There was a time in the not too distant past when the Monday morning sleeper arrived in Penzance an hour later than the other days.

 

The eyewitness who got on stated the smoke was coming from the rear of the train when he got on at Ivybridge.  The issue was the front carriage.

The 150 saloon heating on a 150 is provided by a Webasto heater which are common to see smoking which could be what the witness saw.

 

Electrification Didcot to Oxford, Newbury to Bedwyn, or Cockelbury Lane to Bath where tracks are already primed and there are even some overheads in place, anyone?

 
Shock, horror  - 9 minutes late into Penzance - 08:04 versus 07:55.   All that remains is for anyone who's told their lift to pick them up at the JourneyCheck expected time of 08:54 to twiddle their thumbs for 50 minutes.

 
Bit of an old thread, but have today (23 March 2026) announced electrification is finished.

I think Cardiff Bay line was final bit energised.

https://news.tfw.wales/news/100-percent-electrification-of-the-core-valley-lines-complete

Wonder what happens now, presumably disperse the teams, lose the knowledge etc because don't have rolling programme, lose ability to quickly do another bit etc.

 
Looks like with the late start it may have been forced to go around scheduled engineering work.

After Reading it took the Berks & Hants as far as Westbury before going up the Avon Valley to rejoin its booked route at Bath Spa.

Thanks to the generous layover at Exeter St David’s it was all but on time going forward. 

 
The last time I traveled on a 150 in South Devon, there was a certain amount of exhaust fumes, and hot engine smell drifting in through the open windows.  It was also a very noisy train (engine noise, not passenger chatter) especially compared to quiet of my electric car.

If that is normal ambience for a 150, not surprising bit of smoke was ignored.

Travelling in a 150 is not like the experience of a 387 electric unit, no fumes, and just a faint hum from the motors.

 
Brabazon is one of 7 new towns (although some are more like a new district on edge of an existing conurbation) in today's Government announcement


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/seven-new-towns-proposed-to-kickstart-housebuilding-push

 

Probably due to the closure due to a fire on a train between Totnes and Newton Abbot last night.

It's interesting to compare what the official "JourneyCheck" and Real Time Trains are telling me now - at about 06:30 - as to how this train is doing.   

A good example of how some of the AI systems spew out - err - false suggestions. Even at 2 O'Clock this morning, it might have been a good bet to suggest that the train would make up most of the delay. As the sleeper is set down only once it gets west, JourneyCheck is not in this instance going to mislead people into missing their train, but it might mean that someone getting off the train in Liskeard and being picked up by taxis finds they have nearly an hour to wait if the taxi has looked at this information feed.

 
Anyone headed to Bristol today?

 
Interesting eyewitness account, sounds as if the problems with smoke, smell and oil/grease
were evident and reported to GWR by a passenger some time before the train was forced to stop but the journey was allowed to continue.

Some tricky questions for GWR to address.


https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/gwr-train-fire-passengers-stranded-10880256

 
I've been a subscriber to Jago's YouTube channel for several years. He has been historically London centric with his public transport content but has recently (ahem) branched out. Also producing more long form videos such as this one.

This one being an excellent episode. Jago has a warm, humorous, easy going style, with just a little bit of railway politics for historical context. This is just the sort of railway content I enjoy. Even when the subject is something I already know a fair few facts about.

Oh, and that new footbridge is a nice design - a little different from the usual modern Network Rail accessible bridges. Still looks out of place in St Erth though.

 
The term track stones is used to help the hard of thinking…

 

Put me in mind of the GWSR's racecourse station, and my conversation with the relevant authorities as to the desirability of an adjacent  bus stop for the... scheduled bus service that passes the station.

Huge shower of earth as everyone dug their heels in - couldn't posssibly be done... H&S... fast road etc etc. This was when the Gloucestershire Cycle Spine with its extensive alterations to the road there was not yet building and Something Could Surely Have Been Done, but noooooooooh. So, even with the speed limit on the road having been dropped to 40mph, bus passengers continue to have the opportunity to enjoy a half mile hike through the racecourse grounds to the station there ...

Mark

 

Yes, it's bananas.

Mark

 

You can operate bi-directional working if Network Rail have the staff to provide a pilotman.

The downside is, they won’t be able to do anything with the stranded until whilst trains are running.

 

OpenTrainTimes shows 5E13 on the up line from Plymouth approaching Newton Abbott ... but the down line open. Sadly, it shows that the lines are NOT signalled for bidirectional working, which scuppers the change of even one train an hour past the one that can't move.

 

Engineers are due onsite at 20:00 to assess the unit.

 
Probably tempting fate but the sleepers haven’t been cancelled, yet. 

 

Simple. Those stranded will get taxis.  No coach company in the Exeter area can provide coaches, limited number from Plymouth.

The unit is a wheelskate job.

 
From GWR......"Due to the volume of people expected to travel this afternoon, obtaining suitable road transport has not been possible, therefore we do advise customers who can, delay their travel plans".

........so what happens to those who are stranded? Sounds as if people are being told they can claim back taxi fares.....assuming they have sufficient means to pay up front for what could be some very lengthy journeys.

 

Whilst Gloucestershire might have decided on a way forward, Wiltshire has got itself in a complete muddle on strategic plans.  Not directly related to WEMCA but Wiltshire councillors have directed their planning teams to try and get too few new homes etc.  Or put new town and expansion where there were no transport (and other) facilities.

Basically Planning Inspectorate have told Wiltshire to heavily amend proposed plan (which will take time, and need to incorporate the Angela Raynor increased housing target because effectively restarting with new targets, rather than in progress when new targets announced), or they abandon 8 years preparation.  Council will vote to choose which option in May at a full Council meeting.

https://www.localplanservices.co.uk/_files/ugd/017f5b_41ba1d6878834f45ad1450539c829d5c.pdf

So looks like Wiltshire might soon be rudderless when it comes to a strategic plan.

However with no suitable reversing points at WECA boundary, and trains having to continue into Wiltshire, will be interesting to see how this will progress, especially if leads to new developments not where they were expected, and thus transport flows changed.

 
With apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, and I've missed it: it seems Gloucestershire is interested in joining WECA:

Source: Gloucestershire County Council

 
It was the 11:48 from Penzance to Exeter St Davids.

Train is unable to be moved.   Passengers being evacuated.  No reports of any injuries.

Line likely to be closed until later this evening.

Train is just short of Newton Abbot West junction, so trains can still operate to/from Paignton.

 
 Sounds serious, multiple cancellations.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/newton-abbot-train-fire-live-10880177

 
Superb 30+ minute video released today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8UbdxinHuU

 

Built in 1940, Railcar 22 is having a holiday over easter in Somerset