Farewell to an old friend

[whole diary]

[bobm]

The 07:30 London Paddington to Penzance (via Bristol) is no more.  Swept away in the December 2014 timetable changes it is now a through service to Paignton.

It is a train I have been catching for more than 20 years initially from Reading but more recently from Swindon.  The Merchant Venturer has been taking me to Cornwall for meetings, holidays and even the odd day trip.



It was the first train to take me past the seawall at Dawlish, the first over the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash and the first to get me to the end of the line at Penzance.



In its heyday you could have a silver service breakfast on it, more recently there was a Travelling Chef but in its last few weeks simply an Express Caf^.

No more through trips for me to Penzance, now it is a change at either Westbury, Exeter or Newton Abbot and a balancing act between ticket price, speed of journey and standard of accommodation.

I'll miss you old friend.

[ellendune]

I must admit that in the days before platform 4 at Swindon when it came in just before my London train, Penzance seemed awfully temping rather than a meeting in London. 

[TaplowGreen]

.........anything that takes you away from Swindon has to be a good thing! 

[Super Guard]

I never really understood why the 06:30 could not be timetabled for PZ offering that much needed earlier arrival into Plymouth & Cornwall.

[Timmer]

Agreed it is a great loss of the direct service to Plymouth and Cornwall from Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa. I can see why FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have done it and running via the Berks and Hants will benefit a lot of passengers with the earlier arrival into Devon and Cornwall from London and Reading. It's just a shame for those from the above stations that have lost a direct IC^▸ (Inter City) service.

[The Tall Controller]

You weren't the only one that remembered the last run of the Merchant Venturer to Penzance. I had the honour of dispatching it at Bodmin Parkway and announced it before arrival.

I may have even taken a window label as it was in the station as well.........

[Rhydgaled]

The named trains leaflet on the FirstGW website doesn't seem to have been updated, still says 07:30 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-Penzance is the Merchant Venturer. Have we lost any named trains or have the names just been reshuffled?

[JayMac]

I've got me a window label too!

And I'll join with bobm in lamenting the loss of the 0730 to Plymouth and Cornwall via Bristol. I was a semi regular user of the service at 0913 from Bristol Temple Meads, most often travelling with a Rover ticket. Now for Plymouth it'll have to be CrossCountry at 0944 (at least that one is routinely a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) HST^▸ (High Speed Train)). Or if I want Cornwall before lunchtime then its an Anytime ticket to Taunton to connect at 0903 into the 0706 departure from Paddington, or for a later arrival in the Duchy use the aforementioned XC service and change at Plymouth onto a bleddy unit.

The named trains leaflet on the FirstGW website doesn't seem to have been updated, still says 07:30 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-Penzance is the Merchant Venturer. Have we lost any named trains or have the names just been reshuffled?

Names have been reshuffled. The down Merchant Venturer is now the 0800 from Paddington to Bristol TM^‡(resolve). The Devon Express is now at 0730 from Paddington to Paignton instead of 0706. Reflected in the timetables online and in print. Named Trains page on the website obviously not yet updated.

[rogerw]

Don't go into total mourning.  After all, it still runs on Saturdays

[ellendune]

.........anything that takes you away from Swindon has to be a good thing! 

What is the problem people have with Swindon? It was the prospect of a meeting in London that was sending me the other way!

[TaplowGreen]

.........anything that takes you away from Swindon has to be a good thing! 

What is the problem people have with Swindon? It was the prospect of a meeting in London that was sending me the other way!

I have the joy of working in Swindon 1 day a week - it is the only town I know that makes Slough look attractive (and I lived there for 11 years)......I cannot think of a single saving grace that Swindon possesses but am happy to be educated/corrected.

[Tim]

Don't go into total mourning.  After all, it still runs on Saturdays

thank you for posting that, I was starting to panic.  It has taken me and family to Cornwall on more than a few occasions.  We have always left on a Saturday though so I will stop crying. 

[bobm]

Names have been reshuffled. The down Merchant Venturer is now the 0800 from Paddington to Bristol TM^‡(resolve). The Devon Express is now at 0730 from Paddington to Paignton instead of 0706. Reflected in the timetables online and in print. Named Trains page on the website obviously not yet updated.

There is in fact a mistake in the printed version of the Named Trains on page 46 of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Timetable book.  No doubt a victim of cut and paste, but the entry for the Merchant Venturer correctly identifies the pair of trains from Weston-Super-Mare and to Bristol Temple Meads, but the text still mentions Penzance.