Great Western Coffee Shop

Having been to a small community carnival today in South Wales, I was surprised to see a stall with people representing the Heart of Wales line handing out promotional information and passing out information on where to go on the line along with how to travel cheap on the line with the Heart of Wales Line railcard. This was a pleasant surprise as it allowed people the chance to find out information about the line and recieve timetables to spread the word as such about it. Hopefully this will have a beneficial impact on users of the line.

This point however does lead myself to ask a question, do other organisations carry out similair activites in local communities in other areas representing other lines? Maybe a small stall in Bristol city centre for example to promote the benfits of train travel (Severn Beach Line etc.) and to inform the public of what service is actually available since lack of information no doubt prevents many people using the railway. How can people use it if they are not aware it exists or exists with a more useful service than they thought?

The CLPG regularly attends events along the Cotswold Line to promote use...

Yes - agreed with Chris B.

I would have been at Hanborough Show on 10 September promoting the post redoubling timetable improvements but for the fact that on that date CLPG has a big promotional event along the complete Cotswold and Malvern Line in the form of a FGW charter HST from Hereford to Oxford  and then by a circuitous route through Melksham to Portsmouth Harbour. Over 100 standard class ticket still available to the general public at ^32 - details on clpg.co.uk. I hope all you Wilts line supporters will be out to cheer us on as we go through but we won't be stopping at Melksham however!

Has a hst been to portsmouth Hbr  before by the way?

i would go on it just for that

I am told an HST has actually been to Portsmouth but that it was many years ago.

Virgin Cross Country ran services to Pompey Harbour.  I did know what years this ran and the rolling stock they used but it has completely slipped my mind ::)

HSTs were a regular sight at Portsmouth Harbour in pre-voyager Virgin XC days.

http://www.125group.org.uk/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=13

Scroll down the page for a shot of one at PMH.

I've definitely ridden an HST to Portsmouth Harbour in the past (used to regularly travel down to the dockyard there with work)

HST's have visited Portsmouth three times in the last two years for football specials although admittedly they only reached Fratton on these occasions.

Or 'North Southsea' as some local estate agents seem to believe... ;D

Paul