As a slightly late celebration of a significant birthday, my wife and I took a trip to Scotland by train to explore part I had not really covered well before, namely Perth, Dundee and Fife. We have two friends who hail from Dundee, both of whom still have family in the area, and both of whom have told us that the city centre has been transformed by recent redevelopment. Two significant maritime attractions (Discovery and HMS Unicorn), an additional recommendation to see Dunkeld, an attractive half-board offer for a Perth Hotel from a chain we’ve used before and the opportunity to try the East Coast Main Line again after over 10 years since our last trip to Scotland using it all helped plan the break. Initially I looked at Lumo, but although the price for King’s Cross to Edinburgh is attractive, by the time you add a period return from Goring & Streatley to King’s Cross, and onwards to Perth, and the additional hassle on changing for Perth, we went for LNER directly to Perth on the daily down Inverness train.

Part One – LNER and Azumas.

This was my first opportunity to try the LNER version of the (dreaded?) IET. The first impression on boarding is favourable. Simply having a bright interior with white walls and red upholstery seems to give a much more welcoming atmosphere than the gloomy grey ambience of GWR’s offering.

As to the seats, I don’t know how much difference there is to the underlying structure of the seat, but the softer upholstery material of LNER’s seats feels more comfortable than GWR’s. The seat base still feels firm, but no evidence of that uncomfortable bar across the seat now becoming evident through the seat cushion on GWR trains that has been commented upon elsewhere in this forum. We generally felt comfortable during our near six-hour journey, although during the extended return journey (see below!) I did have a cramp requiring a stroll part-way through the return journey.

The seat reservation signage seemed to work well, with just a short delay before updating after station when a seat became available. The train was generally clean, and the upholstery seemed to be standing up well to use so far. There was some evidence of the finish to the wall finished below the windows. Having had the opportunity to chose seats on-line when booking well in advance we secured table seats with good views, but noticed that many seats still do not align elsewhere in the carriages. This is a shame on a service that runs on one of the most scenically-rewarding routes once you get past Darlington going north.

For forum members for whom on-board catering is important, the picture is mixed. We did not leave anything to chance, stocking up for lunch at Pret at King’s Cross and Costa at Perth for outward and return journeys. The Azumas have a modest snack counter in coach G, and a QR code ordering system at the seats for Standard Class. On the way up, its staff was friendly, but they were already running out of some items at Peterborough. LNER coffee also does not score well. “Almost as bad as Starbucks” was my wife’s verdict!

There was also a common problem with on-board announcements, namely that they were almost inaudible for the first part of the outward journey. Perhaps a replacement crew picked up that sound was down, as things improved after (I think) York.

All went well on the journey up to Perth, everything ran to time. On the way back it also went well until we had just passed Tursdale Junction, where the disused Leamside Line leaves the ECML. We came to a halt, and soon the train announcements kicked in. Credit to the crew, they passed on to us what the problem was when they were informed. A train had failed ahead, leaving us third in a queue of down trains waiting for a gap in the up traffic to enable each train to get past. A subsequent announcement informed us that there were three trains to pass on the other line before we could proceed. Just as the second one passed us, a further announcement informed us that someone had managed to get the failed train moving again, so we would soon be moving again. By this time we had lost over 40 minutes. LNER’s website estimated we would make up time so as to be 28 minutes late at King’s Cross. At York, however, we were informed that we would be held as there was a train from Edinburgh that had caught us up that was to run non-stop to London, whereas we were due to stop at Doncaster, Newark and Peterborough. So we ended up 43 minutes late at King’s Cross, but at least we had an explanation and apologies every time we stopped and new passengers joined.

Finally, a comment on LNER’s apparent commitment to simplifying fares. So, why was the outward fare from Goring to Perth with Senior Card £68-25, but the return one £72-30? Was it a peak fare for the Paddington-Goring leg on the way back?

Next time, ScotRail, HSTs and some thoughts on destinations and stations.

 
From the BBC:

'Overtourism getting worse in Venice of the Cotswolds'


Residents in Bourton-on-the-Water have spoken out as problems are "getting worse"

Issues created by overtourism in a village dubbed the "Venice of the Cotswolds" are getting worse, a new survey shows.

About 92% of residents in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, reported traffic and parking issues. The village attracts 300,000 visitors every year, while only 4,000 people live there.

A spokesperson for Bourton Residents' Voice, which conducted the survey, said: "What many residents have been experiencing for years is real, widespread, and getting worse."

Gloucestershire County Council councillor Paul Hodgkinson said the authority is leading a new initiative to get some solutions "as quickly as possible".

The survey of more than 200 villagers found that 94.6% of residents thought there were too many visitors, while 90.8% reported that tourism had a negative impact on their quality of life. Residents also reported losing access to public space, reduced safety, and a growing sense that the village is no longer designed for those who live there.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, 92.6% of those who took part said traffic and parking management was not managed effectively.

(BBC article continues)

[/quote]

 
From the BBC:

 
I figure ... I may as well convalesce on a piece of public transport ... getting better anyway

Seated at Swindon ... needless to say, longest wait of the day ... looking at some of my pics. Where have I been?

 
GWR running a weekday service and First Bristol Bath slinging a Sunday service.

Mark

 

That's one thing on which I would disagree with you, Jaymac. A neglected car can become dangerous (tyres and brakes in particular) long before it's five years old. Cars now seem to last longer than they used to, so I think I'd rather see even longer leases (6 or 7 years) to save a triennial renewal payment. But keep the annual test after three years, possibly with a reduced fee for Motability vehicles.

 
From the BBC:

 
Slochd's caught the snow already.

Mark

 
An update, from the BBC:

 
Might be me but GWR doesn't seem to have an overview of Easter services this year. From the timetables, Monday, they look to be operating a normal weekday service but with no peak time restrictions - which gives an opportunity to travel early and on some of the surviving early morning fast services e.g the ones from Bristol that stop at Swindon and then London Paddington.

Mark

P.S. raising a glass to that historical afternoon service at around 16.10 from Bath - I think I recall it came up from Cornwall. Anyway, it called at Reading only on its way up to Paddington and offered a travel time from Bath of 1 hour 10 minutes.

 
An update, from the BBC:

 
Tis a little windy here in Taunton. I've just returned from watching Somerset v Notts at the County Ground. Grim, cold, but caps staying on in the field, so Rodney isn't that strong in this part of the UK.

 

Not sure the Luftwaffe had very much to do with it at all, really.

Temple Meads is a bit of an awkward site, made even more isolated by the routing of the erstwhile Inner Circuit Road along Temple Way and Redcliff Way, and the dual carriageway through Temple Gate. Before that, bustling Victoria St led straight to it - and of course there was a tram terminal right outside.

A bit like Kings Cross of old, Temple Meads has had what to most is a ‘dead zone’ behind it made up of large industrial sites.

What is new is the re-zoning of this area to housing and education. This probably reflects the way the importance of freight has given way to a more passenger-oriented railway.

 
From the BBC:

 
From the BBC:

 

What needs reforming?

I'd start with increasing the lease period to five years per vehicle, with MOT exemption for years four and five. Modern vehicles and mobility products are reliable enough not to need replacing every three year. Then increase the underlying benefit amount. The annual benefit uprating hasn't matched the price inflation in the passenger vehicle market, nor the vehicle conversion and mobility products industries. Meaning people eligible for the the Motability scheme are paying considerably more in upfront costs than a decade ago. A typical wheelchair accessible vehicle on the scheme costs the user anything from £5,000 to £30,000 upfront. And that's repeated every three years. You have to lease a new vehicle every three years. Advance payments are not a refundable deposit and do not roll over. Even regular unmodified passenger cars can have advance payments up to £5,000 for ICE and £7,000 for EV. The UK's current best selling car is the Ford Puma. All but the poverty spec model command advance payments of up to £2,000.

If we look at a PIP claimant leasing a Ford Puma with an advance payment of £1000 plus the £80 a week from their PIP then their monthly leasing cost is £430. Even with insurance, servicing, and breakdown recovery included, Motability leasing costs aren't that much cheaper than the Joe Public lease offerings.

One area that really does need reform is the claiming, initial assessment and periodic reassessment processes for some of the underlying qualifying benefits. Processes which are long, complicated, and soul destroying.

As for the small minority abusing the scheme, then yes, take back their vehicles. And I've no issue with younger Motability vehicle users being required to have a 'black box' fitted to monitor driving style. Motability cover the vehicle's insurance premiums so it's perfectly acceptable for them to lessen their risk exposure. What isn't acceptable is penalising ALL motability users (actual and potential) for the actions of a few by making an already hard scheme to qualify for even more restrictive.

 
From the end of February & Ullapool. Its not commonplace to see two Calmac ferries there at once. The Stornoway ferry Loch Seaforth has arrived and is about to berth, while the second ferry, 'Hebrides', is leaving after a brief call en route from her more usual haunts to Leith for maintenance.

Hebrides had just given a long blast on her horn, the echoes from which came back from various parts of the loch for around the next thirty seconds, which was atmospheric.

Mark

 
From the BBC:

 

Drive to Reading station and park there or in a nearby long stay car park/private reservable space?

 
In the case of Temple Meads of course, the Luftwaffe had a lot to do with it originally. Oh, and the planners who moved in shortly afterwards!

 
From the BBC:

 
From the BBC:

 
There is more detail in a BBC article:

 
One of the best things GBR could do for UK tourism would be to commission from Stadler a UK-spec unit with Swiss-style panoramic windows and a decent catering facilities.

Plenty of routes in Scotland, Wales and England that punters would pay a premium to see from the comfort of a well-upholstered armchair, or whilst eating a decent lunch.

If they could reopen the line to Okehampton, I'd imagine that a suitably luxurious "Dartmoor Circular" service might draw punters in from around the world. 

 

I find that hard to believe without further press coverage Practically impossible?

 
More likely to be carting arrivals back surely? And staff inwards possibly that currently drive all the way?

 
I guess one issue is how you'd get to Reading station to catch a train at 0228 or 0330 on Saturdays or 0324 in the early hours of Monday morning?

I suppose a cab may be an option if you're already reasonably local but otherwise I suspect these trains will largely be carting fresh air around.

 

Motability is a well intentioned scheme but long overdue for reform (with a small "r"!!!)

 
10 - I presume that the 23A bus to Imber is off/en route.
9 - Imber bus, I guess you would like something more precise than the Imber range section of Salisbury Plain Training Area. My guess of two options would be Gore Cross.

 
I seem to remember it once had a wagon lift for exchange between the railway and the Quay, replacing the narrow gauge East Cornwall Mineral Railways incline to the north.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Cornwall_Mineral_Railway