Should be 175111 with another two 3-cars pencilled in for April.

There’s also a move in the system for Ely to Wolverton so potentially another 175 to attempt to get working! 

Possibly also because (as I understand it) we've lost some of the Electrostar fleet to other routes. To be fair (but see concluding comment below) a lot of this was because there were a lot of 8-car Electrostar trains running very lightly loaded off-peak between Paddington and Didcot.

BUT... had we got the electrification all the way to Oxford and on the Thames Valley branches as I believe was anticipated when they were ordered, those trains (and the ones refitted for Heathrow Express use) might have been more fully used.

If you were a driver, would you sign up with this outfit? Do you think you'll get paid/a longterm job?

Betting on the Delay: BahnBet Turns Deutsche Bahn Frustration into a Game

Anyone who has travelled regularly on the German rail network will be familiar with the experience: checking the departure board, watching the minutes tick up, and wondering just how late the train will be this time. BahnBet is a tongue-in-cheek website that turns that familiar frustration into a playful social experiment.

The platform invites users to “bet” on the delay of long-distance trains, from ICE services to IC and EC departures. The twist is that no real money is involved. Every participant begins with €1,000 of entirely fictional “caßh”, which can be staked on predictions about how late a particular train will arrive. Using a simple slider, users guess the delay – anywhere from zero to 90 minutes – and then wait to see how close they were once the train finally reaches its destination.

Not sure how much to claim though - the next service from Chippenham to Melksham is the 19:07 to Salisbury, over an hour later than the cancelled service (due 17:59). However if I didn't have the bus option I would have taken the train from Bristol to Trowbridge instead of Chippenham, then the 18:43 from there to arrive in Melksham at 18:53, less than an hour late.

King opens world's longest coastal path around England


2,689 miles and 18 years in the making, King Charles III opens his namesake coastal path

King Charles has inaugurated a new footpath stretching around the entire coast of England.

At 2,689 miles long, it is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, according to Natural England, the government body which created it.

Its name is quite a trek too - King Charles III England Coast Path - but for the first time it creates a continuous trail, allowing walkers to explore England's shoreline step by step.

Along the way, it passes through some of the country's most beautiful and varied landscapes, from salt marshes and sandy beaches to cliffs, dunes and historic coastal towns.



Among the highlights is the iconic chalk downland of the Seven Sisters in East Sussex, which also forms part of a newly designated National Nature Reserve being announced by Natural England.

The King inaugurated the coastal path and the new nature reserve at a reception hosted by the South Downs National Park Authority. He later walked a section of the newly completed path at Seven Sisters, joined by Natural England Chair Tony Juniper and Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds.

Juniper said the path "is a testament to how public enjoyment, conservation, heritage, history and community can come together, helping make life better for millions of people."

Much of the new coastal route already existed, but more than 1,000 miles of new paths have been created, and many other sections upgraded. Paths have been resurfaced, stiles removed, boardwalks built and bridges installed.


A new boardwalk over salt flats near Portsmouth has been built for the path

The project was initiated during Gordon Brown's government, and it has taken 18 years and seven prime ministers to get to this stage.

About 80% of the route is now open and most of the rest of the path is due to be completed by the end of the year.

(BBC article continues)

Possibly also because (as I understand it) we've lost some of the Electrostar fleet to other routes.

Anyone care to explain logic of why if passengers are growing, GWR shorten the average number of carriages per train please

DfT» cost saving

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

Anyone care to explain logic of why if passengers are growing, GWR shorten the average number of carriages per train please

Yes, obviously put quality in much higher priority

But I suppose it is reflection of different countries approaches, Scotland goes in for rolling electrification programme, no difference between peak and off peak fares, and high quality train interiors.

But here in England we are in second tier on quality (could argue bottom tier, with make do approach, when it comes to fixing something like IET seats).

09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:28

09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:28 has been cancelled.

This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47

11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

Historic pier gets £19m to complete restoration

The restoration of a crumbling historic pier can be completed after the government allocated a further £19m to the project.

The money from the Growth Mission Fund will be invested into Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, to create a new cultural space, restore the historic clock tower and turnstiles, repair the 1888 boathouse, renovate the pavilion buildings and restore the North Jetty.

The Grade II-listed pier has been closed for more than 30 years due to safety concerns, but work on a £20m project to restore it is under way.

Dan Aldridge, the MP for Weston-super-Mare, said: "For too long the pier stood as a symbol of decline. Now it will become a symbol of Weston's comeback."

The money allocated by the government comes from a pot aimed at providing investment in town centres and communities.

Aldridge told the government Weston-super-Mare "could not afford to miss out" on receiving a share of the fund, he said. He added: "Birnbeck should be a hub for Weston - somewhere people come together, where opportunities are created and where the whole town can feel proud again."

North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell called the money "game-changing".

"A year ago we thought that the project was in jeopardy," he said. "We can now fast-track the work on the island and the land-side to really bring the pier and island back to life and hopefully boost the economy of Weston-super-Mare for generations to come."

Birnbeck, known locally as 'The Old Pier', is the only pier in the UK to link to an island - a small, rocky piece of land known as Birnbeck Island.

Since its closure, the pier has been battered by storms, partially collapsed into the sea and has become too unsafe for the former resident RNLI lifeboat crews to use.

The restoration project is expected to be completed by summer 2027.

... with ginger ale and ice.

Trenitalia France has signed a 35-year lease with SNCF Réseau for a rail site at Maisons-Alfort Pompadour, southeast of Paris, where it will build a high-speed train maintenance centre.

The facility will maintain Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa high-speed fleet operating in France and will also support planned Paris–London services via the Channel Tunnel. The depot is intended to strengthen the operator’s fleet management and maintenance capacity in the French market.

The site will operate 24 hours a day and include three tracks equipped for the simultaneous maintenance of three trains. It will also feature dedicated installations for train washing, cleaning and stabling. Once fully operational, the depot will be able to accommodate up to 25 trains.

Presumably because the Scottish Assembly is prepared to pay for it?

Scotrail has agreed deal to get 22 trains (ex east Midlands)

Will be introduced 2027 - December 2028 replacing the HSTs. 

10 year maintenance contract, with possible extension to March 2042

Giving the refurbishment with things that can only be dreamed of in GWR land eg maximising alignment with windows, new reservation systems (if Scotrail can have new systems for 9-14 years, why do we still have empty reservation seat back card slots on 166s with no replacement, that could have been used 15-20 years  during which have mere counted place reservations)


https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/news/scotrail-announces-plans-to-replace-high-speed-trains?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQof6xjbGNrBCh_nWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHljda9jhXBbg2vEG9f5zIs2tDSgk885XFmQZvjqihMEauYT_a8Wv5eA9NvYK_aem_f1j2hFpIo50bsv88Cit0qQ

https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2026/3/alstom-secures-long-term-train-services-and-refurbishment-contracts-ps330-million1-eu380-million-scotrail-and-beacon-uk

Refurbishment will be undertaken by Alstom and the makeover will include:

Full exterior repaint and updated livery.
Comprehensive interior refresh, including new carpets and full interior repaint.
A new passenger information system, including multimedia displays.
New Wi-Fi with Low Earth Orbit Satellite connectivity and voice-over-internet phone capability.
Family friendly area, providing space for passengers with an unfolded pushchair.
Wheelchair facilities in both First Class and two spaces in Standard Class.
Storage for six bikes.
New electronic seat reservation system.
New CCTV system – enhancing the safety and security of customers and staff.
Intelligent Engine Start Stop (automatically stops an engine to reduce emissions).
New First and Standard Class seats and tables, with plug sockets, USB-A and USB-C at every seat.
Onboard catering facilities to support at seat and trolley service.
Reconfigured carriage layout to maximise window alignment and luggage storage.