Tag: Visits

Visit to Three Bridges ROC and Depot

Govia Thameslink has kindly provided us with a chance to visit the Three Bridges Regional Operating Centre and Train Care Facility. The visit will be on Tuesday 14th January 2020 at 11 a.m. at Three Bridges ROC, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1HW. For those leaving from Cambridge, there is a 08:54 direct Thameslink service to Three Bridges with the scheduled arrival time of 10:49 and we’ll be meeting on the platform or on the train.

Further detail on this visit will be announced to those signed up on the due course.

Network Rail’s National Operating Strategy plans for the closure of hundreds of signal boxes, control centres and electrical control rooms, with all their functions moving to just twelve Regional Operating Centres around the country including the Three Bridges ROC. It now controls the operation of Thameslink, and due to bring more of the railway under its control in the coming years.

Three Bridges depot is one of the newest and largest train maintenance facilities in the UK, which is 1.4 miles long, and has stabling capacity for 172 carriages. It’s home to the new Siemens Class 700 fleet, maintained by Siemens and operated by GTR.

Meanwhile, why not try to subscribe to our visiting calendar (Don’t download, just copy the link and paste to your calendar software to subscribe) so you won’t miss any amazing visits.

Read more about the ROC >>
Read more about the depot >>

Please do sign up and fill the appropriate section in the form asap if you would like to join the visit. Places are limited and they do run out quickly. Details about the visit will be emailed in due course after signing up.

Alternatively via this link: https://forms.gle/jWFT4qrsrQLE19429

Events Lent 2019

The term card for Lent 2019 is as follows:

  • Friday 25th January, 6pm prompt, Know-Shaw Room, Sidney Sussex College:
    Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe (All the Stations).
  • Wednesday 13th February, 6pm prompt, Queens’ College:
    Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman of Network Rail.
  • Wednesday 27th February, Queens’ College (6pm, room DD48)
    Andy Cooper, MD of Cross Country.
  • Friday 1st March, 18:00, Sidney Sussex (Knox-Shaw)
    Paul Cooper, Hitachi Rail Europe.
  • Tuesday 5th March, Gonville and Caius College, Green room; 20:30:
    David Horne, MD of LNER.
  • Wednesday 13th March, 18:00, Sidney Sussex College (Knox-Shaw room):
    Tim Mulhall, CEO of Hornby

    Here is a selection of past events and activities:
  • Speaker meetings: In the past speakers have, among others, come from Colas Rail, Network Rail, Crossrail, South Western Railway, East West Railway Company (Varsity Line plans),  High Speed Two (HS2), Direct Rail Services, Japan Railways East, GB Railfreight, Virgin Trains East Coast and Project Miller.
  • Visits: To depots, signal boxes, industrial sites and other places of railway interest. Recent visits include Cambridge Signal Box, Brush Traction and London Undersround Ruslip depot,  Plasser UK, Loram and Network Rail’s New Measurement Train.
  • Annual Dinner, including a speech from a notable figure in the railway industry or preservation. The 2017/18 Annual Dinner took place on the Great Western Railway Pullman Dining Train.
  • Termly journal Eagle, which includes news from the club and the local railway scene and offers the opportunity for members to see their articles and photos in print.

Come and try us out for free, as the CURC provides exclusive access to key railway professionals, as well as visits to key sites around the country; you might just want to become a member! Student Membership costs £10 per year or £25 for life membership. You can pay an annual membership now and upgrade to life later. If not, we charge £3 at the door for non-members, upon your third entry to a talk.

We look forward to welcoming you soon. Please follow our events here, or on Talks@Cam, or email to be signed up to our email list.