Great Western Coffee Shop

Excellent News!

Following talks between various parties including: FGW, Greater Anglia, First Bus, East Coast & Network Rail, it is now confirmed that a new service dubbed the 12:27 Wanderer will be launched today.

The service will run from Southend Victoria to Cranmore and then onto a newly built station called Shepton Mallet Parkway, where a new Station Booking Office and Car Park will be built using the existing Mendip Vale station on the East Somerset Railway.

The service follows are bizzare route in that it is routed via Finsbury Park to Inverness, before returning back down to Reading via Birmingham and continuing it's journey along the GWML.

The calling points are: Southend Victoria, Shenfield, Stratford*, Finsbury Park, York, Newcastle, Inverness, Birmingham New Street, Coventry, Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham**, Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome, Cranmore and Shepton Mallet Parkway.

Customers (Not Passengers) wishing to travel into Shepton Mallet are advised that a complimentary bus will be provided to take them into the Town Centre. However anyone taking onboard a bottle of water will be placed under citizens arrest by the Overzealous Bus Driver Enforcement Squad upon arrival into the Town Centre.

* Anyone wishing to change trains here (Stratford) are strongly advise to answer natures call onboard the train (Prefferably in the actual toilets) prior to alighting at this station as the barrier staff will simply laugh at you if you wish to use the toilet in the adjacent shopping centre despite the station toilets being closed for vandalism!

** I see flying pigs!! :P

The first service will depart Southend Victoria formed of a Class 37 Top and Tailed Locos running under Wires for the majority of the journey and will depart Southend at 12:27 Today. The train uses Refurbished Mark 2 Carriages which feature Electronic Seat Reservations, WiFi, First Class Accomodation with a dedicated At Seat Service, A Guards Van for Luggage and a Buffet/Restaurant Car.

The service also has an onboard restaurant serving a full Al a carte menu but as the MD of the new operator is a Vegetarian, there is also plenty of Vegetarian Food available too. And sorry no, they do not serve onboard Microwave Chesseburgers.

For further information - see the new companies website: http://www.1227.com (http://www.1227.com)

I'll be onboard... Will you?? ;D

Do I suspect this may be a morning only service tat only runs on specific days of the year (now I will click on the link and see if it confirms my theory!)

If it went via the Foxcote curve rather than Reading I would have caught it. Should be able to get to southend Victoria in 3 hours even on a Sunday if the wife gives me lift to Slough.