Daniel Puddicombe
@danielonrails.bsky.social
Freelance railway journalist. Away from trains I’m a Paloma Faith enthusiast and a snooker anorak as well. Email: daniel@danielpuddicombe.com. Own views.
Pinned
Hi Bluesky. Suppose I should introduce myself?
I'm a freelance journalist. I mostly write about trains these days; I'm very much an enthusiast that happens to be a journo and I travel thousands of miles behind steam each year in the UK & abroad.
I'm a freelance journalist. I mostly write about trains these days; I'm very much an enthusiast that happens to be a journo and I travel thousands of miles behind steam each year in the UK & abroad.
Kon'nichiwa from Japan! Travelling on the country’s last remaining sleeper train tonight, the Sunrise Express, from Takamatsu to Tokyo.
My home for the night is, er, a hard bit of carpet - or to use the local term, a nobinobi ‘seat’. And yes, Shinkansens will follow…
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
My home for the night is, er, a hard bit of carpet - or to use the local term, a nobinobi ‘seat’. And yes, Shinkansens will follow…
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
February 11, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Kon'nichiwa from Japan! Travelling on the country’s last remaining sleeper train tonight, the Sunrise Express, from Takamatsu to Tokyo.
My home for the night is, er, a hard bit of carpet - or to use the local term, a nobinobi ‘seat’. And yes, Shinkansens will follow…
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
My home for the night is, er, a hard bit of carpet - or to use the local term, a nobinobi ‘seat’. And yes, Shinkansens will follow…
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
My home for the night is G897, from Beijing Xi to Hong Kong. Formed of a 350kph CR400AF-AE, it’s the world’s fastest sleeper train: booked to cover the 2,500km in just 10hrs18mins…
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
February 7, 2026 at 1:09 PM
My home for the night is G897, from Beijing Xi to Hong Kong. Formed of a 350kph CR400AF-AE, it’s the world’s fastest sleeper train: booked to cover the 2,500km in just 10hrs18mins…
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
@seatsixtyone.bsky.social
I am onboard an incredibly slow and very scenic train in the Chinese mountains. A farmer tried -and failed - to sell me a chicken for £2.50. How is your Wednesday going?
February 4, 2026 at 9:22 AM
I am onboard an incredibly slow and very scenic train in the Chinese mountains. A farmer tried -and failed - to sell me a chicken for £2.50. How is your Wednesday going?
Landed in Shanghai to begin a big adventure. Kicked things off in the best way possible by riding the Maglev into the city centre. A sign of things to come; very excited to sample China’s high - and low! - speed rail network…
January 30, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Landed in Shanghai to begin a big adventure. Kicked things off in the best way possible by riding the Maglev into the city centre. A sign of things to come; very excited to sample China’s high - and low! - speed rail network…
Really enjoyed writing this piece - Ralph was a great interviewee. What a journey, and for a great cause, too.
www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas-ch...
www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas-ch...
I drove from Land’s End to John O’Groats in a 101-year-old Austin
A family member’s diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease prompted one Dorset farmer to use his trusty vintage car to raise funds for charity
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 29, 2026 at 11:27 AM
Really enjoyed writing this piece - Ralph was a great interviewee. What a journey, and for a great cause, too.
www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas-ch...
www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas-ch...
I'm a big snooker fan as regular followers will know. This is, hands down, the best piece about the Masters. Bravo @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com!
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Watching snooker is like a large-scale piece of experimen...
I was in the audience and could have looked up the rules but what was happening in front of me felt silly and absurd beyond words – I loved it!
observer.co.uk
January 20, 2026 at 9:27 PM
I'm a big snooker fan as regular followers will know. This is, hands down, the best piece about the Masters. Bravo @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com!
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
A #youhadtobethere from Vicar st last night…
@daraobriain.bsky.social Exceptional show tonight. Have always wanted to see you at Vicar Street. Well worth the trek from Devon.
This is why I missed your show in Exeter by the way: www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti...
Great rail fact too - thanks. Will try to include in the piece about SailRail!
This is why I missed your show in Exeter by the way: www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti...
Great rail fact too - thanks. Will try to include in the piece about SailRail!
The Mexican coast-to-coast train that costs just £25 – and is run by marines
Linking cities on Mexico’s Gulf and Pacific coasts, this spectacular route offers an immersive taste of the country’s historic midriff
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 17, 2026 at 1:36 PM
A #youhadtobethere from Vicar st last night…
@daraobriain.bsky.social Exceptional show tonight. Have always wanted to see you at Vicar Street. Well worth the trek from Devon.
This is why I missed your show in Exeter by the way: www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti...
Great rail fact too - thanks. Will try to include in the piece about SailRail!
This is why I missed your show in Exeter by the way: www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti...
Great rail fact too - thanks. Will try to include in the piece about SailRail!
The Mexican coast-to-coast train that costs just £25 – and is run by marines
Linking cities on Mexico’s Gulf and Pacific coasts, this spectacular route offers an immersive taste of the country’s historic midriff
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 11:01 PM
@daraobriain.bsky.social Exceptional show tonight. Have always wanted to see you at Vicar Street. Well worth the trek from Devon.
This is why I missed your show in Exeter by the way: www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti...
Great rail fact too - thanks. Will try to include in the piece about SailRail!
This is why I missed your show in Exeter by the way: www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti...
Great rail fact too - thanks. Will try to include in the piece about SailRail!
Talk about a rapid change in subject / shoehorning LNER into a display.
(spotted by a friend at Grantham P1 waiting room)
(spotted by a friend at Grantham P1 waiting room)
January 6, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Talk about a rapid change in subject / shoehorning LNER into a display.
(spotted by a friend at Grantham P1 waiting room)
(spotted by a friend at Grantham P1 waiting room)
If only there were trains running between Guildford and Haslemere, eh? Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2025 at 10:58 PM
If only there were trains running between Guildford and Haslemere, eh? Merry Christmas!
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
Sleigh rides, sleeper trains and reindeer stew. Here’s my final piece for the year on Finland’s Santa Claus Express!
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
I took my kids to Lapland on the Santa Claus Express – but would the big man deliver?
If meeting Santa Claus is on your children’s wishlist, this trip on a festive sleeper train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, with reindeer and huskies thrown in, is Christmas with jingle bells on
www.theguardian.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Sleigh rides, sleeper trains and reindeer stew. Here’s my final piece for the year on Finland’s Santa Claus Express!
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
🎉🎉 Thrilled to be shortlisted for the @stanfordstravel.bsky.social Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award. And in such fine company. Thank you to Stanfords for being such a champion of travel writing. 🎉🎉🎉
December 11, 2025 at 9:29 AM
🎉🎉 Thrilled to be shortlisted for the @stanfordstravel.bsky.social Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award. And in such fine company. Thank you to Stanfords for being such a champion of travel writing. 🎉🎉🎉
May or may not have specifically set up a meeting near Liverpool St station so I could see the ‘Coffee Pot’ on display today…
December 8, 2025 at 1:14 PM
May or may not have specifically set up a meeting near Liverpool St station so I could see the ‘Coffee Pot’ on display today…
In place for the #UKChampionship final. Hard to believe two greats of the current game - Mark Selby and Judd Trump - have never met in a Triple Crown final until today. #147sf #bbcsnooker
December 7, 2025 at 1:46 PM
In place for the #UKChampionship final. Hard to believe two greats of the current game - Mark Selby and Judd Trump - have never met in a Triple Crown final until today. #147sf #bbcsnooker
Someone at DfT clearly forgot to translate Michael Peterson’s job title into English. Oops.
(He is the Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport)
(He is the Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport)
December 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Someone at DfT clearly forgot to translate Michael Peterson’s job title into English. Oops.
(He is the Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport)
(He is the Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport)
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
This composition had eluded me for nearly a decade, but yesterday I was finally able to capture it. A train rolled through just as the Duquesne Incline was crossing over the tracks in #Pittsburgh, creating a picture perfect winter scene. It was worth the hours and hours I've waited over the years.
December 3, 2025 at 2:06 PM
This composition had eluded me for nearly a decade, but yesterday I was finally able to capture it. A train rolled through just as the Duquesne Incline was crossing over the tracks in #Pittsburgh, creating a picture perfect winter scene. It was worth the hours and hours I've waited over the years.
Nice to very briefly see Clan Line at Wilton Jct as it sat patiently waiting for the (late-running) SWR service I’m on to pass.
December 3, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Nice to very briefly see Clan Line at Wilton Jct as it sat patiently waiting for the (late-running) SWR service I’m on to pass.
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
What a great headline
November 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
What a great headline
This is a new one. Never had a fire alarm go off mid-gig!
November 28, 2025 at 9:04 PM
This is a new one. Never had a fire alarm go off mid-gig!
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
The Winter issue of Mountains Magazine will be available in 395 shops across the UK and Northern Ireland. It's also available to pre-order now: www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/PRE-ORD...
Shop
Buy Mountains Magazine, your ultimate source for stunning mountain photography and stories. Browse sample pages online or find the magazine on shelves across the UK. Contact info@mountains-magazine.co...
www.mountains-magazine.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The Winter issue of Mountains Magazine will be available in 395 shops across the UK and Northern Ireland. It's also available to pre-order now: www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/PRE-ORD...
Had a poke around Inspiration, the @railway200.bsky.social exhibition train, this afternoon since it is at WSR and I’m heading north anyway. Well worth the visit and the free GWR shuttle from / to Taunton was well-loaded, and not just with track bashers as I was expecting. (No new track for me)
November 28, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Had a poke around Inspiration, the @railway200.bsky.social exhibition train, this afternoon since it is at WSR and I’m heading north anyway. Well worth the visit and the free GWR shuttle from / to Taunton was well-loaded, and not just with track bashers as I was expecting. (No new track for me)
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
BLACK FRIDAY SALE: get Issue 1 of Mountains Magazine delivered to your door for just £5.49!
But here > www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/Mountai...
#BlackFriday #Sale
But here > www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/Mountai...
#BlackFriday #Sale
Shop
Buy Mountains Magazine, your ultimate source for stunning mountain photography and stories. Browse sample pages online or find the magazine on shelves across the UK. Contact info@mountains-magazine.co...
www.mountains-magazine.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:28 AM
BLACK FRIDAY SALE: get Issue 1 of Mountains Magazine delivered to your door for just £5.49!
But here > www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/Mountai...
#BlackFriday #Sale
But here > www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/Mountai...
#BlackFriday #Sale
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
Here’s my CHRISTMAS GIFT TIP. You can buy all Michael Palin’s books and DVDs and suchlike off his website, and he signs and dedicates the item for no extra charge. Don’t say I don’t give you nowt. (I did this for my dad, and he didn’t notice the autograph on his Ripping Yarns.) themichaelpalin.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Here’s my CHRISTMAS GIFT TIP. You can buy all Michael Palin’s books and DVDs and suchlike off his website, and he signs and dedicates the item for no extra charge. Don’t say I don’t give you nowt. (I did this for my dad, and he didn’t notice the autograph on his Ripping Yarns.) themichaelpalin.com
Reposted by Daniel Puddicombe
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
November 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Mountains Magazine issue two contains lots of great pieces by brilliant writers. And, er, some words from me about a brilliant railway line in Mexico. Thank you again @aplantogo.bsky.social!
🚨PRE-ORDER Mountains Magazine #2 for delivery in early Dec. Prices from just £2.99!
🏷️WINTER SALE
Subscribe & save. 4 issues delivered for just £24.95
BUY HERE > www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/#wbs1
⛰️Saint-Gervais
⛰️Shiga Kogen
⛰️Méribel
⛰️Copper Canyon
⛰️Bavaria
⛰️+ much MUCH more!
#Sale #Mountains
🏷️WINTER SALE
Subscribe & save. 4 issues delivered for just £24.95
BUY HERE > www.mountains-magazine.com/Shop/#wbs1
⛰️Saint-Gervais
⛰️Shiga Kogen
⛰️Méribel
⛰️Copper Canyon
⛰️Bavaria
⛰️+ much MUCH more!
#Sale #Mountains
November 22, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Mountains Magazine issue two contains lots of great pieces by brilliant writers. And, er, some words from me about a brilliant railway line in Mexico. Thank you again @aplantogo.bsky.social!