I *heart* Perth Station (Jan 8th)

I like to think of myself as a bit of a train station connosieur - and today I've found a beauty.

Never before have I stopped in Perth (I've passed through at least once, but possibly no more) and with a 7 minute connection between trains I was somewhat anxious. The snow meant I had nothing to worry about regarding connection times (a 20 minute delay to my departing train at the time of writing) but the station - oh, how my heart sang!

At the moment I'm travelling with my trusty Brompton folding bicycle, Billy. I was able to stepp of the train lifting bulky & heavy (but manageable) the Billy-laden-with-full-panier combo, and once settled at the platform I saw...steps to the bridge to my right...no evidence of a lift to the bridge in front of me...and a RAMP from platform to bridge level to my left! Genius! Not sure how long they've had that ramp, but it looks like it's been there as long as the bridge itself - recent additions don't tend to have the gorgeous ironwork of yesteryear.

Familiarising myself with the station and meandering along the bridge I discovered my next exciting fact: Perth has ramps from platform to bridge for EVERY PLATFORM! What I had anticipated would be a struggle up and down steps was a blissing wheeling of my bicycle. Hurrah!

Now, it being the middle of The Big Freeze it's somewhat of the variety BITINGLY COLD up in Perth. Never fear - friendly waiting room is here! It's very simple - benches round the outside, lots of space for standing / push chairs / luggage in the middle, brightly lit and WARM. Comfortably warm to wait in, and that, at the end of the day, is what waiting rooms are for. So yet again Perth has excelled itself as a station. My experience of it may be brief but oh my, it's very much turning into Tigger's Top Station (current title holder: Preston).

Yes, I am a train gekk. And you know what? It makes me feel proud :)