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Two through trains a day in each direction - connecting with the ferry, by the look of it. A splendid oddity of the morning train to London is that changing at Manningtree is quicker - because the through train is “all shacks”. Depends on the luggage, of course.

To be fair, the overall result may be better, since a frequent tram link to Rotterdam coupled with onward trains from there is probably more flexible for most travellers - even if people like us find it less romantic.

I notice the camper already has a UK registration - and a “cherished” one too (HY07MER).

Meanwhile, in the UK this was yesterday’s Atlantic Coast Express from Waterloo to Exeter - which I caught completely by chance at Basingstoke, hauled - appropriately - by rebuilt Bulleid Merchant Navy class pacific 35028. Note the third rail electrification. These locomotives were the mainstay...

Yes, it is. It was Tuesday, Thursday (today), and Saturday. Obvious that caused - and was designed to cause - seven days’ chaos for the price of three. They have to give a certain period of notice - not sure when the next one is. This will run for a while IMO.

Yes, the 1938 stock lasted until 2019. They‘re now using ex-District Line D78 stock, which is hardly in the first flush of youth (early 1980s), albeit completely refurbished.

Yes, you know you’re getting on a bit when the “new” stock is 50 years old. As a 13-year-old in 1970, coming in from the north-west on the Met and cross-platform interchange to a 1938 Bakerloo train at Finchley Road to get to the bright lights seemed the height of sophistication.

The preferred route is safeguarded, but the money isn’t. They’re saying 2030s.

It’s more of an extension of the Charing Cross branch than a stand-alone branch. Kennington has full grade-separation with four platforms - one platform for each branch (Charing Cross/Bank) in each direction - and cross-platform interchange (i.e. the physical junction between the two branches is...

Funnily enough, London *has* recently had an extension. The Northern Line (Charing Cross branch) was extended last year from Stockwell to Battersea Power Station (redeveloped for residential use) with an intermediate station at Nine Elms, this being the closest station to the new US embassy.

Yes, HS-1 is GB+ - and the Channel Tunnel itself is even bigger.** The constraint on running duplex TGVs from Paris to London is the Tunnel safety regime. ** It will be recalled that a helicopter can easily fly through 🙂.

Indeed, the point being that double-deckers have never been viable in Britain, because of the restricted loading gauge. Every so often, some politician or other here gets the bright idea of doing some gauge clearance to permit double-deck working. The idea rarely survives first contact with the...

It’s standard GB loading gauge - if there is such a thing. But in particular the trains run on main lines west of Paddington and east of Liverpool Street. Furthermore, the line is electrified at 25kV overhead, and I think they have emergency evacuation walkways throughout - so the tunnels are...

Yes, but in the Metropolitan/Chiltern case it’s not so much Underground on mainline tracks as the other way round. The Met had got its main line out from Baker Street as far as Aylesbury and indeed Quainton Road (over 40 miles from Baker Street) before the Great Central arrived from the north in...

Yes, south of East Putney, the Wimbledon branch of the District runs on ex-LSWR metals, and the line is still available for main line stock as an alternative route to Clapham Junction via the spur just north of East Putney. Until quite recently - OK, when I was living in Wimbledon 40 years ago -...

Just a thought, but at that point your Heathrow-Cambridge run *may* well be best achieved by a combination of Elizabeth Line from Heathrow to Farringdon, changing to Thameslink from Farringdon to Cambridge. Not sure about the fares, though. The Thameslink improvements - through running to the...

The open full-width gangways are similar to those in the (excellent) S-stock on the sub-surface lines. In effect it makes the train into one long car. As well as smoothing out the loading it makes them seem much less claustrophobic. Many tram systems - Manchester springs to mind - operate on a...

If ever there was a destination prompting the old gag “I wouldn’t start from here” it‘s Heathrow. I would guess Heathrow Express will still get use in conjunction with taxis to/from Paddington. But, as you say, for anyone already on the Elizabeth Line from the east, the journey time saving on HX...

Yes, the Piccadilly Line still has much in its favour for getting to/from - say - South Kensington, with the added advantage that you get to go on one of the best parts of the Underground system - the quadruple track section west of Hammersmith. Until now, it has always depended on exactly where...

That’s right. At Paddington, the low level platforms will be in use - in effect as a temporary terminus - for traffic to and from the east. West of Paddington, everything will continue running to/from the main line platforms. Hopefully they stitch it all together in the end.