Crunching the StopHs2 social media stats: September 2018

30 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Hs2, Politics, StopHs2

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It’s the end of September and it’s time to have a look at the StopHs2 ‘campaign’ social media stats. I’ve analysed the August numbers here.

Firstly, let’s get some context. There’s 6,567,433 folk who live in the 63 constituencies that Hs2 will run through. That’s a lot of people. Now, if the majority of them are up in arms about Hs2 you’d expect the sole surviving ‘national’ anti Hs2 group to have a large social media following, wouldn’t you?

In fact, their following is tiny. They have just 6180 on Twitter, or 0.094% of the 6.5 million

stophs2 twitter

On Facebook they only have 8604 followers, or 0.13% of 6.5 million. So, as you can see, they’re not exactly setting social media on fire. But those headline numbers are only part of the story. How many of those followers actually engage with them through comments, retweets aor likes? How many actually help ‘spread the word’?

Bugger all, as the next set of numbers shows. Here’s a look at every Tweet and Facebook post that StopHs2 have made in September with a number of people who’ve responded up to today. Lets have a look at Twitter first:

Their ‘best’ day for retweets was the 24th September, with a ‘massive’ 61 – or 0.98% of all their followers. So, not even 1% of their followers are spreading the word on Twitter, which tell you a lot about how active those followers are! Then again, if you can be arsed to look up who their followers actually are (it’s boring, trust me) you find a mish-mash of the far-right, a few greens, lots of anonymous accounts and the few who you think ‘what? Why?’ Here’s some examples.

followers 6

So, it’s a rabble, not a serious campaign. Nor will it influence anyone who matters. 91 of them follow me and I can see that a lot of them are people who’re just there to see what nonsense Stophs2 are spouting, they’re not actually supporters of the campaign. If Stophs2 are relying on Twitter to get their message out, they’ve failed miserably.

Now let’s go and have a look at Facebook.

Their ‘best’ result was on the 6th September when they posted pictures of Chiltern viaduct designs and 348 people shared it. That’s just 4% of all their followers. Most of the time they don’t even make it into triple figures and have less than a 1% response rate. Now, does that sound like a growing campaign to you? Mind you when you see some of the responses it becomes clear that many of their followers have – how shall I put this – a tenuous grasp on reality. Have a look at these ones.

hs2 fb

And…

fb2

Meanwhile, their ‘relaunched’ campaign is due to hold a protest outside the Tory party conference which should be fun as their last one at the Labour conference was a disaster! I’ll keep you posted…

A short walk in the Calder valley

29 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Calder Valley, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Calder Valley, Travel, West Yorkshire

It’s been a lazy(ish) day today. We’ve not been far, well, by our definition anyway! After a fairly lazy morning at home catching up on chores and bits we decided to walk across the valley up to Norland Moor and the fabulous Moorcock Inn.

After leaving home we walked down through Scarr Woods to the valley floor and along the Salter & Hebble Navigation (otherwise known as the canal) as far as Copley, a small place that’s sandwiched between the canal and the River Calder.

There’s only one road in and out and for a couple of years the place was even more isolated as the old stone bridge that crossed the Calder was destroyed in the Boxing day floods of 2015. In 2017 this was replaced by a modern steel structure that once again allows pedestrian access to the Norland side of the valley and an area of dense woodland known as North Dean Wood. It’s a interesting little place. An old Toll house still stands by the bridge, opposite the disused St Stephen’s Church which is a designated Grade II* listed building, under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

toll list

toll 2crop

The church was open when we passed, so we had a nosey inside. It’s a huge, rather gloomy place that must have been murder to heat and light in its day!

Churchcrop

What was interesting about the church was that it contained nuggets of local history and an explanation of how Copley village came into existence. What I learned was that it was one of the earliest model villages, set up before the much more famous Saltaire. He’s a local website that explains – and saves me having to!

Heading on from the church we walked up through the woods to reach the top of the escarpment and Greetland Moor. The leaves are just beginning to turn but have yet to produce the rich panoply of colours we can expect to see in a few weeks time. What we did see was a wide variety of mushrooms. I’m no mycologist, so I don’t really know what I’m looking at, but here’s some examples.

mushrooms 1crop

mushrooms 2.jpg

As you cut through the trees towards the top of the escarpment there’s some wonderful views back across the Calder valley towards Halifax, where the magnificent 23 arch, Grade 2 listed Copley viaduct is exposed to view. Built for the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway in 1850 it spans the River Calder, the canal and the A6026 Wakefield Rd.

viaduct

Once up on the moors we walked from Greetland to Norland and on to the Moorcock Inn for a well deserved pint and also – one of their home made pork pies – which are excellent. Succulent and packed with meat, they’re not cheap, but as a treat, they’re well worth trying.

pie 1

pie 2

The bar menu changes on a daily basis and always contains something different and delicious

Rolling blog: out and about…

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in History, Merseyside, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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Merseyside, Railways History, Rolling blogs, Travel

After several days staring at a computer screen I’ve escaped the office for the day and headed out with the camera. Dawn gave me a lift into Huddersfield, so first stop was to catch up with the guys and gals at ACoRP towers to learn about preparations for next week’s Community Rail Awards in Glasgow. It’s a lovely day here, as this picture shows.

Now I’m on the move, heading West with Manchester Victoria first stop…

12:58.

I’m now back in the city of my birth: Liverpool. It’s a beautifully sunny day here too. I’ve had a mooch around the redeveloping Lime St station where I noticed this lash-up, an East Midlands Trains 156/158 combination working to Norwich!

If you’re foolish enough this would take 5 hours 21 minutes. The 156 is limited to 75mph, it has forced air ventilation (thus noisy open windows) and there’s no trolley service, so bring food parcels and ear-defenders! For the same price you can go via London (albeit changing 3 times) and arrive 5 minutes later!

I wish EMTs cross country option offered more than this nowadays but this is it.

14:03

Much as I love Liverpool, I’m very much on the move today so I didn’t have time to sample any of the cities fabulous pubs. Some of them are real works of art – like the Crown, right next to Lime St station. This is the pubs ornate ceiling.

What I did have time for was a spot of lunch at one of the city centre noodle bars. This one, called ‘Wok and Go’ is just outside Central station. You can get an excellent, freshly cooked Asian meal for a fiver. I rather like the wok lampshades too…

15:46.

I moved on via Merseyrail to Kirkby, one of those very odd hangovers from a different era – the 1970s. This former main line has between Liverpool and Wigan been singled in either direction and the line severed. It’s essentially two separate lines now, the electrified Merseyrail service ends, passengers detrain and walk along the platform, under a bridge, past two pairs of buffer stops and board a Northern Rail service to travel onwards. There’s only two places like this in the UK and they’re both on Merseyrail. The other’s nearby, at Ormskirk.

My Northern steed was one of a pair of Pacers. Two are provided but the rear one’s locked out of use as the platforms at the next station, Rainford, are too short for a 4-car. It’s Rainford I was heading for as it has one of the few mechanical signalboxes left in the Northwest as it’s where the single line begins/ends. Rainford was once a junction and the excellent real ale pub on the road above is still named ‘The Junction’. Here’s the view from the station footbridge today.

In this shot you can see the signalbox which used to stand in the middle of the junction, with lines curving away to the left and right just before the box. You can still see the curve on the edge of the right hand platform whilst the left hand side is completely overgrown by trees. It now a footpath. If you want to learn more about the history of the station and see a collection of old photographs, visit this website.

Here’s an old (undated) picture displayed in the pub.

It shows the Pub, signalbox and footbridge I was stood on!

Rainford’s only one of a couple of dozen locations left in the UK where the signaller physically hands over the single line token to the train driver, then collects it from them on the return. Here he is in action yesterday.

DG309944crop

17:07.

I’ve stopped off again, this time at a station I’ve never visited: Orrell. The station’s been built in a deep cutting, so access isn’t the easiest. That said, the station friends group (whom I don’t know) are doing some sterling work on difficult terrain. They’ve established planters on the platforms, brought in water butts, edging and added steps to some of the steep banks to make then accessible for planting.

I had a quick wander around the town but it’s not one of those places that has a natural centre, just scattered shops and a couple of closed-down pubs. It has the feeling of a town that’s lost it’s original reason for existance, so it’s a dormitory town for elsewhere.

My next stop was quite depressing: Wigan. I know Wigan of old, since the early 1970s when I first started travelling solo as a teenager. It’s always been a bit of a depressing place. It’s no wonder George Orwell used it in some of his writing. The problem is, it hasn’t got much better. The old industries that grew the town are long gone and I’m really not sure what sustains the place anymore. In the 1990s 2000s I used to change trains here on my way to see my family in Southport. Occasionally we’d stop for a drink if we missed a connection, but there was always an undertow of menace in some of the pubs. That and the bluster of people who knew they were going nowhere. It’s worse now. I had a quick wander in between trains. The big old pub to the right of Wallgate station’s now a shop. It’s one of the few as all I saw in my stroll uphill was bars, barbers, vape shops, bookies, drunks and beggars. None of the normal economic life of a healthy town. Still, now that we’ve ‘taken back control’ thanks to Brexit, I’m sure things will improve…

Moving on I caught a train back to Manchester where I changed for a service back across the Pennines. This time of day the trains are very busy, but that’s no surprise – I’m on another old friend, a 2-car Class 150 that used to operate Gospel Oak to Barking on my local line in North London. It ended up working for Great Western around Exeter and now it’s pitched up here. Northerners complain about poor train services but if you compared loading and fares on this route with (say) a train out of London Waterloo to Basingstoke at the same time of day you can see why that has 12 cars and this doesn’t!

l’ll probably get some flak for that observation, but as someone who’s lived in both areas I know the reality.

My final port of call was Hebden Bridge, where I changed trains once more. At night the place oozes history and atmosphere, all you need is a steam engine to pass through!

DG310012crop

UPDATE 30.9.18
As you can see from the comment to this blog, my observations on Wigan have upset some, so I thought I’d compare Wigan (pop 103,000) and where I live now Halifax (pop 90,472) on Crime statistics UK. Each postcode is taken from the town centres. The comparisons make interesting reading.

crime 2

crime

Now here’s where I used to live, Crouch End in North London!

The end of the line. Scotrail’s Class 314 EMUs

26 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Class 314s, Rail Moderinsation, Railways, Scotland, Scotrail

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Class 314s, Rail Modernisation, Scotland, Scotrail

*Blog updated on 12th December 2019*.

This week Scotrail have announced the withdrawal of three of their fleet of sixteen BR built Class 314 3-car EMUs that have been a familiar sight around Glasgow for the past 38 years, 314207, 314212 and 314213 are now off-lease and will be returned to their ROSCO for disposal. The rest of the Class will follow as soon as they can be released by the arrival of more Hitachi Class 385 EMUs, which will allow other vehicles to be cascaded

The 314s were constructed at York in 1979-80 to the same design as the earlier Class 313s and 315s plus the 750v 3rd rail Class 507s and 508s. What was unique is that unlike the others, they have a top speed of 70mph rather than 75. Built with aluminium bodies and roofs on a steel underframes they were a step change from earlier BR design EMUs. The design followed on from the experimental PEP units of the 1970s. Here’s a look back at each member of the class and some of the places they visited.

DG108144. 314201. Mount Florida. 29.3.12.

On the 29th March 2012 the first of the class approaches Mount Florida station on the Cathcart circle in South Glasgow

Back on the 8th April 2009 314202 calls at Cathcart, heading anti-clockwise on the circle.

DG108141. 314203. Mount Florida. 29.3.12.

On the 29th March 2012 314203 in the new Saltire livery leaves Mount Florida with a service to Neilston. This unit’s unusual in that the lead car was rebuilt from a Class 507 vehicle (no 64426) in 1996 as the original 64588 was scrapped after being written off in the Newton rail crash of 1991.

DG150985. 314204. Paisley Canal. 14.6.13.

14th June 2013. 314204 stands at the end of the Paisley Canal branch with a service to Glasgow Central.

DG147891. 314205. Glasgow Central. 15.5.13.

It’s the 15th May 2013 ad 314205 waits to leave the magnificent Glasgow Central station with a Cathcart circle service via Maxwell Park.

DG21295. 314206. Glasgow Central. 9.4.09.

A busy time at Glasgow Central on the 9th April 2009 as 314206 arrives with a service from Neilston.

Back to the 8th April 2009 when 314207 is dropping off passengers at Cathcart station on its way to Neilston. As one of the first three sets to come off-lease its next journey is likely to be to the scrapyard.

DG147965. 314208. Glasgow Central. 15.5.13.

On the 15th May 2013 314208 has just arrived at Glasgow Central from Paisley Canal. This line had only been electrified the previous year, allowing the 314s to add it to their sphere of operation.

DG21410. 314209. Glasgow Shields Rd. 9.4.09.

The 314s have spent their life based at Glasgow’s Shields Rd depot. Here’s 314209 receiving an exam inside the depot on the 9th April 2009.

The 314s did sometimes venture outside Glasgow, one such place was the superb station at Wemyss Bay, to the West of the city on the coast of the Firth of Clyde. Here’s 314210 at the town on the 28th March 2012.

DG147810. 314211. Glasgow Central. 15.5.13.

Another of the class that lost the attractive Carmine and Cream livery for the Saltire livery is 314211. Here it is leaving Glasgow Central with a Cathcart circle working on the 15th May 2013.

The second of the off-lease trio is 314212. Here it is at Patterton on the Neilston branch on the 8th April 2009 whilst working back to Glasgow.

DG107825. 314213. Glasgow Central. 28.3.12.

Also off-lease now is 314213. On the 28th March 2012 it could be found threading its way through the maze of tracks on the approach to Glasgow Central whilst working a Neilston branch service.

Another service covered by 314s was the route from Central to Newton on the East side of Glasgow. Here’s 314214 at the end of the route on the 29th March 2012.

DG121362. 314215. Glasgow Central. 16.8.12.

After being a familiar scene for nearly 40 years, this sight will soon be history. On the 16th August 2012, 314215 approaches Glasgow Central.

DG258538. 314216. Glasgow Central. 9.10.16

The final member of the Class, 314216 at Glasgow Central on the 9th October 2016

Here’s a couple of internal views of the 314s, which were very much in original form. The yellow panelling was shared throughout the various classes from the 313s onwards. The seating has changed in other units but the 314s retained their original low-back 3+2 seating arrangement. These views date from April 2009.

DG21183. Interior. Scotrail Class 314. 8.4.09..JPG

DG21185. Interior. Scotrail Class 314. 8.4.09..JPG

19th December 2019.

Scotrail have now confirmed that there will be a day of farewells to the Class 314’s on Wednesday 18th December when a pair will work the following services.

1010 Glasgow Central – Ayr return (limited customer capacity).
1230 Glasgow Central – Glasgow Central via Motherwell / Carstairs / Cumbernauld.
1610 Glasgow Central – Helensburgh return.

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Stophs2? Give over…

26 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Politics, StopHs2

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Hs2, Politics, StopHs2

It’s the party conference season once more, which means StopHs2’s inflatable elephant is dug out of storage, checked for punctures and wheeled out for utterly pointless ‘demonstrations’ of Stophs2 impotence outside the events.

Gone are StopHs2’s ‘glory’ days when they could afford a stand inside the conferences and find enough volunteers to staff it. In those days you’d get Penny Gaines tweeting that everyone they talked to was solidly against Hs2 and that *really* every MP (Labour or Tory) privately opposed the project.

It was all tosh of course. Now the money and supporters have dried up, Hs2’s being built and it’s all rather pointless really.

A final effort to save the campaign from oblivion was launched a couple of weeks ago by one of the surviving ‘action’ groups on phase 1 of the route. Not that you’d notice as it’s been yet another in a long-line of damp squibs. The meeting in Balsall Common in Warwickshire. Here’s a couple of excerpts from the email that did the rounds

” We hope to attract members from both the South and the North to this meeting. We recognise that most action groups on Phase1 have faded away and this meeting is called by Richard Lloyd of Berkswell and Archie Taylor of Burton Green. We will offer coffee and biscuits but refreshments are available at next door Tesco’s.
We have a glimmer of a chance to stop the whole project as costs escalate and Brexit approaches while those on Phase 2 are perhaps in a stronger position”

“Glimmer”? Talk about optimistic! The email goes on…

“But we also have to plan for the future. Are any of the Northern Groups planning to lobby the Labour Conference at Liverpool, a week later, on the 23rd? If they are, perhaps, a few of us can help with the pamphlets. As a Labour member, I intend to write to all Labour MPs in the first week of September but articles don’t always get to the MP. But if we can give out leaflets at Liverpool, we can certainly play the northern card with the east to west alternative. If we do have volunteers to leaflet, I might go up to the Conference myself.

Perhaps the Conservative Conference at Birmingham on September 30th is more significant and accessible. Again it would be great if we can get people along. Similarly we can work on leaflets before our meeting.

I would appreciate if you can come to our meeting, or you are ready to go to Liverpool to contact me. I hope people will make this meeting. It will be great to see people from the past. It is going to be very difficult to stop it but we have a chance if we join together. I will give more details about the meeting at a later date”

So, the ‘new’ plan is to re-run the same old tactics, only this time with less money, less people and less interest! Here’s the agenda for the meeting;

stophs2 2 agenda

Note that the other national groups AGAHST and Hs2aa didn’t bother turning up. That’s because they exist in name only. Their written ‘updates’ will probably have been as blank as the Governments benefits of Brexit! AGAHST folded years ago and Hs2aa haven’t been heard from since the summer of 2016!

I haven’t seen a copy of any conclusions from the meeting or list of how many attended, but I not that it’s had no media coverage or mention on the surviving groups Facebook pages or websites other than on from a Groups on the Leeds route which described it as a ‘good’ meeting and err, that’s it!

So, what’s been the result of the relaunch. Well, yesterday a couple of people did make it up to Liverpool with the inflatable elephant and duly set it up outside. How many of them were there? It’s impossible to tell as the only picture Stophs2 tweeted out doesn’t contain a soul!

elele

By this morning the tweet had amassed a grand total of 29 retweets and 39 likes from their 6175 Twitter followers, which tells you all you need to know really…

There is one video, which is an ‘interview’ of a very scruffy and dishevelled looking Joe Rukin, spouting his usual polemical bluster, but no-one else is in sight!

At #Lab18 Conference @joerukin from @stophs2 says it’s not too late to stop the project @ITVCentral pic.twitter.com/Fg3MBP5PWC

— Alison Mackenzie (@Alison1mackITV) September 25, 2018

Contrast this pathetic performance with what was going on inside the Labour conference. Firstly, this tweet from train builder Bombardier showing some of their young apprentices meeting the Shadow Chancellor.

bombardier

Or this, from Siemens. Shame about the quality of the picture, but you get the gist,

sie

Or this…

prescott

To say that Rukin and Co have been outclassed and outgunned is an understatement! If this is a campaign that’s been relaunched, then it slipped straight off the stocks and did a submarine impression! I don’t expect any better at the Conservative conference. If I have the time I might even pop along so that we can get some proper pictures to gauge their support by.

Meanwhile, one last word about Liverpool. This is a proper demonstration Joe – oh, and look, that’s your very lonely elephant in the background!

sod 2.PNG

A relaxing weekend? Sort of…

23 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Germany, I love my job, Musings, Railways, Travel

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Germany, I love my job, Musings, Railways, Travel

It’s Sunday night and the weekend’s flown by. The good thing is that I’ve had time with my nearest and dearest, the bad thing is – there’s no rest for the wicked! Most of the last couple of days have been spent trying to catch up with picture editing and writing. I’m gradually working my way through editing the hundreds of pictures I took in Germany last week. You can find the Innotrans shots in this gallery whilst the general railway shots are here. Here’s a couple of samples.

Rebuilding the lines between Ostbahnhof and Warschauer Strasse stations

DG308712. Stadler Flirt for Greater Anglia. Innotrans. Berlin. Germany. 18.9.18crop

One of the new Stadler FLIRT 4-car bi-mode trains for Greater Anglia on display at Innotrans

As well as picture editing I’ve managed to get the first of my three-part trip around the UK rail network for RAIL written and sent off for editing. This next week will see me spending most of my time at home to get part 2 written and also finish editing the hundreds of remaining pictures from Germany sorted out as well as the shots to illustrate RAIL. Time and weather permitting, I might even manage to get out for the day somewhere…

After that it’s off up to Scotland for this years ACoRP awards which are being held in Glasgow. Thanks to Scotrail and Transport Scotland there’s a lot of activities going on around the awards so it promises to be a great time. Watch this space for comments and pictures.

An unhappy return…

21 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Brexit, Germany, History, Politics

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Brexit, Germany, Politics

After a brilliant week in Berlin it’s time to call it a day and head home. Normally, this is something I’d look forward to. The good bit is that I’m coming home to be with my wife. The bad bit is that I’m returning to a country that’s completely taken leave of its senses.

I’ve been busy working at Innotrans, so I’ve not been keeping up with the news – until now, when I’ve seen what’s happening with the Brexit shambles.

The utter stupidity of most of the UK’s politicians (and sadly, a fair chunk of voters) is depressing beyond words. Our arrogance is about to be our undoing as it’s looking increasingly likely we’re heading for a no deal Brexit. If that happens, the UK’s going to get a very hard lesson in humility. Part of me thinks that lesson is long overdue. Let’s face it, we’re a country that has far too high an opinion of itself and its place in the world because of our history. What many haven’t learned is history is just that – the past – and it’s where we’re stuck. We seem incapable of moving on and learning what our place is in a fast changing world – hence our mad pretence that we will prosper after Brexit.

We’ve relied on that arrogance to cushion us from what’s happening in the wider world, the one that many on our island nation know little about. We ignore the fact that what is today won’t always be. Here’s a little factoid I picked up at Innotrans – ironically, it was from an information leaflet published by the UK’s Rail Industry Association (RIA).

By 2050, Indonesia is expected to be the worlds 5th largest economy. That’s the position we held before the Brexit referendum. So where will we be in 2050? The only way is down…

What makes me angry is the lies and denial of reality. The Brexit vote was a fiddle. It was won by cheating and lying on an industrial scale but few seem to care. Our democracy has become so stale it’s been easily undermined by a few people with the money and will to do it. We’ve been bought and no-one’s really bothered – least of all the Brexit fans who screamed long and loud about how we needed to leave the EU because it was “undemocratic”. What a joke that’s turned out to be, but the joke’s on us.

Our Prime Minister has made a fool of herself in talks with EU leaders through misplaced arrogance and trying to push a deal that the EU said was impossible 2 years ago. The British still don’t understand who they’re negotiating with and pretend this is a negotiation between equals (It’s not) and that threatening to shoot ourselves in the head by leaving without a deal is somehow a credible threat that will make the EU cave in on its fundamental principles (it won’t). After all, why should they? Why would anyone rewrite the rules of the club for someone who’s leaving? Especially when those rules are enshrined in international treaties?

It’s stupidity beyond words. Here I am coming back from an international trade show that I’ve been able to attend and work at because of our membership of the EU. What hoops will I have to jump through next time, in 2020? And all for what? “Take back control” was a sick joke and it looks like we’re about to find out just how big a lie it was – too late.

Arrogance and a misplaced sense of superiority have been our undoing before (see my earlier blog about the fall of Singapore). Now we’ve added complacency about the state of our democracy to that list. Our institutions have proved to be unfit for purpose and toothless in the modern world – just look at the Electoral Commission for evidence of that. But what are we doing about it? Nothing. Most people don’t even care. That’s a sure sign of a country in decline.

We’re wrecking our economy, our international standing in the world and our relationship with our European neighbours and all for what? A bunch of lies.

We have 6 months left to stop the greatest act of self-harm any country has inflicted on itself in peacetime. Will we come to our senses?

Update: 12:09.

I’ve landed back in little Britain…

From what I can see of the UK media we’re heading for disaster. The rhetoric I’m seeing about ‘traitors’ is deeply disturbing. As a country we seem completely out of touch with reality. May’s Chequers deal was never going to be accepted by the EU, so why all the outrage? It’s painfully bloody obvious that we can’t impose our will on the EU, so why’s this a surprise? We ask for the impossible.

Innotrans and Berlin

19 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Germany, Innotrans, Railways, Trams, Travel, Uncategorized

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Germany, Innotrans, Railways, Trams, Travel

It’s my fourth day here in Berlin and apart from the fact i’ve been having a hectic time I’m also having a fabulous one.

Sunday left me shattered after my negative experiences of Stansted airport. Whilst I’ve been here I chatted to other UK colleagues, who share the same view of the place and now refuse to use it. What was once one of the UK’s best airports is viewed as having been ruined by concentrating on wringing every last penny of of passengers. After spending a few hours exploring and getting pictures I headed out to my hotel and ended up falling asleep by 21:30!

In contrast, my experiences here in Germany have been extremely positive. After all the madness that’s going on back home because of Brexit and our mad politicians, it’s lovely to be in a confident and outward looking, stable country. Berlin’s also one of my favourite capital cities. It has a bohemian heart and it’s all the better for it. There’s also massive investment in Berlin’s railway infrastructure, like this view East from the rebuilt Ostkreuz station which shows the new flyover and dive under built for the S-Bahn.

DG308451crop

On Monday I took time off to explore a couple of the delightful old rural tramways that link country towns with the S-Bahn. They’re rather timeless. Here’s the route out from Rahnsdorf to Waltersdorf.

DG308516crop

This one is the route nearby, from Friedrichshagen to Rüdersdorf.

DG308627cfrop

Right now I’m commuting in from Ludwigsfelde, a town just to the South, which is where I’m staying. It takes 30 mins to get to the amazing Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Hotel prices go crazy when Innotrans is on, so unless you book months (or years) in advance you can pay silly prices.

Commuting, Berlin style. This is my ODEG service out to Ludwigsfelde from the magnificent Birlin Hauptbahnhof.

I’m heading to day two of Innotrans, the world’s biggest rail trade fair. Around 160,000 people will visit over the four days, after which it’s opened to the public for another two days after that. I’m expecting another hectic day as one of the magazines I’m working for has a shortlist of stuff for me to get and today the British Transport Minister, Chris Grayling is touring the show. He’s tipped to be signing some contracts…

Oh, did I mention the weather? Innotrans is renowned for always getting the sun. Yesterday we baked in the heat, today’s expected to hit 26 degrees! I’m just glad us photojournalists are allowed to dress down!

Right now I’m in the Press centre, where I can grab a coffee, use the wifi and all the other facilities provided for Journalists before hitting the stands. It’s quiet at the moment, but here’s what the place looks like.

If you want to see pictures from the show, take a look at this gallery on my Zenfolio website as that’s where I’m putting them. I’ll flesh this blog out more when I have time.

18:51.

I’ve finally left the show and begun my journey home, but first there’s time to stop of at the Alkopole Bar at Alex, have a quiet beer and catch my thoughts. The day was busier than I thought for the simple reason that Chris Grayling visited a lot of trade stalls. We may fundamentally disagree over politics but I can’t fault him for keeping such a busy schedule. David Davis he ain’t!

I did manage to take up a certain train builders invitation to visit their version of platform 9 & 3/4, which was an mock English pub hidden on the back of one of their trains, but I’ll say no more.

The rest of my time was spent flitting between trade stands and the press centre with the occaisional foray to have a look at some new train interiors. The problem was that some of the ones I wanted to check out had a shore supply. This meant they were extremely popular as the air-conditioning worked – a real blessing in this heat!

I’m not sure what the temperature is now but it’s a lovely evening for sitting outside with a beer.

The ‘press pack’ has scattered to the four winds this evening due to a multitude of receptions and events to go to, which has spared my liver, so I’m not complaining. Besides, I have another 05:50 start in the morning…

Rolling blog; Berlin bound…

15 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Germany, Transport, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Germany, Innotrans, Travel

Time at home never lasts long. After 48 hours I’m on the road again, this time bound for Berlin. The timing could have been better as I’ve been torn away from a very pleasant afternoon with friends. We’ve been celebrating Tony Allan (of Phoenix brewery fame) 50th anniversary in brewing with a barbecue at his home in Halifax. Tony has set up a cellar bar with two of his beers on – plus plenty of other refreshments.

Now I’ve had to begin the schlep to Stansted airport for a silly ‘o clock Sunday morning flight to Berlin in readiness for the Innotrans rail trade fair. Dawn was kind enough to drive me to Huddersfield to catch a TPE service direct to Manchester Piccadilly so I’ve dodged a bullet in the shape of another futile Northern Rail strike.

Touch wood, things are going well. We left early as Huddersfield Town were playing at home today, so traffic can always be hit and miss. Add to the fact TPE are often late which means it always pays to give yourself a one train cushion. I’d planned to catch the 18:29 but found I was in time for a late running 18:08 which gives me plenty of time to get my London connection.

The trip across the Pennies was, fine. I missed the footy crowds and secured a tip up seat outside the disabled toilet where I heard a fascinating conversation between two TPE chaps with their refreshment trolleys who were on their way home. One was from Greece and the other Georgia. They were talking about their native foods and comparing recipes. It was delightful to overhear but it also made me angry. Not at them, but the whole Brexit shambles and the fact it’s causing such uncertainty for people like this pair.

19:31.

Oh joy. This is going to be a long trip…I’m now on Virgin’s 19:35 to Euston. Not only is this 11 car rammed, it has that delightful combination of football fans, inconsiderate people – and drunks. On the bright side, the football fans are Man City supporters. If they were United fans I’m sure there would be far more of them heading back to London!

The downside? As I was (foolishly) intending to try and do some work I’d reserved a table seat with a power socket. When I arrived I found that a young woman travelling alone had spread her unruly brood (and the contents of of their McDonald’s meal) all over the table & didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned other people had reserved seats as she was too busy talking on her phone (on speakerphone). We had ‘words’ when she expected me to accommodate her noisy ‘bin lids’ and their mess whilst she ignored them as she was far more interested in her phone. One chap behind her’s already told her to take the damned thing off speaker mode, so I know I’m not the only one hacked off.

Meanwhile, drunk woman and her boyfriend 3 groups of seats ahead have broken volume controls….