Apart from local hops in the Calder Valley, my last train journey of any length was a week ago yesterday (Tuesday 11th July) on a day trip to meet a friend in Chesterfield for lunch and a couple of pints. I set off from Hebden Bridge on 2I03, 08 14 to Leeds via Dewsbury (ex-Wigan Wallgate), consisting of two Northern units, 158 782/793, which were clean - both internally and externally - and surprisingly quietly-loaded for the time of day....I was able to have a wide choice of seats in the leading vehicle, although it was full with a few standees on arrival at Leeds. The train departed from Hebden Bridge on time, but was three minutes late arriving in Leeds due to a wait at signals at Heaton Lodge Junction, caused by a late-running TPE service. My next service, from Leeds to Sheffield was 1V50, 06 06 Edinburgh-Plymouth, which departed seven minutes late at 09 18, having been delayed by late-running Northern sevices between Micklefield and Leeds. The Cross Country HST set - topped and tailed by 43 301 & 43 285 - was clean and well-presented inside and out and the TGS vehicle at the rear of the train was about half-full. Unfortunately we were unable to make up any time and the usual signal checks and stops on the congested Northern approach to Sheffield caused me to miss not only my planned 10 00 EMR connection, but also the 10 07 Northern service to Nottingham. The latter was actually held for a couple of minutes for a cross-platform connection - which quite a few passengers made successfully - but, coming from the very rear of the HST, I didn't make it to the two car 195 at the far end of the platform before the doors were closed....so I resigned myself to the 10 37 EMR departure to St Pancras (1C38), which was a five car Meridian - 222 006 - with plenty of seats available in the rear coach and the journey was punctual and uneventful for the short hop to CHD. As usual with EMR Inter-City, however, the external and internal condition of the train left quite a lot to be desired....dirty windows and worn seats.
My return journey was less eventful. 1S47, the 15 05 from CHD to LDS (ex-Plymouth) was on time and formed of five car Cross Country Voyager 221 130. It was very busy, but I managed to squeeze into a backward-facing airline window seat at the front of the leading vehicle. The journey to LDS was uneventful (I think I dropped off a couple of times, no doubt aided by the beer and the hot sunshine pouring through the window!), although we were signal-checked approaching LDS and arrived three minutes late at 16 05. I could have made the 16 12 departure to Manchester Victoria via Bradford, but chose instead to take 2I24, the 16 17 to Wigan Wallgate via Dewsbury. The four car train consisted of two very clean and tidy units - 158 843 & 910 and ran punctually throughout. I was tempted to break my journey at Dewsbury for an hour or two in the West Riding Licensed Refreshment Rooms but, shortly before arriving there, I received a text message from She Who Must Be Obeyed saying that she wanted to meet me in Hebden Bridge at 17 30....so the evening beer and food ration was consumed there instead! I would add that tickets were inspected on all five trains during the day.
Slightly O/T, but I prefer the Dewsbury route to Leeds - even though there's only one train per hour - as I find it more interesting and it enabled me to observe progress on the new Morley and White Rose Centre stations and the infrastructure changes at Batley....as well as the total lack of progress - apart from a few trees and bushes having been cut down - on the new station at Elland.
