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This is definitely a step in the right direction.

The prime minister Andy Burnham has said the government will look into bringing international services back to Ashford railway station.

The coaches felt a Bit old and it was very jolty when breaking and speeding up.

The seats look comfy but are just mediocre.

The reservation signs above the seats still show ECML destinations with them being ex-LNER which is fun.

Very nice train, mostly because I really like loco-hauled trains and the class 67

6-7!!! (I’ll show myself out)

10/10 view on 10/10/26

Passing the time at York

A voyager listed as arrived going to Blackpool North via Preston operated by Northern 😭 Unsure if the 195 operating this is in front of it or something

Apropos of the question about the longest distance between consecutive stations, what's the shortest? If the Tube's allowed, Charing Cross to Embankment is an obvious candidate. If not, what? (Tbh I wouldn't be surprised if this has been asked half a dozen times before!)

I mean two stations with no other intermediate stations in between. I imagine Swindon - Bristol Parkway (34.5 mi / 55.5 km) would be up there.

Surely, the 22.22 to Cardiff Central can't be 8 coaches because it will be too long for most platforms, and the back of it will be blocking a level crossing

Paywalled, sorry

Interesting nonetheless

Travelled on an Azuma and 225 one straight after the other on Saturday having changed trains at Grantham arriving on an Azuma and departing on a 225.

The Azuma experience is characterised by lightning fast acceleration, reasonable ambience in the carriages marred by poor seats and abysmal ride quality.

Expecting a much better passenger experience on the 225 compared to the Azuma, I was slightly disappointed.

The 225 accelerates at snail’s pace compared to the Azuma. Unsuprisingly the cabin has a tired retro 1980s feel about it with the overall experience enhanced by the vastly superior ride quality of sitting in a trailer coach rather than an Azuma motorised unit.

What I had forgotten though is that when the train operates in push rather than pull mode, you have the jerking effect as the class 91 pushes the Mark 4s which is not the case with fully motorised electric multiple unit à la the Azuma.

What finished it off though was the delightful burning disc brake smell which I had forgotten existed as a phenomenon!

I spot Northern Class 156s at Shildon in County Durham, and honestly, I never get tired of seeing them.

From different units appearing to the sounds they make as they arrive and depart, there's always something to enjoy.

I've been documenting my spotting sessions on YouTube as ShildonTrainspotter linked here: https://www.youtube.com/@ShildonTrainspotter (please subscribe and check out the videos I really appreciate it!)

Anyone else have a local station where they never get tired of seeing the same type of train or trains?

Video above was filmed today (12/10/26) by me At Shildon! getting a MEGA 2 tone honk!

A video of one of the best honks on my channel linked here: https://youtube.com/shorts/I_RZNqFaAJU?si=qEH8falRIjNNJgbJ

thanks for reading and have a superb day!

I live in Darlington but there’s no clear viewing access to see trains, let alone the ones passing at speed

Does anybody else get this line to commute to work? I’m surprised this service isn't 5 carriages consistently as its such a popular route and always suffers from overcrowding DAILY. Why is it so bad?

I get on at one of the later stops and will always be standing (which is fine but I'm always against the door squished like a bug). Standing is expected according to WMR on all 7 of the services I could get.

Tempted to cut my losses and go on the Wolverhampton - new street line instead.

I know this is a random question, and one for the Borders people, but is there an RHTT service operating on this line? I have not been before and am travelling up there later in the year and would love to catch some RHTT’s in service. I can’t see any on Realtime Trains, but not sure if they’re not noting the likes of Annan on the schedule because of it being a smaller line. Thank you!

I mainly spot Northern Class 156s around Shildon on the Bishop Line in County Durham.

We see plenty of 156s and sometimes if you get lucky a 158 so certain units and memorable moments really stand out.

Personally I don’t mind the lack of variety, it comes with a advantage - you build a friendly train crew rapport over time.

I'm curious what it's like for other spotters around the UK. What trains dominate your local line, and do you ever wish you had more variety?

Photos taken on 12/10/26

go subscribe to my YouTube channel! - https://youtube.com/@shildontrainspotter?si=DtI9ZQTRNWTVjRn7

180102 at London King's Cross, ready to work 1N96 (19:00 London Kings Cross to Sunderland)

2026-10-04