Good morning Manchester Manchester Piccadilly is busy Waiting for the train Birchwood StationBack to Birchwood, the leaves have been cleared.
The train is delayed by trespassers.
Off at Warrington Central.
The delay meant I could not get a decent lunch.
A short ride between Warrington train stations Warrington Bank Quay
The train to Edinburgh was delayed due to trespassers. However there was plenty of leeway to catch the connecting train, especially if I changed at Haymarket.
River RibbleLancaster River Laune
As we headed north the delayed train lost time rather than catching up.
We arrived at Haymarket. As I got off the train. I heard the Inverness train leaving. That added another hour to the journey. Why can’t the trains cooperate to avoid these problems. It was minutes. And why was the Edinburgh train continually slowed down.
Food at Fava Greek Kitchen
Time to kill so time to grab food.
Back to Haymarket
Now this is when things got crazy.
I was looking at the display times for the trains on platform four. A man stumbled down the stairs grabbed hold of one my belt loops, span round out of control, falling off the platform, onto the train track. At that point my thoughts were , was a train coming, how do we get this man off the tracks, going down onto the tracks was not an option, too risky. We coaxed the man to his feet, and four complete strangers hauled the man onto the platform.. We restrained the man to stop a further incident.
I thought that the next train was mine, got on discovered it wasn’t. After getting on the correct train I realised just how traumatic I had found the incident.
Arrived in a foggy Inverness Foggy view from the hotel
You are driving along and there’s a bike in front of you going at a slower speed. Impatience builds, you can‘t get past. Bl**dy cyclist🤬.
In reality you may have a perceived delay of a few tens of seconds. But as you speed on to the next queue of vehicles , where you lose minutes, the bike made no difference. And why can’t you overtake the bike? Because of the oncoming traffic. The problem is the excessive number cars not the bike.
But it’s worse! In 2024 the average UK driver lost 62 hours due to traffic congestion. That’s more than two and a half days. In London that’s 101 hours. That’s a lot of time spent staring at someone‘s rear bumper. Look for INREX 2024. This is due to excessive number of motorised vehicles.
Traffic also delays pedestrians, you can’t get across the road due to the traffic wizzing past. Cars also delay cyclists, sometimes it’s impossible to get out of junction due to the traffic. The congestion also gets in the way of emergency vehicles.
I have had cars overtake me while I was cycling, stopping just in front of me, to turn right, which they can’t due to the oncoming traffic. Its then tricky to get past the immobile blockage on the road. Waste of my time and very rude.
There is another cost of congestion. Pollution! Shortens the lives of the drivers and the non drivers.☠️
The way to reduce that wasted 62 hours or 101 hours in London is to get on your bike. Reduced delays for you riding the bike, reduced traffic because you are riding your bicycle instead of driving. Less congestion, reduced delays for those in the cars. Everyone is happy.
It’s green next to the railway linesInteresting location for a coffee.Debenhams demolition in the distance The worst cycle infrastructure on Epsom Road in Guildford.
The cycle lanes marked out in Guildford are beyond useless. No segregation, suggesting a totally inappropriate position for the cyclists to take on the road. I would cycle at least at the line. I actually cycled in the mostly in the middle of the lane to take the decision away from the drivers, so they did not attempt to overtake at the frequent traffic islands. Of course I was hooted at, but ironically I was going faster than the motorised vehicles. Guildford suffers from pollution,
Clandon
There are plenty of stations in the commuter belt.
Delays
Someone had pulled a communication alarm on a train causing all the trains to be delayed.
Heading into Guildford.
Two days later headed back to Oxfordshire. Dodged the rail replacement buses by travelling from Farnborough.
Farnborough Change at Basingstoke Church spire Mortimer Approaching Reading from the south Boats at GoringBoats on the Thames at GoringThames near Cholsey.Bromptons Didcot – another change CholseyThe Thames at Wallingford – The Boat House.
Early start at St Pancras means that I should get to München at a sensible time of 6pm local time. The ticket told me to be at St Pancras at ten to six. An early start.
Kent countryside
We came to a stop. Announcements came periodically as the delay lengthened. The reason was eventually announced. A train had broken down in the tunnel so only one line was available. Trains were being sent in one direction and then the direction was being switched. Eventually we got going.
France
Eventually we made it to…
Bruxelles.Waiting for the next train Sunny in Brussels
The next train left slightly late, a DB IC, heading for Frankfurt, but I was due to change at Frankfurt airport.
Leaving Brussels.The train took a curious route due to work on the more direct line.Near Groß Rohrheim
The ICE got further delayed so I bailed out at Köln, seeing that I could catch a slightly delayed train heading to München. This proved to be a good move as the train was mobbed at Frankfurt. I had a seat.
Near Mannheim.MannheimStuttgartThe NeckerThe bright sun is getting low near StuttgartNear Kirchheim unter TeckSun really low near GessertshausenFinally München HBF
Arrived at München around 9 local time. Three hours late although the final train was actually early . A long day.
Met some interesting people on the way. The Portuguese lawyer working for the EU who can speak about 7 languages, and the group returning from a family wedding in Eritrea. All evidently having grown up in Germany as shown by German being their preferred language.
The far north is a joy when the views are clear and the days are long.
Iconic view from far north train.River HelmsdaleLooking across the Moray FirthBeach near BroraLooking towards NiggAt Invergordan Boarding the sleeper- but no bike.View from the sleeper near TomartinEarly near AtherstoneBreakfast
The breakfast did leave me hungry.
Mist approaching Rugby It’s green near Buckby Arrival at Euston Waterloo
15 mins of delay at Waterloo due to incoming train being late, there was an obstacle on the line.
Long train
I had to get myself into the front five carriages as the train splits at Bournemouth.
More green landscape near HookPooleArrived at Wool
Barriers going down
Train arriving at Wool
I am about to start my minor backtrack.
Southampton Near OtterbourneChange at WinchesterReading stationReading Ibis
I have a bed booked for the train. I have no idea of the quality of the accommodation.
Here’s my ride- the actual carriage that I am going to be sleeping on.The cabin
Three of us sharing the cabin. So there followed a game of Jenga to fit everything in.
Bike space, later becoming my shoe rack.The sinkToilet The connecting door looks ominous The corridor
The train set off, crossing the border into Hungary just after half past nine, Austrian time. I slept through most of Hungary, but was woken up by shouting, possibly in Budapest.
We crossed in Romania at around 3:45.
Train station Simeria at seven in the morning.
It’s a long journey from the border to Bucharest, under bright blue almost cloudless skies.
SighisoraAlbestiHouses AlbestiHouses Vinatori
Many of the houses are small but colourful.
Cata
It’s cold outside but looks dry with the grass parched.
House at CataCataHorsesCows at Cata
I didn’t see any livestock, apart from close to houses. Presumably due to the grazing being poor at this time of year.
HumorodRacoș
We start seeing snow.
Augustin Dickson a partially frozen riverBraşovPredeal
The snow is getting thicker and the buildings have the look of a resort.
Near BraşovMountains PredealPredealRiver near Poiana CâmpinaFloreştiFlorişti – it’s gone flat.
Near BrasiMogosoaiaComing into BucharestBucharest Nord
The journey flew past in a flash. I slept well, much to my surprise. I shared the cabin with an Austrian and a Romanian who works in Austria, but barely speaks German. They were good company.
Cycle to hotel.
Slightly uncomfortable ride across to the hotel, trying to use the smaller roads.
Catching the 1243 train I was due to get in to Den Haag at 1910.
German Premier Inn breakfast.
The German Premier Inn breakfast was not as good as the British version. Fuelled up for the journey.
Premier Inn – Alster ( nearish to the Alster).
It’s only a 12 minute cycle to the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.
Waiting at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
Arrived punctually at Osnabrück.
Osnabrück Hauptbahnhof
The connecting train to Amsterdam was 27 minutes late.
Passing goods train at Osnabrück provided entertainment.
The train to Amsterdam arrived, off we went, crossing the border onto the Netherlands. The train guard had changed from a German to a Dutch person. The announcements went to three languages.
And then the announcement came on, the train was terminating early at Amersfoort Central, due to an accident on the line between Amersfoort and Amsterdam. We were told to catch a train to Utrecht.
Off we got at Utrecht where I followed the crowd who started running. After resisting the urge to join in, I sprinted on the platform to join a very crowded train.
Busy platform at Utrecht.The Christmas decorations are already up.
The next train to arrive at the platform where I had got off was heading to Den Haag, very conveniently. This was the same train I would have caught from Amsterdam. Which meant I arrived at Den Haag on time.
Now the international journey begins using the Interrail ticket.
Starting at a crowded Farnham.
The Interrail app is confused by the Farnham to Waterloo journey, thinking that I have to change at Woking, which I don’t, so I arrive early.
Cycle route from Waterloo to St Pancras
The cycle route was full of commuting cyclist. Some of which were very fast, some not so, and some who didn’t seem to be quite aware of what was going on.
Packed for the Eurostar.Ready for the off at St Pancras.
Nice smooth journey across to Brussels Sud.
But things then start going awry. There is simply not enough time to make it from the Eurostar to the connecting train. A combination of being the wrong end of the train, passengers getting in the way and it being too far. Connection missed! Resulting in a two hour wait. Then the Köln train is shown with no platform and a bit of text suggesting that the train was going from another train. A quick check with the information confirms this and I am told to get on a local connecting train ton Brussels north. Not just a change of platform but a change of station.
Brussels connecting train.
Next the Köln train leaves late. So I miss another connection.
Köln
A 50min wait in Köln. I finally arrived in Wuppertal four hours later than planned.
This journey, starting in the far north of Scotland, visiting Oxfordshire (twice), London, West Sussex, Poole, Surrey, Cheshire , Liverpool and Inverness.
Cloud still lowRain has started Change to the Caledonian Sleeper at Inverness.Sunny breakfast on the move
No dishwasher working on the train, hence the disposable cup.
Sunny at Euston
The only issue on the cycle to Paddington was a close pass from a speeding motorcyclist. Why are they allowed in the bus lanes and why can’t they ride better?
Paddington
After chatting to the man on the train doing the food trolley he said he would give me a free tea, if he got time before Didcot. Very kind.
Vapour trails Free teaThe ThamesDidcotDidcot again
First train issue- train to Paddington delayed so caught a different train.
Cycle across London in glorious sunshine, taking in Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, London Eye…
I came across a new menace in London, motorised skateboards exclusively ridden by idiots. These are not legally allowed to be used on pavements, roads or cycle paths. What happens if collide with an illegal vehicle, with no insurance and no sense?
After a stay in London I trained on from south London via London Bridge to Sussex.
Eastbourne PierEastbourne Pier from a different angle
The trip included cycling on the wonderful cuckoo trail. Lots of birdsong but no cuckoos heard,
Sunny view of the sea Back on the train again at Eastbourne Early start, so breakfast on the train A green interlude Brighton Brighton station River Itchen Southampton station Near Christchurch
A stop in Poole then back on the train.
Always end up in Reading 🙂A rainy view of the ThamesAfter a wet ride from Didcot Station Oops, accidentally got on first class at Didcot- on a crowded train
Change at Reading, on to Ash.
Ash
Fun at Ash, delayed train from Guildford due to something being thrown on the line.
A stay in Surrey for the weekend.
Leaving FarnhamLondon
Another cycle across London.
Euston stationBerkhamsted?Chester stationCapenhurst Liverpool
Things started going pear shaped at Liverpool from where I was trying to travel to Inverness.
Liverpool station
Caught an earlier train , which I was only able to do due to having arrived early at Liverpool.
Change at Preston for Edinburgh Passing through LancasterBack into Scotland- sun getting low
The train got stopped, so my connection at Haymarket started looking unsafe,
Edinburgh Airport
Despite warning the conductor and his best efforts we missed the connection to Inverness. ScotRail refused to hold their train. Splitting up British Rail was not a good idea.
Shoved on a train to Perth.
Sun setting on the ForthI did not expect to be going through Kilcardy
After a late taxi ride from Perth to Inverness I eventually got to bed.
Up bright and early Back at Inverness station Crossing the river NessNear LairgSunny with a blue sea near Brora.River HelmsdaleNear KinbracePreparing to disembark
All demonstrating some of the worst of British train travel.
Firstly not allowed on a train as I had the wrong ticket and then a change of heart and I was allowed on.
Then could not get on the train as it was totally rammed. But the train did not leave when it was meant to.
Suddenly people started streaming off the train. There was no guard, so the train could not depart.
Tried my luck, got on the train which now had some space. Eventually the train started moving, so got to Didcot in the end. No pictures as train too full.
Insight 