BusAndTrainUser

Remind me NEVER, never to travel with EMR when KGX is closed.
So much for the comfort of a new train 🙄.

Giving Aurora ‘the once over’ Thursday 8th January 2026 I took a ride on East Midlands Railway’s new Aurora branded Hitachi Class 810 bi-mode trains yesterday. They’re obviously a major step up from the Meridians theyR…

“The best InterCity trains on the network”.

busandtrainuser.com/2026/01/08/g...

Southampton…Cornwall. Is Slough next? Tuesday 6th January 2026 After Go-Ahead’s victory in the ‘battle of Cornwall’ with next month’s withdrawal by First Kernow following last autumn’s competitive onslaugh…

Berkshire’s battle of the buses.

busandtrainuser.com/2026/01/06/s...

And, coming up in 2026…. Saturday 3rd January 2026 There are already many known developments upcoming in the next few months. Here’s a summary of the main ones I’m aware of and I’m sure readers will add o…

A look ahead.

busandtrainuser.com/2026/01/03/a...

One place with seven stations: Acton Thursday 1st January 2026 A Happy New Year to all readers and before we lose sight of 2025 completely I wanted to follow up the abortive arrangement I’d made with my friend Ray back in April to pay…

The one place in Britain with seven (or is it eight?) stations.

busandtrainuser.com/2026/01/01/a...

Seen Around Tuesday 30th December 2025 Not just another month end, but another year end, so here’s another round up of things that have caught my eye during December’s travels but not yet blogged a…

Before 2025 ends here’s December’s miscellany round up.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/30/s...

Three book reviews for a Festive Saturday Saturday 27th December 2025 Time to relax after the Christmas festivities with a sit down and a good book so especially for BusAndTrainUser blog readers here are three recommendations for your 2026…

Time for a good book to read.
Here are three.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/27/t...

The BusAndTrainUser Awards 2025 Tuesday 23rd December 2025 This isn’t just any awards ceremony. This is the BusAndTrainUser Awards ceremony ……. and you know what that means? No, not the most prestigious, coveted, sought aft…

The wait is over - here are all the much sought after 2025 BusAndTrainUse Award winners.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/23/t...

BusAndTrainUser’s Annual Review and Quiz of the Year 2025 Saturday 20th December 2025 Welcome to another end of year nostalgic look back over the last twelve months of bus and train activity in Britain. As always, before revealing 2025’s highs and l…

2025 in retrospect….
‘IT’S BEHIND YOU’

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/20/b...

London termini Christmas trees ranked Thursday 18th December 2025 To get in the mood for next week’s festivities I’ve taken my annual wander around London’s 12 main line termini having a look at their Christmas tree d…

A tree treat for Christmas.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/18/l...

Three bus route skirmishes Tuesday 16th December 2025 I’ve been taking a look at three bus routes on which established bus companies are currently competing to see how things are working out. Morecambe-Carnforth: Routes 5 an…

Three more toe treading tales.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/16/t...

25 Places with two stations: 25 Suburban London Saturday 13th December 2025 Something a little different to conclude this year’s fortnightly series. I spent a couple of days this week visiting those London suburbs which are blessed with two stat…

A tour of London’s suburban station pairs.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/13/2...

3 mini London bus blogs Thursday 11th December 2025 Has TfL given up on Putney High Street? Never mind Oxford Street, it’s Putney High Street that’s got the bigger problem of air quality from slow moving traff…

What connects 424, 38, 349, 283?

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/11/3...

This £680 per passenger Rail Replacement farce ends Saturday Tuesday 9th December 2025 Recent reports in some of the trade press quoting an eye watering cost of £650-£680 per passenger for a rail replacement bus service that’s been running for almost t…

BusAndTrainUser Verify…..
… the £680 per passenger Rail Replacement farce.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/09/t...

In my Inbox Saturday 6th December 2025 Another month’s round up of emails readers have kindly sent me…. ember shakes up the coach hire market Roy kindly drew my attention to further expansion by em…

The blog that readers kindly write for me….

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/06/i...

When a three minute journey becomes a 20 minute diversion Thursday 4th December 2025 Like many towns and cities, London is plagued with roadworks often necessitating road closures and consequent diversion and disruption to bus routes. BBC London contacted…

Just one of the challenges faced by bus operators and disruption experienced by passengers.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/04/w...

25 Places with two stations: 24 Bradford Tuesday 2nd December 2025 We’re nearly at the end of this year’s fortnightly series, but have no fear the 25th place to be featured in a couple of weeks is a rather special one and next…

Even the City of Culture has two stations.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/02/2...

Seen Around Saturday 29th November 2025 It’s time for another round up of month end miscellany including items I’ve spotted during November’s travels but not featured over the last month̵…

November’s round up of miscellany.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/29/s...

Connecting Glastonbury to the rail network Thursday 27th November 2025 Castle Cary railway station has long been famous as the bridgehead for the annual Glastonbury Festival. Thousands of festival goers travel by GWR and SWR trains to and f…

Will catching the train to Glastonbury become a reality?

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/27/c...

The bus station becoming a community park Tuesday 25th November 2025 Folkestone’s long standing Bouverie Square bus station is no more. After 50 years public service it closed at the end of September to be converted into a town centre comm…

A ‘Brighter Future’ for Folkestone?

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/25/t...

It’s No 1. It’s Britain’s Quirkiest Bus route. Saturday 22nd November 2025 All this year, month by month, I’ve been counting down Britain’s Top 10 Quirky Bus Routes and today I can finally reveal the prized holder of the coveted top…

Revealed. Britains Quirkiest Bus Route.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/22/i...

A ride on the M40 (not the motorway) and the DB1 Thursday 20th November 2025 You don’t have to spend long in Bury St Edmunds bus station to appreciate the variety of bus operators serving the town. Stephensons and Mulleys are frequent visitors…

Riding the M40 (and DB1).

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/20/a...

Oxford’s bold Congestion Charge move Tuesday 18th November 2025 Oxfordshire County Council took the bold step of introducing a three month “Temporary Congestion Charge” for motorists who drive through six camera points in …

Charging ahead in Oxford.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/18/o...

25 Places with two stations: 23 Farnborough Saturday 15th November 2025 Farnborough’s another station pair I hadn’t included in my original list for this series, thinking that with North Camp close to Farnborough Main and Farnbor…

One of this station pair is a true hidden gem.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/15/2...

York Station Gateway is coming soon Thursday 13th November 2025 It’s not just Great British Railways (GBR) “coming soon”, so too is a “Gateway” scheme to improve access to York railway station. Whereas n…

It’s all change outside York railway station.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/13/y...

BusAndTrainUser Verify Tuesday 11th November 2025 It’s been a while since I looked into the veracity of media reporting but recent positive headlines extolling the completion of a ‘Bus Rapid Transit’ sc…

How rapid is Reading’s “Bus Rapid Transit”?

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/11/b...

Thames Valley toe treading Saturday 8th November 2025 Earlier in the year I reported on interesting developments in the Thames Valley bus network some of which arose following tender contracts won by Go-Ahead owned Carousel …

Reading between the lines of new routes in Reading.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/08/t...

The Price Is(n’t) Right Thursday 6th November 2025 Taking day trips by train north from London always brings home the huge inconsistency of rail ticket pricing, especially if you want to leave the capital around 09:00 to …

Let’s talk rail fares.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/06/i...

In my InBox Tuesday 4th November 2025 Welcome to a new blog feature where from time to time I’ll share some messages and emails readers have kindly sent me so they benefit from a wider audience. Good new…

A selection of recent emails blog readers have sent in.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/11/04/i...

Seen Around Thursday 30th October 2025 Another end-of-the-month round up of unblogged observations from October’s travels. More from Kernow First up are a couple more observations from Cornwall. It was great t…

More month end miscellany.

busandtrainuser.com/2025/10/30/s...