John Jackson

Formed in 1999, GB Railfreight was one of several new rail freight operators to appear after the privatisation and break-up of British Rail in the 1990s. After winning a contract to operate infrastructure trains for Railtrack in 2000 the company enjoyed a long period of rapid growth to become one of the UK’s principal rail freight companies, later expanding into passenger operations. Today, with a fleet of over 100 locomotives, the company operates a wide and varied range of services across the UK. This book aims to take a look at the operations and fleet of this successful rail business.

It has been thirty years since the transition from a nationalised to a privatised railway in Britain. Much has changed on the railways since then, particularly in the battle for market share for the rail sector in the freight transport marketplace. Britain's privately owned freight operators have had to contend with a rapidly changing environment as well as fierce competition from the road hauliers. This inevitably means competing amongst themselves to try and gain market share in moving freight. These challenges are set against the global backdrop of needing to pursue ‘greener’ goals, and at a time when both electricity and diesel fuel prices continue to rise. Perhaps the most significant impact has been felt by the elimination of the movement of coal from the country’s railways. Other traditional markets, such as the steel sector, are looking increasingly vulnerable for freight operators. The need to adapt to these changes has never been more important. John Jackson takes an in-depth look at the various operators in this sector, as well as the types of freight now being carried. From shipping containers from British ports to a variety of construction materials for the ever-changing population needs, there is still plenty of freight action to be seen on Britain’s railways.

The stations at Bletchley and Milton Keynes are 2 miles apart on the busy West Coast Main Line (WCML), approximately 50 miles north of London Euston. In many ways, that is all they have in common. The railway first came to Bletchley almost 200 years ago, in the 1830s. By complete contrast the City of Milton Keynes was not conceived until the 1960s and its Central station, an integral part of the new conurbation, did not open until 1982. Before then, the area’s rail focus was centred on the old town of Bletchley on the southern fringe of what was to become Milton Keynes. As well as the town enjoying north to south rail services on the WCML, the town was well served by services to Oxford, Buckingham and Banbury to the west and also Bedford and Cambridge to the east. Much of the east to west route has gone with just the 16-mile branch to Bedford in use today. Nevertheless, Bletchley has continued to host both a depot and stabling sidings, chiefly for passenger units nowadays. Any visitor viewing the area’s rail lines cannot fail to notice just how busy the WCML is in this area, with trains passing almost every minute of the day. Despite the inevitable downturn associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, around 5 million passengers still use Milton Keynes Central station each year. This book examines this traffic in detail. With both local and express passenger trains regularly passing on this four-track rail highway, it is a remarkable timetable achievement to accommodate any slower moving freight trains at all. A look through these pages demonstrates the fascinating variety of locos and freight traffic on offer.

John Jackson explores the huge variety of liveries introduced since rail privatisation in the mid-1990s.

There is no doubt that a greater understanding of the UK wagon fleet enhances the appreciation of the rail-enthusiasts’ hobby, whether for railway modelling purposes or simply enjoying watching the real thing, or both. The wagon numbering system alone is outdated and can be a minefield. Wagons built since 2008, including some conversions and rebuilds, now conform to the Europe-wide system of wagon numbering. In this book, however, the focus is on exploring almost 200 examples from among the thousands of UK wagons remaining in use that carry private-owner or nationalised UK air-braked numbering systems. Since the TOPS coding system was introduced in the 1970s much has changed in the rail-freight sector. The alphabetical classification used for wagon types has not. In this publication the 100 or so classifications are each featured and explained. Ranging from flat wagons for carrying shipping containers to wagons designed specifically for carrying steel or stone, for example, the variety of wagons built in the twentieth century that are still in use today are detailed. Drawing on one of the largest collections of wagon images on the Internet, John Jackson explores these survivors with the featured wagons arranged numerically for ease of reference. The cross-section included is designed to enhance the enthusiast’s understanding and, it is hoped, enjoyment of watching freight trains in the UK.

Bedfordshire may be amongst England’s smallest counties but its 700,000 residents and increasing numbers of visitors have a wealth of places to explore within its boundaries. Alongside the urban areas of Luton and Bedford, the county offers plenty of green spaces, including the Chiltern Hills. The county has connections with John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, Catherine of Aragon and the Whitbread family, dating back some 250 years when the brewing pioneer was MP for Bedford. In this book local authors John and Jenny Jackson reveal the vital role a Bedfordshire barn played during World War, exactly why Luton Town Football Club are appropriately nicknamed ‘The Hatters’, the churchyard that inspired J. M. Barrie’s character, Wendy, in Peter Pan, and much more. 50 Gems of Bedfordshire explores the many places and their history that make this part of the country so special, including natural features, towns and villages, buildings and places of historical interest. Alongside justly famous attractions, others will be relatively unknown but all have an interesting story to tell.

At the end of the 1980s a fleet of fifty Class 90 electric locomotives was to commence service for British Rail. The rail privatisation in the following decade saw the fleet divided between a number of private operators, including Virgin Trains and Rail Express Systems. Their duties were soon to extend to both passenger and freight work across most of the country’s electrified network. While some examples have been sidelined for a number of years, the majority of the fleet is still going strong as it approaches its fortieth anniversary in traffic. During that time, these locomotives have sported a variety of liveries, reflecting their diverse ownership and usage. The class spent many years at work on passenger duties along the length of the West Coast Main Line as well as Great Eastern flagship services between London and Norwich. These stalwarts even made appearances on both Anglo-Scottish sleeper services and were frequently hired in to perform East Coast Main Line passenger duties between King’s Cross and Yorkshire. Often operating in pairs, the class was used by both Freightliner and DB Cargo for their longer distance container workings, again where the power supply allowed. John Jackson highlights the diversity of the class with photographs from all electrified corners of the UK railway network across their four decades at work, proving they still have their worth on the network today.

Amid growing public concern about the negative effect cross-examination has on vulnerable witnesses, this book examines the effect of recent reforms to the practice across the different jurisdictions of the UK and Ireland. Drawing on observations and transcripts of trials and interviews with judges, advocates and intermediaries, the book provides an evaluation of cross-examination in trials involving vulnerable witnesses and the extent to which reforms are producing meaningful change. The book’s analysis sheds new light on the significance of cross-examination in criminal trials and provides evidence-based solutions for further changes to enable vulnerable witnesses to give their best evidence to the court.

This important stretch of railway line through the Midlands connects England's second city of Birmingham with the strategically important railway centre of Derby. The area is served by local passenger services as well as forming part of the key cross-country route linking Scotland and the North East of England with Bristol and the South West. However, it is the variety of freight traffic that draws the rail enthusiast to this area. The frequent passing of coal trains may have ceased, but this significant line still has a lot to offer. From oil and steel to aggregates and container traffic, all the country's main freight operators are regular visitors to the area. The rail-enthusiast popularity extends to the intermediate stations of Burton upon Trent and Tamworth. The latter's split-level platforms are particularly busy as the town sits at the intersection of this cross-country route and the West Coast Main Line, which passes below. Less well known is the important junction at Water Orton, where services towards Leicester and the east of England leave the main Derby line. John Jackson's selection of striking images traces this 40-mile journey in detail, while also providing a nostalgic look back at the now-closed diesel depot at Saltley, close to the heart of Birmingham, as well as highlighting the railway construction work that continues at Derby to the present day.