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As I understand it HS2 connecting to the Elizabeth line and the GWR network is a key reason for its existence. But it's 6 minutes out of Paddington, why can't connecting passengers travel 6 minutes further in and connect at Paddington? Stopping long distance trains so close to Paddington seems...

Normally you expect the state to run lines that make a loss and the private companies to run the profitable routes, instead in the countries mentioned you get private operators on minor routes. Arriva's European rail operations include vast amounts of regional routes, in Poland and the...

As reported on the FT HS2 considers scrapping first-class seats to maintain passenger capacity https://on.ft.com/42vkkhP It also mentions tethering two 250m trains (Pendolino length) would be too long for most platforms. The assumption is still that almost all WCML services will be HS2...

GWR extending the xx:20 off Paddington to Banbury and possibly even limited extensions to Leamington Spa could help to uncrowd XC services between Reading and Banbury. They seem to be full all day, even with some 8 car formations. The only problem is that GWR as I am aware are stretching their...

Anything from the 1990s up until 2010 ish, the nearer to pre and post 2004 as possible, the better. I am especially looking for the London - Reading stopping patterns when they used to be faster but anything for the mainline and Guildford would be appreciated too. RailTables seems to be down...

As per the title, the ECML went through GNER before National Express and Virgin lost their franchises or had them terminated early due to financial losses and a continuing need from the DfT to bail them out. Why was it so hard to turn a profit until these last post-pandemic years? Was it due to...

In various European countries there are features like analogue clocks on the station building and inside as well but in the UK we tend to keep them to major termini like St Pancras. Are there any other European features the UK should/could adopt? Our station canopies are mostly flat which is...

I was wondering how many there were after having looked up the BR station code index. I assume there are no one or two letter station names. If there are no more three letter names, you can stretch to four.

Since there isn’t a thread for all GA requests, I have started one. Which GE diagrams today are 755s? I saw the 22:00 Ipswich off Liverpool St and the 15:30 both 755s formed on Friday so was wondering if those same diagrams are running today. GA really need to join know your train since I’m...

This is turning out to be very controversial and is facing significant opposition - 50k signiatures in a few days to overturn this law. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66774379 Rising fuel costs of running engines for extended periods of time at very low speeds added to increased polution...

The Rosslare - Dublin gets six services per day Monday to Friday only four on Saturdays and only three on Sundays and they are mostly CAF 29000 DMUs which are so poorly equipped for the routes they operate? And it was full and standing from Wicklow past Bray until not one single seat until...

Chelmsford and Colchester to London (or potentially all ex-NSE area stations) do not permit open returns at certain times of day I was told at my ticket office this morning, is this true? I’ve bought many open returns from Windermere/Warrington - Euston, Rugby - Euston, KX - Edinburgh etc, at...

I was on an EMR service from Sheffield to Nottingham and my credit card was charged to railgormet, which I thought didn't operate trolley servces anymore. The trolley was branded EMR so I was surprised that they don't operate it themselves. Is there anywhere else railgormet operates and are...

As I plan my holidays, even to places I will drive to, I always like to give the railway network a try and plan some things to see and do around the rail connections. Which countries have the most variety of rolling stock and the least? (excluding the UK of course).

They make a big noise but every time I touch the vents nothing is coming out of them, and I’ve been on quite a few now. Do Greater Anglia never turn the a/c on or are the units all faulty? Having travelled on many 158s, 159s, 166s, IETs, Desiros, Voyagers and Pendolinos etc. this and last...

What is the chance we see increased line speeds, reduced journey times, more passing loops and dare I say it, tilting trains? A 3h 40 - 4 hour long journey time is not competitive with flying*. With Transport Scotland more inclined to invest in railways, is a 20 minute reduction in journey...

I watched a 1980 Italian film called Cafe Express where this guy illicitly sells espresso on the nightly Milan Naples express while evading train guards and the transport police. It made me laugh a few times and was a touching film. Anyway, what would happen in the UK if someone were to do this...

The lines to Clitheroe from Manchester, and the Colne route as well as most of the Newcastle and Middlesborough based work, the Cumbrian coast and the Sheffield - Huddersfield (and possibly a few more I forgot to mention) are all still Sprinter operated. In total there are 143 DMUs plus 7...

There is a thread at the moment about the dire state of the Thameslink 700s and put together, the amount of vandalism added to the cheap spec, oppressive ambiance and poor state of the rolling stock makes them a very unpleasant train, especially for longer distance journeys. The few times I've...

Does anybody have archival timetables from the era (1996-2011?) that SWT operated 170s, 158s and 159s on these routes? I am also looking for pictures of these trains on those routes, particularly the North Downs. I'm curious to know the service frequency and stopping pattern and how long both...