Malaga to Glasgow - Requeststops rare ride tó Scotland

[Requeststop]

A little bit of planning involved in this trip as my work in Malaysia came to an end and my company owed me a flight ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Newquay.
As it happens I have a good friend who lives in Truro and they agreed that I stay with them for a few days but, they were going to visit their property in Malaga for a few days during my stay. I had planned on a UK bash when I was back in the UK and this I'll be doing. I was looking for flights from Malaga to Glasgow but to be honest my heart wasn't in the flights and inspiration came when an old Thomas Cook's European timetable dropped in front of my eyes.

My idea was to train it to Glasgow. It's a very rare ride for me on trains in Europe, the last being nearly 25 years ago. A little help and advice from this site helped and I set about booking my journey. This morning, I woke up in my friends home in Southern Spain and having packed my bags, we set off to the Station in Malaga. Malaga M.Z. is not sign posted on the roads of Malaga but by following the signs for Estacion Tren, we came to the right spot about 30 minutes before departure. After the baggage security check (X ray machine) there were about 20 people waiting in the departure concourse. After 5 minutes or so boarding was announced and I took the chance of a quick photo snap of the assembled trains, not being sure of the security rules. My ticket was for coach 21 at the front of the train. My allocated seat was for the aisle which I hate. On departure I was the only one in the coach so I moved to a single window seat by myself. Another thing I noticed was that they had opera paying over the sound system. Now I know you guys are not going to get your rail rocks off on this but they were playing the Queen of the Night Aria from Mozart's Magic Flute as I settled down. The opera stopped once we were underway.

I was in first class and there are a few things to note about the seating on the AVE. Power plugs are available on the double seats but not the single seats. The luggage space for suitcases etc is about the same as I have experienced on XC services in the UK. ie not much. The seats recline but are not as comfortable as say an IC125 of GWR! You are offered newspapers (in Spanish) on departure and headphones. The train announcements are in Spanish, Catalan and English. There are small ceiling mounted screens to watch your route etc and the two films they showed on route. There is a train indication system that shows your speed and temperature. I was hoping that they'd have a frontal roof cam to show the driver view. Announcements were thankfully at a minimum.

This was a direct train by-passing Madrid and the need to change. The ride was generally smooth and yes, the line speed wasn't 300km/hr all the time but we did hit the 300 on a few occasions. I found myself thinking as I passed the countryside as to why the UK doesn't have more lines that the AVE, and why the hell (sorry mods) we don't have such lines built and electrified in other remote areas. Yes I know the answers, and if our governments used the EU for funding such projects in the past perhaps we could have had such lines up-graded and electrified, but this is about the journey. The drinks trolley passed through the first class twice throughout the whole journey. Thumbs down. The ride was generally smooth and on time until we got to Barcelona and we arrived 5 mins late. I was joined in my carriage eventually by 6 or 7 others. What I was able to see of the landscapes was good, though it was very cloudy and misty in the higher altitudes.

I cannot say I was wowed by the journey, but certainly it got me to my destination slightly late and I was able to check into my hotel very close to Barcelona Sants Station, where I am writing this report before I have my final G and NM T, before sleeping. Tomorrow, God willing Barcelona - Paris, Paris London, and then the Caledonian Sleeper to Glasgow, immigration migrants and trackside repairs permitting. If you happen to be at Euston tomorrow night (sunday) then I'm the one with two suitcases, a holdall and my computer case. Then the completion of my rail map of the UK, over the following 22 days!

What pics I have taken to follow in the next few days.

Goodnight all from Barcelona! Cheers. Hic!!!!

 

[47403]

Nice journey, that may just put you into the top 3 in the railmiles competition too. Enjoyable read too, loooking forward to the next installment.

 

[Kristofferson]

Something a bit different an in flight movie on a train? I'll pass!

 

[Requeststop]

I think the films language may well have been in English with Spanish subtitles. I don't know as I didn't use the headphones offered.

After a good nights rest at my hotel, helped with a decent part of a bottle of rum bought at a near-by shop and a decent meal in the hotel restaurant, I boarded the service to Paris the next morning. There was the same level of security at Barcelona station, your bags are put through an X-ray machine and you pass through a metal detector. After a brief wait with about 60-70 other passengers, We travelled down to the platform. It was a double decker TGV, and I had been given seat 25 which meant I was upstairs. Yipee! My fear was that I'd be travelling backwards on the whole journey but no, I was facing forwards with a single seat to myself. A large portly gentleman was in front of me, and thankfully he didn't recline his seat. I found the seat to be a lot more comfortable than the RENFE train, but no radio/headphone connections. No films were shown but the same info films over and over again. The speed at which we travelled wasn't displayed either. First travel announcements made in Spanish/Catalan, French and English but after that in French and Spanish only.

The ride over the Spanish rails was very smooth and before too long he hit the French border. At the border, announcements in French about security and we seemingly were connected to another service (internal French?). The ride along the Mediterranean coast was slow. I was seated on the landward side but the views were good. Then the ride up to Paris and over the Massif Central was fast and very smooth. A trolley with drinks and snacks came by twice and my poor French was recognised by the attendant who conversed with me in English. There was a cafeteria on board but I didn't venture down to it as it was 4-5 coaches back. We arrived Paris-Lyon on time and I waited for most of the others to struggle down to the platform with their luggage, before I struggled too. There was ample luggage space, my carriage was almost completely full and passengers disembarked and joined at the various stops. About 10 or so fellow journeymen did the whole ride as I did, including the large gentleman in front of me.

I made my way to the taxi rank in front of Lyon and within 4-5 minutes was travelling across Paris for the first time in 30 or so years to Gare du Nord for the Euro-star to London. More anon.

 

[Kristofferson]

My geography is terrible, but I imagine Barcelona to Paris is a bit of an endurance... Great adventure though

 

[Requeststop]

My geography is terrible, but I imagine Barcelona to Paris is a bit of an endurance... Great adventure though

Actually not so bad as say Aberdeen - Penzance on Cross Country! 09:20 departure Barcelona Sants 15:53 Arrival Paris Gare de Lyon. So 6hr 33mins by my fingers.

Check in for the Eurostar was more like departing and arriving at one go on an airline flight. You pass your bags through the detectors, and empty your pockes for the personal metal detectors, and collect your bags and go to passport control. One they have let you into the UK, (you're still in Paris by the way) you walk past a couple of bored looking customs official one of whom wsa giving a female passengers bags a going over. Then you are in the Duty Free area and the lounges. There I met the gentleman who was sitting in front of me on the journey from Barcelona! After accusations of stalking and questioning if he was also on the sleeper to Glasgow that same night (jokes for the gullible) we parted. I bought a half bottle of champagne for later that night. I was a sort of premium economy seat. Facing backwards and the trip got worse. There was a family with a very fractious child in this smallish half carriage. Crying, screaming, kicking tables without any parental or even grand-parental care or consideration. Herod had the right idea about children! All the journey was in the dark (outside) and I had no idea where we were as there was no map and again a screen showing the same promotions over and over again. I was offered what was called a cold collation of either French cheeses or some cold chicken concoction. I knew I was back in Blighty as there was plenty of light. Before too long we stopped at Ebbsfleet International. The family didn't get off sadly. After a quick dash to St Pancras International, I dashed off to get my bags and flee the accursed child, and walk over the road to Euston.

 

[Kristofferson]

Was that on one of the new e320s?

 

[Requeststop]

Was that on one of the new e320s?

The publicity on the promotion video said it was a new train, but to be honest I wouldn't know. If yo can find out from Realtimetrains the info you need it was the 18:13 departure from Paris Gare du Nord Train 9051. Not one for train types these days I'm afraid.

Just about to post a new thread on my 22 day UK rail Bash. Also in this forum.

 

[Kristofferson]

No worries, just curious