Sunday Variety

Berlin Double Decker Underground

Yes it is utterly fake! One comment writer explains why.

Immerhin oben keine Türen für die Hochbahnsteige :-) , aber Scheinwerfer für den Luftraum.

So now we know!

Although this one is ludicrously obvious, the internet is full of fake photos and manipulated infirmation. Not all are easy to spot as fakes.

How about this, purporting to be operating in China?

We are not told how the cars, currently being overtaken (literally!) by the (?) train, manage to jump over the tracks. The train track does not exist behind the "unit". Perhaps it lays its own tracks, then picks up the rails after it has run over them?

Just plain silly!

Some News Snippets

Faster on Southern?

Sadly for commuters, but happily for those intermediate stations which will lose a train, it is only one peak journey in each direction, Monday to Friday.

Big Deal!

New Rubber Bands Fitted!

How long has it been?

Longer than you think!

Production of the trains began in December 2020, and the first train arrived at the Beckton depot in January 2023. In February 2023, the name of the trains was revealed to be B23 Stock. 

Live testing commenced in March 2023, with trains running during normal operating hours but without passengers. In June 2024, TfL announced that the introduction of the new trains was delayed, after experiencing "challenges" during testing. 

In February 2025, the majority of the new trains were being stored in Spain – as there was no available space to accommodate them at the Beckton depot, after expansion works were delayed when the Buckingham Group collapsed into administration in 2023.

In March 2025, testing of trains resumed, with TfL noting that 40 of the new trains had been completed. In August 2025, new trains began daytime testing, with a planned entry into service later in 2025.

But they ddn't!

There are a lot of fingers crossed at DLR HQ, at Transport for London HQ, at the Department of Transport, in Heidi Alexanders office and entourage of advisers; AND at ...

... Bessain in Basque Country.

That's a whole lot of mess, a huge amount of non-productive money and a vast number of dislocated fingers!

Why can't the UK buy trains that work? Why can't the UK companies make trains that work and are delivered on time!

Oh, they can, but the Spanish chappies offered to do a cheaper job.

QED!

Some Good News

Station Openings and Timeline

December 15, 2024: Initial launch of the line with services starting at Ashington and Seaton Delaval.

March 17, 2025: Newsham station opened.

October 19, 2025: Blyth Bebside station opened.

February 22, 2026: Northumberland Park station opened, providing a direct interchange with the Tyne and Wear Metro.

March 29, 2026: Bedlington station opened, completing the six-station route. 

fbb cannot quite match the news headline to the facts listed above, but however you look at it this reopening has been a huge success.

All stations are now open so the passenger numbers will continue to grow,

Here are the detailed statistics,

Passenger Growth Milestones

First 3 Months: Crossed 250,000 journeys.

8 Months (August 2025): Reached 500,000 journeys.

1 Year (December 2025): Surpassed 920,000 journeys.

January 2026: Officially topped 1 milliion.

Original Estimate: The initial business case from Northumberland Council projected about 600,000 passengers by the end of 2025.

Flix Flexes Its Muscles

Flix Train has ordered more trains with a view to expanding its open access services in Europe. More expansion is planned for Germany.

Eurostar is Frit

Tricky Dicky's reputation is well known!

Everyone says that competition is a good thing for "The Industry", except when it is competition against them!

Steps Sits Back In Amazement

The biggest shock news has broken recently from the Railway Industry, the biggest for months and months.

Thameslink is going to replace its hard and uncomfortable "ironing board" seats on all its Class 700 trains.

Only it isn't!

That would be horrendously expensive.

After a whole year's experimentation and consultation with passengers protesting about potentially painful posteriors, Thameslink is keeping the seats exactly the same ...

... but making the cover on the ironing boards just a little bit thicker.

Big deal!

Let There Be Light Part 2

Might these be the answer to the castle lights too bright sight?

Or will it just be the last straw for fbb's Bodge and Fudge approach?

More in due course.

 Next Gnats (?) blog: Monday 14th Sept