Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Changes to rail tickets. In "Fare's Fair" [373614/31789/4] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 23:14, 25th March 2026 |      |
I Googled a key phrase. SWR are simply quoting from the NRE list of changes for each ticket type on for example https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ticket-types/tickets/sdr/ (you need to expand the Refunds and Charges block). It should therefore be authoritative, albeit a little vague ("should be made" and "in most cases" are unhelpfully imprecise) and certainly doesn't cover a change of plan after starting a journey but while still within the coverage of the original ticket. Can you pay for the extra bit on-train if a suitable member of staff is available?
Incidentally, the NRE website continues to be an absolute mess. I can't work out how to reach that page via a menu, and if you do instead drill down the menu layers from the front page you reach similar but even less detailed pages also mentioning the changes, so there are multiple sources to maintain. I'm amused also to see old ticket type names still in use behind the scenes; replace "SDR" in the link with "CDR" for instance and you get a page about Off-peak Day tickets. (Now I'm down a real rabbit-hole; SVR also took me where I expected it to, as did SDS, SOS and others)
| Re: RAF Lancaster bombers - merged posts In "The Lighter Side" [373613/14381/30] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:13, 25th March 2026 | |
An update, relating to the inventor of the 'bouncing bomb', Sir Barnes Wallis, from the BBC:
Bouncing bomb inventor's items sold at auction in Horsham
Sir Barnes Wallis developed the bouncing bomb using marbles in a water tub
A collection of personal items belonging to the inventor of the bouncing bomb have been sold at auction.
The objects, which included marbles used in early experiments for the bomb by engineer Sir Barnes Wallis, who lived in Leatherhead, Surrey, went under the hammer at Denhams in West Sussex. The marbles had been given an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000 but did not meet the reserve price and were not sold, the auctioneers said.
A pair of black and white aerial photographs linked to the 1943 "Dam Busters" raid sold for £17,500. One of the top-selling items was an oil painting by Alfred Egerton Cooper – Sir Barnes's best man – which sold for £14,500.
Bouncing bomb material included Sir Barnes's CBE neck badge awarded in 1943, which sold for £8,000, and a replica catapult which went for £3,400.
Leo Denham, managing director of Denhams, said that the firm was "honoured" to be trusted by the family in selling a historically significant collection.
Several objects were donated to the RAF Museum, which is based in London and the Midlands.
Dr Harry Raffal, head of collections and research at the museum, said: "Throughout the process, the family were keen to ensure that the legacy of Sir Barnes Wallis would remain an important part of the RAF Museum's national collection. Today, our visitors can visit the RAF Museum to discover more about Sir Barnes Wallis' pioneering work and explore how he helped the RAF bring about victory in the Second World War".
The marbles from Sir Barnes Wallis's early experiments did not meet their reserve price
Before the auction, Wallis' daughter, Elisabeth Gaunt, said that she hoped buyers would remember her father as "tender, spiritual and sensitive beyond all belief", adding he was "not a war-like man".
The inventor tested his bombs at RAF Manston, near Ramsgate in Kent, before they were used in Operation Chastise, destroying German dams in the Ruhr valley in May 1943.
Operation Chastise and Wallis' bouncing bombs were immortalised in the 1955 film The Dambusters.
Wallis, who died in 1979, famously developed the bouncing bomb using marbles in a water tub in the garden of White Hill House in Effingham, in Surrey.
Sir Barnes Wallis developed the bouncing bomb using marbles in a water tub
A collection of personal items belonging to the inventor of the bouncing bomb have been sold at auction.
The objects, which included marbles used in early experiments for the bomb by engineer Sir Barnes Wallis, who lived in Leatherhead, Surrey, went under the hammer at Denhams in West Sussex. The marbles had been given an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000 but did not meet the reserve price and were not sold, the auctioneers said.
A pair of black and white aerial photographs linked to the 1943 "Dam Busters" raid sold for £17,500. One of the top-selling items was an oil painting by Alfred Egerton Cooper – Sir Barnes's best man – which sold for £14,500.
Bouncing bomb material included Sir Barnes's CBE neck badge awarded in 1943, which sold for £8,000, and a replica catapult which went for £3,400.
Leo Denham, managing director of Denhams, said that the firm was "honoured" to be trusted by the family in selling a historically significant collection.
Several objects were donated to the RAF Museum, which is based in London and the Midlands.
Dr Harry Raffal, head of collections and research at the museum, said: "Throughout the process, the family were keen to ensure that the legacy of Sir Barnes Wallis would remain an important part of the RAF Museum's national collection. Today, our visitors can visit the RAF Museum to discover more about Sir Barnes Wallis' pioneering work and explore how he helped the RAF bring about victory in the Second World War".
The marbles from Sir Barnes Wallis's early experiments did not meet their reserve price
Before the auction, Wallis' daughter, Elisabeth Gaunt, said that she hoped buyers would remember her father as "tender, spiritual and sensitive beyond all belief", adding he was "not a war-like man".
The inventor tested his bombs at RAF Manston, near Ramsgate in Kent, before they were used in Operation Chastise, destroying German dams in the Ruhr valley in May 1943.
Operation Chastise and Wallis' bouncing bombs were immortalised in the 1955 film The Dambusters.
Wallis, who died in 1979, famously developed the bouncing bomb using marbles in a water tub in the garden of White Hill House in Effingham, in Surrey.
| Re: Transpennine Express train from Manchester to Glasgow hits fallen tree on track In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [373612/31790/51] Posted by bobm at 20:26, 25th March 2026 | |
Similar happened today closer to home.
Train hit a tree near Avoncliff and a passenger needed to be conveyed to hospital by ambulance.
| Dogs became man's best friend far earlier than thought, scientists find In "Introductions and chat" [373611/31791/1] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:36, 25th March 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Dogs became man's best friend far earlier than thought, scientists find
It may not be much to look at but this battered fragment of 9cm bone has transformed the story of dogs and humans
A fragment of a jawbone found deep underground in a cave in Somerset has rewritten the story of when and how dogs became our best friends.
DNA analysis shows the jaw belonged to one of the earliest known domesticated dogs and that people lived closely with them in Britain 15,000 years ago, thousands of years before farm animals were domesticated or cats padded into our homes.
The discovery pushes back the time that the first dogs evolved from their wolf ancestors by around 5,000 years. It also suggests that the friendship between the very first dogs and stone age humans was there almost from the very start, according to Dr William Marsh of the Natural History Museum.
"It shows that by 15,000 years ago dogs and humans already had an incredibly tight, close relationship – and this tiny jawbone, which seems like such a small thing, has helped to unlock the whole human story of how that partnership began."
The first dogs were descendants of grey wolves that lingered around human camps at the end of the Ice Age, scavenging leftovers and slowly becoming tamer.
Over time, people started using these animals to help with hunting, guarding and tracking, turning them into working partners rather than wild predators. After hundreds of generations of human breeding, the dogs that emerged had shorter muzzles, smaller teeth and an enormous range of sizes, from lapdogs to hulking guardians.
Marsh made the discovery by accident during his PhD project. The jawbone was found in excavations from the 1920s in Gough's cave in Cheddar Gorge, now famous for storing its famous cheese.
It had been tucked away in a museum drawer for decades as it was thought to have been an unremarkable specimen. But the young researcher came across an obscure research paper published ten years earlier that raised the possibility it might have belonged to a dog.
Marsh carried out a genetic analysis of the jawbone and found to his shock and delight that it was indeed from a dog, making it the first unambiguous evidence that dogs existed thousands of years earlier than previously confirmed.
Scarcely believing the test results, Marsh told his friend and scientific collaborator Dr Lachie Scarsbrook, from the University of Oxford and LMU Munich, who takes up the story.
"William tells me: 'I found dog from the early stone age,' and I'm like, 'No you haven't — every other dog has been a wolf,' but he's super confident of it. He then shows us his results, and we're like, '(Gosh), this guy might have actually found a dog that far back in time."
Scarsbrook's actual language was more colourful than we can publish, because he knew just how important his friend's big breakthrough could prove.
The dog lived with humans in this Somerset cave 15,000 years ago
With the jawbone from Gough's cave now confidently identified as being from a dog, this allowed its genetic signature to be used to test specimens of a similar age from across western Europe and central Anatolia in modern Turkey, the large Asian peninsula that makes up most of the country. They all turned out to be dogs.
"We've spent years trying to make sense of ancient samples whose DNA sits between wolves and dogs," Scarsbrook told me. "Everything sat in no man's land because we simply couldn't tell where dogs truly began. Then this little jawbone turns up and it is the key to then identifying other ancient dogs all across Europe that had just been sitting under our noses this whole time," he told BBC News.
(BBC article continues)
It may not be much to look at but this battered fragment of 9cm bone has transformed the story of dogs and humans
A fragment of a jawbone found deep underground in a cave in Somerset has rewritten the story of when and how dogs became our best friends.
DNA analysis shows the jaw belonged to one of the earliest known domesticated dogs and that people lived closely with them in Britain 15,000 years ago, thousands of years before farm animals were domesticated or cats padded into our homes.
The discovery pushes back the time that the first dogs evolved from their wolf ancestors by around 5,000 years. It also suggests that the friendship between the very first dogs and stone age humans was there almost from the very start, according to Dr William Marsh of the Natural History Museum.
"It shows that by 15,000 years ago dogs and humans already had an incredibly tight, close relationship – and this tiny jawbone, which seems like such a small thing, has helped to unlock the whole human story of how that partnership began."
The first dogs were descendants of grey wolves that lingered around human camps at the end of the Ice Age, scavenging leftovers and slowly becoming tamer.
Over time, people started using these animals to help with hunting, guarding and tracking, turning them into working partners rather than wild predators. After hundreds of generations of human breeding, the dogs that emerged had shorter muzzles, smaller teeth and an enormous range of sizes, from lapdogs to hulking guardians.
Marsh made the discovery by accident during his PhD project. The jawbone was found in excavations from the 1920s in Gough's cave in Cheddar Gorge, now famous for storing its famous cheese.
It had been tucked away in a museum drawer for decades as it was thought to have been an unremarkable specimen. But the young researcher came across an obscure research paper published ten years earlier that raised the possibility it might have belonged to a dog.
Marsh carried out a genetic analysis of the jawbone and found to his shock and delight that it was indeed from a dog, making it the first unambiguous evidence that dogs existed thousands of years earlier than previously confirmed.
Scarcely believing the test results, Marsh told his friend and scientific collaborator Dr Lachie Scarsbrook, from the University of Oxford and LMU Munich, who takes up the story.
"William tells me: 'I found dog from the early stone age,' and I'm like, 'No you haven't — every other dog has been a wolf,' but he's super confident of it. He then shows us his results, and we're like, '(Gosh), this guy might have actually found a dog that far back in time."
Scarsbrook's actual language was more colourful than we can publish, because he knew just how important his friend's big breakthrough could prove.
The dog lived with humans in this Somerset cave 15,000 years ago
With the jawbone from Gough's cave now confidently identified as being from a dog, this allowed its genetic signature to be used to test specimens of a similar age from across western Europe and central Anatolia in modern Turkey, the large Asian peninsula that makes up most of the country. They all turned out to be dogs.
"We've spent years trying to make sense of ancient samples whose DNA sits between wolves and dogs," Scarsbrook told me. "Everything sat in no man's land because we simply couldn't tell where dogs truly began. Then this little jawbone turns up and it is the key to then identifying other ancient dogs all across Europe that had just been sitting under our noses this whole time," he told BBC News.
(BBC article continues)
| Re: Melksham to Bristol - the commute by train In "TransWilts line" [373610/31787/18] Posted by grahame at 19:22, 25th March 2026 | |
Why can't the train leave Paddington at 06.30 rather than 06.28, as it used to? It would keep it in the timing people expect Temple Meads trains to run, on the hour and half hour, and would at least make a change at Chippenham slightly more reliable.
There's a new 06:30 - Paddington to Cheltenham Spa - which replaced the Swindon to Cheltenham Spa previously run. That's a first (immediate) answer; I have not played with swapping the trains around or any other changes - on thin ice with my knowledge on that, and the more changes proposed the less likely we are to get 'em even looked at.
| Re: Melksham to Bristol - the commute by train In "TransWilts line" [373609/31787/18] Posted by froome at 19:15, 25th March 2026 | |
Why can't the train leave Paddington at 06.30 rather than 06.28, as it used to? It would keep it in the timing people expect Temple Meads trains to run, on the hour and half hour, and would at least make a change at Chippenham slightly more reliable.
| Transpennine Express train from Manchester to Glasgow hits fallen tree on track In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [373608/31790/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:06, 25th March 2026 | |
From the BBC:
'I just heard this thump as our train hit a tree'
Jim Fleming praised the actions of the "outstanding" conductor after the collision
A rail passenger has told of the moment the train he was travelling on hit a large tree that had been brought down by a storm.
Jim Fleming was travelling on the Transpennine Express service from Manchester to Glasgow when it was brought to a standstill at Lostock on the outskirts of Bolton.
Network Rail said strong winds had brought "several trees down overnight causing damage to overhead lines" in the Lostock area.
Fleming, of Bolton, told the BBC: "I just heard this thump and then this scraping and dragging noise and I actually thought the train had derailed." The 51-year-old data consultant added: "It came to a sudden halt. I was in the very first carriage and that was the carriage that got hit."
Fleming was on the first train of the day, which had left just before 05:00 GMT and said, thankfully, the train driver had slowed down before he hit the tree at about 05:30 GMT. He said: "In less than a minute he saw the tree but it was too late."
The passengers were moved to first class before everyone was escorted off the train by the fire service. The passengers were later driven to Preston, Lancashire.
Fleming praised the train conductor who was "absolutely tremendous".
"He was so cheery, he was going up and down the carriage making sure everybody was fine."
Jim Fleming praised the actions of the "outstanding" conductor after the collision
A rail passenger has told of the moment the train he was travelling on hit a large tree that had been brought down by a storm.
Jim Fleming was travelling on the Transpennine Express service from Manchester to Glasgow when it was brought to a standstill at Lostock on the outskirts of Bolton.
Network Rail said strong winds had brought "several trees down overnight causing damage to overhead lines" in the Lostock area.
Fleming, of Bolton, told the BBC: "I just heard this thump and then this scraping and dragging noise and I actually thought the train had derailed." The 51-year-old data consultant added: "It came to a sudden halt. I was in the very first carriage and that was the carriage that got hit."
Fleming was on the first train of the day, which had left just before 05:00 GMT and said, thankfully, the train driver had slowed down before he hit the tree at about 05:30 GMT. He said: "In less than a minute he saw the tree but it was too late."
The passengers were moved to first class before everyone was escorted off the train by the fire service. The passengers were later driven to Preston, Lancashire.
Fleming praised the train conductor who was "absolutely tremendous".
"He was so cheery, he was going up and down the carriage making sure everybody was fine."
| Re: Where have all the cheap "Advanced Fares" gone? In "Fare's Fair" [373607/31786/4] Posted by ChrisB at 19:03, 25th March 2026 | |
I don't (yet) see many empty seats on any of those operators mentioned - bearing out Graham's quoted text
| Re: Refund Rules for walk-up tickets are changing from April 1st In "Fare's Fair" [373606/31662/4] Posted by ChrisB at 18:59, 25th March 2026 | |
As they have to give 30 days notice, I suspect there aren't further changes.
I haven't yet seen a new full set anywhere either.
I'm still trying to find Mark A's quote on the SWT website as I don't believe it is part of NRCoT
| Re: Refund Rules for walk-up tickets are changing from April 1st In "Fare's Fair" [373605/31662/4] Posted by grahame at 18:55, 25th March 2026 | |
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/help-and-assistance/compensation-and-refunds/refunds-change/
Thank you. Yes, that tells us about the conditions on ticket refunds. It does not tell us if there are any other changes coming up ... I was looking for a complete new set.
| Re: Refund Rules for walk-up tickets are changing from April 1st In "Fare's Fair" [373604/31662/4] Posted by ChrisB at 18:45, 25th March 2026 | |
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/help-and-assistance/compensation-and-refunds/refunds-change/
| Re: Refund Rules for walk-up tickets are changing from April 1st In "Fare's Fair" [373603/31662/4] Posted by grahame at 18:21, 25th March 2026 | |
Various talks of changes to conditions of travel, on this thread and others, and yet the National Rail website where I would expect to find the definitive version - at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/NRCOT/ includes only the current and previous version.
I will be travelling next week. Where can I read the conditions that will apply to me?
| Re: St Ives Station - GWR unveils statue of mythical Mermaid of Zennor In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [373602/31782/25] Posted by Andy at 17:04, 25th March 2026 | |
Lovely idea...but what a hideous statute. More Fraggle Rock than Mermaid of Zennor.
Thank God it's only temporary.
| Re: Changes to rail tickets. In "Fare's Fair" [373601/31789/4] Posted by Trowres at 16:11, 25th March 2026 | |
The quote below ...
Mark
Mark
Hello Mark. Would you be able to provide a link to the web page that you quoted?
Thanks...
| Re: Request stops - GWR list In "Across the West" [373600/31788/26] Posted by BBM at 16:06, 25th March 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Geoff Marshall (of YouTube fame) has produced a PDF map dated September 2025 showing all of the request stops on the National Rail network, hope it helps with finding GWR ones:
https://www.geofftech.co.uk/downloads/RequestStops.pdf
(The orange box in the top right shows some exceptions to the rules)
| Re: Changes to rail tickets. In "Fare's Fair" [373599/31789/4] Posted by Oxonhutch at 15:59, 25th March 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
How does this compare with the ticketting provisions of the National Rail Conditions of Travel, and if not, which is authoritative?
| Re: Melksham to Bristol - the commute by train In "TransWilts line" [373598/31787/18] Posted by matth1j at 15:47, 25th March 2026 | |
As Melksham-Bristol is my 3 day a week commute, good luck
I've mentioned previously that I changed from catching the 07:21 (via Chippenham) to the 06:29 (via Trowbridge) due to the relatively low probability of making the connection at Chippenham. Not being able to claim a refund if I missed it didn't help. Changing route has made the journey less stressful, but getting up at 5 isn't great...
Also the 2 carriage Trowbridge-Bristol train tends to be quite busy (especially this morning for some reason - quite a few people forced to stand from Keynsham). I don't remember ever having to sit next to someone on the Chippenham-Bristol service, meaning I could get my laptop out if so inclined; that's not usually an option on the Trowbridge-Bristol. However, the Avon valley scenery is nice
On balance, yes - if you were able to make an early morning Melksham-Chippenham-Bristol commute viable, I would be very grateful
BTW regarding the trip back - if I miss the 17:50 Chippenham-Melksham, the next one is at 19:00 - obviously not ideal but closer to one hour delay than 2. And in my experience the Chippenham station staff will try to arrange taxis if the service has been cancelled, although that takes time - the 19:00 might end up being the best option.
| Re: Request stops - GWR list In "Across the West" [373597/31788/26] Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 15:47, 25th March 2026 | |
I can give you two "old GWR" stations where some trains stop by request and others always stop: Bearley and Claverdon. Chiltern services always stop, West Midlands services are by request.
(Was 2004 the last time these stations were served by Great Western services, as part of First Great Western Link?)
| Changes to rail tickets. In "Fare's Fair" [373596/31789/4] Posted by Mark A at 14:28, 25th March 2026 | |
The quote below is from the South Western Railways ticket selling site. Does the paragraph indicate that some circumstances that were formerly able to be addressed by the train manager now need to be sorted by either ticket office staff or the online ticket selling site that sold the original ticket?
Mark
Changes:
A ticket will need to be changed in order to travel to a destination further than where it was purchased to, change the route of the ticket, change the class of travel from Standard Class to First Class, or change the date of travel.Changes to tickets purchased online should be made by the retailer from which the ticket was bought. Staffed station ticket offices can also make changes in most cases, provided that this is done before the start of the journey.NOTE: A change to the date of travel can only be made BEFORE the date on which the ticket becomes valid for travel. Other alterations such as changes to the route or class of travel will be subject to a suitable alternative Anytime product being available. In some cases, it may be cheaper to purchase a new ticket.
| Re: Where have all the cheap "Advanced Fares" gone? In "Fare's Fair" [373595/31786/4] Posted by Mark A at 13:37, 25th March 2026 | |
4. It has been noted that people may complain at the higher pricing, but they will pay.
That's an observation that merits being up for discussion. It's a bit of a problem if people will pay once and then decide, in future, to walk away from public transport. It would be informative to look to experiences with the likes of LNER though: their fares mechanism is somewhat different to many others. LNER would perhaps need to be considered in conjunction with LUMO. Or... Crosscountry: costly and capacity constrained.
Mark
| Re: Where have all the cheap "Advanced Fares" gone? In "Fare's Fair" [373594/31786/4] Posted by TaplowGreen at 12:49, 25th March 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
I suspect that this will have a more dramatic impact on leisure than business customers, and will probably encourage more of the former to get in their car rather than fork out more for a rail fare.
What the overall impact on income will be is anyone's guess, but it certainly suggests that in the newly nationalised railway world the concept of "value for money" will be in the context of the Government rather than the customer.
| Re: Aberthaw Power Station and Decarbonisation In "Across the West" [373593/22573/26] Posted by broadgage at 12:16, 25th March 2026 | |
In the latest green initiative, HMG have proposed that all new homes built in the near future must incorporate heat pumps, and have no connection to the gas network.
I expect considerable opposition to this policy. mainly due to running costs, with electricity at 25 pence a unit, the heat will cost about 8 pence up to 12 pence a unit. Gas would be cheaper.
Also there is no point whilst we are still burning gas for electricity production. Gas is burnt in a power station about 33%.
1OO units of gas= about 33 units of electricity. 33 units of electricity used in a heat pump will produce AT BEST 100 units of heat, 70 units of heat is arguably more realistic. And you have to build the gas power station and all the heat pumps in addition.
| Request stops - GWR list In "Across the West" [373592/31788/26] Posted by grahame at 12:06, 25th March 2026 | |
Is there a full list anywhere of all the request stops that GWR operate, and serve? Are there any at which only some trains are "by request" and some always stop?
| Re: GWR Growing places report March 2026 In "Looking forward - the next 2, 5, 10 and 20 years" [373591/31780/40] Posted by CyclingSid at 11:29, 25th March 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Don't know if the following is of relevance of general interest
https://connectivity-tool-lite.dft.gov.uk/index
| Re: Electric Buses for Wiltshire In "Buses and other ways to travel" [373590/31785/5] Posted by Clan Line at 11:28, 25th March 2026 | |
More coming !
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c625rd62mgzo
| Melksham to Bristol - the commute by train In "TransWilts line" [373589/31787/18] Posted by grahame at 09:53, 25th March 2026 Already liked by matth1j | |
Question raised with me yesterday - the 07:21 from Melksham / why does it not properly connect with a train at Chippenham into Bristol? ("There used to be an 07:45 from Chippenham, which was ideal")
As at May 2019, the 06:30 from Paddington called at Chippenham at 07:45 (see https://www.passenger.chat/nrtt/2019_05/Table%20125.pdf ) and made a good connection. The train has been accelerated, and now leaves Paddington at 06:28 and calls at Chippenham at 07:33 - the faster journey being due to the new IET trains which accelerate far better, especially under electric power from London, Reading and Swindon. The train no longer calls at Didcot, and the Reading and Swindon stops are shorter because train doors are automatic and not manual "slammers".
The timetables for all trains from Paddington were revised in December 2019, and the change was major - described as shooting now-faster bullets out of a gun, and then having to replan all the train services that cross over - such as those through Melksham and through Bradford-on-Avon to dodge the bullets.
The 07:20 / 07:21 from Melksham is now scheduled into Chippenham just 2 or 3 minutes before the Bristol train leaves. The connection is not "guaranteed" and indeed it's a gamble as to whether or not passenger can make the change - if they can't get onto the 07:33 from Chippenham, next train is 08:09. And it can be really irritating to pull into Chippenham as the Bristol train pulls out - or to rush across to it to find the doors have just closed. To be told to stand back, and be reminded by platform staff that "it is not a connection". We don't have a "Swiss system" - I used to worry about the 1 minute change at Dissentis, but have done it several times and it works; their trains have more relaxed timing and the connection "always" works.
What can be done for Melksham to Bath and Bristol passengers? It's noted that for a 3 week period last summer, the 06:28 from Paddington made an extra call at Didcot, was 3 minutes later at Chippenham, and offered an "official" connection. It was then 3 minutes later into Bristol, which was no operational problem - no clashes along the way with other train paths, and it sits in Bristol for eleven minutes before carrying on to Weston-super-mare. This cannot be done as standard, as the extra Didcot call was because a following train as not running, and now that it's running again, the Bristol train would get in its way!
We have suggested that the 06:28 from Paddington pause for 3 minutes at Swindon, and run 3 minutes later form there to Bristol. That would make for a 5 minute connection at Chippenham, and a 45 minute journey Melksham to Bristol, as opposed to the current 75 minute (official) journey. Our suggestion has been turned down - it added 3 minutes to the London to Bristol journey for passengers joining at 06:28 at Paddington and carrying on beyond Swindon - I have no measure of numbers. The 3 minutes would NOT break connections at Bath to Bradford-on-Avon. It WOULD break an onward official connection to Filton Abbey Wood, but then as that train also come up through Bath, and official connection could be made there, with a same-platform change rather than a scramble across Temple Meads in just-under-12-minutes.
Although we have not thus far succeeded in persuading GWR to make this change, it's worth asking again bearing in mind the Bath Spa change option for passengers from Swindon and Chippenham to Filton Abbey Wood. But if the London to Bristol time - even at that early hour from London - is paramount, our request may fall on stoney ground.
We HAVE succeeded in getting a better connection into Bristol off the 06:36 - and also an official connection to the Weymouth line - by having that train pulled back to 06:29. Give a Bristol arrival of 07:28 (59 minute journey) versus 07:48 - a 72 minute journey. And saves the scrambles between trains that we used to see at Trowbridge (for Bristol) and Westbury (for Weymouth).
Ironically, the question was asked about trains from Melksham - there's a much more serious question about trains back to Melksham, where a missed 'connecting' service at Chippenham or Trowbridge results is a wait of around 2 hours. I was in London yesterday ... got back to Chippenham and having missed the 15:31, next train not due until 17:50. No "connection failure" in that case - simply a gap in the timetable. I knew to take the bus ... which runs 5 times a day (from 15:30 to 17:30) from Chippenham Station. Another story.
| Where have all the cheap "Advanced Fares" gone? In "Fare's Fair" [373588/31786/4] Posted by grahame at 08:39, 25th March 2026 Already liked by GBM | |
In answer to a question I was asked yesterday - Where have all the cheap "Advanced Fares" gone?
"Advance Purchase" train tickets - bought ahead of time, only valid on a specified train, and not refundable or changeable were introduced a number of years ago (20 - 30 years?) by the Train Operating Companies. They are offered in limited quantities at a range of prices - cheaper on the least popular trains. There are no fewer that 46 standard class single fares from Melksham To London, ranging from £19 single to £129 single and a similar first class range. These are not "regulated" fares; quotas and prices can be changed at any time prior to purchase, though of course GWR will honour tickets sold once your purchase is confirmed. The model is a similar one to that used by the airline industry, and is typically available for medium and long distance journeys. Discounts such as railcards apply, so these tickets can be purchased with a third off by many of us.
Full range of Melksham (MKM) to London (PAD) tickets at https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=MKM&dest=PAD&period=20260301
It's now far harder to find an attractive low price fare than it was a few years ago. Why? Here are some background reasons:
1. Advance fares in their current form were introduced to help fill empty seats some 20 to 30 years ago. Over that time, train journeys in the UK have doubled and there are no longer the empty seats to fill. There are more trains and (on some) more seats, but that has not grown as much as the travelling numbers.
2. Fare money that is specific to a particular train has gone to the franchise operator (from 2006 in Melksham, First Group as Great Western Railway). Arrangements such as "cap and collar" limited profiteering and supported the company if they made a loss. But things changed, and these days all the money goes direct to the government, with GWR (First) being paid a management and operating fee and advance tickets no longer are a financial benefit to them over flexible tickets
3. Advance purchase fares have become the "go to" lower cost way of travelling for many people. Friends who work remotely but are London based will plan a day or two in the office well ahead, and will buy ahead of time putting up with some inconvenient timing to save money, in a way they would not do on a daily commute. They sell out quickly if they are available at all
4. It has been noted that people may complain at the higher pricing, but they will pay. And the rail industry needs the money (discussion point in high politics itself). Just because "trains are being nationalised" does not mean that the books don't need to balance! To a very great extent, the train operating companies are the scapegoats of the system - blames for higher fares when the UK's high fares compared to other countries comes down to national policy.
5. When there are engineering works going on, and trains are thinned, diverted or replaces by buses, capacity is less and fewer if any advance fares are offered.
6. Rail income per passenger mile has dropped; fewer commuters, more people working from home, less "any time" tickets sold. People using split tickets and being more able to choose the right and best ticket online through multiple outlets. And reducing the Advance quota at low price levels is a way to pump up income.
7. The big "Fares are Frozen this year" announcement - sorry - it does not mean that you won't be paying more. The freeze is on regulated fares, which these days are less than half the tickets sold - many but not all "walk up" fares. In my view, an easy marketing line because there are so many other tickets and quotas not regulated, and in a number of cases, other terms and conditions change which render the previous "best value" tickets no longer such good value. For example, a change from 09:00 to 09:30 for groupsave may felt technical, but it put the price up 50% for a group going out for the day from Melksham to Salisbury on the 09:10. That is a historic example - I don't know is planned for this year in detail. In other areas, return tickets are no longer sold and you have to buy two singles - but we are moving away from the original question here!
In summary - the rail industry requires a greater income, and one of the ways it's generating it is by cutting the availability of lower priced advance fares. The system does help with load balancing, but do not expect to see the average price you pay come down - or even be frozen this year. Do not expect to see a financial encouragement toward train travel, although fares are unlikely to go up at the rate that fuel prices for cars might rise in a continued oil / environmental crisis.
This report is written from my understanding - and has to be "errors and omissions excepted". You need to check back with the train operator or industry enquiry source to confirm details, though at times they are very coy about some of the best value ways to travel. Written by Graham Ellis - graham@sn12.net - chair of Melksham Transport User Group. I am retired and welcome local enquiries about trains and buses
| Electric Buses for Wiltshire In "Buses and other ways to travel" [373587/31785/5] Posted by John D at 07:09, 25th March 2026 | |
Couldn't find a recent thread
3 new Alexander Dennis 100 EV (narrow) buses are now being delivered for Salisbury Red routes, photo of them on the link.
Each vehicle comes equipped with 26 seats including tip-ups in the wheelchair bay, with a total capacity of 45 passengers.
USB charging ports are situated at all seats, and the buses are fully PSVAIR-compliant, with next-stop audio/visual announcements, audio loops, and a dementia-friendly internal colour scheme.
At 8.5 metres long and 2.35 metres wide; the Enviro100 EV buses have been chosen for their suitability for narrow town streets and country lanes.
The vehicles are set to enter operation on the Red4, Red6 and Red8 routes, which provide access to housing estates and nearby villages.
Each bus can travel up to 285 miles on a single charge, due in part to equipped 354kWh batteries coupled to the Driventic Vehicle Electrical Drive System (VEDS).
USB charging ports are situated at all seats, and the buses are fully PSVAIR-compliant, with next-stop audio/visual announcements, audio loops, and a dementia-friendly internal colour scheme.
At 8.5 metres long and 2.35 metres wide; the Enviro100 EV buses have been chosen for their suitability for narrow town streets and country lanes.
The vehicles are set to enter operation on the Red4, Red6 and Red8 routes, which provide access to housing estates and nearby villages.
Each bus can travel up to 285 miles on a single charge, due in part to equipped 354kWh batteries coupled to the Driventic Vehicle Electrical Drive System (VEDS).
https://bus-news.com/alexander-dennis-delivers-new-enviro100-ev-buses-to-go-south-coast/
I guess these 3 buses are a start to bringing Wiltshire into 21st Century with low carbon transport, although 3 buses with 26 seats each isn't really going to transform a county with 510,000 people
| Re: 'World's oldest underwater tunnel opened to public' - Thames Tunnel, Rotherhithe In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [373586/6407/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 00:34, 25th March 2026 | |
From the London Transport Museum website:
A brief history of the Thames Tunnel and the East London line
...
In 1825, French engineer Marc Brunel started work on the Thames Tunnel, the very first underwater tunnel anywhere in the world. Beset by financial difficulties, frequent flooding and several deaths, the project wasn’t completed until 1843. However, it opened not as a thoroughfare for goods as it had been intended but as a pedestrian walkway.
The Thames Tunnel was immensely popular as a tourist attraction when it first opened on 25 March 1843 with one million visitors in its first ten weeks.
...
...
In 1825, French engineer Marc Brunel started work on the Thames Tunnel, the very first underwater tunnel anywhere in the world. Beset by financial difficulties, frequent flooding and several deaths, the project wasn’t completed until 1843. However, it opened not as a thoroughfare for goods as it had been intended but as a pedestrian walkway.
The Thames Tunnel was immensely popular as a tourist attraction when it first opened on 25 March 1843 with one million visitors in its first ten weeks.
...
| Re: Weather updates from across the UK and implications for infrastructure - 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [373585/31355/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:07, 24th March 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Traffic on M4 as M48 Severn Bridge closed due to strong winds
The bridge is expected to be shut "for some time"
The M48 Severn Bridge has been shut in both directions due to strong winds. The bridge is closed between junction 2 at Chepstow and junction 1 at Aust.
Traffic monitoring site Inrix is reporting congestion on the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge westbound and on the M49 heading northbound.
National Highways has advised drivers to allow extra time on their journeys, with more than an hour delay on the M4 between junction 22 and junction 23.
The Met Office is reporting heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 44mph.
National Highways said: "Strong winds are forecast throughout the evening so we expect the bridge to be closed for some time."
The bridge is expected to be shut "for some time"
The M48 Severn Bridge has been shut in both directions due to strong winds. The bridge is closed between junction 2 at Chepstow and junction 1 at Aust.
Traffic monitoring site Inrix is reporting congestion on the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge westbound and on the M49 heading northbound.
National Highways has advised drivers to allow extra time on their journeys, with more than an hour delay on the M4 between junction 22 and junction 23.
The Met Office is reporting heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 44mph.
National Highways said: "Strong winds are forecast throughout the evening so we expect the bridge to be closed for some time."
