Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Rail service resumes after borehole discovery at Grange-over-Sands, 1 March 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [359015/29975/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:28, 3rd March 2025 |      |
| Re: Paddington bear stolen,now recovered In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [359014/29972/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:25, 3rd March 2025 | |
To give some context to previous sheep rustling references in this topic - from the BBC:
'I've lost 4,500 sheep to thieves on Dartmoor'
"It's beginning to feel like the Wild West up here when it comes to sheep crime - it's soul-destroying," says farmer Colin Abel, scanning his flock high up on west Dartmoor farmland.
This winter - like most years - Mr Abel is missing more than 400 ewes. He says in the last decade he has lost nearly £500,000 worth of livestock to sheep rustling, which is pushing some farmers to the brink of quitting or bringing their flocks off the moors.
Devon and Cornwall Police says livestock theft is challenging to police but its officers are "pursuing every line of inquiry" through "forensics, surveillance, tracking and more".
Sheep have grazed on Dartmoor in Devon for centuries but roaming free, they are hard to keep an eye on and the national park is among the five worst areas in the country for sheep rustling.
Mr Abel's family has run Lower Godsworthy Farm in Tavistock since 1888. He estimates more than 4,500 sheep have gone missing in the last decade and with each ewe worth roughly £120, that is more than £500,000 worth of livestock, he says.
His hardy upland flock of Scotch Blackface and Welsh mountain sheep spend nine-and-a-half months of the year on the moor, where they are most vulnerable to theft. "It impacts financially and on the viability of the business," he says. "I know farmers who are thinking about whether they want to continue."
There have been no prosecutions for sheep theft in the last five years for Devon and Cornwall.
The challenge is complicated by the suspected involvement of people from the farming industry, says PC Julian Fry from Devon and Cornwall Police's Rural Affairs Team. "The tragedy of this situation is that to steal livestock you have to know livestock and have the networks to shift them on."
PC Fry, who grew up on the edge of Dartmoor and knows the farming community well, says despite the challenges, officers are working with abattoirs, commoners and farmers to build intelligence and employ "lots of tactical options". "Any report of livestock theft we take seriously, investigate and pursue all lines of inquiry," he adds. "We hope to make this crime a thing of the past."
Rural insurer NFU Mutual estimates livestock theft cost £2.7m in 2023, although Mr Abel says he quit reporting his losses to avoid higher premiums.
(Article continues)
"It's beginning to feel like the Wild West up here when it comes to sheep crime - it's soul-destroying," says farmer Colin Abel, scanning his flock high up on west Dartmoor farmland.
This winter - like most years - Mr Abel is missing more than 400 ewes. He says in the last decade he has lost nearly £500,000 worth of livestock to sheep rustling, which is pushing some farmers to the brink of quitting or bringing their flocks off the moors.
Devon and Cornwall Police says livestock theft is challenging to police but its officers are "pursuing every line of inquiry" through "forensics, surveillance, tracking and more".
Sheep have grazed on Dartmoor in Devon for centuries but roaming free, they are hard to keep an eye on and the national park is among the five worst areas in the country for sheep rustling.
Mr Abel's family has run Lower Godsworthy Farm in Tavistock since 1888. He estimates more than 4,500 sheep have gone missing in the last decade and with each ewe worth roughly £120, that is more than £500,000 worth of livestock, he says.
His hardy upland flock of Scotch Blackface and Welsh mountain sheep spend nine-and-a-half months of the year on the moor, where they are most vulnerable to theft. "It impacts financially and on the viability of the business," he says. "I know farmers who are thinking about whether they want to continue."
There have been no prosecutions for sheep theft in the last five years for Devon and Cornwall.
The challenge is complicated by the suspected involvement of people from the farming industry, says PC Julian Fry from Devon and Cornwall Police's Rural Affairs Team. "The tragedy of this situation is that to steal livestock you have to know livestock and have the networks to shift them on."
PC Fry, who grew up on the edge of Dartmoor and knows the farming community well, says despite the challenges, officers are working with abattoirs, commoners and farmers to build intelligence and employ "lots of tactical options". "Any report of livestock theft we take seriously, investigate and pursue all lines of inquiry," he adds. "We hope to make this crime a thing of the past."
Rural insurer NFU Mutual estimates livestock theft cost £2.7m in 2023, although Mr Abel says he quit reporting his losses to avoid higher premiums.
(Article continues)
| Re: Connectivity - north to south Wales In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [359012/29974/23] Posted by grahame at 22:01, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by PrestburyRoad | |
Due to my lack of any experience of travel between North and South Wales, 'I have no opinion either way'.
Could that perhaps be added as another option in the poll - simply to include any 'don't know / none of the above' voters in the results?
CfN.
Could that perhaps be added as another option in the poll - simply to include any 'don't know / none of the above' voters in the results?
CfN.
I am normally reluctant to edit poll options once they'r running - however I have made an exception this time. Very strong case and it's unlikely that having the extra option will swing the proportions of votes between the other options.
| Re: Looe timetable changes this Summer In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [359011/29945/25] Posted by LiskeardRich at 21:36, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea | |
1 person doesn’t make a service viable. It would have been cheaper for GWR to send a taxi for that passenger every day than to run the train.
| Re: Paddington bear stolen,now recovered In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [359010/29972/31] Posted by JayMac at 20:42, 3rd March 2025 | |
Paddington being in a town centre with, no doubt, plenty of CCTV and probably some eyewitnesses, even at the late hour of the damage and theft, I imagine it was a relatively easy solve for Thames Valley Police.
Very different to rusting of livestock in the rural countryside.
| Re: Paddington bear stolen,now recovered In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [359009/29972/31] Posted by Timmer at 20:13, 3rd March 2025 | |
Rural crime is a huge problem with animals and farm machinery being regularly stolen. It doesn’t always get the press attention and it would appear the police attention it deserves. Farming is tough enough as it is and this kind of theft makes me cross.
I can’t imagine the pain a farmer goes through when he goes to a field the next morning to find all his livestock stolen overnight.
| Re: Rail service resumes after borehole discovery at Grange-over-Sands, 1 March 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [359007/29975/51] Posted by grahame at 19:50, 3rd March 2025 | |
Journalist's nightmare - no 153s around there any more ...
| Re: Paddington bear stolen,now recovered In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [359006/29972/31] Posted by Clan Line at 19:38, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by TaplowGreen, Timmer, Andy E | |
I have to wonder if some of the police involved in "solving" this crime could be lent to Devon & Cornwall. I heard on the farming programme on Radio 4 the other morning about the mass rustling of livestock going on in these counties. One farmer alone has had over 2000 sheep stolen. The police have not made one prosecution for livestock theft in these 2 counties in the last five years !! What is more important - peoples' livestock and their livelihood or a glass fibre bear ? No prizes offered for the correct answer......................
| Rail service resumes after borehole discovery at Grange-over-Sands, 1 March 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [359005/29975/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:22, 3rd March 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Train services have resumed after a collision between a train and vehicle at a level crossing, which led to the subsequent discovery of a borehole.
Staff found the hole during an inspection of the crash site, near Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria, on Saturday afternoon.
Network Rail said its appearance was not connected to the crash, and suggested the borehole was linked to previous work which followed a train derailment in the area last March. The hole had been filled with cement and "would not have presented a safety risk", a Network Rail spokesperson said.
Network Rail said the Rail Accidents and Investigations Branch (RAIB) was looking into the incident on Saturday.
No-one was injured in the crash, with the train driver and passengers all safely evacuated. Nonetheless, the crash, and subsequent discovery of the borehole, led to Northern services between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster being disrupted across the weekend, with buses replacing the train service.
A number of boreholes had been drilled as part of embankment inspections following last year's train derailment.
Network Rail's senior geo-tech engineer, Rowan Peters, said "occasionally the back-filling of that borehole can get stuck in the hole, or we have some issues where the material slumps a bit further into the hole". He described the issue as "not a regular occurrence", adding that "whilst unusual, at no point do we feel there was any real risk to the safety of passengers".
"It can come across as alarming that there are problems that seem to be occurring repeatedly around this area." However, he told BBC Radio Cumbria the borehole would have been discovered, even if the crash had not occurred. "We are fully inspecting our assets and we are continuing to monitor this line, but these events are quite rare," he stressed.
Mr Peters said Network Rail also planned to revisit other boreholes from the previous inspection "just to confirm all the back-filling is as it was when we left it".
RAIB said it was aware of the collision and its inspectors were gathering evidence to determine whether to launch an investigation or not.
| Re: A36 Closed Limpley Stoke August to Spring 2025 In "Buses and other ways to travel" [359004/28899/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:01, 3rd March 2025 | |
Wow! That's a full closure of the whole road for up to nearly a year. I note their rather vague proposed completion date as 'Spring 2025'.
Spring 2025 starts on Thursday, 20 March 2025 (in 252 days) and ends on Saturday, 21 June 2025 (in 345 days).
We shall see.
Spring 2025 starts on Thursday, 20 March 2025 (in 252 days) and ends on Saturday, 21 June 2025 (in 345 days).
We shall see.
Oh yes, totally vague Chris. Roadworks.org has it down 1st of August to 1st of March. As you say, we shall see.
To be fair to them, Timmer, they were there or thereabouts - reopened 2nd March.
| Re: Connectivity - north to south Wales In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [359003/29974/23] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:43, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by PrestburyRoad | |
Due to my lack of any experience of travel between North and South Wales, 'I have no opinion either way'.
Could that perhaps be added as another option in the poll - simply to include any 'don't know / none of the above' voters in the results?
CfN.
| Re: Mid Cornwall Metro - APPROVED In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [359002/27102/25] Posted by RailCornwall at 18:32, 3rd March 2025 | |
Some stunning photos in this Facebook Group of the loop and associated works, including one, taken from a drone, showing two trains side-by-side within the loop. (Not direct linking due copyright claims on some)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/384010423010289/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1403705101040811
| Re: Paddington bear stolen,now recovered In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [359001/29972/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:27, 3rd March 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Criminal damage charges over Paddington statue
Two men have been charged after a Paddington Bear statue was damaged and taken from a bench.
The front of the sculpture was cut away and removed from its seat in Northbrook Street, Newbury, Berkshire at about 02:00 GMT on Sunday, according to Thames Valley Police. It was later recovered.
Daniel Heath, 22, from Thornton, West Yorkshire, and William Lawrence, 22 from Enderby, Leicestershire, were both charged with one count of criminal damage.
Both men have been released on conditional bail to appear at Reading Magistrates' Court on 25 March.
The statue of the Peruvian bear, holding a marmalade sandwich, was unveiled in the town in October.
Newbury was the home town of Paddington creator Michael Bond.
Newbury Business Improvement District (BID) brought the statue to Newbury, in partnership with StudioCanal, as part of its national Paddington Visits trail.
It was one of 23 models celebrating the children's character placed across the UK last year ahead of the launch of the film Paddington in Peru.
Thames Valley Police said the statue was due to be handed back to the owners for its restoration.
Two men have been charged after a Paddington Bear statue was damaged and taken from a bench.
The front of the sculpture was cut away and removed from its seat in Northbrook Street, Newbury, Berkshire at about 02:00 GMT on Sunday, according to Thames Valley Police. It was later recovered.
Daniel Heath, 22, from Thornton, West Yorkshire, and William Lawrence, 22 from Enderby, Leicestershire, were both charged with one count of criminal damage.
Both men have been released on conditional bail to appear at Reading Magistrates' Court on 25 March.
The statue of the Peruvian bear, holding a marmalade sandwich, was unveiled in the town in October.
Newbury was the home town of Paddington creator Michael Bond.
Newbury Business Improvement District (BID) brought the statue to Newbury, in partnership with StudioCanal, as part of its national Paddington Visits trail.
It was one of 23 models celebrating the children's character placed across the UK last year ahead of the launch of the film Paddington in Peru.
Thames Valley Police said the statue was due to be handed back to the owners for its restoration.
| Re: A36 Closed Limpley Stoke August to Spring 2025 In "Buses and other ways to travel" [359000/28899/5] Posted by CyclingSid at 18:24, 3rd March 2025 | |
Most signage for road works appears to be contracted out nowadays.
| Re: How many countries have you visited? Used a train in? In "Introductions and chat" [358999/29898/1] Posted by Andy at 18:18, 3rd March 2025 | |
Visited: 13
UK, Portugal, France, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, USA, Greece, Netherlands, Spain, Germany.
Used a train in: 10
UK, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Italy, USA, Greece, Netherlands, Spain, Germany.
| Re: Mid Cornwall Metro - APPROVED In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [358998/27102/25] Posted by Andy at 18:08, 3rd March 2025 | |
Perhaps a word could be had with HRH The Duke to see if the Duchy might be inclined to contribute to the financing of a "Nansleden Platform/Nansleden Road/Gorsaf Nansleden".
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [358997/29711/14] Posted by Mark A at 18:03, 3rd March 2025 | |
Hmm. That looks as though it could have been more unpleasant than it was.
Mark
| Re: Connectivity - north to south Wales In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [358996/29974/23] Posted by anthony215 at 17:24, 3rd March 2025 | |
From Transport for Wales press release
Transport for Wales is launching a public consultation on proposals for a potential new express coach service that would transform connectivity between North and South Wales.
The proposed service would run between Bangor and Carmarthen, cutting journey times by 90 minutes compared to current public transport options. The express-stop service would call at key town centres and railway stations along Wales' western coast, including Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, and Aberystwyth.
With an expected journey time of 4 hours 45 minutes, the service is being proposed to provide a faster, more convenient travel option for tourists and university students, while improving connections between communities along the western corridor.
Plans include running up to eight coaches per day, with modern on-board facilities suitable for longer journeys and integration with rail services for onward travel.
The public consultation period will run for four weeks from 3rd March, with an online 'have your say' page where people can learn about the proposals and share their views via a survey.
The proposed service would run between Bangor and Carmarthen, cutting journey times by 90 minutes compared to current public transport options. The express-stop service would call at key town centres and railway stations along Wales' western coast, including Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, and Aberystwyth.
With an expected journey time of 4 hours 45 minutes, the service is being proposed to provide a faster, more convenient travel option for tourists and university students, while improving connections between communities along the western corridor.
Plans include running up to eight coaches per day, with modern on-board facilities suitable for longer journeys and integration with rail services for onward travel.
The public consultation period will run for four weeks from 3rd March, with an online 'have your say' page where people can learn about the proposals and share their views via a survey.
It's a good idea and will help ease crowding on the T1 and T2 services in particular as well as offering a faster north-south journey time
| Re: A36 Closed Limpley Stoke August to Spring 2025 In "Buses and other ways to travel" [358995/28899/5] Posted by John D at 17:24, 3rd March 2025 | |
Although the A36 closure signs have been taken down at Beckington roundabout, and Bath repainted as lane white road marking, there are lots of signs still up saying it was closed.
This morning passed one on Warminster bypass, and another approaching White Row roundabout, and diversion signs were still up on A361 at Rode.
So Highways agency is not good at correct engineering works info either
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [358994/29711/14] Posted by Witham Bobby at 16:53, 3rd March 2025 | |
Short runs on Paddington - Hereford services today and cancellations for LM services between Worcester and Hereford because of this bridge strike in Herefordshire
https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/24976248.pictures-show-a4103-lorry-crash-herefordshire/
| Connectivity - north to south Wales In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [358993/29974/23] Posted by grahame at 15:30, 3rd March 2025 | |
From Transport for Wales press release
Transport for Wales is launching a public consultation on proposals for a potential new express coach service that would transform connectivity between North and South Wales.
The proposed service would run between Bangor and Carmarthen, cutting journey times by 90 minutes compared to current public transport options. The express-stop service would call at key town centres and railway stations along Wales' western coast, including Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, and Aberystwyth.
With an expected journey time of 4 hours 45 minutes, the service is being proposed to provide a faster, more convenient travel option for tourists and university students, while improving connections between communities along the western corridor.
Plans include running up to eight coaches per day, with modern on-board facilities suitable for longer journeys and integration with rail services for onward travel.
The public consultation period will run for four weeks from 3rd March, with an online 'have your say' page where people can learn about the proposals and share their views via a survey.
The proposed service would run between Bangor and Carmarthen, cutting journey times by 90 minutes compared to current public transport options. The express-stop service would call at key town centres and railway stations along Wales' western coast, including Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, and Aberystwyth.
With an expected journey time of 4 hours 45 minutes, the service is being proposed to provide a faster, more convenient travel option for tourists and university students, while improving connections between communities along the western corridor.
Plans include running up to eight coaches per day, with modern on-board facilities suitable for longer journeys and integration with rail services for onward travel.
The public consultation period will run for four weeks from 3rd March, with an online 'have your say' page where people can learn about the proposals and share their views via a survey.
| Re: Travelogue by an observing passenger - Melksham to quite far away. In "Introductions and chat" [358992/29973/1] Posted by PrestburyRoad at 12:12, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by grahame, Mark A | |
Stopped a few minutes for the call of nature, in the knowledge that nature can be called for free these days at Paddington if you go around under the taxi rank / platform 12.
Tip for those who need to call nature at Paddington: he can also be called for free at platform 1 nowadays, and I'm please to report that the venue was bright and clean when I visited on Friday morning.
| Travelogue by an observing passenger - Melksham to quite far away. In "Introductions and chat" [358991/29973/1] Posted by grahame at 11:24, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by PrestburyRoad | |
Our introduction and chat board, these days, include in its subtitle "including records of your personal journeys" so here goes on my log of the trip I'm taking this week. I watch and think as I travel and look and see things, idiiosyncracise (which I can't spell), many things write and a few things where I think "if only".
Monday 3rd March 2025
Part 1 - from asleep to The Lawn
To my local station
Up at 6 a.m. to pack for an 07:30 walk from home to the station. Slight panic to find 7 emails sent over the weekend jammed in my outbox (an I had been wondering why I had not had even a single ackledgement - thank goodness Lisa and I email each other occasionally because that's how I found the problem - "did you get the copy of my schedule" I asked ... "no". So rushed shower and pack - travelling light with just a pack, clothes change, medical necessities. Also bottle of iced tea, packet biscuits, booking papers ... and European Train Timetable and book 1 of European Rail Maps (getting into practise for May to August)
At Station
- No sign of Coffee Stand that was there on Mondays when I last checked.
TVM working and picked up tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday
(I already had my tickets for today - picked up last month)
Machine which was not working the other day (unresponsive to touch) worked.
08:02 Melksham to Chippenham
- on time + Circa 20-25 on, handful off
- 2 car 158 / 48 in one carriage 47 in second = 95 to Chippenham
- With passengers off. that's about [100/30] how we used to measure - passengers total on single line (service unique to TransWilts) and Melksham users
- Ticket checked (and 'clipped') - "Sir" can I see your railcard.
- Guess around 30-35 off and say 25 on at Chippenham.
08:26 Chippenham to Paddington (9 carriage IET)
- Grabbed coffee and flapjack at Hearty Hare - do not trust on train supply.
- It's several weeks since I was at CPM station but waiting room on platform still boarded up
- Noting display says "peak tickets only" but mine is a cheap advanced.
There isn't any such thing as a peak ticket, is there??
- Reserved seat already occupied (and one next to it with bag)
- Bag cleared but I would rather have had the window seat I booked
- Left on time, but signal halt a few minutes later and proceed under caution
- Ticket check - call for "any more unchecked tickets please" - as mine had been checked and stamped already I just sat and TM (?) passed by ... noting he was checking rail cards as routine but not using the patronising "sir" to people in a way I had felt on the other train.
- Announcement @ 08:45 - "now running 11 minutes late due to signalling probs"
- My reserved seat cleared at Swindon; I have chosen not to move being settled and at a table, 2 laptops diagonally works best with 2 unoccupied seats.
- "Please take all your belongings with you" - always tempted to say I'm fortunate to have many more belongings at home that I'm unable to carry ... being far too much of a pedant this morning!
- Announcement @ 08:50 - "full catering service this morning - trolley coming through standard class - please keep aisles clear for us to pull it backwards. We have a range of herbal teas. Do not accept cash but full range of cards and contactless"
- 09:07 into Didcot, out at 09:09.
- Around 09:20 off Reading. Still just 4 persons in 8 bays at tables.
- 09:32 "Catering service has now closed to let us set up for our next journey"
P.S. We never saw the catering trolley, so what was "full service" about it?
- 09:44 came to a halt - 10 minutes late
At Paddington
- Noticed that our train was due back out at 10:00 - so 15 minute turn around
- Onto the lawn at 09:47 (busy train and one of the gateline staff opened the wide barrier to let us floow through).
Stopped a few minutes for the call of nature, in the knowledge that nature can be called for free these days at Paddington if you go around under the taxi rank / platform 12.
| Re: Paddington bear stolen,now recovered In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [358989/29972/31] Posted by johnneyw at 09:54, 3rd March 2025 | |
from Newbury in Berkshire.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7egx029l9o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7egx029l9o
From the photo it looks like the thieves have pretty much trashed it when cutting out it's front half. Hopefully repairable though.
The tent round the bench made it look somewhat reminiscent of a murder scene.....I wonder if this was something of a tongue in cheek gesture by the local police?
| Re: Mid Cornwall Metro - APPROVED In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [358987/27102/25] Posted by RichardB at 07:23, 3rd March 2025 Already liked by grahame, Witham Bobby | |
I read in RAIL magazine that the hourly Newquay branch service won’t be starting until September.
https://midcornwallmetro.com/2025/02/stage-three-of-mid-cornwall-metro-work-underway/
Here's the latest on the scheme. Looking at that Rail piece, it says the commissioning work for the signals will be in September and the service introduction will be after that. Slightly different to saying the service will start in Sept. Too early to say and we'll see soon enough.
| Re: Cornish delays In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [358986/28556/25] Posted by ChrisB at 07:00, 3rd March 2025 | |
That is one page?…..
