RAILTALK - Modern Railways' editorial view
PRIVATISATION UPDATE - The guillotine falls in the House; John Welsby speaks his mind on freight privatisation
NEWSFRONT - Jubilee Line Extension gets the go-ahead; Manchester Airport Southern spur shenanigans; fares lo rise faster than inflation
INFORMED SOURCES - Roger Ford, Transport Journalist of the Year, provides his usual incisive behind-the-scenes report. He leads with our cover story: could the Class 89 be the replacement motive power for the West Coast?
MODERN RAILFREIGHT - Trainload Freight heads for a car boot sale; Roger Freeman sponsors rent-a-47
STATE OF THE ART-FREIGHT WAGONS - What's new in heavy haul and bimodal vehicles
REVIEW - The latest railway books
TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS - How does the Class 158 compare with the 124 of yore? John Heaton details performance past and present on the Pennine banks - with Class 47s, 124s, 158s and Intercity 125s under the stopwatch.
CLASS 323 ROLLS OUT: HUNSLET'S BID FOR SURVIVAL - Birmingham and Manchester get new trains - as the Leeds firm hangs on by its finger ^ nails
MOVING WHEELS - Traction and rolling stock news: Hertford 150, Class 47 renumberings
TRACKWATCH - BR network changes
RAIL TOURER - Christmas stuffing
SERVICE PLEASE - Barry Doe reviews the history of bustitution
ALAN WILLIAMS' COLUMN - Our man does his bit at the party conferences
EUROPEVIEW - The Continent calls out the civil engineers: new high speed lines in France and Belgium, go-ahead for the Semmering base tunnel in Austria, capacity improvements on the Gotthard route.
CORNISH CLAY: MORE GOES BY RAIL - Paul Salveson reports on white gold from the Duchy
FORUM - Readers' letters: Channel Tunnel freight locos, Tilbury line stock renewal

Front cover: The prototype Class 89. Could this provide replacement motive power for the West Coast route? See page 719. Brian Morrison