Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Stagecoach, Exeter - The good, the bad …… In "Buses and other ways to travel" [380395/32565/5] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 09:55, 3rd October 2026 |      |
.....95% of delays I suffer are caused by third parties. .....
To the original list I would add the more specific: The eejits who apparently don't understand the meaning of 'No Stopping Except Buses'.
| Re: High Streets - thriving, changing, dying in 2026? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380394/32553/31] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 09:45, 3rd October 2026 | |
It may be entirely possible that the solution to the loss of banks and/or post offices in smaller population centres is copying the Sidmouth Banking Hub:
https://sidmouth.gov.uk/directory/sidmouth-banking-hub/
In the case of Sidmouth, of course, it helps that the population has a high level of financial clout.
| Re: Engineering works 10 - 16 October 2026 In "London to Kennet Valley" [380393/32260/8] Posted by grahame at 08:04, 3rd October 2026 | |
No feedback from GWR or NR - that looks like a classic "email bad news on a Friday afternoon, invite questions and RUN AWAY for the weekend". So I can't fill you in as to why they are not stopping the trains that are running through and stealing the paths.
I'm also noting that their web site is charging far more for the week for journeys from Trowbridge to Swindon for a slower journey. Taking advantage of the customer who know no better? Upping the price of ticket from £6.50 to £13.15. Regulated fares? Easement that is in place if the direct train fails to run? A bit cheeky?
| Re: Great Western Railway: on-board catering, buffets, Travelling Chef, Pullman - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [380392/5508/26] Posted by GBM at 07:50, 3rd October 2026 Already liked by RichardB | |
Roger French latest comment on Paddington to Plymouth (return from Truro).
Contrasting journeys with GWR
https://busandtrainuser.com/2026/10/03/contrasting-journeys-with-gwr/
Saturday 3rd October 2026
I spent last weekend in Cornwall.
I’d booked first class tickets with GWR over a month earlier, on 11th August, travelling on the 13:03 from Paddington to Plymouth on Friday afternoon, returning on the 12:57 from Truro to Paddington on Sunday afternoon.
The train operating the outward journey is one of the few where GWR offers a Pullman style dining service and I decided to partake and treat myself. You can use GWR’s website to reserve a seat in the ‘restaurant’ section of the first class coaches but only two weeks in advance of your date of travel (before that the rather misleading default answer when trying to book is “Pullman dining is not available on this journey”) so I made a diary note to do this on Friday 11th September to avoid any disappointment.
..........(snip)...............
| Re: Disruption and cancellations Cardiff-Portsmouth In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [380391/32428/20] Posted by grahame at 07:37, 3rd October 2026 | |
This decimated services at Dilton Marsh. Does anyone know if stop orders were added onto the trains that WERE able to run, whether other alternatives were provided, and how passengers were kept informed?
| Re: Wiltshire Strategic Freight Strategy consultation closes 23.9.2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury" [380390/32516/18] Posted by grahame at 07:28, 3rd October 2026 | |
Response from Melksham Town Council - on the agenda for Tuesday's Planning meeting so now in the public domain.
https://www.passenger.chat/mirror/mtc_freight.pdf
Locally, there's far more interest in stuff for the next six months to a year so I don't expect this to be more than noted, but it does accept that there's going to be a heavy freight flow from the south to the north of Wiltshire and through / past Melksham - increasing in coming years. And it requests that planning for such should take into account
* passenger / people flows as well as freight along the same corridor
* local as well as wide area traffic along the route
* road as well as rail
* environmental and quality of life as well as economic factors
Realistically, we are not going to see big changes in 2026 or 2027, but this does help lay the foundations for the future. Drip, drip, drip ... softening up the landscape as we might wish for future good.
| A Quick Guide to the Railways In "Introductions and chat" [380389/32574/1] Posted by grahame at 07:13, 3rd October 2026 | |
A now-historic document I came across at https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04128/SN04128.pdf and have mirrored at https://www.passenger.chat/mirror/SN04128.pdf. Being a government publication, "quick" is relative - it's still 21 pages long and ideal the life long car driver who's wondering whether to catch a train for the first time.
Is there an updated version anywhere?
As part of an update to my notes - starting locally to my home and ranking by geographic cover, I have listed the following rail organisations
Parish Councils
Melksham Transport User Group
West Wiltshire Rail User Group
TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
Wiltshire Unitary Council
Western Gateway subNational Transport Body
TravelWatch SouthWest
(First) Great Western Railway
Great Western Coffee Shop forum
Railfuture Ltd
Departement for Transport
Great British Railways
Network Rail
National Rail
And that's before you consider Travelline; CRN; RSSB; RAIB; RDG; ATOC; ORR or BRTA.
| Re: Two East Midlands Railway trains collide near Bedford, 19th June 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380388/32151/51] Posted by Electric train at 07:03, 3rd October 2026 | |
The problem with AWS is where a train is running on "Yellows". There have been a number of accidents recorded over the years where a train Driver subconsciously cancelled the AWS warning where a signal is at "Danger" because they had been running on "Yellows". This is a human trait we all suffer from.
RAIB will be able to say whether it had been runn8ing on yellows before encountering the red - at least, more than the one yellow before the red. As to whether ETs thinking was how the driver 'ignored' the Red, I doubt we'll ever know for certain unfortunately.
I agree, it is not indicated in the interim report that "running on Yellows" was a possible contributary factor, also will never know what was going through the Driver of the Class 222.
| Re: Abbreviations and acronyms resolved within our pages In "News, Help and Assistance" [380387/24783/29] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 00:21, 3rd October 2026 | |
I am quite deliberately dredging up an old topic here - in the spirit of 'news, help and assistance'.
If any of our new members on the Coffee Shop forum are perhaps puzzled by any abbreviations or acronyms, which haven't already been defined, please do let me know.
My contact details are available in my forum profile - 'personal message' is probably the quicker.
CfN.
| Re: Disruption and cancellations Cardiff-Portsmouth In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [380386/32428/20] Posted by Trowres at 23:29, 2nd October 2026 | |
Extensive disruption on Friday 2nd October due to one or more signalling problems between Warminster and Salisbury. Described on Journeycheck as a signalling problem, there was a message that one fault had been fixed but that another was still causing problems. Audible announcements suggested a level crossing problem (and Wylye crossing was the location at which some rail staff were seen at the lineside cabinets and / or armed with flags).
Whatever the exact cause, the result was:
- Fault manifest by 11:15, with 1F11, the 09:28 from Cardiff, being delayed by 65 minutes at Wylye and 80 late at Salisbury
- Cancellation of Bristol-Salisbury and vv. services between Westbury and Salisbury
- Subsequent Portsmouth services in both directions being heavily delayed, and running under caution for significant distances, with delays around 30-90 minutes.
- Services stopping short of destination (3 failed to reach Cardiff and 6 stopped short of Portsmouth)
- Some stop-skipping to make up time (or, as suggested by onboard staff, as a response to overcrowding)
| Re: New TfW services to Bristol in December timetable In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [380384/32236/23] Posted by Red Squirrel at 22:24, 2nd October 2026 | |
What impact might stopping these trains at Stapleton Rd have on the ambition for 4tph from Brabazon? Those relief lines are going to be busy, and single lead junctions at Narroways and the Hallen line won’t help…
IIRC, WECA's 10 year rail plan proposed to upgrade Narroways Jcn with double track up to the eastern portal of Montpelier Tunnel, though I don't recall having seen it in recent years.
Indeed it does - which would allow 3tph to, presumably, Avonmouth. The existence of a proposal in the WECA Rail Plan does not indicate that a source of funding has been found, of course.
| Re: Two East Midlands Railway trains collide near Bedford, 19th June 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380382/32151/51] Posted by JayMac at 21:40, 2nd October 2026 | |
It seems from the report that there was some data loss from the OTDR and CCTV systems on BOTH trains.
Could this be due to how data and images are stored to memory in these systems? I'm wondering if there is a volatile memory buffer that is written to ahead of data being fully saved to non-volatile memory. Loss of power after the collision would mean loss of data stored in the volatile buffer perhaps?
What other plausible reason(s) are there for the data and video that was seemingly lost?
| Re: Curves, loops, avoider lines In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380381/32572/51] Posted by stuving at 21:05, 2nd October 2026 | |
Your decfinition of a loop difers from mine. A loop goes back on itself....?
A railway loop doesn't - it goes back to the main line it came off. But this one is a curve, and an avoider, as per the thread title, and two out of three ain't bad.
| Re: Curves, loops, avoider lines In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380380/32572/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:30, 2nd October 2026 | |
Are we possibly getting into the realms of Mornington Crescent here?
| Re: Curves, loops, avoider lines In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380379/32572/51] Posted by ChrisB at 20:25, 2nd October 2026 | |
Your decfinition of a loop difers from mine. A loop goes back on itself....?
| Re: Curves, loops, avoider lines In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380378/32572/51] Posted by grahame at 20:22, 2nd October 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Your move, grahame. 
The "loop", if you like, was the chord from Borough Market Junction to - oh help, what's it's name Junction on the way to Waterloo and Charing Cross was the little avoid. Alan Jackson writes in London Termini (David and Charles, 1969 " opened on 1st September 1866, "Cannon Street was served by almost all trains proceeding to and from Charing Cross including the continental boat trains?" ...
| Re: Curves, loops, avoider lines In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380377/32572/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:58, 2nd October 2026 | |
Your move, grahame.
| Re: Curves, loops, avoider lines In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380376/32572/51] Posted by ChrisB at 19:47, 2nd October 2026 | |
Cannon Street has a loop???
Originally built as a terminus where all trains called on their way into London via London Bridge then after reversal went on to Charing Cross. The chord from Borough Market Junction was added later - certainly as far as passenger trains were concerned
That makes it a loop?
| Re: Two East Midlands Railway trains collide near Bedford, 19th June 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380375/32151/51] Posted by ChrisB at 19:45, 2nd October 2026 Already liked by GBM | |
The problem with AWS is where a train is running on "Yellows". There have been a number of accidents recorded over the years where a train Driver subconsciously cancelled the AWS warning where a signal is at "Danger" because they had been running on "Yellows". This is a human trait we all suffer from.
RAIB will be able to say whether it had been runn8ing on yellows before encountering the red - at least, more than the one yellow before the red. As to whether ETs thinking was how the driver 'ignored' the Red, I doubt we'll ever know for certain unfortunately.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury" [380374/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 19:18, 2nd October 2026 | |
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2026 In "London to the Cotswolds" [380373/31371/14] Posted by charles_uk at 18:02, 2nd October 2026 | |
The usual pair:
17:04 Didcot Parkway to Evesham due 18:23 was terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Combe, Finstock, Charlbury, Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Shipton, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh and Evesham.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
18:51 Evesham to Oxford due 19:50 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Combe, Finstock, Charlbury, Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Shipton, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh and Evesham.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
18:51 Evesham to Oxford due 19:50 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
| Re: New TfW services to Bristol in December timetable In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [380372/32236/23] Posted by Noggin at 17:38, 2nd October 2026 | |
What impact might stopping these trains at Stapleton Rd have on the ambition for 4tph from Brabazon? Those relief lines are going to be busy, and single lead junctions at Narroways and the Hallen line won’t help…
IIRC, WECA's 10 year rail plan proposed to upgrade Narroways Jcn with double track up to the eastern portal of Montpelier Tunnel, though I don't recall having seen it in recent years.
| Re: High Streets - thriving, changing, dying in 2026? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380371/32553/31] Posted by WelshBluebird at 17:28, 2nd October 2026 | |
Car parking is now subject to a charge, which the feedback I get from my occasional chats with a couple of businesses has had a detrimental effect on their trade.
Although there is quite a lot of research to show that shopkeepers habitually overestimate the number of customers who come by car:
“While only 6.6% of shoppers traveled to the streets by car, on average traders [shopkeepers] estimated 21.6% of their customers use this mode; a discrepancy of 15%… Further they underestimate transit, pedestrian, and bicycle travel by 8.1%, 6.2% and 3% respectively.”
(from https://ggwash.org/view/96602/survey-most-shopkeepers-shoppers-overestimate-car-use, which has lots of interesting links)
To be honest I think 90% of the High Street problem is online shopping. We buy stuff from Amazon and eBay and the like, not Debenhams or BHS or Woolworths. Town centres are just too big for modern shopping habits. The only options are to major on the visitor destination/experience angle - as JohnM says, "having a pedestrianized high street during most of the day made it magnitudes nicer as a place to shop/loiter" - or to shrink the town centre. Much better to turn town centre buildings over to residential use, where the residents might spend time and money in the town centre, than to build acres of new suburbia where the residents will just drive to Tesco.
Exactly this. Of course high streets are struggling - we've replaced them with the internet!
The ones that are managing to do well still are offering something you can't replace digitally. Be that a more niche / independent shopping experience (like on Gloucester Road in Bristol) or by leaning into more cafes / bars / restaurants (again something Gloucester Road has going for it) or by pivoting entirely into things that really do make people want to leave their homes and do in person (which is why you are seeing a lot of these activity bars now, or another Bristol example being the temporary skate park where the old Debenhams used to be that also has some pool tables, pinball machines and is serving some food and drink too).
| Re: Engineering works 10 - 16 October 2026 In "London to Kennet Valley" [380370/32260/8] Posted by grahame at 17:21, 2nd October 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
From GWR / Network Rail
Dear Graham,
We wanted to make you aware of upcoming track renewal work which will affect all train services operating via Pewsey from Saturday 10 to Friday 16 October.
During this period, replacement road transport is planned between Swindon and Pewsey. Trains between London Paddington and Plymouth or Penzance will be diverted via Swindon, extending journey times by at least 15 minutes. Most of these services will also be diverted via Bristol Temple Meads, adding a further 30 minutes to journey times, although some services will instead run via Melksham.
There will be no direct trains between London Paddington and Paignton or Frome. Train services will continue to operate between Reading and Newbury or Bedwyn, however please note that no replacement transport is planned between Bedwyn, Pewsey and Westbury.
Trains between Swindon and Westbury will operate to an amended timetable over the weekend, with a very limited train service operating on weekdays. From Monday to Friday, the only local stopping trains via Melksham will be the 07:52 Westbury to Swindon and the 17:36 Swindon to Westbury. At all other times, replacement road transport is planned between Westbury and Chippenham, with other train services continuing to operate between Chippenham and Swindon.
Customers should check their journeys before travelling and allow additional time where replacement road transport or diverted services are required. For more information and to view a map of the proposed works please visit: gwr.com/check.
We would be grateful if you were able to cascade this to your networks and, if you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Best wishes,
Olivia & Heledd
Olivia Willett | Deputy Head of Public Affairs | Great Western Railway
E: olivia.willett@GWR.com
Heledd Iolo | Senior Public Affairs Manager | Network Rail
E: heledd.iolo@networkrail.co.uk
We wanted to make you aware of upcoming track renewal work which will affect all train services operating via Pewsey from Saturday 10 to Friday 16 October.
During this period, replacement road transport is planned between Swindon and Pewsey. Trains between London Paddington and Plymouth or Penzance will be diverted via Swindon, extending journey times by at least 15 minutes. Most of these services will also be diverted via Bristol Temple Meads, adding a further 30 minutes to journey times, although some services will instead run via Melksham.
There will be no direct trains between London Paddington and Paignton or Frome. Train services will continue to operate between Reading and Newbury or Bedwyn, however please note that no replacement transport is planned between Bedwyn, Pewsey and Westbury.
Trains between Swindon and Westbury will operate to an amended timetable over the weekend, with a very limited train service operating on weekdays. From Monday to Friday, the only local stopping trains via Melksham will be the 07:52 Westbury to Swindon and the 17:36 Swindon to Westbury. At all other times, replacement road transport is planned between Westbury and Chippenham, with other train services continuing to operate between Chippenham and Swindon.
Customers should check their journeys before travelling and allow additional time where replacement road transport or diverted services are required. For more information and to view a map of the proposed works please visit: gwr.com/check.
We would be grateful if you were able to cascade this to your networks and, if you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Best wishes,
Olivia & Heledd
Olivia Willett | Deputy Head of Public Affairs | Great Western Railway
E: olivia.willett@GWR.com
Heledd Iolo | Senior Public Affairs Manager | Network Rail
E: heledd.iolo@networkrail.co.uk
Sharing, as requested. Also on my personal Facebook page. And as invited, I have written to them as follows
Dear Olivia and Heledd,
Thank you for your email which, as per request, I will share with members of the Melksham Transport User Group, of which I am chair, amd I’m going to share with the West Wiltshire Rail User Group committee next week.
Have I read it right? People who normally catch the 10:00 from Melksham to Swindon, getting there ar 10:27, and return on the 18:44 into Mellsham at 19:10 won’t be able to get to Swindon until 11:09, and on return won’r get to Melksham until 20:38 - that’s 42 minutes delay in the morning and 88 minutes in the morning - on a journey that normally takes just 25 minutes between Swindon and our town - nt a small place, but with a potation of around 25,000.
You (thank you) equipped the IET trains to call at Melksham a year or to back for the very purpose of providing a service when you made diversions like this. Having gone to that expense why on earth aren’t using it? The trains have to slow down to go round the curve through the station here anyway!
My own Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.melksham/posts/pfbid02gULtaV3sqNjaN6FTKa79ufPdw3Ad9HFLWobJiraLJ2txi7ktKNJMDjHHJLEnoUEQl
Expresses my view. Please get back to me “by return” so I can include any comments from you on the group’s feed which has a far wider reach.
Thanks
Graham
Graham Ellis
48 Spa Road, Melksham, SN12 7NY
graham@sn12.net
07974 925928 or 01225 708225
My emailling policy: https://grahamellis.uk/email
Thank you for your email which, as per request, I will share with members of the Melksham Transport User Group, of which I am chair, amd I’m going to share with the West Wiltshire Rail User Group committee next week.
Have I read it right? People who normally catch the 10:00 from Melksham to Swindon, getting there ar 10:27, and return on the 18:44 into Mellsham at 19:10 won’t be able to get to Swindon until 11:09, and on return won’r get to Melksham until 20:38 - that’s 42 minutes delay in the morning and 88 minutes in the morning - on a journey that normally takes just 25 minutes between Swindon and our town - nt a small place, but with a potation of around 25,000.
You (thank you) equipped the IET trains to call at Melksham a year or to back for the very purpose of providing a service when you made diversions like this. Having gone to that expense why on earth aren’t using it? The trains have to slow down to go round the curve through the station here anyway!
My own Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.melksham/posts/pfbid02gULtaV3sqNjaN6FTKa79ufPdw3Ad9HFLWobJiraLJ2txi7ktKNJMDjHHJLEnoUEQl
Expresses my view. Please get back to me “by return” so I can include any comments from you on the group’s feed which has a far wider reach.
Thanks
Graham
Graham Ellis
48 Spa Road, Melksham, SN12 7NY
graham@sn12.net
07974 925928 or 01225 708225
My emailling policy: https://grahamellis.uk/email
| Re: 9th October 2026 - TravelWatch SouthWest, Taunton In "Diary - what's happening when?" [380369/32460/34] Posted by grahame at 17:13, 2nd October 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea | |
Agenda
10:30 Arrivals
11:00 Welcome: Chair & Secretary, TWSW
11:10 Keynote
11:25 What could public transport do for us? Chair of the Interim Growth Board for Marlcombe
11:55 Getting around better: what infrastructure and commercial approach will deliver this? Strategy & Business Development Director, SWR
12:20 Operator Panel Conversation
12:40 Lunch
13:20 Welcome Back
13:25 Did you know? (AKA Just a Minute)
13:35 Managing Director reviews the way XC is meeting passenger needs: Managing Director, CrossCountry
14:10 Socially necessary local services, Swindon Working Group
14:50 Open-floor discussion
15:15 Close
| Re: High Streets - thriving, changing, dying in 2026? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380368/32553/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:02, 2nd October 2026 | |
See also:
Many years ago, walking in to work in an office in central Bristol, on the pavement, I was startled by the imperious ringing of a bicycle bell behind me. Instinctively, I stepped to my right - causing the impatient cyclist to also swerve even further to the right. He thus took a purler, over the handlebars, head first into a pile of empty cardboard boxes outside a shop. I merely continued my saunter into work, while quietly sniggering to myself.
CfN.
| Re: Two East Midlands Railway trains collide near Bedford, 19th June 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380367/32151/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 16:49, 2nd October 2026 Already liked by Electric train | |
Following from ET's comments ...
I have now added ET to our list of 'abbreviations and acronyms', at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/acronyms.html
CfN.
| Re: High Streets - thriving, changing, dying in 2026? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380366/32553/31] Posted by Marlburian at 16:35, 2nd October 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
I made a rare visit into Reading town centre this morning. Within a hundreds yards from where I got off the bus I saw three two-wheelers being ridding illegally on the pavement and got jostled by a girl intent on her mobile phone. I went to Go Outdoors to find that it was closing down in January after a rebrand a year or two ago (a larger store in south Reading closed in 2022). M & S, JD Sports and John Lewis didn't have what I wanted (admittedly very specific items). Twice I ran the gauntlet of a large team of charity-muggers collecting for a cause I do not support. There was a street musician playing some very loud sounds that I did not like. There were other cases of anti-social and illegal cycling, in some cases by masked riders. And there were several rough-sleepers lying on the pavement with blankets over their heads.
So an underwhelming experience. ( I should add that I used to be a very keen cyclist, have generously supported charities, have given £5 and £10 notes to accomplished street musicians, and back in the 1980s twice-daily passed through "Cardboard City" near Waterloo Station.)
On the plus side, I liked the new main library where I spent 90 minutes using a PC faster than my outdated model (though I could have gone to the branch 20 minutes walk from my home), and the lady bus driver on my trip home was exceptionally pleasant.
