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First class single from Haslemere to Podgorica

An hour late and in pouring rain Montenegran Railways Co-Co electric loco 461-029 is about to depart Podgorica on 11 May 2023 with the southbound Lovcen service from Belgrade to Bar

After last month’s enjoyable trip from home to Split via Switzerland and Austria, it is time to head off slightly further afield this time and take an Inter-Rail journey via Stuttgart and Zagreb to the Serbian capital Belgrade, and from there head south to Montenegro on the acclaimed scenic route to Podgorica and the Adriatic Coast at Bar.

For those who may have missed the account of my Split trip, this is the second of my three planned excursions using the first class Inter-Rail pass I bought in the 50^th anniversary half-price sale in May 2022. It is one that will give me a first taste of two European capitals – Belgrade and Podgorica – as well as an overnight journey on one of the newest and most scenic rail routes in Europe.

Czech JHMD NG system awaits a white knight

Nine months after my delightful summer visit (July 2022) and six months after its shock closure, a short break in Prague meant the chance for a day trip to Jindřichův Hradec to see what has become of the Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy (JHMD) narrow gauge system.

Following 25 years in private ownership this wonderful 79km (50-mile) long 760mm (2ft 6in) gauge network had been forced to close on 2 October 2022 after amassing huge debts and its management falling out with the local authority, which financially supported its diesel services.

First class single from Haslemere to Split

The statue of an early female Inter-Railer looks on as a local train from Chur arrives at Thusis

Having foolishly missed out in my student days, last year’s 50^th anniversary half-price offer was enough to tempt me to finally embark on some Inter-Rail adventures, buying a two month first class pass for just €429 (£377.17) and then being faced with the question of where in the whole of Europe I should head for?

After endless scrutiny of my newly-acquired European Rail Timetable I decided to make three single journeys from my home in Haslemere to destinations in Central and Eastern Europe – before flying home each time – that would give me the chance to visit many new places and travel on some of the most scenic stretches of line across Europe.

Full Island Line service resumes at last (well almost)

Returning for a two-day Easter week working trip to the Isle of Wight, it was good to see that the promised half-hourly rail service has at last begun, almost 18 months after the route from Ryde to Shanklin re-opened.

While Ryde Pier will not reopen until at least June, it is good to see significant progress on the new transport interchange since my last visit in early December 2022, which suggests it could be completed in time for the peak summer season.

West Coastway Class 313 swansong

313204 approaches Barnham with 2S09 from Portsmouth & Southsea (09.57) to Littlehampton

Paying a visit to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis last month to photograph the semaphores and Class 313 workings, I had noticed a couple of foot crossings west of Barnham station that had distinct potential as photo-spots.

So making a return visit to this busy junction, my challenge was to see if I could capture a final glimpse of Class 313s working all six of the weekday West Coastway diagrams they are scheduled to operate until their final withdrawal from service on 20 May 2023.

GWR IETs diverted via Yeovil

Mid-week closure for engineering work of the route between Castle Cary and Taunton meant another excuse to savour the rare sight of diverted GWR “flying cucumber” Class 80x IETs as they passed Yeovil Pen Mill on 23 March 2023 while working services between London Paddington and Plymouth.

Returning to photograph a scene I had last witnessed in September 2020, it was once again apparent how the single line between Castle Cary and Pen Mill, as well as the long sections of single line between Yeovil and Exeter, make for some pretty slack timetabling of the diverted services and replacement of some stopping services by mythical bus connections.

Snow and semaphores in North-East Scotland

There are now just four signal boxes remaining along the important 108¼-mile long route linking Aberdeen and Inverness in north-east Scotland, following a number of resignalling projects over recent years.

Most recent casualties in the march of progress have been the boxes at Forres and Elgin West in 2017, followed by those at Inverurie and Dyce in 2019, leaving the current quartet of mechanically-signalled locations at Keith, Huntly, Kennethmont and Insch.

Favourite photo-spots: Hereford

Hereford is probably best known for the remarkable Mappa Mundi housed in its cathedral, and for Ronnie Radford’s equally remarkable 1972 FA Cup goal for Hereford United against Newcastle United, but the city also has an interesting railway history and a place long overdue a proper visit.

While the Bulmer’s Railway Centre and the steam loco King George V that I remember visiting in childhood are both sadly long-departed, this remains an important junction on our national railway network and one of those curious places that is in England, but managed from Wales.

Winter sunshine and semaphores in South Wales

Passing a pair of new Transport for Wales (TfW) Class 197 units while travelling from Newport to Craven Arms on Monday, 20 February, inspired me to pay a visit to Ferryside and Pembrey & Burry Port on 23 February 2023, in the hope of photographing the new CAF sets passing the doomed semaphore signals.

Under the current weekday timetable, Class 197 units, which are being assembled at Newport, are scheduled to operate around a dozen daily test/mileage accumulation diagrams from Swansea to Carmarthen, all beginning with the prefix 3E, although how many of these are actually run seems to vary from day to day.

A great new vantage point at Craven Arms

After I had last paid a photographic visit to Craven Arms in May 2022, I lamented the blockading of a footpath across the line just north of signal box and level crossing that would have been a great place to see trains passing the surviving semaphores.

A sign at the entrance to the footpath from the A49 had said that it would be closed until early 2023 “pending the installation of safety features”, which I assumed would be the sort of lockable gates and warning lights that I have seen at other foot crossings.