Although the last few articles on this blog have been avowedly COVID updates, as we approach the turn of the year it’s probably appropriate to look ahead rather more broadly. Taking the very biggest picture for the railways first, there are big questions about when social distancing requirements will end and therefore train travel can… Read More The railways, Bedford and 2021
Welcome back to Bedford Rail – it’s time for another review of how the railways around Bedford are being affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a while since the last one, as your correspondent has been busy with shows on Bedford Radio, and a series of historical articles that will hopefully appear on… Read More Coronavirus and the railways V
The timetables for Bedford have undergone another slight update, and with news emerging about our future services it’s therefore time for another look at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the railways. Current services On the Marston Vale line, there are still no passenger trains. The bus services remain in place, and work continues… Read More Coronavirus and the railways IV
Unsurprisingly, the subject of coronavirus and railway timetables requires another new post. The railway as a whole will be introducing a new timetable from Monday 18th May, in a case study for the currently muddled nature of lockdown policy in England. The guidelines and rules on lockdown have not changed substantially. You should still be… Read More Coronavirus and the railways III
This blog last looked at the railways’ arrangement for the coronavirus pandemic during its relatively early days. With lockdown now established, and the railway companies’ responses more settled, it’s worth re-visiting to see what the current state of play is. The second part of this article will look ahead to later in the year, and… Read More Coronavirus and the railways II
If there’s one silver lining that I’ve found in the current grim situation, it has been a break from my commute by Thameslink. But isn’t that a silly thing to say? By moving to Bedford and working in London, surely I signed up for that commute! Except I didn’t sign up for that commute: I… Read More Thameslink winters
This is a much simpler article than it would have been a couple of months ago. Prior to the announcement of East West Rail’s route, there were two possible new stations just south of Bedford in the offing. Plenty of people confused them, but they were in fact entirely separate proposals. East West Rail’s possible… Read More The road to Wixams station
The far-reaching impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and particularly of the efforts to reduce the spread of the illness, are inevitably having an impact on the railways. Many residents of Bedford who travel regularly to London will not be making the journey for probably some months at the least. Those who still need to travel… Read More Coronavirus and the railways
This isn’t really about the class 700s. But, having looked at the fleets of trains set for imminent introduction to the lines around Bedford, we should probably complete the set by looking at the still very new, and now ubiquitous, class 700s. These trains will be the workhorses of the Thameslink network for no doubt… Read More New(ish) train for Bedford (4): Thameslink class 700s
This article looks at one of the three major problems that have hit, or will hit, railway users in Bedford. In reverse chronological order of when they hit, they are: the loss of direct intercity trains to destinations north of Kettering; the failed delivery of the May 2018 timetable changes; and the announcement at the… Read More Why did Bedford lose its peak express services?
