If bay platforms were installed, there would still be a conflicting move for terminating trains and departing trains would still need the main line to be clear.  I have some sympathy for the idea of a direct service from Swindon to Cheltenham, in addition to an hourly Swindon to Gloucester, now that there is the capacity for two trains an hour in each direction between Kemble and Swindon.  Cheltenham lost out badly when it was decided to close Gloucester Eastgate station and make trains reverse to reach Cheltenham from  London.  The route between Swindon and Cheltenham is circuitous as it is, without the delay in travelling via Gloucester Central.  On my last journey from London to Cheltenham, we reached the curve between Gloucester Yard and Horton Road Junctions well ahead of time, then waited for a platform to become available.  I managed to arrive in Cheltenham earlier by racing over the Platform 4 to catch a Cardiff to Nottingham.

There are advantages and disadvantages of having bay platforms rather than the current arrangement where trains terminating at Cheltenham run empty to the siding at Alstone.  If there were bay platforms, passengers could board trains starting from Cheltenham further in advance of their departure.  However, for a connection from the Swindon line or Gloucester for Birmingham and the North, with the current arrangement, passengers use the same platform, whereas with bay platforms, they would need to go up and over the bridge to get to the northbound through platform.  Both manoeuvres involve crossing the southbound line on the level and therefore create conflicting movements.  On balance, it looks better value to retain the current arrangement, possibly increasing the capacity of the sidings and spend the money on improving the station facilities.

There are sometimes also issues with the automated station announcements beginning well before the train has stopped.  I noticed this at Bath Spa yesterday with a 158 arriving on the down platform.  I assume that there is a delay from the occupation of the track circuit to when the announcement is triggered but if the train is slow arriving it might kick in too soon.

Total smartcard perfection might require 100% barriered stations but if you have a system like Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) where you get charged a high fare if you don't touch out at the end of your journey, that forces you to pay the fare as long as there is a barrier at one end of the journey.  And most journeys are either to / from a large or medium-sized station.

I agree that we should keep the staff on trains as much as possible for reassurance, ticket / smartcard checking and advice on changing trains etc.  Perhaps some ticket offices could be converted into retail outlets that could be viable businesses as well as selling rail tickets?  Could be a win-win?

All of the local services, with the exception of the Severn Beach branch, were made cross-Bristol a few years ago in order to reduce congestion at Temple Meads.  This was designed to reduce delays but of course the longer-distance services such as Weymouth - Gloucester / Great Malvern now have many more opportunities to get delayed, especially on the single line section between Castle Cary and Dorchester, plus negotiating a number of complex areas with lots of conflicting movements, such as Westbury, Bristol, Gloucester and Worcester.  The advantage for me is it opens up through journey opportunities, such as Gloucester to Bath or Salisbury.

Of course, most of the services are run with Class 150s (a Class 158 if you're lucky), which are most unsuitable for a long journey of several hours and there is no catering on route either!

From a Gloucester perspective, the biggest loss when Cross Country stopped serving the city, apart from the Nottingham to Cardiffs, was the through trains to / from the South West of England.  There was a stopping service to Taunton for a while, but now no regular service south of Bristol TM^‡(resolve).  I'd like to see a semi-fast service Gloucester, Bristol Parkway, TM, Weston, Bridgwater, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St D, Exeter Central.

I usually use East Coast, which has the Mixing Deck interface and gives 10% discount on their own fares.  If the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site does not give discounts, then I would advise using an alternative site with the Mixing Deck.

No, but (appropriately) I have had a pint of Deltic Diesel, from the same brewery!

And puffed presumably

I meant the passengers planning to join the train at Maidenhead

Presumably those getting on at Paddington for Maidenhead got off at Reading to come back.  I hope they weren't charged an excess fare!

There were definitely problems with the signalling here in FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) land last night.  Down Slow out of action through Knebworth, with passengers being advised to travel to Stevenage and take a southbound train back to Knebworth.

So, if the driver forgot to stop at Maidenhead, from the Maidenhead passenger's point of view it didn't stop anywhere.

Mornington Crescent 

Or more likely send the rear 5 coaches back to London with another 5 from farther afield. But isn't the problem with this that the government doesn't like coupling / uncoupling of trains / locos en route. That's why they have gone for bi-modes.

I'm flabbergasted by ACORP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships)'s decision.  Their logic seems to be that you have too few services to make promoting them viable.  So they would have excluded the Settle-Carlisle line, one of the most successful instances of community involvement in a railway, when it was down to two trains each way per day.  In which case this involvement might never have happened.  It appears that they are concerned about becoming involved with an organisation that is too involved with campaigning but it appears to me that you have two separate organisations already so that the campaigning and promotional roles can be separated.

Is there any mileage in asking them to reconsider?

Perhaps he could put in some Sunday shifts for London Midland!