https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/network-rail-sets-new-date-for-botley-road-reopening

Now reopening on the 20th September

 
Trying to recall how much retail stuff there is on that island platform too, and whether there may be a second lift for... goods.

Mark

 
A bit away from the coffee shop area: I *think* this is the last known sighting of the provision for personal needs breaks for staff at a rather obscure railway junction on the line from... somewhere to who knows where. Google streetview link.

Mark

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tpFZjTRqJnagqttK6

 
Well, here's something I hadn't expected to see
11:54 Liskeard to Looe due 12:24
11:54 Liskeard to Looe due 12:24 will no longer call at St Keyne Wishing Well Halt, Causeland and Sandplace.
This is due to overcrowding.

 
There's also concern for provision for bus drivers, something I'd wondered about with services to Bath: even before the current road works, several services did not include the bus station, and with Manvers Street closed, most/all Faresaver services are turning round short too. Happy to hear more how the employer handles/doesn't handle this, especially given the weather. Warm work environments combined with restricting fluid intake has implications for health, both short and long term.

Mark

 

Indeed, and unconfirmed data suggests that "until further notice" may be for a significant period, with the lift "condemned" and needing to be replaced.

Knowing that some of our members are at the annual TransWilts meeting today - is / was anything said there about the loss of accessibly to the town for those who can't use stairs at the terminus at one end of the line? 

 
Lifts out at platforms 1,2, 3 at Swindon is a bit high impact on some of the travelling public...

Mark

 
I checked the main GWR website, assuming that there would be something there explaining what had happened and when they expected to rectify matters. Nothing about this I could find! On the Swindon station page, under "Step-free access" it assures passengers "Step Free Category A Station - This station has step free access to all platforms via subway and the lifts via the main entrance subway"

The only warning information is that the ticket office opening hours will be different between 26 July and 1 August.

What can you say?

 
They don't want to sit on train loos basically. elitist clap-trap....

 
Here we go again (or perhaps don't go, subject to facilities) 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/28/train-drivers-consider-strike-action-lack-of-toilets

 
From Journey Check


Does this mean that passengers for Swindon with mobility issues from the west may travel to Didcot and double back there at no extra charge?

 
This Saturday - 1st August 2026 - GWR are making a special stop at Avoncliff at 09:35 on 2O73 to provide a direct service to Weymouth for residents of Avoncliff, Winsley and Westwood for a day out.

If you are reading this and coming to Weymouth that day from the WECA area, please condsider taking the 08:45 Warmister train from Bristol Temple Meads (08:53 Keynsham, 09:00 Oldfield Park, 09:04 Bath Spa, 09:13 Freshford) and breaking your journey at Avoncliff - should be no extra cost / no extra ticket needed.  And have 20 minutes to look around Avoncliff Station and perhaps join in a group photo.

If you are a resident of Westwood / Winsley / Avoncliff, we look forward to seeing you on Saturday. And if you are coming to Weymouth with us, DIRECT return trains leave Weymouth at 17:34 and 20:40.

Thanks!

 
Absolutely, yes. The Hanbury flight usually has volunteer lock-keepers on duty, who either operate the sideponds themselves or show boaters how to do it.

 
I'd long forgotten that programme!

 
One wonders how much of this additional overcrowding is caused by increased numbers of trains being short formed/formed of smaller trains?

Not sure if that's as big an issue elsewhere as it is for GWR?

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/chance-of-getting-seat-on-london-commuter-train-is-at-all-time-low/ar-AA28SUWf?ocid=socialshare

 
Onward ...

 
Why do the press so often term bus or rail users "commuters" when they're clearly not?  Almost as irritating as being called customers!

 
2C05 0655 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
Looks like 175114 having a hiccup on leaving Newton.
Now sat down at Totnes, with 2N99 0555 Bristol Temple Meads to Newquay 
1C11 0640 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance ran through Totnes and terminated at Plymouth (points failure at Liskeard).
2N99 0555 Bristol Temple Meads to Newquay ran through Totnes, also terminated at Plymouth (points failure at Liskeard).
The ailing 2C05 now terminated and transformed to 5C05 0850½ Totnes to Plymouth.

A points failure has halted trains at Liskeard and Bodmin.
West bound trains mostly terminated at Plymouth.
East bound being held at Bodmin.
Looe and Falmouth branch affected by staff issues.

 
Map with changes in routes and stops at https://travelwest.info/bus/broadmead-bus-changes/

This is pretty radical stuff - I really get the point that busses need to move more quickly around the city centre, but having the inbound and outbound routes diverge so far seems really user-unfriendly - particularly for tourists and occasional bus users. This is particularly the case with the number 1 and 2.

 

Yes, fair point, that probably explains it.

 
From The BBC


OK - that's an example of the very worst, but I would much rather leave my car at home and take the train and/or bus to the airport or seaport

 
Here is summary from yesterday



One thing I did not see was any suggestion of alternative(s) transport ... but then I'm out of area this week.   Did GWR offer of suggest anything other than "you can get your money back"

 

I remember boating on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union - which is the headline canal for the article.   Boat traffic in current (leisure use) day is in many places orders of magnitude greater than it was in commercial days and whist certain measures are taken to conserve / re-use water, in a dry season they are insufficient.

Side pounds - in commercial days - could save around half of the water at each locking where they were available. But they relied on boat crews - who lived on the cut - knowing how to use them and actually use them.  Leisure boaters who are on the cut for only a handful of weeks a year, and come across them very rarely, are unlikely to get involved and are (IMHO and experience) likely to ignore them or - worse - get them wrong.   The shortage on the Leicester section shown in the pictures is not a side pound issue, but - I would suspect - the result in part of someone leaving paddles open at both ends of a lock (or paddles at one end, gate at the other).   There are no fail-safe mechanisms to stop that happening - boaters have to know ...

 
Similar situation on Basingstoke Canal
https://www.facebook.com/basingstokecs/posts/pfbid02B999DJXrRJaqw4Mz6gAiL136ZJYjqdYqFJ4YN6MGo2muDYBCfd8rECSFT5TFLb7Ql

 

Those remain on my "not visited" list.  Harzgerode is currently out of action, and I from what I read and hear that may not be temporary.  The track is said to be in very poor condition, and I saw a suggestion that there's a reservoir or something being built that will interfere with/ may flood it?  Please treat these comments as unconfirmed chat, and I may be wrong. 

It was a couple of years ago I did Quedliburg to Eisfelder Talmühle and that "reversed" at Steige rather than going up the Hasselfelde branch and back.  I say "reversered" advisedly because there's a loop track just to the north of the station that takes you round.   Just two trains a day these days go up that branch and back - so you would have too long or too short a time to look around destination .... and I heard on the local news (I think) that the local government has agreed funding for Quedliburg to Eisfelder Talmühle which (?) may have been under threat. 


Just three services a day at present south of Drie Annen Hohen. First is a diesel loco hauled service.   Second is a steam train that goes up The Brocken first (connection at Drie Annen Hohen off another train headed up The Brocken). And the third is a bus.  I was on the steam train with no more than a handful to others once we got off The Brocken train.  Return journey likewise quiet - though we picked up a substantial load at Drie off a short steam working from The Brocken.   If I was trying to run this as a business, I would be very concerned at the excess of expenditure over income on the main network.   Little if any social local need being met, though it does bring some visitors.   Cannot comment for the tram from Nordhausen to Ifield.

Some more pictures from ... what is now last week ... at  Eisfelder Talmühle, Drie Annen Hohen and between.










[/quote]

 
From the BBC:

 
The regrettably very lightly used branches to Hasselfelde and Harzgerode are also worth a visit although the current timetable now means that a visit to either is almost a day's excursion in its own right. 

Undoubtedly the Altora's key selling point is its proximity to the railway and its railway theme.  When we stayed there in 2024 the staff were fine and while I wouldn't say that the customer service was exceptional they were perfectly hospitable and generaly efficient.  The only favouritism that we observed, and worked in our favour, was that in the dining room hotel guests were given priority for the window tables served by the model railway.  Non-hotel residents were almost invariably ushered towards the other tables!

I do agree with you about this section these days.  Whilst the former green tunnel has largely disappeared opening up some excellent views of the Brocken it has become generally fairly featureless.  On my earlier visits it was the main backbone of the network with all the stations staffed and a fairly intensive, mainly steam worked through passenger service.  At least it has survived and there has been local investment in the providing the railbuses to try and maintain a public transport service of sorts.  All the same one has to wonder how long it can survive.

On our last visit though the morning first morning departure from Wernigerode to Nordhausen was being bustituted due lack of train crew.  This service is now normally operated by a railcar which crosses with the corresponding departure from Nordhausen at Benneckenstein where the crews swap over.  The substitute from Wernigerode was a 14 seater minibus.  On one day we were the only passengers however a couple of days there were two other fellow travellers.  On that occasion, on reaching Benneckenstein the railcar from Nordhausen arrived with a full complement of 30 or so passengers.  We didn't stop round long enough to see how they were going to manage the rest of their journey to Wernigerode with just a 14 seater minibus!

 
Can’t believe I didn’t notice this thread last year!

The sideponds on the Hanbury Flight on the Droitwich Junction Canal are very much operational.

Atherstone and Hanwell sideponds have been working in living memory but I don’t think either are at present. I always liked Hillmorton Locks, where the “paired” locks acted as each other’s sideponds, but again I’m not sure whether that’s still in use.