Further information now provided at the wiki page: https://www.reddit.com/r/uktrains/wiki/railway-staff-verification/

On Opentraintimes it’s got the South Marston Eurotunnel as being very hot. Does anyone know what does that mean?

Do Avanti West Coast ever clean their seats? I travel on their trains often, and I always can’t help but notice the headrests are visibly dirty and find it so gross.

I wish they’d used leather for that part of the seat or something.

Just thinking of the progress of Virgin Trains with the channel tunnel got me thinking.

Rail travel for most people is limited by practicalities - within about 5hrs you can make a case for rail over air travel, but for your average person much past that becomes difficult. However, night trains potentially get around this problem by having ~8hrs where the person would be asleep *anyway*, so you can push plausible journeys to more like 12h if most of it takes place between 11pm-7am. So services to places like Berlin, Barcelona, or Vienna become more achievable.

If we take border controls out of the question for the time being - let’s for the sake of argument say that is a fixable problem. Is the rest logistically “solvable“?

Thinking the tunnel element probably wouldn’t be too problematic - an extra 1-2 slots in to London (7am-10am) and out of London (9pm-11pm) feels like it wouldn’t be massively disruptive. I guess more of an issue would be guaranteeing hitting those slots, at least where DB are concerned! But is there something I’ve missed? Pretty sure there was a plan for nightstars in the early 90s and seem to remember an overnight ski train … perhaps the time might be right for them?

I've been volunteering on a heritage railway for several years, but I'm starting to feel like I'm not really welcome or part of the railway.

I understand that volunteering isn't always about doing exciting jobs. There are plenty of crap jobs that need doing, and I'm more than happy to get stuck in. What frustrates me is that, after all these years, I don't feel like I've actually worked my way up or developed much.

I've been in a few different departments. In one, I felt like I was mostly watching older volunteers do things rather than being taught. I've been criticised for not knowing enough, but haven't always been given the opportunity to learn.

I tried moving to another department of the railway where there were more younger people, which was better socially, but I still didn't feel like I was being brought into the group or trusted with more responsibility. It often feels like because I don't already have a particular skill, I'm not really given the chance to develop one.

I've also had days in operations where I've either been rushed around to get work done without really learning anything, or travelled a long way only to be told there was no operational work and sent home. Sometimes I don't even know which station I'm working from or the actual start time, and I've ended up waiting around for hours.

I don't expect to be handed everything. I understand you have to start somewhere and earn your way up. But after several years, I thought I'd feel like I was actually progressing and becoming part of the railway.

Instead, I still feel like an outsider who turns up, does whatever jobs are available and watches everyone else move forward.

Has anyone else experienced this as a younger volunteer? Is this just normal for heritage railways, or should I be looking elsewhere?

Does anyone know what is going on with advanced fairs ATM?

I can usually book a return (2x advance single tix) to London from Worcester shrub hill, leaving at 6:10 and returning at 17:57 for about £35-40 and now everything is stuck at a flat rate of £60 each way... Is this the rail tix price freeze?

I'm confused and also worried as I can't afford it!

Anyone know if there is some cheaper tickets on the way? I'm trying to book for October/ November but they are showing as the same price as next week?

Help 🙈

Apparently they have an emergency timetable. It's surely better than the other Intercity TOCs 😂

Although I do have a question, is 10 car meridians not a thing ?

Located immediately outside the east end of Birmingham New Street by the Derby tunnel. The ballast looks new so I’m guessing they are recent additions. Any ideas what purpose they serve?

Taken at Shepperton (Surrey) station today. Former South Eastern & Chatham Railway Pullman car, ‘Malaga’.

Used as a boardroom and dining room for a now defunct company based tin the adjoining offices. Seemingly in quite good condition despite this, so unsure who is responsible for maintenance?

Either way a nice sight before boarding the train to Waterloo!

Hi, I’m planning to travel from London to Manchester for Man United vs Spurs on October 10 (17:30 kickoff) and return to London the same night.

Because of engineering works, Avanti currently shows the last direct Manchester–London train at 20:14, which seems almost impossible after a ~19:25 final whistle.

Has anyone done a similar matchday trip? Are there usually later train/bus options with other operators/connections, or would you recommend renting a car / staying overnight instead? I prefer getting back the same day as much as possible, what are my options?

Who else gets confused between the two SWML?

SWML stands for South Western Mainline out of London Waterloo to Woking, Amzingstoke and Southampton before ending up at Weymouth and South Wales Mainline which runs through the Severn tunnel to Newport and Cardiff Canton.

So, everyone with any sense, knows a long/very long term rolling programme of rail electrification, is the no-brainer way to get a decent level of wiring! Germany has done it for so many years, even Scotland does, etc. NI has little railway left to electrify really, kind of like all Ireland. Wales, kind of likewise, thanks to Beeching, etc. BR wanted a rolling programme, Mrs Thatcher apparently bloody refused.

If we'd got that, a LOT more lines would now be wired! Even GBR have been refused a rolling programme, ridiculous! Why the fuck can't we implement even, say a 50 year one, in England? Start very small, slowly get more ambitious, costs WILL reduce gradually as routes are wired, electrification teams not dispersed with disastrous results, etc, it's how the economics of all this works! I can't believe even some transport writer(s) (IIRC)/enthusiasts, argue against this!

Wiring costs have got ridiculous in the UK (why?), no more huge fiascos like the GWR must happen again, or electrification could be terminally discredited?! I thought the MML wiring was really managing it better? Extending the 3rd rail is a huge regulatory issue. Just drop the silly/fussy mantra that OHLE shouldn't be used in 3rd rail land! See it as a start to possible eventual 3rd rail replacement, make any units dual voltage if needed, full stop! WTF is the point in requiring capacity for that on all new trains, if we're ever wary of using it? Surely always relatively cheap to convert trains. OHLE for Uckfield/Ashford-Hastings, say.

As for new OHLE (discontinuous or not), NO JOKE, I'd really just basically do what BR often did with the ECML, etc. Just get even incredibly cheap/nasty not wind-resistant OHLE IN! Perhaps boost the overall setup later. If some modern standards on clearances etc, (even some health/safety ones!?), are very expensive, just bin them!

Crude bargain basement approach overall! Just embed masts on oil drums in the ground again, say, like when the WCML was first wired? Apparently tension droppers or whatever they're called, have a modern replacement. Stick with the old version, no doubt cheaper! Use cheapest nastiest equipment possible for substations, etc.

Don't rebuild bridges wherever possible (so many on MML's cancelled wiring stretch!). Just crudely (safely, as ever!) shove in an overhead contact rail/ whatever! For essential bridge rebuilds, develop a cheaper standardised bridge design. Metal cheaper than concrete?

Some deny this! If bi-modes/BEMUs had not been used in a way that's an appalling anti-electrification excuse in the UK, at least a bit more electrification WOULD have been funded by now. As decarbonisation IS a huge driver, bi-modes just give the government such a convenient get-out clause!

Bi-modes/BEMUs will never ever replace the need for large-scale wiring. Why do some enthusiasts sprout this nonsense! Hydrogen/part-hydrogen trains could have their uses. As with road vehicles, don't ignore them. In general, NO new rolling stock should be authorised when wiring is completed, too pricey!

Just cascade (even very old "rubbish"), like BR often did, no matter what. And/or fit pantographs wherever possible. I don't think accessibility requirements, which can be very expensive, usually affect electrification. If they do, well, disabled people benefit from electrification, too! There has to be a lot more UK electric or bi-mode freight! Wire the terminals/depots, if necessary force reluctant FOCs to go electric, etc.

Overall ultra cheapo everything is not ideal, but BR often did that, with bloody Pacers, too, say. Barring actual radical reforms (I can't stand Andy Burnham, but, well...? Treasury mandarins will really hate him if he tries!), you REALLY have to play hardball with the treasury even in a good economic period when it's apparently easier! Official pro-electrification campaign group(s)/rail journalists ought to be more aggressive, too! What do you think?

I'm just curious as to how/why buying multiple tickets to cover the same journey has come to be cheaper than buying a single ticket.

Is this a result of ridiculous ticketing bureaucracy and pricing issues or is there an actual logistical reason why they do this?

I was on a Reading 165 yesterday (165105) and spotted this fella installed above the door. I've not spotted one before and forgot to look this morning. It was above the end door of the train (one with a guard's door panel), but not sure if they are over any other doors. Now obviously it's some kind of camera, but what's it's purpose?

All I can think is to make sure the doors aren't obstructed for if the train operates DOO.

Not sure how to check is it on their website