Eye-catching sunrise just south of York this morning…

It’s Monday and peak holiday season so here’s the perfect holiday train…

Great view across the transept of Paddington station roof in yesterday afternoon’s sunshine.

It seems to be the day for showing pictures of Class 91s on IC225s. So here’s the naming of 91111 For the Fallen back in October 2014. With from left, army bloke, a deputy lord lieutenant, East Coast MD, Tyne and Wear High Sheriff and the railwayman Lord Mayor of Newcastle.

On VE Day my father was on troopship mv Winchester Castle in Port Said. He was a 5-month baby travelling with his parents who were returning to Britain from war service in India. To mark the day, the ship’s master wrote this note - and allowed passengers and crew a drink.

A grey girder crosses left to right through gaps in a roof arch. On the left is a train and on the right are hoardings. This view shows Darlington’s new footbridge being installed.

Victorian pillars and trusses support a roof under which Darlington station’s brick buildings sit forming a square. The space is created by the demolition of modern buildings.

Hoardings surround a building site in which there is a multi-storey car park and a new red brick building that will be Darlington station’s new eastern concourse. In the distance is the station’s clock tower.

An arched roof sits on the left of the picture with rail tracks beneath it. On the right is a new platform being built and in the centre distance is a grey building that will be Darlington station’s new eastern concourse.

Plenty of progress at Darlington station as a new footbridge pierces the train shed roof to give access to the new eastern concourse. The ‘modern’ buildings in the station’s centre have been demolished. Outside the station, new platforms go in by the eastern concourse.

Through the arch…

York’s North Eastern Railway war memorial has hoardings around it as more remedial work starts following its clean last autumn. And Railway Heritage Trust funding receives due credit.

New bus stops take shape opposite York station as part of the redevelopment of the station’s approaches. I presume that’s a cycle lane running on this side of the stops?

I realise Bakerloo Line trains are old but is there any reason why Transport for London cannot clean them? And remove the graffiti inside?

Rail Minister Peter Hendy names Southeastern 465908 Chris Green, witnessed by the man himself, in its Network SouthEast livery, courtesy of Angel Trains and Wabtec at Doncaster.

Heading back to London, with overnight stop in Innsbruck - somewhere in that city there’s a schnitzel with my name on it. This is ÖBB’s latest new-generation railjet, with low-floor easy-boarding…

Two trains at Venice. One is maroon the other is red.

I’ve been pretty impressed with Italian State Railways (right) over the past few days. I wonder how much this is driven by competition from open access operator Italo (left)? This pic shows Venice S Lucia with, in the middle, OEBB stock for an international service to Munich.

A train ticket

Arrived in South Tyrol today, courtesy of a busy ‘regionale veloce’ service by Italian railways….

And in some rail-related news, I went to Ashington. And came back.

LNER 91127 becomes the first of its class to venture north of York for several years as it heads empty stock for Newcastle earlier today.

Network Rail is finally to use its huge Euston screen to display train information from next week. It installed the screen to carry adverts having removed the old departure board but turned it off earlier this year amid complaints.

Network Rail has tested the first High Speed Train under ETCS cab signalling on the southern end of the East Coast Main Line. The two power cars involved usually work NR’s NMT inspection train.

Atmospheric this morning in North Yorkshire…

Earlier today, up on the scaffolding above Huddersfield station to see Network Rail refurbishing its Euston truss roof on the right. The left hand roof (centre of pic) is to be demolished.

All trains on the Northern City Line into Moorgate (London) now run under ETCS cab signalling, Network Rail and train operator GTR said this morning. Lineside signals remain in place for now but will be switched off in 2025.

York’s newly cleaned North Eastern Railway war memorial looked stunning this evening. Well done Network Rail!