Old Dalby Saved

[Guinness]

Fair Use Extract:

An historic stretch of railway line deemed redundant by Network Rail has been saved by the consortium charged with renewing two-thirds of the London Underground.

Metronet Rail has committed £7 million to take control of the entire 21 kilometre length of the Old Dalby test track in the Midlands – Britain's only dedicated test track – in order to prove the reliability of the next generation of air-conditioned Tube train.

Work is planned to electrify at least 4 kilometres of the line with Underground-compatible third and fourth rail.

The site, at Asfordby on the southern outskirts of Nottingham in Leicestershire, is owned by British Rail Board (Residuary) and was controversially mothballed in 2005 following successful testing of the Virgin Pendolino tilting trains

http://www.therailwaycentre.com/

Excellent News. Will Metronet keep the OHLE however? Would be ideal for future testing such as Regenerative Braking with c2c 357s that recently went to Czech Republic.

 

[Humberside]

Very good news. Well done Metronet

Will the track be available for use by third parties when not needed by Metronet? I take it will remain connected to the national network?

 

[Techniquest]

Excellent!

 

[Dennis]

Starts frothing at the thought of somewhere to run preserved LU stock....