Train Tracks ("live", 27 September 2025)

[Master Jacques]

This claims to be live, with various presenters greeting Petroc Trelawny at various stations as he travels from Inverness to London King's Cross on the Highland Chieftain.

It cannot be live. Today's 07:55 from Inverness to London was marked as "not stopping" at Pitlochry (where Tom Service had a chat with Petroc), and arrived four minutes ago at Edinburgh Waverley, where Tom Mckinney was to do likewise.

[Bella Kemp]

This claims to be live, with various presenters greeting Petroc Trelawny at various stations as he travels from Inverness to London King's Cross on the Highland Chieftain.

It cannot be live. Today's 07:55 from Inverness to London was marked as "not stopping" at Pitlochry (where Tom Service had a chat with Petroc), and arrived four minutes ago at Edinburgh Waverley, where Tom Mckinney was to do likewise.

That's very astute! I am enjoying it very much, though, and it does sound live. Perhaps the BBC persuaded the train to stop at Pitlochry just for Petroc. I remember, some years ago when on holiday in Scotland, that certain trains would stop at the more obscure halts only if one put out one's hand - like a Request stop for a bus.

[oddoneout]

That's very astute! I am enjoying it very much, though, and it does sound live. Perhaps the BBC persuaded the train to stop at Pitlochry just for Petroc. I remember, some years ago when on holiday in Scotland, that certain trains would stop at the more obscure halts only if one put out one's hand - like a Request stop for a bus.

I expressed doubts about the "live" element of this when the matter was raised on another thread a little while ago. I wonder if the Beeb has booked out a carriage from which to broadcast in transit, perhaps picking up the various presenters along the way?

[Ein Heldenleben]

I expressed doubts about the "live" element of this when the matter was raised on another thread a little while ago. I wonder if the Beeb has booked out a carriage from which to broadcast in transit, perhaps picking up the various presenters along the way?

Live broadcasting from a moving train is borderline impossible and highly risky. The BBC rules are that you can’t pretend something is live when it isn’t . It’s all down to weasel words . You can say “I’m joined now by “ but not “I’m joined live now by…” Radio 3 do so much “as live “ broadcasting I’d be surprised of they were breaking the rules.

[AuntDaisy]

Tuned in this morning, heard Tom Service announcing Eric Whitacre, turned off. I see Elizabeth Alker is live now.
It's like playing radio Russian roulette.

[smittims]

Although I've been a railway enthusiast for many years and a regular Radio 3 listener this isn't for me. Given the expense involved, I did wonder just who it is intended for. Are they trying to convert railway enthusiasts to classical music? From my experience I should think that utterly futile. I'm afraid it reminds me of wacky BBC ideas of the past, such as 'It's a Royal Knockout'.

[Nick Armstrong]

Tuned in this morning, heard Tom Service announcing Eric Whitacre, turned off. I see Elizabeth Alker is live now.
It's like playing radio Russian roulette.

Exactly!

(I’m leaving the gun in the drawer all day)

[Bella Kemp]

My son showed me a live Facebook post of Tom meeting Petroc on Pitlochry station - so I think it really must have all been in real time!

[Master Jacques]

That's very astute! I am enjoying it very much, though, and it does sound live. Perhaps the BBC persuaded the train to stop at Pitlochry just for Petroc. I remember, some years ago when on holiday in Scotland, that certain trains would stop at the more obscure halts only if one put out one's hand - like a Request stop for a bus.

It's was clear from following Realtime Trains - a marvellous website which tracks trains live, in detail, from section to section rather than stop to stop, that the 07:55 Inverness to London did not stop at Pitlochry this morning, for operational reasons.

It had been due to do so, but went straight through alongside Platform 1, as we could see from the detailed time breakdown. This change of schedule was flagged up beforehand in red bold type: it had been running five minutes late, but made up a couple of minutes through the cancelled stop. If Tom Service was indeed stationed there this morning, he could only have waved to his colleague, not talked to him. Given the Facebook posting, there is a curious mystery here...

[Master Jacques]

I see it's just passed Sandy (Hunts.) and is running nearly an hour late. It may also have been diverted without stopping at Darlington, where Elizabeth Alker was (we're told) waiting to greet Petroc on the platform. Emergency services were attending an "incident" between Darlington and York, now cleared. That is where it lost so much time, so a diversion seems possible. If this delay is being flagged up, then there's a chance that the programme is at least responding to live events!

[AuntDaisy]

My son showed me a live Facebook post of Tom meeting Petroc on Pitlochry station - so I think it really must have all been in real time!

Looks a bit suspect to me... Facebook page

[AuntDaisy]

My son showed me a live Facebook post of Tom meeting Petroc on Pitlochry station - so I think it really must have all been in real time!

Or was it this Facebook page? Amazing!!!! Remarkable achievement!!!! Oh my giddy Aunt!!!!




With a free R3 photo-bomber...

[french frank]

Looks a bit suspect to me... Facebook page

I dunno. Looks genuine enough to me ... . Sorry to have missed it

[AuntDaisy]

The Facebook video also had the time, 09:29, on the side of the train... I guess Perth was the next station.




Master Jacques is correct, according to Real Time Trains, it was "Not stopping". However, if you look on the "detailed version" view, it did!

[AuntDaisy]

I dunno. Looks genuine enough to me ... . Sorry to have missed it

You could always catch up on Sounds

Perhaps we could ask that chap in the tartan scarf who photo-bombed TS?