London To Edinburgh In Four Hours
In the February edition of Modern Railways, details of the new Virgin Trains East Coast franchise are beginning to emerge.
One of the details is that there will be a half-hourly four-hour service between the two capitals.
Anybody with any marketing nous will reckon that this alone will give the service a tremendous boost.
As there are a considerable number of improvements that could be implemented in the next few years, I think that by the end of the decade several minutes under four hours will become the norm.
The new Hitachi Class 800 and 801 trains arriving from around the end of the decade, won’t be any faster than the twenty-five years old InterCity 225, that currently work the route.
In fact, Modern Railways says that these trains may live on as a Golden Stud on the flagship services between London and Edinburgh.
But by 2020, if all goes well with ERTMS, both the InterCity 225s and the new Hitachi trains will be cleared to run at their top speed of 225 kph.
Could we see times reduced between the capitals to around three and a half hours?
I certainly think that the train company will be looking to see how fast they can run a capital-to-capital service!.
The line is 632 kilometres long, so three hours would need an average speed of 210 kph, which the current and proposed trains could probably attain over a straight railway line with no other traffic for perhaps an hour or so.
This illustrates that although trains get all the headlines, the real improvements in timings over the next few years will come with improvements to track and signalling.
The engineers of the East Coast Main Line have plenty of work to do, but they may bring a bigger service improvement than those building the new Hitachi trains.
Nightmare on Princes Street
Princes Street in Edinburgh may be a famous street, but the new trams haven’t improved it, with their unsightly poles and wires everywhere.
The biggest problem is crossing from one side to the other, as there aren’t enough crossings and you have to walk up and down between them to get across. I mentioned this to the young lady, who gave me the directions for the Kelpies and she said the trams had made it worse for some reason. I had wanted to cross to a Tesco to get my copy of The Times, but by the time I got to the crossing it had become blocked by buses. No wonder Scots seem to jaywalk much more than us Sassanachs. It’s the only way they can get across.
I then saw a Marks and Spencer on the other side, so as I knew they had papers and gluten-free sandwiches, I decided to give them a try.
Marks and Spencer on Princes Street, Edinburgh
Firstly, I had to walk back about a hundred metres to find a crossing.
Then, I couldn’t find any gluten-free sandwiches, as they’d already sold out at nine in the morning. But then there is no other shop selling gluten-free food near the station.
So I thought I’d try the Marks and Spencer in the station on my way to the Kelpies at Falkirk.
But they didn’t have any either. I have complained.
So I bought my paper and hoped I could find something in Falkirk.
Edinburgh – Plane Or Train?
I have just been up to Edinburgh and the Borders to see friends. I went up by EasyJet from Stansted and came back in First Class by East Coast.
I took the 11:50 flight and that meant I left home about eight in the morning. That sounds early, but as I needed to get there as the gate closed at 11:20 and the train took an hour or so, I wasn’t taking any chances. I also wanted to have a good breakfast on the way to the airport, as I know that there isn’t a good gluten-free restaurant air-side at Stansted.
I also had to take my passport for security purposes.
A Passport For Scotland
I suppose if Scotland votes for independence, this will become the norm for every journey across the border.
The plane was a few minutes early and after getting slightly lost in the Terminal, I was met by one of old friends and we were soon on one of the new trams to the city centre.
The flight up had cost me £47.93 for the actual flight, £13.85 to get to Stansted and £9 to get into Edinburgh. Which makes a total of £70.78.
Coming back yesterday, I bought my First Class ticket at nine o’clock in the evening on Wednesday for £64.35.
This cost surprised me and should I say my hosts in the Borders, thought it was good value.
It did of course include snacks on the way down, which I declined, as they we’re gluten-free, but I did keep myself plied with free drink all the way. It was mostly tea, but I did have a miniature of whisky (Scotch of course!) and was offered a second.
On the flight up, all I’d got on board, was an excellent lemonade in a box. Paid for at £2.50. If EasyJet keep selling these, it’ll certainly mean when I fly, I’ll know where to book.
If we look at the time taken. From my house to the centre of Edinburgh, it took me an elapsed time of about five and a half hours. I did give myself a lot of time to get to Stansted, but I needed it, as security took nearly an hour. Gone are the days of turn-up-and-go at London’s third airport.
Coming back, the train left at 14:30 and I just missed the end of the One Show, which means that the time was about seven-thirty. So it was just over five hours.
I don’t think I’ll be flying up to Edinburgh again from Stansted. Both journeys took about the same time, but the train was cheaper, more luxurious and included as much free food and drink as I wanted. Even if as a coeliac, I couldn’t eat the food. On the train, I also got a proper table on which to lay my paper flat out. And of course, security was more noted by its apparent absence.
Over the next few years the train will get faster as new trains, in-cab signalling and track improvement will mean that large portions of the line will be capable of 140 rather than the current 125 mph.
So city centre to city centre travellers like me will probably always take the train. For me, all that East Coast Trains need to do is get some decent gluten-free food. As Virgin do it, why can’t they?
Searching For Food At Edinburgh Waverley
Coming back from Edinburgh Waverley, I booked on-line for the 14:30 train for the princely sum of £64.35. After picking up my ticket, I thought I’d ask if there was any sensible food in First Class. The guy I asked was honest and said, that if he was me, he’d have something before travel. As my friend had said that last time, all she got was sandwiches, I decided to look for a snack. Especially, as I had a cooked sausage and bean casserole in te fridge that just needed heating, so I didn’t need much.
I first tried the First Class Lounge, which was guarded by this notice.
East Coast’s First Class Welcome
There was no food and the coffee machine was broken. So that was a waste of time.
I had plenty of time, so I walked out of the station and to a restaurant I’d eaten in behind Harvey Nicholls. No luck at all!
On my way back to the station, I popped into the Balmoral Hotel and asked if there was anything gluten-free in the bar. The Western European waiter spoke worse English, than all the waiters I’d encountered in Poland. I thought Edinburgh was in Scotland. As he couldn’t understand my dietary needs, I quickly left and went back to the station.
Costa Coffee had what looked like a nice salad, but they’d polluted it with pasta. Why do people ruin perfectly good salads in this way?
I then tried the other coffee outlets and there was nothing I could eat. Even Marks and Spencer were out of gluten-free sandwiches. At least the manager said sorry which is more than anybody else did!
In desperation, I thought I’d look out of the other side of the station and saw this cafe.
The City Art Centre Cafe
So I asked and they said that the beef and red wine casserole was gluten-free.
Beef And Red Wine Casserole
It was a choice I didn’t regret.
It would appear that despite eating many good gluten-free meals in Edinburgh, trying to find one by the main station is a lot more difficult.
But I’d certainly go back to The City Art Centre Cafe again
Lunch At Henderson’s
Henderson’s is a long-established restaurant in Edinburgh. My friend and I had lunch there.
My chilli was excellent.
Edinburgh’s Poor Bus Information
In London the bus information is superb, with route and street maps at any stop with a shelter. Even rudimentary stops have a text number and a small map.
But this is all you get in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s Poor Bus Information
If you are not familiar with the city, what possible use is this map, especially as there are no walking maps except for a solitary lith on Princes Street.
As a major tourist city, Edinburgh has to be labelled as Could Do Better.
Especially as the tram stops are a map free zone.
The Big Disadvantage Of The New Borders Railway
The Borders Railway which is Scotland’s new rail line from Edinburgh to the borders, is progressing well according to an article in Modern Railways.
Speaking of the new terminal station at Tweedbank, the article ends with this sentence.
It will have platforms of sufficient length to accommodate charter trains and thus give Borders tourism a welcome boost.
Do the locals really want more tourists from Edinburgh?
Beware Of Angry Neighbours In Edinburgh!
This story from the Daily Mail is a cracker, that describes how angry neighbours cut Fred the Shred’d hedge down to a reasonable size.
It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy’s hedge!
Are we sure it was a chain saw, or was it a lot of ginger-haired Scotsmen with claymores?
RBS Tries A New Line In Customer Service
I love this story, from the Edinburgh Evening News.
For RBS customers, it’s Christmas.
But obviously, only in Edinburgh!
They would never have tried such a stunt to get new customers in Glasgow!
A Stop At Coatbridge Sunnyside
The train from Edinburgh to Glasgow, went by this appropriately named station.
A Stop At Coatbridge Sunnyside
The weather wasn’t very sunny!
The Anonymous Widower 