Tag Archives: Railways

1st November picture of the day…

01 Tuesday Nov 2022

Posted by in Hs2, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day

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Welcome to November folks! Apologies for the sparseness of blogging during October. That was due to two things. The first was our fortnight long holiday in Greece where I made the conscious decision to step back from social media and have a bit of a detox. However, the last few days absence has been due to the fact that I’ve been down with some sort of lurgi. It wasn’t Covid (I did a test) but some of the symptoms were similar and I felt like death warmed up! I’ve been confined to bed since Sunday and now seem to be making a recovery. The aches, pains, sore throat have eased but my energy levels still aren’t back to normal, so I’ll be taking it easy at home for the rest of the week. Not that that’s a problem as I’ve plenty to do at Bigland Towers. Whilst I’ve spent most of my time sleeping, I have been editing pictures during some of my waking hours in an effort to clear the massive backlog of images I have going back as far as September. Tonight, I managed to get all the shots from our Greek trip onto my Zenfolio website. You can find those ones here. I’ve also been wading my way through images of my visit to the HS2 construction sites at West Ruislip, Denham and Calvert on Thursday. I’ve added them to this gallery. Now all I’ve got to do is complete editing pictures from September’s trip to Germany, which are beginning to appear here. The other major bit of work I have to do is finish writing the 3rd part of my round Britain trip for RAIL magazine. I’d hoped to have had it done by now but being ill has rather got in the way. Once that’s done I’m free to start thinking about other things – and catch up with writing some blogs on my various HS2 site visits.

November promises to be another busy month with various jobs in the pipeline and places to visit, but I’m determined to get back to blogging too. I’ve missed it – and I hope some of you have done too!

In the meantime, here’s a return of the picture of the day. This one’s from Thursday’s trip to attend the launch of the 2nd HS2 Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) to begin its journey under London – and the 5th HS2 TBM all told. That makes 5 of the 10 machines launched now. It was quite a privilege to be aboard ‘Caroline’ when the button was pressed to start her up – and to have a tour of the machine whilst she was running. Here’s what she looks like from just behind the cutting head.

Mike Lyons, HS2’s Civils Director (left) and Michael Greiner, Head of Tunnelling for Skanksa JV discuss the intricacies of ‘Caroline’ as she begins her 5 mile long journey under London. The pistons you see above them push the TBM forward off the first ring of segments. The plate in the foreground lifts the 8 tonne segments into place after they’re delivered into the bowels of the machine. This happens every 2 meters. Individual pistons are retracted to create space for a segment, then pushed back into place before the next segment is added. Seven segments make up each ring.

If you want to learn more about how a TBM works HS2 Ltd have produced this excellent video graphic.

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

A fun-filled day involving High-Speed 2…

27 Thursday Oct 2022

Posted by in Hs2, London, Photography, Railways, Travel

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I’m on the last leg of my trip home after what’s turned out to be a fun-filled day – although it didn’t initially feel like that when my alarm went off at 06:30!

However, as I made my weary way from my friends flat to Clapham Junction station, I was treated to one of those spectacular sunrises that literally brightens your day. Sadly, I didn’t have time to grab more than a camera phone shot from the station as I had an appointment to keep. Making my way across central London via the ‘tube’ I pitched up at Marylebone station for the short train trip out to West Ruislip, the location of today’s press event. HS2 Ltd are launching two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) from a site adjacent to the railway. The TBMs will spend the next 2 years tunnelling South to bore 5 miles of tunnels. The first machine (Sushila) was launched a couple of weeks ago and is already 70 meters underground. We were here to see the launch of the second machine, named ‘Caroline’. I’ll blog about this in detail later, but for now, here’s a few pictures from the event.

Looking down on ‘Caroline’ (nearest the camera) and ‘Sushila’, who’s already 70 meters into her journey. Behind the fence in the background id the Chiltern railway line to Birmingham. The HS2 site is rail connected as the tunnel lining segments will be brought in by train from a factory at the Isle of Grain in Kent.
Suited and booted for the job. Not a bad way to spend my birthday as very few people get to see the inside of a TBM.
Here’swhat’s behind me. The tail of ‘Caroline’ with a ring of 7 tunnel segments already loaded.
Inside ‘Caroline’ just behind the cutting head. A ring is already in place and the TBM’s pistons are pushing the machine forward off them. The machine in the foreground is a rotating drum that picks up the individual 8 tonne segments and puts them in place once the individual rams blocking the way are retracted. Each ring is 2 meters wide and consists of 7 segments.

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

The holiday’s over, now it’s back to work…

26 Wednesday Oct 2022

Posted by in London, Musings, Railways, Travel

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21:00

It’s been a long day with lots going on but I’m now on LNER’s 19:45 from Leeds to Kings Cross to stay with a friend overnight ready for an early start to a job in the capital tomorrow morning. I’d have left earlier but I had an important appointment over in the Colne valley which I didn’t want to miss, so I didn’t leave Huddersfield until after 19:00.

Even so, I’ve had a productive day at home, scribbling for a living as well as sorting out some of the huge backlog of pictures I have from Germany and Greece. Dawn’s been just as busy, working from home and getting back up to speed with Community Rail Network business. The pair of us are still getting used to be back and in a familiar routine without letting it take over our lives in the way it did before we went on holiday, although that’s easier said than done!

Heading town to London this time of night at this time of week means the trains are fairly empty. That said, it can still be stressful. I had a 15 minute connection at Leeds but as Trans-Pennine Express aren’t exactly paragons of punctuality you do have that thought that you might end up being seriously delayed at the back of your mind. As it was, the Hull service I was catching from Huddersfield was only a couple of minutes late, although it lost more time stuck outside Leeds waiting for a late-running LNER service from London – which turned out to be the train I was catching!  So, my connection at Leeds was assured – as was a late departure.

91127 being readied to push its train to London Kings Cross

The set in question was a rake of Mk4 coaches pushed by Inter-City liveried 91127. As it’s a fairly uiet train (just not according to the reservation system) I’ve easily bagged a table in the quiet coach behind the loco to set up my mobile office. That said, we’re now speeding South from Doncaster and the ride is ‘lively’ to say the least. My ‘spull chucker’ is having to work overtime correcting the number of missed keystrokes.

The depressing thing about travelling this time of night at this time of year is the whole trip is conducted in darkness. The bright side is that the weather’s still mild – and it’s not raining – well, until I’m working tomorrow, anyway!

Precisely what I’m doing and where tomorrow morning is embargoed, but what I can say is that it involves a rather exciting visit to an important High Speed 2 railway worksite. All will be revealed in the morning…

Right now I’m going to kick back on the train and enjoy the journey. Catch 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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

7th October picture of the day…

07 Friday Oct 2022

Posted by in Architecture, History, Manchester, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways

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Time to wind down! Yesterday’s community rail awards was a brilliant event but it certainly kept me busy! I was editing pictures of the award winners until late into the evening back at the hotel, but the company was good as the CRN staff and helpers (along with some of the attendees) were winding down over a few drinks. This morning Dee and were part of a group who visited one of the post-awards events laid on by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). In our case it was a visit to the old Castlefield viaduct which has been turned into a mini version of New York’s ‘high’ line.

The Castlefield Viaduct has only been open for a matter of months (it opened on the 30th July) but it’s well worth a visit. It’s managed by the National Trust and plans for the future are very much out for consultation at the moment.

Sadly, it was the only event we could attend as we had to head back across the Pennines to prepare for another event. Tomorrow the pair of us disappear off on holiday to the island of Rhodes. We’ve certainly picked the right time as today the rain’s been bucketing down, both in Manchester and here in the Pennines as I write this. In contrast, Rhodes should be a balmy 27 degrees – as well as sunny and dry! Whilst I’ve had several work trips abroad recently (and we had a mini-break in Berlin with friends) this will be Dawn and mine’s first proper holiday abroad since Covid struck. To say we’re both looking forward to it would be an understatement.

I won’t be going ‘off-grid’ completely as us freelances rarely have that luxury, but I will be letting social media take a backseat. Expect some pictures but not a huge amount else – unless we get rained in (which is unlikely).

In the meantime, here’s today’s picture which is from our visit to the Castlefield Viaduct. The NT have done an awful lot in a short time, but they welcome feedback from people on the direction of the project.

When I get time (on holiday) I’ll upload the rest of the pictures to my Zenfolio picture website – along with hundreds of pictures from Holland, Germany and the UK I have in the queue.

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Community rail awards 2022…

06 Thursday Oct 2022

Posted by in Community rail, Community Rail Network, Manchester, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs

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08:30.

Today’s the day of the awards in Manchester so Dawn and I have been up early to head off to the event to help in the preparation, not that there should be too much to do as it’s always a well-organised event with a good team behind it. Even so, we’ll be on-hand if needed and to go through the rehearsal later in the day. There’ll be a fair bit of time-killing too, so expect a few pictures of Manchester to appear at some point. The beauty of the event being in Manchester this year is that it’s on our doorstep. The awards visits different towns and cities every year. For example, last year we were in Southampton and we’ve been everywhere from Plymouth to Glasgow and all points in-between.

Right now, the pair of us are on the 08:05 train from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester Victoria, having driven down to the station ‘cos we’ve got so much kit. This brings me to my first picture. Sowerby Bridge has a fairly big station var-park. It was almost full by the time we arrived. Cars were already lining the street outside. But, hang on. I though those opposed to us building new railways like High Speed 2 swore blind it wasn’t needed because everyone’s working from home nowadays. Clearly, a lot of citizens of the Calder Valley didn’t get the memo!

Getting through the ticket barriers at Manchester Victoria was a bit of a scrum too…

10:50.

We’re here at Manchester Central where the awards will be held tonight. In another few hours this auditorium will be full of people…

17:20.

And we’re off…

Rolling blog. Harwich – from the continent…

26 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs

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07:45.

I’m back in dear old Blighty (with the accent on the dear thanks to our ‘new’ Government’s policies) after a decent night’s sleep on the ferry from the Hook of Holland. To be honest, I’m looking forward to getting home now as I’ve a huge amount of pictures to edit and file – as well as begin writing my series of RAIL articles from my around Britain trip.

Right now, I’m on Greater Anglia’s 07:45 heading for Ipswich where I’ll take a pit-stop to have breakfast – and get a few pictures. Tempting as it was to have a trip to Manningtree on one of the few remaing Class 321s I’ve opted for a direct train in the shape of a Stadler Class 755. Here’s what I could have won!

08:05.

Just as well I planned to bail early. The weather here is awful and driver’s having difficulties as the motor for his windscreen wiper’s failed meaning there’ll be a unit swap at Ipswich anyway!

11:00.

I’m on the move again, this time from Norwich to Ely. It’s a roundabout way to get to Ely from Ipswich but the direct service is only two-hourly. Plus, with the weather being so dull it made sense to try my luck elsewhere. The plan worked. Norwich was (mostly) sunny so I managed a few decent shots before catching a Stansted bound train. I’m now set up on a comfy Class 745 and enjoying the scenery.

A pair of 755s at Norwich. The left hand unit is the 10:34 to Stansted Airport.

15:10.

I’m now on my way back to Yorkshire behind some vintage East Coast traction after stopping off at Ely and Peterborough en-route. Ely’s a delightful little station with friendly staff, a variety of refreshment outlets and a busy train service as it’s a major junction for the Fens. You also have entertainment provided by military aircraft on training exercises, although you can always hear the fast jets, you rarely see them. Train services are provided by Greater Anglia, East Midlands Railway, Cross-Country Trains and also Great Northern. I was surprised to see one of the Class 387/3s there as I’d forgotten they’d been transferred to the TOC in July from both C2C and Great Western.

Having shot a variety of pictures I moved on to another old haunt – Peterborough. Nowadays it’s not the most ideal place to get pictures but there’s a real variety of services and train fleets to be found, including this very shabby East Midlands Railway Class 156 working GN-GE services.

I stayed to grab a few shots before catching this beastie Northwards.

This takes me back in more ways than one.I first encountered the Class 91s here at Peterborough in 1990 when they were brand new and still being tested.

16:00.

I’m having another short break in Doncaster where this Trans-Pennine interloper has put in an appearence.

20:45.

I’m finally home and calling it a day for today. Now it’s time to unpack, wind down, eat some delicious veggie food that Dawn’s prepared and have some quality time together. Tomorrow’s another day…

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Take the long way home…

24 Saturday Sep 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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08:15.

Time to get on the road again, only with a slight change of plan. I’d originally intended to get the ferry from the Hook of Holland back to the UK tonight but having seen the way punctuality of the German rail network isn’t what it was – and my connection in Rotterdam being tight I’ve decided to have one last night in the Netherlands and not have to stress about connections as I change trains four times on the way. Right now, I’m ready to begin the first leg from Frankfurt (Oder) to Berlin. Let’s see what happens…

09:55.

I had a pleasant stroll to the station as the weather’s still mild here. En-route I passed this sobering reminder of the country’s dark past. These two brass plaques were sunk into the pavement outside an apartment block. They’re a permenant reminder of local Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.

I’d given myself plenty of time to get to the station so that I could get some shots on the way. I’d hoped to get a selection of the meter gauge tram network but the little buggers proved elusive. It was only when I was almost at the station that a gaggle of them appeared, including this example.

The weather turned gloomy by the time I’d dug the camera out at the staion which was a shame as it’s a busy place. Rehional services to Berlin are interspersed with local trains and even international expresses from over the Polish burder just the other side of the Oder river. Heavy freight trains pass through every few minutes, carrying mix of containers, new VWs, minerals, chemicals and steel.

Not wanting to push my luch and knowing just how unreliable DB are nowadays I decided to hope on an earlier train (the 09:34) to get me to Berlin Ostbahnhof rather than my booked 09:58. It was a wise move. Despite starting from here it left 20 mins late at 09:54 so I hate to think what time the 09:58 will run at! My connection time in Berlin’s 24 minutes…

11:34.

In reality the journey panned out OK. Yes, the train I should have caught was late, but only by six minutes. The extra time I had in the bank allowed me to have a wander before my train arrived in the shape of a pair of the older Intercity (ICE2) sets. I’m now set up in the quiet coach, laptop plugged in and charging. The advantage of getting the train from Ostbahnhof is the sets arrive empty off the depot, so you have plenty of time to settle in as only a handful of other passengers do the same. Next stop is the Hauptbahnhof which is mayhem as the platforms are full – and now so is my train!

It doesn’t look like this anymore…

13:45.

It was all going so well until we left Stendal…

A few minutes later we ground to a rather rapid halt. Not quite a full ‘drop the lot’ emergency stop, but a very rapid deceleration ending in a slow stop. Then the crew call alarm went – which is normally a bad sign. It means the driver needs to talk to the train manager. After a while the train manager explained the delay was down to unspecified ‘engineering work’. As I’ve bought my ticket online from the DB website, I get regular email updates about my delayed trains and suggested revised onwards connections. The latest on also mentioned engineering work and also told me I’d still make my onwards connection – which was reassuring. Of course, that depends on nothing else going tits up! With that news and the fact I’s no idea how long we’d be stuck, there was only one thing to do. Find the bar car…

The delay’s annoying as I was looking forward to some spare time as Duisburg to get a few pictures before boarding another train. Now we’ll have to see. Right now we’ve just pulled into Hannover Hauptbahnhof at least 25 minutes down. The train’s getting even busier too. One or two have got off but far more are joining and, on my trip, back from the bar car I had to step over young people sitting in the vestibules.

22:00.

I’m now relaxing in my hotel in Rotterdam after completing the trip, so I’m resuming where I left off earlier. My eventual arrival in Duisberg was over 30 minutes late which was a great shame as it looks like a fascinating station to take pictures at. It’s old and untypical of many German stations as the mix of shops in the subway is a mix of the exotic and the down-market. It was also incredibly busy. I had enough time to grab something to eat, find my train and that was about it. The station reminds me of Crewe back in the UK. It shares the same levels of faded glory and decrepitude – but with better food!

I was hoping for a more relaxed train across the border to Arnhem, but it wasn’t to be. A pair of units turned up which were busy before they arrived and absolutely rammed when they left, but at least I managed to get a seat. I’ve not travelled on the lines around here or through Oberhausen for years, so I was rather taken about by how much weeds and bushes are taking over. Again, it reminded me of the UK, apart from the fact German railways are so much bigger. The amount of freight is staggering, but then Germany is still an industrialised nation – unlike the UK, where most of our comparable industries were run down during the Thatcher government years.

I changed trains yet again at Arnhem, a recently rebuilt station which (compared to Germany) has few facilities. A Dutch four car double-deck EMU arrived to take us forward but this was far too small for the numbers and left hopelessly overcrowded. I ended up standing in a vestibule all the way to Utrecht, where I changed for the final time. The next train was another hopelessly packed EMU where I had to stand almost all the way to Rotterdam. Both trains contained lots of young people heading for a night out in various places, which may have exacerbated the situation. On the bright side? Both trains were spot on time. The downside? They were all dirty and graffiti covered, not that it seems to put people off from using them.

People often make unfavorable comparisons between the UKs railways and those of Europe. I can only assume the majority of those people have never spent much (if any) time actually travelling in trains in Europe, because if they had they’d know what simplistic nonsense is talked. The UK network is far from perfect, but the trains are in far better condition than those of many EU countries and that applies to the stations too.

Right, I’m going to bring this blog to a close. It’s time for bed. There’ll be time for a lot more thought tomorrow, before my return to little Britain…

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Innotrans day 4…

23 Friday Sep 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Innotrans, Photography, Railways, Travel

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10:15.

My day began at 06:00 as usual but today the trains behaved themselves and my service into Berlin was seamless. Now I’ve finished up some picture editing in the Innotrans press centre and I’m about to hit the halls. Watch out for loads of pictures today as I’m free to roam – and it’s a bright, sunny morning…

13:50.

Having spent the last several hours wandering around halls and outdoor displays I’m taking a few minutes break to download some of the pictures, top up my water levels and use the facilities. Today’s akways the quietest as many people have already left so it’s easier to get pictures. Even so, you still need patience.

The Dubai ‘Sky pod’.
The new FPS Plus
FPS plus interior
Trenitalia and Hitachi ‘blues’.
‘blues’ interior
‘blues’ bike and luggage area.
The new Siemens U-bahn car shows why you have to be patient. There’s often someone taking extreme interest in the underfloor equipment!
Never complain about the hardness of UK train seats again. The Wein U-bahn trains are fitted with plain plywood ones!

17:10.

I elected to leave Innotrans before the bitter end as I’d done most of what I wanted. There’s not a cat in hell’s chance of getting around it all and it’s such a lovely evening I thought I’d explore the city’s railways. Here’s a couple of shots so far…

A Siemens built Class 182 calls at Friedrichstrasse.
Alexanderplatz staion in the former East Berlin with a double-deck, loco hauled set working to Magdeburg.

22:30.

I’m now homeward bound after a great few hours exploring the Berlin S and U bahn (and the areas it passes through) before meeting up with an old friend for a couple of beers and chatting about life, the universe and everything. Here’s one of the paces I discovered, the wonderful architecture of the old Berlin Pankow station.

Strange to think I’ll be moving on again tomorrow. I’ve kinda got into the routine of being a commuter and living life in a city I really enjoy.

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Innotrans day 3…

22 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Innotrans, Railways, Rolling blogs

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08:00.

Miracle of miracles, my train into Berlin is actually on time today! Oh, and it’s a beautifully sunny morning to boot so all’s well with the world. Admittedly, I have a slightly fuzzy head after a night out with the ‘boys’ but it’s nothing that a couple of cups of coffee in the media centre won’t cure.

I’m looking forward to a freerer day at Innotrans now that most of my commissions are done. Well, that I know of anyway – you never know what might crop up. Either way, today should be a lot more relaxed than the past two.

I’m beginning to get used to this commuting malarky after catching the same train three days in a row. I’ve not gone for the classic commuter behaviour of always heading for ‘my’ seat but I’m starting to recognise a few regulars on the route.

13:50.

Joy of joys – my last launch is done. My services were farmed out to an EU rail organisation rebrand and launch which kept me occupied most of the morning. Now I’m off the leash and free to wander around outside. Here’s a few shots.

If you wander down to the bottom of the site, Schweerbau are fuelling a party with free beer and bratwurst!

There’s some serious kit on display here…

Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham at the launch of the new Stadler battery trains for Merseyrail.
A bird’s eye view of some of the outdoor exhibits at Innotrans.

23:00.

The end of today turned in to a sociable one as I spent it catching up with friends from Siemens. Firstly Silke, who had tipped me off about the opportunity to get the photo shown above. We had a good catch-up on the huge Siemens stand. After the show closed I went out for dinner with Ellen and the pair of us had a great chin-wag about life, the universe and everything.

Now it’s nearly midnight, I’m back ‘home’ and ready to hit the sack before the final day of Innotrans. As yet, I’ve no commissions tomorrow so let’s see what I can get up to…

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/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Innotrans day 2…

21 Wednesday Sep 2022

Posted by in Berlin, Germany, Innotrans, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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10:45.

German railways let me down again this morning. My inbound train was 25 mins late so I didn’t get to Innotrans until way after 09:00. First job was to check in with my clients and find out what’s happening today. Luckily their presentation (which is on another stand) is literally next door – I was fearing it’d be in a hall on the other side of the Messe!

Next port of call was the press centre where I’ve bumped into a large chunk of the UK trade press. Tips and gossip swapped and pictures downloaded it’s time to hit the halls…

Another busy day beckons…

13:10.

Finally, a chance to sit down for a few minutes before the next gig. The problem with Innotrans is that there are so many launch or other events you’re always running from one to the other. I had Hitachi Energy unveiling a new transformer back to back with Talgo hosting the Spanish transport minister who was having a look at one of their new coaches for DB. Next I have a joint UK-Saudi signing. Still, it’s kept me occupied. Here’s a few phone pictures

Here’s one of two UK pavilions. This one has a Welsh flavour and a plan of the new £250m test track that’s under construction
It’s not just trains either. Transport needs to be integrated (and green). Here’s a new electric bus with a 450km range.

The countdown nears its end as Hitachi Energy prepare to unveil their new transformer that’s lighter and greener.

Don’t worry, there’ll be more trains soon!…

22:11.

Yet another day where my step count is getting silly! Right now I’m sat on the (late running -surprise, surprise) RER train to Frankfurt (Oder) after another great day. I still haven’t seen anywhere near enough of Innotrans but then I’ve been busy with various assignments. Then there’s the amount of people you bump into at random or by design. Innotrans is such a seminal event in the rail industry calender that almost everyone is here. It’s difficult to explain just what a vast event it is. A map doesn’t do it justice as it doesn’t give away the fact these huge exhibition buildings have several floors. I ended up recce’ing how long it would take me to get from one stand to another in a completely different building so that I knew I could do certain launches – hence one of the reasons for my step count.

We’re half way through the event so now I’m listing the trains/stands/people I’ve still not seen. Thankfully, my work calender should thin out a bit tomortow.

This evening I bunked off before the show closed as a bunch of us UK rail people had arranged to meet in the city centre for beers and food. The beers weren’t sobering but the reminiscing could be when we counted down the time and realised we’d been involved in group trips to Europe for 17 years – and I have the website pictures to prove it!

It wasn’t all a trip down memory lane, we had some new people join us which swelled our group to 13. It wasn’t a bad place to eat and drink either. It’s a bar in the railway arches West of Alexandetplatz that brews its own beer.