Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Railways

  • Rail Magazine and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

    Rail Magazine and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

    A letter from the Rail magazine issue of 18 November 2020 which is very hard to disagree with…. I’ve travelled that same journey from Los Angeles to San Diego, and the views are incredible as the train is effectively going merrily along the beach in places. But, landscapes aside, the Amtrak trains are spacious, better proportioned and there’s a more coherent set of snacks and meal options on board. But, there’s something rather lovely that guards welcome customers on board, they often seat them and remind me before their stop. I don’t mind the seats on the GWR trains, but these services have annoyed me with their insufficient staffing and seating on board (before the current restrictions were introduced).

    The rather beautiful train in San Juan Capistrano last year when I went back to Los Angeles…

    Anyway, perhaps it’s time that the next iteration of the railways in the UK is more like Amtrak. Amtrak needs new funding and expansion of its own, but at least it’s beautifully comfortable on board. Perhaps Amtrak Joe (the nickname of the new US President) might get going with providing funding to allow the reconnection of the Amtrak Sunset Limited line from Orlando to Los Angeles, which has been forced to start (or end, depending what direction you’re going in) from New Orleans since 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina.

    I do miss American trains…..

  • Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport

    Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport

    As another of my asides, this is an article from Rail magazine this issue, a query regarding rail vouchers which were about to expire. This is the sort of maddening decision which alienates people from the rail network, a decision would have likely been made immediately by the rail operating groups, or indeed the old British Rail, but is caught in a Government department that doesn’t want to answer. Anyway, that’s as political as I’m getting and at least I’m fortunate not to have any rail vouchers.

  • LNER Dining Facilities in 1939

    LNER Dining Facilities in 1939

    I hadn’t seen a list like this before, it details what catering facilities there were available in all of the London and North East Railway (LNER) stations.

    Strange to think that there was a refreshment room at Newmarket railway station, there isn’t even a station building left there now for those passengers passing through.

  • Railways and the Coronavirus

    Railways and the Coronavirus

    12 passengers in four hours? Surely it must be worth just using buses for these routes now, that’s on average fewer than one person per train (plus the guard and the driver)….. But impressive that so many people aren’t travelling and are obeying instructions.

    https://twitter.com/BTPEAnglia/status/1246360968919162882

     

  • Norwich – Toiletgate 2

    We’ve had a minor issue, as mentioned here, with regards to this Greater Anglia bullet train having to stop at numerous stops en route for prolonged periods so customers can use the station facilities. What the driver of this train seems unaware of is that customers in the first few rows of the front carriage can hear his full dialogue to the guard and others, which has so far included the c-word, the f-word, the s-word and a word I’ve had to look up on Google. Anyway, we’ve reached Thetford and the train I’m connecting to is being delayed behind this one, so I shouldn’t miss it…..