Great Western Coffee Shop

Top news item on the Breakfast show this morning ... one reporter caught the 06:12 to Salisbury from Swindon, the other took the car.  Who had the best journey?   Who got there first?

Interesting chat with a daily user of the 06:12 as far as Westbury.  He travels back at about quarter past 4 and doglegs via Bath.  He's not thrilled by that (has to be said egged on by the reporter) ... as from December, if the changes happen (99%+ ?) he'll have a 16:15 train in at 17:03 to Swindon, as opposed to getting there at 17:40

Fares were brought up; a suggestion that train is more expensive than a tank of petrol.  At peak time, maybe for a single ticket (24 pounds), or half a return (34/2 = 17 pounds), but a weekly season is just 120.xx so that's 12 pounds per journey.  THANK GOODNESS the fare routing got changes - a year or two back this journey was 56 pounds SINGLE on the 06:12, the lower fare only being valid at that time via Bath.  It's now "via Trowbridge".  An early example of community / railway company co-operation!

Councillor John Thomson says "use it or loose it".  Agreed - we need to make busy trains; all surveys and tests suggest that we will.   After 3 years (short term ramp-up subsidy) it's set to get into the franchise proper which already covers 2 of the service; then looking to (?) how many!

Program still running ... I will post further new points of interest if they come up (and tell you who won after 09:00)

Train won by 26 minutes according to Twitter.