Category Archives: Transport

Dec 17 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

Freight passing through

Tuesday 16th December 2025, 5.50pm (day 5,227)

Freight does still make an occasional appearance on the line, usually long trains of wagons marked with ‘Drax’, meaning they are heading to or (in this case) from the power station. Not that you can tell any of this from this extended blur, but I challenge anyone to get a sharp picture of something moving at at least 30mph in the dark. Drax (it’s amazing what you can learn from Wikipedia pages on a Wednesday morning) burns wood imported from the US and Canada, which these trains then ship across the country from Liverpool, with Hebden en route — so we often see these, at all times of day and night.

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Nov 21 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

The 9:31, according to Northern

Thursday 20th November 2025, 10.05am (day 5,201)

Very late train, 20/11/25

I do appreciate the notion of ‘First World Problems’ and that there are parts of the world where trains can run days late, if they run at all. But for Christ’s sake, Northern….. at this time of year particularly (‘leaves on the line’ plus the cold snap of the last couple of days). This train was due to arrive in Manchester at 10:01, so there went the first twenty minutes of my 11 o’clock.

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Nov 17 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

Sir Nigel Gresley, and admirers

Saturday 15th November 2025, 12.30pm (day 5,196)

Gresley loco at York, 15/11/25

We were passing through York station today when this impressive hunk of metal pulled in on platform 9, and we were almost crushed in the stampede of trainspotters and steam enthusiasts which greeted it. But it’s a photogenic object, so I joined the crowd for a minute or two. The Sir Nigel Gresley, named after the engineer whose oversized statue now stands at King’s Cross, holds the post-war steam speed record of 112mph — and unlike Mallard this speed was achieved not on some specially organised run but with a train full of passengers. And it arrived more punctually at York this afternoon than any of the other train companies’ services.

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Nov 12 2025
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna, Transport

Between platforms

Tuesday 11th November 2025, 12.15pm (day 5,192)

Platforms 4 and 5 of Manchester Victoria station, to be precise (making this, incidentally, the 900th shot taken in Manchester). The sign is meaningless in context, but the pigeon seems to be wilfully defying it anyway. On the left (4), the 12:15 to Redcar Central and on the right, the 12:15 to Blackburn, both punctual. But was I on my way into work late, or coming home early?

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Nov 10 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

The canal, again

Sunday 9th November 2025, 12.35pm (day 5,190)

Lock gates, 9/11/25

The second somewhat abstract shot in a row of some part of the country’s transport network — though a quite different one to yesterday’s. And I picked it before remembering that I depicted the Rochdale canal only the other day. Never mind. I like the asymmetrical scene here, as the excess water comes over the lock gates by the end of Holme Street in town.

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Nov 10 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

Bridge across the Mersey

Saturday 8th November 2025, 12.15pm (day 5,189)

Silver Jubilee Bridge, 8/11/25

Before embarking on its final spread into its estuary, between Widnes (on the north bank) and Runcorn, the River Mersey narrows significantly. This convenient crossing point, known as the Runcorn Gap, has been exploited for hundreds of years, but it was only in 1961 that a proper road bridge was opened, and given the ‘Silver Jubilee’ name 15 years later. And, well, here it is, seen from the Widnes side. The second longest bridge I have walked across as part of my little walking project (after the Humber Bridge). Pedestrians take a rather exposed and vertiginous walkway that dangles off the main arch to the left, by the way.

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Nov 04 2025
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger, Transport

Cancelled

Monday 3rd November 2025, 10.25am (day 5,184)

Cancelled at Preston, 3/11/25

An early morning derailment at Shap, in Cumbria, meant the West Coast Main Line was completely closed. Fortunately we were heading south and not trying to get to Scotland, but I suspect this gentleman was one of the many people in Preston station this morning for whom that was the intended destination.

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Oct 10 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

Rush hour

Thursday 9th October 2025, 5.30pm (day 5,159)

Rush hour, 9/10/25

In the 20 years and 2 months I have been working in Manchester I have driven into work precisely six times. Three of those were in the first couple of months: of the three since, two were forced on me due to train strikes (and for those, I parked north of the centre and finished the journey by tram) and the other one was a Sunday morning. There are reasons for this. I’m not usually still in the area for full-on rush hour/Carmageddon but I was there this evening.

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Oct 06 2025
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Daily Post, Transport

Heading out

Monday 6th October 2025, 6.30pm (day 5,156)

Vapour trail, 6/10/25

If a plane is this high above Hebden it’s already well on its way to wherever it’s going. On the other hand, I haven’t been on a plane since April 13th, coming back from Ascension Island, and won’t be setting foot on one for the rest of the year unless something quite unexpected happening. I guess the carbon footprint is benefiting.

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Oct 02 2025
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Daily Post, Transport, Urban scene

Bikes and people

Thursday 2nd October 2025, 3.45pm (day 5,152)

Busy Oxford Road, 2/10/25

It seems to have happened slightly later than usual this year, though that’s just a quirk of the calendar, but today was the day I could no longer avoid going onto campus and being faced by a large number of people who were not in the vicinity two weeks ago. Yes, it’s the first week of teaching. So be it.

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