Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Melksham Transport User Group AGM - 13th May 2025 In "TransWilts line" [361495/30143/18] Posted by grahame at 09:52, 13th May 2025 |      |
Presentation / text for this evening - https://www.passenger.chat/mirror/mtug_20250513.pdf (subject to late change)
| Re: 2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury In "TransWilts line" [361494/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 09:40, 13th May 2025 | |
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 was terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a fault on this train.
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 was terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a fault on this train.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361493/489/12] Posted by Mark A at 09:21, 13th May 2025 | |
Silly question - how many customers actually want to arrive in London before 07:00 anyway?
Not many.
In fact with delay repay I expect most would be pretty happy.
Not ideal for passengers joining at stations enroute of course, but hopefully they would all be understanding of the reason.
Given the economics of sleeper services would it be justified to modify their delay repay conditions?
It's awkward as some may be heading for onward connections and need that early arrival time - but their needs may be better met by them having travel insurance to cover disruption, which might meet the actual costs they may incur.
The Paddington arrival being ~05:04 and cabins to be vacated by 06:45, if GWR honours delay repay on the basis of that 5:04 arrival there must be many many travellers who'd regard anything before a 6:45 arrival as meeting their needs (and quite a few who'd be fine with 8am but of course Paddington needs the platform...) If, on the occasion that the service arrives an hour down, GWR are meeting a lot of delay repay claims on the basis of that 5:04 arrival it might be that they're compensating some for the hour or more that they'd have spent snoozing anyway.
More relaxed arrangements for delay repay on sleeper services might be for the general good as long as the railway doesn't then regard itself as deincentivised to run the services to time - but again, the avoidable costs involved in tying up a platform in the morning peak should address that.
Mark
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361492/489/12] Posted by IndustryInsider at 08:51, 13th May 2025 | |
Silly question - how many customers actually want to arrive in London before 07:00 anyway?
Not many.
In fact with delay repay I expect most would be pretty happy.
Not ideal for passengers joining at stations enroute of course, but hopefully they would all be understanding of the reason.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361491/489/12] Posted by grahame at 08:31, 13th May 2025 | |
And didn't make any time up enroute, odd.
Such a slack scheduled running time to boot.
Such a slack scheduled running time to boot.
* Longer time at EXD than it should have been.
* Via Honiton which probably makes it less slack
* Relief line most of the way from Reading to Paddington and at a time when Liz Line service running
Silly question - how many customers actually want to arrive in London before 07:00 anyway?
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361490/489/12] Posted by GBM at 08:00, 13th May 2025 | |
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04
12/05/25 21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04 has been delayed at Camborne and is now 126 minutes late.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.
And didn't make any time up enroute, odd.12/05/25 21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04 has been delayed at Camborne and is now 126 minutes late.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.
Such a slack scheduled running time to boot.
| Re: And on a hot summer's evening ... In "Heart of Wessex" [361489/30269/19] Posted by grahame at 07:30, 13th May 2025 | |
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on this train.
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on this train.
I think this is the train that's dry on Friday and Saturday evenings ...
How is that enforced?
There's [sometime / often / usually] a heavy presence of [ BTP / staff / heavies] at Weymouth. As far as I am aware, there is no enforcement for passengers joining at intermediate stations, nor is there any need. I have travelled down to Weymouth on the incoming train, carrying extra staff for the purpose.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2025 In "Across the West" [361488/29650/26] Posted by TaplowGreen at 07:22, 13th May 2025 | |
Ongoing from yesterday.......
Alterations to services between Bourne End and Marlow
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Bourne End and Marlow all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations will be suspended.
Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
| Re: And on a hot summer's evening ... In "Heart of Wessex" [361487/30269/19] Posted by TaplowGreen at 06:55, 13th May 2025 | |
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on this train.
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on this train.
I think this is the train that's dry on Friday and Saturday evenings ...
How is that enforced?
| Re: And on a hot summer's evening ... In "Heart of Wessex" [361486/30269/19] Posted by Timmer at 06:40, 13th May 2025 | |
Maybe it needs to be ‘dry’ on other days of the week too. If these last services from Weymouth continue to be an issue, then they could end up being withdrawn which means everyone suffers.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361485/489/12] Posted by TaplowGreen at 05:43, 13th May 2025 | |
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04
12/05/25 21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04 has been delayed at Camborne and is now 126 minutes late.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.
| And on a hot summer's evening ... In "Heart of Wessex" [361483/30269/19] Posted by grahame at 21:52, 12th May 2025 | |
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on this train.
21:28 Weymouth to Westbury due 23:01 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on this train.
I think this is the train that's dry on Friday and Saturday evenings ...
| Nineteen injured in fatal M4 minibus crash - Reading, Berkshire, 11 May 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [361482/30268/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:25, 12th May 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Nineteen people were injured in a fatal minibus crash on a motorway slip road in which a child died, a fire service has said.
The minibus overturned on the link road from junction 10 of the M4 to the A329(M) near Reading, Berkshire, at about 14:45 BST on Sunday.
The motorway reopened after about three hours but the slip road remains closed.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said two people were found to be trapped, with a total of 19 people being injured and receiving care from firefighters and paramedics.
The child died at the scene and the fire service handed over responsibility for the scene to Thames Valley Police at about 17:00.
The police force confirmed on Sunday that no arrests had been made.
| Power failure knocks out Tube and Elizabeth line - 12 May 2025 In "Transport for London" [361481/30267/46] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:47, 12th May 2025 | |
From the BBC:
A power failure is causing major disruption across the London Underground network, London Overground and the Elizabeth line.
The Bakerloo, Weaver and Waterloo & City lines are currently suspended, as is part of the Mildmay lines, while there are severe delays on the Jubilee and Piccadilly lines, as well as the Elizabeth line.
Transport for London (TfL) said the issues had been caused by a power outage in south-west London which happened at about 14:30 BST. Power has since been restored, but delays and line suspensions are ongoing.
Separately, the entire Suffragette line on London Overground is suspended due to a fire alert.
Waterloo station is among the worst affected stations, as it is usually served by Jubilee, Northern and Bakerloo line trains.
Earlier, the Northern and Jubilee lines were part suspended, as was the Elizabeth line. The Northern line currently has minor delays.
The Transport for London (TfL) website also appears to be suffering from intermittent issues with some travel advice pages not loading.
A spokesperson for TfL said the outage was a result of a National Grid issue, which had shut down everything for a matter of minutes. He said: "When the power goes out the trains will have stopped. We've cleared some stations. Because there's no electricity it might not necessarily be safe for them to be open."
TfL says it is in the process of getting things back up and running.
(Article continues)
The Bakerloo, Weaver and Waterloo & City lines are currently suspended, as is part of the Mildmay lines, while there are severe delays on the Jubilee and Piccadilly lines, as well as the Elizabeth line.
Transport for London (TfL) said the issues had been caused by a power outage in south-west London which happened at about 14:30 BST. Power has since been restored, but delays and line suspensions are ongoing.
Separately, the entire Suffragette line on London Overground is suspended due to a fire alert.
Waterloo station is among the worst affected stations, as it is usually served by Jubilee, Northern and Bakerloo line trains.
Earlier, the Northern and Jubilee lines were part suspended, as was the Elizabeth line. The Northern line currently has minor delays.
The Transport for London (TfL) website also appears to be suffering from intermittent issues with some travel advice pages not loading.
A spokesperson for TfL said the outage was a result of a National Grid issue, which had shut down everything for a matter of minutes. He said: "When the power goes out the trains will have stopped. We've cleared some stations. Because there's no electricity it might not necessarily be safe for them to be open."
TfL says it is in the process of getting things back up and running.
(Article continues)
| Re: Go-Op Cooperative - proposals for additional rail services In "TransWilts line" [361477/11010/18] Posted by IndustryInsider at 13:08, 12th May 2025 Already liked by Ralph Ayres, TaplowGreen | |
Do not presume - there may be a "Plan B" - or perhaps a "Plan [later letter]" now as there have been a number of plan updates along the way, and I would not bet on this news being terminal when bad news has not been terminal for them in the past.
Other options being considered:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/go-op-som-wilts-rail/updates/217508#start
Depends on how much you want to flog a dead horse I suppose.
| Re: Tilehurst station - facilities, incidents and improvements In "London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury" [361476/1198/9] Posted by Marlburian at 11:52, 12th May 2025 | |
I don't visit Tilehurst Station as much as I used to, but it's my impression that work on installing the lifts finished more than a month ago. But they aren't yet in use. They could have been useful on Saturday when a friend visited me from Poland. She'd had (another) delayed flight, arriving at her accommodation near Bishop's Stortford after midnight. The next morning she made her way to Paddington with a heavy suitcase that she'd meant to deposit with Left Luggage, but there was a long queue, so she lugged it all the way to Tilehurst and up and down the stairs. I collected her in the car and a few hours later returned her to the station, for the process to be repeated.
| Re: Prince Harry to read Thomas In "The Lighter Side" [361475/23331/30] Posted by grahame at 11:47, 12th May 2025 | |
12th May 1945 - First "Thomas the Tank Engine" book published - (link)
80 years today. When does Thomas's boiler ticket run out, or are there other rules on Sodor?
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361473/489/12] Posted by LiskeardRich at 11:32, 12th May 2025 | |
I’d assume as it changed route at Exeter, and they’re citing a train fault, that the fault may have been in the Taunton end cab of the 57. The delay whilst they waited for the honiton route to reopen?
| Re: Go-Op Cooperative - proposals for additional rail services In "TransWilts line" [361472/11010/18] Posted by grahame at 11:29, 12th May 2025 | |
The crowdfunding attempt has been abandoned today apparently.
So presumably this long term ‘railway’ project will now become a footnote in the history books. Was this ORR’s intention all along - to force Go-Op to find the funds or withdraw?
Paul
So presumably this long term ‘railway’ project will now become a footnote in the history books. Was this ORR’s intention all along - to force Go-Op to find the funds or withdraw?
Paul
Do not presume - there may be a "Plan B" - or perhaps a "Plan [later letter]" now as there have been a number of plan updates along the way, and I would not bet on this news being terminal when bad news has not been terminal for them in the past.
| Re: Go-Op Cooperative - proposals for additional rail services In "TransWilts line" [361471/11010/18] Posted by paul7575 at 11:20, 12th May 2025 | |
The crowdfunding attempt has been abandoned today apparently.
So presumably this long term ‘railway’ project will now become a footnote in the history books. Was this ORR’s intention all along - to force Go-Op to find the funds or withdraw?
Paul
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361470/489/12] Posted by grahame at 08:45, 12th May 2025 | |
Paddington 175 late. It ran through platform 1 at Castle Cary according to RTT, which is only available from Taunton. So the booked route via Honiton was not taken. Likewise it seems to have gone via the B&H, with not the booked call at Swindon
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G45618/2025-05-11/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G45618/2025-05-11/detailed
Ah - thanks for that - I misread Real Time Trains in my earlier report.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361469/489/12] Posted by bradshaw at 08:41, 12th May 2025 | |
Paddington 175 late. It ran through platform 1 at Castle Cary according to RTT, which is only available from Taunton. So the booked route via Honiton was not taken. Likewise it seems to have gone via the B&H, with not the booked call at Swindon
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G45618/2025-05-11/detailed
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361468/489/12] Posted by GBM at 07:27, 12th May 2025 | |
It left Exeter St Davids 200 minutes late, having arrived there on time, and travelled via Honiton and back onto planned route at Castle Cary. It was planned to run via Melksham and Swindon but as far as I can tell diverted via Newbury and arrived reading at 06:30 - 145 minutes late as stated. I suspect it will be cancelled in from there.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [361467/489/12] Posted by grahame at 07:23, 12th May 2025 | |
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04 will be diverted between Exeter St Davids and Reading.
It will be delayed between Exeter St Davids and Reading and is expected to be 120 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Diverted via Melksham perhaps?21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04 will be diverted between Exeter St Davids and Reading.
It will be delayed between Exeter St Davids and Reading and is expected to be 120 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
A long lie-in this morning for passengers.
Arrived Reading 0630 (145 minutes late), but still there as I type!
It left Exeter St Davids 200 minutes late, having arrived there on time, and travelled via Honiton and back onto planned route at Castle Cary. It was planned to run via Melksham and Swindon but as far as I can tell diverted via Newbury and arrived reading at 06:30 - 145 minutes late as stated. I suspect it will be cancelled in from there.
| Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [361466/18719/26] Posted by GBM at 07:12, 12th May 2025 Already liked by Timmer | |
Might not be possible due to driver hours and route knowledge. I do wonder how many passengers this would impact and whether a taxi might be a better option
Does route knowledge apply to bus drivers? I can recall before the days of SatNav helping rail replacement bus drivers find the way.
In training, it was always said "If you don't know a route, you don't drive it".
Invariably we did, but if anything happened, you were automatically at fault.
On rail replacement, drivers can be drafted in from many distant areas, and totally unfamiliar with local routes.
