To Be Cancelled?

According to Mark Hopwood yesterday at Travelwatch Southwest, further cuts are being made to the Summer Sunday timetable at the May timetable change, as part of the management of this problem.

15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 18:26 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:09/03/2026 16:35

19:02 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 21:28 will be started from Oxford.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Pershore, Evesham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

A similar principle applies at Nailsea & Backwell, for any longer trains calling here: 'Front four carriages' - whatever their alpha-numeric designation.

Dft have updated their procurement spreadsheet March 2026

Against the GWR entry the estimated commencement date is now TBC (which presumably is Government speak for not imminent)

The electricity supply industry allows an average load of about 5 amps per home if mains gas is available, and 10 amps if gas is not available.

Gran 'flabbergasted' by Prince William pasty order

A grandmother who unknowingly placed a pasty order with Prince William said she was "flabbergasted" after finding out about her royal encounter.

The Duke of Cornwall spoke to Josie Trounson on the phone when he was in Cornwall, to mark St Piran's Day.

A clip of the prince taking the phone call was shared on social media after he misheard Josie's name as 'juicy'.

She said she had no idea she had spoken to Prince William until she went to pick up her order.

Finnish duo win wacky wife-carrying race


Contestants are splashed with water during the race

A pair from Finland has won one of the country's most unusual contests.

Dozens of people braved murky weather to take part in the UK Wife Carrying Race, now in its 17th year.

The race - originating in Scandinavia - requires contestants to carry their wives, husbands, partners, friends or family members up and down a hill in Dorking, Surrey.

Finns Teemu and Jatta were crowned the 2026 champions on Sunday, winning a barrel of local ale.

Runners had to dodge obstacles, including rows of hay bales, on the 380-metre course on the Nower. They were also splashed with water pistols and buckets by spectators.

Participants can carry their "wife" however they like, but many chose the so-called Estonian hold, where the other person hangs upside-down on the runner's back with their legs crossed in front of the runner's face.


One woman said her boyfriend entered her into the race without asking first

"It's certainly chaotic," said Ian Giles, UK race director ahead of the contest.

"I don't want to drop my girlfriend on her head," added the defending UK champion Stuart Johnson before Sunday. He said the first time he and his partner Hattie Cronin, who are both from Woking, practiced in a local park people thought they were "bonkers". Cronin added Stuart had signed them up for their first race before asking her.


Teemu and Jatta (pictured) won a barrel of beer in Sunday's race

Wife carrying reportedly links back to the Viking pillage of Lindisfarne in the UK. Its sporting roots are in Finland, where the first world championships took place in 1996.

Husbands traditionally carry their wives in the Scandinavian version, though the British race, organised by Leith Hill Trail Runners, allows people to carry anyone. But it is recommended they weigh less than the runner.


The UK version of the contest began in 2008

Those carried must weigh at least 50kg, though anyone underweight can wear a rucksack filled with tins of flour, water or similar to reach the minimum.

Wife-carrying contests have happened around the world, including in the United States, India and Germany. The UK race began in 2008.

I suspect in the absence of these tickets people will simply downgrade to standard class instead, thereby reducing revenue.

Serious concern at some of the developments. We are at a stage where it is ever more important to have a clear picture of where we are headed at a macro level and how that will be reflected at a more granular level. It would also be good to know how customer, wannabe-customer and campaigner inputs will be effectively gathered and used to inform positive and sustainable development.   Gee - I sound like ChatGPT, don't I?

Hmmmmm. Barrel of oil already at us$93 - up almost $20.
If it carries on for more than another week, I think you're going to be wrong.


That's not right either. when was that - 2022? Oddly, no comment here ....

Woman arrested after man found dead at station


A 28-year-old man was found dead at Tamworth railway station on Sunday morning

A murder investigation has begun after a 28-year-old man was found dead at a railway station, British Transport Police (BTP) has said.

A BTP spokesperson said a woman, 28, has been arrested in connection with the death and remains in police custody. It comes after a body was found at Tamworth railway station car park in the early hours of Sunday.

Officers from Staffordshire Police were called to Victoria Road at about 02:20 GMT following reports of a man being found unresponsive. He was later confirmed dead at the scene.


Forensic examinations were being carried out at the station

The scene has been cordoned off while police carry out forensic examinations.

Det Insp Marvin Bruno, senior investigating officer, said: "Our specialist family liaison officers are providing support to the victim's family and our thoughts remain with them at this time. We are urging anyone with any information or anyone who witnessed events leading up to the man's death to get in touch with us."

Steam railway marks 60 years since line closure


Actors are recreating the parts of protestors and Dr Beeching at the event

A heritage railway is to mark 60 years since the original line was closed in 1966 with local actors recreating its history.

The Avon Valley Railway (AVR), based in Bitton, near Bristol, runs on a three mile (4.8km) stretch of the former Midland Railway's Mangotsfield and Bath branch line, which shut under the Beeching Axe.

Marking the anniversary, the tourist attraction, which opened in 1972, will host The People And Their Protest later, an immersive event using re-enactors to play protestors and Dr Beeching.

Matilda Snook, from AVR said a lot of the stations "were a big part of life and the community".

"It's important that future generations learn of the significance of that," she added.

In the 1960s, the British railway system was deemed financially unsustainable, with underused lines and high maintenance costs. Dr Richard Beeching was tasked with modernising the railways by eliminating unprofitable routes and stations to create a financially sound network. A total of 2,363 train stations were axed across Britain.

"Whilst the closure at the time would have been negative for the community, that's the reason that we now have our railway," said Snook. "Ironically that decision has now led to these special places and parts of history that we've preserved," Snook added.

Trustee Joseph Dean said the anniversary would be used to renew the railway's aim of extending towards Bath, with a new plaque being unveiled at one end of the line. "It has been a long term aspiration since we started in 1974 to sit alongside the railway path and take tourists back to Bath. At the moment there's a lot of financial implications - building a railway isn't cheap, but we want to find the right support and people to get this moving," he said.

The charity-run railway is now visited by tens of thousands of people every year.

Just wondering if those original coffee shop members are still engaged in the coffee shop

I and others elsewhere are noting that since the change to the GWR booking engine, First class Advance tickets seem to have virtually disappeared and/or are only available on a few random services, has there been a conscious decision to do away with these by GWR?

Indeed.   Bryony called me a little later and I understand that David was conscious and in Musgrove Park.  I will keep members posted as I hear and can post.

So as we move towards GBR we can look forward to a policy of higher fares and fewer passengers. Perhaps not quite what people will be expecting from a Labour Government.

Maybe ... but the maths are very complex and I don't suppose anyone in the GWR fares section will be wanting to share the data.  Once we're under GBR, perhaps we can learn more under FOI!

I did some sums (I'm dangerous)

Let's say 10 people caught the PAD to PLY train first class at £104.50 - income £1045.   Now if that ticket is no longer available, perhaps 3 will pay £234.70 first class, and 5 will pay £74.90 off peak standard class.  That's two people who move away from rail completely, and income is still up - to £1078.60.    Seatfrog may take some money, and there's extra money to be made by selling rather than giving away cups of coffee.

Modern day electronics and ticketing add a different flexibily matrix which - err - I haven't tried to build into my example.

... the absence of these tickets people will simply downgrade to standard class instead, thereby reducing revenue.

Is it one of the ways that "the railway" is increasing its income from the same number of passengers while "not raising [regulated] fares"?

Advance fares were introduced to help fill seats on quieter trains, as I recall.  With trains getting so much busier and (we hear) services on Sundays being reduced, there are now and progressively will be fewer - far fewer - spare seats to offload.