And, like many members, Blackfriars-Holborn Viaduct.

However, it seems that following the GWR website update earlier this year, you are now limited to purchasing only one journey (single or return) per transaction.

This is a real nuisance, especially when trying to book a long journey using split tickets! 

Calls for 'neglected' railway station to be saved


The Victorian Society said the Strand station and club was a "focal point" for Barrow for more than a century - Image © Thomas Ollivier

A "neglected" Victorian former railway station and railwaymen's club should be reclaimed before it is lost, a group has claimed.

The Grade II-listed Strand Railway Station was Barrow-in-Furness's first railway station in 1863, evolving into a railwaymen's club in the early 1900s and serving as a social space until 2008.

The Victorian Society, which campaigns to preserve heritage, added it to a list of endangered buildings and said it stood "vacant and deteriorating" despite being a "focal point" for Barrow for more than a century.

Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) Pub Heritage Group said its "prolonged closure is a tragedy for the town and its heritage, and must serve its community once again".

The Victorian Society said the Strand "stood at the centre of the transformation" of Barrow when it became a "major industrial and maritime centre, driven by the extraction of iron ore and the development of rail and dock infrastructure".

By 1856, 464,823 tonnes of iron ore were raised in Furness, of which 445,013 tonnes were transported via the Furness Railway and shipped from Barrow, the society said. Barrow's central station and a new through-route was opened in 1882, with the Strand being relegated to secondary uses. In the early 1900s, the building became a reading and library room for railway employees, with parts of the site being used as a drill hall.


The Victorian Society said the Strand Railway Station was "vacant and deteriorating" - Image © Thomas Ollivier

"It provided educational and social facilities and remained a focal point for the community for over a century," the Victorian Society said.

Its northern conservation adviser Thomas Ollivier explained: "For a long while the club was teetotal, reflecting the rise of temperance in working communities as part of non-conformist religious beliefs. Sadly, time was called at the club in the summer of 2008 after a 101-year history."

The society said the building was owned by an "absentee landlord and was in visible decline", calling for it to "be brought back into active use through sensitive restoration. You don't get early train stations remaining to the current day as they usually get replaced, so this is a rarity," it added.


The society said the site was in "visible decline" - Image © Thomas Ollivier

The director of the Victorian Society, James Hughes, said its "history of adaptation shows exactly the kind of sustainable reuse we should be championing today".

"What is needed now is a clear commitment to securing its future before further deterioration takes hold," he added.

Chair of CAMRA's pub heritage group Paul Ainsworth said the club played a "significant role in the town's evolution" and added it was "sad to see the club has been out of use since 2008. Its prolonged closure is a tragedy for the town and its heritage, and must serve its community once again. Our heritage pubs and clubs are an essential part of our social history, and must be recognised and protected for their incredible contribution to local communities and the wider beer and pub sector."

In August, the site was included in Westmorland and Furness Council's Marina Village development plans. Furness CAMRA pubs officer, Ann Summers-Glass, said the group "hoped the project would be successful and that any repurposing of the building included a community asset such as a pub or club". But the authority said, while the station was on the edge of the Marina Village boundary, it did not own the building and the site was not part of the plans.

I used to catch the 2015 Pembroke Dock to london Waterloo service a few times and it was busy even though it arrived into Waterloo at 0415. Certainly a good idea for a open acess service.

April 2026, and the through service Bradford** and Trowbridge to Waterloo gets a mention as it's a renewed aspiration. [Edit: the strapline beneath the photo isn't particularly useful]

Mark

https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/26048069.boost-plans-build-three-wiltshire-railway-stations/

** That's Bradford-on-Avon, not Bradford, Yorkshire of course. Next, someone will propose the introduction of a train service between Waterloo and Manchester, which would be silly.***

*** Not silly, as that service, the butt of jokes from newspaper hacks, provided a whole shopping-basket-full of interregional travel opportunities that grew railway business and in the case of Bristol to Hereford, loaded embarrassingly well.

Dear neighbour,

Rebuilding the Portishead to Bristol railway

I’m getting in touch to let you know about our latest stage of work to rebuild the
Portishead to Bristol railway.

As you may be aware, main construction has begun and we’re about to begin our next
stage of work along the disused line. We need to remove the old railway and prepare the
area for new track to be installed.

This will take place from Tuesday 5 May until August 2026. We’ll be working Monday to
Friday between 7.30am and 5.30pm.

The nature of our work means some additional noise and traffic is unavoidable. We’re
aware we’re working close to you and will try to minimise this as much as possible. We’re
sorry for any inconvenience.

I hope this information is helpful but if you have any questions, there are
several ways to contact us: call our dedicated 24-hour helpline on 03457 11
41 41, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/contactus or scan this QR code with your
phone for more information about living by the railway.

More information about the project can be found at networkrail.co.uk/portisheadline.

Kind Regards,
Niall Spencer
Senior sponsor, Network Rail

Disused line: We’ll be removing old
sections of track and tree stumps to create
space for the new railway line. We’ll put up
fencing, remove old track equipment and
reprofile culverts and ditches.
May 2026 to August 2026
Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

...but can't see a corresponding (direct) return trip for the commute back...

For me I think it's just Dover Marine

Come to think of it, that last bit of the GWR line from Birmingham into Paddington at Old Oak Common as well. HSTs from Bath to London were sent to Oxford and then that way to Paddington. The train crawled the last few miles. That's now gone, hasn't it?

Yes!

Was the work to extend the siding at Bedwyn so that the EMUs could cover the Bedwyn service?