Although I put these pictures as a quiz in the lighter side, I took and take them as reminders of what I learn and see as I travel - to help things not to be forgotten, and in some cases (but I never know which as I take them!) to back up the outgoing written word.
So what did I learn from this series / trip? Memories of
... one of the very few Cross Country services to Bristol that calls at Gloucester, how it loads, passenger numbers there, and how it fits into the timetable with regard (f)utility and otherwise
... the strong presence of the
BTP▸ on Saturday evening - noted especially at Preston and Bath Spa, at the same time as the station buffet pushing bulk sales (4 for £7 for the train at Preston)
... only two trains remaining on the departure board at Bristol Temple Meads and my astonishment at 6 carriages on the Frome. The picture of how that loaded out of Bath Spa shows the need for a substantial train even that late at night
... lack of connections at Gloucester for Stroud and Swidon, and at Bristol for Chippenham (and Swindon)
... The late train to Frome (and after quite a gap in services to Westbury) calling at Bath Spa a few minutes after the last buses onwards to Melksham and to Chippenham
... Once delayed, out of path and seemingly checked all the way on
XC▸ . Felt slow but despite the checks lost little more time
... Sparse offerings to XC at Alnmouth and Berwick upon Tweed. Probably VERY unfair, as I suspect that the traffic we should have been carrying had been mopped up by other trains (we were 40 late at this point)
... Quite a few people getting off at Motherwell (of all places!)
... Some excellent train crew announcements about ongoing connections, and about the ability to claim delay repay. The connection announcements are getting far better than they ever were; I have noted it on
GWR▸ but not on this trip, and on XC and Virgin West Coast. Coming in to Birmingham, all we got on
LM▸ was "this train terminates / all change" and there's no display as you get off to tell you where to go
... Highest %age loadings - Wakefield to Leeds, Melksham to Chippenham, Bath Spa to Freshford. Everyone who wanted could be seated in each case, but then none of the services was what I would expect to be the busiest of the day.
... least %age loadings - Cheltenham Spa to Bimingham New Street, Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Steet
Probably more to add but I'm off into a busy day
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