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The V sets are very much loved by passengers. The seats are comfortable and the ride is smooth. The image is of the downstairs compartment. The seats in the newer trains are unsprung and hard by comparison. For longer journeys they become uncomfortable. The replacement trains for the V sets will...

My own experience is that security at Rome Termini is very high. I would not consider doing anything there. This applies to a lesser degree at Termini in other major cities. I had no trouble photographing at stations one or two out from the terminus in several cities. Just be careful. My only...

I am currently travelling in the US so it will be several weeks before I get to travel on the new trains. Ending the line at Tallawong was never logical. A couple of kms and an interchange could have been established at Schofields. This station has always generated substantial traffic by...

Thank you for the feedback. Distance is a big issue for visitors and locals alike. To the best of my knowledge the only rail museum open 363 days is the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere in the lower southern highlands. It is possible to visit on public transport on weekdays only. The transport...

On any visit to Hong Kong it should be remembered to visit Tuen Mun in the New Territories. There is another tram network which is very modern. Mostly on dedicated track and with an amazing junction station mid network. Simply take the MTR Tuen Mun line to the terminus and enjoy the experience.

Much has changed in the last 10 years. Day tickets are no longer issued in Sydney. You must have an OPAL card. Fares are charged on distance and peak/off peak times. There is a daily cap and half fare on Sundays provided there are enough paid fares during the preceding week. Ticket checks are...

The system in Australia varies from Sate to Sate and City to City. For Sydney: The very strict rule is that you MUST have a valid ticket before boarding, either train or bus. A valid ticket is either and OPAL card (like Oyster) which has been tapped on or a single trip ticket obtained from a...

I did this trip some years ago. The train operates on weekdays only with an early departure from Panama City. The station is some distance from downtown and you will need a taxi to get there. Road traffic is VERY heavy and the taxi ride can be its own adventure. It is an interesting trip...

If you must travel overnight take a sleeper. Bookings open 12 months in advance. Except at holiday times you should be ok. All compartments are 2 berth and the ensuite is shared with the neighbouring compartment. The day train is preferable. It is a good trip and there is plenty of changing scenery.

The rail museum in Canberra was put into receivership. Many assets were sold off. The remainder was saved by 3 private buyers purchasing the Beyer-Garret 6029 from the receiver. This locomotive is now homed at the rail museum, Thirlmere on a custody & operating agreement. The Canberra museum is...

You are certainly planning to cover a lot of ground. For the Northern Territory & far North Queensland this is the end of the wet season. Humidity will be high and there is the risk of cyclones, the summer monsoon. In Sydney you should obtain an Opal card on arrival, presumably at the airport...

Condor7 can you please give us a report on your visit and of your travel experiences.

Some preliminary reliable information has now come to hand. The train consisted of 268 loaded wagons. Two locomotives leading and 2 mid train. 120% ECP brake application was triggered when an inter-car connector become disconnected. The train came to a stand on a falling grade of 1 in 66. While...

This issue is far more involved than contributors realise. An initial warning has been issued to Operating Companies to act to prevent a recurrence. There are many issue which still need to be answered; like why did the vigilance control system not work. The answers will come in time. I have...

According to current reports there has been a series of failures. 1st; the brakes clearly failed while the driver was inspecting a waggon. 2nd; the vigilance control must have also failed. 3rd; automatic stops at red lights have also failed. There are access roads to all parts of the line so...

Graffiti is NOT art; it is vandalism. It is wilful damage to others property and a criminal offence. It Is NEVER pretty. The vandals revel in seeing their damage in action for as many too see as possible. The longer it stays the more it encourages them to continue their criminal activity. This...

There are no rail services to the northern beaches. Last November the bus routes were all re-organised. There is now a Limited Stops service between Mona Vale and the City with a frequency of about every 10 minutes. This is the B1 Busline. It is operated by a fleet of new DDeckers. Departure...

During 2017 the weather was unusually hot over all of eastern Australia. In Sydney we had over 30 consecutive days with temperature over 35 degrees. In the north west of the state; below the Queensland border, they had 50 consecutive days of temperatures over 35 degrees. Outside of the wet...

Thaitransit; you are much too harsh about Queensland. Shaw: Singapore is definitely a permanent sauna. Queensland is nothing like this. I studiously avoid going to Melbourne during winter. It is far too cold for me. Considerable numbers of Victorians in particular move to far Nth Queensland for...

I noticed that graffiti in Europe is appalling, particularly in Brussels. Here in Sydney we also have the problem and courts have started handing out prison sentences on a first conviction. Several years ago we had some heritage cars graffitied. The Police advice was that they would not be...