The Deutsche Bahn ICE Train Kommt

Posted on by

German train company Deutsche Bahn (DB) displayed one of its ICE (inter city express) trains at St. Pancras this morning. The trains are intended to change Channel Tunnel rail travel forever.

DB ran the train through the tunnel successfully in a test over the weekend.
They announced plans to operate ICE services from Frankfurt and Cologne to London in 2013.

Quno’s Jeremy Acklam took some photos of the ICE train while I took some of the champagne bar (I’m kidding, but these are his photos not mine).

Bloomberg’s Olivia Sterns stood out in a red coat and black heels next to the train rehearsing her lines.

For my video of Aaron Gowell, CEO of Quno, on going on board the ICE this morning click here.

The DB ICE Train Pulls In

Posted on by

I was up early this morning to get to St Pancras. I was going because a Deutsche Bahn ICE train had been pulled in.

The ICE train, when it’s certified for UK travel in 2013, will mark an exciting progression in transport links to Europe. It will be possible to go straight from London to Frankfurt on a single train.

Last Week in Trains

Posted on by

Shiny Happy Stansted Express Trains

For those of you who are not fans of the Stansted  Express, you’ll be happy to learn that last week  saw the first of 30 four-car shiny new Stansted Express trains unveiled. Read the full article here.

The Folding Bike Ammendment

16th October 2010 saw a re-think on the British train ban for folding bikes. 20in wheels will no longer be banned and the limit has now been reduced to 90cm x 70cm x 30cm. Anything bigger may need a ticket for it which could cost up to half a fare.

When I spoke to Wendy Johnston of Sustrans she said, “Sustrans is absolutely behind integrated travel – making it easier for people to do the whole of their journey more sustainably…

Of course, the aim of folding bikes is to make it easier and more convenient for people to cycle to and from the train station at either end of their train journey, rather than taking their cars, which should really be encouraged.”

Read bikeradar.com’s article on the ‘U-Turn’ here.

Hatfield Remembered

Posted on by

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the Hatfield rail crash.

Survivors attended a remembrance service at the local church with a period of silence at 1223 – the exact moment of the crash.
Four passengers were killed when an express train from London to Leeds derailed in 2000.

The BBC quoted Rail Minister Theresa Villiers:

“The impact of the tragedy at Hatfield still resonates today and my thoughts are with the friends and relatives of those killed and injured as they mark the 10th anniversary.”

She added that, “Rail travel has never been safer than it is today.”

Read the full article here.

A Train Themed Halloween

Posted on by

Okay I know I’m too old for trick or treating and I probably couldn’t pass for a young witch BUT I’m very excited to have the following options available this Halloween.

The Great Central Railway Halloween Ghost Trains

The Great Central Railway is running Halloween Ghost Trains. There’s even the chance to meet real owls. The trains run on 31st October at 6pm and 7.30pm

Loughborough (National Rail) station, is served by East Midlands Trains. It’s a 15 minute walk from there to the Great

Central Railway (see map

below) There’s a taxi rank at the National Rail station and the ticket office staff can book a return taxi if needs be.

Enquires and booking: 01509 230726  01509 230726

Book tickets to Loughborough on quno.com

Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line

It’s Halloween all half term week at the Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line…

From London Waterloo it’s an hour ride to Alton for less than a tenner. From there you can walk over the bridge to platform three where one of the many volunteers who keep the Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line alive will be.

There will be a magic shows and dressing up (adults allowed too) and a bring-your-own pumpkin competition. There’s a witches lair and miniature ghost train… a lucky dip, spell writing and colouring-in competitions as well as the opportunity to hold an owl!

Enquires and booking: book online or call: 01962 733810

Book tickets to Alton on quno.com

I’m very excited about this one.

The Longest-Tunnel-In-The-World Project Makes Ends Meet

Posted on by


A visitor standing at the Erstfeld-Amsteg part of the tunnel. (Arnd Wiegmann/RUETERS)

There are some fantastic acronyms on the rails at the moment.

The ICE high-speed train from Germany arrives into St. Pancras next week. Today, ends are due to meet at the NEAT tunnel, which will carry high-speed trains from Zurich-Milan.

Miners drilling from the south and north of Switzerland are expected to be able to wave to each other later today

as 14 years’ worth of tunnel construction pays off. The 35.4-mile-long, around £6.5 billion Gotthard Tunnel will take the world’s-longest-tunnel title from Japan’s 33.5-mile-long Seikan Tunnel.

Around 2,500 miners were employed from across Europe and beyond for the project and they’ve removed enough rock to build several pyramids since it began. Sadly, in that time eight have died.

Read the Wall Street Journal article here.

Railway Puts $1 Million Forward To Save Grizzly Bears

Posted on by

Canadian Pacific Railway are to spend $1 million on research to deter grizzly bears from walking onto the tracks. Twelve bears have been killed in the past decade and six cubs orphaned.

It’s believed the bears are attracted to spilled grain or animal carcasses on the tracks.

Animal deaths are a problem on the roads and rails in the national parks so the news has been welcomed by staff of Canada Parks.

Read the full story here.