What was the last change you were genuinely excited about?

[Bletchleyite]

I'm quite looking forward to the 730s (now 3+2 has been dispensed with) and 80x on the WCML. So still ongoing

Last one before that was probably the TPE "transformation" though sadly we know how that went.

 

[jdp30]

Thameslink via Finsbury Park, fantastic when it works - Which is pretty much all the time now to be fair to them.

 

[gaillark]

First Great Western's last HST refurbushment in First Class. That was first class.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Avanti still run a Wrexham General to Euston train in the morning, which returns from Euston in the early evening.

 

[duffield]

New St Pancras. Being able to come in on the MML and then change to HS1 or Thameslink in just a few minutes has made much of the South East much more accessible from the East Midlands. I regularly make those connections in about 5 minutes.

 

[RailWonderer]

From childhood onwards:
Class 170s and Desiros on SWT
Pendolinos on the WCML and VHF
Stadlers on GA

 

[LUYMun]

Numerous to name - the Elizabeth line, London Overground, S Stock, Class 456 at SWT, Class 319 at London Midland...

 

[Techniquest]

The last big change I was excited about would definitely be CrossRail opening. That seems like such an eternity ago now! Absolutely fantastic to have it and it seems incredible how we all got by without it!

Others have mentioned the 745s and 755s, and I too was really impressed by them. I still am, and really want to head over there again.

I remember being very excited about the IETs entering service on GWR, and I fondly remember loving my first experience of one. Well, technically two as I had a pair from Cardiff to Newport. I stand by my view from back then too, I liked them from the start and I still like a journey on an IET.

Something else I was pleasantly surprised by was liking my first 385 experience in 2020. They are pretty decent little trains, and I've just put myself in the mood for a Scottish adventure! Similarly, way back in 2011, I didn't think I'd enjoy the 380s and I remember joking somewhere on the forum that I didn't want to point my camera at one, for fear of the camera breaking! Cue a journey on one and actually finding them pretty decent trains!

Same sort of thing for the rebuild at Glasgow Queen Street, I had my nostalgia for that station from my first visit way back in 2004, but the new station was brilliant! Birmingham New Street's rebuild, or at the least the concourse level, was pretty exciting and I remember making a special trip at the time to see it. Like Glasgow Queen Street, I had my nostalgia but the new station is so much better.

I think that's all the main things I can remember being excited about, oh wait no, no I've forgot to mention the Class 196 introduction. I first had one in January 2023, from Shrewsbury to Shifnal, and I had high hopes for the train that was to replace the 170s. I really enjoyed my first 196, and I still like them now. They're great trains, not without their faults like most things, but in my opinion they're a great successor to the 170s.

I was excited about the 374s as well, until I did London to Amsterdam and back on two pairs of 374 half-sets. I wasn't overly blown away, as my trip report from January 2023 revealed.

197s, I enjoyed my first few journeys but the dodgy AC on some recent journeys has darkened my opinion since then.

In terms of changes to come on the railway, I have big expectations of the 730s. Much further into the future, I'm expecting many good things from HS2.

 

[James Finch]

Don't know if it counts, given it's a future excitement, but HS2. Domestic, continental-grade, high speed, intercity services in the UK. While the Javelins are fantastic, it's not >=300kph fantastic!

For things that have already been built, Crossrail. The joy I had on opening day, I will never forget! Is it wrong to still feel that way today, and hoping I still feel like this in the future...?

(In my view HS2 it should have been built 40 years ago along with the APT as part of a British Shinkansen/TGV)

 

[snowball]

When the Scottish government committed in 2020 to decarbonise the country's entire passenger network.

Big letdown in the last 6-10 months with the absence of visible progress on rolling stock, slowing of progress on electrification at just the time when it needed to accelerate, so that the original targets now look likely to be missed by a very large factor.

 

[185]

TPE Expiring. I jumped around the kitchen at the news. Even if OLR performs worse, at least they're not that pink-branded crooked abomination. Ahem

 

[fgwrich]

HSTs to ScotRail and CrossRail / Elizabeth Line opening. Sadly, probably not a lot else until East West opens or HS2 if it ever get's completed in its rightful entirety - unless Tavistock get's authorised and progress is finally made on Waterside & Portishead lines.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Can't decide between:
(a) The capacity boost with the introduction of three-car 150s to the Huddersfield to Sheffield line last December.
(b) The similar capacity boost of most Leeds to Wigan services which switched from three-car 158s to four-car 158s at the last timetable change.

I'll go for the former, as the latter took away the lovely seats of the three-car units and replaced them with the decidedly less lovely ones on the rest of Northern's 158s.

 

[Ediswan]

The brief period around the 1980s when there were 'all night' 1tph surburban services from King's Cross. If I recall correctly, to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North. No 'last train' to worry about. The downside was that the 01:xx was liable to become the 02:xx due to a shortage of traincrew.

 

[A S Leib]

Okehampton has to be up there, especially travelling on it last year

Another thing that's given me cause for optimism has been the quiet transformation and improvement of the ECML. More flyovers, better junctions, planned expansion of Darlington. It's bringing about a real upgrade, but still unmistakably the ECML.

Probably the introduction of Lumo - I don't agree with all of their policies (especially not the luggage issues) but they have provided useful competition to the ECML. I'm particularly glad that they have provided a later Saturday evening service from Edinburgh to Newcastle - it's still a bit earlier than ideal but makes longer journeys north of the border quite a bit more viable!

Although I don't think that everywhere needs a direct train to everywhere, I'd add Middlesbrough getting direct London services (well, one per day for now), Harrogate and Lincoln getting much more frequent London services, and Hull Trains and Grand Central resuming services in 2021 (but considering what the current rate of cancellations seems to be I'll be excited once Grand Central has new rolling stock).

 

[CaptainHaddock]

From a purely selfish view, the Network Rail pay deal this year that gave post-privatisation employees priv travel facilities.

In terms of the rail network, the introduction of class 68s on TPE services. There's something "proper" about travelling on a loco-hauled train that you can never get from DMUs!

 

[Trainlog]

When the Medway valley line got a half hourly off peak service as opposed to an hourly one last year.

 

[Horizon22]

The opening of the central section of the Elizabeth line. It has hugely changed the connectivity of London and the infrastructure is a cut above anything we’ve seen on the railways in the UK or across London transport for some time.

Otherwise the eventual completion of Thameslink was a good one through London Bridge properly and the work that went into that & all the new direct connections possible. Of course May 2018 turned out to be an absolute disaster but I was excited by it in the build up!

 

[Irascible]

The channel tunnel opening.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

It was just too good to last, and it was given the final death blow by VT setting up a rival (faster) service to Wrexham via Chester which was, of course, withdrawn after W&S was killed off.

Not true, the service via Chester still runs.

 

[gingertom]

for me it has to be EGIP and the introduction of 385s. The shut off of power halfway up Cowlairs bank to comply with the 50mph linespeed takes some beating.

 

[Rail Quest]

The death of the pacers. Im also excited at the prospect of the 150/156s hopefully being sent to the scrap gods in the next few years

Perhaps you can tell Im a northerner...

Elizabeth line opening was also amazing - really interesting addition to london's network

 

[32475]

HS1 opening up domestic high speed services from East Kent to St Pancras

 

[LYuen]

Arriva losing the Northern franchise.

First losing the TPE franchise for me

 

[Fisherman80]

The Cumbrian Coast route getting a Sunday service.

 

[52290]

The Manchester to Blackpool and Liverpool to Wigan electrification, which means that Leyland has a 100% electric service after years of electric trains whizzing through without stopping.

 

[Taunton]

I'm not much of an excitable person, but the day when the Elizabeth Line finally ... Finally ... FINALLY ... opened, to walking distance from the house, was a notable one. Looking round, it seemed many others were likewise.

I suppose the one before that was the inaugural day Eurostar, return to Paris, a last-minute impulse buy so little anticipation.

 

[devon_belle]

I'll add GWML electrification to my list. I was gutted when they didn't do Oxford, Bristol and Swansea though.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Open stations for me, I think in the 80s, and the end of the tiresome funnel at the end of the platform for tickets to be collected.
It was never adopted on the Southern Region, and ever since there has been the spread of gatelines, barriers and checks so we are largely back where we started.
BR never went fully "open" in the same way as, say, in Germany where stations usually have multiple entry and exit points.
I think the railway is much more user-hostile than it ever was under BR, despite all the customer-first claptrap.

 

[frodshamfella]

The reopening of the Halton Curve, which I use fairly often now. Is taking sometime for it to be used to its full potential .

For me it was the introduction of the short-lived Wrexham and Shropshire service in 2008.

I was studying in London when it launched and it meant a leisurely and very pleasant alternative way to get home to the Wirral (changing at Wrexham) without having to go VT via Liverpool or Chester.

Full hot meals available in Standard Class was amazing.

Subsequently a move to Banbury meant I was a regular traveller.

I was dismayed when the service ended and went to Banbury station to see the last train go in 2011.

It was just too good to last, and it was given the final death blow by VT setting up a rival (faster) service to Wrexham via Chester which was, of course, withdrawn after W&S was killed off.

The only consolation is that the high quality refurbished stock is still in use with Chiltern, albeit without the catering.

I used the W & S a few times too, echo your praise. A real shame.