From part of the report on the Railfuture (Taunton) meeting:

**Discussion of Tavistock extension. Funding not from DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) / some doubt as to whether the six miles / 6m to 10m pounds can be justified.**

Do the DfT not seriously get on your tits?? They'll pay endless amounts of money to bulldoze new roads through the countryside but never want to spend on opening new rail routes. The trackbed is in place to Tavistock and the road network between there and Plymouth is appalling, this route should of reopened years ago....

Newquay to St.Austell is another prime example of a route that shouldve opened years ago, about time the DfT were forced to spend on rail and not roads.....

Agreed!! You have to wonder if anyone in the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) actually has a brain cell???

Cross Country is set to go MEGA tits up over the next few months, shame as although their trains are uncomfortable and total crap they do seem to of settled down and are fairly reliable, especially when compared to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)...

Bring on the Arriva XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) shambles :S

The two weekly closures of the SW branch lines that happen every autumn and every spring are a total scandal. Fair play a couple of closures lately on the NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station))/FAL have seen some lengths of new welded rail track introduced. But other two week closures on SIV/LOO/GSL have seen a couple overhanging trees removed and the odd length of rail replaced. No wonder the locals dont rely on their branch lines when they are closed 4 weeks a year for practically no reason. Why cant trees on say the Looe branch be trimmed on Sundays when theres no service in the winter anyway, if I were FGW^▸ (First Great Western) I'd seriously question Networks Rails 'essential maintenance' program.....

But of course the new extended Penalty Fares area is another FGW^▸ (First Great Western) shambles and none have been issued?? Am I correct??

Theres better money saving examples about.... Try Newquay to Taunton in a day, look at the SVR fare compared to a NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) + a EXD to TAU^» (Taunton - next trains) CDR... Yes, Savers are daylight robbery....

Its not always an actual lack of crew, in fact its normally down to poor rostering and lack of intelligence in Swindon....

Oh great, I cant wait to see these vile heaps of junk everywhere while our almost decentish class 158s disapear. Fantastic news!!

As for the 180 Adelante, they DO go off lease in May 2008, Mr Haines is in for a bad time in the press in December methinks, especially with some HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) buffet cars vanishing aswell...

Printed copies of timetable 'A' are available revised from 10th September. Available at a station near you!! New editions have a red band across top of front cover. They have all the summar dated trains etc removed to ease confusion!!

Well another fine day.

The following services ex Paddington were to be *planned* cancellations today due to a shortage of servicable class 180s and HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)):
13:05 Plymouth.
15:00 Weston Super Mare.
15:30 Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context).
15:45 Swansea.
17:15 Swansea.
17:36 Westbury.
18:36 Exeter St.Dvds.

However, am fairly sure most of these ran, the 13:05 Plymouth definately did with a new short term plan (STP) path created in TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) after the original schedule was cancelled.

Definately cancelled were:
15:48 Paddington to Cheltenham (road transport provided from SWI^» (Swindon - next trains)).
16:00 Bristol TM to Paddington.

19 services today were formed of 165/166 Turbo units vice Adelantes....

Situation normal!!

Appears from the info currently available that the Saltash Monday to Friday timetable from December 2007 is identical to what runs now. Only thing I can see of any note is the am Gunnislake to Newquay service now calls additionally at Liskeard.

Of course whats currently available is subject to alteration.

I frequently travel between Exeter/Truro and rarely have my ticket checked, especially on the way down to Truro, the problem seems worse on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) services, it makes you wonder just how much money they loose, especially around stations such as Newton Abbot/Totnes which have no barriers....

The day goes on, the same as any other:

10:02 Cheltenham Spa to Taunton due 12:14
This train has been revised. It will no longer call at: Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton, Worle and Weston-Super-Mare.


14:04 Reading to Redhill due 15:25
This train has been cancelled.


14:05 Oxford to London Paddington due 14:58
This train has been cancelled.


12:52 London Paddington to Oxford due 13:47
This train has been cancelled.


12:05 Oxford to London Paddington due 13:01
This train has been cancelled.


08:50 Exmouth to Penzance due 12:22
This train will be terminated at Plymouth. It will no longer call at: Saltash, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, St Erth and Penzance.



Oh well, back to work, Bank Holiday Monday was the normal totally unorganised shambles on the rails, why they have a 'planning' department is beyond anyone, as they dont live up to their name....

Not only did they squeal but with their rigid wheelbase they also got stuck on tight bends, I really cant see them being used on Cornish Branches. Based at Exeter for Paignton/Exmouth work was the rumor I heard, however I think Network Rail may have something to say about either area.....

The down Golden Hind is a Penzance guard from Exeter down. However was none available so a Plymouth guard worked it from Exeter after already completing his shift, to have worked it through to Penzance would have put him at over 12 hours at work which is against regulations. Train terminated at Truro and passengers where transferred to the Falmouth unit which normally runs ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) Truro to Penzance. Actually a fairly sensible move compared to some things that go on!!

Most of these cancellations were however not cancellations, in the current 'cancellation scam' thats taken place..

Basically if a path (train) is cancelled within TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) (train running computer system) before the day the train is due to run it is classed as a 'planned cancellation'. ie, if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) knew it had no crew for a certain service and it inputted it as 'CAN' in TRUST before the day it runs its a planned cancellation, FGW DO NOT get penalised for 'planned cancellations'.

A couple Sundays back was dozens of these VSTP cancellations (very short term planned), but as they are 'planned' no penalty is incurred.

Sounds mad but is true.....

So anyway, why are First still here???