You're still advocating purchase of a ticket with a clear intent to use it against the rules, notwithstanding any guidance that may have been issued to staff.  And moreover, you're suggesting that if you get delayed on the return to Paddington you could use that as an excuse as to why you should be let on a later train, when you haven't actually used the ticket properly and taken the journey from Stratford.

To my mind that is gaming the system unacceptably, and at the very least being very economic with the truth when having a discussion with rail staff at Paddington.  And I wouldn't do it.

No wonder ticket (and barrier staff) sometimes have a jaundiced view of people offering explanations as to why they are travelling without a ticket/want to board a train for which their ticket is not valid etc, etc.

It also reduces the cost of the overall ticket, and thus does deprive at least one transport operator (probably TfL^» (Transport for London - about)) of some revenue, if as you say, it is only a couple of pounds more than a ticket to Paddington. Perfectly valid with a non-restricted ticket, but not an advanced ticket.

Alternatively they wish to concentrate their efforts on one or more up and coming franchise bids that they feel they have a better chance of winning or for which the rewards are higher.

The efforts involved in a bid, and the costs involved are very substantial. And there will be a limited capacity to take on multiple bids concurrently.

All these are of course pure speculation, and we will probably never know.  And even if Arriva do make some comment in due course, it may not be the whole reason.

If I'm in London and returning on an advance ticket then I will typically leave at least an extra 20 minutes to get from the City to Paddington than if I am on a flexible ticket, just in case of delays. So in that sense, yes my journey time has been extended. As my rail ticket only covers me as far as Paddington, I've always presumed I couldn't use a delay on the tube as a valid excuse.

Those TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) that offer single fares only £1 cheaper than the return (eg Cross Country) make missing your booked train much more costly relatively speaking. In that sense GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is not too bad.

They are actually chosen by the parents (not the children) typically middle class, who believe their children will get a better primary education by choosing a Welsh language medium school. Most revert to English for the next stage, as the confidence doesn't extend to getting a decent education in the exams that matter.

Less than a handful I would suggest. Bear in mind that the largest proportion of those who say they can speak the language are in school or recently left school. Given the language is compulsory that is hardly surprising. How many bother to keep the language going is another matter, but it helps increase the figures and makes the language appear more meaningful than is actually the case.

I would concur with these comments. In those areas where Welsh dominates it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask for bilingual signage.  But in South East Wales?  I am reminded of Switzerland where in German speaking parts of the country, there is no requirement to have French signage (and I presume vice versa).

Not at all. Despite all the money being thrown at it, it continues to decline as was very clear from the census. The results were accepted by all, even if the theories behind the decline differ.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-20701119

Despite a huge effort and money being thrown at it over the last 40 years, the language is in decline, and that's from a relatively low base. I grew up in Cardiff and you only had to look at which way all the tv aerials in the street were pointed (to the Mendip, not Wenvoe, transmitter) to know what people wanted.

I wonder do airlines into Cardiff Airport have bilingual announcements or literature on board?

99% of customers of these trains in Wales will at worst not care a jot and more likely be pleased to have not to have the language rammed down their throat to pander for a very vociferous minority. 

There are no bilingual signs on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) or any other stock that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) runs into Wales currently, so it isn't a step backwards. (Maybe a couple of units show Caerdydd Canolog on matrix destinations on the front, but I can't say I've seen those recently either.)

If they don't want the new trains I'm sure there are enough other lines they can be used on and South Wales passengers can change at Bristol instead. 

That's a very valid question, given the recent use of the link for trains headed eastwards from Yeovil Junction and the closer proximity to the town itself.

I'm guessing it is probably an operational constraint.  Unless the unit overnights at Yeovil it will have had to come from somewhere, and fitting in its journey to Yeovil along the single track and passing places may preclude it having time to run up to Pen Mill and back and hit its slot for the journey down to Exeter. 

Nevertheless, it is a very positive improvement for passengers from Honiton into Exeter. (Less so from Yeovil as it appears to run only a few minutes behind an existing service but presumably then gets held on the way in a passing loop somewhere.)   

Probably not as much of a story as you might imagine when you think about it. The last return flight will always be empty going out in the same way that the first flight out of the season is likely to be empty coming back. (That's assuming there's really only a one-way flow of passengers flying out of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) on holiday.)  It'll be all built into the airline's business plan.

That would imply annual passenger ons and offs for Melksham are currently running in the region of 85,000 to 90,000.

Maybe not this time, but the agreement struck seems to suggest that a strike isn't one of the few "exceptional" reasons that can cause a train to run without a second person. Which could mean that once effective the strikes would again have more impact.

The 0633 from Taunton was indeed a turbo this morning.

Those are already happening. Grayling was talking about future investment.