Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: IEP seats in 2025 In "Across the West" [363513/29826/26] Posted by IndustryInsider at 09:55, 24th July 2025 |      |
I’ll also add a standard class wheelchair space on the 5-car units to the wishlist. Just the one as that would give three in total.
| Obstruction on the track In "London to Swindon and Bristol" [363512/30482/10] Posted by matth1j at 09:04, 24th July 2025 | |
On yesterday's 1700 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington, it stopped just after pulling out of Bath. The train manager announced that branches had been placed on the track deliberately; this was in the vicinity of Sydney Gardens where the track is easily accessible https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mcg4GQfJ6Hwmvq1W6
There was a train in front of us - the (delayed) 1647 Warminster service I think - whose crew apparently got out and removed the obstruction. In the end we were delayed by about 30 mins.
Fortunately no one was injured and no equipment was damaged. Worrying though.
Of course I missed my connection with the 1750 Melksham service at Chippenham; the next one would have been at 1900, but a taxi was provided for myself and another chap heading that way. It didn't arrive until about 1835, but was appreciated.
| Re: The next adventure ... and a comparison between passenger experiences In "Introductions and chat" [363511/30476/1] Posted by grahame at 06:38, 24th July 2025 Already liked by Timmer, PrestburyRoad, matth1j, GBM, froome | |
That story got rather off public transport - posted (here) in public on Faceplate. More later, but it look like I'm shortly on a rail replacement bus which will cut my ability to write without being travel sick.
And so on - to Ludvika in a 2 carriage train, and then a long journey on a rail replacement coach (also a 2 coach service) all the way to Mora. Engineering works - line closed for a few weeks in high summer; we were scheduled to arrive in Mora at 14:24, got here more like 14:40 ... and when the railway is working I could have been here at 12:46. All allowed for in my planning though.
The two coach train was a delight - the Swedes have their rural trains right in so many ways. The Trains Manager checks tickets and then serves teas, coffees and snacks in the buffet (we used to have those on GWR). Clean loo, good views, comfortable seats - what more could one want? Oh - luggage racks and overheads fit for luggage, plenty of cycle spaces, and a low entrance / wheelchair accessible place with a build in lift and turntable. Our train was quiet, but passing one going the other way (and the passing was quick at a station loop - not the protracted performance in some UK locations) was slick and we were on time at Ludvika.
The rail replacement was - err - to be endured. It's warm in Sweden, and the air conditioning was either failed or not switched on until near the end of the journey. Seats were "OK" but pitch was such that even my tiny laptop was not useable. No escape from child opposite travelling with (was it mother or granny?) who was giving every vocal indication of finding the journey a torture. There was a power point, but it was not working. And in any case the driver had INSISTED (by physically blocking the door) that my pack go in the hold under the coach; I can understand this if it had coach had been fully laden. Scenery lovely - ability to more. around and take pictures from both sides - zero. A good and straight road most of the way, with diversions off to serve intermediate stations.
From the rail replacement coach
But Mora IS worth a visit
And when a thunderstorm strikes, what better than the "Glassbatten"
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [363510/489/12] Posted by grahame at 05:50, 24th July 2025 | |
And to be clear that £199 is just for the cabin. There is the travel ticket to pay for on top of that.
Like so many things, over the years quality and expectations have risen and so have prices. Some of the continental sleepers remain at six beds per cabin. And part of the financial model is (or should be) the cost of replacement of the rolling stock every "n" years.
| Re: Bus Service 205 In "Transport for London" [363509/30357/46] Posted by grahame at 05:46, 24th July 2025 | |
I was doing a few sums yesterday on the back of a fag packet (OK - on an A6 slip of paper as I travelled on a rail replacement bus).
If you take 5 passenger on each bus that used to go through (that's a very conservative number - I have watched) and say 6 buses per hour for 12 hours per day for 350 days in the year, multiply those numbers together and then double them again for people going the other way, you have a minimum estimate onconcervative numbers of 250,000 journeys a year being "encouraged" to divert to more expensive and less convenient alternatives. Quiet "little" price rise - probably nets TfL an extra sum between half a million and a million, on top of the financial saving they're making by running fewer buses. Strangely, they did not give this as one of the reasons for the change.
I am reminded of GWR's moving the Groupsave start time from 09:00 to 09:30, which rendered it useless for southbound weekday days out from Melksham and resulted in certain family groups costing an extra 50%.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [363508/489/12] Posted by bobm at 05:21, 24th July 2025 | |
And to be clear that £199 is just for the cabin. There is the travel ticket to pay for on top of that.
| Re: Fifteen hurt after double-decker bus hits bridge - Eccles, Manchester, 21/7/2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [363507/30478/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:51, 23rd July 2025 | |
That's the aqueduct carrying the Bridgwater Canal ...
With my genuine thanks to my colleague Mark A for his post on this topic, may I please enter a word of caution here?
Lest we offend (m)any of our readers down in Somerset (and I know at least two of them), may I record that the correct spelling in Somerset is 'Bridgwater' but the correct spelling in Manchester is 'Bridgewater'.
I thank you. CfN.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [363506/489/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:35, 23rd July 2025 Already liked by GBM | |
Personally, I don't have a spare £199 lying around.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [363505/489/12] Posted by Sleepy at 23:32, 23rd July 2025 | |
Friday night's (25th July) down sleeper still has vacant berths (as does Friday night next week) - do you think GWR pricing has reduced demand ? Or is it lower holiday demand in Cornwall this year ? The price for a single cabin is £199
| Re: Fifteen hurt after double-decker bus hits bridge - Eccles, Manchester, 21/7/2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [363504/30478/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:28, 23rd July 2025 | |
An update, from the BBC:
Changes considered after bus bridge crash
Transport bosses are looking at changing routes and adding more warning signs after a double decker bus crashed into a bridge.
The vehicle's roof was torn off as it struck the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles, Salford on Monday, with three people seriously injured and 17 others also hurt.
The Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester Vernon Everitt said passengers' safety was the Bee Network's "top priority" as he revealed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had asked him to produce an "urgent report" on the incident.
As well as a police investigation, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched its own probe into the crash.
A 19-year-old woman, and two men, one aged in his 20s and another in his 40s, sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital in a stable condition, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
The driver, a man in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has been bailed pending further inquiries.
Everitt said TfGM is fully supporting GMP's investigation and all available CCTV from the bus has now been recovered by the operator, Stagecoach, and passed to the force.
TfGM was working with Stagecoach, Salford City Council as the local highway authority and Peel, as the owner of the aqueduct, on its own probe into the collision, he said. This includes why the 100 service bus was "not taking its usual route", a TFGM spokesman said.
They have also agreed several short-term measures to be implemented as soon as possible including new and additional warning measures – including further signage at and near the bridge.
TfGM has also sought reassurances from bus operators, local authorities and others with responsibility for managing and maintaining low bridges about how they will mitigate measures to prevent further strikes.
Everitt said it was looking at potentially re-routing services away from the Barton Lane bridge. He said Burnham has asked him to look into the circumstances around the crash and make recommendations about wider implications for safety on the network. "I have heard very clearly the concern from the local community that there have been many other collisions at this location over many years," the transport commissioner said. He said he has also spoken to the head of a bus operator involved in a separate collision into a low bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath on Tuesday.
A Metroline Manchester training bus was being driven by a trainee driver when it struck a bridge, but no passengers were onboard, and nobody was injured.
Everitt said that incident would be thoroughly investigated, too, and form part of his report. He said it was also helping to support those impacted by the "deeply distressing event". "Our commitment to safe operations is absolute. Core to this will be the further development of a Bee Network safety standard, as part of our long-term Vision Zero strategy and plan to eliminate death and serious injuries on the city region's roads."
Transport bosses are looking at changing routes and adding more warning signs after a double decker bus crashed into a bridge.
The vehicle's roof was torn off as it struck the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles, Salford on Monday, with three people seriously injured and 17 others also hurt.
The Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester Vernon Everitt said passengers' safety was the Bee Network's "top priority" as he revealed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had asked him to produce an "urgent report" on the incident.
As well as a police investigation, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched its own probe into the crash.
A 19-year-old woman, and two men, one aged in his 20s and another in his 40s, sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital in a stable condition, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
The driver, a man in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has been bailed pending further inquiries.
Everitt said TfGM is fully supporting GMP's investigation and all available CCTV from the bus has now been recovered by the operator, Stagecoach, and passed to the force.
TfGM was working with Stagecoach, Salford City Council as the local highway authority and Peel, as the owner of the aqueduct, on its own probe into the collision, he said. This includes why the 100 service bus was "not taking its usual route", a TFGM spokesman said.
They have also agreed several short-term measures to be implemented as soon as possible including new and additional warning measures – including further signage at and near the bridge.
TfGM has also sought reassurances from bus operators, local authorities and others with responsibility for managing and maintaining low bridges about how they will mitigate measures to prevent further strikes.
Everitt said it was looking at potentially re-routing services away from the Barton Lane bridge. He said Burnham has asked him to look into the circumstances around the crash and make recommendations about wider implications for safety on the network. "I have heard very clearly the concern from the local community that there have been many other collisions at this location over many years," the transport commissioner said. He said he has also spoken to the head of a bus operator involved in a separate collision into a low bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath on Tuesday.
A Metroline Manchester training bus was being driven by a trainee driver when it struck a bridge, but no passengers were onboard, and nobody was injured.
Everitt said that incident would be thoroughly investigated, too, and form part of his report. He said it was also helping to support those impacted by the "deeply distressing event". "Our commitment to safe operations is absolute. Core to this will be the further development of a Bee Network safety standard, as part of our long-term Vision Zero strategy and plan to eliminate death and serious injuries on the city region's roads."
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363502/30206/44] Posted by ellendune at 22:17, 23rd July 2025 | |
I don't think this has yet been signed off
Publishing the award notice this week on a public tenders site if hadn't signed off doesn't make any sense, why publish the award now if not agreed. Maybe it was done in wrap up before Parliament summer recess.
But if you know it hasn't been signed I accept your superior knowledge.
There is typically a standstill period after an award has been announced. I believe this is a requirement of public procurement law, but I am not an expert on this. It gives a chance for an aggrieved supplier who feels the award is not fair, to lodge a legal challenge before the contract is signed.
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363501/30206/44] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:47, 23rd July 2025 | |
Thanks for that detailed update, ChrisB.
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363500/30206/44] Posted by ChrisB at 21:04, 23rd July 2025 | |
Here you go
Standstill period
End: 31 July 2025
9 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
1 August 2025
End: 31 July 2025
9 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
1 August 2025
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041655-2025
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363499/30206/44] Posted by ChrisB at 20:55, 23rd July 2025 | |
Other Information
** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. **
** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. **
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363498/30206/44] Posted by John D at 20:39, 23rd July 2025 | |
I don't think this has yet been signed off
Publishing the award notice this week on a public tenders site if hadn't signed off doesn't make any sense, why publish the award now if not agreed. Maybe it was done in wrap up before Parliament summer recess.
But if you know it hasn't been signed I accept your superior knowledge.
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363497/30206/44] Posted by ChrisB at 19:34, 23rd July 2025 | |
I don't think this has yet been signed off
| Re: Chiltern Railways: an update on rolling stock / services In "Chiltern Railways services" [363496/30206/44] Posted by John D at 18:49, 23rd July 2025 | |
Appears an award had happened with Chiltern taking all the mk5s and associated class 68 locos
Contract is recorded as worth £300m and for 144 months
Description
The contracting authority will enter into contracts with the supplier for the supply of existing rolling stock for use on the Chiltern Railways routes. These contracts will be for the leasing by the supplier to the contracting authority of the supplier's full fleet of Mark5A coaches and Class 68 locomotives, for operation by the contracting authority, with associated maintenance.
On 22 December 2023 the contracting authority issued a contract notice - utilities with Notice reference 2023/S 000-037814 for the replacement of existing rolling stock. Beacon Rail Finance (Europe) Limited was the only supplier that could offer rolling stock units that meet the contracting authority's technical requirements of having units able to be utilised in fixed formations of 5 passenger vehicles to enter into passenger service from 31 March 2026 on a turnkey basis.
Under the agreed contract terms, the supplier will be responsible for procuring preventative and corrective maintenance for the units on an interim basis for a period between contract award and 6 December 2026. This will cover services in respect of 4 units to be provided for the purposes of driver training and 3 units to enable passenger service commencement on 1 April 2026. The contracting authority will be responsible for certain train preparation, cleaning, fuelling and minor defect rectification services (as agreed from time to time between the contracting authority and the supplier's maintenance providers) during this interim period and will be a party to the interim service agreement in order to reduce interface risk with its self-delivered services and facilitate the performance and reliability of the units. The contracting authority intends to carry out a separate procurement for the long-term provision of preventative and corrective maintenance over the remainder of the 144 month period.
https://bidstats.uk/tenders/2025/W30/850985284
| Re: 175s to GWR In "Across the West" [363495/28982/26] Posted by ellendune at 16:28, 23rd July 2025 | |
According to Modern Railways-
A tender notice for the modification of Laira for '175s' and withdrawal of the Castle sets has been issued. Work set to begin next year.
https://x.com/modern_railways/status/1939627842465149298?s=61&t=VlafMC5gF9tidw36b1Y8JQI know a few have moved from storage near Ely, to Wolverton. And some have been there many weeks now.
So are the ones now at Wolverton there for assessment of the scope of work?
| Re: A trip on GWR's Battery Electric Train - 17/12/2024 In "Thames Valley Branches" [363494/29641/13] Posted by ellendune at 16:25, 23rd July 2025 | |
My own battery charger is a 7 kW job. That is a pretty normal option, being able to deliver the charge at household voltage with a 30A current. 14 kW would need a 60A current, doable with a 3-phase supply. I would assume the battery charger would take that. I didn't realise it was only a 14 kW supply, given that high speed DC chargers for cars can run at 150 kW. Given the information in grahame's report of his trip, 14 kW would be enough to keep the West Ealing to Greenford service running, but without capacity for much more. But would much more be needed?
A three-phase charger is typically 22kW, but a typical three-phase supply has 100 Amps on each phase, so if it was totally dedicated to charging it could deliver around 65 kW. In the right location I am sure more current could be provided.
| Re: A trip on GWR's Battery Electric Train - 17/12/2024 In "Thames Valley Branches" [363493/29641/13] Posted by matth1j at 13:51, 23rd July 2025 | |
A modern electric car has a battery of at least 60 kwh
Being pedantic, that's not quite true. For example the battery of the recently released Renault 4 is 52kWh, while its 5 sibling also has a 40kWh option. A Ford Puma's is 53kWh.| Re: Bus Service 205 In "Transport for London" [363492/30357/46] Posted by Timmer at 11:11, 23rd July 2025 Already liked by grahame, rogerw, Oxonhutch, Mark A, froome | |
When the ‘environment’ is being used to justify cuts to public transport then you have a problem as this completely goes against one of the benefits of public transport.
| Re: 175s to GWR In "Across the West" [363491/28982/26] Posted by John D at 10:46, 23rd July 2025 | |
I know a few have moved from storage near Ely, to Wolverton. And some have been there many weeks now.
I am guessing they are being repainted, getting a mechanical service/overhaul and possibly a light refurbishment, but seems ages that some have been there, so does anyone know when first one in GWR spec (as in planned passenger spec, not crew training spec) is expected to be ready, and delivered (or driven) to Laira.
| Re: The next adventure ... and a comparison between passenger experiences In "Introductions and chat" [363490/30476/1] Posted by grahame at 09:46, 23rd July 2025 | |
... Which gave me an extra hour to look around the town, the 7th largest in Sweden, but that's the next story.
That story got rather off public transport - posted (here) in public on Faceplate. More later, but it look like I'm shortly on a rail replacement bus which will cut my ability to write without being travel sick.
| Re: A trip on GWR's Battery Electric Train - 17/12/2024 In "Thames Valley Branches" [363489/29641/13] Posted by broadgage at 09:19, 23rd July 2025 | |
A modern electric car has a battery of at least 60 kwh, which suffices for a days use in most circumstances.
A battery train, would by my estimation need at least five times that, per vehicle. It would weigh more than fives as much as the battery car, but the reduced rolling resistance of a train if compared to a car, partially offsets the extra weight.
Heating, cooling, lighting and charging of portable electronics would also need electricity, but probably less per passenger than in a car.
A 14 kw charging supply COULD charge a 900 kwh battery, but it would take days.
A 14 kw supply could slowly charge a large trackside battery, and this could charge the train as quickly as desired, but recharging this trackside battery would then take days.
| Re: Bus Service 205 In "Transport for London" [363488/30357/46] Posted by grahame at 07:45, 23rd July 2025 | |
We have decided to change the 30 and 205 bus routes because there is no economic or environmental reason to run more buses than is required at the busiest time of day, location and direction. Usage of both has markedly reduced since the pandemic
•Weekday usage on route 30 has decreased by 25% weekdays, 13% on Saturdays and by 13% on Sundays
•Weekday usage on route 205 has decreased by 19% weekdays, 15% on Saturdays and by 12% on Sundays
•Weekday usage on route 30 has decreased by 25% weekdays, 13% on Saturdays and by 13% on Sundays
•Weekday usage on route 205 has decreased by 19% weekdays, 15% on Saturdays and by 12% on Sundays
Couldn't they have just reduced the frequency of both buses without changing the routes?
I noted that they make no comment about the social or passenger needs in the reasons they gave for making the change. Purely listing cost (to them) and environment (greenwash is always a good pleaser that people won't argue against.
Yes - I do hear the overcapacity issue on the Paddington to Baker Street (quite short compared to the whole route) section. That's the way things work - routes often have busy middle sections and quite outer ends BUT if you cut the outer ends, you damage the economic case that they make for the middle section too. Classic examples are city centre to residential services where you trim the branches back and damage the core / trunk in the process.
Isn't it interesting too that they have halved the service from Paddington to Baker Street as I understand it - a 50% cut, even though traffic is only down 12% to 25%. I would caution, though, about reducing frequencies. The 205 need(ed) a reasonable frequency as a turn-up-and-go for people who may be arriving into Paddington or St Pancras late and are going to get angst with a long wait.
In my view, the changes were a poor decision with little or no regard to the social changes, and perhaps someone or some organisation had noticed that getting people to use the underground / cross rail alternatives would bring in more income for TfL that bus fares / passes from people out of town?
I came through London (Paddington) on Sunday on my way to Liverpool Street. No 205, and not tempted to change along the way with two rather than one waits for buses, and with a heavy pack. Took the Elizabeth Line, noting long queues for the lifts at Paddington and the one at Liverpool Street on the way up to the main station out of order. Me thinks the inter station bus service has been culled without an adequate alternative for the less-than-athletic being provided.
| Re: The next adventure ... and a comparison between passenger experiences In "Introductions and chat" [363487/30476/1] Posted by grahame at 06:55, 23rd July 2025 Already liked by PrestburyRoad, GBM, eightonedee, Western Pathfinder, Witham Bobby, Timmer | |
The schedule was the 08:29 from Odense to Copenhagen (Kastrup) Airport, change (10:12 to 10:30) onto the train to Gothenburg there to arrive at 14:20, change (14:20 to 15:29) on the train to Orebro that arrived there at 18:19.
Not how it worked out. I left my hotel at 08:00 and caught a late running train at around 08:15 into Copenhagen (Central). A state of some chaos there and rather than wait for my train to reverse and carry on to Kastrup, I decided to have what turned out to be a very short look around - a platform change onto the train to Gothenburg scheduled an hour earlier, which left atound 20 minutes late but made up time and go to Gothenburg at 13:20. No need to wait for the planned onward train to Orebro - there was one leaving a couple of platforms away at 13:29 and another quick change and on our way - due into Orebro ay 16:19 - a full two hours gained.
All good stories that there not-so-wonderful parts. The 13:29 to Orebro train failed and we crawled into the station at Aspen (no, not THAT Aspen) where we sat for a while. Then we moved on to Floda where we went onto a side platform and also sat for a while. Trains are computerised these days, and just like a laptop that's giving problems, rebooting does wonders and the train was gotten working again - though (translated for me by a couple of rail staff using it to get to their shifts) it had to then proceed at reduced speed. And we also had to wait in another station for the Stockholm Express to get past. We arrive in Orebro about 45 minutes late, at 17:05 - or 75 minutes early on my schedule. Which gave me an extra hour to look around the town, the 7th largest in Sweden, but that's the next story.
| Re: 2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury In "TransWilts line" [363486/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 06:09, 23rd July 2025 | |
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
Facilities on the 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.
Further Information
If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:23/07/2025 05:04
Facilities on the 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.
Further Information
If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:23/07/2025 05:04
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2025 In "Across the West" [363485/29650/26] Posted by a-driver at 20:53, 22nd July 2025 | |
Consistency being maintained.....
Delays to services between London Paddington and Reading
Following a broken down train at Twyford some lines will be reopened shortly. Disruption is expected until 17:15 22/07.
Train services between London Paddington and Reading may be delayed by up to 15 minutes.
Delays to services between London Paddington and Reading
Following a broken down train at Twyford some lines will be reopened shortly. Disruption is expected until 17:15 22/07.
Train services between London Paddington and Reading may be delayed by up to 15 minutes.
Broken down freight train.
| Re: Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh rail line closed after tracks flooded - 22/7/2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [363484/30481/51] Posted by ChrisB at 20:45, 22nd July 2025 Already liked by Witham Bobby | |
Lines reopen in the morning
