Michael C

It's happened! 🥳 I've wanted to hit 1000 subscribers for such a long time so this is a really major milestone. Thank you all so much for the support because this wouldn't be possible without you! ❤️

Belgrade- bombed in living memory- will get a metro before Leeds gets a tram.

@GarethDennis Wow, having it visualised like this really drives home just how badly they screwed up on the official design, and how little effort it takes to correct it!

FRIDAY POP QUIZ 🎉 Pick which of these is the real one: LEFT or RIGHT?

@SpeedySticks007 @RAIL @philatrail Even if most of the train is high-floor, having just one carriage with level boarding would still be a massive improvement for accessibility. See also, the ICE-L which only has level boarding to one carriage.

@MikeWillSee @RAIL @philatrail I would be happy if they do what Siemens ÖBB have done with their NightJet and RailJet products have high floor carriages at each end.

WSMR plans Alstom-built bi-mode sets if open access bid approved railmagazine.com/news/wrexham-s…

@SpeedySticks007 @RAIL @philatrail I would assume that if it's based on the same basic design, it would just be a case of upgrading the motors to provide a higher top speed, and maybe streamlining the cabs. Any fundamental changes to floor height would be a pretty major change, and therefore unlikely in my view.

@MikeWillSee @RAIL @philatrail Yes, for the regional and metro versions. This is an intercity version challenging the Hitachi class 80x.

@SpeedySticks007 @RAIL @philatrail Pretty sure the Adessias have (or will have) level boarding

@RAIL But will it be of level boarding design @philatrail ? If so, all carriages?

Loads of #hs2 nonsense over the weekend. Let’s try and put some of it right. 1) opting for much slower - 125mph would have made little if any difference to alignment. Yes, curves could have been tighter, but that would simply have taken the route closer to places…

The incompetence of those now in charge of transport in this country is staggering. This HS2 article is basically fact-free. All of its sourced assertions are bollocks - yet this rubbish is currently further wrecking HS2. thetimes.com/business/compa…

@i_heard_alex @PGPDP @seatsixtyone Everything on that website is just AI slop. I blocked them from my recommendations a long time ago and would highly recommend everyone else do the same.

@PGPDP @seatsixtyone TTW is terrible for this sort of thing!

Good news? Or fake news? Why have I never heard of the new 'BritRail Pass for UK residents'? @seatsixtyone

@Deku_izuku225 @chriscollins462 What infrastructure upgrades are needed? The new service wouldn't take any extra paths on the ECML and I wouldn't have thought that the Cleethorpes - Doncaster line was in desperate need of improvement either, especially for only a few trains a day!

@chriscollins462 Genuinely love how people think this will happen, this is one of them projects that gets hyped up every 6 months the reality of it is the amount of investment that will be needed for infrastructure upgrades and not gonna lie is it worth it for probably one train in each direction

Additional calls at Barnetby and Peterborough never hurt anyone! Very good for the people of Barnetby especially, a direct link to London will be very well used. Class 820s however... why not 809s? 😭

@spidey_simp @RAIL Also there isn't a "ban" on new third rail, but rather a "presumption against" but for such a short stretch between South Acton and Brentford it wouldn't be hard to justify/make the case for third rail installation

@spidey_simp @RAIL So electrify or between South Acton and Brentford (or use batteries if you must) But there's absolutely no need to run on batteries between Brentford and Hounslow

TfL plans to electrify around half of new London Overground route - at least railmagazine.com/news/tfl-plans…

@MattJennings337 Probably Aberdeen - Penzance

Since we are talking about long distance journey what has everyone's longest journey been on a single train that isn't a high speed service? For me Waterloo to Exeter on 158/ combo

Birmingham has set out a new high-rise city centre vision focused on the HS2 Curzon Street area, with plans that could deliver more than 5,000 new homes alongside a major new commercial district. constructionenquirer.com/2026/03/11/bir…

@WilliamBarter1 @thetimes Exactly. If the article is simply saying that the 895s will be used to replace the 390s then that only seems sensible given the limited number of "classic" services left on the WCML once HS2 opens. But if it means building a 200km/h sub-fleet then that makes very little sense!

@MikeWillSee @thetimes So would I if it were my choice! After all, there won’t be many WCML InterCity services post HS2 - probably a couple of Birminghams and a Manchester, plus a Chester covered by Evero. It would be a small sub-fleet.

So HS2 is going to become LS1 (Low Speed 1) 🤣 So not only is the new high speed network not covering the country as originally envisaged, it's going to be operated at line speeds we already have. This country is actually insane 🤣

@WilliamBarter1 @thetimes If I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, one possibility could be that they would build a "sub-fleet" with a top speed of 200km/h that would otherwise use the same bodyshells etc. But this seems unlikely to me as I'd imagine they'd want to retain operational flexibility!

@trainfanmatt I think @thetimes has its knickers in a bit of a twist here! As the HS2 trains are specifically designed to run on both HS2 and the conventional railway, no ‘downgrading’ would be involved in making them the train for residual WCML services in place of Pendolinos.

@railLKB @Ogilvie_CJ Similar to Crossrail, it will be level boarding at the new HS2 stations, but will require ramps when on the existing network.

@Ogilvie_CJ I really hope they go with level-boarding rolling stock.

🚅 The Times: "#HS2 trains could be downgraded for use elsewhere. A £2 billion order may be rewritten so UK factories can start work sooner - but stock would have to go 100mph slower to replace Pendolino." ⬇️🆓 thetimes.com/article/5a28aa…

@WilliamBarter1 @philatrail @Ogilvie_CJ Would it not be possible to store (at least some of) them at the current depots along the WCML where they currently keep the 390s?

@philatrail @Ogilvie_CJ Another thing is the effect of 250m sets on Washwood Heath. It means a complete redesign, reopening the consent from the Council, which probably puts it on the critical path to test running. And less efficient of space - I bet 7 Curzon St platforms will be needed for stabling!

The Times: "#HS2 to rewrite £2bn contract for trains that are now too long. The government are in talks with Hitachi and Alstom as the cancellation of the line beyond Birmingham means trains are now too long and too many are on order.” 🆓⬇️ thetimes.com/article/95a11e…

@Ogilvie_CJ We've known this for ages

As relevant today as it was back then. *Unofficial remake, not official GBR/DfT comms.