Recent content by peteb

Coventry Street; saw people crossing the road Monday evening about 8pm, saw mask wearing teenagers Monday lunchtime.....agree the roughest pubs are gone (well most of them!). I recall the town centre before they knocked half of it down c.1982 to build the Rowland Hill centre (now virtually...

There were several passengers on my train to Brussels who were fretting about missing the onwards DB Cologne-bound ICE due to depart 20 after our arrival, as we arrived about 5 late, then all got stuck in a horrid traffic jam of suitcases etc queuing for the lifts down to the connections tunnel...

Yes, but not sure how loud on idle! 1715183556 Possibly just couple another 68 to the DVT end? So set remains same config, just with extra loco. But take your point about noise if both locos working. It's a shame they (the 68's) can't run "dead" rather than "idling" (or can they?).

A big incentive for any new operator will be paths that better connect to onward services at Lille and Brussels. The most significant onwards connections from Brussels appear to be Amsterdam and Cologne. Cologne ICE (DB) connections are currently ~20 minutes with Eurostar, but really need to be...

Couldn't they run one idling just in case? I would have thought fuel consumption minimal. But I guess it's cheaper to pay compensation to the odd trainload of pax delayed 5 hours than it is to make contingency plans? But reputational damage, what cost?

I just travelled from Bruxelles Midi to Rotterdam on a loco hauled Dutch IC train and the Antwerp to Breda section at least was on the High Speed Line, (the one with the yellow and blue flag signs, and used by Eurostars to Amsterdam). Does anyone know of other passenger trains using these types...

Though "Les Ross" class 86 noted there today parked up. No use to Chiltern however!! 1715115166 Unless Chiltern have off-hired a load of 68's since shrinking their loco hauled services,couldn't they simply ditch the DVT and top and tail with Class 68's? Or am I missing something fundamental to...

Well, as a resident, I know that most people in my road (1/2 mile from town centre) drive into the centre, particularly if they go out in the evening. Fear of crime whether real or imagined is the primary reason people don't use the subways. I've lost count of the people I see leaping over the...

I'm now on the 6 car 323 set forming the 1603 service from New St to Bromsgrove so yes, there are sufficient 323s left to make up a 6 car set, but not it appears when they're actually needed. 4 people in my carriage on this train!!!!

Thumbs up to them. I can't honestly think that the WMR planners could have considered the implications of putting out 3 car units today. Something for the new WM Mayor to investigate so this isn't repeated next year. Plus earlier trains a must on Sundays. First Birmingham arrivals from...

True. Mind you proves the need for longer trains. The new ones should be better.

Well done to West Midlands Railway: no train from Longbridge till 0916, then it is a 3 car. Full to bursting at Selly Oak, people bring unable to board who are competing in the race. Why could they not do 6 car unit this morning of all mornings. Definitely an anti- rail sentiment on board this...

Equally disappointing is that the earliest arrival on a Sunday from Kidderminster to Birmingham is 1015am, which makes day trips by train to other heritage railways nigh on impossible on Sundays. So on Sunday for example to get to see the start of the Birmingham half marathon 0930am it's a...

Cheers thanks for that.

Only if the engineering works over-run. In my experience if anything they may finish sooner. Whether the timetable reverts to normal then or the diversions are maintained I'm not sure. Check on the SNCF app daily for these trains to check they still call at the intermediate stations. Will save...