[2023-5] sh*tty LNʷR trip report: 最後一次長途Half-term試前頭等

小弟今年九月嚟咗英國，就持續喺學校寄宿，但係學校每逢Half-Term/Holiday就自然會唔可以繼續留宿，而學校喺Stourbridge。而搵Guardian就要落Milton Keynes度過。我到最近幾個禮拜先發現本版，所以就決定嚟下湊熱鬧，希望Quality唔會太差。
Having come to the UK last September, I stayed in a Boarding School in Stourbridge. School is closed for boarding for Half-Term and Holidays(obviously, dumbass), so I have to go down to my supposed “Guardian” at Milton Keynes.

Just discovered this forum on “foreign railways”, hope this isn’t too crappy of a trip report for the ones reading…

車飛 Ticket

全英國May Half-Term應該係同一時間，就係26/5-4/6，本文就係講去程，回程因為同去程無咩分別就唔打算寫。
There is a fixed time for May Half-Term across the UK — 26 May to 4 June. This trip report will only cover the outbound trip since there is almost nothing special about the return trip.

Stourbridge係個細Town，Layout就一般地外面單向loop入面High Street
Stourbridge is a Typical Market Town with a High-Street-inside-Ring-Road layout.

外環望城 Looking in from out of Ring Road

High Street


村內交通樞紐Stourbridge Interchange與市中心以隧道連接
Stourbridge Interchange, being outside the “loop”, is connected to the high street by a tunnel





Stourbridge Interchange係個巴總加火車站嘅結構，位於市嘅東面。巴士站有9個月台、一間便利店以及一個肯定要俾錢嘅廁所
Stourbridge Interchange composes of a Bus Station/Terminus and also a Rail station. There are 9 platforms, one small store and a definitely-need-to-pay toilet.


Stourbridge Interchange Plan


巴總入面 Inside the Bus Station


便利店 Convenience Store


非免費廁所 Paid Toilet


E400 Electric


隔離係Stourbridge Town火車站，有單一月台、人手售票亭同電子售票機(雖然完全唔work)

Stourbridge Town支線有兩站：Stourbridge Town同Stourbridge Junction — 以轉乘前往其他地方。佢係全英國以及全歐洲最短嘅支線，長約¾英里/1.3公里

The train station of the interchange is appropriately named “Stourbridge Town”, in contrast with the larger station with direct services to other locations being “Stourbridge Junction”. The two stations are connected by the Stourbridge Town Branch Line, with a length of ¾ mi or 1.3 km, which is believed to be the shortest branch line in Europe. It takes about 2½ minutes to ride between the two stops.

There are very basic facilities at Stourbridge Town Station, with a single platform, an electronic ticketing machine (which sadly did not function) and an old-school ticketing booth.

火車站入口 Entrance of Stourbridge Town


月台設施 Platform Accessories


支線用Class 139單卡列車行走，一車走天涯(單向2分半，全日10分班，大把時間啦)
The branch line is run with a single Class 139 single-car train(or rather, manned people mover?), with a 10 minute headway.


大量廣播同告示提醒五月二十一日開始時間表更新
Throughout the journey, there are lots and lots of posters and announcements reminding of the 21 May timetable change.


內圍+駕駛艙 Train Interior+Driver’s compartment [SBT-SBJ 1700-1703]


沿途隨攝 Random Views


到達Stourbridge Junction，車站係一島一側嘅月台配置：島上一號月台去Stourbridge Town，二號月台去Birmingham；側式三號月台就去Worcester/Kidderminster
There are three platforms at Stourbridge Junction: Platform 1 for the Town Branch, 2 for Birmingham and 3 for Kidderminster & Worcester. Platforms 1&2 are together an island platform while Platform 3 is a side platform.
島上有休息室、便利店/咖啡售賣點同廁所
On the island platform there is a waiting room, a coffee-bar-convenience-store hybrid and toilets



售票大堂(下層)旁邊係drop-off/pick-up area同單車架
Below the platforms there is a ticketing office, with a drop-off/pickup area and a bike rag right outside the glass door.
[攝於Photo taken Oct 2022]


而3號月台後面有大停車場搞P&R
And, typically, a large parking lot is present for Park & Ride, with it being behind the ramps of Platform 3.


Stourbridge Junction喺Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line上，屬於三條Birmingham Snow Hill Line之一；一至六一小時有4班來往Kiddy同Brum，視覺範圍內有兩快[Smethwick至Stourbridge隔站停]同兩慢[各站停]。條線未電氣化，所以用柴油火車
Stourbridge Junction is on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line, being one of the Snow Hill Lines at Birmingham. There are 4 trains between Kidderminster and Birmingham, with 2 of them being a local Stopping service originating from/heading to Worcester, and the other 2 being a faster skipping service with the speedup between Stourbridge and Smethwick. The line is not yet electrified, so diesel trains run on the line.


上班車係快車去Stratford-upon-Avon via Whitlock End
The previous train was a skipping service to Stratford-upon-Avon via Whitlock End [1705, 車隊編號fleet no. 172344, 3 carriages]


呢班車係慢車去Stratford-upon-Avon via Dorridge
The train that I took was a local service to Stratford-upon-Avon via Dorridge [SBJ-SGB 1715-1746, 車隊編號fleet no. 172221, 5 carriages]


竟然唔記得影車廂環境，明明有撳㗎⋯⋯呢幾張係舊相[Mar 2023]
就係2+2座位，第2同4卡有廁所，旁邊有輪椅位
I thought I took a photo of the train interior but I didn’t, oops. Here are 2 sad March photos of the same train
There was a 2+2 layout with toilets at the 2nd and 4th carriages.


隨攝 Random Photos on the way


Smethwick Galton Bridge有上下兩層月台：下層與運河平行，由WCML Birmingham Branch使用，Birmingham車站為New Street；而上層則橫過運河，由Kiddy線使用，Birmingham車站為Moor Street/Snow Hill。若要由Snow Hill Lines轉往區域火車大站New Street繼續下程，於市中心轉乘需要喺繁忙街道中行8-10分鐘，甚為不便。因此，呢個上下層轉車站時間對啱會慳好多時間/腳力，選擇慢車亦係咁嘅原因：轉乘時間係0/2/8分鐘，而快車要15/17/23分鐘
There are two sets of platforms at Smethwick Galton Bridge, the lower platforms, being parallel to a canal, is used by the Birmingham Branch of the West Coast Main Line, the corresponding Birmingham Station being New Street; while the upper platforms that cross over the canal on a bridge are used by the Kidderminster Line, leading into Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street stations. Transferring between the two lines in Birmingham requires walking on busy streets for 8-10 minutes, for a person with significant luggage it is not a good idea. Therefore, this station is used to transfer reduce walking and even reduce travel time if timed tight.


上層望運河 Canal view from upper platforms


上層月台望下層 viewing the lower platform from the upper one


下層月台Lower platform [Oct 2022]


開頭預留8分鐘轉車，但係原本同arrival同時間開嘅1806 delay咗2分鐘，見有車就上啦
The connection time here was either 0 or 8 minutes, but with the early arrival and the 2-minute delay of the 0 minute train that was the train finally take


班車係Wolverhampton-Birmingham-Walsall嘅短途通勤線
The service was a Wolverhampton-Birmingham-Walsall intercity line [SGB-BHM 1738-1747, 3? Carriages, Fleet no. 350263]

到達New Street，上面係Grand Central 商場，懶影
At New Street station, above the station is the Grand Central shopping mall, didn’t take many photos of it


下一程列車都係LNR做，八卡落London Euston
The next leg is also run by London Northwestern, being a service to London Euston, the train composed of 8 carriages[Fleet no. 車隊編號350111, BHM-BLY 1806-1939]


London Northwestern 於5月21日起廢除First Class，呢兩程難得有位，跳上去座啦
London Northwestern declassified their first class from 21 May. There are spaces on it on the two final legs, so I took the opportunity to experience it.


第一程短途內籠
First class interior of the second leg

第二程中長途內籠
First class interior of the third leg

對比兩程普通等
In comparison with second class of both legs

評價 Review：
Declassify之前抵俾人話係英國最差頭等。張凳係厚過普通等50%，但係仍然薄到PK；係有得recline，但係+5°都無仲好唔stable算有recline咩；legroom睇落無咩多過，中途本來就2+2(有可能會有2+3唔知)，唯一真正嘅pro係有三腳插。依家免費就坐下，要加錢就no thx，完全唔抵。
Before declassifying, LNR is generally regarded as the worse first class of the UK, well worth that review. The chair was roughly double the thickness of second class, but still is very shallow; though the chairs can theoretically recline, it only gives you about 5 more degrees at most, and there is no locking mechanism to keep it in place. There seems not to be any legroom upgrades or width upgrades at all(for the third leg only, second leg was with a 2+3 layout). If the upgrade of free it is acceptable, but the upgrade is not worth any more penny.


比較GWR頭等，無頭枕、低legroom、又窄，差到無倫
Stole a pic from Fuk19805 of his first class experience of GWR: there were headrests, more legroom and an increased seat width compared with London Northwestern. What a contrast.


廁所/Toilet? Typical.


講埋條路線啦，B’ham New Street-B’ham International 特快[10min-1stop]，B’ham International-Milton Keynes Central 各站停[80min-10stop]，MKC-London 特快[45min-3or4stop]
The route was a local-express hybrid service, consisting of an express portion between B’ham New Street and Int’l, stopping service until Milton Keynes Central/Bletchley, then another express service to London.

離開New Street Station
Departing New Street Station


Birmingham International喺Birmingham機場附近，去機場要轉免費People Mover
Birmingham International is next to Birmingham Airport, which is connected by a free autonomous people mover
[一個月前無聊拍片boring video a month ago：]


去Coventry沿途大量小站。Coventry就Typical學生城市，以前係英國汽車製造大城。
Between Coventry and B’ham Int’l there are lots of small and big towns. Coventry, to my understanding, is a typical university city, but it had a significant car-manufacturing past.


Rugby開始入返WCML主線。無咩特別嘅城，最出名應該係發源此地，全英大熱嘅運動
At Rugby we rejoin the West Coast Main Line, which from north of here delves into the Trent Valley to bypass Birmingham. The town is most famous for the ball game of the same name that originated here.


Long Buckby係好細嘅Town
Long Buckby is a small town (look at the floating platforms!)


Northampton 換crew，停站較耐，亦唔係喺WCML主線上所以對時間表影響較細。城有咩特別？諗唔出
Northampton is on its own loop on WCML, which makes occupying a platform for a longer crew change less impactful on the already-at-capacity main line.


Milton Keynes係大城市啊無錯，但係真係好Bland嘅城。
Milton Keynes Central is the main station for Milton Keynes, a plainly bland city. Absolutely nothing special about this city worth visiting.


Bletchley隔離有Alan Turing同其他專家二戰時破解密碼嘅地方Bletchley Park
I got off at Bletchley, which is just next to Bletchley Park, where Alan Turing and other cryptographers deciphered codes in WWII.
Bletchley Station


East West Rail起緊，未來行EWL各段每小時會有7班車，大部分停靠新High-Level月台
The East West Rail project is currently under construction, which in the end is planned to have 7 trains per hour calling at Bletchley station, most calling at the upper platforms under construction.


咁就開始無所事事嘅Half-Term 啦
And that is the start of a boring half-term…

下次有時間有可能會望下第一次Half Term湊唔湊得出個Trip Report。。。
Maybe when I have more time I might construct a trip report on my first Half Term?

探險隨攝 Adventure snaps

雖然全程都係WMR但係原來要轉咁多程車 有啲好奇嗰架Class 139係單頭車定雙頭車，不過之前有本yearbook話呢架嘢只可以行嗰條shuttle service，因為佢係未certified行mainline route

至於你嗰架1st class就真係 始終Class 350本身唔係長途intercity嘅車，同我哋GWR以及LNER嘅Class 80X係好大出入㗎喇；建議睇返Thameslink Class700 嗰啲，會同你嘅Class 350 declassified 1st 接近少少🤏
另外呢其實早大半年左右 Avanti基本上唔會開車，Crosscountry冇班準時，GWR濫收車資，TPE直接收車，TfW擅自縮卡大法好，LNWR反而係處理得比較好嘅一間operator。LNWR同埋同系列嘅WMR都有新車，而且出車率算高，就算delay都係WCML累事，算唔錯㗎啦

Fuk19805 發表於 2023-7-18 22:07
雖然全程都係WMR但係原來要轉咁多程車 有啲好奇嗰架Class 139係單頭車定雙頭車，不過之前有本yearbook話 ...

139係兩個駕駛艙 每次check曬飛就行返去另一邊開
WMT多regional服務 3程算好啦 [SBT-SBJ當搭𨋢]
如果我想快 又落車點想去近啲住所嘅Fenny Stratford 可以玩到
SBJ-SGB
SGB-BHM
BHM-RUG
RUG-MKC (Crewe-London 特快)
MKC-BLY
BLY-FEN

我知咁比較頭等唔公平 但係晦氣都要發架 要比較就應該同SWR/GNR先啱
但係仍然都係 差

啱啱返香港 沿途想試Chiltern[罷工取消0614SBJ]&Avanti[車壞埋成班蒸發]
之前Half Term又試埋XC同EMR
都係發現WMR真係穩定 delay得嗰2次 (out of ~15) 車費又唔係貴到登天 [喂，SBJ-EUS adult super off peak return £28 有找點搵啊]
EMR就無評價
XC貴嚟成日delay 10分鐘起跳 又爆到七彩
WMT真係最好嗰間

因為份野係一落車就寫 所以就咁嘅樣囉

anyways 拖緊AF flight report 敬請期待