As a footnote to the lengthy post above

I was surprised by how many times the lineside vegetation made contact with our train.  In very many places on the main line there was quite a rattling as uncontrolled lineside trees and shrubs were brushed aside by the train.  A couple of times our table gained an extra decoration of stick and leaves, entering through the open ventilator window

I guess it cost slightly less to pay consultants to tell you the lineside does not need to be trimmed back than it costs to actually do the job and to show the world that routine detail maintenance is not ignored

 
I was on-board this train, treating myself to an early 70th birthday present with my wife, Pullman Class from Warwick Parkway

Absolutely excellent day out.  Five stars. Would recommend. * * * * *

Ten minutes late from Birmingham New Street didn't bode well (Held up by late-running West Midlands Railway services that were prioritised by control).  According to RealTime Trains the service was timed for a maximum speed of 75mph, but D1015 obviously hadn't read that bit.  It was a wonderful wallow in nostalgia to be Western hauled at 90mph (the loco's maximum permitted speed) where the line allowed it through Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon.

Whizzing through Taunton at 80 mph was a thrill I'd not experienced before, so that was fun

The on-board experience in the Vintage Trains Pullman was great.  Good food, and a level of comfort that really did put modern trains to shame (apart from on the too numerous stretches of rough-riding road)   It was a shame that the car's exterior hadn't been cleaned lately, which did mar the view of the fantastic sunlit countryside and the sea-wall section

The Class 37 was detached at Bristol Temple Meads, and followed the passenger train closely down to Plymouth.  Meaning D1015 single-handedly dragged the 9-coach train up Whiteball and the South Devon banks on her own.  Made a champion job of it - just as you'd expect, although I did overhear stewards from the train after arrival at Plymouth say that one of the Maybach pair shut itself down temporarily in the attack on Whiteball.  Which might explain the 30mph as we entered the tunnel

There was a melee at Plymouth, with every man and his dog jostling for position to take a picture of the loco after arrival.  There was some unpleasantness from a couple of the "enthusiast" passengers who wanted the D1015 group to get out of the way so a perfect picture could be taken.  But the D1015 folks quite justifiably wanted a group photo to remember the successful run.  It very nearly came to blows between the photographer trying to get the group shot and one of the assembled gaggle of gricers.  Very unpleasant.  In 55 years of both professional and hobby railwaying, I'd not witnessed anything like it.

The sea-wall section provided a great thrill, of course.  Many heads were turned by those on the beach and on the footpath.  Lineside photographers were out in force.  The weather was perfect.

The return from Plymouth started 40 minutes late after being held up by control who, we were told, were concerned that if we departed on time, there was a risk of delaying scheduled services because of the time it would take to "cross onto the South Devon Railway at Totnes".  If this really is what was the cause, it's the biggest load of hookum I've heard in a long time.

So, arrival at Buckfastleigh was some 40 minutes later than timetabled, cutting time down there considerably.  This situation was worsened when (after most passengers had detrained and were on the station, in the shop, off to visit the loco department, or wherever) the organisers decided it would be necessary to depart ten minutes early, so as not to run the risk of being late back at Totnes Riverside awaiting re-entry onto NR metals.  A shopful of probable buyers had to leave the shop empty handed

The train had been turned at Laira, so we were sitting on the landward side at Teignmouth, but by the time we'd again whizzed through Taunton, we were on the seaward side as we crossed the Somerset levels at sunset.  Something this former resident of Bridgwater found to be completely magical

We arrived at Bristol temple Meads early, only to set-down, but were held awaiting right time before departure.  Darkeness had fallen, but it was another journey in nostalgia to be moving along in the dark at 90

We were back at Warwick Parkway bang on time.  Standing and hearing Western Champion pull the coaches and trailing loco away with the taps fully open and off into the night was a spine tingling experience.  At Witham, I'd hear a D1000 at full chat shooting past, or pulling away with a stone train, maybe 20 times a shift.  I'd forgotten quite how emotional that sound is

 
Presentation / text for this evening - https://www.passenger.chat/mirror/mtug_20250513.pdf (subject to late change)

 

 

Given the economics of sleeper services would it be justified to modify their delay repay conditions?

It's awkward as some may be heading for onward connections and need that early arrival time - but their needs may be better met by them having travel insurance to cover disruption, which might meet the actual costs they may incur.

The Paddington arrival being ~05:04 and cabins to be vacated by 06:45, if GWR honours delay repay on the basis of that 5:04 arrival there must be many many travellers who'd regard anything before a 6:45 arrival as meeting their needs (and quite a few who'd be fine with 8am but of course Paddington needs the platform...) If, on the occasion that the service arrives an hour down, GWR are meeting a lot of delay repay claims on the basis of that 5:04 arrival it might be that they're compensating some for the hour or more that they'd have spent snoozing anyway.

More relaxed arrangements for delay repay on sleeper services might be for the general good as long as the railway doesn't then regard itself as deincentivised to run the services to time - but again, the avoidable costs involved in tying up a platform in the morning peak should address that.

Mark

 

Not many.

In fact with delay repay I expect most would be pretty happy.

Not ideal for passengers joining at stations enroute of course, but hopefully they would all be understanding of the reason.

 

* Longer time at EXD than it should have been.
* Via Honiton which probably makes it less slack
* Relief line most of the way from Reading to Paddington and at a time when Liz Line service running

Silly question - how many customers actually want to arrive in London before 07:00 anyway?

 
And didn't make any time up enroute, odd.
Such a slack scheduled running time to boot.

 

There's [sometime / often / usually] a heavy presence of [ BTP / staff / heavies] at Weymouth. As far as I am aware, there is no enforcement for passengers joining at intermediate stations, nor is there any need. I have travelled down to Weymouth on the incoming train, carrying extra staff for the purpose.

 
Ongoing from yesterday.......

Alterations to services between Bourne End and Marlow

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Bourne End and Marlow all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations will be suspended.

Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

 

How is that enforced?

 
Maybe it needs to be ‘dry’ on other days of the week too. If these last services from Weymouth continue to be an issue, then they could end up being withdrawn which means everyone suffers.

 
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04

12/05/25 21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:04 has been delayed at Camborne and is now 126 minutes late.

This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.

 

I think this is the train that's dry on Friday and Saturday evenings ...

 
From the BBC:

 
From the BBC:

 

Other options being considered:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/go-op-som-wilts-rail/updates/217508#start

Depends on how much you want to flog a dead horse I suppose.

 
I don't visit Tilehurst Station as much as I used to, but it's my impression that work on installing the lifts finished more than a month ago. But they aren't yet in use. They could have been useful on Saturday when a friend visited me from Poland. She'd had (another) delayed flight, arriving at her accommodation near Bishop's Stortford after midnight. The next morning she made her way to Paddington with a heavy suitcase that she'd meant to deposit with Left Luggage, but there was a long queue, so she lugged it all the way to Tilehurst and up and down the stairs. I collected her in the car and a few hours later returned her to the station, for the process to be repeated.

 

80 years today.  When does Thomas's boiler ticket run out, or are there other rules on Sodor?

 
I’d assume as it changed route at Exeter, and they’re citing a train fault, that the fault may have been in the Taunton end cab of the 57. The delay whilst they waited for the honiton route to reopen?

 

Do not presume - there may be a "Plan B" - or perhaps a "Plan [later letter]" now as there have been a number of plan updates along the way, and I would not bet on this news being terminal when bad news has not been terminal for them in the past.

 
The crowdfunding attempt has been abandoned today apparently. 

So presumably this long term ‘railway’ project will now become a footnote in the history books. Was this ORR’s intention all along - to force Go-Op to find the funds or withdraw?

Paul

 

Ah - thanks for that - I misread Real Time Trains in my earlier report.

 
Paddington 175 late. It ran through platform 1 at Castle Cary according to RTT, which is only available from Taunton. So the booked route via Honiton was not taken. Likewise it seems to have gone via the B&H, with not the booked call at Swindon

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G45618/2025-05-11/detailed