A fuller explanation has now been published.  This feels like it might take longer than today to resolve.  Does anyone have a view/info on how long this suspension to Reading might last for?

Due to vandalism of railway equipment between Reading and London Paddington fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
Following an incident on Saturday, where some electrical distribution equipment was damaged in a fire, there are some significant effects on train services as a result. Until repairs have been effected, it will not be possible to operate the full timetable of our electric trains between London Paddington and Reading owing to the demands this would otherwise place on the electrical distribution system.

Our High Speed / Inercity Express Train services will, in the main, continue to operate as scheduled. They are able to operate on diesel power through the affected area which would not have any effect on the loading of the electrical supply.

Train services which normally operate between Didcot Parkway and London Paddington (calling at local stations via Pangbourne) will only operate between Didcot Parkway and Reading in both directions. Passengers to or from stations to London Paddington will be required to change trains at Reading. Note that this will particularly impact on those customers travelling to / from Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough who may use, at no additional cost, Elizabeth line services between Reading and London Paddington. Note that at Paddington the Elizabeth line services call at platforms A and B which may be accessed via the entrances alongside platform 1 of the main terminal station. If you are travelling to or from Slough, Maidenhead or Twyford your ticket will be accepted for travel via Reading, if this provides a faster journey to or from London Paddington

 
A better map from the BBC

 
Yep. All those pesky firefighters with their foam and water, messing up the electrics. 

 
The Melksham News reports Melksham's Shine Friendship Cafe took the train to Weston-super-mare in August - "For many it was their first trip on a train, and it is hoped it will give them the confidence to make more journeys in the future."

https://melkshamnews.com/day-trip-to-the-seaside-for-friendship-cafe/

Delighted at this introduction of people to rail:


But I wonder how they got to Chippenham Station.  The group pictured indicates some mobility issues, and Chippenham Station is far from straightforward from the station forecourt to the platform for those who have difficulties with stairs. Apart from Sundays and early mornings, the bus from Melksham does not serve Chippenham Station. 

I confess that whilst I am delighted with the Melksham group being introduced to the train, I do wonder if it could have been done at their local (Melksham) station.  We have flat access to the platform and we have trains that don't need assistance booked ahead, and which puts them on the platform at Chippenham with a change to the train west that does NOT involve stairs, lifts, barriers, and finding transport to get them to that station from Melksham.

 
The GWSR is also back in steam, judging from the whistles that I heard from the locomotive heading north from Cheltenham Racecourse station on Saturday 5 September.

 

 

They prefer motorhomes these days (occasionally invisible however!)

 
Cancellations to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to vandalism of railway equipment between Reading and London Paddington fewer trains are able to run.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

.......Saturday’s fire now attributed to vandalism.

 
And to conclude - the final answer - No. 9 - is Cosenza in Italy.   An amazingly quiet station when I was there in the middle of the day on 23rd June.  Services arrive from the west coast of Italy about every hour - and from the east coast a handful of times each day, and a narrow gauge railway heads off south through mountains - at present (like so much in Italy, it seems) truncated due to the condition of the track. A single carriage railcar sat and waited, then set off, and I'm thinking more staff than passengers on it.  Further exploration in future years, and perhaps when it's not so hot.

 
Over 100 service updates this morning ...


Looks like all Didcot and Newbury services to Paddington are being cut short at Reading.

No "line updates",as yet - but then it *is* the middle of the night, so that may come.   No alternatives suggested, and no indication as to whether it's trains. track or signalling that's been vandalised.  No doubt we will learn in due course.

 
Just giving this particular topic a gentle 'bump'.

We really would be pleased to welcome any of you new members to the Coffee Shop forum joining in any of our discussions, just by posting out there.

I started doing that, nearly 20 years ago - and look where that's got me 

Chris from Nailsea. 

 

Cough, splutter, from me. 

 
There was a similar closure on the Far North Line in June (ish). IIRC they just didn't serve Altnabreac or Scotscalder during that period. Looking at RTT for November it looks like it's the same for Rannoch and Corrour. Other stations off the most obvious road route appear to be served by separate local buses connecting at Fort William.

 

It's not always as clear cut as that. We often faced this problem where I worked in a different industry but you have to weigh up the impact of the supplier going bust, losing key staff etc against continuing to support them. In my instance in the broadcast industry there were instances where we chose not to enforce the contract to the letter as it would put the supplier out of business and the loss of several years work. Even where we owned the IP getting a new supplier up to speed would be time consuming, expensive and increase the risk. It was an approach that was new to me but it could make sense and in some instances really helped on collaborative working.

Admittedly though the Scottish Government does not have a great record on ferries.

 

Selective door opening and good, wide internal signposting and and passing through in new trains may be the solution. Even at stations like Baker Street this happens already, so having to walk though at places like Freshford should not be an issue. 

 

Isn't there a road from Rannoch Station (at least) - across long coach (or taxi) ride to the Highland main line?

 
See https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6572.msg379244#msg379244

 
An update, from the BBC:

 

It will be interesting to see how they cope with Rannoch and Corrour. Russian 6x6s perhaps?

 

Having wasted huge sums of money lengthening platforms to take the rarely seen 5 car trains, how long before they start work on 6 car platforms ??

 



Would you pay the builder/plumber or whatever, in full, in advance, for an uncompleted extension, conservatory, bathroom if he told you he was in financial difficulties ? But there - CalMac is owned by the Scottish Government, so it is only the tax payers' money they are throwing away - and when it comes to ship building contracts they are THE experts. 

 

Google headline AI summary tells me

 
Posting this here somewhat lightheartedly:

Of those 3.9 million US residents who visited the UK, I reckon about 3 million of them have Bath as their destination.  Some of them are a pain in the proverbial, milling about in huge groups and generally getting in the way.

However, I did have a great chat with two older American men in a traditional pub in Bath, many years ago.  They had ventured out from their hotel to sample an old English pub.  We fell into conversation about licensing laws, as they were initially puzzled by the particular wording of the UK signs on the bar, asking for ID.

CfN. 

 
I tried to find stats for travellers from the UK rather than USA - and I found holiday vacation countries only.  Other data offered from behind a firewall but way out of budget.  Whilst the majority of journeys are for vacation,  https://www.finder.com/uk/credit-cards/outbound-tourism-statistics

 
An update, from the BBC:

 

Wider, I suggest. General visits by "Americans" - https://www.statista.com/chart/18742/most-popular-destinations-with-us-travelers/

 
From the BBC: