RHTT Season 2026

[Amos390]

Which specific train(s) are you interested in? (I have a record of all the 2025 start dates for each diagram)


MARK

Hi Mark, I’m only really interested in the 3J84 Toton circuit if that’s OK for you to check.

TIA,
Amos

 

[CDM Transport]

Hi Mark. I'm mostly interested about the Teesside and North Yorkshire diagrams.

3J51 starts 1st October.

 

[Tobytrain10]

I think this is worth noting here, 6L84 from Doncaster to Whitemoor is consisting of 3 Class 69s today, i reckon 2 might come off and start the RHTT around peterborough in the next week or so, or get ready for on October 1st start

 

[Freightmaster]

Hi Mark, I’m only really interested in the 3J84 Toton circuit if that’s OK for you to check.

That one started on October 2nd last year, which is pretty typical for that diagram.

Interestingly, the very last working to commence last year was the other Toton train
(3J92/93, covering the MML), which didn't start until October 20th!

 

[Machtwo]

Was 3J41 working last night (9/Sep)? Something very loud thrashed west of Didcot towards Swindon around 8.30pm.

 

[XCTurbostar]

FEA RHTT wagons on the move between York Thrall Europa and Whitemoor Yard behind 66788
642043
642042
642048
642007

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R59118/2026-09-10/detailed

 

[CR165022]

Is it still the plan for 66708, 709 & 710 to get tripcocks for the Chiltern circuit? Only concerned as 708 hasn't been out in months, would swapping it for 711 be more likely?

 

[43096]

Is it still the plan for 66708, 709 & 710 to get tripcocks for the Chiltern circuit? Only concerned as 708 hasn't been out in months, would swapping it for 711 be more likely?

Seems a bit odd to be fitting three locos that are in the batch (66701-722) that were being talked about for going off lease as the 99s come in.

 

[D365]

Seems a bit odd to be fitting three locos that are in the batch (66701-722) that were being talked about for going off lease as the 99s come in.

Perhaps it may be of benefit for Colas to have access to a pool of tripcock fitted locomotives in the future

 

[Freightmaster]

The 70-hauled Carstairs train is having its 'shakedown run' this evening:


3S93 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K03587/2026-09-10/detailed

 

[XCTurbostar]

The 70-hauled Carstairs train is having its 'shakedown run' this evening:


3S93 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K03587/2026-09-10/detailed

Which locos were on this? Isn’t a third loco usually required as a spare too?

 

[47286Dan]

70810 & 70815 have been at Carstairs so should be these 2. Unless anyone can confirm tonight I’ll confirm at work in morning

Dan

 

[Amos390]

Which locos were on this? Isn’t a third loco usually required as a spare too?

70810 & 70815 have been at Carstairs so should be these 2. Unless anyone can confirm tonight I’ll confirm at work in morning

Dan

Confirmed 70810 and 70815 operating that one, wondering if it might get caught up in the disruption over Beattock on the way back with the points failure up there

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

Looks like there is another RHTT doing a run today, 3S92/3S93 Bridgeton Yd - Gourock and back, presuming this is just another shakedown? Is it also an MPV or is it loco hauled?

 

[XCTurbostar]

Suspiciously numbered headcode of 0W90 scheduled for tomorrow, assumed to be a 3W90 trainer.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R59996/2026-09-12/detailed

 

[Adrian Barr]

Looks like there is another RHTT doing a run today, 3S92/3S93 Bridgeton Yd - Gourock and back, presuming this is just another shakedown? Is it also an MPV or is it loco hauled?

This was MPV 10 (DR 98910 / DR 98960), although using the same 3S93 headcode as the Carstairs working is a bit confusing.

Looking at the WTT schedules for October, there are schedules for 3S90 / 3S91 / 3S92 / 3S94 / 3S98 from Bridgeton Yard for GBRF. I think any workings from Bridgeton will be MPVs, with 4 units currently shown there (MPVs 06, 07, 10, 11).

There's a 3S93 WTT path for Colas from Carstairs to Alloa and back, visiting Fife and the Borders Railway which will presumably be the regular circuit for the 70-hauled RHTT. So any shakedown runs from Carstairs are likely to be loco-hauled.

There are GBRF 3S95 and 3S97 circuits off Inverness which are normally RHTT workings, as seen in this photo from last year:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/148194160@N04/54846178495/ (Photo: Jordan Kearney)

Looking at the list of circuits from last year in post #63 that matches the 2025 list of workings in Scotland.

 

[train_lover]

Is it still the plan for 66708, 709 & 710 to get tripcocks for the Chiltern circuit? Only concerned as 708 hasn't been out in months, would swapping it for 711 be more likely?

I incorrectly said 708. The three are 66709 710 and 711. All should now be fitted. I drove 709 3 weeks ago and it had been fitted out

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

Seems a bit odd to be fitting three locos that are in the batch (66701-722) that were being talked about for going off lease as the 99s come in.

I'm sure if GB were planning on selling 709 710 and 711 that they wouldn't have selected those for tripcock fitting.

 

[43096]

I'm sure if GB were planning on selling 709 710 and 711 that they wouldn't have selected those for tripcock fitting.

GBRf cannot sell them as they don't own them.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Carstairs RHTT expected to start tomorrow (COLAS 70s) (Monday 14th September)
3S93

Tonbridge RHTTs expected to start this week

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2026 ==

3W74 - almost always the first LH RHTT to kick off is running today with 73s - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H49514/2026-09-14/detailed

 

[47286Dan]

Carstairs RHTT expected to start tomorrow (COLAS 70s) (Monday 14th September)
3S93

Tonbridge RHTTs expected to start this week

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2026 ==

3W74 - the and almost always the first LH RHTT to kick off is running today with 73s - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H49514/2026-09-14/detailed

Confirmed by TOPS

73109 GBED TONB11&12 893W74C514 D * TONB11&12 N
73213 GBED TONB11&12 893W74C514 D * TONB11&12 N

Dan

 

[Welshguy1048]

@47286Dan

Morning

Is this a shakedown run for the North Wales RHTT ?

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R60976/2026-09-14/detailed

Thank you

Dave

 

[yorkshirerail]

@47286Dan

Morning

Is this a shakedown run for the North Wales RHTT ?

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R60976/2026-09-14/detailed

Thank you

Dave

No that is a class 153 VIU test train

 

[Welshguy1048]

No that is a class 153 VIU test train

@yorkshirerail

Thank you

Dave

 

[XCTurbostar]

As far as I know, no locos or wagons have been delivered to Swindon.

Carlisle RHTT should be starting soon along with some of the MPVs.

 

[Amos390]

Seen that this weekends Toton runs have been VAR altered, could this indicate that they intend on running this weekend?

 

[Jacob Porrett]

When is the North Wales RHTT likely to start please?

 

[XCTurbostar]

When is the North Wales RHTT likely to start please?

Usually the first week in October.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2026 ==

Seen that this weekends Toton runs have been VAR altered, could this indicate that they intend on running this weekend?

Unlikely, I don’t believe any RHTT wagons are at Toton yet.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2026 ==

For reference, 3W74 is:
73213, 9310002-9 9310004-5, 73109

 

[Tobytrain10]

Unlikely, I don’t believe any RHTT wagons are at Toton yet.

Pretty sure a Toton north yard to bescot a few weeks ago had some on, i have noticed alot of the RHTT wagons are being taken on alot of the normal engineering paths rather than specific STPs

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Usually the first week in October.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2026 ==


Unlikely, I don’t believe any RHTT wagons are at Toton yet.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2026 ==

For reference, 3W74 is:
73213, 9310002-9 9310004-5, 73109

Thank you.

 

[Tobytrain10]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R61504/2026-09-16/detailed

Is this what i think it is?
37116 possibly?

 

[XCTurbostar]

Rail Head Treatment Trains 2026 - Full Table

Here is this years RHTT table to be updated as it kicks off:

	Depot	Route	Headcodes	Operator	Type	Locos	Status	Start Date	Locos				As of	Notes
1​	Tonbridge	Kent	3W74/3W75	GBRF	LH	73s	STARTED	14-Sep​	*	*	*	*	14-Sep​	*GBED Pool of 73s, see below. 3W75 not currently operating
2​	Tonbridge	Southern	3W90	GBRF	LH	73s	STARTED	30-Sep​	As	Above	-	-	-
3​	Swindon	GWML	3J41-44	GBRF	LH	68s	STARTED	25-Sep​	68014	68015	-	-	25-Sep​
4​	Taunton Fairwater	Devon & Cornwall	3S11-13	GBRF	LH	57s	STARTED	28-Sep​	57305	57306	57310	-	25-Sep​	Locos listed are expected
5​	Peterborough	ECML (South)	3J30-39	GBRF	LH	69s	STARTED	01-Oct​	69008	69010	69013	69015	01-Oct​
6​	Peterborough	Lincolnshire	3J41-44	GBRF	LH	69s	STARTED	01-Oct​	As	Above	-	-	-​
7​	York	South Yorkshire & Humber	3S11-15	COLAS	LH	66s	STARTED	29-Sep​	66847	66848	-	-	29-Sep
8​	Carlisle	Teesside	3J77-3J80/3S94	COLAS	LH	56s	STARTED	28-Sep​	56078	56105	-	-	28-Sep​
9​	Horsham	Sussex	3S91-93	BALFOUR BEATTY	MPV	-	STARTED	14-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-	Horsham MPV Pool
10​	Kings Norton	WCML (South) & Watford DC	3J01-12/3S01	GBRF	LH	66s	STARTED	28-Sep​	66711	66791	-	-	28-Sep​
11​	York	Scarborough & Bridlington	3J51-3J52	COLAS	LH	37s	STARTED	01-Oct​	37057	37219	37254	-	28-Sep​
12​	York	Aire Valley	3S20-26	COLAS	LH	Hired in FL 66s	STARTED	28-Sep​	66551	66553	-	-	29-Sep​
13​	Swindon	Welsh Valleys & Severnside	3S59	COLAS	LH	Hired in FL 66s	STARTED	01-Oct​	66544	66549	-	-	01-Oct​
14​	Swindon	Cotswolds	3S31/3S32	COLAS	LH	67s	STARTED	01-Oct​	67023	67027	-	-	01-Oct​
15​	Totton	SWML (West)	3S81/3S82	BALFOUR BEATTY	MPV	-	STARTED	15-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-	Totton MPV Pool
16​	Effingham	SWML (East)	3S83-88	BALFOUR BEATTY	MPV	-	STARTED	15-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-	Effingham MPV Pool
17​	Tonbridge	Southeastern	3S71-78	BALFOUR BEATTY	MPV	-	STARTED	14-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-	Tonbridge MPV Pool
18​	Kings Norton	West Midlands	3S02/3S03	BALFOUR BEATTY	MPV	-	STARTED	30-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-	Kings Norton MPV Pool
19​	Shrewsbury	North Wales	3S71	COLAS	LH	97/3 & 56s	STARTED	28-Sep​	56090	56113	97302	97304	28-Sep​	97s used on RETB sections
20​	Kings Norton	Chilterns	3J04-3J11	GBRF	LH	66s	STARTED	01-Oct​	66710	66711	-	-	01-Oct​	Tripcock only locos 66709-711
21​	Toton	East Midlands	3J88/3J84	GBRF	LH	66s	STARTED	30-Sep​	66705	66723	66754	66778	01-Oct​
22​	Toton	MML	3J91/3J93	GBRF	LH	66s	STARTED	01-Oct​	As	Above	-	-	-
23​	Stowmarket	Cambridgeshire	3S50	GBRF	LH	66s	NOT STARTED		66301	66717	66764	66765	-	Expected Locos Listed
24​	Stowmarket	GEML (East)	3S30	GBRF	LH	66s	NOT STARTED		As	Above	-	-	-
25​	Carlisle	Cumbria	3J11	COLAS	LH	70s	STARTED	25-Sep​	70801	70816	-	-	25-Sep​
26​	Stowmarket	Norfolk & Suffolk	3S01/3S65	GBRF	LH	66s	NOT STARTED		See	Circuit	23	-	-
27​	Stowmarket	GEML	3S60/3S10	GBRF	LH	66s	NOT STARTED		As	Above	-	-	-
28​	Broxbourne	Essex Thameside	3S70/3S40	GBRF	LH	66s	STARTED	01-Oct​	66687	66712	66734	66735	02-Oct​
29​	Broxbourne	West Anglia & North London	3S81/3S20	GBRF	LH	66s	NOT STARTED		As	Above	-	-	-
30​	Wigan	Liverpool Area	3S08/07	GBRF	MPV	-	STARTED		-	-	-	-	-	Wigan MPV Pool
31​	Wigan	North West	3S50-3S92	GBRF	MPV	-	STARTED	18-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-	Wigan MPV Pool
32​	Inverness	Aberdeenshire	3S97	GBRF	LH	99s	OPERATING DAILY	23-Sep​	99006	99008	99009	99013	02-Oct​
33​	Inverness	Highland Main Line	3S95	GBRF	LH	99s	OPERATING DAILY	28-Sep​	As	Above	-	-	-
34​	Mossend	West Highland Line	3S96	GBRF	MPV	-	NOT OPERATING	-	-	-	-	-	-	No WTT in place for 2026
35​	Bridgeton	Suburban Scotland	3S91-92/94/98	GBRF	MPV	-	STARTED	14-Sep​	-	-	-	-	-​	Bridgeton MPV Pool​
36​	Carstairs	Central Scotland	3S93	COLAS	LH	70s	OPERATING DAILY	14-Sep​	70810	70815	-	-	28-Sep​
37​	Port Talbot	West Wales	3S61/3S62	COLAS	LH	66s	STARTED	24-Sep​	66846	66850	-	-	28-Sep​

Special locos (not 56/66/69/70) highlighted in Red.

MPV Allocations:

Spoiler: View Table

Depot	MPV	End 1	End 2
Wigan	MPV01	DR98901	DR98951
Wigan	MPV02	DR98902	DR98952
Wigan	MPV03	DR98903	DR98953
Wigan	MPV04	DR98904	DR98954
Kings Norton	MPV05	DR98905	DR98955
Bridgeton	MPV06	DR98906	DR98956
Bridgeton	MPV07	DR98907	DR98957
Kings Norton	MPV08	DR98908	DR98958
Kings Norton	MPV09	DR98909	DR98959
Bridgeton	MPV10	DR98910	DR98960
Bridgeton	MPV11	DR98911	DR98961
Wigan	MPV12	DR98912	DR98962
Effingham	MPV13	DR98913	DR98963
Effingham	MPV14	DR98914	DR98964
Totton	MPV15	DR98915	DR98965
Horsham	MPV16	DR98916	DR98966
Bridgeton	MPV17	DR98917	DR98967
Wigan	MPV18	DR98918	DR98968
Tonbridge	MPV19	DR98919	DR98969
Effingham	MPV20	DR98920	DR98970
Horsham	MPV21	DR98921	DR98971
Effingham	MPV22	DR98922	DR98972
Effingham	MPV23	DR98923	DR98973	CRTL ALT DELEAF
Totton	MPV24	DR98924	DR98974
Tonbridge	MPV25	DR98925	DR98975
Effingham	MPV26	DR98926	DR98976
Effingham	MPV27	DR98927	DR98977
Tonbridge	MPV28	DR98928	DR98978
Horsham	MPV29	DR98929	DR98979
Tonbridge	MPV30	DR98930	DR98980
Horsham	MPV31	DR98931	DR98981
Wigan	MPV32	DR98932	DR98982

GBED Tonbridge Operational 73s:

Spoiler: View Table

Number	Livery
73109	GBRf Blue and Orange
73107	GBRf Blue and Orange
73119	Civil Engineers Yellow and Grey
73128	Network SouthEast
73136	GBRf Blue and Orange
73141	Intercity Large Logo
73201	BR Blue with Yellow Ends
73202	Southern Rail
73212	GBRf Blue and Orange
73213	GBRf Blue and Orange

Note that services will run ‘adhoc’ during September and early October and should not be treated as reliably running daily.

Permanent Link to this post: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rhtt-season-2026.304743/post-7945819