303048 passes Coppenhall Moss on 12 October 1991 with a Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street shuttle service, in connection with the Crewe Open Day. This particular unit had been repainted into the original 'Glasgow Blue Train' livery, and it certainly shows up well, even in these awful weather conditions. I will have to make do with this technically poor picture, as I never did see another Class 303 in operation on the mainline. 303048 was scrapped in 1996 due to asbestos contamination, but the class lingered on in their homeland of Scotland until 2002.

304009 is a long way from its former home and well away from any 25kV overhead wires, as it brings up the rear of a convoy of condemned stock arriving at Long Marston on 29 March 1996 behind 47766 Resolute. The other two units are 304017 & 304004, all destined for secure storage within the former Army Depot. March 1996 was the last month in traffic for these vintage units.

If it wasn't for the yellow front end, you would almost think that this was a monochrome photograph, such is the drabness of the surroundings and the weather! 304012 heads north at Slade Heath on 10 March 1984 with the 09:35 Birmingham New Street to Stafford local service. Although I prefer to take pictures in full sunshine, I believe it is important to take a few in less than ideal conditions to give a sense of variety. In any case, I have very few pictures of Class 304s and as they were all withdrawn by 1996 and scrapped by 2000, I am not likely to get any more!

304036 arrives at Holmes Chapel station on 19 June 1994 with the 16:57 Deansgate to Crewe Regional Railways service. This was the place to be if you wanted to photograph vintage EMUs near the end of their life, and in colourful liveries (as I suspect very few people did!), as 309624 followed just ten minutes behind this.

304037 approaches Holmes Chapel on 17 September 1994 with the 09:37 Crewe to Deansgate Regional Railways service. A few Class 304s survived in traffic long enough to wear this smart Regional Railways livery, but the writing was definitely on the wall for the class when this picture was taken. 304037 was withdrawn the following June, and the whole class was extinct by March 1996. 304037 had been delivered in 1961 as a four car unit, but it was reduced to three cars in 1985.

I only have a single picture of a Class 305 at work on the national network, and that was taken right at the very end of their career. In its last few weeks of revenue earning service, 305519 calls at Drem on 4 October 2001 with the 11:40 Edinburgh to North Berwick ScotRail service. Despite the filthy state of the unit, it is still possible to see the incorrect Edinburgh Waverley destination on the full resolution scan of the original 35mm Fujichrome transparency. The 305s were introduced in 1959 for suburban services on the Eastern Region, out of Liverpool Street. Some units moved to Manchester in the 1980s, and five units moved to Scotland in 1991. The final Class 305 working was in January 2002. They have all now been scrapped.

306017 passes the fixed distant signal at Cressing on 4 October 1998, as it works the 12:06 Braintree to Witham service, in connection with the 150th anniversary of the line. Perhaps the vintage preserved unit doesn't have Witham as one of the locations on its destination blind, but 'Depot' hardly seems like an appropriate alternative!

The LNER designed Class 306 units were introduced in 1949 for London suburban services and originally used the 1500V DC system, being converted to 25kV AC operation in the early 1960s. The class was withdrawn in the 1980s, with one unit escaping the cutter's torch. In an approximation of the original green livery, preserved 306017 (with DMSO E65217 leading) rounds the sharp curve from Witham station on the Braintree branch with the 13:28 Witham to Braintree service on 4 October 1998. The use of this vintage train on this particular Sunday was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Braintree line which was constructed by the Eastern Counties Railway.

307109 leads the 10:38 Braintree to Liverpool Street service past Margaretting on 8 May 1985. Quite why the destination blind is showing Chelmsford, when it has just a few minutes ago passed through that town is unclear! Originally introduced in 1953, the Class 307s were the mainstay of East Anglian outer suburban services until the early 1990s. Ironically the last few units saw out their final days in West Yorkshire. Out of the original 32 four car sets, only two individual vehicles now survive.

Banbury is an unlikely location to find a 25kV EMU, but in 1991 the sidings to the north of the station were used as temporary storage for various withdrawn EMUs, both 750V DC and 25kV. They were not parked in a very easily photographable position, but I did manage to get this reasonably unobstructed picture of 307113 on 26 June 1991.

308137 stands in the bay platform at Skipton on 13 July 1996 prior to working the 19:31 Regional Railways North East service to Bradford Forster Square service. These units were built between 1959 and 1961 for commuter services in the Essex area. Only later in their career did the venture further afield. The last one was withdrawn in 2001.

308151 passes Margaretting on 8 May 1985 with the 11:57 Colchester to Liverpool Street service. Margaretting church (and therefore presumably the site of the original medieval village) is just to the right of the crossing seen in the distance. The modern village is a mile away, to the north east.

Catching the very last rays of the setting sun, 309613 passes Slindon on 15 May 1997 with the 19:06 Birmingham New Street to Manchester Airport Regional Railways North West service. It was only in their last years that the Class 309 'Clacton' units strayed away from their original Essex home. At least by 1997 the units working in the Manchester area had acquired an appropriate livery, rather than the out of place  Network SouthEast colour scheme that they were painted in when they were first transferred.

The Class 309 'Clacton' units spent their last years in traffic in the Manchester area, where their Network SouthEast was definitely not appropriate! 309617 & 309617 pass a field of maze at Millmeece on Sunday 21 August 1994 with a Crewe to Birmingham special in connection with the Crewe Railfair.

This is my only picture of a Class 309 'Clacton' unit working in its original operating area. 309617 arrives at Wivenhoe station on 26 August 1991 with the 14:34 Colchester to Walton-on-the-Naze Network SouthEast service. This would also be the route for trains to Clacton, with trains diverging at Thorpe-le-Soken.

The Class 309 'Clacton' units spent most of their life in Essex, hence their nickname, but at the end of the class's career some of the units moved north and ended their days working for Regional Railways North West. On 10 June 1994, shortly after their relocation, 309624 arrives at Holme Chapel with the 17:16 Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe service. The Network SouthEast livery is hardly appropriate for the Manchester area, and even though the units only had a limited life left, they were soon repainted into more fitting colours.

309626 & 309616 arrive at Broxbourne station on 2 September 1990 with the BR / Mencap sponsored Bishops Stortford to Clacton 'Essex Coast Express', taking children with learning difficulties to the seaside. The headboard is homemade, but its effect is slightly spoilt by being incased in wrinkled plastic sheeting, presumably to protect the paint from the weather.

309626 & 309616 pull away from Broxbourne station on 2 September 1990 with the BR / Mencap sponsored Bishops Stortford to Clacton 'Essex Coast Express', taking children with learning difficulties for a day at the seaside. Although the units don't appear to have seen the washer recently, someone has really gone to town on the front end of 309626, seemingly intent on using up their pot of white paint to decorate not just the buffers, but all pipework, windows frames, etc!

310072 passes Ledburn on 20 February 1988 with the 08:26 Euston to Milton Keynes service. I have got very few pictures of Class 310 EMUs, all of which have now been scrapped, so this one taken on a very dull and foggy morning will have to serve as a record. Despite the fact that engineering work was taking place, with people wandering all over the place, all four lines were still open. This is the spot where the Great Train Robbers tampered with the signals on 8 August 1963, in order to stop the Glasgow to London TPO.

Mention Alresford to most railway enthusiasts and they immediately think of the station on the Mid Hants Railway. However, there is another station with that name still open for business on the national network. It is situated in rural Essex, and is seen here on 26 August 1991. 312705 arrives with the 13:51 Walton-on-Naze to Colchester Network South East service.

312726 approaches Great Bentley station on 26 August 1991 with the 12:00 Liverpool Street to Clacton Network SouthEast service. The level crossing gates in the foreground have now been replaced by lifting barriers, and Great Bentley Relay Room (a brick shed!) now occupies the waste ground on the left.

312786 arrives at Great Bentley station on 26 August 1991 with the 13:21 Walton-on-Naze to Colchester Network SouthEast service. The station was opened by the Great Eastern Railway in 1866. Until 1877 it was known as Bentley Green.

312793 arrives at Wrabness with the 10:13 Manningtree to Harwich Town Network SouthEast service on 26 August 1991. This class of EMU was introduced in 1975 and was the last to be built with slam doors and consequently they were replaced by more modern units before their intended design life was up. The entire class (49 units) was withdrawn by 2003 and virtually all vehicles were scrapped the following year.

Two elderly men in the foreground enjoy the last of the afternoon sunshine, as they sit looking out over the Thames Estuary at Chalkwell, while behind them 312795 accelerates away from Chalkwell station with the 14:50 Shoeburyness to Fenchurch Street service. 28 October 1995.

315833 stands at  Broxbourne station on 2 September 1990 with the 08:12 Liverpool Street to Hertford East Network SouthEast service. Although built as recently as 1959, Broxbourne station has now acquired grade II listing, making it one of the very few post war railway buildings to be so protected.

315833 arrives at Broxbourne on 2 September 1990 with the 09:00 Hertford East to Liverpool Street Network SouthEast service. On the left can be seen the Speedlink Coal depot, which was one of the few such depots then still in operation. Once a feature of virtually every station, by the 1990s this kind of facility was in terminal decline.

315844 brings up the rear of the 5Q76 11:04 Ilford EMU Depot to Newport Docks (Sims Group) at Challow on 4 January 2022. Although it could easily use the GWR Mainline's 25kV overhead line for power, it is being towed (along with classmate 315854) on it final journey to the breakers, behind 57312.

317314 leads an unidentified classmate past Ampthill (Millbrook) on 8 June 1985 with the 08:50 Bedford to St Pancras service. The background is dominated by the smoking chimneys of the Stewartby Brickworks. Brick making came to and end in 2008, and most of the chimneys were demolished.

317320 approaches Berkswell on 15 August 1988 with the 14:52 Euston to Birmingham New Street service. It makes for a colourful picture on a dull day, but Birmingham is stretching the definition of Network SouthEast a bit.

317324 passes Old Linslade on 14 January 1989 with the 12:30 Milton Keynes Central to Euston service. This is one of my very few pictures of a Class 317 in Network SouthEast livery, and the combination of Kodachrome 64 and perfect winter lighting certainly captures the colour scheme well.

317338 & 317345 are just a few minutes into their journey here, as the pass Yaxley on 6 September 2012 with the 1P55 09:16 Peterborough to Kings Cross First Capital Connect service. This location is about as good as it gets on the East Coast Mainline, with views in both directions from a quit footbridge relatively unobstructed by the overhead wires.

Prior to the introduction of the dual voltage Class 319 units, the newly electrified lower end of the Midland Mainline from London to Bedford was worked by Class 317s. On 8 June 1985, 317341 leads an unidentified sister unit past Ampthill (Millbrook) with the 08:50 Bedford to St Pancras service. Note the brickwork chimneys in the background.

317343 leads the 07:22 Peterborough to Kings Cross service past Abbots Ripton on 16 August 1988. The Class 317s were the first class of 25kV units built using the Mk3 bodyshell, and were originally introduced onto the St Pancras to Bedford route, displacing the Class 127 diesel hydraulic units. However, the 317s didn't stay there long, and soon took up duties on the ECML.

317354 leads the 08:30 Peterborough to Kings Cross service past Abbots Ripton on 16 August 1988. The Class 317s were built in two batches, with the earlier Class 317/1s having a different front end to this Class 317/2 example. An hour earlier one of the 317/1 units had worked a similar service.

Old and new liveries at Conington Fen on 16 August 1988. Rail blue 317357 leads an unidentified Network SouthEast liveried unit with the 17:13 Kings Cross to Peterborough service. The large flat area on the right is the site of a wartime marshalling yard, variously described as sidings for trains of rubble from bomb damaged London buildings, or as an emergency backup to the yard at March. The site was later used for the disposal of railway ballast and ash.

Plenty of evidence of the former Great Eastern Railway at Roydon on 2 September 1990. Signal box, station building and goods shed form an antique backdrop to 317367 as it arrives with the 09:32 Liverpool Street to Cambridge Network SouthEast service.

317650 catches the last of the golden winter afternoon light, as it arrives at St Neots station on 6 December 1998 with the 14:43 Peterborough to Kings Cross West Anglia Great Northern service. The unit is wearing WAGN's original livery, which is completely devoid of any branding.

A pair of Class 317 EMUs on the Great Western Mainline, but not making any use of the new 25kV overhead wires, but instead being towed away to be cut up! 317883 brings up the rear of the 5Q76 09:44 Ely Papworth Sidings to Newport Docks (Sims Group) at Knighton on 1 February 2023. 37800 is powering the train, which also includes 317512. Both these EMUs formerly worked in East Anglia for the Greater Anglia franchise.

With Troon visible in the background, 318262 approaches Barrassie on 23 July 1997 with the 08:13 Ayr to Glasgow Central ScotRail service. The fleet of 21 Class 318s work exclusively in the west and central area of Scotland, and were originally delivered in 1986, to replace a variety of elderly DMUs classes. A decade after their introduction, 318262 is still sporting the original striking Strathclyde orange livery.

Wearing the minimalist late 1990s 'graffiti' Thameslink livery, 319030 speeds past Ampthill (Millbrook) on 17 July 1996 with the 18:34 Moorgate to Bedford service. Clearly it would been of no use whatsoever to take any notice of the destination blind, as it has already passed through Luton!

Colourful Network SouthEast days at Ampthill on 27 May 1989. 319049 with another unidentified unit heads through the Buckinghamshire countryside with the 09:52 Bedford to Brighton service. This is the point where the two sets of tracks separate, prior to entering the twin parallel bores of Ampthill Tunnel. 

319060 leaves St Albans station on 3 January 1990 with the 12:56 Luton to Purley Network SouthEast service. The boarded up and vandalised signal box looks like it is living on borrowed time, but in fact it survives today, and in much better condition. After the box closed in 1980, it got progressively more derelict, until a local group was formed in 2002 to preserve it. It has now been superbly restored, complete with operating frame, and is periodically open to visitors.

319375 makes its last journey on 20 November 2023, as it is hauled by 37800 Cassiopeia en-route the breaker's yard, as the 5Q80 09:20 Allerton Depot to Newport Docks (Sims Group), seen here passing Claydon, with the Cotswold Hills in the background.

319429 passes Ledburn on 19 April 2017 with the 2B10 07:13 Bletchley to Euston London Midland service. A hint of white visible in in the far distance is the 1M16 20:44 Inverness to Euston 'Caledonian Sleeper', which would soon be overtaking this train.

321302 & 321332 arrive at Burnham-on-Crouch station on 22 July 1993 with the late running 10:50 Southminster to Liverpool Street Network SouthEast service. Another one of those promising summer days that starts out sunny then gradually clouds up mid morning!

321312 passes Kelvedon on 12 May 2001 with the 18:27 Colchester Town to Liverpool Street First Great Eastern service. Yet another variation of the multi-coloured sweeping lines liveries that Network SouthEast started all those years ago!

321317 speeds through Great Bentley station on 26 August 1991 with the 13:27 Clacton to Liverpool Street Network SouthEast service. No such thing as the old style well maintained station garden here anymore, as now ragwort seems to be the dominant plant!

321331 brings up the rear of the 5Q98 10:47 Wolverton Centre Sidings to Newport Docks (Sims Group) at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 10 August 2023. Along with classmate 321333 it is being towed towards the breakers yard by 37884 Cepheus, a locomotive that is at least 25 years older than either unit!

321341 arrives at Fambridge on 22 July 1993 with the 12:05 Liverpool Street to Southminster Network SouthEast service. The Wickford to Southminster line is single track throughout, except for this passing loop at the midway point station. The villages of South Fambridge and North Fambridge are on opposite sides of the River Crouch. In 2007 the station was renamed North Fambridge.

321401 passes Yaxley on 6 September 2012 with the 2P04 07:36 Kings Cross to Peterborough First Capital Connect local stopping service. How long will it be before the houses of Yaxley (visible in the background) spread out to meet the suburbs of Peterborough, swallowing up this small pocket of countryside?

321410 passes Wootton Green on 20 April 2009 with the 16:11 Coventry to Birmingham International London Midland service. The train is still accelerating away from Berkswell station, which is about half a mile beyond the bridge in the background.

321413 and an unidentified classmate arrive at Kings Langley on 28 October 1995 with the 08:31 Milton Keynes Central to Euston service. This was in the very early privatisation era, after the end of Network SouthEast, but before the new franchises were fully in place. The external condition of the train seems to reflect this!

A well timed train length brief burst of weak sunshine follows 321414 along, as it passes through the cutting at Roade on 20 May 1991 with the 06:57 Walsall to Euston Network SouthEast service. This on the 'Northampton Loop' line, shortly before it rejoins the West Coat Mainline.

321424 speeds through Cheddington station with the 13:36 Birmingham New Street to Euston Network SouthEast service on 28 April 1990. As this is not a stopping service, and was traveling at its top speed of 100 mph, this was taken at 1/2000 sec on my battered old 1970s vintage totally mechanical Canon F1.

321425 arrives at Hemel Hempstead with the 12:49 Northampton to Euston Network SouthEast service on 2 September 1990. Then only a few months old, the 321s were introduced on these outer suburban services to replace the older Class 310 & 317 units. The P suffix to the number at this end of the unit indicates that this DTSO vehicle contains a small parcels area that can be locked off by an internal sliding door. The DTCO vehicle at the other end of the unit does not have this feature.

321427 passes Soulbury on 12 October 1998 with the 16:04 Euston to Milton Keynes Central train. This service was operated by Silverlink, but less than two years into the franchise, a lot of their units were still operating in this obsolete Network SouthEast livery.

321427 passes Church Lawford on 20 April 2009 with the 10:53 Birmingham New Street to Euston London Midland service. Class 321s did not stay with this operator for very long, all having migrated to Scotland by 2015.

With Church Lawford church visible in the background, 321435 heads east with the 08:33 Birmingham New Street to Northampton London Midland service on 20 April 2009. Church Lawford is quite a good photographic location, considering it is on an overhead electrified line. Various different viewpoints are possible for eastbound trains from a field close to the A428.

Ironically consecutively numbered with the train running exactly an hour before, 321436 passes Church Lawford on 20 April 2009 with the 09:33 Birmingham New Street to Northampton London Midland service. Note that all branding has been removed from this former Silverlink unit. Such is the pace of change with some franchises that the liveries don't always reflect the current operator!

322483 speeds through Weeley station on 26 August 1991 with the 13:00 Liverpool Street to Clacton Network SouthEast service. The Class 322 fleet consists of just five four car sets, built especially for the London to Stanstead Airport route. Although branded Network SouthEast, they were finished in the rather subdued livery seen here, featuring a broad green bodyside band.

322483 races through Alresford station on 26 August 1991 with the 13:58 Clacton to Liverpool Street Network SouthEast service. At the end of the platform is the level crossing in the centre of Alresford village, which when this picture was taken still had its traditional gates. These were replaced by automatic barriers in 2008.

323218 slows down for the stop at Berkswell, whilst working the 16:34 Coventry to Wolverhampton Regional Railways service on 25 April 1996. This used to be one of the more readily available vantage points on the electrified lines in the Midlands. Easily accessible, as it just involved looking over the station car park fence! The view is still possible, but with more vegetation in the way.

325003 passes Slindon on 15 May 1997 with the 1S96 16:00 London to Glasgow mail. It had started out from the capital as a twelve coach formation, and has just dropped off the other two units at Stafford, one of which followed this (in dull conditions) with the 1F52 Stafford to Liverpool. The other unit travelled via Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester.

325008 Peter Howarth CBE leads classmates 325014 & 325013 past Barby Nortoft on 21 April 2010 with the 1S96 16:26 Willesden to Shieldmuir postal service. Thankfully after the demise of mail trains on the national network in 2004, the Class 325s only had to bide their time before another operator stepped in and reinstated a limited service, in this case First GBRf.

325009 crosses the River Esk at Metal Bridge (near Carlisle) on 17 May 2002 with the 5M89 11:18 Motherwell to Warrington ECS. This was running an hour late. The M6 motorway can just be seen in the background, crossing over the railway about a mile before the Scottish border.

325012 leads two unidentified classmates past Brock on 6 May 2008 with the 1M44 15:34 Shieldmuir to Warrington Royal Mail service. The competing mode of transport, the M6 motorway, is just behind the trees on the right. Just a few years previously it seemed like all mail traffic had been completely lost from the railways.

Brand new 331106 calls at Adwick station in the rain on 20 December 2019 with the 2B74 15:26 Doncaster to Leeds Northern service. The reason for standing in the rain at dusk was to photograph the LNER 1Z48 09:37 Edinburgh to Leeds 'HST Farewell' railtour, which was following just behind.

My first picture of a Class 332 Heathrow Express EMU, and in rural Gloucestershire of all places, well away from the 25kV overhead! 332005 is the second unit in a convoy passing Churcham on 8 December 2020, being hauled away for scrap by 66758 The Pavior, running as the 6X33 07:40 Old Oak Common EMU Depot to Newport Docks (Sims Group). After a ridiculously short life of a little over twenty years, and presumably with at least that much life left in them, it seems a shame that these units are going for scrap. Note the air brake pipe fed through the unit's windows.

A superb cloudscape at Althorp on 11 January 2014, as 350103 heads westwards with the 1Y27 11:13 Euston to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. The train is approaching the site of Althorp Park station, which closed in 1960.

A pair of unbranded Class 350s pass Barby Nortoft on 2 June 2020 with the 1Y19 14:15 Euston to Birmingham New Street London Northwestern Railway service. 350103 & 350125 look a lot smarter than London North Western's dark green and grey liveried units, a pair of which passed here an hour later.

350104 & 350114 pass Church Lawford on 20 April 2009 with the 09:53 Birmingham New Street to Euston London Midland service. These dual voltage units are gradually replacing Class 321s on services to the Midlands.

350104 passes a reminder of a bygone age, as it passes a long disused lineside platelayer's hut near Church Brampton on 22 September 2010. It is working the 1U32 13:33 Crewe to Euston London Midland service. 

Consecutively numbered 350107 & 350108 pass Easenhall on 2 November 2020 with the 1U28 11:33 Crewe to Euston London Northwestern Railway service. After driving to this location in mostly sunny conditions, annoyingly the sun then largely disappeared, this being one of the few trains that passed in some fleeting sunshine!

Running 27 minutes late, 350108 & 350265 pass Slindon on 10 July 2022 with the 1U35 12:43 Euston to Crewe London Northwestern Railway service. The leading vehicle of 350108 is covered in rail safety advice vinyls.

In its rather plain livery, devoid of all branding, 350109 passes Watford (on the Northampton loop line) on 21 September 2006 with the 14:48 Birmingham New Street to Northampton Central Trains service. Gradually with the acquisition of these units by London Midland the following year, a more distinctive livery was applied.

350113 is miles away from the overhead wires, as it is dragged past Norton Junction on 2 August 2021 by 37611 Pegasus. It was returning from repairs at Long Marston, and was running as the 5Q91 14:30 Long Marston to Northampton EMU Depot.

While a tractor passes over the bridge in the background, 350114 heads south past Dunston on 29 January 2011 with the 09:43 Stafford to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. Photo taken from a conveniently positioned footbridge.

New and old liveries at Blisworth on 27 February 2022. 350116 & 350250 head towards London with the late running 1U92 11:23 Crewe to Euston London Northwestern Railway service. I don't think the leading unit's new livery is an improvement!

350117 & 350233 sweep round the curve at Banbury Lane on 7 August 2020 with the 1U24 09:33 Crewe to Euston London Northwestern Railway service. The farm on the right is named Anchor Farm, presumably in connection with the adjacent Grand Union Canal.

It is highly unlikely that this class of unit will ever be able to move under its own power at this location! 25kV EMU 350123 traverses the Cotswold Line on 1 June 2019 behind 37608 Andromeda. The 5Q94 09:52 Northampton to Long Marston ECS is pictured here passing Stoulton.

On a very nearly cloudless 20 April 2009, 350126 passes under the bridge that carries the footpath from Easenhall to Cathiron over the West Coast Mainline. It is working the 1U32 12:33 Crewe to Euston London Midland service. Lineside bushes make photography a little difficult here, so I don't know what the driver thought of someone standing on a stepladder in the middle of the field!

350127 leads an unidentified classmate past Barby Nortoft on 14 October 2023 with the 1Y41 13:54 Euston to Birmingham New Street London Northwestern service. The maize field on the right may soon be lost under more development.

Lovely soft evening lighting at Church Brampton on 22 September 2010 as 350129 passes by with the 1U41 15:46 Euston to Crewe London Midland service. Virtually all passenger services on the Northampton loop line are operated by these Siemens built units. Divided into two subclasses, the principal difference being that Class 350/1s were initially dual voltage, whilst the 350/2 variant is 25kV only. The 750v DC collector shoe arm can just been on the leading bogie of 350129, the actual pickup shoes having been removed.

350232 & 350237 pass Wootton Green on 20 April 2009 with the 14:54 Euston to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. I was standing on the stump of recently pollarded ash tree to take this picture, which added a bit of useful height. Otherwise at this location the field on the right is considerably lower than the track and therefore useless for photography.

350234 passes Barby Nortoft on 4 April 2015 with the 2Y60 11:14 Birmingham New Street to Northampton London Midland service. It is passing the partially completed extension to the Daventry International Railfreight Terminal (DIRFT) warehousing complex.

350236 passes through the Northamptonshire countryside near Church Brampton on 22 September 2010 with the 2Y14 14:53 Birmingham New Street to Euston London Midland service. The railway here is following the wide valley of the Brampton Brook.

350237 passes Ledburn on 25 November 2016 with the 2K30 13:47 Milton Keynes Central to Euston London Midland service. Just visible in the background is the concrete bridge carrying the recently constructed A4146 Leighton Buzzard bypass over the railway.

350240 passes Barby Nortoft on 21 April 2010 with the 17:56 Northampton to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. This is a well known photographer's viewpoint, to the extent that there are two carefully crafted holes in the roadside hedge - one for each direction!

350241 & 350129 pass Barby Nortoft on 2 June 2020 with the 2Y69 15:38 Northampton to Birmingham New Street London Northwestern Railway service. The leading unit retains the old London Midland colours, while the rear unit has been completely debranded in preparation for the new livery.

350247 & 350244 speed past Milton Malsor on 22 March 2012 with the 1U32 12:33 Crewe to Euston London Midland service. Even though this is only mid afternoon, the sun is already getting very soft. Shortly afterwards the high cloud got so bad that it was time to go home!

350247 passes Soulbury on 25 November 2016 with the 2K24 10:47 Milton Keynes Central to Euston London Midland service. Although 25kV overhead lines are hardly ever photogenic, this particularly location has got a lot less photogenic in recent years!

As a local taxi drives over the roadbridge at Honeybourne on 24 February 2018, 350253 passes underneath, being hauled towards Long Marston for corrosion repairs behind 37601 Perseus. The train is the 5Q94 08:55 Northampton EMD to Long Marston.

After receiving corrosion repairs at Long Marton, 25kV EMU 350255 is hauled back to its home depot on 24 February 2018 by 37601 Perseus, running as the 5Q95 13:30 Long Marston to Northampton EMD. It is picture here passing round the back of Honeybourne station, while the passengers from the 1P51 12:13 Hereford to Paddington GWR HST cross the station's footbridge.

One twenty-ninth of the Class 350 fleet! 350261, 350265 & 350255 run along the up relief line at Ledburn on 19 April 2017 with the 2K08 06:48 Milton Keynes Central to Euston London Midland service. These units entered traffic in 2008, replacing Class 321 units.

There was severe disruption to rail services in the Northampton area on the afternoon of 31 July 2020, with numerous passenger services cancelled due, apparently, to power supply problems. This resulted in several very short term plan empty stock moves. One such was the 5U34 16:10 Rugby to Euston ECS, seen here passing the Rosebay Willowherb on the approach to Crick Tunnel, running 15 minutes late. 350261 retains the old London Midland livery, while 35103 at the rear is in the new London Northwestern colour scheme.

350368 & 350376 pass Barby Nortoft on 2 June 2020 with the 1Y21 15:15 Euston to Birmingham New Street London Northwestern Railway service. At this time there was mix of old, new and unbranded Class 350 units in use, running in various combinations.

350373 & 350240 pass Bugbrooke on 7 August 2020 with the 1U28 11:33 Crewe to Euston London Northwestern Railway service. The Grand Union Canal runs parallel with the railway here, the trees on the right marking its course.

This is a location that I had been meaning to visit for many years, but it appears that I left it just a bit too late, as the recently installed totally over engineered and intrusive palisade fence hardly adds to the view! 350376 passes Gayton on 19 March 2018 with the 1U39 14:46 Euston to Crewe West Midlands Trains service.

Very unusual rolling stock in the Oxford area. 360205 brings up the rear of the late running 5Q74 10:23 Old Oak Common EMU Depot to Bicester MoD GBRf stock move at Islip on 11 February 2021. Along with classmate 360204, it is being taken for storage at Bicester by 37608 Andromeda. Yet again another class of EMU, where my first sighting is it being towed away from its former area of operation!

365509 & 365520 pass Langford with the 09:15 Peterborough to Kings Cross First Capital Connect service on 12 May 2008. next stop Stevenage. This seems to be a very strange variation of the First corporate livery, with small blurred coloured lines as part of the design. The 'smiley face' front end design originates from when the class was fitted with cab air conditioning.

365517 shows off its happy smiling face as it passes Offord Cluny on 16 August 2007 with the 11:44 Peterborough to Kings Cross First Capital Connect service. This picture is taken from a well used public footpath crossing, which admittedly gives a better view of northbound trains.

365530 passes the site of Tempsford station on 5 April 2014 with the 2P04 07:36 Kings Cross to Peterborough First Capital Connect service. The station (between Sandy and St Neots) closed in 1956, but the goods shed still survives. It can be seen here, along with other new buildings that now occupy the site, which is now in industrial use.

A candidate for the longest name on any piece of rolling stock? 365536 Rufus Barnes Chief Executive of London Travel Watch for 25 Years passes Langford with the 08:16 Peterborough to Kings Cross First Capital Connect service on 12 May 2008.

With its Daniel Edwards (1974-2010) Cambridge Driver vinyl nameplate clearly visible above the leading bogie, 365537 speeds past Tempsford on 5 April 2014 with the 1P09 08:09 Peterborough to Kings Cross First Capital Connect service

Still smiling now? The 'happy face' of 365540's front end is definitely inappropriate, as it is dragged off to be scrapped on 20 January 2022 by 37800 Cassiopeia. The working is the 5Q76 05:31 Doncaster Belmont Down Yard to Newport Docks (Sims Group), pictured here passing Grove footpath crossing. The unit is wearing the debranded livery of Great Northern, who operated a fleet of Class 365s until May 2021. Here we see a Great Northern unit travelling via the Great Western on its final journey. This seems like a waste, as surely an EMU should last longer than 27 years.

3002 speeds past Sevington in fine evening light on 3 June 2013 with the 9I49 16:56 Bruxelles Midi to St Pancras International service. This was my first visit to Kent since the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was completed. Ironically I already have a picture of this particular Eurostar set, just a little further to the west, over a decade earlier, and running on the 750V DC third rail.

Not having stopped at Ashford International, 3213 is probably travelling at or near line speed (186mph) as it passes Sevington on 3 June 2013 with the 9O44 17:31 St Pancras International to Paris Nord service. A big improvement on the 100mph that was the maximum possible when these trains operated on the classic 750V DC third rail lines on the left.

Unfortunately I have very few pictures of Eurostars on the East Coast Main Line, as during their brief period of operation on the route, I was busy chasing the rapidly diminishing ranks of Class 37s and other classic traction. However, here is 3311 leading the 09:10 Kings Cross to Leeds service through Adwick-le-Street on a very dull 8 March 2003.

4006 & 4005 approach North Downs Tunnel on 18 July 2021 with the 9I45 13:47 Amsterdam Centraal to St Pancras International Eurostar service. An example to domestic operators - immaculately clean and four minutes early!

My first picture of one of Eurostar's European loading gauge Class 374 sets. 4008 & 4007 speed past Sellindge on 18 July 2021 with the 9O24 12:31 St Pancras International to Paris Nord service. The introduction of these units has unfortunately led to the scrapping of a number of the earlier Class 373 units, which are clearly too long to be deployed on any other routes.

4030 & 4029 pass Sellindge on 18 July 2021 with the 9O31 13:10 Paris Nord to St Pancras International Eurostar service, one of just three up trains using this section of HS1 on this Sunday. This is a real transport corridor, with the relatively new HS1 bordered by the classic third rail Dover to Ashford line, and the M20 motorway.

377206 & 377208 pass Ledburn on 19 April 2017 with the 2O15 07:01 Milton Keynes Central to East Croydon Southern service. This train obviously has to use the unit's dual voltage capacity, switching from 25kV AC to 750V DC in the Shepherds Bush area.

377208 speeds past Chelmscote on 27 March 2012 with the 2M41 14:10 East Croydon to Milton Keynes Southern service. The Class 377's dual voltage capability allows this Southern interloper to venture into 25kV territory. The nature of this dual voltage service has shifted to the north over the years, as it previously ran from Brighton to Watford Junction, using Class 319 units.

377703 passes Ledburn on Friday 25 November 2016 with the 2O47 14:13 Milton Keynes Central to East Croydon Southern service. The Met Office had been predicting a totally sunny day right from the start of the week, so for once their medium range forecast was completely accurate!

Heathrow Express in the Thames Valley! 387131 is dragged past Culham at speed on 5 June 2020 by 37608 Andromeda. The unit was being moved to Oxford for short term storage, running as the 5Q84 13:16 Ilford EMU Depot to Oxford Up Carriage Sidings.

387145, 387171 & 387144 pass South Marston on 12 May 2021 with the 1A53 08:40 Swindon to Paddington GWR service. These EMUs had only started working from Swindon the day before, as a partial replacement for the IET fleet, which had all been withdrawn so that they could be inspected for underframe cracks. Despite what the politicians told us, we all knew that the Class 800 & 802s were a barely adequate replacement for the iconic HSTs, but nobody expected the whole lot to be grounded within a few years!

387146 & 387143 pass Uffington on 10 May 2021 with the 5Z06 12:30 Swindon to Didcot Parkway crew training special. Due to the Class 800 fiasco, guards were being quickly trained in order to use these EMUs on services to the west of Didcot for the first time. Despite the fact that virtually all passenger trains on this line were cancelled, and therefore there was masses of free line capacity, this still managed to run 19 minutes late.

25kV electfrication has finally come to the Didcot to London line, and Class 387 EMUs have ousted Class 165 & 166 DMUs from local services on the route. 387149 & 387169 arrive at Cholsey station on 16 February 2018 with the 2P47 13:03 Didcot Parkway to Paddington GWR service.

Dull green and bright red at Challow on 6 October 2021. GWR 387150 leads hired in Gatwick Express 387203 with the 9L43 10:19 Bristol Parkway to Paddington service. The forecast was for a completely sunny morning, so all that cloud building up in the west was a bit of a surprise!

Yet again I have photographed 387150, with a more colourful hired in Gatwick Express unit on the back! The red livery of 387206 can just be glimpsed through bushes, as the 9U54 12:12 Paddington to Bristol Parkway GWR service speeds past Grove on 17 November 2021.

387163, 387153 & 387169 pass Uffington on 14 June 2022 with the 3P79 06:23 Swindon Cocklebury to Didcot Parkway GWR ECS. This is one of three such empty stock workings that waste resources every weekday morning, because of a lack of electrified siding storage space at Didcot.

387154 & 387161 pass Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 7 September 2021 with the 9L43 10:19 Bristol Parkway to Paddington GWR service. Whereas years ago the ideal photographic spot for eastbound trains was from the bridge in the background, since electrification, a long walk is required for this less obstructed view.

387156 & 387145 pass Denchworth on 23 January 2023 with the late running 1L13 09:50 Cardiff Central to Paddington GWR service. Note that the farmer has left a wide area of the field next to the line uncultivated.

387158 calls at Cholsey station on 16 February 2018 with the 2P50 13:32 Didcot Parkway to Paddington GWR service. The quaint Great Western Railway brick station buildings have unfortunately now been dominated by tons of extremely ugly ironmongery.

Unfortunately not the hired in red livered Gatwick Express unit that I was hoping for, but just a pair of dull GWR green ones. 387158 & 387160 pass Grove on 20 September 2021 with the 9L43 10:19 Bristol Parkway to Paddington service.

What a pity they weren't the other way round! Drab dark green 387159 leads bright red 387204 past Compton Beauchamp on 24 August 2021 with the 9U66 17:12 Paddington to Bristol Parkway GWR service. 387204 is on hire to GWR, and still retains its colourful Gatwick Express livery, albeit with the branding removed.

387162 passes Ufton Nervet on 21 June 2024 with the 2K32 08:03 Reading to Newbury GWR service. The remains of the former level crossing can be seen in the foreground. This is my first visit to this location since the replacement road bridge was installed. The wires and the shadows from the gantry mean that a going away picture such as this offers the only unobstructed view.

GWR ran a series of additional London to Swindon trains on Sunday 10 October 2021, using three Class 387 EMUs in multiple. 387166, 387163 & 387169 are pictured passing Uffington with the 1Z04 14:30 Paddington to Swindon service. A twelve coach train seems a bit excessive for a Sunday.

387167 & 387170 pass Challow on 29 November 2021 with the 9L43 10:19 Bristol Parkway to Paddington GWR service. A pity one of the hired in Gatwick Express red units wasn't being used on this sunny morning, but the stunning wintry conditions make up for it.

387167 & 387166 pass South Marston on 28 September 2024 with the 1A66 10:25 Swindon to Paddington to GWR service. Note the dark clouds in the background, which would soon move in this direction and put out the lights!

In addition to the Class 800 EMUs, the Great Western Mainline through the Vale of White Horse now sees some Class 387 trains. 387171 & 387158 pass Uffington on 23 June 2021 with the 9L43 10:19 Bristol Parkway to Paddington GWR service.

Because of a lack of electrified siding storage at Didcot, every weekday there are three early morning Swindon to Didcot GWR EMU empty stock workings, with corresponding return workings late at night. On the misty morning of 15 July 2019, 387172 & 387174 pass Uffington with the 5P06 05:40 Swindon Cocklebury to Didcot Parkway ECS, running 12 minutes early.

I have finally managed to get a picture of one of the hired in Gatwick Express Class 387 EMUs on the front of a GWR train! 387203 & 387150 approach Challow on 6 October 2021 with the 9U54 12:12 Paddington to Bristol Parkway service.

Brand new and still unbranded 387305 & 387306 pass Soulbury on 25 November 2016 with the 10:30 Wembley to Crewe mileage accumulation test run. There was no chance of a conventional picture here, due both to the severe backlighting, and the obstructed view from the bridge, so this is the going away shot.

What is the most unusual location to see a Class 390 Pendolino? How about inside the Army Depot at Ashchurch! Three brand new bodyshells, including a DMRF driving car are propped up on stands inside the army camp on 22 July 2001. These bodyshells were constructed in Italy by Fiat Ferroviaria, and were en-route for final assembly at Alstom, Washwood Heath. Photo taken from the public road, with the lens poking through a convenient hole in the fence!

390001 passes Banbury Lane on 27 February 2022 with the 1A10 10:01 Preston to Euston Avanti West Coast service. Note the 'Bee Together' heart motif below the windscreen. This was retained from when the unit was in Virgin West Coast livery.

390004 speeds past Wootton Green on 20 April 2009 with the 14:45 Wolverhampton to Euston Virgin West Coast service. Note the lorry in the background unloading its cargo at the woodchip factory situated adjacent to the a452 Leamington Spa to Birmingham road. This picture is taken from a very quiet farm occupation bridge.

Wearing the special Alstom Pendolino livery, to mark the partnership between Virgin Trains and the unit's designers, 390004 races past Chelmscote on 27 March 2012 with the 1H69 14:40 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin Trains service.

390005 passes Church Lawford on 20 April 2009 with the 1B12 09:50 Birmingham New Street to Euston Virgin West Coast service. Not as good as a loco hauled train, but a lot more stylish than most other classes of EMU.

390006 races past Bugbrooke on 7 August 2020 with the 1A29 11:35 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Avanti West Coast service. The great mass of cloud visible in the background would soon sweep southwards, turning the sunny morning into a dull afternoon, but not doing much about the excessive temperatures!

390007 passes Brock on 6 May 2008 with the 1M17 15:10 Glasgow Central to Euston Virgin Trains service. Just beyond the trees is the M6 motorway, where the traffic is travelling at only a little over half the Pendolino's speed!

390009 passes Gayton on 19 March 2018 with the 1F19 15:07 Euston to Liverpool Lime Street Virgin Trains service. I'm not sure whether this new livery is an improvement or not, as apart from the white obviously being more difficult to keep clean, the graphics on the red area actually look like streaks of dirt from a distance!

390011 passes Ledburn on 19 April 2017 with the 1R02 05:05 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Virgin Trains service. Even something as mundane as a Pendolino looks OK in the low spring sunshine at just after 7am!

Catching the evening sun, 390013 passes Wootton Green (near Balsall Common) with the 15:23 Euston to Wolverhampton Virgin West Coast service. Not quite a substitute for the former Class 86 & 87 loco hauled trains, but more photogenic than the majority of units.

Tilting into the curve at 125mph, 390013 passes Chelmscote on 27 March 2012 with the (presumably) 1A31 11:55 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Virgin Trains service. Such is the frequency of Pendolinos on this section of track, that this identification is only accurate if they are running in the correct sequence!

390016 passes a field of sheep at Barby Nortoft on 14 October 2023, as it heads towards London with the 1A56 14:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Avanti West Coast service. The rear of 390122, working the 1H27 14:48 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly train can just be seen in the background.

390022 leans into the curve at Lowgill on 6 September 2004, as it speeds southwards with the 14:10 Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street Virgin West Coast service. The Pendolinos had only just started operating Scottish services when this picture was taken.

In 2006, 390029 was 'decorated' with vinyls to mark the release of the film 'Superman Returns'. In this guise it is pictured passing Watford (near Northampton) with the 14:45 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Virgin West Coast service on 21 September 2006. I'm not sure whether its an improvement or not, but from a distance it definitely looks like a graffiti attack by vandals!

390038 City of London rushes past Easenhall on 20 April 2009 with the 1A32 12:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Virgin Trains service. Photo taken next to a footbridge, which would normally be the choice of viewpoint, but which of course is no help on an overhead electrified line.

390039 Lady Godiva passes Easenhall on 2 November 2020 with the 1A26 10:55 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston service. Note the Coventry flag on the unit's nose. 390039 received the new Avanti West Coast livery a few days later.

Looking smart in its recently applied Avanti West Coast livery, 390043 sweeps round the curve at Banbury Lane (near Bugbrooke) on 7 August 2020 with the late running 1A21 09:55 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston service. The sign below the second coach marks the site of the former level crossing.

390044 passes Bradnock's Marsh (near Berkswell) on 4 September 2011 with the 1B70 16:50 Birmingham New Street to Euston Virgin Trains service. Photo taken from a footbridge that links the A452 dual carriageway with Bradnock's Marsh Lane.

390047 sweeps round the curve near the site of Banbury Lane level crossing with the 09:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Virgin West Coast service on 22 April 2009. 390047 originally carried the name Virgin Atlantic but was renamed Heaven's Angels on 22 September 2006 as part of a non-stop Glasgow Central to London record speed attempt.

Prior to Avanti West Coast taking over from Virgin Trains in December 2019, a large number of the Class 390 fleet received this plain white livery. 390047 passes Cathiron on 21 December 2019 with the 1A39 13:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston service.

Unbranded 390049 passes Barby Nortoft on 2 June 2020 with the 1S82 16:10 Euston to Glasgow Central Avanti West Coast service. The new operator is certainly doing a good job in keeping their stock clean, as the notoriously difficult to keep clean white livery looks immaculate here.

With poppy logos on the side and front, and with 'We Will Remember Them' written on the nose, 390103 speeds past Soulbury on 25 November 2016 with the 1A16 08:55 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Virgin Trains service. The Network Rail compound in the foreground is not the only new addition since I was last here, many years ago. Just off to the left, and running parallel with the railway is the new A4146 dual carriageway.

Nobody can complain that this train isn't colourful enough! 'Pride' liveried 390119 heads away from the camera at Banbury Lane on 27 February 2022 with the late running 1F12 10:16 Euston to Liverpool Lime Street Avanti West Coast service. This train was booked to travel via Northampton loop, but presumably the late running saw it sent this way.

390122 Penny the Pendolino passes Banbury Lane (near Bugbrooke) on 7 August 2020 with the 1A26 10:55 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Avanti West Coast service. This is one of two Class 390s that have been adorned with a yellow 'mask' nose, and 'Safe travels (sic). Wear a face covering' wording along the side of the driving vehicles. This is to highlight the fact that wearing face masks is mandatory on public transport, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Passing Pendolinos at Ledburn on 25 November 2016. 390124 heads north with the 9G23 13:23 Euston to Birmingham New Street Virgin Trains service, passing 390114 heading in the opposite direction with the 1B46 12:50 Birmingham New Street to Euston. Just where the line disappears from view is the site of Sears Crossing, where a gang of robbers stopped the up TPO in the early hours of 8 August 1963, in what has become known as the Great Train Robbery.

Running a commendable four minutes early, 390125 sweeps round the reverse curves at Slindon on 10 July 2022 with the 1S69 13:28 Euston to Glasgow Central Avanti West Coast service. 390125 is an appropriate number for a unit whose top speed is 125mph.

390138 approaches Blisworth on 27 February 2022 with the 1A17 11:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Avanti West Coast service. The red signal on the left indicates that the late running 1F14 11:58 Euston to Liverpool Lime Street has only just passed by.

'Business is Great' liveried 390151 passes Ledburn on 25 November 2016 with the 1B50 13:30 Birmingham New Street to Euston Virgin Trains service. The spire of All Saints church, Leighton Buzzard can just be seen in front of the train.

'Business is Great', but train cleaning is not as great! Rather dirty 390151 speeds past Gayton on 19 March 2018 with the 9G29 15:23 Euston to Birmingham New Street Virgin Trains service. With trains passing every few minutes, the sheep are totally used to the sporadic noise.

White is not really a very good colour choice for the railway environment, as it is so difficult to keep clean. However, not only is this colour scheme considerably better than some hideous modern liveries, but Avanti West Coast generally seem to do an excellent job at keeping their stop gap white liveried Pendolinos in immaculate condition. 390151 passes Banbury Lane (near Bugbrooke) on 7 August 2020 with the 1M08 07:33 Glasgow Central to Euston service.

390152 passes Banbury Lane (near Bugbrooke) on 7 August 2020 with the 1A24 10:35 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston Avanti West Coast service. The operator's new livery is basically confined to the two driving vehicles.

395018 & 395014 emerge from the two mile long North Downs Tunnel on 18 July 2021 with the 1J42 15:12 St Pancras International to Margate Southeastern service. This was running 20 minutes late, and due to a points failure would terminate at Ramsgate, by which time it was 57 minutes behind time. Note the special 'Victory Javelin' red poppy additions to the livery of 395018, marking the hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War in 2018.

395022 approaches North Downs Tunnel on 18 July 2021 with the 1J49 15:55 Margate to St Pancras International Southeaster service. This picture is taken from a bridge that carries a much older route over this new railway. The Pilgrim's Way is a prehistoric trackway, that in medieval times was a route to Canterbury Cathedral.

700043 approaches Sandy on 2 October 2019 with the late running 9J39 13:54 Peterborough to Horsham Govia Thameslink Railway service. These new units are too sophisticated for their own good, as when a National Grid problem in August 2019 caused the grid frequency to fall below 49Hz, they failed en-masse! Even worse, over half required a technician to come to their aid to get them started again!

Adding a splash of colour to what is otherwise a very plain colour scheme, Pride liveried 700155 approaches Sandy on 2 October 2019 with the 9J37 13:24 Peterborough to Horsham Govia Thameslink Railway service.

London Overground 710272 passes the remains of Widmerpool station on 19 March 2020, as it heads north along the Old Dalby test track, during commissioning testing. This isolated station closed as early as 1949, and its station building was converted into a restaurant in the 1960s, with various modern single storey extensions sprawling out onto the old platform. As can be seen from this view, it is no longer in use. Note the waiting shelter on the opposite platform. Despite waiting for over one and a half hours, I did not see this train return from the Edwalton end of the line.

Brand new 720540 & 720539 pass Easenhall on 2 November 2020 with the 5Q26 09:45 Wolverton Centre Sidings to Wolverton Centre Sidings mileage accumulation run. The units are destined for the Greater Anglia franchise.