I’ve missed travelling by train so much that I’ve now become addicted to watching rail-related programmes ranging from Great British Rail Journeys through Secrets of the London Underground to Yorkshire Steam Railways. But at last I’ve had the opportunity to get on board a train again. Not just one train either, but eight separate trains. You would think I could travel to the ends of the earth or at least the furthest reaches of Europe using eight trains, but in fact that’s what it takes to get from Edinburgh to Llandudno and back these days.
The first part of our outward journey was on a Transpennine service from Edinburgh to Manchester. We travelled in style, as the first class coach was very comfortable and also sparsely populated, and although theoretically there was no food service we were offered bottled water and biscuits.
I admired the roof of Carlisle station when we arrived there. I can’t recall noticing the fancy curly bits the last time I was there, which was a few years ago when we changed on the way back from Center Parcs. But there was scaffolding all over the place then, which may have hidden the roof from view.
There was a colourful train, not one of ours, waiting at Manchester Oxford Road when we changed there. Oxford Road is quite a small station with few facilities but I had learnt from previous experience that Manchester Piccadilly, the main station, is rather complicated and the platforms I want always turn out to be the furthest away, so I deliberately chose not to change there.
We then used three Transport for Wales trains to reach our destination, Llandudno. The trains varied in comfort as one of them had very little leg room, and in safety, as many of the younger passengers in particular were not wearing face masks and two out of three of the trains were very busy. We changed trains at Chester and Llandudno Junction. Chester station has a very oddly arranged footbridge with different lanes depending on which platform you’re going to.
The last part of the journey is very scenic as you catch a glimpse of Conwy Castle almost immediately after leaving Llandudno junction, and then travel along beside the river for much of the short journey.
After all my experiences of things going wrong on trains, I’m pleased to report that all 4 trains on our outward journey ran exactly to time.
Trains... and trains and trains 