Rail continues to be heavily utilized in the UK and Ireland, but the quality of the trains and the service seems to be dwindling. In fact, the words "we apologize" became so common that they have become the title for this article. So, read on…….

Sunday January 25 – after arriving in England by Air Canada yesterday, I have settled in with some friends at their home in Berkhamsted. Its time to go into London, and that means a trip on the SilverLink County (commuter train) service. However, its Sunday and there is engineering work on the line, so that means a substitute bus service. The bus is slow – carded for 90 minutes where train is usually 30 to 40 minutes. I choose to leave the bus at Watford Junction, and catch the scheduled 0835 train (running late at 0845) to London Euston and beat the bus by 30 minutes. I meet up with son Chris and we tour the town, using the Tube several times on the Piccadilly and Central lines. Return to Euston via the Northern line and catch to 1739 SilverLink back to Berkhamsted.

Monday, January 26 – off to London again, but this time in rush hour. My Travelcard for the day is more expensive at 18 pounds, and the 0756 train to London Euston of eight cars crowded – very crowded! Along the way express trains pass us from points further out, lots of traffic on a business day. Meet Chris again, and we decide to head for Greenwich on the Docklands Light Railway. On the platform, things are somewhat unusually busy, then the announcement, "please read the destination sign on the train carefully. A signal failure has made station announcements unreliable and forced the re-routing of some trains. We apologize for the inconvenience". Despite these warnings, we get to our destination without major issue.

Greenwich is interesting, we tour the Maritime Museum and the Greenwich observatory, then return to Central London by boat along the Thames. Visit the Canada Pavilion to do some e mails (they offer internet service to Canadians in London), then shop Regent Street. Catch the 1524 SilverLink County service from London Euston, a fast ride to Berkhamsted with speeds to 90 mph, arriving 1550.

Tuesday, January 27 – off to Manchester. An early start to the day, catch the 0627 SilverLink train for London Euston. Its early rush, but heavy load with only a four-car trainset, good speed arriving 0703. Time for a breakfast at the station, then ready for the 0800 Virgin Express train to Manchester. Our train is called at 0750 and we board, I am riding Standard Class and it is not cheap – 182 pounds for the round trip. The train is a standard UK intercity train set, with electric loco on the outbound end, standard coaches, kitchen car, first class coaches and cab control car. The inside of the coach is very tired.

We are off right on time and have a high speed run ahead, just 2 hours 41 minutes to Manchester Piccadilly station. I am in coach B, the designated "quiet car", where cell phones and loud conversation are to be restrained. They are – somewhat – but the ubiquitous mobile phone in the UK knows no boundaries – including quiet cars!

The ride is fast and smooth on a gray dark morning, made even darker by the very dirty windows. We cruise through Berkhamsted at 90 mph in just 20 minutes. Over the PA, "We apologize to those first class passengers having breakfast with us this morning, there will be no toast as the toaster is not working. For those of you in standard class, we apologize that there will be no hot beverages from the food trolley this morning as the hot water system is broken" Thankfully, I had breakfast already! The sun breaks through, and we top 100 mph as we pass through Rugby, stops at Stoke on Trent and Macclesfield, then on time into Manchester Piccadilly at 1041 as scheduled.

A successful day of business in Manchester, and we’re back at Piccadilly station holding a reservation on the 1527 Virgin Express. This time, a different train – a brand new Italian Pendolino (tilting) high-speed trainset awaits. I have learned to work the reservation system – in spite of asking for a forward facing window I have a rear facing aisle seat. So, pick off my ticket and move to an open window seat – there we go! The new train is spotless, the windows clean, this looks good. The seats are bucket style and very colourful, but feel a tad tight in space. Turns out they are – to accommodate the external swing when the train tilts, the body is almost a foot narrower than the standard equipment. It feels like a plane for space, but is attractive in every other regard. We have a full load out of Manchester, and are ready to go when suddenly the lights go off and we go onto backup power. After ten minutes or so, the PA comes on, "We apologize for the delay in departure – we are having to reset the on board computers!" We pull out 20 minutes late at 1545. The ride is pleasant, the view good, and the digital readout clocks us at 115 mph at one point. We manage to make up most of the time we lost, arriving Milton Keynes at 1730, just 5 minutes off. There is a SilverLink train at the platform that will get me to Berkhamsted without backtracking, so I cross the platforms as it is whistled off. Fortunately they hold it for the many passengers off the Virgin train; we board and are rolling almost immediately. It’s just a 15-minute ride and I am on the Berkhamsted platform – much faster than into Euston and back.

Wednesday, January 28 – On to Ireland. The day dawns bright – with a skiff of snow, just enough to make the roofs and lawns white, and to disrupt London transport. It looks innocent enough – I just have to get to Heathrow for a 1535 flight to Dublin. At 0900 I decide to order a taxi and receive the news – the best they can offer is a cab around 1100 or 1130. Let’s see, if there’s that delay and the roads are bad – I could be in trouble. Time for plan B, organize the bags, pack them onto my back, and walk the two miles in the snow to the train station. That works, and I am on the 1003 SilverLink to London, Euston. Listening to passengers who board and are calling offices re their delayed arrivals, I decide to avoid the Heathrow bus from Watford and stick to the rails.

There is no snow in Central London, so I taxi across to London Piccadilly station, and board the Heathrow Express train there. It is advertised as "15 minutes every 15 minutes". The train is modern and clean, and we start out right on time at 1110. Seems to be slow going though, and shortly the announcement, "We apologize for our slow progress which is due to a signal failure on the Piccadilly station access. Accordingly we are down to one line and congestion." Soon, we clear the area and are up to speed – the 15-minute trip takes 30, but we are here with time to spare!

Lunch is in order after this active morning, so that is done then I go to check in for my flight. The agent can’t "find me" in the computer. A few calls determine that my reservation has been cancelled. I am rebooked, then it is suggested I check with Air Canada re my remaining flight segments. So, with lots of time, I walk through the tunnels to Terminal three and Air Canada checks, determines what happened to this flight segment (a computer code rejection) and my return flights are fine. I head back for Terminal 1, and run into Dave Thethi – who has been in London to celebrate his mother’s birthday!

I board the British Midland A 321 and all goes well, except a one hour delay on the Heathrow tarmac while they de-ice the bare and dry runways on the possibility it might snow tonight sometime.

Thursday, January 29 – After a morning of business in Dublin, we are off to Cork at the south of Ireland. We decide to take the train (I am with an associate for this trip now), and we head off to Dublin Heuston station where we board the 1527 Iarnrod Intercity train for Cork. We have first class tickets and reservation, which is a good thing as the first class section is full as we depart. The orange and brown colours remind me of Illinois Central, the trip will take around 2 ½ hours. First Class gives you nicer seats than standard class, and is one half of the lead coach. Menu service is available; all seats are fours with tables. Our consist is a c-c GMDD diesel (all the diesels I see on Irish Railways are GMDD) with the unmistakable sound of a turbocharged 645 engine. We have the combo class car, a kitchen / restaurant car, four coaches, power car and locomotive. Double track with speeds to 70 mph as we cruise across the Irish countryside. Arrive Cork OT at 1750.

Saturday, January 31 – After a day of successful work in Cork, its time to head north. I arrive at the Cork station for the 0910 train to Dublin. Interesting and familiar sounds at the station with local trains headed by GMDD b-b units with 567 prime movers, and the arrival of mainline trains with the c-c turbo GM units. A local train at the station is wisping steam – by golly, the power car is actually both a power car and steam generator!

An inbound Intercity train arrives, the loco switches ends, and it moves to platform 5 where we are to board. Plans to travel first class evaporate – there is no such section on this train. We board, I take a window seat and the train rapidly fills – almost to capacity. We have locomotive, three coaches / restaurant (not open) / two coaches / power car. The lights in our coach are out and we are still at the platform at departure time while they work to get the lights on. "We apologize for the delayed departure, we have a power problem which will be corrected shortly". Soon the lights come on and we depart at 0927.

At Limerick Junction a huge crowd awaits – and boards. We are now standing room only! The power goes off again – but no apologies, we just roll on. This is old time railroading – the coaches are likely 40 years old, the signals are semaphores, the switches thrown by rod controllers at towers. There are even some staffed level crossings as we rock and roll north at 70 mph. We arrive Dublin Heuston 20 minutes late at 1220 (photo page 30, GMDD units)

Now I taxi across town to Dublin Connolly station, where I immediately line up for the 1320 Enterprise for Belfast. We board, and I am told I cannot go first class as there will be no ticket collector on board (although I was assured in Cork I should just board and upgrade on the train.) So, I find a seat in standard class – not a real issue as the Enterprise is a fine train and standard class is head and shoulders above first class on the previous Intercity service. We depart right on time at 1320 with a full load on board. The ride is pleasant and fast, and the dining car / food trolley provides lunch.

Arrival at Belfast Central is on time; I cross platforms and board the antique local to Bangor. The very old three-car diesel trainset should be in a museum – but it is fun riding in old high back seats with swing out doors. (left) New trains are due 2004 the sign says. The inside of this one is on its last legs. Arrive Bangor at 1600 hours after a three train, all day ride up the length of Ireland / Northern Ireland.

Sunday, February 1 – The skies clear for the first time in many days, and I have a day off. Let’s get outside! The Coastal path to Belfast is the target, and three hours later I have managed to walk the 12 miles along the coast and am at Belfast City Airport. Just in time too, as the clear skies have once again deteriorated and the rain is falling.

I decide to head for Northern Ireland railways station and catch the next train to Bangor. It arrives a few minutes off schedule, a newer three-car diesel trainset obviously just out of the shop. It is clean, shiny, more modern and nice to ride. The ride back to Bangor takes about 30 minutes an costs 2 pounds. This is my 15th train ride so far on the trip!

Monday, February 2 – I have heard that there is a railway slide show at one of the local churches this evening, so I head out and find Dufferin Hall and the Men’s Society Meeting of the Bangor Parish of the Church of Ireland. Their speaker, Ian Wilson, is presenting a slide show on "Railways of the World". I am made to feel very welcome (and am by far the youngest person there). The speaker is a very good story teller and his slides are excellent, covering Irish Railways, the UK, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Australia, and South Africa – mostly steam. I invite him to visit Canada sometime.

Saturday, February 6 – It has been a busy week on business, but a successful one. Now its time for a day to change the pace before heading home. Northern Ireland Railways is the plan; let’s see where we can get. A start is made on the 0720 train from Bangor to Belfast, a nice ride with an incredible moon over Belfast Lough as dawn is breaking. I decide to try some places I’ve not been before, so hop the 0830 train from Belfast Central to Larne Harbour. The ride, on one the ubiquitous NIR three car diesel trainsets, is along the north side of Belfast Lough and features some lovely seaside running. Unfortunately, the end of the line is the P & O ferry terminal for Scotland service, not a lot to get out and explore here. So, I return on the same trainset at 0945, back to Belfast.

Arriving back at Belfast Central, a train is about to depart from the adjacent platform for Derry and Portrush. Portrush is on the north coast, so I hop aboard and we are off less than a minute later. This is another one of the old style three car train-sets. It is like riding a museum piece, with the old high-back bench seats, swing out latch doors, but has big windows and an engine that sounds like an old Alco turbocharged switcher. What’s different about this one is that we will not make like a local service, rather get up to track speed and do some 70 mph running. It even merits a snack cart on board!

The first part of the line is new welded rail, but later on the trip it becomes jointed single track – we really rock and roll along with the sounds of the clickety-clack and the throbbing diesel. What year is this anyways? At Coleraine (mile 61), the lines diverge and I change across the platform to the Portrush shuttle – similar equipment, but made into a four car set with a power unit at each end. This conveyance takes me the remaining seven miles ending up at the true North Coast of Ireland with crashing surf, howling cold wind, and – sun! Well, at least the sun lasted 20 minutes or so – enough for some photos along the beach before a black cloud came by and dumped sleet and rain all over!

It was too cold to stay long, but did manage three ventures out, then back on the shuttle at 1336 to Coleraine, transfer to the Belfast train at 1400, and retrace the route back - every bit as enjoyable again – arriving Belfast Central at 1525. The train back to Bangor is uneventful, save the thrashing weather, departing 1537 and arriving 1610. I think I can recite all the stops on this 14-mile run now!

So, the day ends with a pretty good tour of the north of Northern Ireland, travel on no less than 8 trains – all for 12 pounds! That brings the grand total for this trip to 23 trains, and plans to return again. But for now, we’ll sign off – it’s off to the airport in the morning and back to Vancouver – where there will be lots of catching up to do!