I had to look up ATP - "Automatic Train Protection" turns out to be "Accessible Travel Policy".  I don't have the context in which the reply was written - so I hope it's a term you used, chuffed, in which case their use of it in writing to you is AOK - otherwise, it's rail jargon, and shouldn't be used without explanation to customers.

The rail industry has "created itself" a problem with multiple gated entrance stations where they offer a complete staffed ticketing service outside only one of them.   Typically the reason for multiple entrances is to reach a different customer catchment area.   You see the same thing at Chippenham.  Bath Spa - less of an issue; it's very easy and perhaps reasonable there to some across the bridge over the Avon from Widcombe and walk under to the ticket office. It would be no shorter to go in and out through 2 sets of barriers.

As an after thought - why is this only an issue for passengers with a disability - or is in an issue for all?  Cynthia Doe gets off the no. 8 bus with her twins in their pushchair, and needs access to the ticket office / travel centre ...

East West rail has been a huge topic of discussion here - I just search for "East West Rail" on the Coffee Shop and found 165 posts in 57 threads ...

TfW have been running route learning services into Temple Meads for the last couple of weeks.  On Monday I saw a class 150 and two class 153's running together from Temple Meads up to Parkway then reversing to head back to Wales.

Dear Chris

You are receiving this message because you opted in to receive updates from us about operational railway activity in your area.

You may have seen that we are expecting the arrival of Storm Austen which will bring some severe weather in the coming days where you live. The Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain affecting parts of Wales and South West England on Friday, and gusts of 50–60mph possible more widely across the warning area. Stronger winds are possible in some exposed coastal locations.

We anticipate there will be some impact to railway services and we want to keep trains moving as much as possible during this time.

One of the issues that affects the railway during severe weather is debris blowing on to the track and overhead lines. We would be very grateful if you could check your gardens, yards and communal areas to ensure garden furniture, trampolines and anything that may blow on to the railway line during windy weather is secure. This might seem like a small thing but it really helps us to provide a safe and reliable railway during stormy weather. 

We're not waiting for the weather to arrive before we take action. Teams across the railway are working hard behind the scenes to prepare - carrying out extra inspections, improving drainage, managing vegetation and strengthening infrastructure to reduce the impact on journeys wherever possible.

We really appreciate you being our eyes and ears along the railway. If you see anything that looks unsafe such as: 
- Fences that have blown down that provide access to the railway
- Fallen trees or branches hanging over the railway 
- Debris that has blown on to or near the track or anything that looks unsafe

Please call us on our emergency 24 hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41

Passengers planning to travel on Friday and Saturday should check local services before travelling as speed restrictions and amended timetables will be in place. You can check GWR services here: Check Train Journeys | Journey Planner | Great Western Railway and for Transport for Wales here: Travel information | TfW

Thank you for your continued support and please follow local advice to stay safe during Storm Austen. 

While we're doing everything we can to keep customers moving, weather on this scale may sometimes mean delays, cancellations or changes to services to keep everyone safe. If disruption does occur, please bear with us. We'll keep you informed, support you throughout your journey and work tirelessly to get you back on track as quickly as possible.

Winslow Station Protest

Two years ago yesterday East West Rail, including Winslow Station, became an operational railway. Since then we’ve been told Chiltern claim the station wasn’t built fit for purpose. We’ve heard unions and the Government are at loggerheads over whether there should be a sevond person on trains. We’ve heard the platforms are too short and will have to be lengthened. We’ve heard millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been wasted because of the delay. We’ve heard excuse after excuse. It’s now time to make our voices heard. I’m organising a protest outside Winslow Station on Saturday 21st November from 11am to 1pm. Please let me know if you can come. It’s an absolute scandal - we need to do what it takes to get this service running

Dawlish looks to be very exposed to this for a while, as the wind direction is from the south for a while, albeit in the small hours.

Just a smidge over ten years ago it was 0% electric, 0% bimode, 100% diesel.

Surely a solution is provide a place to buy tickets at this new entrance?
A couple of machines would mean people can buy a ticket

11:52 London Paddington to Hereford due 14:43 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

15:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 18:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

The new data also has a split by traction type (table 1.1)
GWR is 1034 vehicles, just 12% are electric, 30% diesel, 59% bimode

and a regular pairing makes a reappearance:

[SNIP]

ISTR, that the dedicated graveyard, situated on a hillside nearby was recently refurbished. Each grave is marked by an arch of white marble, these had not stood up to the weather and were refurbished/renewed.
I visited the graveyard before the restoration, and was saddened by the (then) poor state of repair.

It's instructive to take a Streetview ramble around the station at Dinting. Are those 1954-era headspans from 1500 volt days?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zsEeJEdnxxLUwUPg6

I think they would be called portals; not headspans, but yes, the structures are from the original electrification. Even the characteristic inverted-A that holds the registration arms for the catenary.

The lines from Liverpool Street to Shenfield were electrified around the same time as Woodhead and also at 1500V DC. Although the li.nes have been converted (twice! - to 6.25kV AC in 1960/61 and then 25kV in 1979/80) the original design of overhead is still evident. E.g this photo of Romford that appears on the Wikipedia page for that station:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Romford_railway_station_MMB_10_315802.jpg

Network Rail and Great Western Railway are amending services after the Met Office issued an amber weather warning – its second highest – for strong winds and gusts, which could exceed 80mph in coastal areas.

Strong winds increase the risk of trees and other debris falling on to the railway. To keep trains running safely, lower speed limits will be introduced on routes in Devon and Cornwall between the start of service and 1300.

Speed restrictions mean that there will be fewer trains running than normal. Those trains that do run are expected to be busier and some journeys could take longer than usual.

Long-distance services will run between London Paddington and Plymouth only, with local services providing a shuttle between Penzance and Plymouth.

Tomorrow (Thursday) night’s Sleeper service from London Paddington will terminate at Plymouth.

Other services in the region are likely to change as we seek to minimise the impact of the storm and some early-morning services will be cancelled to allow us to assess the impact of any damage in full daylight.

Full details of the amended timetable will be published at GWR.com/check from tomorrow. GWR and Network Rail will continue to update customers throughout Friday as conditions change

Plymouth used a footway, similar to an air bridge last time I travelled through Plymouth Brittany Ferries.

Shiona was also asked about sky high long distance fares, people splitting tickets and then having to change seats along the way, and whether this was / is something she might address.