Great Western Coffee Shop

From the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8574894.stm):

Thanks for posting that, Chris.

As I understand it, extra carriages for Portsmouth -> Cardiff have been cancelled, so scenes like this:

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wursethan1.jpg)

(Bradford-on-Avon to Temple Meads - "go to a forward door - don't open the rear ones or they'll fall out")

... and this ...

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/wursethan2.jpg)

.... same train just after I and a handful of others had get off - they would NEVER all get on ....

are common place in the Nottingham area too?   Or is the Nottingham area even more overcrowded?

I was in the Nottingham area a year or two back and the trains (at that point / that I saw and used) were quite comfortable - in fact I found myself feeling quite jealous.   Have I missed something?  What colour are the sitting MPs?

I believe the services in question suffered a reduction from 3 to 2 coaches at the franchise change (sounds familiar?). So it may be EMT's euqivalent of the reinstatement of the 3rd coach on Cardiff - Portsmouth services.

It would seem Graham that Cardiff-Portsmouth can wait until the Thames Valley is electrified then we can have their Turbos...Hmmm can't wait! At present I would say that would be in five or so years time IF all goes according to the government's plan. In the meantime the above pictures could be used as an example of a typical weekend on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line.

As much as I am in favour of electrification of the GWML, in the short to medium term 'West' services will continue to suffer from overcrowding due to not enough rolling stock to go round. Something which the government's previous plan of a new DMU fleet would have gone along way to sorting out.

sorry for my ignorance but which service carrys more... taunton-cardiff or portsmouth to cardiff

any guesses where im going with this? when i went on it the lhs was only busy from bristol-cardiff

Cardiff.

Do I win a prize?

PS After my previous post re Portsmouth-Cardiff, just wanted to say how pleased I am to see that EMT is able to strengthen services on the Liverpool-Norwich line from next May because it really is frequently overcrowded on this major cross country route when it is operated by just 2 car 158s.

More on this from the EMT website:
http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/EMTrains/AboutUs/News/_EastMidlandsTrainsconfirmsimprovementsforpassengersusingLiverpooltoNorwichroute_.htm

Yes, a trip to Cardiff aboard a rammed two car 158 because the usual three car 158 isn't available 'due to a train fault'. Just keep a look out for this on the current running page as one is bound to appear at some point in the coming days, then make your way down to your nearest station on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line and attempt to board. After buying a ticket of course. Fun for everyone except for those who can't get on and in some cases those who can't get off!

If you managed to get on board, sharing the toilet area with a number of other passengers and hoping no one sneezes, you can while away your journey standing next to someone's armpit thinking about what a huge success rail privatisation has been for those who run the railways and are making money out of it and for those for which it hasn't been much of a success...the long suffering passenger, customer of whatever the TOCs call their cattle these days. And ask yourself would it have been better if BR was still running things???

The answer to this question will never be answered as we will never know.

and with the Midlands Metro extension just approved and the Leeds Trolleybus system approved today,  maybe we should wish for an election every year.

What proportion of schemes that are "approved" are seen through to fruition, and does that proportion vary significantly for schemes that are approved in the six month period prior to a general election?

Only two weeks ago was a 2 coach Class 150 running from Southampton to Cardiff on a Sunday.  Fortunately, I arrived at Southampton very early so managed to get one of the table seats.  By Salisbury it was packed.  I honestly believed there were more passengers waiting to board at Bath and Bristol than space left on the train.  This was Sunday evening, so not even rush hour.  I hardly ever travel in rush hour, but have been fortunate enough to always get a 3 coach 158 during these busy periods.

I feel awful when we are crammed into cattle class like sardines, when you see all those lovely SWT Class 158s and 159s at Salisbury, which are sitting there empty.  Surely if they don't need the stock, it should be broken up and given to FGW to make their units four coaches?

This photo was taken in November 2008, on a Class 150 around Trowbridge.  I was travelling from Bristol to Portsmouth and ended up sitting on the floor for most of the journey (as I gave up my seat for a very elderly lady who couldn't have managed to stand for more than a few minutes) - not a great experience but better than standing all that way.  The guard was nowhere to be seen.  I made sure FGW knew of this and I received a full refund.
(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3406/class150.jpg)

I haven't seen any improvements since this was taken.  Perhaps if the service ran to London there would be more investment in new rolling stock for this route?

The LHS is full between Exeter & Paignton... although the percentage of spotters is 99%  ;D

Actually, and not surprisingly when you think about it, Friday and Sunday evenings are some of the busiest periods of the week on long-distance trains with people going on or returning from weekend trips (and because of that it's also the busiest time for luggage - commuters in rush hour travel pretty light seeing as they're not staying anywhere!).

However, for historical reasons train services in Britain are still for the most part less frequent on Sundays whcih compounds the situation. One of the things I have heard mentioned along with talk of longer franchises for TOCs is the requirement for a Sunday service much more like a normal weekday, as is seem on the Continent.

You're right, it is irritating that SWT have lots of units sitting idle at Salisbury. I'm sure FGW would love to get their hands on them but I don't think the DfT would be having any of it. It does surprise me slightly that those units haven't been sequestered and sent to Northern like more or less every other spare (or even not spare - think back to Dec 2006/7) 14x and 15x DMU in the country.

A very good question, and I guess it probably depends on whether the same party remains in power. Though as the current government have shown, they can reverse their own decisions pretty quickly when it suits them (eg 4 car dmu procurement), even without an election. 

If you define the BSO being busy as full (unless of course it really is packed, i've not yet travelled on the "down" working?

The 1753 Bristol - Taunton is always cosy!

You are not the first to notice this and probably won't be the last. I was travelling through Salisbury a few Saturdays ago and noticed quite a number of 158s/159s parked up in the bay platforms. I can only assume they get widely used during the working week as I can't see SWT leasing stock they wouldn't use.

Yes FGW could do with using them but you will even see their own units layed up in sidings at Westbury at weekends at times ???

This is one of life's little mysteries that I've never managed to figure out...why do the cranks always gravitate towards the brake vehicle...?

Closest to loco I guess!!

And Brucey, interesting photo, if things pan out correctly in the next few months that is a similar journey as to what I will be making every couple of weeks. Can't wait...!   ::)