Train Spotting - 2024 Gallery

Another busy year chasing trains around the country. From visiting local heritage railways to seeing off the last of the West Midlands Class 323s, and Merseyrail PEPs… 2024 has definitely been a good one! 

DMU Group (West Midlands)’s Class 108 DMU is seen at Kidderminster after working the 17:02 Highley to Kidderminster service at the Severn Valley Railway Winter Diesel Day on 30/12/2024.

Queen Street Double Dogbox

Transport for Wales Class 153 Super Sprinters 153922 with 153318 on the front call at Cardiff Queen Street working 2P60 Coryton to Penarth on 17/12/2024.

323s to Long Marston

Rail Operations Group Class 37 37800 “Cassiopeia” is seen hauling Ex West Midlands Railway Class 323s 323221, 323211 and 323214 through Droitwich Spa working 5Q95 Wolverton to Long Marston on 03/12/2024.

Dashing through the snow

West Midlands Railway Class 196 Civity 196 196111 seen departing from Great Malvern to Worcester on 19/11/2024.

Autumnal HST

Great Western Railway Class 43 HSTs 43042 “Tregenna Castle” with 43097 “Castle Drogo” arrive at Bodmin Parkway on a Penzance to Plymouth service on 12/11/2024. 

Worcester sprint

Great Western Railway Class 158 Express Sprinter 158748 seen at Worcester Shrub Hill working a Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street service on 23/10/2024.

Worcester by Hydrogen Power

Class 799 799201 HydroFlex seen at Worcester Shrub Hill working a Kidderminster to Long Marston test run on 23/10/2024.

Cat to Marylebone

Chiltern Railways Class 68 68014 seen departing Birmingham Moor Street working 1H31 Stourbridge Junction to London Marylebone on 20/10/2024.

Severn Valley not quite High Speed

Great Western Railway Class 43 HST 43094 with 43122 on the rear, stand at Arley before working the local 15:32 Arley to Kidderminster service at the Severn Valley Railway’s Autumn Diesel Bash event on 03/10/2024.

The end of an era 🫡

West Midlands Railway Class 323s 323222 with 323221 at the rear seen at Crewe on the West Midlands Railway and Branch Line Society Class 323 Farewell tour on 29/09/2024.

Valley Lines Sprint

Transport for Wales Class 150 Sprinter 150262 seen arriving at Pontypridd with a service bound for Aberdare on 17/09/2024.

Cat Convoy

Former TransPennine Express Class 68s 68026, 68027, 68028, 68030 and 68032 were seen at Droitwich Spa working 0Z90 Crewe Gresty Bridge to Long Marston on 05/09/2024.

Not many of these left 🥲

Merseyrail Class 507 507018 with 507003 at the rear arrive at Waterloo working a Hall Road to Hunts Cross service on 21/08/2024.

SWR meets GWR

South Western Railway Ex South West Trains Class 158 Express Sprinter 158881 and Great Western Railway Class 158s 158760 & 158767 seen at Romsey working their respective Salisbury to Romsey via Southampton and Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central services on 30/07/2024.

Lost Arterio

South Western Railway Class 701 Arterio 701025 is seen pretty far from the SWR network at Worcester Shrub Hill (with GBRf’s Class 69 69008 providing haulage at the other end) on a move from Long Marston to Eastleigh on 17/07/2024.

47s to Broadway

Class 47s 47376 and 47105 seen at Winchcombe working the 2B15 15:40 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service at Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala on 13/07/2024.

Seeing double

London Northwestern Railway Class 350 Desiro 350110 seen departing Wolverhampton with a Liverpool Lime Street-Birmingham New Street service on 03/07/2024. 

Surfin' Cornwall

GWR Class 43 HSTs 43156 "Maen Castle" and 43098 "Walton Castle" approach St Erth working a service to Plymouth on 24/06/2024.

City vibes

TransPennine Express Class 185 Desiros 185103 with 185124 seen departing Manchester Oxford Road working a Manchester Airport to Saltburn service on 12/06/2024.

Welsh Sprint

Transport for Wales Class 158 Express Sprinters 158818 with 158833 on the front seen departing Llandudno Junction working a very delayed service bound for Birmingham on 06/06/2024.

The new kid on the block

Avanti West Coast's new Class 805 Evero 805010 seen at Chester having arrived on a service from London Euston 06/06/2024.

West Coast Mail

Royal Mail Class 325s 325005 with 325004 on the front pass by Stafford heading north with a working to Shieldmuir Mail terminal on 28/05/2024.

Severn Valley vibes

Colas Rail Ex CrossCountry Class 43 HST 43301 with 43303 on the rear, approach Hampton Loade working a service to Highley at the Severn Valley Railway on 17/05/2024.

Double Trouble

GWR Class 802 IETs 802017 and 802002 seen passing CrossCountry Super Voyager Class 221 221122 and Class 220 Voyager 220015 along the Dawlish seawall working their Plymouth-London Paddington and Edinburgh-Plymouth services on 01/05/2024.

Marston Vale Sprintin'

London Northwestern Railway Class 150 Sprinter 150139 seen at Bedford arrived from Bletchley before running another service along the Marston Vale Line on 20/04/2024.

It’s the final countdown 🫡

Now former West Midlands Railway Class 323 323204 was seen at Chester Road with a Four Oaks to Redditch service on 17/04/2024.

South West Desiro vibin'

South Western Railway Class 450 Desiros 450028 and 450041 approach Putney working a Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo service on 10/04/2024.

Finally got to see it!

Merseyrail's BR Blue Class 507 507001 arrives at Hamilton Square working a Wirral Line service from West Kirby on 26/03/2024.

Crossing the country, one Voyager at a time.

CrossCountry Class 221 Voyager 220026 passes through Worcestershire Parkway working a Bristol Temple Meads to Manchester Piccadilly service on 12/02/2024.

Merseyrail Snow ❄

Merseyrail Class 507 507010 approaches Birkenhead Park working a Wirral Line service from New Brighton heading into Liverpool on 17/01/2024.

Cat to Stourbridge.

Chiltern Railways Class 68 68012 calls at Birmingham Snow Hill working from London Marylebone to Stourbridge Junction on the evening of 09/01/2024.