Britain By Rail

The bus that's making a splash on the Clyde

2010-02-09T11:34:00.001-08:00

An amphibious bus is being tested on the river Clyde which could replace the Yorker to Renfrew ferry which will end service in March. Will it really work? The video is worth a watch anyway. There is a tour bus called the 'DUK' in London which uses a ex military vehicle which is part boat and part truck. The difference with this bus is it actually looks very much like a coach, so much that I am left wondering how it floats!

Travel Connections

2010-01-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

The tracks don't go everywhere and Scotrail have produced a really useful section of their website which describes links to other transport options. See it here along with a guide to download. It includes details of bus and ferry links, airport connections and cycling by rail. Things that you might not know about include all in one ferry and rail tickets, a cycle rescue service for rail passengers, bus travel in town (included in the price of a train ticket) and airport links. Something travel companies are very poor at is joining up methods of transport. Scotrail is leading on this, lets hope the other train companies catch up!

Cheap East Coast Fares

2010-01-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

East Coast Trains are offering cheap tickets through two newspapers - Scotland on Sunday and the Scotsman from today. All you need to do is collect three parts from a password to apply for your tickets. The East Coast railway was formerly known as National Express East Coast and before that GNER. Trains run from Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Perth, Stirling and Edinburgh to destinations along the east coast of England.

Day out to Edinburgh

2009-11-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

If anyone is looking for something to do on Saturday 28th November 2009, 'The Christmas Pendle Scotsman' could be the answer. Compass Tours is running a special train to Edinburgh. Its just in time for the Christmas shopping or maybe just enjoying the festivities of Princess Street in the festive season including the Christmas Market. Or there is enough time to visit the Castle, or perhaps the brilliant National Museum. The train will run via the very scenic Settle and Carlisle Railway so there are views along the way too. Compass tours are a small organisation which arranges days out by trains for the general public to enjoy. The trains are staffed by enthusiastic volunteers who are dedicated to helping you enjoy your day out, so these are genuine fun trains.

Train or Coach

2009-08-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

I recently had to head down to Dundee for a conference. The train fares were high (peak summer time) so I decided to look at coach tickets instead. So the final journey ended up being Megabus from Inverness to Perth, Citylink Coach from Perth to Dundee and back and then train from Perth to Inverness (National Express East Coast). Arriving at Inverness Bus Station I was looking forward to the journey as Megabus from Inverness uses new coaches that look pretty nice. My departure time was booked at 13.12 and since the coach is coming right from the bus depot, rather than other journey, you can be sure it will be on time...I thought. The tickets ask you to be there 30 minutes early for boarding. So at 13.00 there was no sign of the coach. At 13.10 it arrived. Ah well two minutes for us all to get on then. Only there was a problem. It sat there with the door closed. It seems we had the wrong driver. So when the right one arrived he got on and started checking tickets while the other driver helped us all load our luggage. So at 13.37 we left, very late. Before everyone thinks this is me being critical of Megabus let me explain. I understand Megabus to be a very reliable company, but in Inverness it is operated by Stagecoach Inverness a company that can't even get the first bus of the day out on time (0810 service to Dingwall - on time less than 50% of the times I've rode). On board my nice new coach was pretty good except the individual air vents were switched off. On a summers day with fellow passengers who perhaps are in need of a shower this was an issue. The journey was a long two hours.
Citylink was much better, for one thing the coach wasn't packed. So even if some of my fellow travellers had skipped the shower that morning I didn't notice. Plus the air was on, thank you Citylink. A pleasent journey to and from Dundee - and on time both ways.
Having enjoyed the conference it was time to head home and this was my train portion of the trip. Perth to Inverness first class on National Express. Well, you have to treat yourself after saving on every other bit of the trip! I was sitting at Perth thinking of dinner looking out over the Highland mountains. The Highland Chieftain is one of the few UK trains that still has an on board restaurant and the food is something else. The train was late, so I had lots of time to think of my dinner and to be honest I thought of very little else. Even after 30 years in service the HST still looks like a new train and I doubt there is anything more comfortable on the rails. I jamp on when it arrived and took a seat. Oh, it was a little hot. This reminded me of Megabus. The air conditioning was not working right. That is very unusual on the HST, its pretty reliable. Never mind dinner was about to be served. They always have the last serving just north of Perth from Monday to Friday. It was Saturday. Yes I had forgot that in my planning. Thoughts of a bowl of porridge and some toast were on my mind for the journey north.
Conclusions: avoid services run by Stagecoach Inverness. Citylink is pretty good if you are on a budget. Ask your Megabus driver (the one in the seat not the jolly yellow one painted on the side of the bus, to turn on the air), and check the day of the week before spending all conference thinking of your on board dinner.

Laurencekirk Reopens

2009-07-11T02:42:00.000-07:00

The town of Laurencekirk is proud of their restored station. It was closed in September 1967 and fell into disrepair. This wiki image shows the extent of the decay only a couple of years ago when the platforms were gone and the building was in danger of being lost. Thankfully the Scottish Government decided to do something about this crazy sitatuion where a resonable sized town on a busy rail route has no station. The Station was restored and new platforms built. In May of this year it reopened and has been very popular with local people. The picture is from www.laurencekirk.info where you may see more pictures, details and find out more about the town.

NXEC no more

2009-07-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was writing about National Express East Coast offering 20% off their lowest advance fares, today they are back in the news again, this time having lost the franchise to run trains on the east coast mainline. The route runs from Edinburgh (and points north), Newcastle, York, Leeds to London. It is one of Britain's most popular routes and was Intercity's flagship in the 1990's with the high speed 225 electric trains. Today the Government has anounced that it is taking over the franchase and will run it until a new operator can be found. Ironic that British Rail's most successful route is back in state ownership, for the second time. Yes it has happened before. GNER (Sea Containers) won the rights to run as it was then known Intercity East Coast. Soon dark blue trains, stewards in smart uniforms and perhaps something of a return to the great days of rail was around as GNER lead the industry for customer service. GNER won the franchise for a second time but then in 2005 it was taken over by the government. Why? They didn't pay enough money. GNER didn't win the franchise for their customer service, they won for agreeing to pay a 1.3 billion premium to run the route. It was unaffordable. At the time Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said "GNER is losing the contract because it cannot afford to pay £1.3bn to run the service, while at the same time the government is giving Sir Richard Branson £1.3bn to run the West Coast line,". Fast forward two years to 2007 and the Government and National Express now think 1.4 billion is a realistic figure to pay to run the route. At the time many industry insiders were wondering if anyone had learnt anything. Clearly they have not. Its still unrealistic. Yes, the East Coast makes money, it made money for BR, GNER and National Express, or would have if the franchiase rates were realistic. Of course the Government is well known for their over optimistic economic predictions...

What does this mean for the passenger though? Well the trains have been almost all refurbished, tickets purchase will be honoured and tickets for future travel are being sold. Thankfully unlike an airline going bust there is nothing to worry about. The route will continue as is for the time being and the most likely outcome is that a new operator will continue where National Express left off (National Express itself changed very little from GNER other than the livery). It would be nice though for the money constantly spent on new brand images, re franchising and other waste to be spend on trains or lower fares though. Do I ask for too much?

20% off National Express East Coast

2009-06-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

From 30th June (today) until 4th July (happy Independence Day for my US readers ;), National Express East Coast is offering 20% off the lowest standard advance fares - so thats the standard class tickets you buy in advance but only the ones in the lowest price category. The offer is for travel between the 7th July and 20th September. See the NXEC website for details and happy summer hols.

The First Train and Bus

2009-06-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

I came across this picture of a Greyhound coach (USA) and it reminded me of the remarkable story of First Group. In 1989 any visitor to Aberdeen would be familiar with the scruffy buses of Grampian Regional Transport. But this was also the year that the municipal bus company was sold off and an employee buy our resulted. The company improved services and was rather successful. So successful in fact that they started buying up other local city bus operators all over the UK. Then came the new name – First and a new bright cheerful livery. Together with new buses First developed a reputation for high quality, clean, comfortable and reliable bus services. In just twenty years they are now a global bus and rail company. Currently they own several UK railways including Scotrail, First Great Western, First Capital Connect and First Transpennine Express. My experience of their rail and bus services has been very positive. In Scotland they have really improved rail services since taking over from National Express. The impression is they are more serious about running the trains and they are certainly a lot cleaner. On a recent journey to Glasgow I enjoyed the comfort of a Scotrail (First Group) Turbostar train with comfortable seats, big picture windows and a catering service. Arriving in Glasgow I was able to use the local First buses with my train ticket which included local bus services (Plusbus). The bus stop (First Group again) had an electronic display telling me how long till the next bus. I got on and of course being a bus in an unfamiliar city I had no idea where to get off but they had even thought of that – there was an electronic display linked to a GPS system giving street names so you knew where the bus was! First has become a truly successful company with great transport products.

Bus travel in the USA has long been neglected. Greyhound is a huge company but it is interesting to see what First is doing. Route by route these new Greyhound coaches are appearing along with nice refurbished terminals. Here’s what First are saying: “In its continued commitment to offering the best in leisure bus travel, Greyhound Lines, Inc., the largest North American provider of intercity bus transportation, today began unveiling its fleet of new buses designed to offer a more comfortable riding experience. The first of the 102 re-designed buses debuted on the company’s New York to Montreal and New York to Toronto routes, with additional buses slated to begin appearing on the New York to Boston route by mid-April. Over time, Greyhound will replace the entire nationwide fleet.

“More than an updated paint job, our new buses offer a truly upgraded experience for customers and a new way to sit back and experience the open road,” said Dave Leach, president and chief executive officer, Greyhound Lines, Inc. “As the industry leader, Greyhound sets the bar for what bus travel should aspire to be, continuously evolving and innovating to offer the very best service.”

The new buses will feature a sleek exterior of strong blue and premium silver colors, highlighting a new Greyhound logo. Inside, passengers will be delighted with the vast upgrades and amenities available onboard including extra legroom, free Wi-Fi access, power outlets and three-point seat belts."

Some people may be skeptical but we have seen First’s track record. If anyone can transform coach travel in the US it is Greyhound. These are exciting times for Scotland’s bus and rail company, still Aberdeen based.

Unlimited Travel

2009-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

There is something very liberating to know that you can go wherever you want. Yes get on any train (almost any time) and go anywhere. No need to ask how much or buy a ticket, you already have and it will allow you to go where ever you want, maybe even using a ferry or bus when the rails run out. There are some really good unlimited travel tickets around the country and I have started a page to describe them. So you like? And you wonder why rail companies don't promote them more? Well they would rather you bought and advance ticket and told them in advance you were coming and traveled only on their own services. However I'd rather you had a good time so check out the page.

Well it's been a busy day at work. Sometimes I wonder how I can fit it all in. I checked my diary and realised that it is only two weeks until I am due to go on annual leave. Those of us with more than two weeks work to get through are worried...

Something fun

2009-06-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Okay this is only very loosely related to Britain by Rail with it featuring a train set, but its fun so here you go:

Morph gets a train set. There are some really fun Morph videos on youtube at the moment from Ardman Animations, enjoy : http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=aardman&view=videos

Dining by Train

2009-05-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from another work related trip down to Edinburgh. Scotland's capital city is something else, city centre gardens, a castle on a rock dominating the central area and a historic old town (not to mention the historic 'new' town), its got it all. Friday was packed with visitors enjoying the warm summer weather and all the delights Edinburgh has to offer. Unfortunatly I could only watch on as I sweated it out in my shirt and tie on the way to and from my meeting. I couldn't think of a better place to be meeting though...
On the way home I wanted to stop off in Perth and with some expensive Friday train fares decided to take the Citylink bus up instead. It was not at all bad! Plenty of space, a reclining seat, curtains on the windows - a proper coach trip. As for the jounrey time it took ages to get out of Edinburgh and into Perth compared to the train with its own route. However taking a more direct route between the towns meant that we got there in about the same time. I'd try the bus again if the train fares are too expensive. Talking of which I used to be able to get a good value Advance fare on National Express East Coast any time north of Edinburgh (south was always a different matter!) but they are almost gone now. I'll be taking the bus or Scotrail a little more often until they come back down. However from Perth on this occasion I got an open ticket and took the 'Highland Chieftain' HST back up the Highland Mainline. On a beautiful summer's evening with the sun lighting up the lochs and mountains I was able to enjoy dinner with a view. It was one of those train experiences where the destination comes too quickly. For the reasons of good food, excellent friendly train crew, comfort and the most wonderful views anywhere in the UK, an evening trip on the 'Chieftain' north of Perth will remain one of my all time favourite journeys.
Well back home now and plotting how I might get another trip in...

Virgin Trains Advert

2009-05-18T12:23:00.001-07:00

This is a fun new advert from Virgin Trains with 'Becky' visiting 'Tom' and the realities and imaginations of her journey. Now before you all say 'its an advert, train jounreys are not like that', can I just say yes they are! All you need is a little imagination and someone special at the other end, or better still with you. Trust me, I've been there and done it ;). Be inspired and go visit that special person.

National Train Day Saturday 9th May

2009-05-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is, National Train Day has arrived. The first National Train Day was held last year to celebrate the 140th aniversary of the 'Golden Spike' when America's first transcontinental railway was opened. It is a celebration of passenger trains in America and there are events all over the country for you to visit. You can find out all about Train Day, find out about events and join the Facebook community at the National Train Day website. This year's exhibits include the themes of 'Moving Green' and 'Trains move our economy', both pretty relevant issues at this time. You can download a preview of the 'Trains move our economy' exhibit here. It includes details of President Obama's plans for a US high speed rail network. For anyone who has travelled in America by rail you will know that while the trains are great, the network is not at all comprehensive. Many huge urban areas only see one train a day, if any, and many parts of the country lack any rail service at all. The plans won't of course provide trains everywhere they are needed but it is a good step in the right direction.

By the way, the icon above is one of a number you can choose for your Facebook page. I choose this one because I happen to think trains are much more fun with two :)

For now though, enjoy Train Day and be inspired for your next holiday. I wonder if we could have a train day here in the UK to highlight all that is good about our rail system...

Cheap Tickets on National Express East Coast

2009-05-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

National Express are offering a discounted £9 fare to almost anywhere along the east coast route. The booking must be made by Tuesday - 5th so you don't have long but if you wanted a day out or a long weekend hurry and grab one while they are on offer. See the NXEC website for information and to make a booking.

Walking or Biking to work can improve your health

2009-04-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great blog post about a new piece of 'research' that shows that walking or talking the bike to work can improve your health. It often amazes me how lazy people get when they buy a car. Suddenly the under 30 minutes walk becomes a car journey. Or the trip to the shops to buy a few items which we couldn't possibly carry home (probably becase we never do, but that's a different story for another day). Walking and biking uses our bodies and so is an excellent way to keep healthy. Combine them with getting too or from work and you can even do them as part of your daily routine, feeling better and not really having to make time for excersise. Of course if you don't live close enough to work there may be a bus or a train that you could take part of the way. Not being a great fan of cycling along public roads myself, cycle paths are a wonderful thing for me. However I did come accross this video for some ideas of places to cycle when there is no path, such as railings (I'm joking don't come asking to sue me when you break every bone in your body!).

Summer is almost here - great days out

2009-04-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite tour operators is Compass Tours. As well as offering a good selection of days out they have friendly staff and enthusiastic volunteers who give up their time to make sure customers have a great day out. I have put a list of the summer 2009 tours on the website along with a booking form if you are interested. Click here to download. It is a large file so right click and then 'save target as' and it should download fine. The summer tour program includes days out to the Scottish Highlands, West Highlands, Edinburgh, York, Scarborough and Devon & Cornwall. The tours depart early morning, alow time in the place you wish to visit and then return home in the evening so they can save on expensive overnight hotel bills. If you are travelling as a couple there is the option of a private table for two in first class but the entire train is formed of comfortable and spacious intercity coaches so you will have a good experience however you choose to travel.

Offers

2009-04-02T11:05:00.001-07:00

I've come accross some special offers to share with the readers and put them in the news section of the main website. In particular if you are planning a trip anywhere along the East Coast route anytime soon, book any Advance ticket before 6th April and you will get 20% off the price, and that is in addition to any railcard you may have. After that the 10% discount is back. Those discounts are only when you book online on the National Express East Coast website. See the above link though for all the offers.

Happy travelling over Easter.

The end of the line

2009-03-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stood in a station and wondered where the tracks go. If you just got on the train and kept going where would you end up? Probably Thurso if you were heading at all north as its Britain's most northerly railway station and only a street away from the coast so you couldn't really go any further if you wanted to. There is something about the seaside terminus, especially the rural Scottish one that really attracts me. Standing there and seeing those buffers which represent the railways limits is something that shouldn't be undertaken without a little thought about the journey you have just taken. When I arrived in Thurso most passengers hurried out of the Station as quickly as possible. It was a cold day and a long journey so who can blame them? But it left me on my own in this remote outpost of the British rail network with the sun coming through the rafters to keep me company on a quiet afternoon. Thurso is one of my favourite stations for the very reason that it is the end of the line. Its remote, quite and has the atmosphere of a long journey having been completed. I have come somewhere very different to my home. I have attached a couple of other pictures of the Station so you can see its architectural merits. In an age where train stations are more often bus shelters it is nice to arrive at a substantial stone building with ticket office and comfortable waiting room. A building that says the railway is important. It may not be the lifeline that it once was, but its here in town and I hope will remain so for a long time to come.
Talking of the waiting room I came accross this even more exotic item on the wall - a picture of a Union Pacific steam locomotive. UP is an American railroad so I'm not sure what it was doing up in Thurso. If anyone know's drop me a line, I'd love to find out. UP is the world's only mainline railway which has a steam locomotive that it has never retired. It now joins a co locomotive in providing the UP steam program, a rather clever marketing tool for the railway company.
My own visit to Thurso was for a careers event where I was representing my college. Perhaps an event which requires a couple of display stands, plenty of literature and some goodies to give away on top of my own luggage might not seem like the obvious occuasion to use the train, but with a bit of thought it worked out really well. If I did have too much to carry you can always courier the extra at less cost than taking a car anyway. The careers event went really well with over forty people coming up to ask about our courses. Before it started though, and after I had set up, I had the chance to have a look round Thurso. Most people on holiday are probably taking the train to Thurso in order to catch the ferry to Orkney. Having had a look around I was not blaming them, Thurso didn't seem to be the most interesting of towns. But when I left the exhibition hall I was greeted with the most amazing view of these huge cliffs behind the town. Obviously I had gone up hill more than I had realised. I went down to the beach to get a better view and came accross my second surprise of the visit - the sea was filled with surfers! It was good fun watching them for a bit so I can only imagine taking part must be even more fun. Thurso it seems is one of Britain's surf capitals. California it might not be but if you like riding the waves maybe you should be taking a trip up here too.

The next day I took the train back and enjoyed one of the most scenic journeys in Britain. It doesn't matter how many times I take this train, it always seems to get yet more interesting as the seasons and lighting add variety to every journey.

BTP at 30th Street Station

2009-03-05T11:23:00.001-08:00

The British Transport Police are the railway's own police force keeping travellers safe on their journeys all over Britain. With one of my friends in the force it is one that I naturally have an interest in and a fondness for. 30th Street Station is the former Pennsylvania Railroads impressive Philadelphia Station built in 1933 and now used by Amtrak. I've been there twice on my travels and it instantly became one of my favorite railway stations. It is the 3D definition of style and the photos do not do justice to this masterpiece. So I was interested to hear that the BTP did an exchange with their American Amtrak colleagues and were to be seen patrolling 30th Street. It must have been an unusual sight for the passengers that day! You can see the story and some pictures of the event here.

Well I'm just back from Thurso, another of my favourite stations some 160 miles north of here. I was up north for a careers fair with my job. Perhaps tomorrow I'll upload the pictures and let you see what it was like. Unfortunatly the snow kind of messed up the train windows so I am lacking pictures of the most beautiful sections of the line, but there are some good ones and a surprise in Thurso beach... to be continued.

Fares comparison with Europe and music to enjoy :)

2009-03-02T10:50:00.001-08:00

Last week Passenger Focus (the rail passengers representative body) published a report that hit the headlines with the claim that UK rail fares are 50% higher than in Europe. The rail operators then came back with the statement that 'Advance' fares are the lowest in Europe. Going beyond these headlines it is true that we have some amazingly low advance purchase fares in Britain. If you have some time to spend on the computer searching for fares, don't mind when you travel and know well in advance what trains you'll be taking you can get some great deals. It works a bit like a plane fare only when it comes to pay the price doesn't triple with 'extras'. These are great fares and since last year anyone with a railcard can get an extra 1/3 off these already low fares. Some of the prices I've seen tickets bought for are almost at the stage of getting the journey for nothing. However, in Britain, as most European countries, we have always enjoyed the luxury of being able to turn up at the station and go. Then we can come back any time, on any train up to a month later. These are the best fares and unsurprisingly they are expensive and often much more expensive than in Europe. What rail companies have to remember is that you don't have to book your car journey in advance and that is the competition. Of course so long as they are filling trains they won't care. That's where the government, the representatives of the people should be stepping in. It is up to the government as infrastructure owners to put in place as much capacity as is needed for the private train operators to run as many trains as is possible to make profit - not make profit by squeezing more out of the existing passengers. After all the government is always going on about its green credientials, how about showing it in practice?

The report by the way is an excellent read and sets out some really good recommendations for moving our fares structure towards a truly user friendly, fare and value for money system. You can read it all here. Having read it, think about dropping a note to your MP to ask when they will be taking up its findings.

Music
On a lighter note if you can find one of those value for money tickets you might be looking for some good music for the journey. Well in addition to enjoying my travels I also like music and here are two of my personal favourites for you to try out and maybe download (legaly please!) for your next journey.

First up is Addison Road and Hope Now. This song was a real encouragement to me this weekend. Life isn't all fun or enjoyment and it just reminded me of the hope we can all have if we look for it. This is a thoughtful song and it left me in an upbeat mood, isn't music great like that!?

Now this is a bit different. I'm not the first person to rush out for this kind of music but I have just discovered the music of Tobymac and I'm sold on it. Listen to the words and enjoy the great sound these guys have produced. Enjoy:

and if you enjoyed that see this video about the making of the above video, its pretty good.

all of the music may be purchased from Itunes or Amazon. Buy it before you travel because I didn't hear anything this good on Virgin Trains radio last time!

Well, its been a long Monday so I'm going to leave it there for tonight. Check back soon people for more random thoughts.

New Intercity Train

2009-02-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Department for Transport has announced the preferred bidder for the new Super Express Trains, part of the Intercity Express Project. These trains will replace diesel HST trains and the electric class 225 trains on the East Coast and Great Western lines. The new trains look smart and will have more seats together with using less energy. They will be either electric, diesel or able to run on electric or their own power source. After the replacement of HST trainsets with Voyager trains on Virgin it is good to see that a high quality train is being developed to replace the HST. Of course to see how comfortable they are to travel on and what the seats are like, we will just need to wait until they are introduced. The HST introduced almost thirty years ago set new standards of passenger comfort. With a very smooth ride, no noisy under floor engines, large picture windows and comfortable seats (now replaced by rather uncomfortable seats) these trains set the standard for years to come and in my oppinion are still the most comfortable trains on the network. Lets hope the new ones can at least match the old, something that new trains seem to struggle with. It will also be interesting to see how much luggage space these new trains have. I like the idea of more seats, but not at the expense of toilets and lugguage space. The HST manages to fit in two luggage vans, two toilets per coach, a restaurant and a buffet together with lots of seats, I'm sure the new train should be able to do just as well. If you would like to see more of these trains and download a rather cool demonstration video of what they might look like, head here.

This week at work I received these photos from Australia. The poor Koala bear was suffering from the extreme heat and headed down to the road to meet some cyclists and ask for a drink which was gladly supplied. It really made me think about how nice it is for animals and humans to get along well together. Its the way it was meant to be and there is something inside us all that makes us really happy to see something like this happen. I also wanted to share it because Koala's are probably the cutest animal around. Enjoy!

Eternal Perspectives (Randy Alcorn's blog): Who we WERE, who we ARE now in Christ

2009-02-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing video posted to Randy Alcorn's blog. It is pretty powerful. Look out for the woman who said I was diagnosed with MS and then what her response was...

Eternal Perspectives (Randy Alcorn's blog): Who we WERE, who we ARE now in Christ

It made my afternoon to see these comments from people who's lives have been transformed. I hope it encourages you today too. It also made me think of these words from the Bible (book of Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 7 if you want to look it up): " Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." You may well hear God say something to you through that video. If you do feel something in your heart, don't ignore it, act on it today. It will be the best thing you do today. Feel free to email me - kevinjsinclair@hotmail.com if the video has spoken to you. Or better still, speak to Jesus about it. He's listening.

Planning a holiday? How about France or Italy by Motorail

2009-01-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

The is the time of year when many people are planning their holidays so I was interested to receive an email in my inbox about this excellent Motorail service to France and Italy. It certainly saves a long journey south. I have put some more details on the main website. The advert says 'Pullman' style rail journeys to the south of France. Its a shame UK rail operators are not reading that!

I'm just back from a day of meetings at my day job and there wasn't even a train journey so that I could do a trip report for the Blog! Ah well, I suppose not every day can be action packed. The first one was with members of our local authority and as is often the case had very little to do with me or the organisation I represent. So why do they keep on inviting us?!? The lunch was not even that good.

As some readers might know I like to listen to the radio while working on the computer and tonight I heard this quote on the radio:

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi, chapter 3 and verse 10 from the Bible).

It made me think, there is the invitation for us to take up and see what happens - test the Lord in this and see what happens. Without going into details, I did start doing that some 12 years ago and I can confirm that every word is correct...

Back from Glasgow

2009-01-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

I had to travel down to Glasgow for a meeting last week and took the opportunity of being in that direction to take a detour to St Andrews to visit my brother. In all I was on six trains. All of them were Scotrail Turbostars (comfortable and spacious), clean and run to time. Plus I got to travel over the Highland Mainline in daylight in both directions. This far north it has only a few weeks ago been getting dark at half past three so now that it is bright till nearly 5 you can make something of your journeys! I never tire of that line. I think it is perhaps that it is one of the few railways where you can go for mile after mile and not see any sign of human habitation. Even most of the towns along the way are small and don't seem to impose too much on the surrounding scenery. I also love the hills. Some would call them mountains and they do rise up on either side of the train but I would regard mountains as the things you find in Canada and Switzerland. These are hills, but impressive hills anyway. On Friday with the landscape covered in a blanket of pure white snow, the train almost silently and effortlessly gliding through this winter wonderland with me cosy in the warm carriage I was a contented worker. Yes, I was getting paid to sit there. I suppose the only people luckier than I were the driver and the conductor, they get paid to be there every day!

Of course every trip has its downside. For me it was when I arrived at the hotel, dropped off my bags and then proceeded to make my way out to the station to catch my train to Dundee. The only problem was I couldn't the hotel door key! I searched the ensuite bathroom, all the drawers, every pocket twice, looked under the bed and everywhere else I could think of. But the clock kept ticking. With only ten minutes to go before the train departed I offered up a prayer and hoped it would be answered soon. It was, my hotel key was under my hat which I put down on the bed with the key. I was thankful for that, and that I was staying in the Station Hotel directly next door to the Station for it was now seven minutes till departure time.

At times like this you just have to run for it. Or walk very fast. I am always wary of running in towns were people might wonder why. Has he just committed a crime and is running away? Why is he running if he is not dressed for running? Maybe it is just me but I always feel self conscious about running in a town when in a hurry. Thankfully there is always the fast walking option which probably looks just as crazy but at least I got my train. Now to be able to walk fast you have to, walk fast, and often. No use being a couch potato and then hoping your body will spring into action when you need it most. While I enjoy outdoor exercise, for something a bit more intensive and all round beneficial gyms have their place. Unfortunately when travelling they are hard to come by. However when in Perth I have found the perfect gym for the train traveller, The Body Academy. It is located in South William Street, about three minutes walk from the station. It is really well equiped, the staff (and even the other users!) are very friendly and it is open to non members. I am actually tempted to say if you want to visit a great gym and get yourself all motivated to fitness, make a special journey to go there! I had a great workout in there last week and can't wait to go back next time I'm changing trains in Perth.

Steam Engine Completed

2009-01-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

The first new steam locomotive to be built in Britain for over 50 years (locomotive 'Evening Star' of the 9F class was the last - now at the National Railway Museum) is nearly complete. Since building it has been running in a grey undercoat but now that all tests have been completed the final painting in authentic colours is being carried out by skilled painters at the National Railway Museum in York where the locomotive will be on display for the next few weeks. The BBC have this video of the loco (named Tornado) being painted and a few shots of it running recently on the Great Central Railway, click here to view the video.

If you watch through to the end you will see there is a plaque on the locomotive which reads "THIS LOCOMOTIVE WAS BUILT AND PAID FOR BY PEOPLE WHO SHARED A VISION AND WERE DETERMINED TO TURN IT INTO REALITY". Recently I have been reading some forum discussions from the USA which were talking about the new A1 locomotive and most of the readers where commenting why it couldn't be done in the US. Actually a lot of people said it couldn't be done anywhere else either. The difference is not location but attitude. Tornado is a big engine and a big testiment to what can be done with vision and determination. Doing what is right in life is never the easy option, as the Message says: "Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life."

If you are interested in taking a trip on Tornado you can find out where to ride at the A1 Steam Trust.

New Timetables

2008-11-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Timetables across Britain are about to change on the 14th December. Most changes will be minor but it is worth checking before you turn up for your train. Even if is leaving only 5 minutes earlier than before, you could miss it if you are not expecting the change! I have listed all timetables you can download here. For the first time I have included a link to the National Rail timetable which includes every train and line. It is a large document but you can download it in stages. Previously this timetable was only available in selected retailers for around fifteen pounds so it is great to now be able to download it for free.

Some of the notable changes and improvements which will come in this timetable change are:
In Wales-

A new direct service will run between Aberystwyth and Birmingham International
A new direct service will run between Holyhead and Birmingham International.
There are increased services between Cardiff Central and Manchester Piccadilly
Faster services will be running between Swansea and Milford Haven / Pembroke Dock

Chiltern Railways -

A new station at Aylesbury Vale Parkway, to the north of Aylesbury, is expected to open during late 2008 / early 2009. This will extend current Chiltern Railways services to and from London Marylebone via Amersham

Crosscountry-
no improvements, rather the withdrawal of some services...

Services between Reading and Brighton via Kensington Olympia and Gatwick Airport have been withdrawn

Scotrail-

A new service will be introduced between Inverurie and Aberdeen
New services on the Far North and Kyle Lines
A new commuter rail service to Inverness from the north.

Virgin Trains-

A new direct service will run between London Euston and Crewe via the Trent Valley
A new direct service will run between London Euston and Birmingham New Street via Northampton. This also increases the number of services running between Northampton and Birmingham New Street
More services will run between Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham, with faster journey times
A new service will run between Worcester and Gloucester
Services between Walsall and Wolverhampton have been withdrawn

January Fare Increases

2008-11-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

It hardly seems a year since I was last updating the website to let readers know about above inflation fare increases on National Rail. Last year (Jan 2008 increase) the government used the higher inflation measure (retail price index) plus 1% as the guide for increasing regulated rail fares. Other fares went up by as much as the rail companies wanted which meant from 0 - 7%. It is unfair that the government uses the lower inflation figure for pay increases but the higher for rail fare increases. Last year's increase was in my view not only unfair but unjustified. Unfortunately this years will be worse. If you would like to compare the forthcoming increase to last years, check out my comparison table on the main website. The green or light coloured numbers show were they are up to the level of inflation, while red represents above inflation. You can see how last year quite a few were neutral or green while this year the board is red. Unregulated fares are going up by up to 11% with the average being 7. While inflation is higher this year we have now entered a recession. A lot has changed since the summer inflation figure which is being used.

But are these increases justified? The Association of Train Operating Companies sound like a mouthpiece for the government with their talk of the increases being used for investment. The investment is happening anyway and some of the examples they quite are a little hard to believe. Lets have a quick look at the reasons for the increases. One is the London Midland refurbishment of their class 158 trains for £10 Million. However London Midland is not increasing their off peak fares. Another example is the new trains for Wrexham and Shropshire. This is a new railway company just started this year so you can't use that as a reason for a fare increase next year! Also they aren't even listed in the ATOC table of increases. Finally they mention the refurbishment of Scotrail sleepers and trains. That was completed earlier this year and was paid for by the Scottish government...not fare increases.

As BBC news correctly pointed out these fare increases are to reduce government subsidy, they have nothing to do with investment. However even worse, these increases are actually an alternative to investment. They are designed to discourage rail travel. Let's say a train is running at capacity, and many are. To add carriages takes money for trains and longer platforms etc. So rather than spend money on this the government simply increases fares to discourage travel. So much for cutting our carbon footprint. It is because they do not want to invest, not for investment that these fares are increasing.

One final point. Should the government decide to change their minds and invest they will find that carrying more passengers, in the long term, will bring in far more revenue than increasing fares for those already travelling. Unfortunately there is very little you can do about it as a passenger. However, I'll be keeping the site updated with special offers. At least one piece of good news is that if you have a railcard you will now get 1/3 off all rail fares, even advance tickets and that's one real discount that's not to be missed next year.

News from North America

2008-11-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

If you are planning a trip to the USA make tracks to Amtrak. Amtrak is America's national intercity rail company. Timetables for individual routes have been available online for years but now for the first time you can download the entire system timetable which is usually only available as a printed book (see left). The timetable is more than just a list of when the trains are running. There is a guide to using Amtrak, a list of stations across the USA, a network map, details of how to buy tickets and special offers. I think this type of document is especially useful for overseas visitors who might be unsure of how to get about the US and want to plan their trip in advance. So where can you go? Well this year one of Amtrak's premier named trains, the Crescent is celebrating its 30th year of operation. It departs from New York (ideal for flights from the UK) and takes you to the southern states including Atlanta and New Orleans. Or how about taking the Empire Builder from Chicago to Glacier National Park or right through to Seattle? And what your travel agent probably didn't tell you was that you'd be much better flying to New York, staying a day or two and then taking the train to Florida. See a bit of America on your way! Trains in America travel over longer distances than our UK versions and tend to operate more like cruise liners on land. The most basic level of service is coach class - imagine a first class airline seat and you won't be far off what that means. Then you can go all the way up to your own cabin for two.

Further North in Canada, VIA Rail, has developed a blog called 'on the go with Vivian'. Like the US, Canadian trains are epic and sometimes once in a lifetime journeys.

Britain's first steam locomotive for 50 years

2008-11-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

In 1966 British Railways were busy replacing their huge fleet of steam locomotives and in the rush to modernise much was destroyed. It is sometimes forgotten that it is not just steam locomotives that were lost. The modernisation plan abandoned nearly half the UK rail network. Stations too were lost including the magnificent Euston Station, and its even more famous arch. People too were lost. Many lifelong railmen and those setting out in their careers suddenly found that the railway no longer needed them. It is easy to look back and be critical of course and modernisation was badly needed. However there was a dark side which seemed to take pleasure in destruction.

1966 was also the year that the last class A1 steam locomotive was sent for scrapping. These magnificent LNER racehorses were gone for good. But not every sad story ends sad. A group was set up to build a new A1 and a few weeks ago their brand new steam locomotive named Tornado took to the rails. Tornado is the first steam locomotive to be built in Britain for 50 years and is currently the world's newest steam locomotive. This beautiful machine can now been seen on preserved railways and out on the mainline railway taking passengers for day trips. You can find out where it is operating by visiting the www.a1steam.com website.

What do you travel for?

2008-08-30T11:52:00.001-07:00

When I last renewed my North Highland Railcard there was a short survey to ask why I use the train. There were options for 'business', 'personal business', 'shopping', 'leisure trips' and perhaps the most important of all - 'visiting friends and family'. I read this on UCB's Word for Today (www.ucb.co.uk): '

YOU WILL BE MISSED, BECAUSE YOUR SEAT WILL BE EMPTY.' 1 SAMUEL 20:18 When you lose a loved one, you realise that relationships are much more important than possessions, b. But we forget that in our scramble to the top of the heap. Being told you've only a short time to live puts you into shock, then re-orders your priorities. It makes you want to fill each precious moment with the words you've left unsaid and the things you've neglected to do. Don't allow self-centeredness, masquerading as ambition (or religious zeal!), to keep you from showing love to those who need it. Make that call. Send that email. Buy those flowers. Say, 'I love you.' In other words, 'be there.' Most of the time people don't need our wise analysis or brilliant answers, they just need our love and support and they'll find their own answers. If you are a leader, you're particularly at risk. Don't sacrifice your family on the altar of your career or you'll end up with regrets you can't resolve. ... Take a moment and think about these words: 'And Jonathan had David reaffirm his...love for him...Then Jonathan said to David...You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.'

Thinking of taking a journey? Make it a special one and visit that loved one you haven't seen recently. I can't think of a better reason to be taking a trip.

Isle of Man with the Steam Packet

2008-08-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

You can get to the Island by rail and sea from Heysham (best for the north of England and Scotland), Liverpool (best if coming from the rest of the UK), Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). Heysham however is perhaps the most convenient journey of them all for the train traveller. Heysham Railway Station could not be closer to the sea terminal (as seen in the photo to the left). In fact the terminal and the station are the same building. Heysham Port on first impressions is an industrial landscape next to a power station. It couldn't be less scenic, however it is not our destination and the Steam Packet has provided a comfortable terminal with check in desks, waiting area and a snack outlet. After check in you are free to wait for the boarding call. All luggage is checked in (a bit like flying) so you don't need to worry about your belongings while on board, just pick them up from the luggage point at the other end.

The Steam Packet is the world's oldest passenger shipping company established in 1830. However it is an up to date transport company with a fleet of modern ships. All the routes now use high speed ferries with the exception of the Heysham link which makes use of a traditional ferry which was built especially for the service a few years ago. The company has not forgotten it's routes though and has re branded earlier this year with traditional Manx names, livery and style. My ship, the Ben-my-Chree was looking excellent in its new black and white livery with bright red funnel. It replaced the King Orry and to be honest I preferred the 'King'. It was a dedicated passenger ship while the 'Ben' is a combined freight and passenger ship which has the feeling that the emphasis is definitely on the freight. Having said that it has all the facilities you would expect. On boarding I headed up to the main passenger lounge. I found a reserved seating lounge, the restaurant, a small shop with Manx souvenirs, a pub, a 1st class lounge and open air deck. I headed straight for the open deck and despite crossing in a storm that had the fast ferries stuck in port, remained their for almost the entire journey. There is something very special about sailing outside. On the inside you could almost imagine you are on shore, except for the constant movement. But outside is the real experience. There was enough shelter to make it possible in the high winds and I even got a few interesting photos! I was also very impressed with how the Ben-my-Chree handled the Irish Sea. At almost 12,000 tones even someone prone to sea sickness like me was feeling nothing! There is something very relaxing about sitting on deck and watching the ocean slowly glide by...

Arriving at the Isle of Man was an equally special treat. From out of the sea far in the distance I became aware of the hills of the Island. Gradually they came into focus and out of the sea rose Man. By this stage in the journey the weather had calmed and it was a brilliant summers evening on the island. The ferry arrives right in the heart of the capital and from the sea you can see the rows of promenade hotels, the hills behind them and the buses and cars taking commuters home from work on this miniature country. There is no mistake, this is an island and a very special one at that. The island is very green and the countryside is there right in front of you inviting your interest. First though, there is arrival. The Douglas Sea Terminal has been modernised and now resembles an international airport more than the sort of small ferry terminals of western Scotland. This IS an international transport terminal though as the Isle of Man is a self governing territory. Passing through Customs reminds visitors that they have left UK mainland. This is no ordinary international sea terminal though. Reminding everyone that this is the Isle of Man are the island's symbolic three legs, seen everywhere from flags to logos around the building, together with government, of the Isle of Man that is, offices. And how many international terminals greet visitors with a sign of 'this way to local buses, taxis and ...horse trams.

More of that though on my next post. The journey home was very similar to my outward journey except for one very significant point. I had a treat and travelled first class. Is it worth it? Yes, a definite yes! This is the Britain by Rail blog and you will forgive me for being rather enthusiastic about trains most of the time, but if I could just be a little critical. UK rail companies, airlines, visit the Steam Packet and learn how to do first class. The first class lounge is located at the front of the vessel with a forward view similar to what they must have from the navigation bridge upstairs. A friendly stewardess who told me that she lives on the Mersey but makes her home in Douglas for work greeted me by name and took me to a comfy leather seat for the journey. Compared to the rest of the ship which was a little noisy, the first class lounge was an oasis of calm and relaxation. We left bang on time and I watched the birdlife of the Irish Sea as we gently made our way towards England. When I was thirsty I ordered a complementary fresh (note restaurants, shops and airlines I now know what fresh really means!) orange juice. There were newspapers and DVD's, but really the show out of the front windows was far more relaxing. Why pay to travel across the sea and read a paper!? Then when it was time for lunch there was no lining up with the masses in the self service restaurant, rather my stewardess took my order back to the lounge for me. My rating, ten out of ten. If I could have gone all the way home by ferry and missed out on the train I wouldn't have thought twice! Of course every cloud has a sliver lining, in my case at least I was heading home by train and not by car as some of the other ferry passengers had decided to do! Did they not know about the rail terminal?

Overall both journeys were excellent. It is really a pity that they are so short, there is not nearly the time to fully enjoy the sea travel experience. However for anyone wondering whether a trip to a UK island is worth the journey, I would highly recommend the experience. Forget flying, and experience a great British way to get to our islands with the local ferries. First class or open deck it is a travel experience not to be missed.

Keswick, the Lake District

2008-07-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

I am now back from my week's work at the Keswick Convention in the Lake District. I was there as an assistant on a stand with my employer, the Highland Theological College. Keswick is small town in the very scenic north Lakes in northeast England. The town used to have a railway station but the line closed many years ago and it is now a bus link from Penrith Station. Don't let that put you off visiting though, the bus link is easy to use and rover tickets are available for unlimited travel by bus and rail in the area. My own journey from Inverness, via Edinburgh was with one ticket all the way to Keswick. On arrival at Penrith railway station I simply walked outside to the waiting bus (clearly marked as the rail link bus) and showed my through train ticket to Keswick to the driver, it couldn't have been eaiser, unless there was still a train of course. The picture above is off the old Keswick station which I saw on a walk one evening. It is now (well) preserved as part of a hotel and the old trackbed is a cycle and walking path. I explored for a few miles east of Keswick and it looked like a very scenic walk.

Now for the trip report on my journey to Keswick. There is a choice of two rail companies between Inverness and Edinburgh - Scotrail and National Express, both of which I am very happy with. Between Edinburgh and Penrith (for Keswick) there is the option of Crosscountry, Virgin or Transpennine Express. I chose Transpennine Express and their service from Edinburgh to Manchester Airport. On a busy summer Saturday this was a mistake. The train was full of people heading off to their week of sun and beer with plenty of kids and luggage with them. Not the most enjoyable journey experience I've come accross! The train as a result was pretty crowded, not everyone got a seat and it was lacking in luggage space. However I was not altogether put off using Transpennine Express. The class 185 trains have powerful engines which get them along at a good pace. The interior is bright, clean and spacious enough. The seats are comfortable enough but look pretty ugly. They are down to the 'bare bones' to save space. My only negative comments would be that there was not enough luggage space and the train was simply too small for the numbers they tried to cater for. Next time I'll book a first class upgrate or travel on a less busy day!

Keswick itself is an attractive town. The first thing I noticed was that the businesses are local. Try visiting almost any UK town and every shop and business you will find is a national chain. The local store is all but extinct. However in Keswick they survive and thrive. The town is situated right beside the Derwentwater Lake (pictured left) which is ideal for watersports. It is also amongst some impressive hills which are popular for handgliding, walking, running and cycling. There is also a leisure pool and gym which I went to a few times. Unfortunatly if you are seriously into your gym it was not at all well equiped and a bit of a disapointment. As for the swimming, the strange 'leisure' shaped pool meant that anyone who actually could swim would probably find it inadequate! Doing lengths or even widths seemed out of the question so the few swimmers in there seemed to make do with swimming round the pole at the end - the only deepish part of the pool!

Older people though who might not want it quite so active will also find plenty to do. Overall I'd rate it highly as a holiday destination. I didn't come accross any unpleasent areas on the Friday and Saturday nights and it was for the most part clean and well kept. I ended up staying in a self catering cottage while mile co worker was in a local Bed & Breakfast which although clean and tidy didn't seem to like spending any money on the breakfasts. Unfortunatly there is no way to rate hotels so you just have to make the mistakes and make sure not to return again!

The next stage of my visit was on to the Isle of Man, which will come in my next post.

Heritage Sites at Risk

2008-07-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

The BBC had an interesting article today about heritage sites at risk which looked at six internationally important sites currently at risk. The Bowes Railway was one and you can see the video here. The Bowes was opened in 1826 and is not only one of the world's first modern railways but is also the only surviving rope operated line left in existence. If you are interested in visiting you can find out more on their website. By visiting you'll see something quite unique and help preserve a bit of history. The railway is located near Sunderland and there are good bus links from that station.

Summer Trip

2008-07-06T02:28:00.001-07:00

Next Saturday I should be setting off on my longish summer journey. I'll be going to the Lake District in northern England for about a week with my work and then will hopefully take a few days on the Isle of Man as holiday. As well as some observations on these places I'll be reporting back on here about my journeys which will include the rail operators Scotrail, National Express East Coast, Transpennine Express, Virgin, Northern Rail and the Isle of Man Railways. I'll also be taking a ship in the form of the Isle of Man Steam Packet, so plenty of travel feedback for anyone considering using any of these services! My actual journey is for a conference in Keswick. Having never been before I have no idea what it will be like, where I'll be staying or what the work will be like. Nothing like going into the unknown....

Yesterday I found this interesting link to a survey conducted by the Transport Company Stagecoach. In case you are unfamilar with them they are a huge bus company in the UK who also operate some rail franchies and the Megabus (UK and USA) coach operation. Their research found a 10% change in travel habits in the last three years for health and environmental reasons, which is great news. Of those who had previously used the car, 36% had switched to the bus, 30% now walked and 5% change to travel by train. It is interesting that most chose the bus, this could be that buses provide a much higher range of journeys than rail - they really do go everywhere. Or it could be that rail is already very competitive on most commuter routes. Regardless of this, it does point to the public starting to change habbits.

Rail, bus and walking are good for the earth for more reasons that climite change. They save fuel, cause less congestion and noise and emit fewer nasty fumes which are bad for human health too. The other thing of course that we often forget is that they are good for our own health also. Walking is probably one of the best forms of activity there is. An hour in the gym at night is not going to make up for sitting on your bum in the car and office all day. And even if you take the train or bus instead of walking it is unlikely that you'll life outside, or work outside the station. The walk to and from the station or bus stop will do you a lot of good. Its amazing how many people tell me that I am so 'lucky' to be thin. The fact that I'm not glued to a car seat and go to the gym every day seems to have missed them....!

New Look Express Trains

2008-06-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

It is probably about time I gave an update on the refurbishment of the class 158 Express trains which keep us happy here in the north of Scotland. Built between 1989 and 1992 and for anyone who can remember the old trains with opening windows (rather than air conditioning which doesn't work), space for luggage and comfortable seats they have been nearly twenty years of disappointment. So when I heard that a refurbishment program was underway I couldn't wait to try out the new product! The work is now nearly done and the units are back in service. So how do they rate.

Here are the pics:

This is the interior of standard class. The seats have are new and they have a different angle so that you can actually sit comfortably. The former versions seemed to have you falling off forwards! Another benefit is that there really is enough space for you to stretch out your legs (especially on the airline style seats).

Another nice new feature is the added luggage racks. There are some news ones in the centre of the coaches as shown here together with more at the ends of the coaches - perfect for these lines with lots of people going on holiday.

Nice view out the window too don't you think?!

Now for first class:

This is first class with some very classy seat material and decor. It's also got laptop plugs and table lights. My only disappointments though are that the seating is in 2-2 formation rather than 2-1 so you don't get all that much extra space, there is no door to keep the noise out of standard and really it is not up the first class or a long distance train. Disappointing compared with the Scotrail Turbostars. However first class now has it's own luggage rack which is a plus.

Throughout the train the toilets are much nicer (and easier to clean!) and the whole train has a fresh, bright and airy feel. It is a shame that laptop plugs were not included throughout the train but overall a good job has been completed. I think I'll be enjoying my Express train journeys now rather than trying to avoid them!

So if you're traveling to Aberdeen, Inverness or the far north have a look out for these trains and enjoy the trip!

Happy Birthday Dora!

2008-06-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Dora Briggs will be celebrating her 90th birthday on the 4th of July and she'll be celebrating by heading to work as usual at Amtrak's Emeryville station near San Francisco. Dora is famous for coming up with the idea of the 'station host'. It is a volunteer program to help passengers on their journeys. There is a nice piece about her in the San Francisco Chronical http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/27/CMQ410C2LK.DTL

Happy Birthday Dora!

Half Price Travel in Devan and Cornwall

2007-05-26T06:15:00.001-07:00

This weekend (26 + 27th May) as part of Community Rail Week, branch lines in Devon and Cornwall are offering half price fares. Further information is available at www.firstgreatwestern.com. Tickets can be purchased from booking offices or on board trains.

Southend Air Show

2007-05-19T03:38:00.000-07:00

The Southend Air Show is one of the largest free air shows in Europe. The famous Red Arrows will be there together with displays of aircraft, helicopters, flight simulators and wing walkers! The event takes place over the weekend of Sunday 27th and Monday 28th May 2007. There will be limited parking nearby so the best way to get there is by train. The C2C rail operator is arranging extra trains to Southend Central over the two days to get people there with ease. Also available will be Weekend Cheap Day Return tickets (also being made available for Monday) and Groupsave, so that 3 or 4 people can travel together for one low fare. The groupsave must be purchased by at least 1800 the day before.

Enjoy the show!

New Timetable

2007-05-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

A new timetable will start for all rail routes in the UK on the 20th of May. The timetable will run until the 8th of December and includes extra services and changes for the summer months. You can access them from the main part of the Britain by Rail website. If you were planning any trips over the summer months, make sure it's the new timetable you are using for your planning!

You can expect some minor changes on most routes, however the main highlights are listed here:

Arriva Trains Wales opens a new route this Autumn! The new line will link Cardiff Central and Ebbw Vale Parkway. New stations along this route will be: Rogerstone, Risca & Pontymister, Cross Keys, Newbridge, Llanhilleth and Ebbe Vale Parkway. There is no opening date set yet, but when the trains do start running they will be hourly. No doubt people living in the area and visiting will be glad of this new rail line!

Also to open is a new railway station serving Llahharan, on the Cardiff to Maesteg line. I've no idea how these towns are promounced if you are trying to book a ticket by phone!

C2C Railway have a new service between London Liverpool Street, Stratford and Barking. They will also introduce more through services on some routes so you will have fewer changes of train.

First Great Western will end the separate section of the Night Riviera Sleeper for Plymouth. This means passengers will need to join or leave the train as normal upon it's arrival in Plymouth. Perviously a separate section was added at Plymouth so that you could get to bed earlier in the evening and wake later in the morning. While it clearly makes it easier for the railway not to carry on this practice, it does mean that passengers will have a later departure or earlier start depending on which way they are traveling.

There is better news at First Scotrail where a new route is due to open between Stirling and Alloa. No date has been set yet but this will open up more journey options in the Stirling area.

Great North Easter Railway have introduced more services between Leeds and London.

Also on the East Coast a new railway company is due to start up in the Autumn. The Grand Central Railway will start a new direct service between Sunderland, Hartlepool & Teeside to York and London. Aside from this being a timetable change, the proposals show this to be another rail operator that will be seeking high customer service and some comfortable trains. More on this in the Britain by Rail site to follow.

Finally on One Railway, there are extra trains to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) sites at Lakenheath and Buckenham on Sundays to cope with increased visitor numbers at weekends. A result of the promotion of that link at Britain by Rail? Probably not, but it's great to hear of the development. Enjoy your day out if you plan to visit either of those sites.

Also watch out if you plan to travel to several stations on the One network this Autumn as they are getting new names! Woodham Ferrers becomes South Woodham Ferrers Station, Walton-on-Naze becomes, Walton-on-the-Naze, Clacton becomes Clacton-on-Sea (a future candidate for the 'on-the-sea' treatment?), Frinton becomes Frinton-on-Sea and Whittlesford becomes Whittlesford Parkway.

All other train operators have only minor changes (but hey 5 minutes here or there can leave you standing on the platform - so do check) or no changes at all. Many also have some extra summer services.

Virgin Trains Motorbikes

2007-03-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

I came across something totally new to me today - a motorbike that will take you to your destination from the railway station! Virgin Trains now have their own bikes on a service they are calling 'limobikes' from London's Euston station to any location in central London. It's being offered as a way to beat the traffic and they even provide the passenger with safety clothing for the journey. From the website it seems they are offering this service for ten pounds. Ok, I'll probably stick with my feet and the underground but for anyone who normally takes a taxi that will be a saving! Not only that but it seems like a lot of fun too!

You can find out about it at www.virgintrains.co.uk

Bikes by Tram

2007-02-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

The Isle of Man Electric Railway is investigating the use of wagons to transport bikes behind passenger trams which link towns on the East Coast of the Isle of Man. The plan is to make the going easy for cyclists who wish to use the rail service. The new service could start as early as May this year.

The Manx Electric Railway runs between Douglas (the island's capital), Laxey and Ramsey in the north of the island. There is also a steam railway to the towns in the south of the Island.

Book French Sleepers by Monday 19th February 2007 for Savings

2007-02-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

www.raileurope.co.uk are offering huge discounts on French sleeper trains for tickets purchased by 19th Feb 07 for travel between 4th Feb and 30th March 2007. More details and bookings from Raileurope

Save money on the Snow Train

2007-02-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

Eurostar's snow train to the French Alps is now on sale. Savings of up to 30 pounds per person are on offer for the 2007 season. The Ski train runs direct from London and Ashford in Kent to ski resorts in the French Alps. Tickets can be purchased online from www.raileurope.co.uk and are available to UK, EU and US residents. Trains depart late on Friday afternoon and travel overnight so you arrive early Saturday morning to start your holiday.

Cheaper Travel for Young People in Scotland

2007-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

If you are aged 16 - 18 or up to 25 and a full time volunteer, the Scottish Executive has launched a concessionary travel scheme for young people covering buses, trains and ferries.

The card gives 1/3 off the adult single fare on most buses across Scotland, a free Scottish Youth Rail card giving you 1/3 off rail travel and 2 free return ferry journeys to the mainland each year if you're resident on a Scottish Island.

The card is free and can be obtained from www.givememycard.org

Welcome

2007-02-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

This new blog has been added to the Britain by Rail site to give up to date travel information and news on offers. I hope you find this useful.

Kevin