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I’d be interested to read your thoughts on which new trains on the UK network (from the past few years to date) are, in your opinion, the most conventional and the most radical in design, and why. I’ll start. Most conventional: TPE Mark 5A coaches. They follow a traditional Intercity interior...

As it says on the tin, really. Can anyone explain why TPE went for three different types of new rolling stock fleet when the Nova 1 (Hitachi bi-mode Class 802) would have fulfilled all their needs?

Even the Flying Scotsman in its current incarnation stops at Newcastle. I remember 10 years ago even the 0700 Liverpool-Euston service which was advertised as non-stop from Liverpool used to stop to pick up in Runcorn. Are there any true non-stop expresses left on the UK railway today?

I seem to remember in the years post privatisation Manchester had four different services to London: Virgin West Coast to Euston Virgin CrossCountry to Paddington North West Trains (stopper) to Euston Wales & West Alphaline to Waterloo (!) I was a mere boy in the 1990s so would be...

I would be interested to compile a list of services that are scheduled to be loco hauled (or propelled!) when everything gets “back to normal” in 2021. I can think of the following: Chiltern Railways- London Marylebone Birmingham/Kidderminster (Class 68 + Mk 3s) Transpennine Express...

When reading a book about the Hooton to West Kirby branch line (GWR/LNWR joint) on the Wirral, I read two oblique references that got me curious. One referred to aborted pre-war electrification plans for the line (presumably off the back of the LMS electrification of the former Wirral Railway...

Whilst out walking for the once-a-day permitted exercise, I was walking along an abandoned railway embankment (specifically, part of the Banbury to Buckingham line) and I came across this metal thing sticking out of the ground. Can anyone tell me what it is or was part of?

...why are there so few Pullman Restaurant services, and First Class catering seems to be limited to sandwiches. Am I missing something?

Standing in the middle of a 4 coach train again. 18:15 Reading to Manchester. Barely room to breathe. Usual issues. Seats already tightly packed in. Not enough luggage space. People having hushed verbal altercations over reservations. No point having catering as trolly can’t get through and...

As it says on the tin. To order new hauled stock, even in push-pull, seems to go against the trend for units. Anyone know why hauled stock was chosen for Nova 3 instead of a DMU/DEMU solution?

Another day, another commute. Another four car 220. Packed and standing throughout. Passengers with the 10 minute reservations awkwardly kicking confused people out of their seats. Tempers a little frayed as passengers ask to be able to get past, but there’s nowhere to move to. First Class...

Just a quick question hopefully someone here will know the answer to. I have the Merseyside Memories Volume 7 DVD “Steam on the Wirral”. I am aware of the existence of another DVD- B&R Video Productions Volume 58 “Wirral Steam”. I would be interested to know whether these programmes are in...

Moderator note: split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/does-anyone-know-if-there-are-concrete-plans-to-reconnect-liverpool-to-xc-network-no-speculation.198733/ the risk of falling into speculation, it would not just be those wanting to go from one end to the other who would benefit...

I travel on these trains daily and have come to the conclusion that the problems complained of are not so much in the concept, but the execution. Principally: 1. The seats are absolutely fine, it’s the high density layout with poor leg room in which they are squashed in with very few tables...

Liverpool was disconnected from the Cross Country network in 2003. Before then, when Virgin ran the franchise, there were Cross Country trains from Liverpool to Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Edinburgh and London Paddington. There was mention in the aborted consultation that Liverpool could...

I would be interested to know more about the preservation efforts that were or may have been made for this line, now known as the “Wirral Way” or “Wirral Country Park” path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The line closed to passengers in 1956 and freight in 1962. The tracks were lifted...

Travelling on the Merseyrail Wirral Line today I noticed some work going on in the vicinity of the branch off to Birkenhead Docks from just before Birkenhead North. Are they just lifting redundant track or are they renewing it for future use?

I would be curious to know if this stretch of line ever sees any trains at all nowadays. Originally part of the old Banbury to Stratford Upon Avon branch line, this line can still be seen diverging from the line north of Banbury from the still-extant closed Station at Fenny Compton. The tracks...

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/63020/merseytravel-to-trial-battery-powered-train/ Would a 777 on battery be able to reach: 1. Heswall (last Station in the Merseytravel area) 2. Neston (last Station within Wirral geographically). 3. Shotton...

At the risk of confessing to civil trespass... at an undisclosed point in the past a person I know very well accessed the GCML at the overgrown but still extant station at Helmdon and walked the line as far as Sulgrave. Much infrastructure still in evidence save for rails. No damage/ forced...