Riviera Trains
![]() | |
Founded | 1996 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Crewe, United Kingdom |
Subsidiaries | Pathfinder Tours |
Website | www.riviera-trains.co.uk |
![](../I/m/47805_at_March.jpg)
Riviera Trains Limited is a railway spot-hire company, based at Crewe in Cheshire. It did own a large fleet of Class 47 locomotives, which were hired to both passenger and charter train operators. One of their main customers was Arriva Trains Wales, which used locomotives to haul Manchester to Holyhead services until February 2005. The fleet is also used to haul "Foot-ex" specials as well as other Riviera Requirements.
Riviera has hires to Train Operating Companies such as Abellio ScotRail, Arriva Trains Wales, DB Cargo UK, Direct Rail Services, Freightliner, GB Railfreight, Grand Central, Great Western Railway, Serco Rail and Virgin Trains.
Riviera supplied Virgin CrossCountry with a "stand-by" train set made up of Mark 2F vehicles. This contract ended when Arriva took over the franchise.
Riviera also hire to rail tour customers who include: The Branch Line Society, Compass Tours, Kingfisher Railtours, Past Time Rail, Pathfinder Tours 2006, SRPS, The Railway Touring Company and UK Railtours.
In 2006 the company acquired Pathfinder Tours.
Locomotives
One of Riviera's locomotives, 47839, was the first to be painted in the Oxford Blue livery. Most of the fleet retained the livery of their previous operators until late 2006. 47805, 47843 & 47848 received the Riviera touch of Oxford Blue in 2006 leaving 47812 painted in BR Two Tone Green in late November 2005 to match its sister no. 47815.
In September 2006, all operational Class 47 locomotives, with the exception of nos. 47769 and 47815, were due to be hired to Direct Rail Services for a period of one year. However this turned out to be just over 4 months hauling flask trains. In May 2007 Riviera bought another locomotive - class 47747. This locomotive has since been sold to DRS, along with 47805, 47839 and 47853. 47769 and 47829 have also been sold to HNRC, with 08507 and 08704 moving the other way in exchange for 47769 in 2013. Another locomotive acquired by Riviera, 47575, was scrapped in 2010, offering a spares pool for the remainder of the fleet.
In April 2014, 47843 was the first of the remaining Riviera Class 47's to be hired out to GB Railfreight. 47815, 47812, 47847 and 47848 have since followed (in this order), with the final loco, 47848, due to enter traffic during March 2015. These five remaining Riviera Class 47's are now maintained by the Harry Needle Railroad Company, based at Barrow Hill in Derbyshire.
However, the remaining five fleets in 2016 were sold to the Rail Operations Group.[1]
Coaching stock
Riviera has one of the largest fleet of vehicles for spot hire and charter work in the UK, rivaling that of West Coast Railways. They can form up to two bespoke Mk1 charter train sets, two bespoke Mk2 charter train sets and several sets for TOC work. They are now one of the leading providers of charter trains to the rail tour industry and Train Operating Companies.
The Company launched a rake of Mark 2F coaching stock early in 2006, called "The Great Briton". All the coaches were in the livery of Oxford Blue and Cream, which were hand painted at LNWR Crewe. The eight coaches are named after famous Britwere, such as Shakespeare and Churchill and feature hand painted Union Jacks on each side of the coaches which was very distinctive. In January 2007 "The Great Brition" luxury Pullman train set took over the operation of the 'Blue Pullman' for Hertfordshire Railtours (now UK Railtours), formally part of Victa Westlink Rail.
On 11 April 2008 Riviera launched a rake of British Rail Mark 1 coaching stock named "The Royal Scot". This set has had over £500,000 investment bringing vehicle up to high standards. All the coaches were painted in Carmine and Cream livery and featured "The Royal Scot" carriage destination boards. Both the interior and exterior of the vehicles underwent a full refurbishment creating a unique trainset.
Charter Alliance
On 12 March 2007, EWS (Now DB Cargo) and Riviera Trains announced the formation of Charter Alliance as "a dedicated provider of reliable and high class specialist passenger rail services". Charter Alliance was to start operations on 1 April 2007, with four charter trains for football fans being the first ones operated by the new alliance.[2] EWS provided itself charter trains and operates the Royal Train.
Fleet details
Key: | In service | Under repair | Sold for further use |
---|
Number | Class | Name | Livery | Year Acquired | Former Operator | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
08507 | 08 | - | Oxford Blue | 2013 | ex-Harry Needle Railroad Company | Operational |
08605 | 08 | - | DB Red/Grey | 2016 | ex-DB Cargo | Operational |
08704 | 08 | - | Oxford Blue | 2013 | ex-Harry Needle Railroad Company | Operational |
08780 | 08 | - | Oxford Blue | 2003 | ex-First Great Western | Operational |
Past fleet
Key: | Withdrawn | Sold for further use |
---|
Number | Class | Name | Livery | Year Acquired | Former Operator | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
37383 | 37 | - | Mainline Freight Blue | 2000 | ex-EWS | Scrapped |
47575 | 47 | - | Rail Express Parcels | 2004 | ex-EWS | Scrapped in 2010 |
47705 | 47 | Guy Fawkes | LNWR Black | 1997 | ex-Waterman Rail | Sold to Porterbrook in 2002, and converted to 57303. |
47747 | 47 | - | EWS | 2007 | ex-EWS | Sold to Direct Rail Services in 2011. |
47769 | 47 | Resolve | Virgin CrossCountry | 2004 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2013. |
47805 | 47 | - | Oxford Blue | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Direct Rail Services in 2011. |
47812 | 47 | - | Oxford Blue | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Rail Operations Group in 2016.[1] |
47815 | 47 | Great Western | Oxford Blue | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Rail Operations Group in 2016.[1] |
47829 | 47 | - | British Transport Police | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2007. |
47839 | 47 | Pegasus | Oxford Blue | 2002 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Direct Rail Services in 2011. |
47843 | 47 | Vulcan | Oxford Blue | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Rail Operations Group in 2016.[1] |
47847 | 47 | - | BR Blue Large Logo | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Rail Operations Group in 2016.[1] |
47848 | 47 | Titan Star | Oxford Blue | 2005 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Rail Operations Group in 2016.[1] |
47853 | 47 | Rail Express | XP64 Blue/Red | 2002 | ex-Porterbrook | Sold to Direct Rail Services in 2011. |
References
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Riviera Trains. |