Thread | Brutkey

And, what better way to inaugurate a new #Interrail than with massive disruptions to trains in the area I want to travel to: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/newcastle-20250810/

What is the UK equivalent of getting Bahned? (Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments)

Moof! 🔜

T3chFest
@moof@cupoftea.social

From Malvern Link, a very pretty station with an old station building that has been repurposed into an Airbnb, I took a class 196 train to Birmingham New Street, earlier this afternoon.

The class 196 is a nice enough single class regional DMU made by CAF, based on the Civity platform, but it is distinctly British in the styling and way it is designed. That being said, the seat back tables are tiny, and the full size tables are barely wide enough for my laptop. It did have sockets in every pair of seats, both AC, and USB-A.

It was nice enough for an hour, but it felt distinctly strange to be on a Diesel train on a mostly electrified line.

196113 waiting to depart at Birmingham New Street. This is actually yesterday’s train down to Malvern, but I don’t get a decent photo on the way up.

The distinctly tiny seat back tables, with my laptop open for comparison. You can see a small light between the seats, where the sockets are.

A larger table for four in the same coach, with my open laptop on it, and a metal bottle to the right hand side. The laptop fits, but even straightened out, you couldn’t fit two of them back to back.

Station House Malvern, a very pretty recently restored station building abutting the platform, that is going to be an Airbnb. It has some pretty details on the spiral chimneys, a steam-train-shaped weather vane, and a clock that is stopped at 12:00.

Moof! 🔜

T3chFest
@moof@cupoftea.social

Brum, I was (briefly) in you!

View of Ozzy the Bull, a large bull made out of iron, in a large shopping centre that says “Grand Central” on the wall on the floor above. A large glass ceiling lets natural light in.

Moof! 🔜

T3chFest
@moof@cupoftea.social

And from Birmingham to Durham, I am taking a class 220 Cross Country DMU. It’s somewhat stunted, with only 4 out of the 6 cars, and no catering car, but otherwise seems to be powering along nicely.

First class is comfy, but the 2-person side of the 2+1 configuration is staggered differently to the windows. Also, the overhead racks are barely large enough to fit my backpack onto, and there is very little luggage space.

On the upside, there is a wheelchair space in First Claas, which is far from commonplace.

220027 in Cross Country livery, awaiting departure at Birmingham New Street

My seat for the trip on the solo side of the cabin. Showing my laptop, iPad, charger and cables on the table.

Two sets of two facing seats in the first class coach in this class 220. You can see how badly staggered the seats are compared to the windows. The structural part of the train is off-centre on the table, blocking the view for the people on the left hand side of this photo.

Moof! 🔜

T3chFest
@moof@cupoftea.social

And I’ve been Bahned (or rather, according to the earlier poll, Nationally Railed) in Darlington, where the Train manager made an announcement about 5 minutes out saying the train will terminate here. We’re now waiting for the next train on the same platform, which is about 5 minutes away, which will continue on to Glasgow via Durham and Newcastle.

…oh, wait, we’re now doing a mass move to platform 1

Moof! 🔜

T3chFest
@moof@cupoftea.social

And I finally made it to Durham!

Now to spend the evening with family, likely explaining what #JetLagTheGame and #Interrail are all about…

A view of Durham cathedral through a train window.