07:00

Apologies for the lack of promised blogs these past couple of days. My absence was due to events beyond my control. But now I’m back, with a visit to the HS2/East West rail interchange site at Calvert in Buckinghamshire. It’s an important site as not only does it contain the intersection of E-W rail and HS2, it’s also the location of HS2’s IMD (Infrastructure Maintenance Depot). Tracklaying from E-W into the site has been ongoing for weeks and the main earthworks and bridge over the HS2 route has now been handed over. I’ll add pictures after the visit.

It’s bleeding Baltic here in the Pennines and very icy. So much so Dawn insisted on giving me a lift to the station as the pavements and cobbles (yes, we do still have ’em here) are so slippy and treacherous. It took us a while to defrost the car as the frost was so bad. But thanks to may wonderful wife I made it to the station in one piece.

Right now I’m on Northern’s 06:45 from Halifax to Manchester Victoria. This train’s made up of a pair of CAF built Class 195s but despite the fact it’s a four-car it’s very busy. Lots of us have laptops out as this is a popular business train. Whilst we’re busy typing, other passengers are busy dozing and making the most of the chance to catch some shut-eye in the warm and quiet.

I’ll blog throughout the day as I can, so feel free to pop back later to see what I get up to.

09:15.

Frustrating. I’d published a blog update from my refurbished Pendolino but the damned thing hasn’t loaded due to the wifi repeatedly dropping out. Ho hum. Let’s tey again…

Whilst I was wrapped up warm for my stroll across Manchester city centre I couldn’t help but feel for the poor homeless souls I passed asleep in doorways. At the Arndale centre I passed a group of six people huddled together for warmth under a mess of sleeping bags and blankets. They were lucky. I saw many solo sleepers with no-one to offer warmth or companionship. It’s a tragedy, and one our cynical government is exploiting as a distraction. The poor aren’t screwing the country the Tories friends are. The wealthy tax-avoiders and those who’ve raked in millions off the sale of dodgy PPE.

At Piccadilly I joined Pendolino 390132 working the 08:15 to Euston. Most of the trip’s been through thick fog with odd clear patches like this one as we crossed the famous viaduct at Stockport.

The frost and fog covered countryside looks lovely, but then I’m in the warm with a flask of coffee. I might feel differently if I was in the outside looking in!

10:07.

My Pendolino rattled its way to Milton Keynes where I’m now waiting for fellow journo and snapper Phil Marsh who’s kindly offered me a lift as we’re both going to the same event.

16:30.

I’m currently speeding North again after a busy but fascinating day where we were given a grand tour of the EKFB construction site at Calvert that allowed us access to places the public never get to visit. Our small group were given a full briefing by project managers on the work that been completed, is still underway or has yet to start. Some of the statistics are mind-boggling. The old E-W rail ‘Varsity line’ embankments have been raised by 6 meters where it crosses HS2. This is a complete reversal as originally, the Great Central trackbed that HS2 reuses passed over the ‘Varsity line’ at that point.

17:55.

We’ve just left Doncaster en-route to Leeds. The 16:03 from Kings Cross is being worked by one of LNER’s Mk4 and Class 91 loco sets and been busy all the way. Many passengers appear to be dozing in the heat after what’s been a cold day all round, although I suspect we’re all going to get a rude awakening when we step off the train on arrival in Leeds!

19:25.

It wasn’t just the cold weather that was a problem at Leeds, it was the usual late-running and cancellations that added to it. My LNER service was late into the city, then my next connection to Halifax was late. Admittedly only only 8 mins, but. Once we all piled onto the Hull – Halifax 3-car (which became rammed) we were stuck in the station awaiting the road due to congestion. Of course by 2033 congestion at Leeds would have been a thing of the past as the newly opened HS2 station would have solved that problem. Then a bunch of incompetents masquerading as a government cancelled it.

Things didn’t improve en-route. The Conductor came onto the PA to announce our service would be canned at Bradford Interchange – but there was a late running Chester service only a few minutes behind! So, that’s alright then (you’re being sarcastic again, aren’t you? Ed).

I’ve managed to find a seat on the Chester service which (thank the Gods – or Northern Control as they’re known) is a pair of 2-car class 195s. Now I’ll arrive in Halifax 40 mins late. Thankfully, Dawn’s waiting for me so I won’t have to slip and slide walking home as it’s certainly another cold one tonight…

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