iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

2½yrs on the Railway today! 🎉 Oh bloody hell I see what everyone means about time going so quickly now! It was only yesterday that I started, right? Let's see how much further this career will really take me ☺️

Me, a 6ft white male in purple uniform, standing up with a trolley inside a Class 810 train

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 04/10/2026

In celebration, have some of my photos from over the years of HST services in Britain. From tip of Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland, I've covered thousands of miles on these wonderful trains, and long may that continue into the future 😊

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 04/10/2026

50 years of HSTs! As I came into St Pancras from Sheffield, I saw the 125Group's "Rio Warrior" tour for Manchester Piccadilly departing Platform 2. What a brilliant sight indeed! I still miss these wonderful trains coming in and out of London, half a century is admirable!

An Intercity 125 train departing London St Pancras train station in Intercity executive livery

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 25/09/2026

After 8 days in a row at work, it's time for a well deserved long weekend with @pacerclara.insanity.tube ☺️ If you've never done the TfW Dining Train, what are you doing? It was absolutely divine as always! The best dining train we have in Britain by a long shot. 67017 wins as well 😁

A Class 67 train at Cardiff Central station

A girl in a blue jumper and a boy in a yellow and blue shirt with meals on a train with a train station out the window

A pair of Black Forest Trifles, one of them has cherries

A view out the window of the river Usk and Newport

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 10/09/2026

Saw a post about Thameslink seats and happened to be in London Can confirm: the new design (right) is definitely better than the old. The second photo gives you an idea of just how much more padding there is The only issue is if you're a few feet taller than me, you might catch the headrest 😅

Two seats on display, the left has less padding than the right

A close up of two seats, the nearer one doesn't have much padding in the middle but the far one had more padding and a headrest

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 09/09/2026

Stumbled upon a shiny new DLR train yesterday! They're very nice trains indeed, much more spacious than the trains they'll replace. Mind the acceleration and braking is a bit on the bumpy side, but I'm aware they're still tweaking and fine tuning bits and bobs

A B23 stock DLR train at Stratford International DLR station

A B23 stock DLR train at Canning Town DLR station

The wheelchair area of the B23 DLR train with two bays for chairs with red call for aid buttons

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 09/09/2026

As they usually say on the day, "on it!" 🙂‍↕️ Would've been an excellent run had we not followed everything south of Peterborough 😅

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 01/09/2026

After 12 days off to unwind, I'm back on the Iron Road once more Have a line up of Meridians at St Pancras at about 10am. These 125mph workhorses are here to stay for a while

A trio of Class 222 front noses viewed from the side at St Pancras

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 31/08/2026

Please be Stadler, please be Stadler, please be Stadler etc etc

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 30/08/2026

I can find a 1749 in older timetables if that's what you're aiming for? In one iteration, it has a really strange Nee Cross call, but not London Bridge!

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 22/08/2026

What better way to use a Summer Saturday than doing the "Inter7City Circle" Edinburgh - Aberdeen - Inverness - Stirling with @pacerclara.insanity.tube all on I7C's before the clock starts counting down for good. Love these trains so much, even if they admittedly need to be in a retirement home! 😅

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 20/08/2026

Worked to London, worked back to Sheffield, now for 11 days off! 😍 Have a view of the future at St Pancras from last Sunday, three 810s lined up ready for duty. It'll be weird when this is the norm, but there's still a long way to go yet

Three Class 810 Aurora trains lined up at St Pancras train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 15/08/2026

No fires or disposable barbecues on the 2132 back home, everyone must've got the message

A Class 810 Aurora train at Sheffield train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/08/2026

"Please hold the line, the resource centre wishes to speak with you" Copped an easy London and back off spare today, Pioneer 101 as my train for the day. Not the most well behaved, but it did the job at least Despite everything, just plodding along day by day. What else can you do after all?

A Class 222 Meridian train at Sheffield train station at night

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 06/08/2026

August throughout the years 🗓️ 2023: A GWR Castle at Newquay replacing an IET as far as Plymouth during a unit shortage 2022: 313201 "Big Blue" arrives into Littlehampton 2021: A 313 and 158 share island platforms 1 and 2 at Brighton 2020: 86639 passes Highbury and Islington

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 03/08/2026

2 months after my last visit, I've finally been back in Scotland with @pacerclara.insanity.tube again! 😊 Last week, we tried out Lumo's Meridian from Motherwell to Stirling, taking a 222 in Scotland felt very strange! The former First coaches are decent Seemingly empty after Motherwell though

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 25/07/2026

My 1000 to St Pancras was being held up on its way into Sheffield today, but I didn't mind because look how stunning it was! 😍 How I wished we could've pinched it for my ten o'clock! I need to find an excuse to do the 125 Group's set again

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 22/07/2026

Yesterday I visited Cambridge South What a fascinating new build! If I was still doing my A Level Photography, this would probably have ended up in there I really like it! I could've probably stayed another hour just taking photos of it all 😊

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 16/07/2026

Reasons to railway job cat 😺 Hope this helps

A white cat with grey patches and light blue eyes in a black travel cage on a table

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 08/07/2026

From factory to service I worked 810022 for the first time today after seeing it in Newton Aycliffe whilst it was still being manufactured. A fun full circle moment. It behaved brilliantly which was a bonus

A nearly complete Class 810 driving vehicle inside a factory

A Class 810 train and Class 222 train at London St Pancras train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 03/07/2026

Yesterday, I tried out the Railjet for the first time in First What an impressive train! 9 hours to Zurich from Vienna went by very quickly! Lovely staff, extraordinary views, excellent good and @pacerclara.insanity.tube's lovely company made it a brilliant journey ☺️

A Railjet train arriving into Vienna Hbf train station

A plate with schnitzel and potatoes with a glass of water and cutlery on a large tray table

The black leather first class seats inside the Railjet train with red headrests

A hamlet of houses on green turf surrounded by mountains on two sides

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 01/07/2026

For those who say all trains in Europe are much better and on time, may I introduce you to my first ever Austrian train Expected arrival into Vienna, 3hrs late at gone half 1 in the morning after a different train failed on a single line I really haven't had luck on my side 🥲

A corridor of an Austrian train carriage

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 30/06/2026

It's amazing who you get to know and meet out there! Got to meet the wonderful @lorainedoesthings.bsky.social who drove my train to Utrecht Centraal from Amsterdam Centraal incredibly smoothly Dutch and British railways in one photo 😁

Lorraine, a 5ft 9 white lady with black hair and yellow high vis next to Will, 6ft white man with yellow and blue top in a train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 30/06/2026

785 minutes behind schedule, finally made it to Amsterdam 1 direct train ended up taking 6 different trains...... Great success 😭

A VIRM train at Amsterdam Central station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 30/06/2026

Hello from Amsterdam Centraal... or perhaps not Not the smoothest start to a European trip. Spent an extra night in London after the 1804 was cancelled yesterday only to be terminated short at Brussels on the first one this morning 🫠 Eurostar have been rather unhelpful too, fun and games hey

An e320 train at Bruxelles Midi train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 28/06/2026

It's @pacerclara.insanity.tube's birthday today! Go wish her many happy (off peak day) returns! 🎉

A man in a red and black flannel shirt and a girl in a yellow jumper on a DART train. Photo by Natt

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 25/06/2026

It's been a very weird week at work, we're still trying to process what unfolded last Friday. It's been a horrible time for many, though we're all supporting one another the best we can Thanks you all of you lot for the kind words to our colleagues involved in the incident ❤️

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 20/06/2026

Nearly 2 years later, I'm finally back volunteering on the @hastingsdiesels.co.uk DEMU again 🥹 The sounds, the smells, the lovely regulars, oh how brilliant it is to be back! I've missed this

A Class 201 DEMU train at Hastings train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 14/06/2026

A weekend of Manton Mania Spent the weekend going via Melton Mowbray and Corby on Meridians. Here's two of my services during standing time at Wellingborough and Leicester Of all the diverts we do, Manton is my favourite, the view over Harringworth viaduct is simply stunning! 😁

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 02/06/2026

I always feel like I'm being teased when my Meridian parks up on Platform 4 and there's a Eurostar next to me, but especially if that Eurostar has the fabled "3999" powercar 👀 A lucky puddle gave me this amazing photo during my turn around in London this evening 😁

A Eurostar TMST powercar at London St Pancras train station which is reflected with a puddle on the ground

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 01/06/2026

...we've got to turn up to Pride and make our numbers known, break records, and make our voices heard. With the threat of Reform on the rise, numbers matter. I'm glad the Trade Union movement is here to take a stand, it makes me proud to be a queer trade unionist Let's have some fun folks! 3/3

Me, a 6ft tall male, behind a stand of pride merchandise inside a train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 01/06/2026

We've come so far, and I feel we need to keep celebrating that. The achievements we and our ancestors have made in time have been huge, we need to not discount it because we can only progress on top of it Go out there, celebrate, be you! But equally...... 2/3

A pride liveried Duewags Supertram at Sheffield Station tram stop

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 01/06/2026

Oh hey Pride Month, we're back again! 🌈 It does feel a bit harder going into Pride Month this year. Things have continued to go backwards rather than forwards in regards to LGBTQIA+ rights, but especially the "T". There's so much more that needs to be done 1/3

A pride liveried Class 390 Pendolino train departing Stockport train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 30/05/2026

I was in London yesterday and by chance has the GBR 701 back to Waterloo 👀 Take the red off the intermediate coaches to be far less on the nose and it wouldn't be too bad of a livery. Looks better in the flesh than on the renders I do think it will be a bit boring when this is the norm though

A GBR liveried Class 701 train at Richmond train station

A GBR liveried Class 701 train at London Waterloo train station

The side of the GBR liveried Class 701 train which includes a red and white diagonal line on a dark blue base. A double arrow symbol with "GBR" underneath can be seen to the left of the cab door

The branding on the side of the train which shows "Great British Railways | South Western" in white text on a light blue background

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 25/05/2026

Its been more than 2 years since I last worked the first train of the morning into St Pancras, but there I was this morning at 4:15am in the station and ready to work 😅 I've not missed the 3:30am alarms but equally, its nice to be back doing a mix of earlies and lates again

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 19/05/2026

What do you mean today is 3 years since the last ever run of a Class 313 in passenger service? Still miss these absolute shitbox trains. The amount of weekends and school holidays spent racking up miles with the window down in the motor coach will stick with me Forever my favourite EMUs 🥺

A Class 313 train at Brighton train station

A departure board showing the 2341 Seaford with the special message "313213 - The End ~ This is our final departure for the Class 313 fleet, serving the Coastway routes since 2010"

A Class 313 train at Seaford train station during dusk

A Class 313 train passing an abandoned platform

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 17/05/2026

I was back on the job this week, but with a slight twist 👀 As part of the 810 Training Programme, myself and a few other hosts and TMs were on a customer service day. We fed back about 810s and talked through many things customer service It was very good in fairness, my group were great fun too 😂

A miles statue outside a modern building with an artistic impression of a train

A Class 810 train viewed from the side at Derby train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

I could go on and on all day, but I'll leave you with a few photos of the Transport Challenge we did on the Saturday which was a Random 15 with an East/West twist. Myself and Clara came 7th/12 but considering how bad the draw was, this isn't a bad thing! Berlin, I'll definitely be back! 10/10

A Talent 2 train arriving into Alexanderplatz train station

A London Underground roundle at Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn station

A large plaza with a purple roof at night

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

The ABC ticket allows you onto some regional trains, so I made sure to get some loco hauled trains into the book, including the iconic ES64U2 locos which sound like someone has dropped an Orchestra into the motors. 11/10 would recommend through the North-South tunnels 9/10

An ES64U2 loco in a Deutschland Ticket advertising livery at Berlin Brandenburg Airport train station with double deck carriages

A 146 locomotive at the rear of some double deck passenger coaches at Berlin Jungfernheide train station

A new generation TRAXX locomotive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof train station

An ES64U2 train hauling double deck coaches at Berlin Ostcreuz train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

The S-Bahn network is quite fun too and extends far beyond suburban Berlin. There's some new Stadler-Seimens units which are excellent (we need them to collaborate in the UK really) but the older stock is also very nice whilst sounding cool 8/10

A Stadler-Seimens S-Bahn train leaving Berlin Jungfernheide train station

An older S-Bahn train at Westcreuz train station

An S-Bahn train at Alexanderplatz train station

An S-Bahn train at Berlin Wannsee train station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

Some of the stations have very cool looks too, there's so much variety in architecture and of course for a city like Berlin, history. Even some generic stations have a cool feel to them. Combined with the varying rolling stock, it made me wish I got even more photos 7/10

A large station sign displaying "U - Alexanderplatz" with rainbow colours surrounding the U

A 1960s U-Bahn train at Museumsinsel station which has a dark blue roof with star patterns

A U-Bahn train at a grand U-Bahn station with lamps hanging from the roof and stylish walls

A station sign for Spittelmarkt surrounded by bricks. A gap in the main brickwork is lit up by dark blue lighting

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

The U Bahn network is utterly fascinating. There's at least 5 different types of stock which for the most part aren't limited by line, so you could be on 1960s units one moment and 2025 built units the next! Some units still have manual handles on the outside too 6/10

A 1960s U Bahn train at an elevated U Bahn station

A GI "Box" train at an elevated U Bahn station

A IK series train at Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn station

An H series train at a U Bahn elevated station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

Other fun former East German trams include the Woltersdorf 87 and the 88 which both can occasionally drop heritage trams. We kicked ourselves for not doing the 87 in the evening because a heritage tram was sent out! Nonetheless both very intriguing systems 5/10

An LF10 tram at Rahnsdorf Station tram stop

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

Strausberg hosts a line that only runs for a few kilometres but hosts a Tatra and Europe's only overhead electric ferry (you've seen the Tim Traveller video on it, right?) This bit of outside Berlin is so intriguing with so many tiny tram lines left over from when Germany was divided 4/10

A Desiro Mireo train at Berlin Ostcreuz train station

A yellow Tatra tram arriving into Strausberg Station tram stop

A white boat connected to an overhead cable crossing a lake with a dense forest in the background

A yellow Siemens tram arriving into a tram stop within Strausberg

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

Potsdam was first on our list. The old Tatra Trams, some of which were built in the mid 70s, still ply their trade, so it was excellent to get some of those in! It's a fun network to do if you get the chance. We enjoyed the run out to Fontanestr for sure 3/10

An ODEG Desiro HC arriving into Berlin Wannsee station

A green and white Tatra tram seen at a tram stop with loads of trees in the background

A pair of green and white Tatra trams in a busy town tram stop

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

Ticketing wise, we just about didn't justify a Deutschland Ticket and were able to use sets of 24hr tickets Zones ABC covered to well beyond the extent of the city. You could go to Potsdam or Strausberg of which we did There's no ticket gates at all. Just the very occasional revenue check 2/10

Two green and white trams surrounded by trees

An S-Bahn train arriving into Strausberg train station

A yellow tram arriving at a tram stop with a historic building in the background

A red Talent 2 train arriving into Berlin Jungfernheide station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 11/05/2026

Berlin, you were simply fabulous for the whole weekend! I don't think I've ever warmed so much to a city much like it in all my experiences travelling ☺️ Whilst myself and @pacerclara.insanity.tube did see the odd tourist thing here and there, the public transport was VERY interesting 1/10

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 07/05/2026

Finished the day with a pair of ICE 4s back to Berlin from Hamm What a fun day! You don't want to see how much I spent in the Bordrestaurants though 🫣 Back to leisurely Berlin things tomorrow

A pair of ICE 4 trains coupled together at Berlin main station

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Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 07/05/2026

After getting an ICE-3 pair to Köln, I was lucky enough to get haulage from a 101 inside IC1 coaches, which is becoming ever rarer We even had the coach behind the loco... except it was taken out of service because it had no power 😭 Can't win every time you see

A DB 101 train and IC1 coaches at Köln main station

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