The main aim for the trip was to experience Greater Anglia’s first-class product on their Norwich to London route (which will feature in a later blog), however it was also the perfect opportunity to review East Midland’s Trains Liverpool to Norwich route beyond Peterborough.

One thing I like about Birmingham New Street is that they display platform information well ahead of a train’s departure allowing you to get away from the shopping centre concourse and wait on the correct platform whilst watching the trains to pass the time. Given the timings of my day, and my advanced ticket allowing travel only on the 2025 service, this is exactly what I did and also gave me the opportunity to observe what I can only describe as a “Train Hokey Cokey”!

In early April an evening talk in the centre of Birmingham gave me the perfect opportunity to review one of the UK’s inter-city train operators, Virgin Trains.

A recent visit to my parents in Derbyshire provided the perfect opportunity to review the standard class facilities on two UK Train Operating Companies (TOCs), East Midlands Trains and CrossCountry.