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Olly Womump

So, I went to . It was great. I rode bikes, the family came with me. They want to get there quickly. I want to go on trains. Classic compromise. We’ll fly out together, and I can get the train back if I like. Ok then. 1/n

We’re outdoors. There’s a mostly pink and purple three dimensional sign. The letters are about 120cm tall. It reads “ONLYLYON” with the perspective coming toward us, with O in the distance. The best end of the 3D word thing is a lion. Spray painted. Purpley pink. The sky is blue. The ground is beige gravel. A bush protrudes from behind the lion.
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Olly Womump

(Side note - I don’t usually fly anywhere. Trains is my thing. I like planes as an amazing thing that humans can do, but that’s another toot) 2/n

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Olly Womump

So, we spent a few days messing around in Lyon. I’ve been once before, il y a une trentaine des années, I realise. This time there wasn’t a fight in my youth hostel dorm in the middle of the night. So, today, I wave the family off on the Lyon 3/n

We’re underground. There’s a train. At a platform. It has white sides, grey doors and a red stripe along the top of the side. It appears to be full of people. A lady with yellow hair looks toward the camera. She’s waiting to board
It’s the same photo. I can’t work out how to delete it. Enjoy.
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Olly Womump

I was going to walk to Lyon Part Dieu station, but my bag was so heavy (it’s full of wine) that I decided to get the metro. Three stops, one change. The Lyon metro is great. Slightly dated, but trains every three minutes. It’s an awesome system. 4/n

A station concourse. A crowd stands in front of a bank of departure screens. The roof is very high, and slatted wood. A window at mezzanine level shows blue sky.
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Olly Womump

…my train was announced. I knew which voiture (carriage) and seat I was allocated. I’m used to the United Kingdom,but in France, the system works. The platform displays tell you exactly where each Voiture will be located. Try doing this in the UK, and, excuse the language, you may as well go fuck yourself, as nobody knows which end of the train is which. 5/n

A close up of an information screen. Landscape format. There’s a diagram of the train with carriages 01 to 08, sitting next to letter R S T U V. The letters correspond to platform zones, so you want carriage 8? It’ll be between U and V
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Olly Womump

The train arrives. It’s a double decker inOui . I love Trains à Grande Vitesse. Ever since I picked up a 00 gauge model of an orange one, back in the late ‘80s in Versaille. That’s how I learned the French word for second hand. It’s “occasion”. 6/n

A crowded platform, photographed from above head height. A white power car of a train is arriving from left to right. It’s not a great photo, but captures the atmosphere. So many people.
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Olly Womump

I don’t take photos in the train. It was _really busy_ but everybody had a seat. I was on the top deck, and the feeling of speed was wonderful. Here in the UK, 199kph is fast on the main line. This thing was hitting 300. It shifted. Lyon to Paris in two hours. The best bit? The train crew come round to check tickets, and announce their arrival with a cheery bonjour and the passengers mostly reply with a bonjour of their own. That would never happen here. 7/n

It’s the Gare de Lyon in Paris. The sky is blue. A white fence to the left. A double decker train to the left. The train appears grey with black rectangular windows. The passengers are walking away from the camera towards a typically French skyscape, which features mostly a domed, glazed station roof.
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Olly Womump

I follow the instructions of @seatsixtyone and mostly seamlessly find my way across Paris. It’s only two stops on the to the Gare du Nord. I’m not sure that I warmed to the RER. It’s the kind of train I’d imagine in a dystopian future. Double Deck loading gauge means loads of room, but it feels unwelcoming. Anyway, got me to the GdN, didn’t it. 8/n

Interior view of a train. The colour scheme is grey and blue. It feels dim. We’re looking across the train, diagonally toward and open door. The platform is visible. We’d underground. In the middle distance we see the grey doors of two lavatorys.
Olly Womump

I had 90 minutes connection time, which turned out to be plenty, but as usual, I was worried it wouldn’t be enough. The terminal is starting to show its age. Scruffy at the edges. (The one thing that I miss about the other place is following - I enjoyed his posts. Any equivalent on the fediverse?). Anyhow, we smashed our way through France. It’s a fair old dap… 9/n

A station platform. To the right is a blue train with a yellow stripe. It’s an e320 isn’t it?
A railway platform, viewed from inside a train. A grey and blue train is visible in the middle distance on the opposite platform. An arched canopy connects the viewer to the far train.
Apr 01, 2025, 07:00 PM·Public·Feditext
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Olly Womump

The e320s must have some kind of Faraday cage going on. My phone gps couldn’t pick up our location. We whizzed through the tunnel, and burst out into Kent. It’s different, isn’t it? Train workers in France are regarded as professionals, and valued by the passengers, but it’s not the same over here. What’s the difference? I can’t put my finger on it. 10/n

A view from inside the train of the portal to the channel tunnel. A circular tunnel entrance is visible to the right. We’re about to enter the left hand bore. Tell me if I’m boring you. The “Euro Tunnel” logo is visible, together with a stylised “30”. Is it really that old? No wonder the GdN is looking tired.
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Olly Womump

The St Pancras train shed is beautiful. I love the Emin words, the clock and the roof are just _chefskiss_ 11/n

A view looking down a glazed, arched train shed. There’s a grey and blue train on each side (e300 on the left, e320 on the right?) The far wall has a large analogue clock (4:06) and the pink leds of Tracey Emin’s sculpture which reads “I want my time with you” in handwriting.
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Olly Womump

I nip across town on the (not pictured) and end up at Paddington. I think, screw this, I’m going for an upgrade, and spin the wheel on , which grabs me a first class upgrade for £34. It’s a special occasion, so yeah, let’s do it. I rinse the first class lounge of all its red wine, have a shower, and take a massive dump in their clean lavs, and then check on . That shows the platform before it’s announced…12/n

A railway station platform. To the right is a dark green train, with “GWR” in tall silver letters.
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Olly Womump

…and i am whisked off into the sunset. I’ve been on time all day, but not any more. Currently stopped between Newps and the ‘Diff. If we were on time, we’d make it to Bridgend three minutes after the service had departed. Welcome home. /ends

We’re in a train looking out of the window. The sun is on the horizon. Some tosspot is holding a half bottle of champagne in the view. It’s “Charles Courance”. Actual champagne. The cheapest that they had in Carrefour City last night.
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Mike

@womump A recent post on Facebook by @seatsixtyone seems to indicate that he's now suggesting using the bus (route 91?) between Paris stations. The RER is horrid.

I always avoid Gare de Nord in Paris now - it's cramped and grubby. I'd rather travel on to Lille which is much more pleasant.

And, yes - where is #EurostarJustin when you need him?

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Olly Womump

@seatsixtyone @MikeFromLFE it was a toss-up between the Lille route and the Paris option. There was about three minutes difference in timings for the whole trip, but the costing was hugely in Paris’ favour. Agree tho. Lille for the win.

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Oliver Blanthorn

@MikeFromLFE personally I'm a big fan of taking the line 5 from Nord to Austerlitz, spending an hour or so in the marvellous Jardin des Plantes and then walking across the bridge to the Gare de Lyon before my train goes. and vice versa

if you have longer the comparative anatomy museum is absolutely fascinating

Lille would be great if they fixed the timetables/capacity but those are not things France is generally very good at

@womump

cheeky dino while i was waiting for my train
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Olly Womump

@MikeFromLFE @bovine3dom that’s a great tip, thanks. I’m here for random Paris diversions and cheeky dinos.

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Rémi Cardona

@MikeFromLFE @womump @seatsixtyone Bus 91 is a great option (above ground, frequent) but from Lyon to Nord, the bus lane is pretty bad so it can get stuck in traffic.

The RER, however depressing and grim, is usually a much safer and speedier bet.

Line 5 ("Quai de la Rapée" is 500m from Gare de Lyon) is another option. But as with most of the historic metro lines, accessibility is dreadful.

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Johan Empa

@womump Don't know what Eurostar Justin is focused on, but a person that do post a lot of train stuff is @jon

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