Shreds European Trips, Volume 2.

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Portugal, (Day 6). Sunday 23rd March 2025.

I was headed into Portugal for 10 days, mainly for some required lines, and also a few places I had been meaning to visit. I was essentially concentrating the Lisbon and Porto regions.

I had a nice lay in, in the guesthouse at Aveiro and then took breakfast in the town. I was to travel on the last metre gauge railway in Portugal and the first train out was 10.55, this was a Sunday of course. The line is the Vouga Line (Linha do Vouga) which originally ran from Aveiro to Espinho, sadly the middle section from Sernada do Vouga to Oliveira de Azemeis is no longer operating, although the tracks still appear to be in situ. According to the board on the train, a taxi is suggested to take you between both operating sections, but all I could see at Sernado was a horse and cart, so realised I would have to approach the northern section from Espinho.

The line however was superb, a lovely valley with a well-engineered viaduct, the depot is at the present terminus at Sernado, with a few diesel multiple units stabled in the yard. The train stays for an hour at Sernado, and the village has a pleasant station café.

I returned to Aveiro with the intention of completing the top section from Espinho, but being a bit dozy, I got my station names mixed up and alighted at Estarreja instead, so I just waited for the next train towards Porto, and it was getting late in the day for travelling on the top section of the line, so instead I caught the next train up as far as Vila Nova De Gaia and walked across the yards to photograph the five steam locomotives I had seen from the train on my last visit, (but didn’t have time to walk out for). The sun was perfect for my photographs and I later returned to Vila Nova De Gaia railway station and caught the next train into Porto Sao Bento. I had booked accommodation for the next three nights in the city district of Marques, which was on the yellow Metro line from Sao Bento and the district had a busy little square and supermarket next to my accommodation, which was perfect for my stay in the city and only 24 Euros a night.

Linha do Vouga - Wikipedia

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Portugal, (Day 7). Monday 24th March 2025.

I was headed into Portugal for 10 days, mainly for some required lines, and also a few places I had been meaning to visit. I was essentially concentrating the Lisbon and Porto regions.

After a good night’s sleep in the guest house at Marques, I was down on the platforms of the Metro and soon embarking at Porto Sao Bento for breakfast at one of the cafes across from the railway station. Sao Bento is the historic centre of Porto and a very busy and vibrant area, also designated as a World Heritage Site.

I was travelling on the Douro Valley line to Pocinho, which once joined with the Spanish border line at Barca de Alva and to the North, Carvalhal, (the Sabor Line), both lines at the terminal appear to have been left in situ, with the magnificent viaduct sweeping to the north from Pocinho on the Carvalhal line. I was catching the first train out behind a CP class 14, these are also used as tourist trains, with some parties travelling to various parts of the valley and returning by river boat. The journey takes three and a half hours each way to Pocinho and passes through some of the most beautify countryside in Portugal. Several trains hauled by CP class 14s in front of vintage carriage stock, operate along the line each day.

For the rail enthusiast the first point of interest is the branch up to Amarante, one of the few operational lines I yet need to travel in Portugal. At Livraco the line to Arco de Baulhe once left the main line there, but I could see no evidence of it. The next point of interest is Regua, once terminus of the meter gauge line to Vila Real, (the Corgo Line) in memory of the branch, one steam locomotive still stands in a derelict condition near the turntable, this is meter gauge 2-4-6-0T Mallet No. E201.

Until the mid to late 1970's the meter gauge lines were operated by a fleet of beautiful Henschel mallet tank locomotives built between 1905 and 1923 of two variations. 0-4-4-0 and 2-4-6-0. The Mallets were supported on some of the lines by even older smaller locomotives almost all made in Germany. One locomotive has had a coat of paint and is semi preserved on a section of track, a class E1 0-4-0.
The line continues to follow the north bank of the river Douro, with the next point of interest being at Tua, which was once the start of the meter gauge line up to Macedo de Cavaleiros, (at one time as far as Braganca), the line is again still in situ, but inactive, I did see some meter gauge rolling stock in the railway station with a building behind, which could have housed some form of traction.

Travelling further up the valley we reach our destination where our CP class 14 locomotive runs around her stock. In the yard at Pocinho, the former locomotive depot is still in evidence, although in other usage. A derelict steam locomotive does however stand in the yard, this was a Mallet tank engine. 2-4-6-0.
The train returned to Porto Campanha, where the locomotive ran around her train to return to the depot at Contumil, while I returned to my guest house at Marques, it had been a very interesting day and nice to catch up with a few more steam locomotives, albeit in a derelict state.

Linha do Douro - Wikipedia

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Portugal, (Day 8). Tuesday 25th March 2025.

I was headed into Portugal for 10 days, mainly for some required lines, and also a few places I had been meaning to visit. I was essentially concentrating the Lisbon and Porto regions.

I had not too early start, taking breakfast in the town. My plan was to get out to Contumil locomotive depot, complete the top section of the Vouga meter gauge line from Espinho south and, time permitting, travel on a few new Metro lines.

My day started off with the Metro from Marques on the yellow line, first travelling to Trindade for the Metro junction, and then to the end of the orange line at Fanzeres, returning to Contumil for the locomotive depot. I have done the locomotive depot a few times now and know that early morning is best for the photographs of the line of locomotives parked off the station platforms on sunny days, although I’ve never had a full shed visit, you usually find several locomotives parked on the far side of the depot, and an old steam locomotive stands in front of the main offices, all out of photographic reach.
I returned by the Metro from Contumil to Campanha and then took a train down to Espinho for the meter gauge line. At Espinho, the line has been sunken and rebuilt as an underground station, thus hiding the main railway line from the town itself, if dives under the town as it enters it and reappears as it is leaving. I’ve seen this done before in other towns, Leon in Spain comes to mind. It is a shame really as the town loses all the character of having a railway station, or certainly from an enthusiast’s view point. The walk to the Vouga line is around 5 minutes away from the main line station, and in contrast, it really is a view from the past, only for a few people waiting on the platform, it would have appeared to be a closed station.

It was not however long before a CP meter gauge Alstom DMU 2-car class 9630 arrived clad from head to foot in graffiti. After a quick turnaround we were soon travelling down the Vouga Valley through stations at Paco de Brandao, Vila da Cucujaes, and finally arriving at the present terminus of Oliveiro De Azemeis. The train terminated for over an hour at Oliveiro De Azemeis, in fact this unit went onto a small shed and was turned off, the next train back up the line was one that passed me on the way down, so in essence two class 9630 dmu`s were operating on this section of the line. I walked a short section of the track beyond the railway station and it looked like it hadn’t been used for years, so I wondered how they got the units back down the line to the maintenance depot at Senada de Vouga, (on the southern section of the line). My train back up the line to Espinho departed at 12.30, (or whatever time you could get there apparently) and the one bar come restaurant near the station, started serving food after the train left, (I cannot help thinking this was a missed opportunity for them), they did however sell me a packet of crisp and a bottle of water, which I just had enough change for as they didn’t take cards. The journey back up the line was just as pleasant, an interesting little valley and indeed the last meter gauge railway in Portugal.

From Espinho Vouga, I walked back through the town to the underground station on the main line and caught the next train back to Porto Campanha and later another train down to Porto Sao Bento, where I continued back on the Metro lines. I first took a Metro to the end of the line at Hospital Sao Joao on the yellow line, then travelled the full length of the line to its southern terminus at Santa Ovidio, returning to Vila d'Este for the magnificent Dom Luís I Bridge, a incredible work of architecture and a must to see while in Porto, I walked over the bridge, (which also caters for the Metro), and also viewed the modern funicular that operates down the cliff wall, I then rejoined the Metro again at Sao Bento, before returning to Marques and my accommodation for the night, it had been another eventful day.

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I was travelling on the Douro Valley line to Pocinho, which once joined with the Spanish border line at Barca de Alva and to the North, Carvalhal, (the Sabor Line), both lines at the terminal appear to have been left in situ, with the magnificent viaduct sweeping to the north from Pocinho on the Carvalhal line.

The Sabor line was metre gauge and very derelict when I visited in 2019!

For the rail enthusiast the first point of interest is the branch up to Amarante, one of the few operational lines I yet need to travel in Portugal. At Livraco the line to Arco de Baulhe once left the main line there, but I could see no evidence of it.

These are the same line, metre-gauge and derelict in 2019. There was talk of a new line to Amarante but I didn't think anything had happened?

 

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The Sabor line was metre gauge and very derelict when I visited in 2019!

These are the same line, metre-gauge and derelict in 2019. There was talk of a new line to Amarante but I didn't think anything had happened?

Thank you so much for that, that really is very helpful, thank you.

 

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Portugal, (Day 9). Wednesday 26th March 2025.

I was headed into Portugal for 10 days, mainly for some required lines, and also a few places I had been meaning to visit. I was essentially concentrating the Lisbon and Porto regions.

I was up early at my guest house and this was to be my last day in Porto, so I took my rucksack with me and planned on travelling the rest of the Metro lines. The Porto Metro is a fascinating network, (They dont call it a tram, as Porto also has a vintage tram network), build largely over the narrow gauge lines which were once around Porto, evidence of this is still visible in a few preserved railway station buildings that survive in various formats, of restaurants and cafes mainly.

My idea was to leave my 10 kg rucksack in the lockers at Porto Campanha railway station, the only problem was that, all the lockers and methods of paying required a contactless card and I dont have one, I did mean to arrange one before I came out, as I have had issues in other countries who dont have chip and pin systems set up. So, I had no option but to carry my ruck around with me for the next few days, as I wasnt booking anymore accommodation over the rest of the trip and taking a night train, (if you can call it that), back down to Lisbon, at 01.00 on the Thursday morning.

The first move I made was to take the Metro up to the "Senhor de Matosinhos" terminus and then back to "Mercado" where a large lift bridge crosses the docks at that location, you can see the trains coming into the docks for loading up from the ships there, although there was only lines of waggons on the quayside on my visit.
From "Mercado", I took a Metro to the junction station of "Senhora da Hora" for the longest and most nothernly line to "Povoa de Varzim", between regular Metro services they also operate limited stopping services because of the distance on this line, and it was one of these that I travelled up on. I returned from "Povoa de Varzim" to the junction station for the Airport at "Verdes", (I came in on this line last time I flew into Portugal).

From "Verdes" I caught the next Metro to another junction station at "Fonte do Cuco", and then my final line to the terminus at "Ismai", although the train I caught terminated at "Forum Maia", where I had to wait for another Metro to take me to the end of the line at "Ismal". I then made my way back to "Porto Campanha" railway station.

As I entered the platforms at "Campanha station," I was very lucky in being on the right platform to see a CP class 1964 on a tank train, (I saw three of this class parked up in the distance at Entroncamento works, but this is the first one I have seen running, I dont think there were many of them built.
I still needed two more lines on the suburban network, so I caught a train out to Leca Do Balio, now the end of the branch to the docks.

I got chatting to a lovely Portuguese lad around my age, who was also a rail enthusiast, Vladimiro, who had an extensive knowledge of the Portuguese rail network. Vladimiro lived next to one of the railway stations on the line "S Mamede de Infesta", which still retained its magnificent station building, he invited me into his house to show me his railway collection, gave me a drink of his specialist port and then very kindly drove me around to see other narrow gauge stations that had closed but been preserved, like Maia, (former meter gauge station), now in use as an upmarket restaurant, but still retaining much of its railway charm.

Vladimiro eventually dropped me off at the end of the line, "Leca Do Balio" for me to catch a train back into Lisbon Campanha, and I thank him so much for the tour, Ill do the same for him, when he next visits England, as he did mention he had been to the Manchester Science and Industry Museum before, so a big thank you friend.

From Porto Campanha, I caught a train into Porto Sao Bento and later another train out to Ermesinde, another station with a designer roof, I took tea in a cafe across the square from the station. The light was going as I returned to Ermesinde station and I caught the next train back to Porto Sao Bento and later returned to Porto Campanha for the rest of the evening, as I was catching a train at 01.00 to Lisbon a few hours later, as I was hoping to catch up on some sleep on the journey, my plan being to cover two lines south of Lisbon the following day. Stay tuned folks.

Anyone wishing to read up on the former metre gauge lines in Portugal I can certainly recommend, Railway Holidays in Portugal, (1968), D.W. Winkworth, David and Charles. Out of print, but you will still find a few copies out there.

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Portugal, (Day 10). Thursday 27th March 2025.

I was headed into Portugal for 10 days, mainly for some required lines, and also a few places I had been meaning to visit. I was essentially concentrating the Lisbon and Porto regions.

I was waiting on the platforms at Lisbon Campanha for my 01.00 train to arrive. At around 00.30 an old CP 2000 series electric unit came into the platform, and it was still there as I was waiting for my train to Lisbon Oriente to arrive and the time was getting closer as this old thing was just sat there I was thinking they had changed platforms and that I had somehow missed the announcement?

As the time got nearer 01.00, I asked the guard on the old EMU about my train, and he actually told me that this was my night train, with seats like rocks, so I was in for a long night, and it stopped at every station along the route, taking nearly five and a half hours to reach Lisbon. Now I can usually sleep anywhere, but I must say I did struggle on this one, I however survived the night, as you do and was deposited at Lisbon Oriente just after 05.30, so had to wait until 06.00 for the station cafes to open to grab some breakfast.

I was travelling over the might Tagus River to head for two branch lines, both with a limited service, so to get them both in required a little planning. I caught a loco-hauled CP class 56 just after 08.00 from Lisbon Oriente to the junction station at Casa Branca, I wanted to traverse both lines from there, the train I was travelleing on was bound for Evora, but also wanted to travel down the branch to Beja, (once a busy railway junction, but now a terminus station). Either way I had around three and a half hours wait at either station, so decided on alighting at Casa Branca for the Beja branch first, and then waiting it out for a direct CP class 0450 series DMU service from Beja to Evora, which got me in with only a two hour wait for a train back to Lisbon Oriente.

It was an interesting ride over the "25 de Abril suspension bridge", this was the 4th time I have crossed the bridge and I still find it amazing that it only opened in 1999, this was the first time north and south Portugal had been joined by rail, although proposals had been going on for years. Freight trains travelling for north to south Portugal would have to travel via Spain, and did so for many years of course.

I alighted at Casa Branca for a DMU to take me down the line to Beja. You can tell that this would have been a busy junction station at one time, as the yard was still full of tracks and the lines to the south could be seen still in situ. The main part of the village was quite a walk up hill, from the railway station, and the only cafe I could find didnt take cards and no card machines or banks existed in the village, however, I just had enough cash for a packet of crisps and a coffee, so these places help with your fasting if nothing else.

After a good wonder around Beja, it was soon time to catch my train back up the line. The dmu reverses at Casa Branca and then heads out to Evora, which is a moderner looking station layout, but again a passenger terminus now, although I followed the line beyond the railway station and it did look newly laid and appeared to continues quite a distance beyond the town.

I left Evora late afternoon behind a CP class 56, with a direct service to Lisbon Oriente, it had taken me all day to travel both lines, and indeed been an enjoyable day. On returning to Oriente, I caught a regional train down to Lisbon Santa Apolonia, later returning to Oriente, where I spent the night around the railway station as I was flying back to the UK early on the friday morning. I tend to do this sort of thing a lot, I really dont mind hanging around railway stations in the early hours and you can often see a few freight trains passing through, they are also supported by security and house a lot of homeless people, regardless of the city or country. What I did see however, which I couldnt let go, was a security coward threatening a homeless guy with a baton of sorts, Im not sure what the laws are over there, or what the homeless guy had done to warrant it, but I couldnt walk away after seeing something like that, so I went over and pulled this coward up, fortunately for me, he said something in Portuguese and backed away into a little office and the homeless guy, just walked off in another direction. I guess I should really keep out of other peoples business, but somethings are just not right, cant be unseen and you have to live with yourself afterwards, famous last words.

The night passed quickly though and I was on an early underground train to the airport and the flight was only a half hour leaving Lisbon, a good flight back into Manchester was had, but one of the worst landings Ive experienced as apparently a cross wind hit us as we were about to touch down, even the cabin crew said a big whoa, but I lived to tell the tale, a fantastic trip, leaving me just a couple of small lines to complete in Portugal, many thanks for reading guys, until next time.

25 de Abril Bridge - Wikipedia

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 1). Sunday 1st June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, with the exception of the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

I had a late afternoon Ryanair flight from Manchester to Santander. I had booked a guest room close by the railway stations; my room however was located on the 8th floor and the lift didnt work. After dropping off the rucksack in my room, I visited the stations and the hills above the town for a few overall photographs of the stations and yard, before retiring to my guest room for the night. I was still unsure if all the lines towards Oviedo and indeed Ferrol were running as the FEVE can be a bit hit and miss at times, but I was booked on the first train out towards Oviedo all the same. I had set myself 12 days to complete my planned lines.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 2). Monday 2nd June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

I was up early at my hotel and the lift was working on the way out, so that saved 8 floors worth of stairs to descend. I was heading for the first FEVE Cercanias train out to Oviedo, it was a very wet morning. A fast train can take 5 hours 27 minutes or the slower train takes just under 8 hours to do the 103-mile journey, I took an earlier train to Cabezon de la Sal and changed for the faster train. At Santander the luxury Transcantabrico was in the platforms awaiting departure, behind electro-diesel locomotive number 1917, this caught up with me at Cabezon de la Sal, where I had left the railway station to get some supplies from the supermarket next door. I picked up the 08.29 ex Santander to Oviedo train, but we had to change at Llanes, I didn’t mind this at all as the section between Cabezon and Llanes was a bus service last time I did the line, so at least I managed to complete it this trip. The train we changed onto however failed just outside El Berron, which is quite a unique station in railway terms with its metre gauge crossing, it was however a quick change of trains, but I intended returning to El Berron to photograph the crossing and junction before I returned east.

I eventually arrived at Oviedo where I had booked a guest house for the night. Oviedo railway station is partly covered over, but again unique in that it is half Iberian broad gauge and half metre gauge. A second Transcantabraico was parked in the station, this time behind a golden liveried electro-diesel number 1905. I spent the rush hour on the end of the platforms at Oviedo but just prior to me leaving however, I was approached by the station manager with two security guards who told me that I needed permission to take photographs on the station, so I showed them their own RENFE website that clearly says I don’t need permission, but it was difficult to communicate with them as they didn’t speak very good English, but I’m sure the station manager understood what I was showing him, but wanted to save face and I was going anyway at that point, so couldn’t be bothered arguing with them.

My room was just around the corner from the railway station and I took tea in the town, a very vibrant place Oviedo with plenty of good restaurants and shops. My main concern though was to make sure the trains were running between Oviedo and Ferrol the following morning, as this was my third visit to try and travel the line. I spoke to a lovely young girl at the ticket office and although she told me the trains had been operating, (two trains a day for the seven and a half hour journey to Ferrol), she did give me a phone number that I could use, up to midnight and find out if a train or rail replacement bus would have been running the next day, I phoned up at 22.00 and was told it would be a train, so I slept well that night with that knowledge.

Transcantabrico Train, a trip through the north of Spain - Trenes Deluxe

Travel aboard the Transcantabrico Train discovering the treasures of northern Spain. An exclusive experience on one of the most luxurious trains.

eltrentranscantabrico.com

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 3). Tuesday 3rd June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.
It was the main focus of my trip to travel the line between Oviedo and Ferrol. I was waiting on the railway station at Oviedo with excitement for the ticket office to open, the price of the ticket with the 12.5 Euros with a Tarjeta Dorada, (Golden Card for the over 65s, which cost 6 Euros for 12 months), the journey was just under 8 hours, so pretty good value. We left on time in a two car DMU and it went right through without any changes.

The line itself is amazing, most of it single track, and the terrain it passes through would have prohibited a standard gauge railway. The line must rate as one of the most scenic in Europe. Towards the Ferrol end of the line, I thought what I saw was another line below the line I was travelling on, but this was actually a looped section of the line I was on, which is very deceiving because of the forested region it travels through. The train passed through some lovely towns like Luarca, AP Vegadeo, Xone, Viveiro and Ovicedo, and passes through the Cantabrian Mountains and across the Bay of Biscay, from the Principality of Austurias to Galicia, a beautiful part of the world.

My train did stop at various locations while we waited for trains to pass in the opposite direction, this took place at Ribadeo and also at San Sadurnino and we arrived into Ferrol just a few minutes late. I was elated at finally traversing the Ferrol line. As I left the station I came across two lovely Argentine lads who were playing acoustic guitars, we struggled communicating apart from through our music, and I was privileged for them to allow me to jam with them for a while. My hotel at Ferrol was only a few minutes’ walk from the railway station, a lovely hotel and host, located directly in the town centre, I slept well that night.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 4). Wednesday 4th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

After a restful night in my hotel in Ferrol, I was up and out for 06.00 and soon back on the platforms of Ferrol station and in time to obtain a few early photographs as the dawn broke. Three DMUs sat in the platforms as I arrived and there was some activity as the DMUs were run up and down the platforms and refuelled. The Oviedo train arrived 10 minutes late into the platform. I had decided to return on the FEVE railway, I did consider using the main line back to Oviedo, but really wanted to position myself at Pravia so that I could travel on the San Esteban and Gijon lines the following day. The trip back to Pravia was equally interesting and relaxed. After around 6 hours I was alighting at Pravia where I had booked an hotel for the night. I did however have time to travel on the San Esteban branch before I left the railway station. That gave me the next day to travel on the line to Gijon.

My hotel was only a five-minute walk from the railway station and it also overlooked the line, but it was only local services that I saw. I took a meal in the town before retiring for my bed for the night.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 5). Thursday 5th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

Leaving my hotel in Pravia just before the morning had broken, I was soon down on the railway station to catch the first train across to Gijon. With the ticket office being closed and the ticket machines being user unfriendly,

I had little choice but to get one of the locals to get me through the barriers, so I was ticketless, there was also no guard on the train. Once I arrived at Gijon, I had no choice but to follow someone through the barrier, I do not like doing things like this and did try to buy a ticket, but was left with little choice. I was however next heading for Pola de Laviana and to even things out, I didn’t use the discount on my Golden Card. Sadly my train only went as far as El Berron, as the line down to Pola de Laviana was undergoing engineering works and I didn’t fancy a rail replacement bus, (the line reopened the following Monday, but I was travelling into another area by then). Stopping at El Berron, did though give me the opportunity to explore El Berron station proper and its unique railway crossing, before returning to Gijon for breakfast. I then caught the next FEVE to Oviedo, forgetting that it had to go via El Berron, but that was fine as it took me around one of the curved platforms.

At Oviedo, I was back on the broad-gauge lines and one of the branches I needed to do was up to San Juan de Nieva, my first train took me to Aviles, which shares its station with the FEVE lines which I had passed though in the morning from Pravia to Gijon. The train up to Aviles did stop at a station next to a locomotive depot, which was Lugo De Llanera, which had about 6 locomotives on, including at least two RENFE class 251s. I alighted there, but the driver got out of his cab and told me this station was a staff halt only, so I had to get back on the train, and couldn’t work out how to get back to this depot, it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

The train arrived at Aviles to take me to San Juan de Nieva, which I thought, judging by the name, it was another holiday resort like San Esteban, but it was just a single platform in a run-down industrial area with a large logging yard opposite. I alighted there and waited for the next train going south. This train took me to the only other line I could do in the area that was open, at El Entrego, an interesting line that went through a valley with a large power station occupying it. I took tea in a local bar in El Entrego before catching the next train back up to Oviedo and retired to another hotel in the town, opposite the railway station, it had been an interesting day.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 6). Friday 6th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

My original plan was to go to Bilbao from Oviedo, a Friday and Saturday night in Bilbao was over £150 for any accommodation, per night, there was no way I was going to pay that, I did though find a Pod in a hotel for Friday night at 28 Euros, so I decided to go with that. I decided to take a high-speed train down to Valladolid Campo Grande and then catch a stopper up to Santander as I did need the line anyway. My train from Oviedo was at 07.35, the ticket office opened at 07.15, so I made sure I was first in the queue. I was treated to Europe`s latest high-speed train, the RENFE AVE Avril Talgo, although I prefer the S-150 Ducks. The train too me down the high-speed line, most of which is tunnelled south of Oviedo, so not much to see really.

The journey through to Valladolid Campo Grande went quite quickly, I also had some new track from Palencia. The old roundhouse and yard are still standing at Valladolid, but only a couple of shunters stood in the yard on my visit. I was on the slow train to Santander, a line I had not travelled on before and it really was a beautiful line, and I was so pleased to complete it, arriving into Santander by around 15.30.

I walked over to the FEVE railway station and decided on having a ride down the line to Lierganes and back, before taking a meal in the central café and then retiring to my Pod in the central hospital. I spent the evening playing the hostel guitar and entertaining some of the other guests, one of the girls who did a bit of singing, it was a good evening, but I didn’t sleep too well in the Pod.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 7). Saturday 7th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

On leaving the Central Hostel at Santander, a few of us who were leaving at 07.00 but were unable to access the community room to get a brew, the room was locked until 08.00, when I mentioned it in my Booking.com feedback all I go back was a Uffffff, whatever that means? I was soon at Santander FEVE railway station for breakfast and a coffee to wake me up and I was on the first train to Bilbao, I was heading for the Basque Principality, the Country of the Basque. The 3-hour run cost around £4 and the two car dmu was soon arriving at Bilbao Concordia FEVE railway station after an excellent trip and also grabbing some sleep on the way over. Parked in the station at Bilbao Concordia was the Transcantabrico, (Tourist Train), I passed it on the way back on the Leon line also. I had passed a FEVE depot on my last visit as I had caught the train from Leon to Bilbao, the depot was Balmaseda, so I wanted to return to the town and see if I could get anywhere near the depot, I couldn’t, but could see two locomotives in the yard outside the depot (Electro-diesels 1907 and 1904), and I did managed to photograph them both from the train. As soon as I arrived into Bilbao I purchased the Barik card, this is a local transport card that you load up with money and you can travel on local trains, metro, trams, even the funicular and transporter bridge, the basic card costs 3 Euro, I loaded 30 Euros for the three days I was in Bilbao, I still have credit on the card and this also took me on one journey from Bilbao to France for 2 Euro, so public transport costs are ridiculously low.

I returned from Balmaseda to Bilbao Concordia and walked across to the main Iberian gauge railway station of Bilbao Abando and started to work on the local railway network, the first line I travelled on was the line to Muskiz and then back to the junction station of Desertu-Barakaldo were some security kid got off the train behind me and started shouting down the platform at me about taking photographs, I’m afraid I was a bit tired and blasted him back, he said he would get the police, so I told him to go and get them and I’ll wait for them, but instead he just vanished inside one of the station buildings. The Spanish Government do allow private photographer to take pictures of their trains from station platforms, you don’t need permission for this, so he was obviously poorly trained or just couldn’t be bothered reading his own website.

I just ignore security and took the next train up to Santurtzi, a lovely resort and I took tea in the town. I stopped off at a few stations on the local lines. I hadn’t booked an hotel for the night as the only ones I could find on a Saturday night cost over £150 a night, fortunately Balboa`s metro underground was running all night, so I spent the night travelling on the Underground and one of the lines takes over an hour each way from Bilbao to complete, the Pentzia line, so that pretty much kept me busy until after midnight and also enabled me to catch up on some sleep, but I was good though and enjoying the new track.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 8). Sunday 8th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

By the time midnight had arrived I had completed lines 1 and 2 of the Cercanias suburban lines out of Bilbao Abando railway station the lines to Muskiz and the line to Santurtzi and I had also completed Metrolines 1, Etxebarri to Plentzia and line 2 Kabies to Basauri, by midnight I was travelling on Metroline 3 which was part of the Euskotren network, from Matiko to Kukullaga. The main railway station Balbao Abando closed after the last train around 01.30 and reopened again at 03.30. The station Burger King stayed open until around 04.00, so this was handy for a few drinks while the station reopened. The first train out was Cercanias line 3 down to Orduna, an hour’s journey away and ideal to catch up on my sleep, in fact on returning to Abando, I travelled on it again to arrive for the second time in the morning light, so I had more or less caught up with my sleep by the time I returned for the second time to Abando station. I made my way to one of the station cafes for breakfast and then out onto the street to travel on the tram network from end to end. The tram starts on the site of Bilbao first railway station, Bilbao Atxuri and travels through the city to La Casilla, just the one line. I had booked accommodation in Bilbao for the Sunday night through until Wednesday and the host had allowed me to drop my rucksack off early on the Sunday, so I took a train out to the first station from Abando to Zabalburu and it was only a 5 minutes’ walk from there.

Returning to the city I next headed for the Artxanda Funicular Railway, this is one of the highest I’ve been on, and it gives some excellent views across the city from the top of Artxanda Mountain. I returned on the Euskotren lines to the terminus at Lezama, before returning to Abando and taking another train to revisit Santurtzi and taking tea in the town, later returning to Zabalburu and ultimately my guesthouse for the night, it was good to get in a bed again after about 30 hours without one, and I was well and truly ready for it, I was showered and in bed for 19.00 and I slept like a log that night, I had achieved so much on my first day in Balboa.

Artxanda Funicular - Wikipedia

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 9). Monday 9th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

Monday morning had arrived, and I was up early again and intended a day travelling on the Euskotren`s and heading for the French border. I did travel on this line 3 years ago, but only as far as Irun, so didn’t do that last section across the French border, although I did cross the border from France into Irun on a TGV back in the 1980s, when I was arrested by the Spanish police for taking photographs of trains on the railway station, apparently they thought I was a Basque Terrorist ETA, I think it was the tache that swung it back then, but they soon let me go once they found out I was just a crazy English trainspotter, although officially you did need a permit to take pictures on Spanish railway stations back in these days, but it wasn’t very well publicised.

After a five-minute walk from my guest house, I was soon boarding a local Iberian gauge train at Zabalburu bound for Bilbao Abando and a walk across the river to board my next train at Zazpikalaleak/Casco Viejo, (Bilbao) and the first train out to Elgoibar for a change to an Amara train. Many trains from Bilbao go right through to Amara, as this is the major terminus on the Euskotren lines, Amara being San Sabastian`s second railway station.
From Amara I took a Euskotren right across the border into France, Hendaye. The main SNCF station is by the side of the Euskotren station and it had been many years since I was on the platforms of Hendaye having travelled through from Paris. SNCF have open station platforms, no barriers, so I entered the main station building and went under the subway to the far platforms, but was stopped by a platform chap, who asked me where I was going, I said I was just going on the platforms to take a few photographs and he said that’s fine and left me too it. I travelled on the French Railways intensively in the 1980s and 1990s and never had any issues over photography, the French always seemed pretty chilled out towards enthusiasts and photographer and back then of course we were still shed bashing with permission.

Just a couple of TVGs and units were on the platforms at Hendaye, with a few diesel shunters to the Spanish end of the station and a class 66 in EWS livery, a French loco would have been nicer. After spending some time around Hendaye railway station taking photographs, I walked back across the border back into Spain, no passport controls or border guards to be seen. I walked back to the Main Iberian gauge station at Irun and caught up with it being remodelled, with lots of building work taking place. I wanted to catch a local Iberian gauge train back to San Sabastian`s main station, (Donostia-San Sebastián or Estación del Norte), a line I hadn’t been on before, on arrival at walked across the city of San Sabastian to the second station of Amara to get back on the Euskotren lines. I had passed a depot which lay between Euba and Durango which had around a half dozen of the metre gauge diesel electro locomotives stood outside, the station stopped at the platform and I alighted, but was told this was a staff only halt and made me get back on the train, a similar situation occurred north of Oviedo of course at Lugo De Llanera depot. I next alighted at Amorebieta for the junction up to Bermeo for tea. I later returned to Bilbao and my accommodation for the night. The fare from Bilbao to France with a Barik Card cost me 2 Euros which I thought was impressive, it had been a great day over some new and old territory.

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 10). Tuesday 10th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

Tuesday morning and I was changing accommodation, but had to wait until around 14.00 pm, and I wanted to visit a few more locations in Bilbao before I returned to Santander the following day. So, I was stuck with my 10 KG rucksack until I could get into my next guestroom. I made my way to Zabalburu railway station and caught the first train into Bilbao Abando, and then I was down on the underground, the Metro heading for Arenas, as I wanted to ride on the Vizcaya Bridge. It is the world's oldest transporter bridge and was built in 1893. My Barik ticket enabled me to travel on the transporter bridge and once across the Nerion River, I walked to the suburban station of Portugalete, I then caught a train to Sestao, where I saw some freight operations taking place and also revisited some more of the suburban stations.

I then returned to Abando walked across the city to the Euskotren network, at Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo to catch a train out to Kukullage Etxebarri and then onto Ariz where I had noted a metre gauge locomotive in the yard as I passed the day before. Another locomotive had replaced it so I alighted and went around the roadways to photograph it, it was FEVE metre gauge Class 1500, Bo-Bo 1510.

I returned to Bilbao Abando and again went to various locations on the suburban network, first was Olaveaga, then Desertu-Barakaldo and Ametzola where my new accommodation was located. Finding it was a doddle, but getting in my room really was something else. No one was at the premises so everything had to be done by codes, codes to get into the building, codes to get into the building section, codes to get into the room, it even had a code for the bathroom, although before I could get any of the codes I first had to register by filling out an online form with all my information on, after three attempts and it crashing each time, I gave up, managed to speak to someone in charge and eventually after a lot of coming and going, he gave me the codes, which proved to be a bit fiddly with my fat fingers, I was 45 minutes trying to get into my room, who ever designed that keyless system wants shooting, no way was I going to dial in a code for the bathroom in the middle of the night if I got caught short. Apart from that though, the room was fine and I slept well on my last night in Bilbao.

Vizcaya Bridge - Wikipedia

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Northern Spain, Revisited, (Day 11). Wednesday 11th June 2025.

I had always wanted to return to Northern Spain to complete the FEVE metre gauge lines, since I first sampled them in 2023, indeed I had attempted the Oviedo to Ferrol line twice previously, but on both visits the line had not reopened after engineering works, I had also missed out on a few miles on the line from Santander to Oviedo and other elated lines between Pravia and Gijon and the related branch lines and line to El Berron. This was the region I wanted to concentrate on first. The second part of my trip was aimed at the lines around the Basque region, Bilboa, the Iberian gauge lines, (1,668 mm), out of Bilboa Abando and some of the metre gauge lines operated by Euskotren which run into Hendaye France and the Bermeo line to the north. In addition, I wanted to revisit Irun to ride the Iberian gauge lines towards San Sabastian. I achieved all I set out to do, except for the line from El Berron down to Pola de Laviana which was undergoing engineering works.

After a good night’s sleep in the obsessed door coded apartments, I was soon back at Ametzola railway station and on a suburban train into Bilbao Abando for the last time of my trip. I then walked over to La Concordia railway station and awaited my train back to Santander FEVE lines. The journey back was a pleasant one and got me back into Santander just before lunchtime. On arrival into Santander and on passing the FEVE depot I noticed a treble header of electro diesels had just pulled a freight train in, and I was fortunate to photograph them from the train, sadly like many FEVE locos these were heavily graffitied. I walked back to the hills above the depot and managed to obtain a few photographs looking down on the shed and yard. Locomotives on the depot were, 1909, 1612, 1660, 1657, 1662, 1656, 1916, 1908, and 1901, so not a bad selection. I continued walking down the hillside until I came to the first station out at Valdecilla La Marga and caught a train down to Torrelavega Centro, my idea was to walk to the towns other station Torrelavega Tanos where I had seen a locomotives parked up when I passed on that line on my way back from Oviedo to Santander, but it was a 50 minute walk between stations, so instead I returned to Santander from Centro station after having tea in the town.

I returned to Santander and walked to the broad-gauge station, which is next door and I caught the next train down to Torrelavega Tanos and was rewarded with a couple of locos shunting in the yard. On passing Valdecilla La Marga on my return however, I noticed what looked like, a roundhouse through a gap between some buildings as the train passed by, so I returned to Valdecilla La Marga from Santander FEVE and sure enough I had stumbled on Santander’s Iberian gauge locomotive depot at Cajo, I really should check Google maps more as I had no idea this depot existed, it’s not listed in ST Publications stock book, or maybe its officially closed. It was also very easily photographed from the roads that went around it. Although not many locomotives were on shed, just 5, and two were of the shunter variety, plus a few railcars. and it did look very run down. I was more than happy to catch up with some class 269s though, I always liked these locos and can remember seeing them on my Spanish trips in the 1990s. On shed on this trip were 269 602-9, and a double locomotive master and slave arrangement, 269 756 3, formerly (269809/034 + (269 812/108) original numbers carried. Finding Cajo depot really put the icing on the cake for this trip, it’s a shame I didn’t find it the last time I was in Santander.

I hadn’t booked accommodation in Santander for the last day as I was flying back to Manchester the next morning at 09.00, so I decided to catch a late bus into the airport, always presuming that airports stay open all night. I sat in one corner of a café inside the airport, it was a comfy area out of the way and with a padded bench, and after the café closed around 11.00pm, the area I was in was left open, so I took my boots off, put the neck pillow on and spread out along the bench, within an hour or so around midnight, all the lights went out, although I could see the odd security bod walking around from my position looking from under the tables, none of them saw me, so I was locked in the airport until it reopened at around 05.00 and not even my snoring gave my strategic position away, (stick with me folks for more free accommodation tips).

The flight home was on time and uneventful, it had been a great 12 days away though and I had covered all the lines along Northern Spain both metre gauge and Iberian gauge, and achieved much more besides, it had been emotional, many thanks for reading.

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Irish Republic, (Day 1), Friday 18th July 2025.

The first day of my Irish trip. I had stayed at my son`s house in Peterborough having travelled down from Manchester by train the day before. We had an early start with a taxi to the railway station at Peterborough and a direct train, a Cross-Country class 170, into Stanstead Airport.

Number one son had booked the flights, he was treating me on this trip, and being a London Solicitor, he has more money than me, so I wasn’t going to argue about it. Our flight was around 10.40, this was the first time I had actually flown from Stansted Airport. We had breakfast in the airport which consisted of two large burritos, I must rate as one of the worlds worst burrito eaters and always finish up with it all over my face and everywhere else, I was like a one-year-old child at dinner time, I get so far into them, then they suddenly explode. The flight to Dublin only takes 1 hour 30 from Stansted, and it felt like we were no sooner up, than we were landing again. Dublin airport was also a new one for me, I normally go by ferry from Holyhead to Ireland, although the last time I was in Dublin, which was about 5 years ago, I flew into Belfast and caught the Enterprise down to Dublin.

Ireland is expensive these days and the first thing to hit me was the City Link bus from the airport to Heuston railway station, which cost us 16 euro, single. We hadn’t booked a train and just took pot luck really, our first train to Galway was at 15.30, which gave me an hour and a half around Heuston railway station, so it suited me, it didn’t suit my son though, who is not into railways, but he was happy to spend some time in the bar while I ran around the railway station. It was nice to see the GM class 201`s still on the long-haul services, main working the Dublin to Cork line, but some also work on freight services, and of course the Enterprise from Dublin to Belfast. On passing Inchicore sheds and workshops I could however seen the line of stored class 201s and also at least four of the older class 071s which still appeared to be in service.

Our train to Galway was an IE class 22000 DMU, these units are the mainstay for most of the services in the Republic of Ireland these days. The journey from Dublin to Galway took two and a half hours and cost me just over 88 Euros for two of us in return tickets. It was an interesting journey though and nice to travel on Irish railways again, the last time I had been on this line was in 1997 on the Western Venturer Rail tour with ITG, when he were heading to Westport via Athenry and Tuam to Claremorris, the Western Rail corridor, which is sadly now closed, but plans are afoot to reopen the line, but this could be some time away yet. The line from Athenry to Galway was however new track for me as this was my first time in Galway. Galway railway station is presently like a building site and undergoing a major rebuild, so photography was difficult.

We were heading out to Clifden as a friend of my son had given him two reduced vouchers to stay in the Clifden Station Hotel. Clifden was the station at the end of the railway line from Galway, but sadly we missed the last train by 89 years, as the line closed in 1936, so we were on a City Link bus again and the return ticket for the two of us cost me 36 Euro for the one hour thirty minutes journey. It has to be said though the journey west goes through some amazing country, rugged, wild moorland with plenty of peaks and loughs, including Lough Corrib, Lough Mask and the Twelve Bens, the famous peaks in this part Connemara, which are also called the Benna Beola, a mountain range of mostly sharp-peaked quartzite summits and ridges, and for the anoraks amongst us, these are Derryclare Mountain - 650m, Bencorr - 711m, Benbreen - 691m, Glengower - 664m, Ben Lettery - 516m, Benbaun - 730m, Benbrack - 582m, Bengoora - 400m, Bencullagh - 632m, Nuckanaght - 654m, Knockpasheemore - 412m, and Bencorr Beg - 577m.

Our coach eventually arrived in the town of Clifden, a beautiful location which holds plenty of history, being famous for Alcock and Brown, the first people to fly a transatlantic flight in 1919. The town is also famous for the first transatlantic wireless station, built by Marconi. The former railway station and yard was easily found, now part of a complex containing the original station building, the former engine shed, now part of the museum, the old water tower, a sports centre built from the former goods shed and plenty more new and modern buildings, including the station hotel which we stayed in, but despite being a freebie for me, still cost an extra supplement of 70 Euros for my son and I, (so much for a reduced voucher), still it was lovely, we had an excellent meal together in the old station house, followed by a pint of Guinness in the lounge while listening to live Irish music. It had been a long day and an equally long journey and we were both ready for a good night’s sleep in the lovely station house hotel at Clifden, Connemara.

The Galway to Clifden Railway

Connemara Railway - Wikipedia

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Clifden

Clifden - Wikipedia

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The Twelve Bens

Twelve Bens - Wikipedia

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Irish Republic, (Day 2), Saturday 19th July 2025.

After a great night’s sleep at the Clifden Station House hotel, I was woken up by a phone call from number one son, I had forgotten we had booked the first sitting for breakfast at 07.00, so I was soon dressed and down in the restaurant. The breakfast was amazing, with lots of choices, I followed my son`s lead and had a healthy fresh Salmon dish with something from the continental plates to finish it off. I then went back to the room for a shower and to freshen up, I had arranged to meet my son at the museum which opened at 10.00am. Whilst leaving the hotel I noticed breakfast was still being served, so I nipped in for a second helping on the continental selection. I then went out for a walk around the town and arrived back at the hotel just before 10.00, the museum however was late opening so I nipped back into the hotel for another breakfast as I was getting a taste for the continental cheeses and the diet could wait until I got back to England, I thought I might as well get my monies worth.

I eventually met my son at the museum at around 10.30 and after a lovely visit we went to visit a local bookshop I had found in the town, which just happened to have two books in the window, Rails through Connemara, The Galway-Clifden Railway, (2021), Jonathan Beaumont, The Oakwood Press, Locomotive Papers 250 and the Connemara Railway, (reprint 2016), Kathleen Villers-Tuthill, Connemara Girl Publications, so a nice bit of bedtime reading.

We caught a City Link bus back into Galway at 12.00, arriving back into the city for 13.30 which allowed us the rest of the day to explore Galway proper. The city was celebrating a Gaelic Football event, which appears to be unique to Ireland, so lots of things were happening in the town, lots of musicians on the streets and in the bars, live bands in the gardens, beer tents, street food, it was a lovely atmosphere and I also got chance to have a look around the railway station development, which once complete will have 5 platforms, which apparently will make it larger than its present size. I must revisit again when it is completed.

My son had booked accommodation at Galway University, as the students were away for the summer and universities usually let rooms out around this period. It was the cheapest room he could find on a Saturday night in Galway and came to 100 Euros for a single for the night, being a tight Northerner I didn’t fancy spending another 100 Euros, so my son gave me the codes to get in the building and I slept in the student lounge, there was only the two of us in the whole building anyway and I slept well.

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[shredder1]

Irish Republic, (Day 3), Sunday 20th July 2025.

The following morning, we walked back into Galway for breakfast, had another look around the city and then we caught the 11.00am train back into Dublin. On arrival into Dublin number one son wanted to visit the Guinness Museum, while I wanted to travel on all the tram lines, so we parted company and arranged to meet up later in the day.

My first tram was on the red line from Dublin Heuston railway station to the end of the line at Tallaght, I then returned to the junction at Belgard and travelled down the Saggart line, and finally I returned across the city to Dublin Connelly. I spent some time on the railway station, to photograph the various workings, later catching a DART to Dublin Pearse, then walking to the green line Luas tram, and catching a tram to Broombridge, where the tram line actually connects to the DART railway network. I returned on the Luas as far as Phiborough. The latter was built on the former Midland and Great Western Railway line from Broadstone, indeed many of the Luas tram lines follow old railway track beds. Phiborough has been built in a cutting and its former use is obvious, hence my wish to alight there and take a few photographs. I then caught a tram to Dawson to complete the city green line tram loop.

I later phoned my son, who had made his way to the hotel, so we arranged to meet at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dublin`s in the Temple Bar quays area of the city. A great evening was had, with live music. We were staying in the Premier Inn at North Wall, so later caught the tram back to The Point, our hotel was just around the corner from the tram stop, and thus another great day was had.

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[shredder1]

Irish Republic, (Day 4), Monday 21st July 2025.

I had an early start at the Premier Inn, in Dublin, I was up just before 05.00, for the first tram out from the Point at 05.30 and the weather was horrendous with hard driving rain. I still needed to do the last LUAS tram route the green line to Brides Glen, but in all the excitement of my early morning tram ride I caught one in the same direction that I travelled on the day before to Broombridge, but not a big issues as I just stayed on that tram to the other end of the line at Brides Glen, which took around an hour, but at least I had completed all Dublin`s Luas tram lines.

The Brides Glen Luas Green Line extension utilizes the old railway line of the Harcourt Street railway line. Specifically, the section from Sandyford to Brides Glen predominantly follows the former railway alignment. The Brides Glen terminus itself is situated on the old trackbed. The Harcourt Street railway line, which closed in 1958, ran from Dublin city centre to the south.

I returned on the same tram from Brides Glen to Dublin Connolly and spent a few hours on the station in the rush hour, with plenty of action throughout, especially with first- and second-generation DART emus. I had taken a fair old soaking by the time I had finished and after taking breakfast on the station, I finally dropped back to the Point to catch up with my son. We had a flight booked just after 16.00 back to Stansted and my very last move prior to catching a City Link bus back to the airport, was to visit the North Wall, but the only bridge I could find did not really allow me to see into the terminal proper and many lines on the way in, appeared to have been lifted now.

We arrived back at Dublin Airport with plenty of time to hand, in fact too much time as in the end the flight had been delayed by 2 hours, causing us to miss the last direct train from Stansted to Peterborough. The only way we could get back at that time was to catch a train from Stansted to Cambridge, another one from Cambridge to Hitchin and finally a service from Hitching to Peterborough, the first one having been cancelled, so we had nearly an hour`s wait at Hitchin. A taxi from Peterborough station got us back to my sons for 00.30, so it had been another long day, but a great trip all the same.

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Moldova, Romania and Hungary (Day 1), Tuesday 26th August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I took an early flight from Manchester to Bucharest on the Tuesday morning arriving into Bucharest for around 11.00 am. This was the first time I had flown into Bucharest as I usually enter the country by train, in fact the last time I was there I had arrived from Sofia, Bulgaria. It was however nice to see Bucharest have a modern airport railway station from the airport direct to Gara De Nord, operated by modern diesel multiple units, the price was just under a pound for the 30-minute ride into the capital.

The first thing I did on arrival into Gara De Nord railway station was to book the following night on the sleeper train into Chisinau, Moldova, for the 14 hour train ride it cost me £37 for a 4 bunk shared crochet cabin, once booked I was off to the Hotel Nord, across the road from the railway station, rucksack dropped off in the room and I spent the rest of the day and evening photographing around Nord and the station area, with a quick tram ride out to the city centre to visit the Hard Rock Café for tea. It was a great day on the railway station again and the weather for most of the trip was very hot and sunny, it was great to be back on the platforms of Bucharest Gara de Nord, my last visit was around 7 years ago.

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[Mike99]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary (Day 1), Tuesday 26th August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I took an early flight from Manchester to Bucharest on the Tuesday morning arriving into Bucharest for around 11.00 am. This was the first time I had flown into Bucharest as I usually enter the country by train, in fact the last time I was there I had arrived from Sofia, Bulgaria. It was however nice to see Bucharest have a modern airport railway station from the airport direct to Gara De Nord, operated by modern diesel multiple units, the price was just under a pound for the 30-minute ride into the capital.

The first thing I did on arrival into Gara De Nord railway station was to book the following night on the sleeper train into Chisinau, Moldova, for the 14 hour train ride it cost me £37 for a 4 bunk shared crochet cabin, once booked I was off to the Hotel Nord, across the road from the railway station, rucksack dropped off in the room and I spent the rest of the day and evening photographing around Nord and the station area, with a quick tram ride out to the city centre to visit the Hard Rock Café for tea. It was a great day on the railway station again and the weather for most of the trip was very hot and sunny, it was great to be back on the platforms of Bucharest Gara de Nord, my last visit was around 7 years ago.

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Hi, I'm interested in this report, (as I always am, with previous trip reports). I have just 1 night booked in the Hotel Nord in the spring of 2026, is it ok, I think I have breakfast Included, what's the hotel like?

 

[shredder1]

Hi, I'm interested in this report, (as I always am, with previous trip reports). I have just 1 night booked in the Hotel Nord in the spring of 2026, is it ok, I think I have breakfast Included, what's the hotel like?

The hotel is alright, I didnt have breakfast, its pretty basic, clean and comfy with lovely staff, I would certainly stay again and its only 2 minutes from Nord railway station, you`ll enjoy it.

 

[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 2). Wednesday 27th August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I was up early for another full day around Bucharest Gara de Nord railway station, which is the busiest railway station in the country. I spent most of the morning photographing and recording all the various workings and locomotive varieties. Romania`s National Railway Museum is attached to Gara de Nord railway station. It opened its doors at 10.00 am and I was surprised at how small it was, with only 3 full sized steam locomotives on site and a few models and artifacts. The main exhibition was a large 00-gauge model railway.

It’s such a shame really that Romania`s National Railway Museum is only small, for the country has plenty of locomotives plinthed outside various railway stations throughout the country, while the country also has several closed roundhouses that could be turned into a museum, but maybe its all about money, which is usually the case. I spent around an hour in the museum, before making my way back onto the platforms of Gara de Nord. I later walked up the track to Bucharest Basarab railway station, which, in reality, is just off the ends of the platforms from Nord station, but a much smaller layout with only 5 platforms.

Walking further up the tracks I accessed the carriage sidings, but was asked to leave, I later crossed the lines and walked into Bucharest Triaj locomotive depot, but only managed to get half way around before being asked to leave. I then made my way back to Gara de Nord railway station and spent the afternoon on the platforms until it was time for my night train into Moldova at 19.10, one train a day travels into Moldova from Bucharest and the journey takes around 14 hours, I was very excited as I climbed into my cabin for the trip.

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[Mike99]

The hotel is alright, I didnt have breakfast, its pretty basic, clean and comfy with lovely staff, I would certainly stay again and its only 2 minutes from Nord railway station, you`ll enjoy it.

Thanks for the info

 

[shredder1]

Thanks for the info

Your more than welcome, enjoy your trip, Moldova is a fascinating country

 

[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 3). Thursday 28th August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I was on board the Prietenia (Friendship) night train, that links Bucharest, Romania with Chisinau, Moldova, it operates once a day, and I was settled in for the 14-hour journey in anticipation. The train takes two hours to cross the border because of a gauge change, all done manually, from standard European gauge to Russian gauge, this is done by jacking up the coaches while passengers are still on it. I was sat in one of the cabins directly over a bogie, when an engineer came in the coach, removed the carpet and then removed a pair of shims and a central rod from the bogie below, I was looking down the hole in the bottom of the coach from my bunk, as they changed the bogie, an interested operation.

I was travelling in a four-bunk couchette, sharing it with a student Moldovan girl who left at the border, I was joined by a Moldovan lad who joined us at the border. It’s difficult to get any sleep really, as the track was rough riding, it felts like the train was going to derail on a few occasions, both on the Romanian and Moldovan sides of the border, but we made Chisinau in bright sunshine. I was however pulled by the carriage attendant for taking a picture of the buffet car while purchasing a morning coffee, he said no photographs, so I thought I might have issues in the country, but I didn’t, all was fine, and no one gave me a second look wondering across the railway lines and taking photographs.

Chisinau railway station was rebuilt in the 1950s to a modern design, the original railway station was bombed in World War 2. I saw the line of 16 stored locomotives behind a rake of waggons, as we arrived, the sun was lighting the locomotives up in a very tight area, so I climbed under a fence to access the locomotives, I was unsure at this stage if I was going to be harassed to photography, on meeting some track workers at the end of the line, they said I was fine.
I then made my way to the city centre to check into the Chisinau hotel, quite a nice hotel in the centre of the city priced at MDL 810 (£36), the price of the sleeper train was £35, so quite cheap really. Moldova wasn’t as poor a city as I had imagined, a very vibrant city with lots of markets around the railway station, not with market stalls however, but with blankets on the pavement, it was like a giant car boot market selling things that we would probably throwaway, Ive seen similar markets in Ukraine, Kiev.

After dropping my rucksack off at the hotel, I walked back down the hill to the railway station and stayed around the railway all day. The sun had turned around and was now lighting up the stored locomotives from the station side, although still behind the line of waggons, it gave me more room to photograph the line up again.

Only two trains passed through the station, one was a tanker with a pair of the new double headed TE33A, the country have just bought 12 of these locomotives. The second train was the 17.05, which was the returning “Prietenia” sleeper service, back into Bucharest, Romania. It was double-headed with a Czech built ChME3, (ЧМЭ3), and a TE33A leading.

Interestingly, I was warned at the hotel to take a torch out with me at night, as very few street lights were around and people had been stealing manhole covered, with lots of people falling down them and injuring themselves. Welcome to Chisinau.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 4). Friday 29th August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.
My second and final day in Chisinau, Moldova. Breakfast was included at the Chisinau Hotel, the breakfast room however was just a counter in the reception area with a girl giving us a coffee in a paper cut and a bag with 6 cheesy pastries, and that was it, still it filled a gap until I could walk down the hill and a have a proper breakfast in one of the local cafes. I later made my way back to the railway station and spent most of the day around the station and environment.

I was on the station footbridge in time to meet the arriving sleeper from Bucharest, at around 09.30, it was double-headed with a Czech built ChME3, (ЧМЭ3), and a TE33A leading, the same combination that took out the sleeper out the day before.
There was again no rail traffic until around 16.00, apart from a PW machine operating around the yards, when one of the ЧМЭ3 shunting locomotives backed a rake of mixed Moldovan and Ukraine coaches into the platforms, this was to form the 17.05 to Kiev, shortly after this a second rake of coaches appeared for the Romanian sleeper, which also departed at 17.05.

The line of waggons had moved in the night and now you had a clear view of the stored locomotives across from the station platforms, which by the afternoon, had the full sun on them, so I went down the line once more taking photographs.

I decided to book a full cabin first class to myself for the return journey, which cost me £60, this was basically a similar cabin to the one I arrived on the day before, but it had the two top bunks removed and of course I had it to myself.

I was treated to double-headed TE33A`s for the trip to the border, but no the quickest of trains, due to the poor trackwork. We arrived at the border earlier from the Moldovan side, and to be fair I did sleep very well after we had cleared the border, in fact the carriage attendant woke me just before we arrived into Bucharest Nord. I was pleased to have finally travelled into Moldova, another one off the bucket list, it had been a great journey.

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