North Staffs Junction - 8th May 2026
Stenson Junction/ North Staffs Junction, alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal, is always a busy and interesting location to photograph railway services. Stenson Junction and North Staffs Junction form a critical, highly active rail bottleneck located in South Derbyshire near Willington. These closely linked junctions handle a dense, fascinating mix of heavy freight and fast passenger services where the historic Midland Railway and North Staffordshire Railway corridors converge. Any visit to this location often provides colourful and interesting workings, with trains operating on the Derby - Birmingham mainline, Castle Donington Line, and North Staffordshire lines. My Visit on the 8th May was part of a longer trip which provided an ideal 'stop off' location on route further north.
Cross Country Voyager No.221131 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th March 2026. The five-car Cross Country super Voyager was operating 1S39 06:20 Plymouth - Edinburgh.
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East Midlands Railway Class 170 No.170502 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026 while operating 1N56 08:26 Crewe - Lincoln.
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A pair of recently refurbished Class 170 Turobostarts are pictured at North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. No.170113 and No.170117 were operating 1D57 10:09 Birmingham - Edinburgh.
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Heavy Haul Rail Class 66 No.66602 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. The loco was hauling 6Z45 10:17 Washwood Heath - Tunstead aggregate empties.
🌈 Pride Trains 🌈
Every UK Railway company has its version of a 'Pride' train; in an odd twist of fate, both Cross Country Trains and East Midlands Trains 'Pride LGBTQ+' units turned up at North Staffs Junction within eight minutes of one another. These trains are always colourful and provide an additional splash of colour to the network, as well as conveying their important message.
Cross Country 'Pride' liveried Class 170 No.170103 passes north through North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026 while operating 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham.
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East Midlands Railway 'Pride' liveried Class 170 No.170501 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026 while operating 1N58 10:26 Crewe - Lincoln.
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Heavy Haul Rail (Formerly Freightliner) Class 70 No.70016 powers south from a stop at Stenson Junction, passing North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. The loco was hauling 6G65 09:21 Hope - Walsall Freight Terminal loaded with cement.
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GBRf Class 66/7 No.66728 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026, operating 4E36 05:44 Southampton Western Docks - Masborough loaded with a colourful selection of containers.
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Painted in former British Steel livery Class 37 No.37501 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. The loco was operating 5Q65 10:27 Gasgoine Wood - Soho TMD, moving a new West Midlands Class 730 unit No.730026.
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A EWS/DB Cargo liveried pairing of Class 66 locomotives is pictured at North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. No.66103 leads No.66192 north operating 6E54 10:38 Kingsbury - Humber empty fuel tanks.
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Rail Operations Group Class 93 locomoitives are pictured passing North Staffs Junction on Friday, 8th May 2026. No.93003 and No.93006 were operating 0Q43 10:21 Gasgoing Wood to Crewe South Yard.
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Cross Country Class 170/1 No.170112 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026 operating 1D60 11:49 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham.
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East Midlands Railway Class 158 No.158847 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. The two car unit was operating 1N60 11:26 Crewe - Lincoln.
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A three-car Class 170 No.170105 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026 while operating the 1D61 12:09 Birmingham - Nottingham service.
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Heavy Haul Rail (Formerly Freightliner) Class 66/6 No.66601 wearing Freightliner 60 livery passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026. The loco was hauling 6H45 09:32 Banbury Riverisde - Tunstead aggregate empties.
The 6D44 11:36 Bescot - Toton engineers is often a good train for transporting locomotives back to Toton TMD. On the 8th May 2025, GBRf Class 66/7 No.66790 hauls DB Cargo No.66011 and No.66206 through North Staffs Junction.
A light engine GB Railfreight Class 66/7 No.66704 passes south through North Staffs Junction on Friday 8th May 2026. No.66704 was operating 0O01 10:23 Doncaster - Eastleigh Yard.
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Wearing the new Cross Country livery, Class 220 No.220001 passes through North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026, operating 1E40 11:45 Reading - York.
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Freightliner Class 66/5 No.66517 passes North Staffs Junction on the 8th May 2026 while operating 4O99 10:48 Leeds - Southampton loaded containers for export.
Direcrt Rail Services Class 66/4 No.66426 passes North Staffs Junction on Friday 8th May 2026 while hauling the 'Tescoliner' 4E49 11:37 Daventry - Doncaster.