The Poolie Bunker

Don’t fight it…I surrendered

I will with hold my judgment on the Rail Services till after I have done a return journey from Hartlepool to Dunblane in October. Using Trainline and a Railcard I received a significant discount albeit the rail companies are now reducing the discount from 34% to 33.4% using a Railcard whilst not a significant reduction it’s just another way of increasing fares.

Call me a dreamer but instead of all these discounts and gommicks,we had an affordable rail service with just one fare, all day, every day.

you mean like it used to be. a single, a return or a day return where the latter two were less than buying two singles. planning a train journey now takes possibly longer than D day was planned with this split ticketing which once would have been called an innomoly made by a mistake by somebody who made the fare tables.

Technology has a lot to answer for, before there were no online agencies to book fares same as holidays you went to a Travel Agent. Now online agents buy seats and hotel rooms and sell them online but the difference is if you want to change or cancel a journey or accommodation it can cost a bit, cancel and you get nought back.

Technology does have a habit of buggering things up when profits involved.

they can only book whats actual available and the cost of it.

Great news for Hartlepools travelling residents.
They have installed 2 litter bins on the "new" southbound platform 3.
Labour have only been in power for weeks and this groundbreaking event occurs.

Aye, and that’ll be there lot.

Noticed the other week we now have direct Trains to Darlo, Carlisle and Whitby which I think is cushty.

Well that's a major surprise to me I never though we would ever get direct trains to Carlisle great news. I am probably wrong but I am not sure we ever had a direct line to Carlisle have we

We have up until the mid 2000's I think. I should know....must have went through there on the train at least 8 times for Court but kept getting adjourned.

There was always a direct train to Carlisle from here at certain times of the day.

I used the trains a lot back in 1978 and can honestly not remember a direct service to Carlisle. Remember getting a train to Newcastle then changing for Carlisle Maybe because we had a lockie back in Church Street before getting the early train to the game.

What stations does it stop at

It’s probably just the usual Newcastle train carrying on to Carlisle via Hexham and other stations in the Tyne Valley.

Got stopped quite a few years ago...had to change at Newcastle but back on now....and long may it continue.

BTW I'm more happy with the Whitby direct train.

A few of us were being sent to Birmingham in the early 70’s and the train went on a Sunday afternoon direct…one of the lads was late and missed it as he ran into the station..we waved… …When we got into New Street the lad who missed the train was waiting for us at the taxi rank….still don’t know how he did it

I think the direct train to Darlo is one a week on a Sunday at 14.25.
The Direct ones to Carlisle are only on Sunday.
There are two direct trains to Whitby per day.

See below.
https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/stations/hartlepool

The line is called LS1 (low speed 1)

The direct trains to Whitby used to only run during the summer timetable, I’m not sure if that is still the case but if so there’s hardly a lot to get excited about here. There will be something to shout about when Northern introduce replacements for their clapped out Sprinters. It probably won’t happen during this decade and the units will be cascaded, not new build - which is no more than us North Easterners can expect on LS1.

pity they do not travel on to scarborough though. getting to that place by train must be a journey and a half from the north east.

Unfortunately the very scenic and direct line from Whitby to Scarborough was closed and torn up by Lord Beeching at the behest of the Ernest corrupt Marples back in 1965. It's fairly easy to catch a Grand Central to York and change there for a direct Trans Pennies train to Scarborough but it's a lot of travelling time for a day trip!

You would have to get to York. From there it is a direct train to Scarborough.

It is now a cycle/walking trail.

Today yet again virtually all the Newcastle to Boro expresses were cancelled.
The reason? well it depends which notice board you read. It could be shortage of drivers, rolling stock being serviced or unexpected late timetable change??
The 2 carriage trains on this service would be rejected by a heritage line they are so knackered so why not lease ones that work?

But its all lies................ it is just cheaper to cancel and pack the cattle on the slow ones.

that would have been an ideal line for presevation run with steam and vintage diesel trains. far better than some preserved lines that start and finish nowhere o cost a near fortune like the great central just to reach a destination in a large town or city.

I understand that the preservationists who eventually founded the NYMR originally seriously considered purchasing the Whitby - Scarborough line. However, several factors persuaded them otherwise, notably the steep gradients at the north end which had regularly resulted in BR trains being unable to climb greasy rails resulting from the frequent sea frets. Also the necessity for trains to reverse at both ends of the line before accessing Whitby and Scarborough stations. Other factors were the necessity to maintain the huge Larpool viaduct, several tunnels and the absence of intermediate centres of population apart from Robin Hoods Bay. All of these seemed to be deterrents back in the late 60's.

Well so much for the once a week direct train from darlington...it has been cancelled along with others that go our way so ive had to resort to getting a lift

Thanks for the information. It makes you wonder how the decision would go now but viaducts are a costly item to maintain.
The heritage / preservation groups in the UK have done a great job.
The cutbacks in the 50s and Beeching closed some which now would have remained some of which decisions were due to insufficient/inaccurate/crude data and others just out of political spite.

Wonder how the preservation groups will be affected when the eco zealots decide coal powered steam trains are no longer acceptable.

I think there is a full exemption for them.
Lets face it if any government tried that one the government would fall overnight as the entire population of left and right wing train spotters would get very steamed up

Ismbard Kingdom Milliband. will probably demand electric steam trains…but no one suggest the ultimate free fuel option……clockwork trains.

know for a fact that not everyone likes my local preserved railway the keighley and worth valley. think some would be happy the day its converted into a cycle track.

There’s miserable bounders everywhere.

These things are just wholesome good fun for a family day out, no wonder the do-gooders want them stopped.

Why would we want something that people enjoy when we could have an unused cycle track?

Just tried the Bolton & Embsay Railway a fortnight ago with breakfast and the Wensleydale Railway on Sunday for afternoon tea on Sunday gone….she paid.
I never turn down an offer

The trouble sometimes is people have bought houses next to a railway line that’s been there 150 years and moan when an actual train goes past their back garden…..why move there in the first place.
Like people who move into picturesque villages and complain the church bells in the 900 year old church ring in the night….dumb or what

The circle track offers excellent opportunities for unwanted visitors to look into people’s houses when it’s built on a disused rail track…. not just used by the Lycra lot.

Clockwork trains could be the solution but no political party has adopted it.
At least they would run on time.

1 hour to wind it up…..travels at breakneck speed for 5 minutes…..1 hour to wind it up…….travels at breakneck speed for 5 minutes…..

You get the picture

exactly. i live about 50 yards from the k and wv line and dislike it in winter when they only run weekends only. same with residents who move close to a football ground who moan. didn,t they see the stands and floodlight pylons before thy moved in.

And so it continues all expresses from Boro to Toon and returns cancelled. Excuse is fault on train. Bollocks.

thought you were going to say you saw sarll there with his belongings in black plastic bags.

I was on Doncaster station recently waiting for the London train and there was an announcement cancelling the train to Reading. The reason given was the unusual number of stock in for repair. Seems it's catching.

the biggest question to ask is why people bother with the train unless they have no other alternative. its not as if its cheap and every excuse given for trains missing. you cannot really say for sure that you,ll reach your destination or get home for that matter. plus winter isn,t with us yet where nothing but ideal conditions keep em going even close to time.

We haven't had "leaves on the line" Autumn yet.

The Japanese Bullet Train is 60 years old today.
Its average lateness has been one minute. No doubt the CEO will be committing Hari Kari.

Mind you, we do have a Kamikaze service

Driving along past the fens shops last night and the bus in the original Hartlepool livery passed us…the wife said how smart that looks compared to the cheap colours they have now, it’ll be better when they’ve all be done……..….hadn’t got the heart to tell her it’s a temporary one off.