Thanks for that, Chris - initial reports were confused and as ever there's a conundrum for news organisations who have to decide between propogating information that may need to be updated as things become clearer and the driver of getting initial reports out fast.  Good that we have folks around who both share the news and can come back to update the headlines so that we reflect the true situation as it becomes clear.

 
From the Wiltshire Times



and


Don't quite believe everything you read in key messages even when the paper prints them.  "People don’t want to drive to Devizes but there is no other way to get people to the town" is somewhat false; Devizes is at the hub of an execellent (for not-a-city) network of but routes, with about hourly departures to Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, The Lavingtons, Salisbury and Trowbridge, and less frequent services to Westbury, Pewsey, Lackham, Marlborough, Bradford-on-Avon and Upavon.   There are two town bus vehicles too, and demand responsive services available to the really awkwardly unclustered villages to the east.   That is not to say that a railway link is NOT needed - it is, but initially traffic flows would look much more like Pewsey, where 56% of 209,000 journeys last year were to or from London rather than like Melksham, where just 10% of 60,000 journeys were to or from London. (Food for thought there - what a direct service does!)

 
I've done my best in trying to keep up with the amendments to the heading of this topic.  At least I think I've got the date right. 

 

There are a number of such confusions in the reports, such as those saying Eurostar trains were stopped for 90 minutes - that was passenger shuttles. The most up to date report I can find is from The Independent, and it quotes a press statement from the prefecture:

That does sound to me like the departing train was moving, and presumably then stopped abruptly and is on the right in the photo below (from la Voix du Nord). The bus was spun round by the impact, and nearly turned onto its side, but not quite. The force of such an impact would explain why everyone on board was injured, even if the bus was not going at all fast. However, the position of the bus still looks wrong, whatever happened.

 
A very sad loss indeed,RIP JJP.

 
Small correction to thread title needed. Not a Eurostar train involved. Was Le Shuttle.

 

From my waking up, somewhere in a parallel universe:

"The Melksham Into Bath is an odd little line which can be done completely during a brief interval ... "

 
No problem, broadgage. 

I find it increasingly frustrating in my quest to find links to any 'news website' which isn't now hidden behind a firewall, subscription-only or membership sign up.

All I want to do is widen their readership.

CfN.

 

I have cheated (because I can - I'm an admin  ) and amended the heading of this particular topic to make it more neutral, while still reflecting its point.

CfN. 

 

Yes, the link that I posted was to Breaking news" but goes to whatever is the CURRENT breaking news story. I tested it immediately after posting, and it worked then.

 
With thanks for your alert, broadgage, I think the link you actually meant to post is at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6zxz4dyvdq4t

CfN. 

 
News report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cqy7lxd104xet

 
Reported as 19 injured, 2 critical.
Note that these are very early reports, and that later reports may be more accurate, or more detailed.

 

I've just found, in a UK online supplier, a surface-mount "zero ohm resistor" priced at 0.2p + VAT. The minimum order quantity is 10, which would set you back 2p. Handling and postage charges (and the inability to pay with coins) ruin the idea.

 


The MIB is an odd little line which can be done completely during a brief interval at Meiringen on the Luzern - Interlaken line. I seem to recall when I did it that the car was really drafty yet from whence the draft came was difficult to identify.

 
Fuel and loose foodstuff inflation would be hit if values under 5p were abolished.

 
My personal view is that we may as well do away with the current copper (cupro-nickel) coins.  We'll just deal in multiples of 5p.  That's the least you'll get, these days - even in a charity shop. 

 
The minimum stamp for a second class letter is 91p.

 

I am not aware of anything costing less than 5p, but there is still a use for smaller coins. What about cheaper food stuffs that sell for say 15p. In the absence of smaller coins, the minmum price increase would be to 20 pence, an increase of over 30%.

 
There is a large variety of platform lengths in South West and really, not sorting out historic deficiencies, and adding some modular sections seems a bit penny pinching.

Really platforms on the main and secondary lines (I am not including branch lines which only see short trains) ought to be minimum of 145 metres.

145m allows pairs of 3car units when busy (or triple 2car units), although I hope future stock doesn't have 2car units.  It is also long enough for 5car IET or cross country voyager.

Having lived in Kingston upon Thames 1998-2020, and commuted into London, more than familiar with the Waterloo 10car scheme where a kit of modular platform extensions was used to extend most platforms from 165-190m to about 205m.  There were standard bits for cuttings, embankments, filling in former loading docks etc.  At Kingston even built an extension over a road and beyond other side of road bridge.

If all these modular standard parts can be used on dozens of South West London stations, why can't they be used for Bristol suburban and South West England.   Platform extensions when line is closed are relatively cheap compared to building lifts

It would also fix the operationally difficult (and therefore more costly) problem of forming mixed fleets of 2car + 3car trains, and problems like XC voyagers can't call at Ivybridge as they don't have selective door control

 
From the Swindon Advertiser


A second hourly train up the from Swindon via Kemble and Stroud, then via Cheltenham up to Birmingham would make sense.  The line is double track all the way apart from the junction north of Stonehouse, and there are significant intermediate flows.  Joking apart, Birmingham is very much the jumping off point for the rest of the Midlands, north of England, North Wales and Scotland.

Swindo to Birmingham ran under operation Princess (VS0) but that was short-lived.

Direct train to Southampton?   There already is one at 06:03.  There isn't a direct one back at all. Seriously, the Park Report of circa 2000 make an excellent case for a Swindon - Southampton service every hour, and a very constrained one ran from 2001 to 2006.

 
Oh, No! 

I never met him, but I have the greatest regard for him in his efforts on the West Somerset Railway - he has been featured and quoted here on the Coffee Shop forum, many times over the years.

My sincere sympathy to his partner Hollie Bowden, his family and his friends.

Chris from Nailsea. 

 
From https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr2keqjvqp2wo

 
I remember the 50p piece being called a 'Wilson' as it was 2 faced and 7 sided.  The then prime minister was Harold Wilson.

 
Ah ok - thanks for explaining.

About the "compensation society" - I see what you mean; it's not like I need the £1.25 they refund me for a 15 minute delay in my commute. But on the other hand, I work hard and I'm a tight northener - I don't like throwing money away. If I've paid for a service which isn't delivered then I feel a bit cheated, and the nominal compensation goes a long way in preventing that. And I think that's a benefit to GWR - people might be annoyed at being delayed, but they'd be even more annoyed if they didn't feel they had any comeback. That £1.25 is more than just money.

I fully agree that it would be much better to have a reliable, punctual service. But I don't see how taking away the existing compensation system helps that; in fact, doesn't it mean GWR feel less obliged to provide such a service? "Oh, we're only going to be 20 mins late, it won't cost us anything; no need to rush"

 

I think if someone promises “No more Sundays wondering if the train will turn up. No more baffling array of ticket types and prices - a public service, where reliability is the watchword and pride is restored.“Great British Railways is coming soon and will be run by the people for the people.” - most reasonable people would accept that as a "general better level of service" Graham, but hopefully your more exacting requirements will be met.

 
Another comment from me, if I may, regarding the use of coins?

We are fortunate to have a family business, situated the other side of Clevedon from us in Nailsea, who run a free-range chicken emporium.  They deliver in Nailsea, and take cash only.  They ask £1.50 for half a dozen very fresh, organic, eggs.

They arrived at our front door this afternoon, so I grabbed £3 in coins from our money box in the lounge and bought a dozen.  Tesco charge £2.90 for six!   

CfN. 

 

You're probably not missing anything. I was expressing something of a personal view of the pallava of claiming a small amount - the cost to both sides.  I am not a fan of "compensation society" where we're looking at small sums where we really want to have the service we have bought, and not some sort of alternative to make up.  When it get to / above a certain level, then , yes.   I guess I am so used to over 100 minutes between trains that 30 minutes feels like nothing.