From RTT, it looks like a handful of services this evening have run from Paddington to Oxford, then disappeared from the reports until they emerge in Worcester having gone another way - presumably Cheltenham?

 

Another vote for Aspen but as II says it is more expensive. I'm looking at getting a generator as my water supply (from a borehole) needs electricity to power the pumps but the logistics around storing 'fresh' petrol keeps putting me off and the cost of more Aspen is also off putting.

 

My job meant working on a bunker and looking at the technology to keep it and the services it supported running in the event of nuclear war or social collapse but apparently I didn't get a place. I also had to sign various bits of paper before I was allowed in despite pointing out there was a Wikipedia page that was far more detailed than the handover I'd received.

 
At least they announced it early so people could try and make other arrangements.

 


Ah yes  - know it well.  Various parties saying "something must be done" for years.  It floods regularly but this sounds like a corker!

 
Does anyone have a prediction as to how this event will evolve? It's giving the impression that it has the potential for disrupting things for a day or five. Has the downpour caused serious damage anywhere?

Mark

 
Melksham has a local issue - something called the Clackers Brook rather going for it - it's already exceeded its 'Highest ever'...

Mark

https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/9279

 

I suspect Highway’s England have been run off their feet booking hotels for journeys motorists couldn’t complete because of flooding on their network!!!!

 

Probably get drenched by the bow wave!

 
Hmm. 

A random sink hole appearing (or, more accurately, disappearing) on your petrol station forecourt is not really what you want?  I'd be straight on to the surveyor's department, regarding the searches they did before I bought the site. 

 
You could pop down to the station to see the (presumably) IET forming a Swindon-Bristol special, via Westbury. Currentl "bang line" between Wootton Bassett Jn and Chippenham.

Not stopping at Melksham.

 

When I saw the "No Fuel" sign outside our nearby Tesco filling station, I thought this had started - not that I care. But it was just a hole that had appeared on the forecourt somewhere. Until fixed, tanker deliveries could not be made.

 

Me neither. I spent part of a flight from Keflavik to Vancouver learning how to say "Eyjafjallajökull"* but didn't have time enough for any other Icelandic names.

(Much of the rest was spent watching Spongebob Squarepants, my first encounter with the yellow absorbent and porous chap.)

 
Many A roads up here in Oxfordshire.....

 

To be fair to GWR, a lot of minor roads are impassable due to flooding…. and not many coach operators would be willing to risk damage to their vehicles by going through flood water

 

I'm seeing report of flooding outside The Bear here.   Wondering if I should go down there, stick my nose in when there's nothing I can do like a councillor, or let the those who can help do something.

 
It's been raining steadily here in Nailsea for the past 48 hours - and, no, I haven't ventured outside just to measure it. 

 
There has been 1.75 inches of rain since midnight in Swindon (2 inches in the last 24 hours) - and it is still raining.

 
I have just spent the past 20 consecutive (well, almost) weekdays travelling from Warminster to Southampton General Hospital for Radiotherapy treatment. It has been one of the most miserable, soul destroying experiences of my life.

I am not talking about the superb, professional service I got at the hospital, with ultra modern equipment – I am talking about the abysmal GWR excuse for a rail service on the Portsmouth to Cardiff route.

It is difficult to know where to start - or finish:

The rolling stock is well past its sell by date – but I don’t think anyone would take it as a gift, let alone part with good money for it.  The so-called internal “refresh” is best likened to “polishing a t**d” – from a distance it doesn’t look too bad, on slightly closer inspection it is a complete waste of money. These seats are a complete disaster, they seem to have taken the original “cushions”  and just recovered them with new fabric. Even the new covers look as though they were made by someone who didn’t know a sewing machine from a sausage filling machine. The old filling inside the new covers has long since collapsed and has no cushioning effect whatsoever.

Many of the windows have broken down and are full of condensation - did they ever replace them anyway ?

The trains themselves are just not long enough: They are grossly overcrowded for much of the time - especially when there is a cruise ship (or 2) in.  I only travelled once on a five car train, the vast majority of trains are 3 car with the odd 2 car thrown in to liven up the platform scrums ! How much money was wasted lengthening platforms to 5 cars !!! Time keeping was just about acceptable (usually within 10 mins) – if the train turned up at all. I was lucky in only having one cancellation – but there were plenty on the boards around me.

I often used the “Hampshire 6” as far Salisbury on the return trip, just to avoid GWR – bliss ! How old are SWRs’ 158s ? The seats are still fabulous – the cushions still live up to that description.

I just hope my treatment is a success – I’m not sure if I could take that experience again !

(It took me a long time to get photos of those empty seats)

 

This is the post I was referring to - directly above mine, so reasonably obvious - and IS weather-related.

 
Exactly 5 years on, I'm simply going to 'bump' this topic, to offer that information again to our more recent readers - and to encourage them to register.

Chris from Nailsea. 

 

Direct quote from GWR "We had a reduced timetable in place due to engineering work and crew shortages and severe weather has affected the remaining services I am afraid" - so a bit of everything.

They are also telling their customers that they won't be rearranging replacement transport but if you can arrange your own they will reimburse, and whilst not being quite so explicit, suggesting that hotel bills will be met for those stranded. Apparently Paddington is predictably appalling.

What arrangements will be made for any vulnerable customers, or those who don't have the means to make upfront payments, God knows.

 
1.  Reading, transfer deck.

Blimey!  I'd forgotten I was there on that day. 

 
'Heavy rain flooding the railway' is perhaps understandable - Storm Bert and all that. 

But such a litany of 'cancellation due to a shortage of train crew' shows that GWR are now merely providing a 'Monday to Friday' train service. 

CfN. 

 

Yes - lots of "and"s.   

I have put a calculator at https://www.greatwesternrailway.info/fairfare.html and you can experiment from there. Please forgive the poor formatting so far.