Friday, October 08, 2004

The Joy of Rail

Both Danielle and I are frequent users of the excellent GNER rail service from York to London. It takes under 2 hours and makes day-trips for work do-able. Here is a typology of the trains we get.

Early morning York to London “The Mobile Office”
Laptops whirr [over 200 on Wednesday when I travelled down] mobiles bleep, coffee is sipped. Very civilized.

Mid-morning. “The Luggaged Granny”
A totally different vibe. Many, many senior citizens with bags and cases making use of “saver” fares.

Afternoon. “The Walkmaned Student”
Travelling back from a weekend off [Monday to Wednesday] or travelling early for a weekend away [Thursday to Friday] Walkmans and railcards are essential.

Evening. London to York “The Happy Geordie”
Usually a train full of satisfied shoppers or liggers returning to Newcastle. Two opposite me are exhausted from a day shopping and attending a fashion show.

Then there are seasonal variations. Every June there is the “Wimbledon Disappointment”; on its way down to London it is full of expectation. For the return, the rain and/or Greg Rusedski’s surprising departure dampen the spirits.

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