The Department for Transport has always instructed franchised train operators to object to new services, or service extensions, by non-franchised operators - because they (in theory) reduce the amount of money flowing back to DfT. Remember way way back when Virgin's objections, at the behest of DfT, stopped Wrexham & Shropshire calling at Birmingham New Street.

What's different here is that the other operator is the Welsh Government, in the form of Transport for Wales. But it's the same principle there's always been.

 

The next year his "Railophone" company was demonstrating (on the same line) using his radio link to control trains - CBTC, no less!

 
This thread, plus thoughts of the long wave transmission from Droitwich finishing at the the end of this month, combined to remind me of some pioneering experiments with telephone communication from a train - this was in 1911 and involved the Stratford on Avon and Midland Junction Railway no less.

Mark


https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/im-train-wireless-messages-trains-1911-12

 
A friend who does have an allotment hadn't heard anything which suggests they might be.

I'm struggling to think where a new car park could go though. Allotments on one side, houses on another and the only open spaces nearby are playing fields and a Wildlife Trust reserve both of which I think would cause suitable levels of outrage if they were built on.

I did have to go back to Twyford for the first time in a couple of years and it was quite a surprise to see how far out the yellow lines had pushed commuters but also it felt quite challenging navigating all the parked cars. Pushing them to the village outskirts meant traffic speeds were that much higher along with some blind corners I'm surprised there's not more pictures of damaged cars on the local Facebook page.

 
...and not only that, the 6:46 Trowbridge-Bristol service was 4 carriages instead of the usual 2. Happy days

 
Arrived at the usual time, 6:27, so just a couple of extra minutes taking in the Melksham station scenery

 
I couldn't help smiling at number 2 - the watering point for electric locomotives.

 
From Villach to Ljubljana and back today, using local trains. Not the original intent as I had intended to go to Nova Gornia, but my train from Villach left there a few minutes late, got held up at loops because it was out of path, and we arrived at Jelenice just after the ongoing train had left.  Next one, 2 or 3 hours. Sound familiar?

Here are some pictures and I thing they all show things you would not see in England

 
There are some minor changes to TransWilts timings all day, all week this week.  Some mainline services also affected. 

 
Just noticed that tomorrow morning's 6:29 Melksham departure is 6:31. It was same as usual on Monday, haven't checked whether tomorrow is a one off.

 

With a five hour gap yesterday and the inability of GWR to move a defective train doesn't auger go well. No loadings on no trains.

 
Once GWR is nationalised, will the dispute over revenue be resolved between the Welsh government and English (British) government be resolved. I don't think so.

 
I see an interesting conundrum developing here.  One of the arguments pushing nationalisation is the different fare structures from different operators and the need to use a train run by the TOC whose ticket you hold.  Hopefully GBR will rationalise this and passengers will be able to buy a ticket and use the next train (subject to time of day restrictions).

What will happen if GBR are running routes into Wales together with TfW.  Will there be revenue sharing or will passengers have to check that their ticket matches the train they are catching?

 
And just like London buses...

 

From the article


An interesting argument and position.  GWR has had an almost complete monopoly on South Wales to Bristol (and London) traffic got many years, and the monopoly was made complete when the daily Cross Country service was withdrawn.   

It has been natural to defend that monopoly, and I recall a side conversation with a senior DfT person who involved who indicated there were no plans - but that's a few years back - to change that.  Not an unexpected co-incidence of the DfT with GWR when you consider the same approach taken with the Bristol - West Wiltshire - Salisbury - London Waterloo service.   In both that case, and in a the case of a Bristol to West Wales service, there was and is a demand for a service that doesn't require people to change - at Cardiff, or at Salisbury.

And - yes - it perhaps affects revenue on the core (GWR) services.   But then a monopoly can provide a service that's less than ideal for the passengers, can't it?   If I want to go from Bristol to Carmarthen I have no choice but to changes at Cardiff at present (and maybe at Swansea too).  And I can understand GWR working still with the DfT, still looking to maximise revenue on a monopolistic service without having to complete with a Welsh service which for some sectors of the market would be very welcome.

Interesting to note from https://firstgreatwestern.info/BRI.html?limit=1500&sortby=0 some ticket sales counts
Bristol to Carmarthen - 8,000
Bristol to Swansea - 42,000
Bristol to Neath - 10,000
Bristol to Llanelli - 3,400
Filton Abbey Wood to Swansea - 1,250
All are there and back figures - so 8,000 is 4,000 eastbound and 4,000 westbound

 
Someone filmed the final rescue, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftmcFzAwkqU watch from 7:58 to see the train actually moving and you don’t want to suffer large amounts of advertising.