The Coffee Shop is happy to carry appropriate on-theme content contibutions irrespective of who contibutes it.  That inlcudes, for example, authors adverising their own books on relevant topics, attractions telling us about their locations and events, and transport operators sharing their history and news.   Audienece-wise, we are quite small because we are a bit niche and obscure, so such posts do not flood us.

In my mailbox this morning - and far from the first time:


I have on occasions in the past answered individually to confirm that anyone can post on the Coffee Shop, without any payment, by signing up as a member.  That requires acceptance of our forum agreement which includes the guidelines, a copy of which may be found at https://www.passenger.chat/r1761.html .  But bearing in mind the repeating nature of this request, it's far better to provide a standard and consistent answer - hence this thread, that I or anyone else can refer enquirers too.

As an aside ... the question may open from approaches like this "should be take branded advertising through the site, giving commercial and other organiations high placement for the payment of a fee which would go towards the running costs and future developents of the Coffee Shop".  That would be something for discussion out of public view, but at the time of writing (and nearly 20 years on from our foundation) I've not seen any great need nor desire to do this.  Times do change and many sites that carry news now also carry adertising and/or make a charge for access to their content - it would be foolish to say "never" but it's not exactly likely to happen any time soon.

If you are a content provider, please feel free to sign up and publish content.  The forum agreement will lay down what is and isn't appropriate content, and our members through there interactions many well help your articles bubble up above other content as they like and comment, and events added to the calendar will receive extra ptomotion as "upcoming" a few weeks before they run.  Very occassionally, our moderator team may even make a topic you have instigated "sticky" making it one of the headline topics even as newer posts would normally push it down the page.

 

Err ... not sure what train that is?  Could be the train that's normally the 07:45 Westbury to Swindon, extended back to start from Salisbury this week in place of a Salisbury - Bristol working which can't get through because of the engineering between Bath and Bristol.    And I suspect the "tree blocking the railway" is the one on the Golden Valley line not on the TransWilts, but with congestion at Swindon, no room for it there.   

Never mind - there's another trains from Melksham (for example) at 10:02 and I'm sure your employer will be understanding. You could, of course "If you require further information please speak to our staff at the station or on the train, use the Customer Help Point" use the help point.  Not unknown for station maintenance staff to appear at Melksham occasionally, so it's just possible that's relevant advice.  Speaking to staff on the train is kinda impossible if the train has been cancelled and doesn't turn up.

 

 
Alterations to services between Reading and Newbury

Due to a points failure between Reading and Newbury some lines are closed.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 08:15 27/10.

Customer Advice
Owing to a points failure in the Reading West area we are currently unable to operate train services between Reading and Newbury in either direction; other routes are unaffected.

 
Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to the emergency services dealing with an incident between London Paddington and Reading all lines are blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 09:00 27/10.
Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-

A person has been struck by a train, leading to all lines being blocked. It is necessary to bring all trains in the affected area to an immediate stop.

 
When I was supposed to be on the Night Riviera during a storm that sleeping onboard didn’t happen. On the trip down to Cornwall we had taken the South West Trains route via Yeovil which was the only line still open to the South West On the Sunday night before the way back we were told that and the line between Exeter and Yeovil had become impassible, but I cannot remember why. FGW had laid on an HST to get us to Plymouth where we would have hotel rooms.

When I asked why we couldn’t have just have boarded the sleeper at Penzance which could have made it as far as Exeter. Then continued sleeping on-board the train parked up in a platform at St Davids before getting a Replacement Bus to Tiverton Parkway the next morning. The explanation was that the driver had to remain on the train in the cab if we were onboard. We did all get a full refund.

 
An update, from the BBC:

 
I do note your point, ChrisB, but most of the Scottish press, in particular, have already chosen to name it Chloe.

See the Scottish Daily Express, STV News, Edinburgh News, Yahoo News UK, The National Scot and The Herald Scotland - just for example.

I only quote here what is reported by them: I don't decide whether the content of their news item is accurate - or otherwise.

CfN.

 
... all of which are probably the reasons Shiona Rolfe, Managing Director of Cross Country Trains, was rather 'hedging her bets' on the possibility of Cross Country trains stopping at Bridgwater.

I was unfortunately not able to attend the TravelWatch SouthWest meeting in Taunton on Friday 9 October 2026, but I understand that is where the discussion originated.

CfN.

 
Errrr.....it hasn't (yet) been named - and the Met Office indicated thais morning that they won't unless it gets a lot worse....

 
I'm trying to picture the route into the Friary for rail replacement buses heading north past Temple Meads and not doing very well, and then also thinking that if passengers are being set down before the roundabout there, that *is* a hike.

 
Buses are all fully compliant for accessibility, with audio and visual next stop info, there is a distinct lack of GWR staff present at the rail replacement buses to provide info and passenger assistance. There’s 2 coordinators from Transport Solutions. It’s quite a walk from where they are dropping passengers at temple meads at The Friary. GWR have told First transport solutions they’ve got extra staff on to assist but none have actually came out to the buses. Elderly and disabled are having to struggle in with their suitcases due to lack of passenger assistance despite it being requested when the buses are departing Bath, so giving 35-40 mins for them to walk out to meet the bus.

 
The up platform is 153m and the down 198m long.
You are limiting train length for multiple formations between Taunton and Bristol by stopping at Bridgwater with carriages being locked out of use after Bristol and from Plymouth.

4 car Class 221 = 95.04m
4 car Class 220 = 93.34m

And XC are severely overcrowded as it is without adding more potential traffic.

 
As a dispassionate outsider to Melksham, but temporarily residing here, I have to say that I am becoming a great fan of the Faresaver bus services here.

I have travelled from Melksham Market Place into Bath - service 272 in particular - and to Chippenham - service X34 even goes direct to the railway station there.

I have found those buses to be far more reliable than the sometimes rather flaky train services to and from Melksham.

Chris from (temporarily) Melksham.

 
Meanwhile - from the BBC:

 
Hmm.

Named storms seem to be rather like buses: you wait ages for one, then three turn up at once.

 
Having walked up Oxford Street myself earlier and spent the day in the area I can confirm it's chaotic.....buses roaring around side streets which were never designed for them, smaller shops which rely on daily deliveries struggling (no problem for the likes of John Lewis with warehouses) and traffic backing up everywhere.

Mayor Lord Sir Khan has excelled himself on this one. Solved one problem by creating a dozen others.

One thing I did find quite amusing walking back to the Tube station tonight, despite pedestrianisation everyone still walking on the pavements!

 

Chloe

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26668451.storm-chloe-scotland-faces-new-wind-warning-storm-boelo/

https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2026-10-26

 

It does but I fear you'll need to revisit the heading for a third time, given the as yet un-named storm that tracks up the west coast, albeit with its centre out to sea. It's expected to modify the height of the sea, and not in a good way especially given that we are at springs. Cue a slew of tide height warnings from today and with more tomorrow, particularly for Cumbria and Scotland, but elsewhere too.

 
Today's the first  day, and no doubt media other than the BBC will be covering it. Earlier on the BBC website had a short clip of some cyclists being  extremely reluctant to observe the ban on them using it and remonstrating with the Yellow Vests. Here's the Standard's take.

 

Comments brought to her attention.   In the meantime, here are my railway pics of the "Train" from Spain into Portugal, and our first three change stations

 
I wasn't really thinking about access. When I go past it there's usually a fair number of apparently able bodied people at the windows, so it was more a question of how it would affect them, as well as any disabled. It just seems quite a serious, and surprising, shortcoming for the busiest station in the South West.

 


In just the last couple of years, GoAhead and First have run summer services from Weymouth to and via Lulworth Cove, so close to each other other that they were overtaking each other to pick up at alternate stops.

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In Melksham, we had experience on both the 234 / x34 Chippenham to Trowbridge and Frome, and on the Bath / Melksham / Devizes corridor with D3, 271, 272, 273, x71 and x72.  In both cases, First Bus v Faresaver, and in both cases the service we are left with is Faresaver who have come forward into being a company doing a good job even though they came from a cherry-picking start.  We can and do work with them and (these days) they are far more responsive to the community that than the rail network is.   There are also good people at Wiltshire Council who have helped out county to no longer be the basket case of public transport.   That's not to say that all is perfect on the buses, nor that First who lost locally did not have some excellent people on their team.

 
A more recent example from Royal Wootton Bassett in 2017.   

When Go Ahead first took over Thamesdown Transport it started a route R1 from Swindon to Bassett every 15 minutes in competition with the established Stagecoach route 55.   Unsurprisingly Stagecoach responded by increasing its service to every 10 minutes.  Having 10 buses an hour between the towns was not going to be sustainable and after three months Thamesdown withdrew.   It wasn't long before Stagecoach reverted to its previous service of a bus every 20 minutes.

 

Personally, so would I; you and I and most members here have the knowledge of the local systems and geography to help us.

It's very interesting to - observe - different treatment of people younger/older, "disabled"/able, and if disabled visibly/invisibly.  It starts getting very personal for us these days and potentially something that should go into "Frequent Posters";  we appreciate help these days, sometimes it's misguided to the extent of being counterproductive and only if we or one of us cannot manage the standard product do we require special treatment.  Sometimes it comes, unnecessarily, from our apparance.   And the attitude / approach of staff is typically excellent if we are friendly and not demanding, whereas fellow passengers are very much in "survival of the fittest" mode - especially the occasional travellers ...

 
Stopping in Bridgwater, generally, requires serious consideration.

 
The late 1980s and early 1990s were the Wild West of bus deregulation.

I remember the town routes in Taunton having THREE competing operators. There was the legacy NBC operator, Southern National, privatised and management bought in 1988. Along came local coach operator Berrys, with a fleet of second hand Bristol VRs, to compete directly on town and feeder routes. Of course they had no interest in competing on the longer distance rural services. Southern National responded by acquiring a fleet of minibuses, with cheaper drivers, to force out Berrys. At one point my Grandparents on a Taunton housing estate were served by SIX buses an hour. Two per hour each for Southern National using Carlyle or Iveco bodied Ford Transits, with Berrys Beaverbus using double deckers. At this time there was also Taunton Bus with a mix of old single deckers and hoppa types. Fares went down to as low as 10p for a trip into town, which is around 30p today. Bonkers. The current single fare into town is £2.60!

Southern National could absorb the losses. The upstarts couldn't. It wasn't long before town and feeder services reverted to a single operator.

Today, the same housing area my Grandparents lived in, is served by Firstbus (Southern National successor) only. One single decker bus an hour.

 
The work to Earley footbridge should be under way now:

https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/roads/roads/major-projects/earley-station-footbridge-refurbishment

 
An update, from the BBC: