News - DB Schenker buys Arriva and wins Network Rail test train contract. Jarvis collapse takes down Fastline and could First GBRf be up for sale?

News special: Election extra - With an election fast approaching, we look at where the main political parties stand on developing rail for passengers and freight.

News in pictures - GBRf moves its 100th train for the LUL a€~Metroneta€ contract, Freightliner Class 70 works first passenger and Colas moves Grand Central stock.

Reviews - Freightmaster has updated its a€~national rail freight timetablea€ with colour. RE also looks at a selection of other new books and DVDs.

Farewell to Fastline Freight - The entry of Jarvis into administration has taken freight firm Fastline with it. Paul Shannon looks back over the operatora€ s short existence.

Railtours - A Colas Rail Class 66/8 works a charter, running part of a trip for Spitfire Railtours. Plus a full round-up of specials running in May.

Time traveller: Finsbury Park special - Five decades ago the famous depot at Finsbury Park, North London, opened its doors. Murray Brown recalls the facilitya€ s early days.

Preservation - One of the West Somerset Railwaya€ s a€~Cromptona€ locos moves to Brush Traction for repair. Includes diesel gala listings until the end of 2010.

Messroom - A volcanic eruption in Iceland causes chaos for European air travel - the railway to the rescue. Meanwhile, Daleks invade Sheffield station!

Traction & Rolling Stock - WCRC prepares former InterCity Swallow celebrity 37685 for traffic, but it is bad news for spares-only Class 47s as they go for scrap.

Classifieds - Looking for a gift for a friend or partner, models, or even something to read or watch? Check out our classified and web adverts here.


Rail Express Modeller:

Comment: End of the love affair? - Modellers have spoken in a survey and overwhelmingly they have turned away from proposing new diesel or electric era prototypes! REMa€ s editor asks if the D&E a€~bubblea€ has burst?

Reader offer: Class 37/7s - RAIL EXPRESS Modeller has joined with Bachmann in offering a second exclusive sub-class of the Class 37s. Read on for details of how to purchase our special edition a€~Heavyweightsa€ .

Newsdesk: Trade developments - In a surprise move, Kernow Model Centre transfers production of its a€~Thumpera€ DEMU from Dapol to Bachmann. Graham Farish shows off a€~Na€ DELTIC and Hattons plans Loadhaul 14!

Review: Heljan Class 86 - The last 20 years have been a fallow period for fans of 25kV ac electrics, but this has now changed with the release of a 86 by Heljan. Read on for our opinion of this new loco.

Review: Dapol Class 86/Catenary - Arriving at the same time as the Danish a€~Cana€ , Welsh company Dapol has released an a€~Na€ gauge model of the same class, along with complementary catenary. Check out our review here.

Serial: Mostyn at Ally Pally - Not everything went to plan for the Barrowmore boys when they took Mostyn to the MRCa€ s Alexandra Palace model railway exhibition. The odd goings on are revealed on this page.

Detailing: Falcon - We were underwhelmed by Heljana€ s model of Brush prototype Falcon when it was released in 2007, but Peter Johnson saw plenty of potential, resulting in the superb model seen here.

Modelling shorts - There is more a€~how toa€ articles in the form of a Cambrian kit-bash to produce a a€~Mulleta€ as well as a portable toilet! Includes a run down of exhibitions in May with D&E era layout interest.