Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379923/31163/26] Posted by TaplowGreen at 10:07, 23rd September 2026 Already liked by Mark A |      |
I was on the Elizabeth Line this morning (admittedly v early) and it seemed far quieter than usual or one would usually expect when bits/pieces of GWR fall over and customers are decanted there as an alternative - perhaps people read the warnings and just decided not to bother trying today?
Must admit if I hadn't had to come up to London I probably wouldn't have bothered.
| Re: Bombs, Bridge Strikes, Fires and Gas Main leaks In "Across the West" [379922/32530/26] Posted by grahame at 08:49, 23rd September 2026 | |
The Railways decision to close the railway because of an external incident / event is will out of the Railways hands. It will be the local civic authorities (Police, Fire, Council) that put the exclusion area in place, the Railway Route Control would work with the requestor for the closure to minimise the impact.
Totally agree with you / understand that one. Perhaps I should have made that very clear in the original post. These are the sort of events that we cannot really criticise the train operator for, nor in most cases Network Rail (some question there on preventative measures on Bridge Strikes). We can ask about how the railways handle the disruption, of course.
You go on to point out the increased degree of specialisation and how it can take rather a while to source and bring to site experts. Agreed there too.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379921/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 08:43, 23rd September 2026 | |
Sets on North Pole depot can run into London Paddington and then form Bristol or South Wales services diverted via Newbury. (As well as the usual services to the South West.)
Ah yes - of course. Do (enough) train crews have route knowledge to do that?
| Re: Cancellation map - what it's showing In "News, Help and Assistance" [379920/6062/29] Posted by grahame at 08:40, 23rd September 2026 | |
The map this morning is NOT showing the cancellations and the short runs from Truro towards Falmouth. I AM aware - the cancellations / short runs are not showing up on our data feed, which is usually pretty accurate (which is why this thread has been so quiet for so long!)
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379919/31163/26] Posted by IndustryInsider at 08:37, 23rd September 2026 | |
Apparently SGN have located the leak and are trying to reduce the pressure before a fix can be made.
| Re: Bombs, Bridge Strikes, Fires and Gas Main leaks In "Across the West" [379918/32530/26] Posted by Electric train at 08:36, 23rd September 2026 | |
The Railways decision to close the railway because of an external incident / event is will out of the Railways hands. It will be the local civic authorities (Police, Fire, Council) that put the exclusion area in place, the Railway Route Control would work with the requestor for the closure to minimise the impact.
Are the exclusion area getting larger? possibly, working on the bases of its easier to scale back than expand.
Response to events like gas leaks, the one yesterday at Didcot must have been a high pressure pipeline or in a distribution location. I would think there is a whole procedure for making the pipeline / distribution equipment safe, it could be there are limited specilist teams to work on these that had to travel across the country
| Re: Unexploded device in Falmouth Docks In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [379917/32524/25] Posted by grahame at 08:31, 23rd September 2026 | |
Journey check "incomplete"? Headline below, but no individual train cancellation or short runs notes. I speculate that's due to a shortage of people at central control to update the systems so far, and they are prioritising the gas leak at Didcot.
Alterations to services between Truro and Falmouth Docks via Penryn
Due to a wartime bomb near the railway between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks the line is closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between Truro and Falmouth Docks via Penryn will be suspended between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks.
Customer Advice
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We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
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What has happened?
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An unexploded ordnance device has been found in the Falmouth area.
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The Police are to extend a safety cordon to allow for the safe removal of the device, once this cordon is extended we will have to suspend our train services between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks, this will be from 08:45 on Wednesday 23 September.
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While this work takes place no trains or replacement bus services will be able to operate between the two Falmouth stations.
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A reduced hourly service is running between Truro and Falmouth Town, with trains running from Truro at 15 minutes past the hour, and trains from Falmouth Town running at 48 minutes past the hour.
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What are we doing about it?
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We will be in regular contact with the emergency services, once the device has been safely removed and the cordon lifted train services between the two Falmouth stations will resume.
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It is expected that disruption will continue until the end of the day, Wednesday 23 September, however this may change if the extended cordon has to remain in place for longer.
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What are your options?
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Use the National Rail Enquiries real-time journey planner to check if a journey by rail is currently possible.
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For more information:
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If you are at a station please check the live departure boards or speak to a member of station staff.
Due to a wartime bomb near the railway between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks the line is closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between Truro and Falmouth Docks via Penryn will be suspended between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks.
Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
-
What has happened?
-
An unexploded ordnance device has been found in the Falmouth area.
-
The Police are to extend a safety cordon to allow for the safe removal of the device, once this cordon is extended we will have to suspend our train services between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks, this will be from 08:45 on Wednesday 23 September.
-
While this work takes place no trains or replacement bus services will be able to operate between the two Falmouth stations.
-
A reduced hourly service is running between Truro and Falmouth Town, with trains running from Truro at 15 minutes past the hour, and trains from Falmouth Town running at 48 minutes past the hour.
-
What are we doing about it?
-
We will be in regular contact with the emergency services, once the device has been safely removed and the cordon lifted train services between the two Falmouth stations will resume.
-
It is expected that disruption will continue until the end of the day, Wednesday 23 September, however this may change if the extended cordon has to remain in place for longer.
-
What are your options?
-
Use the National Rail Enquiries real-time journey planner to check if a journey by rail is currently possible.
-
For more information:
-
If you are at a station please check the live departure boards or speak to a member of station staff.
| Re: "Please be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the bus is booked to depart" In "Buses and other ways to travel" [379916/32527/5] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 08:08, 23rd September 2026 | |
.....the times for minor stops - are estimates between formal timing points and you may expect the buses to be early sometimes....
That is certainly the case with the bus services in and around Exeter, most of which are run by Stagecoach. I had always assumed this was standard practice nationwide. Bustimes.org gives the option to display 'Timing Points' or 'All Stops' on timetables.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379915/31359/18] Posted by bobm at 08:01, 23rd September 2026 Already liked by grahame | |
Sets on North Pole depot can run into London Paddington and then form Bristol or South Wales services diverted via Newbury. (As well as the usual services to the South West.)
| Re: Bristol - from around the city, September 2026 In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [379914/32526/31] Posted by chipbury at 07:59, 23rd September 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
I think we probably followed each other around Bristol on Saturday, going to most of the places you did (including the bookshop!) after a tour of the Redcliffe Caves. I was impressed with the new floating bridge which I will cycle over sometime (maybe today).
I cycle around Bristol a lot and am always finding something interesting to look at. The only downside with cycling (apart from the dodgy driving around you) is seeing things but not stopping to photograph them, walking is much better in that regard.
Cheers,
Chris
| Re: "Please be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the bus is booked to depart" In "Buses and other ways to travel" [379913/32527/5] Posted by grahame at 07:48, 23rd September 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
... or words to that effect. It becomes an issue when bus drivers then use the earlier time as a target, overshoot and depart more than five minutes early, yes? (Stagecoach's four-buses-a-day 620 is rather suffering from this towards the end of its run into Bath and given the state of the city's roadworks I also have sympathy with the bus drivers...)
Hmmm ... it must be frustrating for bus drivers to have to sit an wait at a bus stop when they just know that later on their journey they're going to get held up and become late.
I do note that many of the times presented to the public these days - the times for minor stops - are estimates between formal timing points and you may expect the buses to be early sometimes. The nearest stop to our home is like that - Bathwards the previous timing point is a long way back and the time fluctuates based quite a bit, Devizeswards we're the first stop after a timing point and the bus is much less likely to be earlier than estimated.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379912/31163/26] Posted by bobm at 07:28, 23rd September 2026 Already liked by grahame | |
Trains are now able to operate from Didcot Parkway to head west.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379911/31163/26] Posted by ChrisB at 07:20, 23rd September 2026 | |
I was booked on the first RDG-Newcastle this morning but they’ve cancelled these today it seems. All starting BHM.
The Xc Manchester services are running south as far as OXF.
| Bombs, Bridge Strikes, Fires and Gas Main leaks In "Across the West" [379910/32530/26] Posted by grahame at 07:06, 23rd September 2026 | |
Are these third party issues becoming more prevalent? Are we simply noticing them more? Are we being more careful than we were before in shutting down as a precaution? Are we taking longer to sort things out? Is the disruption more widespread because of the limited resources and increased specialisation that is the modern railway? Is it just a bad morning and I happen to have noticed it today?
Cancellations to services between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks
Due to a wartime bomb near the railway between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks all lines are closed.
Due to a wartime bomb near the railway between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks all lines are closed.
Cancellations to services between Reading and Didcot Parkway
Due to a gas leak near the railway between Reading and Didcot Parkway all lines are closed.
Due to a gas leak near the railway between Reading and Didcot Parkway all lines are closed.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379909/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 06:58, 23rd September 2026 | |
Something going on this morning - the 05:11 Gloucester Southampton that I've boarded at 06:31 Melksham, usually pretty empty, is packed. Asked the TM - disruption at Didcot, everyone going to London via Westbury or something...
... although quite a few got off at Trowbridge with me and have boarded the Bristol train. It's going to be pretty cozy by the time we reach Temple Meads...Yep ... Gas Leak has closed all lines between Didcot and Reading. Extra calls on some West of England trains at Westbury to pick up / drop off passengers between London / Reading and Chippenham / Bath (and presumably Swindon, Bristol and even South Wales). Advice is "don't travel unless you have to" past the closed area. You will also have had Swindon / Chippenham to Bath / Bristol customers, as the only trains that don't go through the affected area are the Oxford -> Bristol ones.
Turnbacks at Swindon (and Didcot?? and Oxford??) from the west will be limited, and lots of IETs that would run services from London via Didcot will be stuck at the North Pole!
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379908/31359/18] Posted by JohnM at 06:49, 23rd September 2026 | |
Something going on this morning - the 05:11 Gloucester Southampton that I've boarded at 06:31 Melksham, usually pretty empty, is packed. Asked the TM - disruption at Didcot, everyone going to London via Westbury or something...
... although quite a few got off at Trowbridge with me and have boarded the Bristol train. It's going to be pretty cozy by the time we reach Temple Meads...| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379907/31359/18] Posted by JohnM at 06:37, 23rd September 2026 | |
Something going on this morning - the 05:11 Gloucester Southampton that I've boarded at 06:31 Melksham, usually pretty empty, is packed. Asked the TM - disruption at Didcot, everyone going to London via Westbury or something...
That'll be the gas leak I guess?| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379906/31359/18] Posted by JohnM at 06:34, 23rd September 2026 | |
Something going on this morning - the 05:11 Gloucester Southampton that I've boarded at 06:31 Melksham, usually pretty empty, is packed. Asked the TM - disruption at Didcot, everyone going to London via Westbury or something...
| Re: Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion In "Campaigns for new and improved services" [379905/231/28] Posted by infoman at 03:12, 23rd September 2026 | |
Thank you for the info but is it being held on
Wednesday 23 September or
Thursday 24 September
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379904/31163/26] Posted by didcotdean at 23:09, 22nd September 2026 | |
Network Rail now has the following on the "Disruption" section:
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/didcot-parkway-20260922/
"No trains between Oxford / Didcot Parkway and Reading: major disruption is expected until at least the end of the day on Wednesday 23 September."
Long list of suggested alternatives for today, but for tomorrow: "It is not yet known what service will look like for either CrossCountry or Great Western Railway on this date. Please check back later."
| Re: London to Taunton (or, rather, not) this afternoon - 22 September 2026 In "London to the West" [379903/32529/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:25, 22nd September 2026 | |
It was good to have a couple of beers and a chat, bobm.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379902/31163/26] Posted by eightonedee at 22:24, 22nd September 2026 | |
There seems to be an information failure on JourneyCheck for eastbound trains at Goring & Streatley which still shows the 22-46 and 23-03 running, although 23-36 cancelled. There is a click through on the heading for each journey with a long note about the closure, but it starts with "This train may (my italics) be affected by the following route problem". There's no sign of any running trains west of Reading on Open Train Times....
| Re: London to Taunton (or, rather, not) this afternoon - 22 September 2026 In "London to the West" [379901/32529/12] Posted by bobm at 22:22, 22nd September 2026 | |
Meanwhile I had an uneventful 15 minute walk home.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379900/31163/26] Posted by bobm at 22:20, 22nd September 2026 | |
The Bristol to Oxford services have been running via the west curve as usual.
| Re: The M23 Flixbus incident In "Buses and other ways to travel" [379899/32528/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:06, 22nd September 2026 | |
Flixbus - the Ryanair of buses?
Again, that is my personal opinion, certainly not the official view from the Coffee Shop forum.
CfN.
| Re: Bristol - from around the city, September 2026 In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [379898/32526/31] Posted by johnneyw at 22:05, 22nd September 2026 | |
Looking at the photo of the Conflat wagon outside of M Shed on the docks.made me grin as I was quite possibly on the other side by the former Lloyds building looking at cranes 30 & 31 in action, particularly the former, lifting and swinging barrels from a truck to a wagon on the docks railway...or was it vice versa? Either way, I was very pleased to see them in working order, which I hadn't realised that they were.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [379897/31163/26] Posted by ray951 at 22:04, 22nd September 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Apparently contractors working on the new Lidl site have damaged a gas main on the site of the old gas‑holder beside the railway. What’s odd is that Marsh Lane, the road running under the railway right next to the site, hasn’t been closed.
It’s also unclear from the NR/GWR updates whether the Didcot to Swindon and Didcot to Oxford lines are actually open. If they’ve been shut, that would be strange given the incident is roughly half a mile east of the station..
| Re: The M23 Flixbus incident In "Buses and other ways to travel" [379896/32528/5] Posted by LiskeardRich at 22:01, 22nd September 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Flixbus customer service is horrendous.
I was driving a Falcon about 12 - 18 months ago, and come across a lady at a stop we shared with Flix at Taunton who was heading to London. She spoke little English but I established her Flixbus hadn’t turned up. I did some research and whilst Flix didn’t have a direct number, I knew a driver who drove the local Flix bus at the time, so gave him a call to get information.
I assessed the lady as potentially vulnerable as she was distressed, spoke very little English and in an unfamiliar place in a foreign country (to her), so as I had plenty of spare seats decided I’d take her to Bristol, and walk her to a Flixbus at Bristol bus station. Now in my head I thought flixbus reps/ drivers at Bristol would help and get the lady to London. Apparently not. They told me the upcoming Bristol to London departures were operated by a different partner so they couldn’t transport her. A national express person over heard the discussion, and put her on the next NX to London.
Overall I was left less than impressed by Flixbus customer care.
Despite this I gave them a go myself, £6 for a single Krakow to Kosice. Service cancelled. Told they wouldn’t refund as it was under the minimum refund amount, even though it was them who failed to operate! I shall avoid as far as possible now, unless I have a back up.
| Re: To 'stockpile food' is now our Government's official policy, apparently In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [379895/32456/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:53, 22nd September 2026 | |
I’ll ask my usual question.
If it gets bad enough that the sensible choice is to hide in a bunker to survive, then what is the point in surviving the inevitable complete breakdown in society that would greet you when you emerge?
If it gets bad enough that the sensible choice is to hide in a bunker to survive, then what is the point in surviving the inevitable complete breakdown in society that would greet you when you emerge?
Donald Trump getting a third term, for example?
Sorry - I did say that out loud and it is my personal opinion, certainly not the official view from the Coffee Shop forum.
CfN.
| Re: Unexploded device in Falmouth Docks In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [379894/32524/25] Posted by old original at 21:44, 22nd September 2026 | |
Services terminating at Falmouth Town after 08.45 Wednesday morning
