Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Recycling rubbish - something of a minefield? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [368006/30854/31] Posted by grahame at 06:32, 11th November 2025 |      |
Firstly, charity shops an appeal, please take your items in as early in the morning as that it when most volunteers are there to sort the items.
Just a word of caution - my understanding is that most charity shops get lots of donations that they cannot use [at any time of day] and would love you to give them only things good enough for them to sell on. Comment made here because this suggestion is posted under a "recycling rubbish" title and the charity shops for the most part don't want rubbish.
| Re: Railways Bill 2025: introducing and designing Great British Railways - general topic In "Looking forward - the next 2, 5, 10 and 20 years" [368005/31038/40] Posted by grahame at 06:27, 11th November 2025 | |
Interesting article in From New Civil Engineer
Rail minister Lord Hendy says he expects that rail reform will bring “more reliability, higher revenue and reduced cost” on the UK’s railways.
Last week, the government introduced its long-trailed Railways Bill to Parliament. This will establish Great British Railways (GBR) to bring control of the infrastructure and services under one publicly-owned entity that will be “responsible for coordinating the whole network: from track and train, to cost and revenue”, according to the Department for Transport. This, it says, will “create a simpler, more unified railway that delivers easier journeys and offers better value for money”.
[continues]
Last week, the government introduced its long-trailed Railways Bill to Parliament. This will establish Great British Railways (GBR) to bring control of the infrastructure and services under one publicly-owned entity that will be “responsible for coordinating the whole network: from track and train, to cost and revenue”, according to the Department for Transport. This, it says, will “create a simpler, more unified railway that delivers easier journeys and offers better value for money”.
[continues]
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2025 In "Across the West" [368004/29650/26] Posted by TaplowGreen at 05:48, 11th November 2025 | |
Cancellations to services between Reading and London Paddington
Due to a speed restriction over defective track at Hayes & Harlington fewer trains are able to run. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between Reading and London Paddington will be cancelled, delayed or terminated at and started back from Reading. Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough will not be served.
Customer Advice
What has happened?
A crack in a rail has been discovered in the Hayes & Harlington area. This defect cannot be fixed until Tuesday night at the earliest.
.......the majority of Elizabeth Line trains are also being cancelled.
| Re: Recycling rubbish - something of a minefield? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [368003/30854/31] Posted by infoman at 03:52, 11th November 2025 | |
Firstly, charity shops an appeal, please take your items in as early in the morning as that it when most volunteers are there to sort the items.
The amount of times I have seen notices at charity shops in the afternoon saying "no more donations excepted today"
In the greater Bristol area,South Glos don't take rigid plastic,but Bristol Central does.
| Re: Bristol Airport - proposals for expansion, bus services and infrastructure - ongoing discussion In "Buses and other ways to travel" [368002/22894/5] Posted by TonyK at 23:25, 10th November 2025 | |
My thanks from your, at least one, reader. These road improvement schemes - 10 of them, mind - seem to have been done at breakneck when one considers how long rail plans take to come to fruition.
I shall go the other way to Bristol next year if I have to drive.
| Birmingham New Street - Woman stabbed at nearby bus stop attack dies - Nov 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [368001/31077/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:18, 10th November 2025 | |
I'm posting this here as it relates to an incident (sadly, now fatal) just across the road from Birmingham New Street railway station.
From the BBC:
The attack happened opposite the main entrance to Birmingham New Street station
A woman who was stabbed in the neck in an unprovoked attack at a bus stop in Birmingham has died, police have confirmed.
Katie Fox, 34, was targeted in Smallbrook Queensway, just outside the Bullring shopping centre, shortly before 21:00 GMT on Friday.
Djeison Rafael, 21, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday charged over the attack. He was previously accused of attempted murder, but following Ms Fox's death, the charge has been updated to murder.
The 21-year-old, of Rosedale Avenue, Smethwick, is also charged with two counts of causing actual bodily harm on 27 October and 7 November, possession of a Stanley blade and assaulting a detention escort officer.
Mr Rafael, who appeared before District Judge John Bristow, was told to be quiet as he interrupted the six-minute hearing multiple times. He was told he was not going to be asked to enter any pleas because the offences were too serious to be dealt with by the magistrates' court.
The case was sent to Birmingham Crown Court for a hearing on 12 November.
(BBC article continues)
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [368000/29711/14] Posted by Worcester_Passenger at 23:09, 10th November 2025 | |
1W02 11:52 London Paddington to Hereford (14:44) : on time at Oxford, arrived Shrub Hill +14 (engines?), departed +20, held Ledbury, arrived +32.
1W29 14:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (17:04) : held Evesham (+16), arrived +15.
2E14 17:04 Didcot Parkway to Evesham (18:23) : held Wolvercote, arrived +25.
1W33 16:58 London Paddington to Great Malvern : held Wolvercote, arrived Shrub Hill +32 and cancelled thereafter, due to train crew issues.
1W03 17:34 London Paddington to Hereford : on time at Oxford, passed Norton +20, arrived Shrub Hill +44, arrived +41.
1W34 17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (20:11) : Oxford +1, arrived +16.
1W36 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern (21:18) : departed +20, arrived +29.
1W05 19:53 London Paddington to Hereford () : five-car set, departed +20,
1P05 15:18 Hereford to London Paddington (18:29) : departed +23, saved 8 at Great Malvern, arrived +36.
1P42 19:02 Great Malvern to London Paddington (21:26) : held Norton (+11), arrived +17.
1P46 20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington (23:41) : held Norton (+18)
| Re: Multiple stabbings on a London bound train in Cambridgeshire - 01 Nov 25 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367999/31017/51] Posted by TonyK at 23:04, 10th November 2025 Already liked by Western Pathfinder, 1st fan | |
That is such good news, and I hope his recovery continues rapidly. His medal should be as big as the frying pan he reportedly used in his attempt to stop the attacker.
| Re: Driving licences and tests - ongoing discussion In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367998/19893/51] Posted by TonyK at 22:48, 10th November 2025 | |
My grandad (* 1908) had the most amazing driving licence. Every conceivable category including (what was then) tracked, road roller and trolley vehicle - and he never sat a test in his life.
Apprenticed as a motor mechanic in the late 1920s, he was sent out to the Post Office with his 3/6 to get a driving licence, (radio and dog licences were also available at the same counter) and off he went. Grandfather [sic] Clauses assured the rest, and he drove thus to his dying day. Not behind the wheel, I must add.
Apprenticed as a motor mechanic in the late 1920s, he was sent out to the Post Office with his 3/6 to get a driving licence, (radio and dog licences were also available at the same counter) and off he went. Grandfather [sic] Clauses assured the rest, and he drove thus to his dying day. Not behind the wheel, I must add.
Much like my dad, courtesy of the army in the latter stages of WWII. He didn't use anything much other than the car licence after that. He did give me my first driving lesson, in a Ford Pop, at the age of 10 or 11. This was on a quiet public lane(!) on the moors north of Oldham, and I didn't do too badly.
My son learned in an automatic because of disability some 25 years ago, and was a bit of an outlier then. I've driven all sorts since those first faltering steps in a 3-gear non-syncromesh banger, switching to automatic 5 years ago because of arthritis in my clutch leg being a bit painful. I went electric 2 years ago, and I'm not going back, but I can still drive anything manual. The writing is very much on the wall though, and a 10-year-old today is unlikely to need a manual licence because by then new cars will be electric and used ones are more likely to be automatic. Whether that's good or bad is a moot point. Had electric vehicles been predominant from the start of motoring, any young engineer proposing a different type of propulsion involving serial explosions and a whole lot of complicated gear to manage the process would have been laughed at.
But - earlier this year, I had the privilege of an hour in a proper A330 simulator, a £30 million rig used to train real pilots. I flew from Brize Norton to Heathrow, finding my own way with the help of the GPS and making "not a shabby landing at all" in the words of my instructor. Not so good on my second attempt at JFK, although all passengers would have walked away, cursing. The men and women who fly the aircraft go through every condition imaginable in the same simulator, be they RAF or civilian, but every single one of them began their flying in a single engine fossil fuel-powered propellor-driven machine, using a scale rule and square protractor to plot a route on a chart, and a circular slide rule known as a flight computer from the days before there were electric computers. They would have looked out of the window to see where they were along the route, and done a lot of the calculations on paper that a modern airliner does automatically. Maybe, just maybe, the old skills make a better driver, just as they teach a pilot the principles of the art from the ground up. As an old man, I will forever cling to that belief.
| Re: Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [367997/29678/47] Posted by Godfrey Tables at 22:27, 10th November 2025 | |
I found this video of interest, published yesterday - an interesting discussion about bringing the line back into public service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aVJER9GQR4
| Re: Caledonian MacBrayne ferries in Scotland In "Buses and other ways to travel" [367996/30034/5] Posted by TonyK at 22:14, 10th November 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Over £1m spent on sending Scottish ferry staff to Turkey
More than £1m has been spent sending CalMac and CMAL staff to Turkey to oversee the construction of four new ferries, a freedom of information request has revealed.
The two companies, which operate and manage Scotland's nationalised ferry networks, have spent £1,016,162 on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hires on staff visiting the Turkish yard since 2022.
The Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the figures, said taxpayers were being "left to pick up the tab" for the SNP's "ferries fiasco which has left islanders without the vessels they need".
CalMac and CMAL said their staff's work in Turkey was "vital" and "essential".
A CalMac spokeswoman said most of the money related to staff costs, including wages, which would have been paid regardless of where the crew were. She said the extra amount - £23,000 - was for travel and subsistence costs which covered flights to and from Turkey, hotel accommodation, and general subsistence costs.
CMAL also said the same wages would have been paid to its staff regardless of travel costs.
The Cemre shipyard in Turkey was awarded the contracts to build four new vessels worth more than £200m.
These vessels are the MV Isle of Islay - which is due in November and will operate on the Kennacraig to Islay route - the MV Loch Indaal, MV Lochmor and MV Claymore at six-month intervals after the first vessel's delivery.
CalMac sent eight staff to Turkey, spending £845,981, while £170,181 was spent on five CMAL employees.
One Ferguson Marine employee was also sent to Turkey but the costs were covered by CMAL.
The first of the Turkish ferries, MV Isle of Islay, was launched a year ago by Morag McNeill, the chairwoman of CMAL, in a ceremony at the Cemre shipyard.
The nationalised Ferguson Marine is currently building two separate ferries - the Glen Sannox and the still under construction Glen Rosa.
The costs of the vessels has risen to more than four times their original £97m price tag, and were pushed back for completion several times.
Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said taxpayers were being forced to foot yet another hefty bill. "After squandering half-a-billion pounds on the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, ministers have blown another £1m flying staff to Turkey to keep tabs on the ferries being built there. Some project oversight is understandable after the huge problems with the Ferguson-built ferries - but this level of spending seems excessive."
Webber said the SNP had "betrayed islanders and taxpayers at every turn" by leaving remote communities reliant on out-of-date vessels while "letting costs spiral out of control for hard-pressed Scots".
"SNP ministers, who are responsible for Ferguson Marine, must finally provide the support the yard needs to compete, so that ferries can be built here in Scotland, not abroad," she added.
The CalMac spokeswoman said: "New vessels are an essential addition to the CalMac fleet and we are very much looking forward to MV Isle of Islay joining us next month. Staff and crew have been spending valuable time at the yard in Turkey carrying out vital work to support CMAL with the build process and to ensure that the vessel is built as specified, and meets all legal and classification standards. This is the same as the process involved for MV Glen Sannox before she joined the fleet."
She added that staff working in Turkey included marine and technical specialists as well as the senior crew who will be responsible for the vessel's safe passage to Scotland. "Their role includes the implementation of the important processes and procedures required to gain the necessary safety management and other certification needed to operate the vessel in UK waters," she added. "Thirteen brand new vessels will be joining CalMac by 2029 and will be of huge benefit to service resilience and reliability, to the benefit of all customers, including island communities."
A spokesperson for CMAL said: "CMAL is required on site throughout the build of vessels to provide essential quality assurance and supervision. Remuneration is the same regardless of the build location, and travel and accommodation costs are standard. These form part of the overall project budget, which remains on target."
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "As people would expect, CMAL has been and is continuing to work closely with the shipyard to reduce the time between delivery of each of the new vessels where possible. We expect delivery of MV Isle of Islay later this year and MV Lochmor was successfully launched on 23 August 2025 marking another construction milestone."
More than £1m has been spent sending CalMac and CMAL staff to Turkey to oversee the construction of four new ferries, a freedom of information request has revealed.
The two companies, which operate and manage Scotland's nationalised ferry networks, have spent £1,016,162 on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hires on staff visiting the Turkish yard since 2022.
The Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the figures, said taxpayers were being "left to pick up the tab" for the SNP's "ferries fiasco which has left islanders without the vessels they need".
CalMac and CMAL said their staff's work in Turkey was "vital" and "essential".
A CalMac spokeswoman said most of the money related to staff costs, including wages, which would have been paid regardless of where the crew were. She said the extra amount - £23,000 - was for travel and subsistence costs which covered flights to and from Turkey, hotel accommodation, and general subsistence costs.
CMAL also said the same wages would have been paid to its staff regardless of travel costs.
The Cemre shipyard in Turkey was awarded the contracts to build four new vessels worth more than £200m.
These vessels are the MV Isle of Islay - which is due in November and will operate on the Kennacraig to Islay route - the MV Loch Indaal, MV Lochmor and MV Claymore at six-month intervals after the first vessel's delivery.
CalMac sent eight staff to Turkey, spending £845,981, while £170,181 was spent on five CMAL employees.
One Ferguson Marine employee was also sent to Turkey but the costs were covered by CMAL.
The first of the Turkish ferries, MV Isle of Islay, was launched a year ago by Morag McNeill, the chairwoman of CMAL, in a ceremony at the Cemre shipyard.
The nationalised Ferguson Marine is currently building two separate ferries - the Glen Sannox and the still under construction Glen Rosa.
The costs of the vessels has risen to more than four times their original £97m price tag, and were pushed back for completion several times.
Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said taxpayers were being forced to foot yet another hefty bill. "After squandering half-a-billion pounds on the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, ministers have blown another £1m flying staff to Turkey to keep tabs on the ferries being built there. Some project oversight is understandable after the huge problems with the Ferguson-built ferries - but this level of spending seems excessive."
Webber said the SNP had "betrayed islanders and taxpayers at every turn" by leaving remote communities reliant on out-of-date vessels while "letting costs spiral out of control for hard-pressed Scots".
"SNP ministers, who are responsible for Ferguson Marine, must finally provide the support the yard needs to compete, so that ferries can be built here in Scotland, not abroad," she added.
The CalMac spokeswoman said: "New vessels are an essential addition to the CalMac fleet and we are very much looking forward to MV Isle of Islay joining us next month. Staff and crew have been spending valuable time at the yard in Turkey carrying out vital work to support CMAL with the build process and to ensure that the vessel is built as specified, and meets all legal and classification standards. This is the same as the process involved for MV Glen Sannox before she joined the fleet."
She added that staff working in Turkey included marine and technical specialists as well as the senior crew who will be responsible for the vessel's safe passage to Scotland. "Their role includes the implementation of the important processes and procedures required to gain the necessary safety management and other certification needed to operate the vessel in UK waters," she added. "Thirteen brand new vessels will be joining CalMac by 2029 and will be of huge benefit to service resilience and reliability, to the benefit of all customers, including island communities."
A spokesperson for CMAL said: "CMAL is required on site throughout the build of vessels to provide essential quality assurance and supervision. Remuneration is the same regardless of the build location, and travel and accommodation costs are standard. These form part of the overall project budget, which remains on target."
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "As people would expect, CMAL has been and is continuing to work closely with the shipyard to reduce the time between delivery of each of the new vessels where possible. We expect delivery of MV Isle of Islay later this year and MV Lochmor was successfully launched on 23 August 2025 marking another construction milestone."
That's much ado about nothing. I would assume you can't learn how to sail a particular ferry whilst sailing on its maiden voyage across the Med and up the Atlantic from a YouTube video.
| Re: Gatwick Airport - facilities, improvements and incidents - merged posts, ongoing discussion In "Buses and other ways to travel" [367995/20849/5] Posted by TonyK at 21:55, 10th November 2025 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea | |
From the BBC:
Gatwick second runway challenge filed at High Court
A legal challenge to the government's decision to approve a second runway at Gatwick Airport has been filed at the High Court, campaigners have said.
In its judicial review claim, Communities against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) alleges officials unlawfully failed to properly assess the environmental impact of the project.
Cagne told the government in October it planned to challenge its decision to back the expansion.
The Department for Transport said it was unable to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Gatwick said it intended to participate in the proceedings as an interested party but "while legal proceedings are in progress it would not be appropriate to comment any further".
The £2.2bn privately-financed project includes effectively moving the existing northern runway to bring it into regular use, alongside other developments, such as extending the airport's terminals.
Gatwick estimates the expansion could result in more than 100,000 extra flights per year by the late 2030s, and says passenger numbers could rise to 80 million.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in September the plans would create "thousands of jobs and billions in investment".
The West Sussex airfield is currently Europe's busiest single-runway airport with more than 40 million passengers using it every year.
(BBC article continues)
A legal challenge to the government's decision to approve a second runway at Gatwick Airport has been filed at the High Court, campaigners have said.
In its judicial review claim, Communities against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) alleges officials unlawfully failed to properly assess the environmental impact of the project.
Cagne told the government in October it planned to challenge its decision to back the expansion.
The Department for Transport said it was unable to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Gatwick said it intended to participate in the proceedings as an interested party but "while legal proceedings are in progress it would not be appropriate to comment any further".
The £2.2bn privately-financed project includes effectively moving the existing northern runway to bring it into regular use, alongside other developments, such as extending the airport's terminals.
Gatwick estimates the expansion could result in more than 100,000 extra flights per year by the late 2030s, and says passenger numbers could rise to 80 million.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in September the plans would create "thousands of jobs and billions in investment".
The West Sussex airfield is currently Europe's busiest single-runway airport with more than 40 million passengers using it every year.
(BBC article continues)
This is excellent news for lawyers, to whom the result is unimportant. Less so for the taxpayer, who will be paying a sizeable chunk of the costs. At least it's only the High Court so far.
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [367994/29711/14] Posted by charles_uk at 21:08, 10th November 2025 | |
Not mentioned on JourneyCheck but this evening's 1953 Paddington to Hereford train is a five car short-formation which, presumably, means tomorrow's 0523 Hereford to Paddington service will also be a short-form.
| 'Bird flu outbreak' as dead swans found near Backwell lake (North Somerset) In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [367993/31076/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:30, 10th November 2025 | |
This is local to me - I walk past that lake on my way to our station.
From the BBC:
Experts have warned of a bird flu outbreak after dead swans were found near a popular lake.
The five birds at Backwell Lake, near Bristol, on Sunday morning displayed signs of Avian Influenza, including blue eyes, animal charity Curious Critters said.
It comes as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued a mandatory housing order to cover England following escalating numbers of the virus.
A Curious Critter spokesperson posted on Facebook saying: "We are very confident we are looking at an Avian Influenza outbreak and would ask that the community please follow the guidelines."
They added: "Retrieving the deceased swans will have played a huge role in safeguarding the remaining wildlife."
So far this season - which began in October - there have been 26 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, external (HPAI) H5N1 on farms across the UK, with 22 in England.
The public has been urged to keep dogs on leads and not feed wild waterfowl including ducks and geese.
Please note that guidance.
| Oswestry, Shropshire - Range lorry stuck as driver 'misjudged' bridge: Nov 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367992/31075/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:20, 10th November 2025 | |
From the BBC:
An HGV lorry got stuck under a bridge in Shropshire because the driver had "misjudged heights", say police.
West Mercia Police attended the scene on Whittington Road in Oswestry at about 20:35 GMT on Saturday, where the lorry with the livery of retailer The Range on the side had become wedged underneath the Cambrian Railway Bridge.
The force said the road was closed for several hours to allow for the recovery of the vehicle and thanked motorists and nearby residents for their patience.
It added that there were no injuries and no arrests made.
The Range has also been contacted for comment.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2025 In "TransWilts line" [367991/29726/18] Posted by bobm at 18:59, 10th November 2025 | |
That train was operated by two 158s - including 158766 which had covered the last train from Swindon to run prior to the cancellations. May be a way of getting it back to Bristol for proper attention by the fitters.
| Re: IEP seats in 2025 In "Across the West" [367990/29826/26] Posted by Mark A at 18:11, 10th November 2025 | |
It's definitely the actual cushion part, and possibly the plate that the cushion sits on that neds attention, not just the cushion upholstery. And they're still owed by Hitachi, who need to agree to the work.
The IETs are still going through the work needed on the coaching stock dampers - only about 50% have been fixed. The seats will definitely not be done for a while yet. I don't actually see much social media about these seats from long distance passengers either, so I'd be interested in hearing from GWR if your opinion is widespread
The IETs are still going through the work needed on the coaching stock dampers - only about 50% have been fixed. The seats will definitely not be done for a while yet. I don't actually see much social media about these seats from long distance passengers either, so I'd be interested in hearing from GWR if your opinion is widespread
Yup, upholstery being the entire kit'n'caboodle, covering, fabric, interior goodness - down to the seat frame/supporting structure. Those cushions have an integral moulded backing plate and use of those seats needs to factor in the cost of replacement of the upholstery component before the point at which the filling has compressed to the extent that it's compromising passenger comfort/safety.
(An alternative is for the manufacturer to use seat fillings that have a far greater lifespan before permanently deforming.)
Mark
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2025 In "TransWilts line" [367989/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 17:30, 10th November 2025 | |
Also note
Looks like two trains have faults on them then?
Quickly fixed? ...
17:29 Warminster to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:29
17:29 Warminster to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:29 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Warminster and Dilton Marsh.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.
17:29 Warminster to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:29 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Warminster and Dilton Marsh.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2025 In "TransWilts line" [367988/29726/18] Posted by bobm at 16:45, 10th November 2025 | |
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
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 on this train.
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Also note
17:12 Westbury to Warminster due 17:21
17:12 Westbury to Warminster due 17:21 will be cancelled.
This is due to the train for this service having broken down.
17:12 Westbury to Warminster due 17:21 will be cancelled.
This is due to the train for this service having broken down.
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [367987/29711/14] Posted by Worcester_Passenger at 16:23, 10th November 2025 | |
Monday November 10
13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 16:15 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:10/11/2025 15:08
16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 19:29 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:10/11/2025 15:08
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:10/11/2025 15:08
16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 19:29 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:10/11/2025 15:08
| Re: Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire - HST derailment: three dead - 12 August 2020 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367986/23891/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 14:18, 10th November 2025 | |
An update, from the BBC:
Train derailment inquiry may now last under two weeks
The inquiry into a train derailment which killed three men in the north east of Scotland could now last under a fortnight, a hearing has been told.
The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont, in Aberdeenshire, on 12 August 2020 after it hit a landslide following heavy rain.
Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash.
Network Rail was later fined £6.7m after admitting a series of failings which led to the deaths.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the evidence in next year's Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) could be completed in under two weeks, which is shorter than previous estimates.
...
On Monday, Alex Prentice KC, for the Crown, said it was now likely the evidence would be completed within two weeks. He said this followed extensive talks and a narrowing of issues.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston said "good progress" was being made. She said a venue for the FAI itself had still to be confirmed, but that it was hoped that could be done soon.
A further preliminary hearing will be held on 22 December.
The inquiry into a train derailment which killed three men in the north east of Scotland could now last under a fortnight, a hearing has been told.
The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont, in Aberdeenshire, on 12 August 2020 after it hit a landslide following heavy rain.
Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash.
Network Rail was later fined £6.7m after admitting a series of failings which led to the deaths.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the evidence in next year's Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) could be completed in under two weeks, which is shorter than previous estimates.
...
On Monday, Alex Prentice KC, for the Crown, said it was now likely the evidence would be completed within two weeks. He said this followed extensive talks and a narrowing of issues.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston said "good progress" was being made. She said a venue for the FAI itself had still to be confirmed, but that it was hoped that could be done soon.
A further preliminary hearing will be held on 22 December.
| Re: Ryanair - routes, schedules, incidents and issues (merged posts) In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367985/29076/51] Posted by didcotdean at 14:12, 10th November 2025 | |
Booking clerks used to get 10% of the insurance fee, but most railway companies didn't allow them to actively suggest it as they didn't want any likelihood of accidents being raised.
A stranger late Victorian rail life insurance method was to carry the current edition of "Tit-Bits", as the publisher would pay out £100 on death.
| Re: Bath to Cirencester - via Tetbury, Kemble and Stroud - ongoing plans In "Introductions and chat" [367984/30038/1] Posted by johnneyw at 13:21, 10th November 2025 Already liked by grahame | |
... looking for a fine day and longer daylight hours - perhaps into the spring. Starting from Kemble to allow stopping short - even by a couple of miles - to get the bus into Stroud. Ik have rules out the alternative of doing it next weekend based on the early weather forecast.
Snap. The walk is to be enjoyed, not endured through miserable weather. Likewise, it shouldn't have be too much of a race against failing daylight, motivational as that might be!
Looks like a good one for the new year.
| Re: Ryanair - routes, schedules, incidents and issues (merged posts) In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367983/29076/51] Posted by stuving at 12:45, 10th November 2025 | |
My memory suggests you could buy it from the booking office with your ticket
You may be right, but I doubt you can remember this - from The Era, 30 July 1854:CRYSTAL PALACE. - RAILWAY travellers may obtain tickets of insurance against railway accidents for the journey, on payment of 1d, 2d, or 3d, by inquiring of the booking clerks at all the principal railway stations, when they take a railway ticket. Railway Passengers' Assurance Office, 3, Old Broad-street, London.
William J, Vian, secretary.
William J, Vian, secretary.
Later, this business expanded outside rail travel, and was claiming to be the world's largest travel accident insurer. Its insurance was still being offered by railway companies in their booking offices under grouping. After the usual mergers, associations, and takeovers, it was owned by the North British and Mercantile in the 1940s, and its name disappeared in the 60s when it was part of Commercial Union.
BR would presumably have had some other arrangement - best looked for in those interminable front pages of the timetable book?
| Re: IEP seats in 2025 In "Across the West" [367982/29826/26] Posted by IndustryInsider at 12:13, 10th November 2025 | |
Ahhh....of course. The toilet would need swapping for an(other) accessible one if you were to add a third position on a 5car too.
It's already an accessible one in Coach A on a 5-car (same as Coach A a 9-car where there are two spaces), so that wouldn't need any alterations.
...The seats will definitely not be done for a while yet. I don't actually see much social media about these seats from long distance passengers either, so I'd be interested in hearing from GWR if your opinion is widespread
It's definitely a known issue, but perhaps not quite as much of an issue for the average passenger.
| Re: IEP seats in 2025 In "Across the West" [367981/29826/26] Posted by ChrisB at 11:51, 10th November 2025 | |
It's definitely the actual cushion part, and possibly the plate that the cushion sits on that neds attention, not just the cushion upholstery. And they're still owed by Hitachi, who need to agree to the work.
The IETs are still going through the work needed on the coaching stock dampers - only about 50% have been fixed. The seats will definitely not be done for a while yet. I don't actually see much social media about these seats from long distance passengers either, so I'd be interested in hearing from GWR if your opinion is widespread
| Re: IEP seats in 2025 In "Across the West" [367980/29826/26] Posted by Mark A at 11:45, 10th November 2025 | |
That'll be the refurb date half-way through it's lifespan, if at all. It would likely mean a seat redesign & refit, and they're owned by Hitachi, nota ROSCO or the DfT. Lots of dosh.
This isn't a major refurbishment issue or a costly one. The (inexpensive) seat upholstery component is designed to be quickly detached and replaced like for like.
It can also be replaced with an upgraded variety - hasn't this been done once already? People will recall version one of that seat upholstery, the covers of which were plainish grey and quickly wore in a way that made them look dismal and I think they've gone from the system.
What's needed is for GWR to adopt a proactive approach rather than a reactive one so that passengers don't find that they need to send 'em an email every time they travel.
Which reminds me, when I need, in the email, to identify an individual carriage, where on a class 80x is the carriage's reference number to be found?
Mark
| GWR Christmas and New Year restrictions 2025 In "Fare's Fair" [367979/31074/4] Posted by plymothian at 11:24, 10th November 2025 | |
For GWR priced journeys, the following easements have been implemented for Christmas & New Year 2025/6
Friday 19: Normal weekday restrictions apply
[Saturday 20/Sunday 21: Normal weekend/bank holiday]
Monday 22/Tuesday 23/Wednesday 24: Off-peak no restrictions; Super Off-peak normal restrictions apply; weekend first available
Thursday 25/Friday 26: No service
[Saturday 27/Sunday 28: Normal weekend/bank holiday]
Monday 29/Tuesday 30/Wednesday 31/Friday 2: Off-peak & Super Off-peak no restrictions; weekend first available
[Thursday 1/Saturday 3/Sunday 4: Normal weekend/bank holiday]
Monday 5 onwards: Normal restrictions apply
*passengers taking advantage of the easements should note these are for GWR only; other TOCs may have different easements, for example if arriving at Paddington before 09.30 on a super/off-peak ticket, passengers may need to wait until 09.30 to comment further travel.
| Re: Recycling rubbish - something of a minefield? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [367978/30854/31] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 11:11, 10th November 2025 Already liked by Witham Bobby, Chris from Nailsea | |
It baffles me why people fly-tip next to recycling bins, textile bins etc as though it's somehow less illegal/antisocial to do it there than rather than at any random roadside. It's actually more likely to get them caught on camera as such sites may well be monitored. Probably the same people who dump things outside charity shops at dead of night.
| Re: Ryanair - routes, schedules, incidents and issues (merged posts) In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [367977/29076/51] Posted by rogerw at 10:36, 10th November 2025 Already liked by Witham Bobby | |
My memory suggests you could buy it from the booking office with your ticket
