Our event has kicked off at Bane Nor’s Campus Nyland, just outside Oslo.
One of the reasons for the event is today the two companies are celebrating the first 100 days of operating a digital railway, the Gjøvik line. Here’s why Norwegian railways are investing in digitalization.
Here are the implications and impacts.
17:00.
The presentations and tour have been fascinating. I can’t cover it all right now but I will add more detail at the end of the trip. Bane Nor have 5000 staff to train on the new digital systems so they’ve built this bespoke training centre in which to do it, protected from the elements.
Whilst we were at the centre we were given a world first. Bane Nor and Siemens have developed a system for inspecting switches. Currently, this work is done manually. It takes one person six hours to inspect a simple set of points, taking measurements manually, then writing them down before they can be recorded digitally. There’s significant room for error. Now they’ve developed a lightweight machine which can do the same job in less than one hour. Meet ‘Railchap’.
It’s a nippy little thing that can take all the measurements previously done manually in just two passes. When you have 3,000 sets of switches that need to be inspected twice a year, that’s a considerable saving.
Now we’re back at the hotel, having time to smarten up before going out for dinner. Tomorrow we take a trip on the 67 km Gjøvik line – the first to have digital signalling installed.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Due to the logistics of getting so many members of the railway press corps to Oslo for this event, it doesn’t actually kick off until noon today, which has meant I’ve had a free morning to wander around the city centre and get a few pictures. Naturally, as my hotel is right next to it, the railway station was my first port of call. The building is a fascinating mix of old and new. The old building dates from 1882. It’s been kept and the concourse turned into this very elegant and attractive dining and bar area;
There 19 platforms at the station with services right across Norway. These old commuter trains caught my eye. The oldest I’ve seen dates from 1970 whilst the most modern is from 1992.
Almost all services are EMU operated, expect for this one, the 09:25 to Stavanger operated by Go-Ahead. Not for much longer, apparently. It’s going to be stopped soon as it’s losing money.
Right, it’s time to go and do some work. See you later…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
After spending over a month in 35 degree plus heat and humidity I’m swopping the tropics for a short trip to Scandinavia. Having spent some of the morning reliving my time in Malaysia through editing pictures (you can find the results here) it’s time to leave Halifax and the Pennines behind and head off to Manchester Airport once more. I’ll blog throughout the trip, so feel free to pop back and see how it goes…
13:05.
I’m on way! Dawn kindly dropped me off at Sowerby Bridge station, where I caught the 13:02 bound for Salford Crescent.
I’ve not done this for a while!
As you can see from the picture, it’s a lovely (almost spring-like) day for travelling. Far better than the gloomy conditions I arrived home in.
14:40.
I had a 30 minute interlude between trains at Salford Crescent, a station that’ll soon gain an extra platform to take pressure of the island structure that was provided when it was first built. It’s not difficult to see why it’s needed. There’s an intensive service through the station nowadays. Plus, it’s an important destination in its own right due to the changing nature of the area. There’s also a lot of people like me changing trains to access Manchester Airport services.
16:10.
And relax. I’m at the airport after a trouble-free journey. Getting through security and all the other airport gubbins was easy as the place is really quiet today. Now I’m killing time before my flight departs. I’ve already had a text from KLM to say it’s delayed. Fortunately, the delay is only 10 mins (at the moment, anyway) but I have less than an hour at Schipol where I change planes, so I hope it doesn’t get any worse.
My steed from Salford Crescent to the Airport.
16:50.
I have to admit that Manchester Airport has got better over the years. Even so, neither this nor any other airport would be my choice of transport, but it’s not always down to me to make that decision. Here’s my next conveyance.
17:20.
That was interesting. We have a nearly full 737-800 and the crew have been desperate to get people to stash coats and small bags underneath the seats in front of them ‘cos people are bringing too many big bags on board which will only fit in the overhead racks! This has caused further delays as stuff has had to be redistributed!
Despite that and my now lack of legroom, the flight’s not been bad. We flew out of Manchester just as the sun was setting, the passed over rugged Derbyshire before heading slightly South to cross the Wash and skirt Cromer before crossing over into Europe. Another interesting thing about the flight is that the majority of the cabin crew are late middle-aged. I’ve no idea why. KLM isn’t a budget airline either. You get free nibbles and a drink. Not bad on such a short flight.
20:25 (Netherlands time).
I’d forgotten just how big Schipol airport is! It’s massive. When we landed we seemed to taxi for a good 20 mins (at a lick too) before we got to an air-bridge. Getting from there to my departure gate took ages. There was no time to stop off anywhere even if I wanted to. I made it to gate D71 five minutes before we started boarding. This is another full flight that seems to have been upgraded from the Emberauer I was expecting to another 737-800. Still, all that matters is that I’m on – and I have a window seat (not that I’ll be seeing much this time of night).
Passing through Schipol has brought back lots of memories of Amsterdam, a city I’ve not revisited for far too long. There’s lots of stories I could tell, going back to 1981 when I first came over with the intention of staying. My girlfriend at the time and I joined a group of friends who were squatting here. Sadly, it didn’t work out (Barbara didn’t take to things), and we split up on our return, but that was the start of my long relationship with the city which I’ve enjoyed with various friends and partners over the years – or just on my own. Now I’m just passing through, but I have a hankering to return. Perhaps a long weekend in the summer?
Right now, it’s time to explore pastures new and the ancestral homeland as the Biglands originated from Norway many centuries ago…
Homeward bound?
Shame it’s only a flying visit and I won’t have chance to visit the relatives, or the town of Bygland or Byglands fjord.
23:00.
Oslo airport is pretty quiet this time of night, and I entered the Schengen area in Schipol there was no more immigration ho-hah to pass through (don’t get me started on the Brexit shambles). Now I’m on the airport express train into central Oslo. Cool looking, aren’t they?
00:15. (Norwegian time).
Dunno why, but I was surprised to see just how much snow was on the ground as the train made its way from the airport to central Oslo. Maybe I’d been lulled into a false sense of security by the temperatures on the weather forecast. It’s not a problem, and central Oslo has been cleared of most of it. My hotel is right outside the station which is ideal for going for a wander tomorrow morning before i meet up with colleagues from Siemens and the UK. Right now it’s time to turn in as we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a couple more pictures from the trip.
The airport Express pauses at Oslo Central. Euston station, eat your heart out!
I may be in Norway, but the first sign I saw when I left the station building made me feel right at home!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
My weekend at home is drawing to a close but it was nice whilst it lasted. My body-clock has been reset back to UK time, although I’m still waking up early, which is no bad thing. Maybe it’s my age! Sadly, the weather here in the Pennines wasn’t conducive to outdoor activities. When I got up at 07:00 the wind was already howling, with the promise of rain later, so staying at home seemed like the sensible option. Besides, I’d plenty to do, what with picture editing and preparing for my next trip away. In fact, the day flew by. I’ve managed to edit and caption dozens of pictures which you can find in the following galleries (the links are built in).
Here’s a couple of samples to pique your interest.
Yes, that is a small child stood in the middle of the tracks waiting for a train to pass outside Duri station! Trespass is endemic on railways in SE Asia (including Indonesia) but then many railways have shanty towns backing onto the tracks which people then use as their backyards. The train itself is an ex-Japanese Class 205 set. Introduced in 1985, the 205 series were used on both JR East and JR West lines. 524 205–0 series vehicles were shipped to Jakarta between 2013 and 2020. They form the backbone of the capital’s suburban train fleet. Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 number PK-GFM seen at Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport on the 3rd February. The aircraft has been repainted into a retro livery which was used by Garuda in the 1960s.
There’s still several hundred pictures in the queue for editing, but they’re going to have to taka a backseat for a while as I’ve more immediate concerns. The other job I had to do (apart from unpacking and repacking) was confirming my travel arrangements for getting to Norway on Monday. This will see me returning to Manchester airport – albeit with a much smaller suitcase! I’ll have time to blog throughout the trip as it’s a fairly leisurely affair. I don’t fly until 17:15 and even then it’s via Schipol airport in the Netherlands. I won’t get to my hotel until around 23:00 but there might still be chance for a snifter in the bar with colleagues from the UK and elsewhere. The press event itself doesn’t actually start until Tuesday but we’ve got a lot to fit into the two days.
OK, time to go. The pair of us have both had a busy day. Now it’s time to eat and enjoy each other’s company before I head off again.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
My first full day back in the UK has been rather busy, although this morning was the opposite through catching up on my sleep whilst adjusting to a very different time zone. Thankfully, the day produced some sunshine which lifted the spirits after yesterday’s wall to wall gloom.
I did manage to some of the morning editing pictures from my travels. Right now I’ve been concentrating on railway images from Jakarta, which you can find here. Once those are finished I’ll be moving on to other images from Indonesia then gradually retracing my footsteps through Malaysia and Thailand – although that may take a while as there’s more travels in the offing.
This afternoon we had an appointment with Dawn’s parents in order to celebrate Norah’s 84th birthday. Dawn drove over to Huddersfield to pick them up and take the four of us to a pub restaurant I’ve not visited before in its new incarnation, the Dunkirk in Denby Dale.
We had a lovely afternoon with some excellent food off a menu that offered far more than standard pub grub. Oh, they also have 8 different real ales in the bar, which was a bonus! The food was both delicious and well presented. John and I had Ox cheek whilst the ladies had the fish and chips.
None of us had much room for dessert but we did see one thing on the menu which intrigued us which was the rice pudding brulé served with home-made jam.
We ended up ordering one to share between us all. As it was a generous portion that was more than enough to give us a taste of an original dessert which was both unusual and very tasty. Whilst the others stuck to ginger beer my meal was washed down with some well kept pints of Abbeydale Deception, a NZ pale of 4.1% strength.
Now the pair of us are back at Bigland Towers having an evening to ourselves. I’ve managed to get a few more pictures edited, so all in all, it’s been a very good day. Tomorrow’s going to be more home-based as we’ve both got things to sort out, although hopefully we’ll get out for a walk although the weather forecast isn’t looking optimistic. If it’s as wet as is threatened I may just end up editing more pictures and pack ready for my return to Manchester Airport on Monday…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Today was my last full day here in Asia and it’s been a good one, despite the wet start. I’d set my alarm for 07:00, but it wasn’t needed, thanks to thin walls and noisy neighbours – the only drawback to where I’m staying.
My plan had been to head out before 09:00 but the drizzle and gloomy skies persuaded me to delay my departure for an hour. That worked out well as I ended up seeing part of the school run, Jakarta-style – which includes how many people you can fit on a scooter! I still haven’t beaten five – although I still have time tomorrow!
I retraced yesterday’s steps to Tanah Abang railway station only this time I took a different route where I finished up at the end of the line at Tanjung Priok. The Dutch built the port in the late 1800s and they rebuilt the railway station into a rather magnificent edifice in 1925. Nowadays, only one platform under the huge trains he’d roof is used by passenger trains (a shuttle service from Jakarta Kota). The rest is used for stabling intermodal wagons and locos for freight services out of the docks.
The station’s still well worth visiting as a relic of the Dutch era and as a piece of railway architecture.
My next stop was Jakarta Kota, the more well-known example of Dutch stations on Java. I managed a range of pictures there before moving on to something more modern by catching the train to Manggarai. This station’s changed out of all recognition since my last visit in 2017. Now, it possesses an upper level as the trains to Bogor run on elevated tracks at this point. There’s plenty of empty platforms in the trainshed on the same level – just waiting to be plugged into the network when new elevated tracks are completed.
This snd Jatinigara station further up the line are great examples of modern Javanese stations. I’d go as far as to say they’re world-class when it comes to facilities on offer. In fact, they could teach us a thing or two – like this, seen at Jatinigara (another station which has been heavily rebuilt and modernised).
A ‘co-working’ space on the main concourse above the tracks which is used by young and old. I think the plants are a really nice touch.
I visited several other stations on the network but there’s far to many pictures to sort out now. Hopefully I’ll have time to write up my about my rail trips around Jakarta tomorrow as the system’s an excellent one. Having got home I had grabbed a shower then headed out to eat in one of the lack backstreet food stalls. Here’s today’s meal.
Rice, fish and loads of veggies (plus a potato cake). Oh, and that red blotch is chilis!
Whilst I was eating there the heavens opened which delayed me somewhat but then wet streets at night are so photogenic.
The backstreets where I’m staying are a maze, and on every corner there’s a place to eat.
Now I’m back at home getting ready for the off. My flight’s not until tomorrow evening, so I’m hoping to make the most of the morning. Let’s see…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
The only problem with sleeping in a windowless room is that you get some very good sleep! Well, once all your neighbours have crashed out anyway as the soundproofing of the internal walls in this hotel was the one thing they scrimped on! I’d forgotten to set an alarm so I slept soundly until 07:30 which is unusual for me. I’d already decided that today was going to be home-based for the morning as I’ve a massive backlog of pictures to edit and I’ve stuff to sort out as I’m only a few days from returning back to the UK. As usual, something’s got to give. In this case it’s going to be having a trip on the high-speed line out to Benteng and back. It’s a bit of a logistical pig and there’s too many other things to do nearer ‘home’.
The first part of the day was spent in my hotel getting dozens of pictures ready for captioning before they appear on my Zenfolio website. That’s when having a desk (but no window) is rather useful. My only break was to nip out for breakfast (which is included in the price of my hotel) at the communal space I ate at last night. Breakfast was a buffet affair of traditional Asian (friend rice or noodles) plus Western – which meant sandwiches!
Having been fed and watered I returned to the hotel to spend another few hours editing, then thought ‘bugger it’ – let’s go exploring. My plan was to walk the half a km to the nearest railway station, Tanah Abang, then take a few trips on the suburban rail network. That walk turned into quite an experience as it was through a maze of narrow local lanes which tourists don’t normally explore, especially on foot! Nor that I was worried as the reception I got was universally friendly with several people asking for me to take their picture. The journey was fascinating as I got to see backstreet life, which consists of mad traffic and more small businesses than you can shake a stick at – and many of them are transient, based on little carts like this.
I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts! (but not much else)…
Finally, I made to Tanah Abang station, which has changed completely since 2017. The old locomotive depot has vanished. In its place a brand new station is appearing. The old low level platforms have all been rebuilt to the correct height for the imported Japanese trains – which have all been refurbished internally.
What hasn’t changed is the friendliness of the rail staff or the internal cleanliness of the trains, which are kept spotless by an army of cleaners. There’s also white gloved guards and security patrols throughout each train. The staff are all impeccably turned out, with (from what I could see) a very high number of female employees at all levels that would put the UK to shame. Here’s a few pictures from today.
Thumbs up from a young guard on the suburban line. Staff are impeccably turned out – including white gloves. A cheery wave from a young lady guard who say me taking a picture of her train as it departed. After I waved back she even flashed the trains headlights!
Remember I mentioned how mad the traffic is in those narrow streets? Have a watch of this…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’m afraid today’s blog will be short and sweet as my evening hasn’t gone quite to plan. Sometimes news from home can put a damper on the brightest of days. So, I’ll leave you with a few pictures from a day where I got out to explore the phase 2 extension of the Putrajaya MRT line, which opened just a few days after my last trip here.
Tomorrow I leave Malaysia to fly back to Jakarta for a last few days before my plane leaves for the UK. I can’t say I’m ready for that right now, but hey ho…
A Putrajaya MRT train crossing the KLIA airport line on its way into Putrajaya Sentral. The remains of the abandoned and never completed monorail can be seen in the middle.Driverless trains with big windows are fun underground!Tonight we had another major thunderstorm and deluge. These two young Malaysian girls make light of it as they walk through Petaling market in Chinatown.Here’s a video of the storm.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
My sojourn in Georgetown was all too short, but I’m running out of time. Today I’m moving on to Kuala Lumpur. I was awake and out early to make the most of that time, although Georgetown sleeps late. Nothing much is open before 10:00. That said, it’s lovely and cool and a good time to explore the empty streets and take pictures – just not shop!
The first part of today’s trip was getting off Penang Island and back to the mainland. That’s a lot easier now the new ferries are running from the old terminal in Georgetown. It’s just a few minutes away on a bus from Lubuh Chulia (around the corner from where I was staying). The ferries run every 30 mins so I connected with the 11:00 sailing. At Butterworth I discovered a fantastic (but deserted) space that’s been built where the old ferry ramps were. There’s great views back to Penang, and you can ship-watch or just enjoy the breeze. Oh, it has free WiFi too – hence this blog!
A classic view. One of the new ferries passes mine as it heads for Georgetown, with the Komtar tower in the background. This was the first ‘skyscraper’ on the island. When it opened in 1985 it was the tallest building in SE Asia! Goodbye Georgetown. For now…The view back to Penang. Here’s looking the other way. There’s various shop units here but few seem to be occupied. That said, the one nearest to the camera opened up at lunchtime, serving food to a dozen or so local people who helped make the space useful. I’m sure that when more units are let this could become a busy space.
Another good photographic vantage point is the rooftop parking levels at the massive new shopping complex that’s been built at the back of the ferry terminal. This was where I was shooting pictures from in 2023, but where I am now is far more pleasant!
My train leaves at 13:05 and arrives in KL just over three hours later. I’ll update this blog from there. Here it is – an ETS set built by CRRC of China in 2018 but assembled in Malaysia.
15:45.
Wow! There’s working wifi aboard this ETS trainset. Well, in coach C where the buffet is – which is where I’m sat enjoying a coffee (made with coffee bags, and really rather good), checking in with the world and updating this blog. This train’s sold out. Whenever people get off en-route their seat’s been rebooked. The train’s one of the 2nd batch of ETS sets and it suffers from the same issues as earlier ones, such as blown windows that are almost impossible to see through and a lack of exterior cleaning. It’s all a bit careworn too. Even so, it can still hit over 140kph, not bad for a meter-gauge railway.
A busy Coach C, looking along from the buffet portion.The buffet area of coach C. There’s a good selection of pre-prepared local food such as Nasi Lemak. There’s also a small selection of sandwiches for those who prefer plainer fare. Hot and cold drinks are also on the menu. There’s two small tables which seat two apiece next to the counter for those who want to linger.
21:50.
I’m settled here in KL so it’s time to bring this blog to a close. We were a few minutes late into Kuala Lumpur (old station) which is where I disembarked. It’s a much handier location (within walking distance) for Chinatown than the new KL Sentral. Whilst I was there several trains passed through the magnificent trainshed. Sadly, the whole edifice is showing lots of signs of neglect. The hotel which took up part of the main building and kept it alive was closed down in 2011. Since then, the place has been in a slow decline as no plans have materialised about what to do with it. A railway museum was established, but that didn’t last long. The erratic nature and history of the commuter services through KL hasn’t helped – but more of that in another blog.
The vast trainshed and four platforms of Kuala Lumpur station, with the main part of the building to the right. The station was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback in Indo-Saracenic style which was much in vogue at the time.The sad signs of decay in the largely empty main building. A KTM Commuter train calls on the way to Batu Caves.Another SCS EMU passes through the 1986 addition to the station. This was built to allow greater access to the Pasir Seni area and new commercial district. Only now, commuter trains no longer stop here as they’ve reverted to using the main trainshed, leaving it all a bit of a white elephant, although the escalators and walkways are still rather useful to get through to Pasir Seni.
Tomorrow I’ll be having a slow day around Chinatown in order to catch up on a few things in the morning before meeting a Malaysian friend in the afternoon, so expect more blogging and picture updates.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Surprisingly, I had a really good night’s sleep on the train last night. It wasn’t that it was undisturbed as the track quality can make it a bit of a rocky ride sometimes. Plus, early in the morning, a large Chinese family got on somewhere to occupy the berths around me – but when I slept, it was deep. This is a very familiar journey to me in both directions, stretching back to 1998, so I feel very comfortable with it. It’s familiar.
Not long after 6 am, the train reaches Hat Yai, where it’s shunted and split. Our two sleeping cars plus a day coach are chopped off and parked in a platform awaiting a new SRT loco to take us forward (pics later). Meanwhile, morning ablutions take place in the toilets and washroom aboard, and the process of packing away beds begins.
10:50 (Malaysian time).
Well, that was painless! We arrived at the border crossing of Padang Besar on time and detrained straight into the queue for immigration. Both getting out of Thailand and into Malaysia was easy as you go through one set of controls after the other. There’s around 90 minutes to wait for the connection to Butterworth. Plenty of time to sort out an onward ticket. The KTMB office accepts Thai baht and there’s two ticket machines which take foreign credit cards to pay for the 11 ringgitt 40 sen ticket (around £2).
The 10:35 is worked by a 6-car, Chinese built SCS Electric unit so there’s normally no problem getting a seat – especially as most people crowd together at the entrance to the platform. Head to the rear of the incoming train and you’ll probably find it looks like this!
Don’t assume it’ll stay that way though, this is a local stopping train, and at Arau (the 2nd stop out of Padang Besar), it quickly fills up with people.
14:30.
By the time the train had got to Butterworth it was packed – but fine. People are well-behaved here. Well, unless you count mobile phone etiquette but the UK’s just as bad nowadays only with added levels of stroppy entitlement.
The new passenger ferries have started running since I was last here (2023). I’ll post pictures and an initial verdict later. The bizarre thing is they no longer take cash, but the kiosk at Butterworth accepts Mastercard or Visa. All for a fare of 2 Ringgit (less than 40p).
Thankfully, the buses do still take cash, so my RM1:40 trip to Lebuh Chulia was paid for in ‘slummy’ from my last trip here!
I’m now having a breather before it’s time to check into my hotel in Jalan Muntri. Cheers!
17:20.
Having had a break at the room to download the camera I’m adding a few more pictures from the trip before venturing out now the day is cooling down. It ‘only’ got up to 32 degrees today with Humidity of 64%. I’ll add captions later…
Our train from Bangkok was split at Hat Yai where the last 3 coaches were taken forward to Padang Besar in Malaysia. 5226 backs onto the train to do the honours. Checking tickets in the 3rd class coach from Hat Yai to Padang Besar.One of the new ferries that ply between Butterworth on the mainland and Georgetown on Penang. Call me a nostalgic if you will, but I prefer the old ones.
23:20.
Time to wrap things up. Georgetown is one of my happy places in the world, and I can’t believe I’ve been mad enough to only give myself less than 24 hours here. Plus, I was gutted to find that the really good travellers bar is closed for a holiday. When I say bar, it’s really a shop that spills out every evening, taking over the backstreet outside with tables and chairs. I’ve met some really interesting people there in the past.
Instead, today I stopped to buy a beer from a local shop on Lebuh Chulia (and that shop has a history!) where I met a local who was missing the same place. We ended up chatting for ages.
Meet Eric. A local chap born and bred here but with an international interest. One of those really nice people whom you bump into by chance and one of the reasons that I love travelling. Here’s where we should have been sat outside
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 