I’m off to Brum again next week for the whole week, and forecasters are pretty uncertain – there’s a chance of snow.

If you were away for a week would you rather be in a car with winter tyres or on the train? How do trains manage in the snow?

Bike! Seriously though Train has been reliable recently my mate tells me. Forecast looks fine for next week though so car would be fine, but city centre traffic is a nightmare, can’t see myself off the bike next week.

It’s 110 miles, so bike’s out 🙂

Car. I’ve been trapped on trains because it rained.

Pfft, 110 is nothing. Are you travelling down each day? That’s a long way to be driving everyday if the weather is iffy, train would be my choice. If you’re staying in town, bike 😆

“chance of snow” wouldn’t worry me about driving unless I was going somewhere pretty remote and high. I wouldn’t think Birmingham is much of a risk.

I would go in a rear wheel drive car with summer tyres

I would go in a rear wheel drive car with summer tyres

Seriously? I think it’s kind of in bad taste that the OP asked a serous question and you replied with potentially dangerous advice. Apart from that, not everyone has access to a RWD car and buying or hiring one just for a week of winter driving seems like overkill.

I would go in a rear wheel drive car with bald summer tyres

FTFY

Plus don’t bother checking your fuel or screen wash

Are you going to slow down to 30mph whilst looking at the snowy hills like most of the muppets on the A470? Really hard to overtake them in the tractor.

If the answers is yes, the train is best for looking at scenery. Otherwise take the car, tempos are still looking fairly good and built up areas don’t get too cold unless they are higher up.

I’d rather end up bedding down in my own car, (with the ever present kip bag etc) for the night than on a damp railway platform.

For some reason I’ve got it in my head Molgrips is out Cardiff way?

Well I’d be on business so I could get a taxi to the nearest hotel and get work to cough up 🙂

For some reason I’ve got it in my head Molgrips is out Cardiff way?

You have that in your head because that is actually where I live yes.

I would go in a rear wheel drive car with bald summer tyres
FTFY

Plus don’t bother checking your fuel or screen wash

and don’t forget to drive in a manner consistent with “making progress”

Oh Christ yes, gotta overtake two cars a time every time!

You have that in your head because that is actually where I live yes.

Looking at the forecast, your proximity to a major arterial route, and your destination, it’s hard to see the car being an issue as a result of the weather.

Or the train FWIW.

I didn’t think the car would be a problem. I’d rather take the train, but if we had loads of horror stories of being stranded in light snow I’d have driven.

Car gives you some control over your own destiny, so I’d take the car as it’s more agreeable to **** for yourself than have someone do it for you. That said the only time I remember trains having issues in the cold it was -13degC.

Train. Diesel trains don’t generally respond too badly to snow. More of an issue for electrics where wires come down/third rail freezes over.

philjunior – Member
Car gives you some control over your own destiny,

LOL, seriously LOL 🙂

Just the 5000 other idiots around you determining your destiny

Car with a mountain bike in the boot. Then you have the option of car, bike or train and can adapt as necc.

Doesn’t even need to be bad weather for this.

You do know Birmingham is a very large city, crucial to the West Midlands economy, and has a population of over 3million, is served by 4 major motorways.

You make it sound like a provincial village in deepest Pennines.

Car, FFS.

The roads, surprisingly to some, will be clear.

Don’t really want to be driving to central brum, I want to take the train. The question was about how reliable trains might be given bad weather. I was not expecting blocked roads.

As above, some trains that use an electrified rail can have issues, generally only on the lower traffic routes, but diesel/overhead lines normally fine.

It’s weird how some people can’t get their heads around the ideas that others might not want to drive everywhere, all the time.

Train then, you think the network just stops for a bit of snow? Sometimes it creates delays yes but you are talking about a major city here?

I’d definitely choose this, just in case..

I would cancel the trip. Dilemma sorted.

I work on the rail network, no disruption expected, snow isn’t expected to be bad enough to cause much disruption, big engineering weekend though so that might be worth looking into.

Train. Diesel trains don’t generally respond too badly to snow. More of an issue for electrics where wires come down/third rail freezes over.

Absolutely no third rail between birmingham and cardiff and only a few over head catenary wires round birmingham, train companies also have a duty to get you to your destination, and some provide free drinks when trains are delayed also they now pay compensation in cash for any delays over a set time.

Never mix radials and cross plys on the same axle

Absolutely no third rail between birmingham and cardiff and only a few over head catenary wires round birmingham, train companies also have a duty to get you to your destination,

I know. Hence I recommended the train. Virtually no third rail north of London except some of the Merseyrail stuff. Most of the routes around Birmingham are OHLE electrified, but I presume Molly would go on Cross Country, and thus it’ll be a diesel, and not really an issue. Even if he went into London and up the WCML they’re not exactly forecasting snowmageddon. Plus the WCML is marginally less susceptible than say the ECML because of the propensity to use gantries, not headspans, which are less affected by the weight of snow. Aaaaaaand in 3rd rail areas the bigger issue is often the tendency for Desiro stock (notably South West Trains 444/450s) to burst into flames once they ingest a bit of snow. You wanted a geek off, right?! 😉

The ‘duty to get you there’ is a bit of an irrelevance, it’s about convenience and delay potential. If he ends up 12 hours late on a bus he may as well have driven.

Train.

[video]https://youtu.be/Yja2VmZOfdA[/video]

Virtually no third rail north of London except some of the Merseyrail stuff.

all merseyrail stuff is 3 rd rail,class 507 and class 508.no diesels or oh electrics for us.

But we are getting new 3rd rail and ohl trains in next few years, tender documents out.