New Railway Parcels Service

[whole diary]

[stuving]

More info here: https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/

Is Orion (a subsidiary of Rail Operations Group) yet another separate contender - number four?

[SandTEngineer]

More info here: https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/

Is Orion (a subsidiary of Rail Operations Group) yet another separate contender - number four?

Yes, I believe so.

[stuving]

Not exactly parcels, but ...

You may have seen the news that a TGV was used today to transport 20 COVID-19 patients from Strasbourg to other places where hospitals still have ICU capacity (Le Mans, Angers, Nantes, La-Roche-sur-Yon). While described as a "first in Europe", obviously it was nothing of the kind - certainly if you look back as far as WW1; probably much more recently. In addition,SNCF have always run stripped-out carriages for those on stretchers and other wheeled sickbeds to Lourdes, and reportedly now have a TGV to do likewise.

This was in any case more of an improvisation that an adaptation. Four stretchers were lodged across the backs of four facing second-class seats in a lower saloon, and tied down with straps. Oxygen bottles and all the support machinery, including ventilators, were put on the floor or seats underneath.  The advantage compared to road or helicopter ambulances is mainly extra space for staff and ease of access to the patient - the only comparable method is the French army's medevac aircraft, an A330 with four IC beds in it, which was used for similar transfers a few days ago.

The value of the operation was related to way the outbreak was been so heavily concentrated in Alsace and nearby, with very few in the west so far. But everyone expects that to change quite soon, of course. Here, while it's not yet clear, it looks as if London will reach ICU saturation first.

[nickswift99]

The NRM has an interesting article about the last British ambulance train which ran until 1994. https://blog.railwaymuseum.org.uk/commander-of-last-british-ambulance-train-speaks-at-nrm-railways-and-warfare-conference/

[Surrey 455]

I came across this on Twitter yesterday from GB Railfreight

We've successfully trialled using former commuter trains for the express delivery of parcels Package

The trial showed how the service could play a role in helping with the logistical challenge of delivering vital supplies to UK hospitals.

The accompanying photos aren't very exciting, they show one of those high sided cages in a former London Midland train with the seats still in place!