Great Western Coffee Shop

I worked all weekend, and have to say the trains to the seaside resorts from Exeter on Saturday were absolutely rammed, so I can't imagine what it will be like in July/August. Guess how many trains ran from Exeter to either Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay, Paignton, or Exmouth from Exeter on Sunday? I reckon there would have been a lot of confused locals at St Thomas and Polsloe Bridge, coated in suncream, frantically jabbing the buttons on the help points on Sunday morning.

None ran, was replacement bus service

Got to feel a bit sorry for Network Rail in a way, who'd have expected March to be so warm? The first weekend in April would have been a safer bet for scheduling the work in retrospect, as it's bound to be raining over the bank holiday. Always a gamble though. The work has to be done and there's so few alternative routes by rail thanks to short-sightedness in the 60s.

That was my point! ;D

last march was glorious sunshine as well, I went to Devon Cliffs holiday park for 4 nights on a sun ^9.50 holiday, and the coldest day was 18 degrees, and sun shone all week,

Also from a NR and TOC point of view who a year or two ago would have predicted the very high demand in part driven by high road fuel costs; the rail industry needs to rise to this so we do not turn away the recent converts

This work has to be done some time!

Much as many folk would like to, you can't blame Network Rail for the weather. Good or bad.

The dates of engineering possessions are made months in advance. Not even the best meteorologist can give an accurate prediction of the weather on a certain day 3 months hence.

We had busses on our line as well from Yeovil to Exeter

Not surprised. Weekends and bank holidays are times that one should assume that a train will not run, unless someone has said it definitely will. Buckets and spades pay less than briefcases.