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NX East Anglia created a 'hybrid' unit in-mid June formed of 52419 in National Express Livery and 57422 in One Livery. The hybrid unit is seen at Lowestoft on 12th June, with 52422 (minus rainbow stripes) at the front. 156422 was reformed on Saturday 14th after the fuel tank on 57422 was repaired. Photo: Andrew Moore

• Northern Rail. 156451 lost its original lilac and white colours for the current blue and purple livery, emerging from the Newton Heath paintshop on 5th June. (photo)

Other Northern repaints in June were 156471 (20th) and 156472 (27th).

By mid June, 156490 promoting the National Railway Museum, had the 'Celebrate the End of Steam' sticker replaced with 'Yorkshire Biggest Experience'. (photo), (photo)

On Tuesday 3rd June, 156469, the 'Bishop Auckland' unit, struck a van on a level crossing at Bardon Mill, near Haltwistle whilst working the 16.27 service from Newcastle to Whitehaven. (news story). Fortunately it was only a minor collision and there were no serious injuries. 156469 was back in traffic by 14th.

On Saturday 7th June, the South East Northumberland Rail Users Group chartered a special train to run on the freight only Ashington Blyth & Tyne Railway, as part of its campaign to have the line re-opened for passenger services. (SENRUG website).

156448 the 'Hadrian Wall' unit, was hired and made 3 round trips on the line. (photo)

• East Midlands Trains. 156401 worked the 10:57 Norwich - Liverpool Lime St on Saturday 21st (photo)

May 2008

Northern Rail's 156448 has vinyls promoting Hadrian's Wall Country. The unit had appeared with the vinyls on 2nd May 2008, but the 'media launch' was not until 6th of June at Newcastle Central Station. (Press Release). The unit is seen at Manchester Oxford Road on 31 May 2008.

Another unit to gain a promotional 'wrap' is 156469, which now has images of Bishop Auckland on its Northern Livery. (photo).

156469 appeared with the vinyls on Saturday 17th May and it operated on the Bishop Auckland - Middlesbrough route that weekend. (Press release). Northern Rail were sponsors of the 'Wear Valley Food Festival' held at Auckland Castle in April, organised by Bishop Auckland Town Centre Forum (website).

Five 156s newly painted in Northern Rail livery during May were: 156463 by 6th (photo), 156470 by 10th (photo), 156444 by 16th (photo), 156443 by 25th (photo), 156454 by 31st (photo).

• All 11 East Midlands Trains class 156s are now in EMT livery. The last three repaints were 156404 by 2nd, 156410 by 8th, and the last 156411 was done by 13th of May.

EMT liveried 156415 worked 09:57 Norwich to Liverpool on Thursday May 1st. (photo).

April 2008

East Midlands Trains' class 156 fleet has been undergoing repaints at Bombardier's Derby works during April. The first in the new livery, 156405, emerged on Friday 4th and the following day was sent to Neville Hill depot for repairs before returning to Nottingham on the 11th. (photo) By the end of the month 8 out of 11 units had been completed. (Press Release) 156414 is seen at Peterborough having arrived from Spalding on 19th April. Photo: Peter Skuce

• Northern Rail. Three more units were repainted at Newton Heath during April.
156486 emerged on Friday 11th (photo).
156469 was out by Saturday 19th (photo). This unit previously had "Leeds-Sheffield Fast Service" bodyside vinyls on the 'angled' version of the livery.
156468 was out by Saturday 26th. Unlike the other 156's recently painted, this unit has the web address on it, the others are unbranded. (photo).

March 2008

• NX East Anglia's 156419 was outshopped from Norwich Crown Point depot with full National Express livery vinyls on Thursday 6th March, and worked the Ipswich - Cambridge route on the following 2 days (Photo). On Monday 10th it was given an official launch at Platform 6 at Norwich, before working the 11:57 to Lowestoft. This unit was the last of 9 to be given an internal refit. (Press Release) 156419 in NX livery, at Norwich on March 10, 2008. Photo: Top Can

• East Midlands Trains. On Tuesday 25th 156413 worked the 1M04 0742 Nottingham - Liverpool, 1L17 1052 Liverpool - Norwich and 1M31 1657 Norwich - Manchester Piccadilly. (photo). The following day 156406 the same diagram - which is booked for a class 158 unit.

• Northern Rail. 156490 has been repainted into the latest Northern Rail livery, and was operating on the Manchester Airport - Liverpool route on Saturday 15th (Photo).

Two weeks later it had gained bodyside vinyls promoting the National Railway Museum (Photo), (Press Release).

156448 had also emerged from Newton Heath's paintshops in Northern Rail livery by the end of the month (Photo).

All 18 of Northern's Porterbrook owned units had received new HID/LED light clusters by the begining of March.

Reports from Northern Railway Forum and Class_156_Sprinters, Scot-Rail, Anglia-Gen.


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