Railrider

Frequent rail user in London and the south east of England. Supporter of electrification, new or reopened lines, and other rail investment.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

Up she rises! Substantial above ground structures now at #HS2 Old Oak Common (pictures snatched from a passing train). I think we are going to see a big transformation over the winter. People will finally start to get an idea of what an amazing new station this is going to be.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

It is slightly alarming to come across a RAF band on Paddington playing “The Final Countdown”. Do they know something we don’t???

[Railrider @RailNutter]

Whatever happened to commuter trains being empty in Friday rush hour because everyone works from home?

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@philatrail Not another one! This is awful.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@JoannaBiddolph Not if they are electric cars.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@Kerry3313 @YesterdaysBrit1 It is now the covered car park for the cruise terminal. Years ago you could just walk into it, but not now.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@JonathanNS1685 @ThePaperSolent Yes, there would be a joint St Pancras-Euston station on Crossrail 2. It could hsve a travelator linking the two stations.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@JohnWil45304495 I can believe it!

[Railrider @RailNutter]

Gare du Nord. And you think Euston gets crowded! (Those TGVs sure pack in a lot of people…)

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@lokiavivson If you mean the yellow and blue Eurostar, it might have been an arrival from London. We came in on that platform a week ago. Whether the train then goes off on a “Thalys” route, I do not know.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@HS2ltd It is so beautiful. I have enjoyed watching it being built.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@ObtusiSunt Good. I stayed next to it and I found the layout a complete mess. I don’t think I ever crossed the station the same way twice. Too late I found out the best thing to do is walk through the tram tunnel (which is allowed as a walkway).

[Railrider @RailNutter]

I am incredibly impressed with Lyon Part-Dieu station. The French dealt with constraints at the historic main station, Perrache, by creating a whole new one, with a major new district around it. I wonder if Old Oak Common and Curzon Street will feel like this…

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@sheluabapo Agreed about the toilets, and they seemed to be deliberately hidden away.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@ObtusiSunt My memory is that Perrache used to be the main Lyon station, though. Is that not right? These days it is looking a bit sad, though to be fair I did start my journey to Paris today from there.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

Just the entrance hall to Lyon Part-Dieu feels almost as big as Euston…

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@ThosChamberlain @simongerman600 That’s because you are on the wrong time. I am in France at present and am amazed how late the sun comes up even in mid October.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@philatrail It is an office building. It is all right. It doesn’t have to be next to the railway station. I do think they ought to at least build HS2 East to it though

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@TatsunokoCroi @ShawnRobinHood7 I interviewed a survivor from the North Tower not long after 9/11 and he definitely mentioned body parts on the ground when he came out of the tower onto the plaza. I checked my notes later to make sure he really said that and he absolutely did.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

@ChartresT52571 Oh, OK. Thanks.

[Railrider @RailNutter]

Parisian metro signage is impressively clear.