0721 Melksham - Chippenham 0730

[snip]

Total (with Railcard) £22.30

Yes ... some very interesting patterns at present; research ongoing.

Still missing that sole "A bit before 9am" train through to Penzance from Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa, with its easement allowing off peak travel. There's now a service at a bit before 7:30 am from Bath and with no easement. Was the  pre-2018ish service into Taunton by 9:40 and Exeter a bit after 10?

Mark

Great news.  A special train is just about to go onto the branch now. I remember another special ran 11 years ago to demonstrate the potential of the line, and that potential looks like it might be close to being realised.

Oxford Clarion is an excellent site.

Train travellers are facing delays and cancellations while repairs are carried out on the track at Didcot Parkway.

A fault with a rail means trains are being diverted on to a different line through the area.

It means trains between Oxford and Reading/London Paddington will not stop at Didcot Parkway, in either direction and fewer trains will run between Oxford and Didcot in both directions.

Tickets can be used via Reading for those travelling between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. They will also be accepted on CrossCountry services between Oxford and Reading in both directions. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Transport for London (TfL) has apologised after severe delays on the Northern line have entered a fifth day.

A signalling equipment failure at Stockwell station in south London has meant that since Sunday, service controllers have had to "manually talk trains through this part of the network".

The BBC understands that TfL has not yet identified the cause of the failure but letters have been sent to councils, businesses and other groups which TfL works with.

Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations, said: "Our engineers are working hard to identify and fix the fault, including deploying advanced test equipment, and we will do all we can to restore a good service as soon as possible."

He added: "We apologise to customers affected by delays on the Northern line since Sunday.

"We have identified a fault with the signalling equipment around the Stockwell area that means our service controllers need to manually talk trains through this part of the network.

"We are advising customers to allow extra time for their journeys, and to check before they travel using TfL journey planner or the TfL Go app."

Heritage railway helps dogs make vets appointment



An oil spill which closed a busy route has forced two dogs and their owner to find an alternative route to their vets appointment.

The A39 in Washford, Somerset, was closed on Tuesday after a van and lorry collided and emergency services worked to contain a fuel leak.

Instead of battling the busy, narrow, twisting back roads on the outskirts of Exmoor to visit the vets in Minehead, Christopher Wade decided to hop on the heritage steam railway to complete their journey from Watchet.

Mr Wade said golden retrievers Henry and Daisy "loved" their trip on the West Somerset Railway, and he felt "smug" to be able to avoid the road closures and make their appointment.



The West Somerset Railway is the longest operating heritage train line in the country, and runs between Minehead and Bishop's Lydeard.

Mr Wade said he has an annual pass for the line, due to his sister-in-law's passion for railways.

"It was late - because of the road closure, and the station was heaving."



He said the area is lucky to have the service - despite it only being a tourist attraction.

"We don't have motorways and when the roads get moored up, there's no easy way around just to get to Minehead you've got to go up and over Dunster - no thanks."

Mr Wade said while the dogs were only collecting their medicines, they also got a walk around the station at Minehead - and travelled home in style.

No - but there may be some red faces in Richmond Council, I suspect, after the BBC got hold of this story. 

2O19 0511 Gloucester to Salisbury

This service was cancelled between Salisbury and Southampton Central due to a problem with rail adhesion (MP).

08:23 Southampton Central to Bristol Temple Meads due 10:28

08:23 Southampton Central to Bristol Temple Meads due 10:28 will be started from Salisbury.
It will no longer call at Southampton Central and Romsey.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

Waverley Excursions Limited (WEL) say a total of 161,950 passenger journeys were recorded over 123 operating days this year - the largest total since 1996.

The figure was revealed after the historic ship's final cruise of the year on Sunday, October 19.

And WEL have already revealed details of at least some of the work that will be carried out on the vessel over the coming months - as well as a start date for her 2026 cruising season.

After 61 years away from home, Railbus W79978 is going back into the platform at Cirencester!

This weekend (25th - 26th), as part of the Cirencester History Festival, W79978 has been invited as part of the “Old Station Experience”. Come and experience this extraordinary event to relive memories or to make new ones!

The event will be open from 10am until 4pm, the event is free but donations are appreciated! You can find more information through this link

'My autistic son deserved better from Waitrose'


Tom Boyd had stacked shelves as a volunteer at his local Waitrose for years

The mother of an autistic man who was told he had to stop stacking shelves at a Waitrose store where he had worked as a volunteer for years has said he "deserved better".

Frances Boyd said her son Tom, 28, began work experience at the Cheadle Hulme store in Greater Manchester in 2021, and continued to work unpaid, accompanied by a support worker, as it gave him "a sense of purpose and belonging".

However, she said when she asked if he could be offered "just a few paid hours" in July, the supermarket chain's head office told him he had to stop and could not return to the store.

A spokesman said Waitrose "worked hard to be an inclusive employer" and was investigating the matter "as a priority".

Ms Boyd said Tom, who has limited communication skills, started at the store as part of his skills development for the workplace on his further education course, and continued to volunteer on two mornings a week.

She said he was "so proud of his work", which involved putting stock out and tidying the shelves, and was praised for his work ethic by managers. "If I went in and saw him, he was smiling, and it gave him independence, a sense of purpose and belonging. He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference. We feel deeply let down."

A Waitrose & Partners spokesman said it worked with a number of charities to provide work experience and was "well experienced in making reasonable adjustments to help people succeed at work".

"We are sorry to hear of Tom's story and whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we are investigating as a priority," he said.

Ms Boyd said his placement was stopped when the firm's head office was asked about the possibility of paid work. She said she was told it was because he "couldn't perform the whole role".

"He deserved better," she added. "He deserved kindness, respect and the chance for all his hard work to mean something. No-one should be made to feel their contribution doesn't matter, especially someone who's given so much of themselves for so long."

Volunteers do not have the same rights as an employee or worker, according to the government, though there are expectations for those undertaking vocational training.

The guidance states that those who volunteer should usually get a volunteer agreement that sets out the level of supervision and support they will receive. It should also include advice on training and whether they were covered by the organisation's insurance, as well as information about expenses and health and safety issues. However, the agreements are not compulsory and do not form a contract.

Ms Boyd said she wanted to see legal protections like those afforded to employees by the Equality Act to extend to volunteers to ensure they have "rights and opportunities".

"They can be terminated at any time and that's not really the way we should be moving forward in society today," she added.

Just seen this X post with a video of a trespasser simply casually strolling along the DM between Hanwell and Southall causing major disruption in today's evening peak:

https://x.com/golfbyrail/status/1981030855012151598

From the BBC: