Trusted on the main line though?

Five Devon/Cornwall diagrams being worked by 175s today, specifically:  175009, 175011, 175101, 175111, 175112.  Plus a sixth, 175002, running up and down on test/training runs.

I am going to leave the historians here to answer that one in detail.

But he’s not in Manchester, he’s on holiday “overseas”.   

They have not been trusted at Newquay this week.

From The BBC

There's major disruption on railways in northern England after a power failure in Manchester affected a communications centre

There is widespread rail disruption across much of northern England due to an electrical failure, with customers facing long delays or cancellations.

Here's what we know:

The disruption has been caused by a power failure in the Ardwick area which affected the Manchester Rail Operating Centre, which houses all the controls to safely operate the railway

Our transport correspondent Katy Austin says there was a delay to the back-up supply kicking in

National Rail says the areas directly affected are Greater Manchester and the north-west of England

Rail companies impacted include Avanti West Coast, East Midlands, Northern, TransPennine Express, London
Northwestern Railway and Transport for Wales

National Rail previously advised the Midlands was impacted by the fault, but has since removed the region from its notice
What we don't know:

We don't know what has caused the electrical fault at Manchester Rail Operating Centre, or the severity of it

National Rail say disruption is expected until "the end of the day" but we don't yet know if it could last even longer

Important update: Do Not Travel in Greater Manchester or the North West

A power supply failure in the Manchester area has had a significant impact on all rail services across Greater Manchester, Liverpool and the wider North West.

As a result, there is a Do Not Travel notice in place on most routes for the remainder of today.

What does this mean for your journey?
Northern and other train operators’ services across the North West are unable to operate as planned, and customers should expect cancellations and service alterations. There may also be knock-on effects elsewhere across the Northern network.

What should I do?
Please do not travel today if your journey involves the North West area.

No alternative transport is available.

If you are currently travelling, please check the latest information before continuing your journey.

If you have a ticket for travel on an affected route today, it will be valid for travel tomorrow.

Customers planning to travel tomorrow should check before they travel, as some services may still be affected.

For the latest service information, please visit our service updates page or use the Northern app.

We are sorry for the impact this may have on your journey and thank you for your patience while teams work to restore services.

Cancelled. 'twas only the second attempt.

They have not been trusted at Newquay this week.

If you have mobile reception to access w3w, why not access Google Maps & send a location link??!!

The revised timetable has been published and it is not good at at for commuters at the Western End (Axminster to Exeter). Looking at services at Pinhoe, the 07:32 and 08:13 services into Exeter have disappeared and replaced by an 08:53.**snip**

SALISBURY TO EXETER RAIL USERS GROUP (SERUG)
Newsletter No: 27 – mid August 2026 SMD Special Supporting the stations of:
Tisbury, Gillingham, Templecombe, Sherborne, Yeovil Junction, Crewkerne, Axminster, Honiton, Feniton, Whimple, Cranbrook, Pinhoe, Exeter Central.
A very brief Newsletter – to provide some further insight on the Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) issues.
The (SMD) temporary timetable starts on 10th August 2026 (Monday) and will run until advised. It can be found on https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/timetables.
The main difference to last year's timetable which ultimately ran from July to end November is that due to SWR’s team working with Southampton University (Prof William Plowrie) and better track/tamping work, trains can rum at 50 mph rather than 40 mph last year. That allows journey time improvements of around 30 minutes to the London/Exeter services. There is an excellent article by Paul Clifton in RAIL magazine this week (Issue 1067 5-19 Aug 26) – worth a read.
We are still pushing for an Exeter Central to Axminster shuttle, but we're told.no trains are available – we've been advised that these revised timetables actually require more rolling stock (and crews) than the normal services.
The other serious issue is the lack of rolling stock. Far too many trains are out of service because of defects, some requiring new engines. This is serious because these are 35 years old, and spare new engines are not held in large enough numbers to offer a quick turnaround. In addition, wheel / bogie issues can also be added to the list of defects. There are 29 x 159’s (3 car units) and 9 x 158 (2 car units), including one on loan to another operator. SWR need at least 24 of the 159’s to provide the full service. Added to that, the C6 improvements for all 159’s (to keep them running for another 8./10 years) has hit snags - the first unit started its refresh in December 2025 and may get back into service soon...7+ months later. The following units should have a faster turnaround, but we are still talking "years" before full completion. It's therefore not surprising that so many trains have been formed of 3 cars between Exeter and Waterloo and vice versa. More unplanned work for the SWR Depot at Salisbury who need a thank you!
Poor performance, short trains and now SMD, plus non-effective air conditioning and "dodgy" train passenger information systems, all complete a very disturbing picture.
SWR have been trying to find other 158’s in the UK and hope to have their other 158 back from EMR (East Midlands Railway) soon - see below.
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Oliver Rogers at SWR has been extremely helpful in responding to our many questions raised over the past few days. Below is a summary of the further actions they are taking:
- The information update to not display Woking / Basingstoke calls on short-formed services is now live.
- Further to the above, we will call the Waterloo to Weymouth service additionally at Basingstoke in and
around West of England short forms, to try and take pressure off those services
- More bottled water to trains from tomorrow. Every WoE train should have crates of water, while the hot
weather continues
- Exec and Senior Managers will be at stations Salisbury – Exeter from Monday next week, all week. To
support stations and on-train teams - but also to do some of the explaining to customers on why these
temporary changes are neccessary.
- We will raise the point within SWR about posters & lack of - or no – Automated Passenger Information
or guard announcements.
- We are hoping to be able to confirm the arrival of the additional 158 from EMR by the end of next week,
timescales for entering service look like Autumn, but this requires the final paperwork to be completed.
- We will have a date for the first C6 unit to re-enter traffic very shortly, final tests are now being
completed.
None of these fix the problems we are facing immediately but they will all help.
Note above - about the senior managers – if you see them, do chat - they are all very approachable!
We will continue to update you, where relevant. The SERUG management team will meet next week to work out a wider Campaign to continue to work to get a better railway. We will want all your help with that!
Best wishes for now and the next Newsletter should be out in mid-October 2026 – enjoy the rest of the summer!
Bruce Duncan, Chair.
        <<
Stations now have SMD posters, but no timetables (yet)
Meanwhile... >> overcrowding and short formations continue....
 SERUG’s aim is to lobby the Government, SWR/Network Rail, Train Operators and others to improve the passenger experience on this line. If you’d like to help, Bruce Duncan (Chair) or Nick Hurrell (Secretary) would be pleased to hear from you.
Email: contact@serug.co.uk
Membership is £8 per year – payable in March annually and includes regular updates, and admission to
members only events.
Join our mailing list for free: Simply email us at the above address and join our mailing list to receive regular updates and Newsletters. Look us up on Facebook, or www.serug.co.uk
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A Victorian railway station building is set to benefit from a £600,000 restoration project.

Built in 1859, Crowthorne station in Berkshire serves hundreds of thousands of passengers annually on the Great Western Railway North Downs Line.

The money will fund repairs to the structure, the surrounding forecourt, and create a new commercial space.

Chief executive of the building's owner, The Arch Company, Craig McWilliam, said the investment would "secure its long-term future".

"This project will bring a long-vacant building back into productive use, creating space for local businesses to thrive while preserving an important part of the area's railway heritage," he added.

The station was founded as Wellington College for Crowthorne station in 1861 with funding from the college. It was renamed Crowthorne in 1928.

It originally had accommodation upstairs for a station master and his family.

The building was reroofed following closure of the booking office and conversion for commercial letting but has been unoccupied for the last eight years during which Crowthorne Parish Council said it had deteriorated both internally and externally.

The refurbished building is expected to provide accommodation for two or three businesses.

The Arch Company said it was part of its wider investment of more than £100m across the UK which was bringing hundreds of underused spaces and derelict arches back into productive use.

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