Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Travelling on invalid ticket - what should the operator do? In "Fare's Fair" [372966/31693/4] Posted by eXPassenger at 16:52, 2nd March 2026 |      |
I would be interested to know what the problem was with the Melksham ticket.
Was it invalid due to conditions such as time of day or route, or an advance ticket being used on the wrong train? In this case the industry has some responsibility due to the complexity of the ticketing system. It may be that purchasing a single to Westbury and catching a London train from there would solve the problem.
If it is a totally invalid ticket then the TOC has no responibility.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [372965/31359/18] Posted by matth1j at 16:44, 2nd March 2026 | |
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [372963/31359/18] Posted by John D at 16:28, 2nd March 2026 | |
Starts Sunday 24 May 2026 to Sunday 24 May 2026
Route(s) affected
Between Warminster and Swindon and between Swindon and Westbury and also between Westbury and Bristol temple Meads
Description
Engineering work is taking place until 09:00 between Bradford-on-Avon and Warminster, closing some lines.
The 08:06 Warminster to Swindon trains will not run and will be part replaced by an earlier rail replacement bus departing at 07:45 from Warminster, calling at Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham. Rail connections available between Chippenham and Swindon.
The 09:08 Swindon to Westbury will start from Chippenham. No connection from Swindon into this train. However there will be road transport at 09:45 from Chippenham dropping off only at Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury. Earlier rail connections from Swindon to Chippenham to connect into this replacement bus.
The 08:39 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads will depart 09:06 and will operate later than normal throughout.
Route(s) affected
Between Warminster and Swindon and between Swindon and Westbury and also between Westbury and Bristol temple Meads
Description
Engineering work is taking place until 09:00 between Bradford-on-Avon and Warminster, closing some lines.
The 08:06 Warminster to Swindon trains will not run and will be part replaced by an earlier rail replacement bus departing at 07:45 from Warminster, calling at Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham. Rail connections available between Chippenham and Swindon.
The 09:08 Swindon to Westbury will start from Chippenham. No connection from Swindon into this train. However there will be road transport at 09:45 from Chippenham dropping off only at Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury. Earlier rail connections from Swindon to Chippenham to connect into this replacement bus.
The 08:39 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads will depart 09:06 and will operate later than normal throughout.
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/engineering-works/chippenham-24-may-20260524/
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [372962/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 15:33, 2nd March 2026 | |
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest General Meeting, Friday 6 March 2026 In "Diary - what's happening when?" [372961/30742/34] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:51, 2nd March 2026 | |
Thanks for warning us, ChrisB. Do you have a yellow T shirt?
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest General Meeting, Friday 6 March 2026 In "Diary - what's happening when?" [372960/30742/34] Posted by ChrisB at 12:46, 2nd March 2026 | |
I'm coming too...
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest General Meeting, Friday 6 March 2026 In "Diary - what's happening when?" [372958/30742/34] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:37, 2nd March 2026 | |
I plan to be there
... I'll be the tall bearded one in a yellow T shirt!
Rather strange apparel, for a squirrel.
I'm rather inclined to turn up with my own current beard, wearing a yellow T shirt, just to confuse everyone.
(As something of a spoiler, Tim's yellow T shirt is Bristol Rail Campaign, while mine is TransWilts.
)| Re: Bristol Rail Campaign (FoSBR) AGM In "Diary - what's happening when?" [372957/31295/34] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:22, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by GBM, Red Squirrel | |
... I'll be the tall bearded one in a yellow T shirt!
Rather strange apparel, for a squirrel.
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest General Meeting, Friday 6 March 2026 In "Diary - what's happening when?" [372956/30742/34] Posted by Red Squirrel at 12:03, 2nd March 2026 | |
I plan to be there
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2026 In "London to the Cotswolds" [372955/31371/14] Posted by charles_uk at 12:02, 2nd March 2026 | |
Sunday 1 March:
0844 London Paddington to Great Malvern cancelled due to a problem at the depot (MU)
0944 London Paddington to Hereford cancelled due to unknown cause (ZW)
1157 Great Malvern to London Paddington cancelled due to late arrival of an inbound service (YI)
1428 Hereford to London Paddington cancelled due to unknown cause (ZX)
2150 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill cancelled between Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill due to unknown cause (ZW)
The first four due to a track side fire between Paddington and Reading. The 2150 truncated due to shortage of train crew which resulted in:
Monday 2 March:
06:43 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington cancelled between Worcester Shrub Hill and Oxford due to unknown cause (ZW)
| Re: Server slow ... In "News, Help and Assistance" [372954/30293/29] Posted by Mark A at 11:47, 2nd March 2026 | |
Can't recall if I've mentioned it. Having used Statcounter for site stats for yonks, recently they've needed to introduce a slew of tools to weed out visits by various bots and have issued at least two newsletters to users to keep us informed about what they're up to.
Mark
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372953/31701/23] Posted by Mark A at 11:43, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea | |
& a classic case of seeing what I expected to see in a photo rather than what was actually in Graham's photo - where there are no buffer stops.
Mark
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372952/31701/23] Posted by Mark A at 11:40, 2nd March 2026 | |
Haha! Bridge: tick. Two lines converge: tick. Buffer stops: tick. Graffiti: tick. A case of "All the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order."
Below: Carmarthen...
Mark
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372951/31692/26] Posted by REVUpminster at 11:39, 2nd March 2026 | |
A surprise is the number achieved by Okehampton. (Also, always tickled that St Ives eclipses Penzance, though that's for... reasons.)
Mark
Okehampton in 2005 was virtually nil. Did Falmouth have a half hour service then; Paignton did, but only in the rush hour.Mark
If the railway increases a service passengers do come in most circumstances.
In London the Victoria Line was built despite a declining London population. The decline turned round in the 1980s and the line is at capacity.
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372950/31692/26] Posted by Mark A at 11:31, 2nd March 2026 | |
A surprise is the number achieved by Okehampton. (Also, always tickled that St Ives eclipses Penzance, though that's for... reasons.)
Mark
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372949/31692/26] Posted by REVUpminster at 11:30, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by Mark A, Witham Bobby | |
The "Devon Metro" (doesn't exist) figures illustrates the continuing growth of Exeter in terms of job creation and which has created a commuter railway.
Paignton is a perfect example; thousands of houses being built on the ring road from White Rock to Kings Ash Hill that require a bus to Paignton station or being dropped off.
The Kingskerswell-by-pass campaigned for 40 years was meant to bring jobs to Torbay but had the reverse effect in allowing commuting to Exeter which luckily for the railway is not car friendly. Exeter (138,000) will overtake Torbay (140,000) in population size.
I expect when Okehampton Interchange opens there will be a significant drop in passengers from Okehampton who transfer to the new station. Barnstaple really needs a half hour service and Exmouth a 20 minute service but needs new track infrastructure.
| Re: Bristol Rail Campaign (FoSBR) AGM In "Diary - what's happening when?" [372947/31295/34] Posted by Red Squirrel at 11:01, 2nd March 2026 | |
The main speaker for the Bristol Rail Campaign AGM is confirmed as Ben Scott, Station Manager for Bristol Temple Meads, Severn Beach Line and North Somerset. Together with colleagues he'll be speaking about his role, how GWR works with WECA, and current and future local rail projects. There will be other speakers and opportunities for questions on a variety of topics.
And of course there will be plenty of opportunity to meet old friends in the Watershed Bar!
Hope to catch up with forum members there. I'll be the tall bearded one in a yellow T shirt!
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372946/31701/23] Posted by stuving at 10:50, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by grahame | |
4. Llandudno
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [372945/31359/18] Posted by ChrisB at 10:31, 2nd March 2026 | |
Unless you happen to be in a wheelchair....
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372944/31701/23] Posted by brooklea at 10:14, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by grahame | |
6. Severn Tunnel Junction
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372943/31701/23] Posted by Oxonhutch at 10:05, 2nd March 2026 | |
No. 5 has a LNWR signalbox - so somewhere on the Heart of Wales line.
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372942/31692/26] Posted by grahame at 09:53, 2nd March 2026 | |
I remain convinced that we were doing the right thing. These numbers suggest that it could have become a great success in real transport
I agree with you. So how do we do the right thing now?
Some Population comparisons:
Minehead - 12,000
St Ives, Cornwall - 12,000
Barnstaple - 31,000
Okehampton - 10,000
Looe - 5,500
Swanage - 10,000
Bude - 10,000
Newquay - 24,000
Portishead - 26,000
Exmouth - 36,000
Penzance - 21,000
| Re: Travelling on invalid ticket - what should the operator do? In "Fare's Fair" [372941/31693/4] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 09:50, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Caveat Emptor or 'when it looks too good to be true it almost certainly will be' - if you are not 100% sure of who or what you are dealing with pay a visit to, or call, a reputable 'High Street' ticket retailer.
Q. .....what can and should be done by the operator when the problem is identified?
A. Provision of the required goods or service in exchange for the appropriate payment.
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372940/31692/26] Posted by Witham Bobby at 09:36, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by Red Squirrel, Mark A | |
50 Years ago, I had left my signalman's job on the Big Railway and was working hard so that Minehead would be on this chart. It still hurts that things didn't work out that way, even though (thank goodness) the permanent way is still there, in use, and in much better shape than it was in 1976
I remain convinced that we were doing the right thing. These numbers suggest that it could have become a great success in real transport
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372939/31701/23] Posted by grahame at 09:28, 2nd March 2026 | |
3. Holyhead
Yes
2 Carmarthen?
Mark
Mark
Sorry - no. Brave try on one of the most difficult pictures in the quiz
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [372938/11558/30] Posted by Mark A at 09:28, 2nd March 2026 | |
That's well south of 'Annoying'. The first is A.I. fantasy, how is one meant to learn about the world from this sort of imagery - the landscape isn't feasable, never mind the train and rail line. The second... for obvious reasons there's many Tarbets in Scotland and top marks to the itinerary for that side-excursion to the wrong one. Oh, and that isn't Harris.
Mark
