Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Drunk and dangerous e-bike riders face on-the-spot fines In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [381629/32691/50] Posted by Marlburian at 11:45, 5th November 2026 |      |
| Re: £200m taxpayer-funded trains sit barely used for three years In "Media about railways, and other means of transport" [381628/32690/49] Posted by IndustryInsider at 11:07, 5th November 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
I popped down to South Wales to see and travel on some of them last week.
Pretty impressive for a tram-train. I feared a noticeable drop in quality and ambience from the 231/756s, but they felt pretty similar though without a toilet of course.
Given the amount of untried technology on them I think a delay into service is much more understandable than, say the 701s on SWR.
When fully in use, and with the resultant improvements in frequency and journey times, the Valley Lines will have come full circle and have a network many will envy, and a huge improvement on the Pacers and Sprinters of the previous generation.
| Re: Late November and Christmas closure of Paddington & alternative travel options In "Across the West" [381627/32677/26] Posted by TaplowGreen at 11:00, 5th November 2026 | |
I checked the planner for a journey that I’m rostered to make - Maidenhead to Tottenham Court Road on 28th December. This clocks in at a whopping 2 hours!!
I can’t help but think that the proposed journey is somewhat convoluted and not efficient for the passengers. The proposed plan is train from Maidenhead to Slough, road replacement service to Hillingdon Station(?!?), Hillingdon to Paddington.
Why not take passengers to their intended destination of Paddington rather than doing half the job and dropping them at Hillingdon which incurs a further hour of tube travel after the road replacement service.
I can’t help but think that the proposed journey is somewhat convoluted and not efficient for the passengers. The proposed plan is train from Maidenhead to Slough, road replacement service to Hillingdon Station(?!?), Hillingdon to Paddington.
Why not take passengers to their intended destination of Paddington rather than doing half the job and dropping them at Hillingdon which incurs a further hour of tube travel after the road replacement service.
You could use the original 1970 Maidenhead - High Wycombe rail replacement bus service, still operating, the No37. The train the Marylebone and Bakerloo to Padd
The bus stop is by the Maidenhead Jubilee Clock.
Not sure its any quicker
The bus takes just over an hour.
| Re: Late November and Christmas closure of Paddington & alternative travel options In "Across the West" [381625/32677/26] Posted by Electric train at 10:15, 5th November 2026 | |
I checked the planner for a journey that I’m rostered to make - Maidenhead to Tottenham Court Road on 28th December. This clocks in at a whopping 2 hours!!
I can’t help but think that the proposed journey is somewhat convoluted and not efficient for the passengers. The proposed plan is train from Maidenhead to Slough, road replacement service to Hillingdon Station(?!?), Hillingdon to Paddington.
Why not take passengers to their intended destination of Paddington rather than doing half the job and dropping them at Hillingdon which incurs a further hour of tube travel after the road replacement service.
I can’t help but think that the proposed journey is somewhat convoluted and not efficient for the passengers. The proposed plan is train from Maidenhead to Slough, road replacement service to Hillingdon Station(?!?), Hillingdon to Paddington.
Why not take passengers to their intended destination of Paddington rather than doing half the job and dropping them at Hillingdon which incurs a further hour of tube travel after the road replacement service.
You could use the original 1970 Maidenhead - High Wycombe rail replacement bus service, still operating, the No37. The train the Marylebone and Bakerloo to Padd
The bus stop is by the Maidenhead Jubilee Clock.
Not sure its any quicker
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury" [381624/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 10:06, 5th November 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
In the end, ran as far Warminster. On time from Chippenham, held waiting the single line, 7 late at Melksham as the final leg of our journey home.
| £200m taxpayer-funded trains sit barely used for three years In "Media about railways, and other means of transport" [381623/32690/49] Posted by JohnM at 09:02, 5th November 2026 | |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv62kwg0k038o
A new fleet of publicly funded trains that cost more than £200m still remain mostly unused more than three years after the first one was delivered.
They were initially promised to be fully up and running by 2022 but Transport for Wales' (TfW) boss has said he expects the tram-trains will be in full service by the end of 2027
Data obtained by the BBC reveals that less than half of the 36 fleet - what TfW call the "final piece" in their £2bn South Wales Metro project - have passed rigorous statutory testing.
TfW chief executive James Price said he wants trains that work "100% well, 100% of the time" before putting them into full service.
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They were initially promised to be fully up and running by 2022 but Transport for Wales' (TfW) boss has said he expects the tram-trains will be in full service by the end of 2027
Data obtained by the BBC reveals that less than half of the 36 fleet - what TfW call the "final piece" in their £2bn South Wales Metro project - have passed rigorous statutory testing.
TfW chief executive James Price said he wants trains that work "100% well, 100% of the time" before putting them into full service.
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(Apologies if there's an existing thread on this, please move as appropriate.)
| Re: Free bus plan in Guernsey scrapped over fear it would be too popular In "Buses and other ways to travel" [381622/32685/5] Posted by johnneyw at 22:36, 4th November 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea, Mark A | |
This reminded me that about 15-20 years ago my brother and myself happened upon a number of vintage buses gathered at (I think) Buckfastliegh heritage railway station. One of them had Guernsey markings on it. A quick chat with the owner/driver confirmed that it was in service on the island in the early to mid 1960s when we were on family holidays there a couple of times. Given the amount of times we used the buses from our accommodation on the north of the island to St Peter Port or elsewhere, it seemed very likely that us two middle aged siblings had once sat on the same vehicle as children with our parents.
| Re: Cyclists objecting halts cycle lane project in Bath In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [381621/32689/50] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 22:06, 4th November 2026 | |
This page https://walkridebath.org.uk/2026/10/23/victoria-park-our-objection-was-missed-what-happens-to-the-2-35m-now/ on the cycle campaign group's website gives some detail lacking in the news site's report. The main reservation seems to be that the park route though lit is still somewhat isolated after dark.
| Re: Late November and Christmas closure of Paddington & alternative travel options In "Across the West" [381620/32677/26] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 21:40, 4th November 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Hillingdon station does have quite good facilities for handling coach pick-up/drop-off (including layover parking with a bit of planning) and direct access to/from the A40/M40 before it gets to the most congested section. Relatively few people will have Paddington as their final destination, and the Met either direct or with just one more change gets you to most parts of London. Not ideal, but a reasonable approach I'd say.
| Cyclists objecting halts cycle lane project in Bath In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [381619/32689/50] Posted by Marlburian at 21:28, 4th November 2026 | |
| Re: New station at North Filton - now named as 'Bristol Brabazon' - ongoing discussion In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [381617/24927/21] Posted by XPT at 20:58, 4th November 2026 | |
Due to open this month according to this article. Though no exact date given yet.
https://www.edgeprop.my/content/1918135/ytl%E2%80%99s-brabazon-expansion-hinges-transport-and-energy-upgrades
Even the GWR website mentions that it's expected to open this month.
https://www.gwr.com/about-gwr/what-you-can-expect/community/growing-places/station-profiles
| Re: Free bus plan in Guernsey scrapped over fear it would be too popular In "Buses and other ways to travel" [381616/32685/5] Posted by Clan Line at 17:26, 4th November 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Some years back we visited St Peter Port on a cruise. Having done a bit of research beforehand we caught the regular service bus which did a complete circuit of the island - a really scenic drive. The fare structure, then, was £1 each time you got on the bus........... so the whole trip cost us £1 each !! Best value bus ride ever....................
| "Lidarlens" In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [381615/32688/47] Posted by Mark A at 16:07, 4th November 2026 Already liked by Witham Bobby, PrestburyRoad, JohnM | |
Lidar mapping overlays satellite mapping. This has a number of useful augmentations - such as the ability to change the direction of the 'Shadow'...
https://lidarlens.sarsen.org/
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury" [381613/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 13:48, 4th November 2026 | |
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
| Re: Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire - HST derailment: three dead - 12 August 2020 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [381612/23891/51] Posted by grahame at 13:30, 4th November 2026 | |
From BBC
A train derailment which resulted in the deaths of three men could have been avoided if a drain had been built correctly, a sheriff has concluded.
Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash at Carmont, near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, in August 2020.
The train derailed after hitting debris which had washed from the drain following heavy rain.
After a fatal accident inquiry (FAI), Sheriff Lesley Johnston said it was not constructed and installed in accordance with its design, and found there were precautions which could have been taken which "might realistically have avoided the accident".
It follows the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) making 20 safety recommendations in its report back in 2022 into the crash.
That report had also highlighted the drainage system being incorrectly installed.
Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash at Carmont, near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, in August 2020.
The train derailed after hitting debris which had washed from the drain following heavy rain.
After a fatal accident inquiry (FAI), Sheriff Lesley Johnston said it was not constructed and installed in accordance with its design, and found there were precautions which could have been taken which "might realistically have avoided the accident".
It follows the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) making 20 safety recommendations in its report back in 2022 into the crash.
That report had also highlighted the drainage system being incorrectly installed.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [381610/31163/26] Posted by TaplowGreen at 11:43, 4th November 2026 Already liked by nickswift99 | |
..........until close of play on Friday.
Alterations to services between Reading and Didcot Parkway
Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Reading and Didcot Parkway fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from these stations may be revised.
Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/11/26.
Customer Advice
As a result of some damage being sustained to the overhead electric wires we are unable to operate electric trains along the slow / stopping lines between Reading and Didcot Parkway.
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [381609/31163/26] Posted by nickswift99 at 11:41, 4th November 2026 | |
GWR have been running 3 car Turbos to provide some kind of service between Didcot/Reading. Much better than previous weeks where passengers were abandoned.
Presumably this will have an effect on the North Downs Line given that they never seem to have enough rolling stock?
| Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026 In "Across the West" [381608/31163/26] Posted by TaplowGreen at 11:38, 4th November 2026 Already liked by Witham Bobby | |
Looks like all of the Didcot Paddington services are canned due to overhead cable issues, plus Elizabeth Line services are reduced due to defective track. A great day for Network Rail bingo players.
Didcot Parkway to London Paddington will be started from Reading.
It will no longer call at Didcot Parkway, Cholsey, Goring & Streatley, Pangbourne and Tilehurst.
This is due to damage to the overhead electric wires.
Didcot Parkway to London Paddington will be started from Reading.
It will no longer call at Didcot Parkway, Cholsey, Goring & Streatley, Pangbourne and Tilehurst.
This is due to damage to the overhead electric wires.
I was on an early morning Elizabeth Line train today and just escaped the defective track issue - not sure if it's the same one that decimated yesterday's service or a new one, but either way it's p*** poor (again) for those in the Thames Valley, especially when combined with the OHL issues.
Tape and bits of string.
| Re: Sydney Gardens No. 1 Tunnel, Bath. Navigation and towpath closed. In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [381607/32604/47] Posted by Mark A at 11:19, 4th November 2026 | |
Popped up to the tunnel yesterday: no physical progress with the repair yet - the displaced blocks that hadn't fallen now have small orange reflectors on them, and a workboat is tied up at the west end of the tunnel as it has been for some time.
The road continues to have a lights controlled contraflow on it with work at the site suspended.
It came to mind that the as well as the canal, the miscreant trench was possibly intended to cross the somewhat disguised rail bridge there - and the crown of that is also close if not closer to the road surface than the canal. If similar had happened to that it may possibly have been repaired on a tighter timescale...
| Re: Dilton Marsh - platform, services and incidents (merged posts) In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [381605/13089/20] Posted by grahame at 10:41, 4th November 2026 Already liked by Witham Bobby, Mark A, rogerw | |
Alterations to services between Westbury and Salisbury
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Salisbury fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 14:15 04/11.
Customer Advice
Owing to an issue with the signalling system we are unable to operate the full timetable of trains between Westbury and Salisbury.
The long distance services between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour will continue to operate in both directions to provide an hourly train service. Other services are likely to be terminated short of their destination in order that they do not traverse the affected section; additional services will call at Dilton Marsh.
Please accept our apologies if your journey is impacted as a result.
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Salisbury fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 14:15 04/11.
Customer Advice
Owing to an issue with the signalling system we are unable to operate the full timetable of trains between Westbury and Salisbury.
The long distance services between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour will continue to operate in both directions to provide an hourly train service. Other services are likely to be terminated short of their destination in order that they do not traverse the affected section; additional services will call at Dilton Marsh.
Please accept our apologies if your journey is impacted as a result.
Delighted with that addition (in red). Very much a step in the right direction; at times of service disruption, passengers waiting at Dilton Marsh have become very used indeed to having the train they planned to catch go missing, and the "following" express then run though without stopping.
| Homeward bound - and a fare comparison In "Fare's Fair" [381602/32687/4] Posted by grahame at 08:58, 4th November 2026 | |
"I'm on a train"!
Lisa and I did not have our return plans mapped out when we set out - what - 18 days ago, but we are headed home today - booked a couple of days ago. Out of interest, I checked on Rail Europe yesterday to see what fare it offered, see below per person. I will stress this is NOT what I paid - I am on another Interrail pass which runs until midJanuary, and cost me less than the figure quoted just for today's journey. Lisa is on a shorter pass.
