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Great Western Coffee Shop
Recent Public Posts - [guest]
Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [378486/31359/18]
Posted by TaplowGreen at 18:02, 20th August 2026
 
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 is being delayed at Gloucester.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one

Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [378485/31359/18]
Posted by grahame at 17:58, 20th August 2026
 
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.
Great - wish the Chippenham waiting room seats were made out of something a bit more comfortable than steel

Still showing as delayed, no actual time.

EDIT: changed to 18:05, only 5 mins late

Indeed - on the way from Swindon.  It just said "delayed" here too - left use guessing.

Very interesting odd working of another 166 - arrived at platform 3  from the west with a "this train does not stop here" announcement, some people got off, some remained on board and it left headed west again. Mystery as to what that was!

Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [378484/10737/21]
Posted by Trowres at 17:52, 20th August 2026
 
I wonder how the seats in the "round room" compare with those on IETs?

Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [378483/31359/18]
Posted by JohnM at 17:50, 20th August 2026
 
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.
Great - wish the Chippenham waiting room seats were made out of something a bit more comfortable than steel

Still showing as delayed, no actual time.

EDIT: changed to 18:05, only 5 mins late

Re: Newquay Line - services, incidents and improvements (merged posts)
In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [378482/19772/25]
Posted by plymothian at 17:48, 20th August 2026
 
For some reason, multi-only sets keep being allocated to this splitting service.

Re: NPPF revisions - more homes can be built near stations?
In "Looking forward - the next 2, 5, 10 and 20 years" [378481/32385/40]
Posted by Trowres at 17:44, 20th August 2026
 
I have not (yet?) read the new NPPF - is the 4 trains an hour specified?   Each way or a 30 minute service? Possible by stopping trains that already go through but don't stop?   Looking at the line from London to Penzance, I would look at ... Kintbury, Bedwyn, Castle Cary, Tiverton Parkway, Menheniot, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par and St Erth as stations that may fit the criteria.    Others across the GWR area which have at least 4 trains an hour passing through and  that come to my mind are Avoncliff, Freshford, Newton St Cryes, Pilning, Dean and Mottisfont.

The NPPF refers to "well-connected stations" for which the following definition is provided:

Well-connected station: Railway stations and underground, tram and light rail stops located
within a top 80 Travel to Work Area located partially or fully within England by Gross Value
Added (GVA) and which, in the normal weekday timetable, are served (or have a
reasonable prospect of being served due to planned upgrades or through agreement with the
rail operator) throughout the daytime by at least four trains or trams per hour overall, or at
least two trains or trams per hour in any one direction.

I'm struggling with the last part; the criteria would be met of there were two trains toward the workplace hub, but none back? Or was it put in to refer to loop lines (like in Liverpool) where you only need trains in one direction around the loop?

Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [378480/31359/18]
Posted by grahame at 17:43, 20th August 2026
 
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.

Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026
In "Across the West" [378479/31163/26]
Posted by Trowres at 17:33, 20th August 2026
 
I would like to see the output of any investigation that has been done on why these points are failing.

Surely there must have been such a study?... including the causes of failure; which types of equipment are most liable to conk out, etc.

I don't recall any communication from the industry to give an impression that they are "on top of the problem"... or even that it knows how to put the problem right.

Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026
In "Across the West" [378478/31163/26]
Posted by NickB at 17:00, 20th August 2026
 
‘Better’ is a relative statement.

Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026
In "Across the West" [378477/31163/26]
Posted by GBM at 16:28, 20th August 2026
 
I thought Network Rail admitted there had been a problem with this area, and were concentrating on making it all better?

Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026
In "Across the West" [378476/31163/26]
Posted by TaplowGreen at 16:11, 20th August 2026
 
........and again! 

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some Slough lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 17:00 20/08.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
There has been a points failure in the Slough area.

Re: Wilts & Berks Canal - merged posts, ongoing developments and discussion
In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [378475/28863/47]
Posted by ChrisB at 16:05, 20th August 2026
 
Ok, having consulted various maps, I can see that the eastern leg of the canal reaches the Thames actually to the east of Abingdon - south of Culham, and yes, the reservoir does rather obliterate a small part of the canal and a larger part of 'new' canal that will replace the route of the old canal.

I'm not sure that they'll win this unless an easy method of allowing narrowboats across the reservoir via locks?

Re: Derailment, Wickford,14th August 2026
In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [378474/32365/51]
Posted by ChrisB at 15:15, 20th August 2026
 
Still ongoing, no reopening date yet available.

Re: Lewes, East Sussex - derailment of train, 20 injured, 13 August 2026
In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [378473/32362/51]
Posted by ChrisB at 15:13, 20th August 2026
 
I noted - and comment made elsewhere - that the front 4 carriages of the train (which did not derail) were in the new GBR livery. Whilst we must wait for the RAIB there is no suggestion, nor ongoing research planned according to their initial reports, that the paint job on the train was anything to do with the accident.   However, does it now "mark" this unit as being "one of the ones involved at Lewes" and might we anticipate a further repaint to avoid passengers on future journeys being aware of this part of its history?

Doubt it - they'll just 'repaint'/revinyl another set/s surely? Then you won't be able to tell very easily....

Anyway, off to Selhurst depot (via Newhaven! & Brighton apparently)

Reopening on September 1

Re: Lewes, East Sussex - derailment of train, 20 injured, 13 August 2026
In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [378472/32362/51]
Posted by JohnM at 13:49, 20th August 2026
 
Carriages being removed:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79gpp4dvwxo

Re: Newquay Line - services, incidents and improvements (merged posts)
In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [378471/19772/25]
Posted by TaplowGreen at 13:06, 20th August 2026
Already liked by JohnM, grahame, GBM, Trowres
 
Rarely seems to get past Plymouth.

Negative reports can deceive - It runs more often than not. Here's the Recent Train Times record for the last 8 weeks for the return journey



So I must offer my apologies - it ran 59% of the time, and on the occasions that it did run, was on average half an hour late - a triumph for a flagship service! 

Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [378470/10737/21]
Posted by IndustryInsider at 12:37, 20th August 2026
 
It says ‘Opening Autumn 2026’ on the hoardings protecting the worksite, so I’d imagine it’ll open then, though you can’t really see what’s going on because of the hoardings.

Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [378469/10737/21]
Posted by johnneyw at 11:39, 20th August 2026
Already liked by Mark A
 
According to the University of Bristol website, the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus is due to open on the 8th Sept.  Has anyone heard anything about the new Temple Meads east entrance opening to coincide with this?  Have they even installed the new gates yet?

Re: On this day in my younger years
In "News, Help and Assistance" [378468/32389/29]
Posted by Mark A at 10:43, 20th August 2026
 

20th August 1989 - Dredger "Bow Belle" collides with pleasure boat "Marchioness" on the River Thames in central London; "Marchioness" sinks in 30 seconds, drowning 51


We were out on the river that night in a skiff, albeit the non tidal Thames, returning from Sunbury. Very clear and windless, with glassy reflections, and the 'Yarmouth Belle' passed us heading upstream, a lot of lights and kerfuffle from the party on board.

Not very long before, on a downstream trip on the tidal Thames in a skiff and in the centre of London, in to sight and heading upstream and making her way slowly against the ebbing tide came the boat that sank the Marchioness. Mindful to ignore previous instructions from a chap on a Metropolitan police boat to tuck ourselves into the shore - and, anyway, aware that in this case we'd been seen (her forward visibility was not exactly optimal and from a small boat all you see is bow) we made a minimal course alteration and passed her in the appropriate way for that situation, i.e. port to port.

I read that after several changes of ownership, name and country, she eventually came to grief off Madeira with the loss of life of one member of crew.

Mark

Japan: Four workers dead after being hit by train, 20 August 2026
In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [378467/32390/52]
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 09:48, 20th August 2026
 
From the BBC:

Four workers dead after being hit by train in Japan


The train involved in the accident was a limited express train - one of the fastest in Japan - Image © Getty Images

Four workers in Japan have died after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, authorities say.

The collision happened around 10:46 local time (01:46 GMT) while the workers were removing weeds from the train tracks, local media reported.

When emergency services arrived at the scene three workers were trapped under the train, while one was on the platform, police said.

Train service has been suspended on the Tobu Nikko Line due to the accident, according to the railway company operating the line.

A passenger on the train told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that they heard a "strange noise" before the train made an emergency stop.

He said passengers were stuck on the train for a while as staff announced that they were investigating the noise.

Fatal train accidents are rare in Japan, which relies on a sprawling railway network.

The train involved in Thursday's incident was a limited express train, according to NHK. These are the second-fastest trains in Japan, after the Shinkansen or bullet train.

Usually, there would be an employee stationed nearby to warn workers on the tracks of approaching trains - but it was unclear what the situation was like on Thursday morning when the accident happened, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported.

"The usual lookout system was operating as normal - when a train approaches, a lookout waves a flag and, once the driver acknowledges it, sounds the horn," a representative from Tobu Railway told the BBC.

"We are currently investigating why the accident occurred despite this."


Re: Wilts & Berks Canal - merged posts, ongoing developments and discussion
In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [378466/28863/47]
Posted by JohnM at 09:43, 20th August 2026
 
There are two Thames Water reservoirs being planned - or are you talking about the one to be sited near Abingdon (to the south)?
To clarify, I've just quoted from Wilts & Berks Canal Trust CEO Mike Gibbin's 'important letter' to members. "It outlines the effect of the Vale of the White Horse reservoir (WHR) on the Wilts & Berks Canal and the Fighting Fund set up to support this critical stage", if that helps. Sorry, I should have made that clear.

Re: Lewes, East Sussex - derailment of train, 20 injured, 13 August 2026
In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [378465/32362/51]
Posted by Mark A at 09:14, 20th August 2026
Already liked by JohnM, grahame, PrestburyRoad
 
Certainly a magnificently extreme example of 'Correlation does not equal causation'.

Mark

Re: Newquay Line - services, incidents and improvements (merged posts)
In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [378464/19772/25]
Posted by grahame at 07:57, 20th August 2026
 
Rarely seems to get past Plymouth.

Negative reports can deceive - It runs more often than not. Here's the Recent Train Times record for the last 8 weeks for the return journey


Re: Lewes, East Sussex - derailment of train, 20 injured, 13 August 2026
In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [378463/32362/51]
Posted by grahame at 07:44, 20th August 2026
 
I noted - and comment made elsewhere - that the front 4 carriages of the train (which did not derail) were in the new GBR livery. Whilst we must wait for the RAIB there is no suggestion, nor ongoing research planned according to their initial reports, that the paint job on the train was anything to do with the accident.   However, does it now "mark" this unit as being "one of the ones involved at Lewes" and might we anticipate a further repaint to avoid passengers on future journeys being aware of this part of its history?

On this day in my younger years
In "News, Help and Assistance" [378462/32389/29]
Posted by grahame at 07:19, 20th August 2026
 
Our Coffee Shop has been around for 20 years - can you believe it?     The majority of content remains current-times stuff, but we are informed by history.   However as a "historic" sight we have only glimpses, and on days like today I find myself looking at significant events that may have shaped things for the future, or be early examples of what is common today or has resulted in improvements so that things should not happen today.

From travel and transport news I remember, but before the Coffee Shop

20th August 1979 - The East Coast Main Line rail route between England and Scotland is restored with the opening of the Penmanshiel Diversion

20th August 1989 - Dredger "Bow Belle" collides with pleasure boat "Marchioness" on the River Thames in central London; "Marchioness" sinks in 30 seconds, drowning 51

To see "On this day" across the whole year, visit https://www.passenger.chat/otd.html?all=365

Re: Newquay Line - services, incidents and improvements (merged posts)
In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [378461/19772/25]
Posted by TaplowGreen at 06:58, 20th August 2026
Already liked by GBM
 
Cancellations to services between Par and Newquay

Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Par and Newquay fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
One of the trains that operates the Par to Newquay service has developed a fault that needs mechanical attention. We do have another train that is operating the service, which means we can only operate half of the service for the rest of today.
If you are wanting to travel to Newquay, please check your journey.

09:03 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:27
09:03 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:27 will be terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par and Newquay.
This is due to a fault on a train.

14:52 Newquay to London Paddington due 20:23
14:52 Newquay to London Paddington due 20:23 will be started from Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Newquay, Par, Liskeard and Saltash.
This is due to a fault on a train.

Rarely seems to get past Plymouth.

Re: NPPF revisions - more homes can be built near stations?
In "Looking forward - the next 2, 5, 10 and 20 years" [378460/32385/40]
Posted by grahame at 06:42, 20th August 2026
 
How many stations are there that are:
a) outside settlements or in green belt AND
b) served by at least 4 trains per hour?

Would the policies listed in NPPF apply just to areas around existing stations or could a developer pay for a new one in order to make use of the NPPF rules? (though the new station would itself be subject to planning...)


I have not (yet?) read the new NPPF - is the 4 trains an hour specified?   Each way or a 30 minute service? Possible by stopping trains that already go through but don't stop?   Looking at the line from London to Penzance, I would look at ... Kintbury, Bedwyn, Castle Cary, Tiverton Parkway, Menheniot, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par and St Erth as stations that may fit the criteria.    Others across the GWR area which have at least 4 trains an hour passing through and  that come to my mind are Avoncliff, Freshford, Newton St Cryes, Pilning, Dean and Mottisfont.

Re: Newquay Line - services, incidents and improvements (merged posts)
In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [378459/19772/25]
Posted by grahame at 06:15, 20th August 2026
 
Cancellations to services between Par and Newquay

Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Par and Newquay fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
One of the trains that operates the Par to Newquay service has developed a fault that needs mechanical attention. We do have another train that is operating the service, which means we can only operate half of the service for the rest of today.
If you are wanting to travel to Newquay, please check your journey.

Re: NPPF revisions - more homes can be built near stations?
In "Looking forward - the next 2, 5, 10 and 20 years" [378458/32385/40]
Posted by Trowres at 22:56, 19th August 2026
 
How many stations are there that are:
a) outside settlements or in green belt AND
b) served by at least 4 trains per hour?

Would the policies listed in NPPF apply just to areas around existing stations or could a developer pay for a new one in order to make use of the NPPF rules? (though the new station would itself be subject to planning...)

Re: NPPF revisions - more homes can be built near stations?
In "Looking forward - the next 2, 5, 10 and 20 years" [378457/32385/40]
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:47, 19th August 2026
Already liked by GBM
 
The two line station picture (number 2) - Melksham in 2030?

Please don't encourage him.     


 
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