At my age and considering my inability to stand for long or walk very far, your video of this train trip enabled me to see things I wouldn’t be able to experience. It might have been unremarkable to you but it was magical to me! Thanks for taking the time and doing the work to put it together. For 20-years I ran the tour program at Edwards AFB in California, so I’ve had the remarkable experience of sharing what seems ordinary to me with people who never would have experienced it otherwise. I was richly blessed.
Bravo, very well said. It’s a shame that you’re mobility restricted and / or impaired. I am 19 going on 20 now and I have rheumatoid of the knee, agony. So these videos give me such a stationary experience to enjoy without suffering.
The original order of 35 class 155s was for British Rail Provincial division. All these were converted to 153s to replace the class 120s & 121s bubble cars.West Yorkshire PMT ordered a further 7 twin units for their sponsored services (class 155-9).These remained as twin units because of the different ownership.
Didn't realise I was er, lucky enough to have ridden on one of these! It was too packed for me to breathe out, but thankfully people always seem really friendly and cheery and we all got where we needed to. Hull also feels like such a hidden gem!
Its worth checking out the original design of Bradford Interchange when it opened. It was a very impressive structure, and much larger than it is today with a massive underground bus depot.
The class 155 (in Metro Train red livery) was the staple on the line near where I used to live, from Blackpool North to Scarborough until Northern Spirit Trans Pennine Express took over, and we had the very plush 158's. I rode on the 155's quite a lot, so they have a very special place in my heart and looked really smart in West Yorkshire Metro red and cream.
I spent time at York station recently and saw 4 separate 155s working the service from York to Hull and Bridlington - very nice to see them out and about!
My personal favourite train is Class 155, when they used to cover Blackpool to Scarborough instead of 158’s, comfortable and great views, so more enjoyable to ride than 195’s or the random 3 + 2 seats of 150’s
It always amazes me how there seem to be so many more seats on the older ex-British Railways units than on their much newer replacements. Northern's 158s have capacity for 142 passengers while the like-for-like 195/0s can only accommodate 124. Also the accessibility of stations like Church Fenton, while being an issue and you're quite right on that, wouldn't be so much of a problem if stations were manned by staff who could offer assistance. It would also have the effect of detering vandalism if staff were present.
We're just finishing our European Honeymoon tour and learned that trains are THE WAY TO GO!! We'll be back in less than a month but I'm living through your videos until then
I remember them from when I used to live in Knaresborough from 2009 to 2013, when they run the Harrogate Line, often with a 153 coupled to it. Of course now days I live in Skipton and the Harrogate Line is run by 170s
church fenton can be accessed from below just behind the platform where you are , so you would go over the bridge out at the top and travel down the hill at the top , giving you accessable access to the the platform
Hey Dylan, saw your new post. Nice train. Not the best accommodations but the blue and yellow seats did look nice. The shots of the English country side in the winter are really nice. Reminds me of film footage of old British films shot in the 1960's and early 1970's English country side.
Just in case it's before you've recorded the narration for the Hull Trains and you mention it again, Brough is pronounced Bruff, not Brou as you did in this one!
It's great to see so many people riding the trains in the UK. That's why I love London - so many trains, so many stations and so many passengers going nowhere fast.
Been to Bradford Interchange a few times by train but never went beyond the ticket barriers. Now I know the other side!! Nice spot of a lowercase northern on arrival at Hull too. Lovely stuff!
Now this is actually a train journey that is worthwhile - £13 for an Advance Single from Bradford to Hull - it would cost way more than this in fuel costs. Unfortunately not all train routes are like that. The 155s also have nice big windows, so whilst the train was too old for Wi-Fi to be fitted, at least the large windows will allow a good 3G/4G/5G signal to enter the coaches.
I used to regularly travel between York and Howden and the Class 155 was a comman site, along with the Class 158 and the Pacer. Personally, I prefer the Class 158 but was recently on a Class 155 between York and Sherbun-in-Elmet.
I’ve seen a wheelchair user be told to go a station further that is accessible and change for a train back to be on the correct side of the station they want. Wasn’t entirely convenient. The other option was a taxi ride all the way around, which also isn’t convenient and cheap.
I had the displeasure of travelling on a class 155 today on the Hull to Halifax route. The suspension felt like a bouncy castle, the seating is cramped, no aircon, the engine noise inside was deafening and making the whole carriage vibrate. The class 195 are miles better.
In 1995, I managed to put my luggage (and ticket) on a train at Hull Station, and then miss the train. My mum had to spend the night in the waiting room there in the 1960s, when she got in the wrong carriage. She was heading for York, and didn't realise that the train divided at Doncaster. I think she had a job interview the following day. She didn't get it.
The most encouraging thing in this video was that the train from Bradford to Church Fenton was very well used, despite it being a Sunday? What were the loadings like on your return journey? In Britain Post-covid, weekend travel is more important than hitherto. On your recent trip to Switzerland, I hope you noticed that the same every 30 or every 60 TAKTFAHRPLAN runs seven-days a week!
Hi thanx for the brilliant video. May I invite you to take the Agilis local train in southern Germany (south eastern Bavaria), between Regensburg and Plattling? I take this train sometimes and was wondering what would be your opinion. Also, from Plattling you can take the local BahnWald train to the national park Bavarian Forrest all the way to the Czech border. The final train station is called Bayerisch Eisenstein/Železná Ruda (in English it means "Iron Stone" due to its Iron mining past) and half of the station is on the Czech side and half on the German side with absolutely amazing history. The train station was divided during the cold war right in the middle between the east and west. The whole journey is through the national park with some stunning views and old bridges. I would absolutely recommend it!
I love that part of the world. I used to work in Nürnburg and lived in Regensburg. Used to take the train every day. Also enjoyed the fast "Munchen Express" from Nürnburg down to München, via Ingolstadt. :)
I've always thought snow when I think of northern England, interesting to see none :) I do enjoy joining you, and Eli when uni allows, on these trips to places I'll never get to see. Flights to the UK would break the bank for me :) I do love the interesting names of various places, especially knowing that some of them are modern English versions of Saxon names of the same places.
Hey Dylan local 155 traveler here northern by arrival did a few of the changes the government ones have chargers and Wi-Fi the arriva ones just got a paint and interior change
I believe the style of the Bradford Interchange is called “Brutalist” it’s heavy in Concrete. Boston City Hall in Massachusetts is equally “Brutal” 😉 😝
Great video. Nice to see people travelling to Hull. One thing, that someone may have pointed out, Brough is pronounced Bruff. I nearly spat my drink out when you said Bruh. :D
Considering the criticism that Northern habitually gets I was amazed how cheap your fare was. Try travelling with Scotrail, where fares for a similar length of trip are far higher!
This must be the rarest behind the class 139 if you can call that a train 🤔😂 As an add on…That’s not Intercity Swallow livery. It’s just LNERs livery for the 225 sets now. Looks so much better than the previous inherited Virgin East Coast one!
I needed to know why don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they could extend the unused abandoned underground stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into Five cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers. A Stock Train and 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High-Speed train? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street and also make another brand new tunnel train stations in Chingford could they extend the DLR? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.13 and unique small no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are Told!! And please do something about these critical Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, the Prime Minister of Sweden, the Prime Minister of Germany, the Prime Minister of Italy, the Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.
The 155s are a great train and I have traveled on every one of them between Manchester and Bradford. The 35 class 155s that was split to form the 153s was not originally planned by British Rail as the class 156s were going to be split to begin with then the 155s were going to be kept as original 2 coach units then the decision was made to convert the 155s into 153s which made a great train to become a bad train. It was a bummer if one had a bike on the 153s as the new cab made it very hard to bring it onboard which the bike space was opposite the toilet on the 153s. I'm glad that the 7 class 155s are still in service and they will remain in service by scrapping the class 153s for their spare parts.
I used to enjoy the 155s, a real step up from the 150s and the 142s. They used to use extra carpeting on the lower part of the "walls" to soundproof the engine. Don't know if they still do. Did you know that the East Coast Main Line used to pass through Selby before it was diverted during the 80s?
A number of these when built where sponsored by west yorkshire passenger transport executive (wypte) and in their livery (as where 10 158 units). A number of these suffered from doors that opened when moving when first introduced. Not as well build as the 156 units.
Wow! I used to go to uni in and back in the day, the hull to York trains were served by pacers which were complete bone shakers as a passenger as I went to york to connect with my train home to Aberdeen. When it was the old paxman valenta hsts!
I’ve seen 6/7 of these, I’ve got one more and I plan to see it at york! wish me luck :) Also, I frequently trainspot at church Fenton, so it’s a huge surprise to see you there!
Class 195s aren't that bad tbh, they are certainly way better than the Pacers they replaced by a million miles...though the ride quality is still abit on the rough side.
Bradford Interchange was great when it was first opened, but the bus station part of it was ruined in the late 1990s when it was torn down and replaced with a hideous reverse-off type bus station. We seem to have an obsession with these lately.
Back in the day, I always thought the super sprinter was really comfortable and had character. Not a fan of the refurbished look. I always caught one on the Sheffield to Leeds line via Barnsley. It's great to still see them running....
I live in London, but went to Bradford a couple of times each year until the pandemic;Hale to go again soon. Best thing about the Interchange - leave the station by the side exit near the ticket gates, walk up the ramp to street level, cross the road, walk under the canopy of the cinema and enter my hotel. About 90 seconds walk and half of it under cover if it’s raining. The first Grand Central train from Kings Cross gets me into Bradford just in time for first check-in time at my hotel, dump my case, walk to Forster Square catch train to Ilkley and go shopping for food in Booths.
12:03 The Toilet talk 158s have two on the two car sets, three on the three car ones but the two car 158/9s (901-10) have only one but on 150005 which is a hybrid 150 it has two whereas all others have only one
If you want to see some "old rolling stock" take a ride on the Chester to Manchester route... (Cheshire lines) I don't know what came first, that line or the carriages 😂
Amazed there are still 155's running. Knowing the problems they caused when they were new and the plethora of 153's they created, I would have thought Northern would have binned them by now. Looking forward to the Hull Trains review
@@brianfretwell3886 I believe they did which was one of the reasons they fell out of favour. I find it ironic to see pairs of 153's regularly running these days which are in effect, a 155 😁
Great view along the river Humber of the bridge. Is the "Super Sprinter" the same as a "Sprinter" ? It looks better , all the hated Sprinters around here were replaced last year only
One difference is that the SuperSprinter has doors at the ends of the carriage rather than in the middle. This has a slight advantage in terms of not letting cold air blow whenever the doors are opened if the train is stopping regularly. But that's about it. The 155s suffer particularly from poor build quality, whereas the similar class 156 SuperSprinter is much better put together and a whole lot less unpleasant to travel on.
I love seeing all those big train platforms with the huge, covered track areas. The one in Hull looks like it was designed by the same architect that designed the station in York, and also kind of like King's Cross station in London. I'll be back in the U.K. for a trek from London to Edinburgh, up and down the length of Scotland to Glascow, then back to London by way of York, and maybe another cool place in Yorkshire. Love your show Dylan, be cool and keep on keeping on dude!
brilliant review dylan mate i have been on the 155 in 2015 from york to hull and manchester victoria to leeds i would love to see you do a review on the 153 dog box
16:33 Just to clarify for those who may be unaware: 'most small towns and villages in Britain' do not have a railway station at all. Thanks to a consistant anti-rail policy which has been followed by most UK governments since the 1950s the majority of small stations and branch lines were closed many years ago. A recent exception of course being the adminstration of Mr Johnson who, although widely regarded as mendacious, egotistical, self-serving and incompetent, apparently likes trains🙂. We must be grateful for what we can get! From the video, Church Fenton although lacking facilities, seems to me to be quite large having four long platforms! All that said, another excellent, interesting and relaxing video.
I worked in York for 15 years and oddly enough I never once changed trains at Church Fenton! There's still a very infrequent York-Sheffield stopping service via Pontefract that stops there. I was curious to know why there was a horse box on the concourse at Bradford Interchange (2.02) which you walked past without comment!
@@tonykingston1968 Thanks for that info. Twice in the last week I have paid over £3 for a coffee, and with a cake the bills came in at over £7. Café owners seem to be taking the piss out of inflation.
If you happen to be in London anytime soon, could you review the greateranglia class 720s from London to Colchester, and then, the class 321s from Colchester to Walton on the naze and compare the 2 trains
6:26 that’s not actually the classic “InterCity Swallow” livery - that would be dark blue. Only locomotive 91119 retains that livery. All other class 91 locomotives and all Mk4 coaches use this modified “LNER Swallow” livery, which is inspired by InterCity Swallow but features an oxblood red color scheme and the LNER logo instead of the Swallow.
@@heidirabenau511 That I understand but the buffers are the type I remember from my youth which could cope with a moving steam locomotive, unlike the small buffers seen more often at terminal stations these days.
@@shavedphil The hydraulic buffers were in use until fairly recent times, maybe ten years ago. They were replaced by modern friction buffers further back. The hydraulic ones are quite small, much smaller than the ones at London Waterloo for example, with maybe one metre of travel; if I was on a train which was going to hit either I’d rather it was the modern ones. The old hydraulic ones are obviously much older than the station; where did they come from? The old Bradford Exchange Station? The Btidge Dtreet goods station which was previously on the site? It would be nice if it were possible to move between railway and bus stations without going down and up again, but other than that I don’t see a great deal wrong with the station. Four platforms is enough for the current service though platform 2 has had to be brought back into use by some Northern trains while it was previously used almost exclusively by the handful of Grand Central services each day. If there were to be a significant increase in services I think an extra platform could be built serving the run-round loop track next to the platform 1 track, but losing some spaces in the car park. I think this loop track is now disused; I did once see it used by a scrap metal train, but that was many years ago now. It is necessary to enter the station and reverse since the direct line, avoiding the station was closed, long ago.
In hindsight, the Pacers should have been a shorter version of the Class 155 (i.e., had bogies and a Sprinter drivetrain). Also, in some ways the Class 155/153 is more true to the Leyland national given they share an integral construction, rather than having the body mounted on.a wagon underframe.
I remember riding the class 155 a lot in the metro area, but the services have been replaced by TPE, gladly. I miss those door sounds, I love the slam.
Thanks for one more useful and interesting commentary. Your thoughts on Bradford Interchange suggested to me that perhaps you might consider a series on how easy-to-use the UK's bus-rail interchanges are; e.g. if you turned up to B.I. by train, how much of the city's bus-network could you rely on using without looking things up in a timetable (as you can, for instance with the London Underground)? - and is there passenger information about trains (in the bus station) and buses (in the train station)?
At around 1:00 just to the left of centre above Greggs there's 3 departure boards which are for the bus station. With a smaller board to the left of them for the trains. Transferring from the Trains to the Busses is at most a 200 yard walk, it's very efficient despite the Interchange's less than appealing appearance.
