Probably closer to net nothing,  than a complete stopgap.

If you exclude the 3x4coach =12 Castle HSTs that were replaced,
the extra Newquay service (3-4 coach in summer),
a Portishead train 3 cars,
Extra 2 carriages for increased capacity for Oakhampton Interchange,
restoring short 3car to 4car on Cardiff-Portsmouth (8 vehicles),
Transfer of two 5car IETs from SW to Bristol-Oxford (10 vehicles),

Leaves less than 30 carriages extra, and based on some of the recent growth figures in South West in the ORR station usage (many are 5+% per year, with few nearer 8%), so could be 25-40% growth in 5 years.  Is the 175 fleet more a token effort than a real solution for at least 5 years.

I realise getting the 175s was a struggle, but when trying to secure them started (back in 2023 ?) DfT was still in post Covid mode.  Could argue it still is thinking like that rather than regional growth away from London.  But as we have such a start-stop train ordering policy I don't really know where any trains could actually come from if needed in 2-3 years time.

 

The new copy of Modern Railways has half a page about the issue. A couple of quotes from this:

    "So far, GWR has managed to run a full service"

    "An emergency timetable similar to that brought in when the yaw damper cracks were discovered is not - yet - under consideration, MR understands."

Well, it's not a full service on the Cotswold line.

 
Next year in May, I am meeting my cousin and her husband in Amsterdam with a week to ten days do the tourist "thing" on an Interrail trip.   Recommendations, please?    Here are some pictures from my previous trips.  Don't want to be more that one day from Amsterdam at any point ...

Pictured - some options (and I have helped members here by providing transport-oriented pictures)

 


Reading those words carefully, with my highlights. 

 

I would agree the occasional issues here ...  I recall in the final days of slam door HSTs at Swindon watching a couple of young ladies not realising these was a handle (level) to operate to open the door to get on the train.  Immediate problem fixed, of course.

On in-train door open buttons, I will admit (not sure what the stock was) to opening the train loo door on one occasion rather than the door to get off ...

 

A problem that's not unique to Britain.  A few months ago I travelled on the brand new trains between Brindisi and Bari (in the heel of Italy), and very swish and comfortable they are.  On these trains the doors are double leaf, and there is a button on each door panel, located at the central opening rather than on the door frame at the side.   I noticed that a big plastic sticker has been added on each panel, with a big arrow pointing to the buttons, which are themselves normal size and quite unobtrusive.  I guess that the manufacturer provided trains that worked perfectly in terms of the mechanics and electrics - then joe public found this usability problem, and it was fixed with a simple patch.

At least a  door button - once you've found it - is easier to use than the latch that needed two hands and two strong thumbs on the inside of the slam-door trains that we grew up with.

 
The 'fixed' information seems too much sometimes; meanwhile, the 'in the moment' information is severely lacking at times.

Re the 'fixed' information, it does seem that Joe Public needs a little hand-holding from time to time. I'm surprised there aren't stickers explaining how to open train doors, given the number of times I've seen people struggle. I note that when the 'who opens the doors' debates and union disputes pop up, the 'bottom half of the internet' comments produce assumptions that the passenger can do it; I think some genuinely think the doors aren't consciously released at stops.

Hence sometimes, the train comes to a stop and the person presses the button. Nothing happens, of course (although apparently the new Merseyrail trains can remember the press). Then the doors are released – the light comes on and some sounds blare out these days. Despite this (statistically these people aren't all going to be hard of hearing!) the person doesn't press the button again after release. I sometimes wonder if they think they set an alarm off by pressing the button! And this seems to play out frequently – at least in my anecdotal experience! Even worse, I've seen situations (only once or twice, this time) on 197s where it appears that people are don't make it off the train before it leaves, having not located the button – on 197s the vestibule is quite wide, and the button is set back, and on one side only, and thus I think the button isn't in people's line of sight.

Perhaps this is where some instructional stickers are needed!

 
And now the not so good news.

Parking charges going up Again.


https://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/25698794.anger-worcestershire-parkway-parking-charge-increase/

 
I have to say that for 8 I was in the right region but couldn't identify the exact service despite the TTs I downloaded.  Well done Hafren!

 
The Scandinavians have a reputation for quality design. Quite something, then, for the British Rail Design Manual to be translated into Danish: https://designreviewed.com/artefacts/british-rail-design-danish-design-council-1986/

That photo of Melksham is shocking.

 

Yes, good timing really as Cornwall/Devon go quieter than most routes over winter when compared with the summer rush.  A little bit of breathing space.

Hopefully there will be enough 175 units in service by next May to provide adequate summer capacity, including the release one for the extra Par<>Newquay services, and get some IETs released back to bolster the length of longer distance trips and new services such as Oxford<>Bristol.

It will be a bit of a 'sticking plaster' for 5+ years until new units as part of Operation Churchward come on stream, but way better than nothing.

 

You are spot on ... how to run a better-than-hourly service on a line.    I can recall (showing my age) that one of the hourly trains used to run Thursday excepted because of the weekly freight train.

I am - happy - that I've had you stumped and (I hope) enjoying the challenge.

 

Oh early - that's good 

But rather more serious, the winter lull in leisure holiday passenger numbers will give GWR the opportunity to get more of these into service and I don't suppose shortforms rather that MULTIPLE units on these trains will lead to too much overcrowding in January and February.  A window of opportunity.

 
The easy ones are taken, and the rest nearly had me stumped but the 40-minute branch interval caught my eye.

8: Southend Victoria (truncated) with Southminster branch

Stratford 7 mins from LST, occasional Romford stop. 3tph main route with every other train connecting with a branch train. It's a long time since I've been to Eastern Region and I've never turned off at Shenfield but that pattern is quite distinctive and long-standing.

 
From GWR.com

https://news.gwr.com/news/first-of-great-western-railways-recommissioned-class-175-trains-enters-passenger-service

 

Further targeted improvements see a small number of additional calls from this weeks timetable change, but really improving the early morning service south as there is now a 07:12 to Paignton and 08:12 to Bristol Temple Meads offering two more commuting services to Cheltenham and Bristol - the first one to Bristol was at 09:16 until this week.

There's also an additional last service south.  Last week it was 20:58 to Cardiff (20:30 off Birmingham New Street), but now there's an additional 21:59 to Gloucester calling at Ashcurch and Cheltenham (21:30 off of Birmingham New Street, which originates at Leicester).

Good stuff!

 
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06
Facilities on the 20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.

 
Alterations to services between Slough and Reading

Due to a points failure between Slough and Reading some lines are closed.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 19:30 16/12.

 
It has,  helped by Network Rail bunging £3m into the "Mend the Gap" fund to be spent on all kinds of worthy countryside, and wildlife projects that would not otherwise be eligible for Government (local or national) between Reading and Didcot along the line of the railway. 

I don't think though that you will find many who will say they now accept the "intrusion " of the OHL as part of the local landscape.  Pragmatically though (and perhaps a little cynically) I would suggest that NR just apply a little aesthetic sensibility to whatever they put up through Bath, go through a (token?) consultation process which lays it on thickly how much it will benefit the local environment and economy and just do it.

BTW - was there such a furore when the East Coast main line was electrified through Durham, with that magnificent view of the cathedral in the background?

 

Yes, it is ... but I would STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST walking between these two stations

 

At the current time, you need to scroll way down to find the December to May (current) timetables.

 

Could our correspondent from Goring inform us please if the indignation from the good burghers of the Gap has died down over the wiring of their section of the GWML.

 
5: Between Yeovil Junction and Pen Mill Monday to Friday.

I notice that if you journey between Pen Mill and the Junction on a Saturday, you have to overnight there before you can get the next service back on a Sunday morning. Maybe it would be quicker to walk!

 
Note that (some or all?) of the NR versions are valid to 12 December 2025! Table 133 for example. NR needs to catch up!

 
6 Newquay to Par

 
Don't mention the duck pond
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cderr5zy0jno

 

I grew up in New Milton on the Bournemouth line and there was different timetables in summer and winter back in 1970s and 1980s.

Winter Sundays were completely different with the fasts continuing all stations to Brockenhurst-Weymouth (and no slow trains).  The Lymington Pier service ran to Eastleigh as all stations (except Beaulieu Road which had no trains on Sundays in winter).

Effectively the 3 trains, fast, semi-fast and slow were reduced to one or two trains

So yes it can be done (and presumably in those days it was all worked out manually on graph paper), unlike today where paths can be checked by computer.

So yes can have different timetables, depending on season, and there is examples of it in South West.  Probably just to lazy to be creative these days.