Phil Richards

@philrichards.bsky.social

188 Followers 135 Following

35 years in the railway industry, now retired. Interests are Rail travel (UK/EU & N America), Prog Rock, Craft Beer.

Screenshot of a Facebook post for Forever Paris page. Paris is finally catching up with other major cities. Starting in July 2027, visitors will be able to tap a credit card directly on the turnstile to enter the metro, no ticket or transit app needed. The roll-out begins on Line 1, the east-west line that connects the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower area. By the end of 2027, Lines 4 and 14 will follow. Lines 12 and 7 are scheduled for 2028, with the full Paris metro network expected to be covered by 2030. The system will accept CB, Visa, and Mastercard, with up to five trips per card. Two things worth knowing before you plan around it. First, transfers won't be included, at least not right away. If you tap your card to enter on Line 1 at Chatelet and then want to board the RER A, you will need a separate ticket. The card system will only cover lines where it has already been deployed. Second, the price will be slightly higher than a standard metro ticket. Ile-de-France Mobilites, the regional transport authority, has confirmed an 80-cent surcharge per trip for metro, RER, and airport journeys. The system is designed primarily for occasional visitors, not commuters with transit passes. The buses are already there. Contactless card payment was introduced across 1,300 Paris buses in November 2025, with full bus network coverage expected by the end of this summer. The metro is the next step.
Screenshot of Facebook Messenger post from Eurostar: Hi Phil, The Entry/Exit System (EES) at St Pancras International station have been gradually introduced since from October 12, 2025, with selected passengers invited to participate in the new checks. By April 10, 2026, the system will be fully operational, and all eligible non-EU passengers will need to complete EES requirements every time they enter or leave the EU. Kind regards, Emma
Schengen EES terminals at St Pancras station close to the Thameslink area underneath the station departure board. This is zone A. Around 25 terminals. Locked up and terminals switched off. Two sets of shutter doors pulled down and the area is being used for storage of testator barriers.
Zone B EES terminals.
TCDD restaurant car menu posted on the wall.
A fish dinner - loads of anchovies, lemon wedges, French fries, salad, bread and water.
TCDD 4 car diesel train at Sivas before departure to Samsun.
Ada Express 5 car electric train set at Adapazari station.
Turkish train at Uzunköprü prior to departure for Istanbul.
Screenshot of KWS start page to gather information for age verification.
Additional information: A collapsed culvert means the line between Church Stretton and Craven Arms is closed whilst Network Rail teams complete the necessary repairs. The North Wales South Wales service, the Marches Line, and the Heart of Wales Line are all disrupted. You can find a map of the Transport for Wales network here. Check before you travel: If you are travelling today you can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner. If you are travelling on Sunday 27, Monday 28 or Tuesday 29 April you should check back nearer the time of travel as Transport for Wales are generally updating their timetables on a day to day basis.
The original photo uploaded to Flickr
Palermo airport bus at the bus station
Sign on the wall of Palermo bus station "Terminal Bus Palermo"
Trenitalia HTR412 train set in the platform at Taranto station.
Don't often have problems with accommodation on my travels, but not happy with how this property listed itself on booking com or even it's own site. No mention it was unstaffed or even a meet and greet by the owner. Instead, yesterday morning I get a WhatsApp message asking me to register my travel document (required by Italian law) online. Done that before, but the site needed three photos of my passport including one of me holding it up next to my face! Then the access "virtual key" to open the door from the street into the block, then from the landing into the property didn't work. This wasn't a straight forward door code, but reliant on a link and internet access to open the doors. Phoned the guy who spoke perfectly good English but insisted I used WhatsApp. Eventually he gave in and generated a new entry link and password which then worked. What a faff. Still once in, it was really nice. Better than most hotels at over twice the price and all for €45. "Traditional" hotels with a front desk etc I find in Italy can be quite pricey and in some places not that common. So many apartments and what they call B&Bs tucked away in apartments blocks which get listed on booking com https://lamaisondurelaxment.it/la-struttura/
Transport for Wales class 756 train in the platform at Merthyr Tydfil station.