are keen to dispense with this hire arrangement ASAP but it has been subject to a DMU cascade from ScotRail and Anglia releasing suitable class 156 DMU's to Northern which have been delayed. There have been several dates suggested for the final day but one has passed already namely the timetable change on the 8th December. Another possible end date was mid January but a new date of the 28th December is being banded about after 4 x 156's arrived from Scotland in mid December. That said the contract doesn't formerly finish until the end of March 2019, there was never an intention to run them to the bitter end so the two class 37 diagrams could finish at very short notice. I guess the motto "Catch them while you can" holds true. The four year hire period was deemed long enough for Northern Rail to obtain replacement stock after a botched cascade by the DfT in 2015 saw TPE 170's go to Chiltern to be replaced by 156's from Northern who were already short of units to the point it left an operational shortfall of stock.