Welcome
To Birmingham International for the Railtex show. Time is of the essence and you can’t beat 07.27 off Welwyn Garden City, then Victoria Line Finsbury Park to Euston, with time to buy a new notebook at Smith’s before Virgin Trains’ 08.23 departure, arriving at Birmingham International at 09.33.
We can so easily take these slick journeys for granted, forgetting all the people who had to turn up on time and do the right thing every time, to make the mechanics of a 125-mile journey in a couple of hours invisible. And in those two hours I was able to proofread an eight-page newsletter and enjoy a cooked breakfast to sustain me through a long day tramping the aisles at Birmingham International.
I didn’t take the number, but the Pendolino must have had its latest heavy overhaul recently. The ride was noticeably smooth, with a tip of the hat to Network Rail’s London North Western Route Director Martin Frobisher. A West Coast main line free of temporary speed restrictions between London and Preston speaks of a well-maintained infrastructure, confirmed by my Mk 1 HPRM (Human Posterior Ride Meter).
A warm plate arrived just before 09.00 followed by expert silver service of a ‘Full English’. My train break…
