Great Western Coffee Shop

A walk down to Bath Spa to catch the 07:30.

Ten minutes before that service arrived, for some reason platform 1's platform lighting went off (not sure what instructions are for everyone when that happens, but there was still a bit of light from the buildings). In any case this wasn't something that set the tone for yesterday's travel.

The travel quickly included a double sighting of the ~07:42 Bristol to Worcester train - once as the train from Bath arrived at Temple Meads as it left, and the second time, catching it at Cheltenham Spa, having caught the Crosscountry service and overtaking it.

Approaches to Worcester yesterday were for some reason preceeded by an announcement that things would be slightly late owing to 'Congestion', not sure why. Also, so many trains leave Foregate Street, cross the river and spend some time waiting somewhere before returning, a station there would pull in customers - there's a lot of housing there that are a hike from the city's stations.

The return journey wasn't particularly bitten by the weather, but it was a very good evening not to be travelling on the roads. Travelling via Stroud and Swindon and then to Bath was fine, but everything was covered with about half an inch of snow (or water/snow mixture on paved surfaces, which wasn't so good for people leaving any of the stations). On arrival at Bath, the bus service had been pulled, the road traffic gave the impression that everyone was then taking the opportunity to floor it on roads covered with pooling water held in by slush, and the pavements were evil so, a cautious walk home.

Mark

Worcester's layout and signalling method means it can be congested with other trains without much else obviously about.

The reversal point is at Henwick.  There's not much space for a station there, let alone room for a car park and so on.  The number of trains that use it only number eleven a day with large gaps, such as one from 07:20 to 11:44, though many others pass through of course. 

A proper station just a little further on at Rushwick is part of a proposed development including 1000 homes and a school.  A study has concluded that a station there has much better potential than other locations nearby, inlcuding Henwick.  The full report is here (page 14 gives details of why Rushwick is the preferred location):  https://www.swdevelopmentplan.org/component/fileman/file/Documents/SWDPR%20Reg%2019%20Docs/Strategic%20site/Rushwick%20SOBC%20Final%20190321.pdf?routed=1&container=fileman-files