Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [375921/32124/50] Posted by TaplowGreen at 08:47, 13th June 2026 |      |
The latest available data has 50% of children being driven to school - that's a 23% increase over 20 years ago.
Probably no coincidence that children are getting much fatter too - 1 in 5 10 year olds are obese, that's frankly terrifying for future health.
| Re: South Western Railway "not good enough" since nationalisation In "South Western services" [375920/32126/42] Posted by grahame at 08:33, 13th June 2026 | |
........according to Heidi
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c802vv2vr8yo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c802vv2vr8yo
The Transport Secretary has admitted that South Western Railway (SWR) services have not been good enough since the franchise was renationalised.
Heidi Alexander, MP for Swindon South, told the House of Commons that the government would "leave no stone unturned" in making sure that the public had "a better travelling experience in the future".
Her comments came in response to a complaint by Woking's Liberal Democrat MP, Will Forster.
Heidi Alexander, MP for Swindon South, told the House of Commons that the government would "leave no stone unturned" in making sure that the public had "a better travelling experience in the future".
Her comments came in response to a complaint by Woking's Liberal Democrat MP, Will Forster.
South Western Railway have performance graphs on their website. Currently showing data up to period 1 (2026/27) - April into May 2026
| South Western Railway "not good enough" since nationalisation In "South Western services" [375919/32126/42] Posted by TaplowGreen at 08:13, 13th June 2026 | |
........according to Heidi
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c802vv2vr8yo
| Re: Daily services extended to give wider through trains In "Across the West" [375918/32114/26] Posted by REVUpminster at 07:59, 13th June 2026 | |
Last Saturday and today GWR have cancelled all London-Paignton trains advising travellers to change trains where necessary. Today of the seven diagrams covering Paignton-Exmouth the are four two car 150s diagrams The others being 2 x 3 car turbos and a 3 car 158) on the busiest day of the week.
| Brian Mathew MP - in support of improving use of rail network for communities In "TransWilts line" [375917/32125/18] Posted by grahame at 06:56, 13th June 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea, Mark A | |
From our MP's Newsletter (Brian Mathew, MP for Melksham and Devizes)
Speaking Up for Better Rail Services
This week I spoke during the Railways Bill debate in Parliament to make the case for better rail services across Wiltshire.
Wiltshire sits on a substantial rail network, yet too often our communities are simply passed through rather than properly served.
I highlighted the fact that Melksham still receives an average of only one train every two hours despite significant population growth, while over 30,000 people living around Devizes remain without direct rail access despite railway lines passing close by.
I argued that if the Government is serious about economic growth, sustainable transport and reducing congestion, then rural counties like Wiltshire must not be left behind.
That means improving services, supporting plans for Devizes Gateway Station, delivering more frequent local rail connections and ensuring that market towns can benefit from the opportunities that rail can bring.
Rail investment should not be reserved solely for major cities. Rural communities deserve modern, reliable and frequent public transport too.
This week I spoke during the Railways Bill debate in Parliament to make the case for better rail services across Wiltshire.
Wiltshire sits on a substantial rail network, yet too often our communities are simply passed through rather than properly served.
I highlighted the fact that Melksham still receives an average of only one train every two hours despite significant population growth, while over 30,000 people living around Devizes remain without direct rail access despite railway lines passing close by.
I argued that if the Government is serious about economic growth, sustainable transport and reducing congestion, then rural counties like Wiltshire must not be left behind.
That means improving services, supporting plans for Devizes Gateway Station, delivering more frequent local rail connections and ensuring that market towns can benefit from the opportunities that rail can bring.
Rail investment should not be reserved solely for major cities. Rural communities deserve modern, reliable and frequent public transport too.
Not a one-off call from Dr Mathew - he is consistent in his calls along these lines, and IMHO what he calls for makes sense and is practical to be done and to be financially, environmentally and quality-of-life effective.
| Re: Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [375916/32124/50] Posted by grahame at 06:22, 13th June 2026 | |
Why not aim higher?
I'd say it was closer to 80% in my day.
I'd say it was closer to 80% in my day.
As I understand it, there I much more freedom to choose your child's school these days and so the travel distances have gone up, and walking and cycling may be practical for less. I was, perhaps, unusual but not unique in travelling by train to school - Petts Wood to Sydenham Hill and then to Sevenoaks, totally beyond walking distance - but walking to and from the stations. On rare occasions, I cycled to Sevenoaks but even in those days the roads were far from cycle friendly. I have vague recollections of there being Mum's or Dad's taxis used for some at both schools, but as I used other entrances, I have no idea of volume.
Just on Thursday afternoon, I saw the 555 bus arrive at the top of our street and drop off half a dozen school children from Corsham. This is a double deck school service and I understand it is very fully loaded - to the extent that there is no encouragement to market it further though general public may use it if they wish. Other buses and coaches pick up from Melksham Market Place and it's educational to see the volumes picked up there on a school day for various other towns on both early service buses and special school runs.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
Dead right. It needs to be safe and practical. Our local secondary school has recently had a "new" path opened from the new build estates to the school, at massive expense (many consider it over-engineered) and that save a long walk around 3 sides of a square, including o a shared cycle and walking path on the side of the A365 which is really far too narrow for the traffic it was taking. Interesting, I write "new" - there has been a public footpath across the fields since before the school was located there, but it was rarely used by any school child; I can recall just one occasion when out walking the dog, mid-winter - seeing a boy using it, and stepping in and through the mud getting his shoes and trousers covered.
Drop off time may be an issue; pick up time is worse with all the parents arriving early to be there and close to save the little darlings having to walk too far. Car parking is inadequate for pickup, and unrestricted roads close to the school become linear car parks for a while.
The primary school which is about half a mile from our home (and was in my ward when I was a Town Councillor) has a serious issue. It's on a residential cut-de-sac off the main road into / out of town - loads of "no parking" bollards and there is - now - a new pelican crossing over the main road, so that people park in the housing opposite with the residents there less than thrilled. Talk of yellow lines, work being done on getting more children to walk, etc. The pub on the corner which has a large car park and the school community don't get on - I don't know the history in detail - but there's a chain across at school times and a large virtually empty tarmac area that should really be dual-use IMHO.
Other primary schools, such as the newer one in the East of Melksham estates, have similar problems with not only healthy getting to school but safety with all those cars and frustration from the residents (who knew the school was / would be there when they bought / rented). I recall an approach from one of the school teachers looking to introduce her class to bus use and asking me where she could take them. But the nearest and only practical bus stop only has services at 10:15 and 12:15 and they only go to the Town Centre - there are 3 return services in the afternoon that *will* go round past that stop if there are passengers on board to be dropped off.
| Re: GWR accused of disrupting Wales-England train links In "Across the West" [375915/32097/26] Posted by grahame at 05:46, 13th June 2026 | |
There still are summer Saturday trains from Pembroke Dock to London Paddington - today's at 10:02 and 15:02
https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/25448/from-the-archive-the-fishguard-boat-express/ is an interesting potted history of the Fishguard train but does not give an exact date it last ran. From https://historseye.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/britains-last-boat-trains/:
Fishguard was famously served by Great Western HSTs from London Paddington until 2003
From the Western Telegraph:
Welsh Labour has pledged to deliver a direct rail connection between Milford Haven and London as part of its wider plan to improve public transport and boost regional connectivity.
There were a number of Wales and West services into London Waterloo to support Eurostar when it ran from there from places such as Manchester and Maesteg - and I have vague memories that there might have been one from Milford Haven? Otherwise it was a long time ago| Re: GWR accused of disrupting Wales-England train links In "Across the West" [375914/32097/26] Posted by infoman at 02:43, 13th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Questions
Were their ever through services to London from Pembroke Dock or Milford haven in the last fifty years?
When did the West Wales(boat train) service cease between the port to Bristol Parkway which is now the 05:00 am ish service to London.
I still have the London to Fishguard journey video from 2002.
| Re: Richard Burningham MBE - retiring manager of the Devon & Cornwall Partnership In "Who's who on Western railways" [375912/6017/2] Posted by grahame at 21:59, 12th June 2026 | |
And another good - and varied - review ...
https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/26188799.richard-burningham-leaves-devon-cornwall-rail-role/
| Re: Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [375911/32124/50] Posted by TaplowGreen at 21:57, 12th June 2026 | |
Why not aim higher?
I'd say it was closer to 80% in my day.
| Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 In "Active travel: Cyclists and walkers, including how the railways deal with them" [375910/32124/50] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:01, 12th June 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035
At least 60% of children in England should be walking or cycling to school within a decade under the government's new active travel plans.
Ministers say millions more five-to-16-year-olds will be able to travel by foot or bike using thousands of safer routes promised under its "record" £4.5bn investment strategy.
At least half of all short trips in towns and cities should also be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2035 and a "national walking and cycling network" will be available on route mapping apps within five years, under the plans.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the strategy sought to make active travel "a practical choice for millions more journeys".
The latest government data, from 2023, suggested that 47% of children aged five to 16 usually walk or cycle to school.
Some 5,000 walking, wheeling and cycling routes and 10,000 "safer" crossings will be built by 2030 to meet the new target, the Department for Transport (DfT) said, which will be delivered alongside local authorities and Active Travel England.
There will be £135m spent on programmes training children to walk and cycle safely to school, and to help schools develop travel plans - although it is already commonplace that they encourage pupils to avoid car journeys.
Ministers also want 55% of short trips to be active by 2035 - including what is described as a "stage" of a journey, such as walking or cycling to onward public transport. The current level is 48%, according to the DfT.
The increase would mean 5.3m more people being physically active in towns and cities, ministers say.
The strategy also sets out plans to develop a national active travel network that is "usable at a national scale", including consistent signage and availability online alongside the road network.
The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, which promotes active travel, welcomed the "ambitious" new schools target, "that rightly includes secondary school pupils and explicitly recognises cycling".
"This represents a significant step forward in creating lasting benefits for children and young people," policy chief Rachel White said.
The Cycle to Work Alliance said safe infrastructure and affordable access to such travel routes were needed to change behaviour, "and this strategy is an important step towards delivering both".
Charity Living Streets described the plans as "bigger and braver" than previous strategies.
The announcement "recognises the power walking and wheeling holds to improve public health, boost local economies and bring communities together," the group's chief executive, Catherine Woodhead, added.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
Health Secretary James Murray said the plan would "help more people build exercise into their everyday lives, improving public health and supporting our ambition to reduce pressure on the NHS".
Transport is largely devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning the plan does not apply to these parts of the UK.
The previous Welsh Labour government had said 45% of journeys should be by "sustainable modes" by 2040, with active school travel playing a key part - though a Senedd committee warned in December that progress towards that figure had been "painfully slow".
Northern Ireland had set a target for 20% of all journeys shorter than one mile (1.6km) be cycled by 2025 and, under its 2022 Climate Change Act, committed to spending 10% of its transport budget on active travel. Its national audit office warned in September that neither target appeared to have been met.
Scotland is aiming for walking and cycling to be the most popular choice for short journeys by 2030. Government data suggests levels have stayed roughly the same since 2012, at 1-2% for cycling and around 50% for walking respectively.
At least 60% of children in England should be walking or cycling to school within a decade under the government's new active travel plans.
Ministers say millions more five-to-16-year-olds will be able to travel by foot or bike using thousands of safer routes promised under its "record" £4.5bn investment strategy.
At least half of all short trips in towns and cities should also be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2035 and a "national walking and cycling network" will be available on route mapping apps within five years, under the plans.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the strategy sought to make active travel "a practical choice for millions more journeys".
The latest government data, from 2023, suggested that 47% of children aged five to 16 usually walk or cycle to school.
Some 5,000 walking, wheeling and cycling routes and 10,000 "safer" crossings will be built by 2030 to meet the new target, the Department for Transport (DfT) said, which will be delivered alongside local authorities and Active Travel England.
There will be £135m spent on programmes training children to walk and cycle safely to school, and to help schools develop travel plans - although it is already commonplace that they encourage pupils to avoid car journeys.
Ministers also want 55% of short trips to be active by 2035 - including what is described as a "stage" of a journey, such as walking or cycling to onward public transport. The current level is 48%, according to the DfT.
The increase would mean 5.3m more people being physically active in towns and cities, ministers say.
The strategy also sets out plans to develop a national active travel network that is "usable at a national scale", including consistent signage and availability online alongside the road network.
The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, which promotes active travel, welcomed the "ambitious" new schools target, "that rightly includes secondary school pupils and explicitly recognises cycling".
"This represents a significant step forward in creating lasting benefits for children and young people," policy chief Rachel White said.
The Cycle to Work Alliance said safe infrastructure and affordable access to such travel routes were needed to change behaviour, "and this strategy is an important step towards delivering both".
Charity Living Streets described the plans as "bigger and braver" than previous strategies.
The announcement "recognises the power walking and wheeling holds to improve public health, boost local economies and bring communities together," the group's chief executive, Catherine Woodhead, added.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
Health Secretary James Murray said the plan would "help more people build exercise into their everyday lives, improving public health and supporting our ambition to reduce pressure on the NHS".
Transport is largely devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning the plan does not apply to these parts of the UK.
The previous Welsh Labour government had said 45% of journeys should be by "sustainable modes" by 2040, with active school travel playing a key part - though a Senedd committee warned in December that progress towards that figure had been "painfully slow".
Northern Ireland had set a target for 20% of all journeys shorter than one mile (1.6km) be cycled by 2025 and, under its 2022 Climate Change Act, committed to spending 10% of its transport budget on active travel. Its national audit office warned in September that neither target appeared to have been met.
Scotland is aiming for walking and cycling to be the most popular choice for short journeys by 2030. Government data suggests levels have stayed roughly the same since 2012, at 1-2% for cycling and around 50% for walking respectively.
| Re: Richard Burningham MBE - retiring manager of the Devon & Cornwall Partnership In "Who's who on Western railways" [375909/6017/2] Posted by RailCornwall at 21:01, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
It was a pleasure working as a volunteer with Richard leading during the opening week of the Penryn loop and the expansion of the Falmouth line services that resulted from it's opening. (quite how he trusted me with the Hornby set I really can't imagine). Do enjoy your retirement Richard.
| Re: On luggage In "Introductions and chat" [375908/32122/1] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 20:54, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea, Oxonhutch, Western Pathfinder, grahame | |
I stayed in a budget hotel last night which had a real bath, quite a rare luxury nowadays and probably only because the bathroom hadn't been updated for a while. It was missing the plug however and I couldn't be bothered to go to reception to see if they had one. Ended up placing a mug carefully over the hole to have a good soak and wishing I still carried a universal one as I used to in my youth when I could find myself having a full wash in all sorts of unsuitable places with a sink only intended for rinsing hands (trains, youth hostels etc).
That plug, a toothbrush and the InterCity timetable booklet were always in my work bag in case of one of the spur-of-the-moment trips I sometimes indulged in back when I was young and foolish.
| Re: GWR Evening Day Returns, Exeter area trial. In "Fare's Fair" [375907/32117/4] Posted by stuving at 20:17, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
We have the railways to thank for the introduction of a "universal" common time across Britain - but we now seem to be going backwards again.
GWR is introducing an "evening" ticket which starts at 1800.............but SWR already have an "evening" ticket which starts at 1200. Perhaps the new fangled Great British Railways will be able to agree to a common nationwide time at which the "evening" is deemed to start !
GWR is introducing an "evening" ticket which starts at 1800.............but SWR already have an "evening" ticket which starts at 1200. Perhaps the new fangled Great British Railways will be able to agree to a common nationwide time at which the "evening" is deemed to start !
I doubt anyone would say their evening out starts at 12:00. It must be more like the earliest start needed for an evening out - most likely in London, for SWR. It took me a while to twig I could use one of these for a Lunch and afternoon trip to Reading. Obviously for longer journeys it will be more limited to a proper evening out - but then they are not sold for beyond Basingstoke (and not all get super off-peak either)!
| Re: GWR Evening Day Returns, Exeter area trial. In "Fare's Fair" [375906/32117/4] Posted by grahame at 20:05, 12th June 2026 | |
We have the railways to thank for the introduction of a "universal" common time across Britain - but we now seem to be going backwards again.
GWR is introducing an "evening" ticket which starts at 1800.............but SWR already have an "evening" ticket which starts at 1200. Perhaps the new fangled Great British Railways will be able to agree to a common nationwide time at which the "evening" is deemed to start !
GWR is introducing an "evening" ticket which starts at 1800.............but SWR already have an "evening" ticket which starts at 1200. Perhaps the new fangled Great British Railways will be able to agree to a common nationwide time at which the "evening" is deemed to start !
An online look tells us:
Evenings begins when the sun is low on the horizon, following dusk and twilight, and often concludes when it is time to go to bed
Logic, then, is for evening tickets to be available for journeys completed less than 120 minutes before sunset, which is a defined, published, respected time for every place across the UK and is updated thoroughly in multiple places. since "time to go to bed" is typically when you get home, the return should be through to end of service, and perhaps extended to the first service in the morning.
| Re: GWR Evening Day Returns, Exeter area trial. In "Fare's Fair" [375905/32117/4] Posted by Clan Line at 19:02, 12th June 2026 | |
We have the railways to thank for the introduction of a "universal" common time across Britain - but we now seem to be going backwards again.
GWR is introducing an "evening" ticket which starts at 1800.............but SWR already have an "evening" ticket which starts at 1200. Perhaps the new fangled Great British Railways will be able to agree to a common nationwide time at which the "evening" is deemed to start !
| Re: Richard Burningham MBE - retiring manager of the Devon & Cornwall Partnership In "Who's who on Western railways" [375903/6017/2] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:39, 12th June 2026 Already liked by JayMac | |
I have had the pleasure of meeting Richard several times, over the past nearly twenty years.
Richard is a valued member and authoritative contributor to well-informed discussions on the Coffee Shop forum: I have moved and merged here a previous topic.
Thank you, Richard, with my very best wishes for your long and happy retirement.
Chris from Nailsea.
| Re: GWR Evening Day Returns, Exeter area trial. In "Fare's Fair" [375902/32117/4] Posted by Mark A at 18:32, 12th June 2026 Already liked by grahame | |
I'm raising a glass to the... glasses we raised on a train, travelling on what might have been the UK's best value rover ticket at the time... it was called something like the 'Cambrian Coast evening day ranger', covered Aberystwyth to Pwllheli, valid after... it was either 5:30 pm or six, and cost either sixty pence or seventy-five. (This was ~1979, mind...).
Four of these tickets enabled a sunny summer evening run from Aber as far as Morfa Mawddach, for four, on a (pleasantly) fragrant and characterful series of diesel trains with a view out of the front - and a brief pause in the evening light at the former junction station while the train that had taken us there crossed the river and freed up the southbound service to collect us.
Mark
| Re: Richard Burningham MBE - retiring manager of the Devon & Cornwall Partnership In "Who's who on Western railways" [375901/6017/2] Posted by bobm at 16:41, 12th June 2026 Already liked by JayMac | |
More time for real ale then.
| Re: Richard Burningham MBE - retiring manager of the Devon & Cornwall Partnership In "Who's who on Western railways" [375900/6017/2] Posted by JayMac at 16:26, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A, trainbuff | |
Have a wonderful, railway journey filled retirement, RichardB.
| Re: Richard Burningham MBE - retiring manager of the Devon & Cornwall Partnership In "Who's who on Western railways" [375897/6017/2] Posted by grahame at 16:10, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea, Mark A, johnneyw, trainbuff | |
In Richard's own words, shared in public on Facebook:
And there we have it - the end of a long career. I had a lovely send off last Friday in Looe, organised by my long time deputy (and successor) Rebecca Catterall and also attended by the Partnership's two Chairs to date, David Pinder and current Chair Jon Shaw, the rest of the Team, the Partners and many others I have worked with over the years.
Thanks too to everyone who donated and left a message for my leaving gift. Very much appreciated.
Good luck to Rebecca as she takes the Partnership forward. Mike and Betsy too.
Thanks too to everyone who donated and left a message for my leaving gift. Very much appreciated.
Good luck to Rebecca as she takes the Partnership forward. Mike and Betsy too.
I strongly commend members to read Richard's full career story at https://dcrp.org.uk/long-time-devon-cornwall-branch-line-stalwart-retires/. Although the writeup majors on his achievements in the South West, Richard has been a positive worker, inspiration, and influencer far, far wider than in just those two counties. Richard - enjoy your retirement; I hope (and suspect) that we'll still see you around as your love for what you've been doing has shone through. A good chance - and with a personal tinge from me - to say "Thank you".
| On luggage In "Introductions and chat" [375896/32122/1] Posted by grahame at 15:07, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A, PrestburyRoad | |
I was lifting 100 lbs onto trains across Europe. Of that, I was carrying 42 lbs on my back and dragging 26 lbs in a suitcase. It worked, it can be done, and it was for two of us including mobility aids which I appreciate are requirements these days for Lisa, and medical supplies for myself. But headed off onto leg 3 of my Interrail trip next week (on my own) , and going to see if I can do that with 20 to 25 lbs.
Paper is heavy - so I have just dowloaded both the European Rail Timetable and the three volumes of the European Rail Atlas. My own medical supplies are more bulky than heavy, but I am switching - having had a chat with the experts - to re-usable elements for the most part. A clipboard taken to provide a firm backing to writing turned out to be unnecessary, and a bag of Euro cents from previous trips was unopened. The HighVis station friends tabard I always carry and is very occasionally useful in the UK is - thinking it through - something I can't see myself using once I am on the continent. The picnic plastic plates, with knives and forks will be replaced by the excellent card ones collected from under a meal in Switzerland, and wooden knives and forks - one of each. I can leave out the chopsticks that were accidentally at the bottom of my bag all week.
Some things remain - the long cable attached to the power adaptor for recharging, and the long cable from that to our laptops. They are a godsend for hotel rooms where the power socket is nowhere near the bedside, and on trains where the power is above your head. And a couple of other adaptors and cables so I can charge from USB, USB-c and a multitude of sockets including continental and Italian. A recharge pack so that my phone / camera can last all day, even on exciting routes where there are 100s of pictures to take, and I'm burning up power using my phone as a hotspot too. My laptop comes too - I need a computer and a keyboard; in March, I bought one of the new Mac Neo machines which is marginally smaller that the air I was using, considerably smaller than Lisa's Pro which was also in that 100 lbs, and provided more then enough cpu umph while I travel.
Clothing - I carried a cold weather jacket which I only used once, but I feel to be necessary even on occasional use. Likewise I carry copies of insurance papers and passport copy which I hope I never have to refer to. Shirts, trousers, socks, underwear - 3 sets of each so I can have two in circulation, rinse and wash overnight, and still be OK if things don't dry. And I should take a small towel - I neglected the importance of this, in spite of having read the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
Let's see how I do for when I set out next ... and how I do during the trip ...
Some pictures that have helped and hindered with loads of luggage.
Many, but not all, trains have some doors with better access than this. And there is no need for every door on a train to be level / easy access if you know where to go on the train. Station boards that show the zones are very useful!
The standard-to-first differential on Interrail is small enough to make it affordable without feeling stung, but sometimes it's truely "upper class"
| Re: GWR Evening Day Returns, Exeter area trial. In "Fare's Fair" [375895/32117/4] Posted by ChrisB at 14:51, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A, Richard Fairhurst | |
The are efforts afoot to try & get them to reinstate the Oxford ticket too....
| Re: Bridge strike 11/6/26 WCML between Rugby and Nuneaton In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [375894/32118/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 14:24, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
An update, from the BBC:
Arrest after railway bridge collapse
A man has been arrested for endangering a railway passenger after a railway bridge partially collapsed in Warwickshire when it was hit by a lorry.
The 64-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of failure to stop following a collision.
Warwickshire Police said it was called to Marston Lane, Whitestone, at 15:30 BST on Thursday.
Network Rail said the bridge was "seriously damaged" in the crash but confirmed no-one was injured, while rail passengers have been warned of continued disruption on the West Coast Main Line.
The crash caused the road to be closed between Forders Lane and Nuneaton Road, and blocked the core railway line, which runs between London and Scotland via the West Midlands.
On Friday, National Rail said the lines between Nuneaton and Rugby had reopened, but trains were running at a reduced speed and might still be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 10 minutes.
Disruption was expected until at least 15:00 BST, they added.
Passengers were advised to check their routes before travelling and to allow extra time for their journeys.
The West Coast Main Line runs from London Euston to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh, with stations including Manchester Piccadilly, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Coventry and Milton Keynes along the route.
The bridge collapse affects both Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway services, National Rail added.
A spokesperson confirmed tickets dated for Thursday could be used on services on Friday.
They added that, if passengers no longer wished to travel due to their train being delayed or cancelled, they could request a full refund from where they bought their tickets.
Network Rail there were 1,666 reported bridge strikes between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
A spokesperson said most of the vehicles that hit railway bridges were lorries and buses, at a cost of about £13,000 each time – costing about £23m in a year in repairs
Research as part of a campaign, they added, found more than two-fifths of lorry drivers admitted not measuring their vehicle before heading out on the road, and 52% admitted to not taking low bridges into account.
A man has been arrested for endangering a railway passenger after a railway bridge partially collapsed in Warwickshire when it was hit by a lorry.
The 64-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of failure to stop following a collision.
Warwickshire Police said it was called to Marston Lane, Whitestone, at 15:30 BST on Thursday.
Network Rail said the bridge was "seriously damaged" in the crash but confirmed no-one was injured, while rail passengers have been warned of continued disruption on the West Coast Main Line.
The crash caused the road to be closed between Forders Lane and Nuneaton Road, and blocked the core railway line, which runs between London and Scotland via the West Midlands.
On Friday, National Rail said the lines between Nuneaton and Rugby had reopened, but trains were running at a reduced speed and might still be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 10 minutes.
Disruption was expected until at least 15:00 BST, they added.
Passengers were advised to check their routes before travelling and to allow extra time for their journeys.
The West Coast Main Line runs from London Euston to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh, with stations including Manchester Piccadilly, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Coventry and Milton Keynes along the route.
The bridge collapse affects both Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway services, National Rail added.
A spokesperson confirmed tickets dated for Thursday could be used on services on Friday.
They added that, if passengers no longer wished to travel due to their train being delayed or cancelled, they could request a full refund from where they bought their tickets.
Network Rail there were 1,666 reported bridge strikes between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
A spokesperson said most of the vehicles that hit railway bridges were lorries and buses, at a cost of about £13,000 each time – costing about £23m in a year in repairs
Research as part of a campaign, they added, found more than two-fifths of lorry drivers admitted not measuring their vehicle before heading out on the road, and 52% admitted to not taking low bridges into account.
| Re: GWR Evening Day Returns, Exeter area trial. In "Fare's Fair" [375893/32117/4] Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 13:34, 12th June 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Devon did of course have an evening ticket until 2018, as did Oxford:
https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20804.0
| Re: Return to Aachen 2026 - bad and good experiences In "Introductions and chat" [375892/32121/1] Posted by eightonedee at 13:08, 12th June 2026 Already liked by PrestburyRoad, eXPassenger | |
Part 2 – A day out in Maastricht – and some reflections on our trip
Needless to say, we did not get up very early the following day, but still undertook our day trip to Maastricht.
Although it’s less than 20 miles from Aachen to Maastricht, it takes about 50 minutes to travel by train between the two. It is not a very direct route, a direct line having been closed many years ago, part now being a heritage railway. Instead, it runs via Heerlen, stopping frequently. It is quite an attractive part of the world, green rolling country with Heerlen the only substantial town. Look out for Valkenburg station en route which claims to be the oldest in the Netherlands, and looks like it was built in the Scots Baronial Gothic style.
The service is run by Arriva, who took over the local rail services in Dutch Limburg and Maastricht’s buses from Veolia in 2016, and have since also taken over local trains east of Liege in Belgium. Their services also extend into the area around Aachen in Germany. They use two- and three-coach articulated Stadler trains, which were clean and comfortable. Both trains and busses are in a blue and white livery, with a prominent rampant red lion, symbol of Limburg, a region covering this area where Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet. There is a half-hourly clockface service between Aachen and Maastricht.
Maastricht itself is well worth a visit. It has a fine 1913 brick-built station with step gables, a large entrance hall and waiting area. From there, a wide tree-lined avenues with cafes leads to the St Servatius bridge across the Maas/Meuse, part ancient bridge, part a lifting bridge with an ingenious extending ramp mechanism that enables pedestrians to continue to use it when raised. This takes you to the old city centre, with two of the oldest church buildings in the Netherlands, one of the oldest city gates and a pleasant large market place where you can eat and drink.
At Aachen, the ticket machine did not like my UK bank cards, so I tried the “Go Rheinland” ticket counter where we could get a regional day rover ticket covering local/regional trains, buses and trams in a considerable area covering Hasselt and Liege in Belgium, Roermond in the Netherlands and parts of North Rhine – Westphalia in Germany, all for 23-50 Euros.
Both the train there and back ran on time. Well done, Arriva.
Our return home also went smoothly. As with last year’s trip, SNCB selected their own trains (a slow local to Liege, from where we took the long-distance Eupen-Ostend train to Brussels Midi). The Eurostar, TfL and GWR got us back home with only one hiccup that worked in our favour. The Didcot Parkway train before the one we were aiming to catch was delayed, so we caught this, which then missed Slough and Twyford to arrive a minute or so late at Goring, but half-an-hour before we expected to get there.
I am still not a fan of the experience at Brussels Midi. The food outlets are either side of a busy subway which could be wider and suffers from what appears to be a Belgian habit of people walking through crowded areas at speed while looking intently at their mobile phones. The area where you wait after checking in is not really big enough, made worse by the siting of a substantial airport-style duty free shop through which you have to walk to get to the departure lounge. Please SNCB, reduce it in size, convert part to extra seating and part to a few more catering outlets.
It is also striking that by far the worse performing transport provider (again!) was nationalised DB. Contrast this with what appeared to be Arriva’s well run and integrated cross-border offering in Limburg. Please could Hilary Alexander and Lord Hendy stop trying to convince us that public ownership will cure all our transport problems. It’s well-trained motivated people on the ground and shrewd well-directed investment that is needed, from whatever source.
