Gloucester to Newport - Cross Country and Transport for Wales

Another line that I'm not familiar with - though no GWR^▸ service. Gloucester to Severn Tunnel Junction, courtesy of Cross Country on a diverted Birmingham to Plymouth service. Just the briefest of views - being a Sunday, local trains are only every 2 hours, with service timed such that even doubling back won't allow two stations to be viewed with a 2 hour delay.

Starting from the longest platform in the UK^▸ - on a train that in my youth would have felt silly-short for a long distance service, the line crosses the river Severn before heading westwards (with a bit of South) on the north bank. Some lovely scenery, somewhat disappointingly much on the opposite side to I was seated. There seem to be a number of engineering slacks and falling one-side cutting walls, and I find myself wondering if there are Dawlish parallels.

Flashing through Lydney Station, I noted a short sparse platform - not much more than a minimal facility. Looking across to the Forest of Dean Railway, the impression is of a desolate platform and lines of rolling stock in a sad state of decay; I had wondered about taking a further ride on the railway to do an update to my blog of a number of years ago ( http://www.wellho.net/mouth/1757_Preserved-railways-struggling-to-the-future-.html ), but I'm one week ahead of their season.

And so to Chepstow - views over the Severn Estuary, and a town that looks (from the train) worth stopping at. One day when there's an hour's chance, maybe ... then past Caldicot - so close to Severn Tunnel Junction that it's a wonder it's survived. John Betjemin wrote a poem about Dilton Marsh ... but how was Caldicot saved? Sorry no good picture - I was photobombed by a TfW^▸ train.

And so ... to and through Severn Tunnel Junction and on for a reversal.