Riviera Trains

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Riviera Trains Limited is a railway spot-hire company, based at Crewe in Cheshire. It owns a large fleet of Class 47 locomotives, which have been 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 till February 2005. The fleet is also used to haul "Foot-ex" specials as well as other Riviera Requirements.

Riviera hires to Train Operating Companies such as Virgin Trains, Arriva Trains Wales, First Great Western, First Scotrail, Freightliner, FirstGBRf, Victa Westlink and Direct Rail Services. Rivera had a long term contract to supply Virgin Cross-Country with a "stand-by" train set made up of Mark 2F vehicles. However this has now ended due to the takeover of the cross-country route. They also hire to rail tour customers who include: Compass Tours, Nenta Train Tours, Past Time Rail, Pathfinder Tours 2006, The Railway Touring Company and Hertfordshire Rail Tours

Riviera owns the largest fleet of charter vehicles in the country with over 20 Mark 1 First Class Open vehicles. They have up to 7 charter sets, 3 built up of Mark 1 vehicles and 4 + built up of Mark 2 vehicles. They are now the leading provider of charter trains to the rail tour industry and Train Operating Companies.

One of Riviera locomotives, 47839, was the first to be painted in the corporate Oxford Blue livery. Most of the fleet retained the livery of their previous operators until late-2006, when three further locomotives were reliveried. 47805, 47843 & 47848 received the Riviera touch of Oxford blue. Of the rest of the fleet, 47812 was painted into 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.

In 2005 the company acquired Pathfinder Tours which has now become a more successful business in the Charter industry.

Riviera Trains launched a rake of Mark 2F coaching stock early in 2006, called "The Great Briton". All the coaches are in the livery of Oxford Blue and Cream, which were hand painted to high standards at LNWR Crewe. The eight coaches are named after famous Britons, such as Shakespeare and Churchill and feature hand painted Union Jacks on each side of the coaches which is very distinctive. In January 2007 "The Great Brition" luxury Pullman train set took over the operation of the 'Blue Pullman' for Hertforshire Railtours, formally part of Victa Westlink Rail. During the same year May 2007 Riviera bought class 47747 from EWS. This locomotive is known to be one of the best Class 47's that EWS put up for sale.

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[edit] Charter Alliance

On March 12, 2007, EWS Network and Riviera Trains announced the formation of Charter Alliance as a "a dedicated provider of reliable and high class specialist passenger rail services". Charter Alliance was to start operations on April 1st, 2007, with four charter trains for football fans being the first ones operated by the new alliance[1]. EWS Network provided itself charter trains and operates the Royal Train.

[edit] Fleet Details

Key: In service Under repair


Number Class Name Livery Year Acquired Former Operator Status
08780 08 - Oxford Blue 2003 ex-First Great Western Operational
47575 47 - Parcels Red 2004 ex-EWS Withdrawn
47747 47 - EWS 2007 ex-EWS Under repair
47769 47 Resolve Virgin Red/Black 2004 ex-EWS Operational
47805 47 TALISMAN Oxford Blue 2005 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47812 47 - BR Two Tone Green 2005 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47815 47 GREAT WESTERN BR Two Tone Green 2005 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47839 47 PEGASUS Oxford Blue 2002 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47843 47 VULCAN Oxford Blue 2005 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47847 47 - BR Blue Large Logo 2005 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47848 47 TITAN STAR Oxford Blue 2005 ex-Porterbrook Operational
47853 47 Rail Express XP64 Blue/Red 2002 ex-Porterbrook Operational

[edit] 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 Withdrawn
47705 47 Guy Fawkes LNWR Black 1997 ex-Waterman Rail Sold to Porterbrook in 2002, and converted to 57303
47829 47 - Police 2005 ex-Porterbrook Sold to Direct Rail Services, 2007

[edit] References

  1. ^ Press release "Charter Alliance launched for quality specialist passenger rail services" [1]
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Current British railway spot-hire companies

█ Cotswold Rail    █ Mainline Rail    █ Harry Needle Railroad Company    █ MiddlePeak Railways    █ Riviera Trains    █ RT Rail    █ West Coast Railway Company
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Previous British railway spot-hire companies

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