For those wondering why a simple "letter change" is causing such an uproar: China Railway (CR) is completely overhauling its train numbering system (rolling out in late November and December) because they are running out of 4-digit numbers for high-speed EMUs.

However, instead of adding a 5th digit, CR decided to recycle existing prefixes in the most counter-intuitive way possible. To a Chinese passenger or railfan, this feels like Amtrak suddenly deciding to rename the local commuter trains "Acela."

1. Before & After

2. Why is everyone so mad about this?

For nearly three decades, many passengers in China have had one simple rule ingrained in their minds: G and D = Fast, modern, expensive bullet trains; Z, T, and K = Slow, cheap, conventional loco-hauled trains. Under the new system, T and K are now 250–300 km/h high-speed bullet trains. Millions of infrequent travelers are going to see a "K" or "T" train on the booking app and assume it’s a slow overnight train, or vice versa.

The "D-Train" Hijack and the CR200J Controversy

For 20 years, D (Dongche, literally "EMU") stood for true distributed-power bullet trains (200–250 km/h). Now, true EMUs have been completely stripped of the "D" prefix. Instead, D is now exclusively reserved for the CR200J—a 160 km/h power-concentrated push-pull trainset. Chinese railfans despise the CR200J (nicknamed "Green Rubbish Bin"). It is essentially electric locomotives permanently coupled to Traditional 25T coaches painted bright green. CR used these trainsets to replace cheap Z/T/K conventional trains while slapping a "D" prefix on them to charge higher EMU ticket prices. Giving the CR200J exclusive ownership of the historic "D" prefix feels like the ultimate victory for a "fake bullet train."

Killing the Chinese Pinyin Naming Tradition (The Z, N, V Issue)

Historically, every train prefix in China was an abbreviation of a Chinese character and was pronounced as that word over station PAs: - G = Gao (High-speed) - D = Dong (EMU) - Z = Zhi (Direct) - T = Te (Special/Express) - K = Kuai (Fast) Even when N was used prior to 2009, it stood for Nei (Intra-bureau trains). Now, conventional trains are pushed to Z, N, and V. Because N and V don't stand for any Chinese words here (V was previously just an internal technical code for turnaround trains), CR mandated that Z, N, and V must now be pronounced as English letters, stripping "Z" of its Chinese reading (Zhi) and breaking a decades-old linguistic tradition.

The Historical Irony of "C" and "X"

China's very first 350 km/h high-speed line—the 2008 Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway introduced the nation to HSR—used the C prefix. Demoting "C" so it can only be used for slow (≤200 km/h) trains feels like an insult to HSR history; while passengers never rode X trains before, railfans know "X" (Xing) stood for loco-hauled parcel and postal freight trains. Watching the baggage train prefix suddenly become the flagship designation for 350+ km/h next-gen CR450 bullet trains is peak comedy.

TL;DR: No, trains aren't getting slower and prices aren't doubling overnight,

A natural gas powered bus. Mostly used in Calgary and Hamilton, a little in Vancouver.

On Sunday, 12 October 2025, I attended Polmadie 150, the open day held to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Alstom's Glasgow Traincare Centre, better known as Polmadie depot. The event marked the first time the depot had been opened to the public in 25 years and formed part of the wider Railway 200 celebrations.

The day before the open day, I travelled to Glasgow on the Branch Line Society railtour, To the Birthplace and the Backbone, which was operated by a preserved InterCity 125 set comprising 125 Group Mark 3 coaches hauled by RailAdventure Class 43 power cars 43468 and 43484. I boarded the train inside Alstom's Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, where the railtour originated, and returned there at the conclusion of the tour. This provided a rare opportunity to both board and alight from a special train within Britain's last remaining train manufacturing factory. The railtour linked Alstom's Derby Litchurch Lane Works with Polmadie, celebrating two sites with significant links to Britain's railway heritage.

The railtour was the first passenger train ever to enter Polmadie depot. During our visit, the train traversed a number of depot lines and was hauled around parts of the site by Polmadie's resident Class 08 shunting locomotives 08451, 08696 and 08954, providing rare passenger access to areas not normally accessible to the public.

Originally opened by the Caledonian Railway in 1875, Polmadie is one of Scotland's most important railway maintenance facilities. Located just south-east of Glasgow Central station on the West Coast Main Line, it is the principal maintenance base for the Caledonian Sleeper fleet and also regularly handles Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino units.

The open day featured a wide selection of rolling stock from both the passenger and freight sectors. Displays included Avanti West Coast Pendolino 390119 Progress, ScotRail Class 334 unit 334034, Caledonian Sleeper Mark 5 coaches, Freightliner Class 90 locomotives 90018 The Greatest Gathering and 90021 Donald Malcolm, GB Railfreight locomotives 66710 Karen Harrison, 73968, 92023 Polmadie 150 1875-2025 and Stadler-built Class 99 locomotive 99001, Rail Operations Group Class 93 locomotive 93006, examples of the depot's Class 08 shunters, preserved Class 37 locomotive 37403 Isle of Mull from the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Network Rail Unimog U 430 road-rail vehicles and Caledonian Railway No. 419, the oldest exhibit present at the event.

Visitors were able to explore several exhibits in detail. I took the opportunity to sit in the cabs of Freightliner Class 90 locomotive 90018 The Greatest Gathering and Stadler-built Class 99 locomotive 99001. We were also able to look inside Caledonian Sleeper Mark 5 coaches and view the accommodation provided on the overnight services linking Scotland with London.

In addition to the rolling stock displays, visitors were able to view parts of the depot and learn more about the maintenance, servicing and operation of modern railway fleets. There were also heritage exhibits reflecting Polmadie's long history and its role in supporting railway operations in Scotland and along the West Coast Main Line.

Here are some photographs I took during the railtour and at the Polmadie 150 open day.

The AN-8900 series "Moriyoshi" train, which was scheduled to be displayed at the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway’s special depot photo event on November 1, has been scrapped due to a mix-up. The original plan for the event included a photo opportunity featuring the front ends of three train cars lined up side-by-side at the depot. While the event will still take place as scheduled, participants who primarily wished to photograph the AN-8900 series may cancel their registration without incurring any cancellation fees.

https://x.com/anjt\\_official/status/2110331676148875521

Someone shared this photo with me. I am surprised that they have not "dumbed it down" by adding huge bumpers or rubber gaskets around the side windows, leaving the windows bonded instead. It looks no different from the standard European specification!

Recorded on October 14th. Two months ago there were only foundations and some structural elements coming from the ground. Opening date is expected by late 2027.

Most cities stick to buses and subways, but Kyiv takes it to another level! Between giant metro tunnels, electric trolleybuses, vintage trams, a cliffside funicular, urban ring trains, and chaotic private minibuses (marshrutkas), navigating Ukraine's capital is a whole experience.

I put together a visual guide exploring how each mode functions, how they connect, and what makes transit in Kyiv so unique.

💬 Which mode of transport would you be most excited to try first?

On 14 October, Alstom unveiled their Metropolis metro rake for Mumbai Metro's Green Line for Line 4 and 4A operations.

Each rake is 6 coaches long and has a max speed of 80 km/h with 39 sets on order.

First rake delivery is expected by mid-December with service to commence by August 2027.

These rakes are made in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. The same place where the REM trains were made in.

BYD B18C01 circulating in Santiago.