Great Western Coffee Shop

Yesterday was doing some trainspotting at 3 different Railway Stations. I bought a FirstDay South West for ^5.60 and went to Westbury on the bus to do some trainspotting. I then caught a bus to Bath Spa (I was very pleased the gateline was open as they would not have let me through to watch the Weymouth train depart). The 18:07 Bath Spa to Weymouth was delayed by 35 mins. I asked the friendly dispatcher in the information office why the train was delayed and he told me there was a trespasser on the line at Freshford (I was thinking of going to Freshford after Westbury, so glad I didn't). I then went to Bristol Parkway and asked the dispatcher if he knew anything about it and he said it was a man who decided to lay on the track and go to sleep.

BTP attended and removed the man from the track, but severe delays occured because of this stupid idiot who decided to do that. It is obvious trains pass through Freshford so fast (especially the Portsmouth Harbour trains). He could have been hit by a train, thankfully he wasn't.

The friendly dispatcher at Bristol Parkway also told me that it happened there a couple of weeks ago and passengers waiting on the platform jumped down and pulled him away from the track onto the platform.

Ah, that's why there was a dmu sitting in the up loop at Bathampton at 6pm last night. It must have been waiting to take the Westbury line and had been put in the loop to keep the main line free.

Can I ask where you got a FirstDay South West for ^5.60? Did you mean child/senior for ^5.80?

Interesting, last time I purchased a (child) FDSW it set me back ^5, thats gone up quite a bit in the space of 2 years.

I bought the Student FirstDay South West on the no.7 bus in Bristol. I have a Student Photocard that allows me cheaper bus tickets (you need one of these to get this cheaper pass). I asked the bus driver for a Student FirstDay South West and the bus driver said ^5.60 please (I also thought it was ^5.80). ^5.80 is the child price. Seniors (60+) travel free everywhere anyway so they don't need to buy one of these. Surprisingly the student price is cheaper than the child price.

What a bargain. I used it all day and had a very enjoyable day. I much prefer the train, but still the bus was cheaper on this occasion.

This was not a child ticket that I purchased. It was a student ticket. First Bus have added on 80p to the price of a child FirstDay South West. The child price is now 20p dearer than the student price making it ^5.80. ^8.00 for an adult peak (before 0900) and ^7.10 for an adult off peak (after 0900).

It is all about profit making isn't it.

Ah..... FirstDay Student West, not FirstDay South West. Different products, different areas of validity.

FirstDay Student West valid in Bath & North East Somerset (plus Wells and Shepton Mallet), Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Wiltshire.

FirstDay South West valid as above plus the rest of Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

Yes that's correct. I asked the driver for a FirstDay Student West and he sold me a FirstDay South West (he probably did not have FirstDay Student West on the Wayfarer) which is better as I can go further with that ticket. I could go to Weymouth on it if I wanted to for only ^5.60.

Although if you took the bus all the way to Weymouth by the time you got there is would be time to come home! That's assuming it would be possible using only First services as well...

Unfortunately it would be time to come back when you get there as it takes a long time to get there by bus. The journey intinery to get there is below:-

Bristol - Wells
Wells - Yeovil
Yeovil - Bridport
Bridport - Weymouth

Or

Bristol - Wells
Wells - Taunton
Taunton - Axminster
Axminster - Weymouth

It took about 6 hours to get there on the bus when me and my mum did that last. But we were staying in a guest house anyway thankfully. All the above routes are operated by First Bus. It was great fun as you get to see all different places when you go by bus. But we still prefer to go by train. But it makes a change.