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Great Western Coffee Shop
Recent Public Posts - [guest]
Re: How well travelled are YOU?
In "Introductions and chat" [379162/32458/1]
Posted by Bob_Blakey at 07:42, 5th September 2026
 
16 - plus a few more which are not listed such as the USA, Indonesia & Brunei.

Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379161/31359/18]
Posted by grahame at 05:55, 5th September 2026
 
08:46 Swindon to Weymouth due 11:08

08:46 Swindon to Weymouth due 11:08 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West and Weymouth.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Thanks, folks - really ruins the day out!   Last ever through day trip from Swindon to Weymouth operated (or not operated, to be accurate) by First Group p.l.c. Hope the nationalised system will "magic" something reliable for next year.

How well travelled are YOU?
In "Introductions and chat" [379160/32458/1]
Posted by grahame at 05:45, 5th September 2026
 


It was said to me that more people in the USA owned a copy of the Titanic DVD than a passport ... so seeing lots of "how many places have you visited" trawls on my social media feed with very small numbers suggested for the typical American does not surprise me.

Here in Europe (need to define "in", mind!) we have a lot of countries within a short distance and I speculate that most members here are more travelled (country wide) than yer typical Yank.  The list on the graphic, with 42 countries, is just a fraction; there are 193 members of the UN, plus a couple of others such as The Vatican,  which are countries in common understanding but not UN members.

P.S. - I count 21 I have visited (if counting living in the UK as visiting) plus places like Slovenia and Slovakia, Lithuania and Latvia, Norway and the USA, which are not seen as significant enough to have made this list

Re: Noble (?) failures
In "Railway History and related topics" [379159/32454/55]
Posted by grahame at 05:30, 5th September 2026
 
OK, I'll bite. The APT was failed by a country that was in fundamentally unserious mode concerning the train and I suspect that many other aspects of railway travel benefitted from the research that produced it. Also, to engineer that tilt mechanism in a purely analogue way. If the trains running on the GWML now were a descendent of the ATP I suspect that everyone would be rather happier with the ambience of the passenger compartments than they are.

Mark

Indeed - some of the "failures" mentioned may have been bleeding edge technology - ahead of their time and smoothing the way for leading edge stuff.

The Brill branch may have been lost in 1935, but that region of the countryside is ripe for housing growth, and - who knows - by 2035, there may well be another railhead with a passenger service running just a dozen miles away at Winslow.

Re: Congestion on the Melksham single line overnight - 04 Sep 26
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379158/32455/18]
Posted by grahame at 05:21, 5th September 2026
 
One benefit of being laid up with a heavy cold and being kept awake with frequent coughing fits! 

Get well soon, BobM ... though I have to say that the cloud of your cold has brought the silver lining of this excellent overnight report!

Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379157/31359/18]
Posted by grahame at 05:19, 5th September 2026
 
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17

18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

x

It will no longer call at Weymouth, Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary and Frome.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.



Depressing.   And "19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be started from Westbury" how to ruin a day out for a whole horde of people!   Let's see what advice gets added to the report for passengers.  My suggestion might be to people coming home [to Melksham] to catch the 18:45 - tell them on the way down - and change at Westbury. Mind you, JourneyCheck suggests that the 18:45 will be just two carriages which might get cosy.


Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379156/31359/18]
Posted by bobm at 04:09, 5th September 2026
 
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17

18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be started from Westbury.

It will no longer call at Weymouth, Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary and Frome.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.


Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [379155/10737/21]
Posted by chuffed at 22:47, 4th September 2026
 
I intend to be there.

Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2026
In "London to the Cotswolds" [379154/31371/14]
Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 22:42, 4th September 2026
 
Lots of cancellations and late running this evening due to a "passenger on the track" at Charlbury which I believe may not have been happy circumstances, I'm afraid. Half a dozen police cars down at the station earlier.

Bristol Temple Meads station - official opening of new Eastern entrance
In "Diary - what's happening when?" [379153/32457/34]
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:54, 4th September 2026
 
See https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10737.msg379069#msg379069


Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [379152/10737/21]
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:33, 4th September 2026
 


I'm rather inclined to pop along to Bristol Temple Meads next Monday afternoon to see the official opening.

Will any other members - or indeed guests - of the Coffee Shop also be there?

Chris from Nailsea.

Re: Class 175s to Great Western Railway (GWR)
In "Across the West" [379150/28982/26]
Posted by bobm at 20:56, 4th September 2026
 
Looking at the temporary timetable, it largely reflects what has been happening over the last few weeks.   As has been said it just removes the seemingly inevitable last minute cancellations. 

To 'stockpile food' is now our Government's official policy, apparently
In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [379149/32456/31]
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:52, 4th September 2026
 
From the BBC:

Stock up on food to prepare for extreme weather, minister says

Households should stock up on food to prepare for extreme weather as the strongest El Niño event in a generation develops over the Pacific Ocean, a government minister has said.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle told the Guardian the powerful natural climate phenomenon will lead to "more extreme storms in this country".  Her comments came as the National Audit Office (NAO) warned Britain's food supply chain is at risk given the growing threat of cyber-attacks and the climate crisis.

The NAO said the government was too reliant on the private sector to deal with food supply disruption. The government is due to unveil a strategy about preparing for national emergencies later this year.

Dame Angela said "We're about to experience probably the largest El Niño that has ever been seen, and that will lead to drier summers, wetter winters, with more extreme storms in this country.

"It will do a lot more damage in Asia with flooding, and therefore I think that we need to take it seriously.  If you've got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you're going to be a lot better off than if you haven't.  So some of it is that kind of preparation for just being a bit more resilient."

Her comments came as an NAO report warned Britain's food supply chain is vulnerable to plant or human disease outbreaks, cyber-attacks and extreme weather.  It also cited climate change as a longer-term chronic risk which could leave Britain's food supply at risk.  The disruptions could push up prices and leave vulnerable people struggling to buy food, it said.

The NAO said the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) was too reliant on private companies to handle disruptions to food supply.  It added the department had not done enough in recent years to improve supply chain resilience.

UK households are less prepared for emergencies than those in several other countries such as Finland, Sweden and European Union nations, the NAO added.  It said ministers should encourage households to prepare for supply chain disruptions and learn from the approaches taken by other countries.


Re: Class 175s to Great Western Railway (GWR)
In "Across the West" [379148/28982/26]
Posted by grahame at 20:33, 4th September 2026
 
BBC take on the story - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wxdz8ev7do?

A number of rail journeys will be cancelled across Devon and Cornwall from next week due to recurring issues with a fleet of trains, a rail operator has said.
Great Western Railway (GWR) said five weekday services will be cancelled between Penzance and Plymouth/Exeter from Monday.

The issue is down to the company's Class 175 fleet, which it said had been "challenging from a reliability perspective," prompting too many cancellations for customers.
The operator said it understood the timetable changes would be "frustrating for customers" but believed the move would "provide a more reliable service in the short term" while it worked to bring its fleet up to standard.

The Class 175 trains entered service in 2000, when they were used by Transport for Wales.

GWR brought in 26 of them last year to replace older diesel trains, with hopes to reduce costs and pollution.

The trains, however, had been "out of service for a prolonged period" before transferring to GWR, "requiring more recommissioning work than anticipated", a spokesperson for the operator said.

Re: Congestion on the Melksham single line overnight - 04 Sep 26
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379147/32455/18]
Posted by bobm at 20:04, 4th September 2026
 
One benefit of being laid up with a heavy cold and being kept awake with frequent coughing fits! 

Re: New station at North Filton - now named as 'Bristol Brabazon' - ongoing discussion
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [379146/24927/21]
Posted by XPT at 19:56, 4th September 2026
 
According to this article, the station is now in it's final stages of construction and still on course for opening this autumn.
https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/community-invited-to-drop-in-event-as-bristol-brabazon-station-enters-final-stages-of-construction

The actual opening date of Ashley Down station back in September 2024 was only announced about 3 weeks in advance.  So still a chance Bristol Brabazon will actually open this autumn and not during the winter(December to February) period.  My guess is sometime during November.

Re: Interrail UK isn't ending [updated thread title]
In "Fare's Fair" [379144/22039/4]
Posted by grahame at 19:30, 4th September 2026
 
A graphic ...






Re: Congestion on the Melksham single line overnight - 04 Sep 26
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379143/32455/18]
Posted by grahame at 19:21, 4th September 2026
 
Many thanks for documenting that, Bob - a really interesting study. Real Time trains confirms 14 trains through Melksham in the 6 hours between midnight and 6 a.m.  Of those, 11 were signifinatly late.



The "dance" can be done in some places - for example, with St Erth to St Ives where the trains are guaranteed to turn up on time, or in a pattern of lateness if one is late, the next presents late.  That requires some exceptional action, such as the notice at St Erth that tells you that the St Ives train won't usually wait, and at St Ives where it's the same train and it automatically synchronises.  It is - utterly - out of the practical question in Wiltshire where train passing the ends of the single line need to be combed in, and the trains that use the single line need to present exactly at a convenient time irrespective of delays getting there, and then to be able to escape it at the far end.

Multiple solutions options to increase practical, relaible capacity have been mooted.  For more than a very modest further traffic increase, at least one of them and probably more need to be implemented.  And of those multiple solutions, to be implemented, a number of them are not on that single track section from last point at Thingley to the first point at Bradford.


Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379142/31359/18]
Posted by bobm at 14:54, 4th September 2026
Already liked by grahame
 
Left 29 minutes late at 14:47.  At least it is running.

Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026
In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury" [379141/31359/18]
Posted by grahame at 14:50, 4th September 2026
 
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)
In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [379140/10737/21]
Posted by Phantom at 12:56, 4th September 2026
Already liked by Mark A
 
In terms of usage, it is also quite handy for gigs at the prospect building.

Excellent point - it will make those last trains home slightly easier to catch

Re: Same word - different meanings - public transport context
In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [379138/32449/20]
Posted by stuving at 12:49, 4th September 2026
 
7. Passenger v Customer

Reeks of consultant speak. If they are called passengers it reminds everybody what the object of the exercise is. Had similar situation in the health service, they are patients and want a medical issue sorted.

Customer tends lean towards a sales opportunity, coffee shops on stations, over-priced branches of M&S in hospitals.

One of the fixed ideas behind privatisation was that BR was run, by engineering and operations, for its own benefit and convenience not the passengers'. I remember hearing one of the privatisers explaining at the time that they had designed the process with minimal barriers to entry (capital both as money and owning equipment), so a group of outsiders could bid for a franchise.

The idea was to bring in people from a retail background, where (it is said) the customer is king and always right. The switch to "customer" was meant to reflect this change of ethos of those running the TOCs, which should  start to recognise that they were customer-facing.

Of course that totally misses some important differences. With competent logistics (which you can hire in) to maintain stock levels, you can retail stuff out of your stock room that was manufactured ages ago. It stays as made, with no involvement of the manufacturers until it's been bought and taken (or sent) home.

You can't retail a rail journey that way. You have to keep manufacturing the journey after it's been sold, and while it's going on, until it has finally been consumed. So the manufacturing staff (both engineering and operations) need to be involved throughout. This makes life more difficult, but can't be wished out of relevance.

Re: A bit out in the sticks
In "Railway History and related topics" [379137/32108/55]
Posted by Marlburian at 10:21, 4th September 2026
Already liked by Mark A, eightonedee
 
I guess that freight ceasing in 1966 applied to other stations on the DN & S, and Churn just happened to be included. There might have been some agricultural traffic, though in 1943 a siding installed for the benefit of Churn Farm was removed as part of the wartime doubling. C W Judge in An Historical Survey ... of the line says that the station was closed to goods traffic then.

In the past fifty years I've explored most of the line between Upton and Winchester, but for some reason not the bit between Upton and Didcot - until yesterday. It's now a well-surfaced path for cyclists, walkers and horse-riders.  One or two stretches of embankment have been reduced to allow sloping access paths, there are several bridges to peer over and the concrete base of what I guess may have been a platelayers' hut.

Re: Noble (?) failures
In "Railway History and related topics" [379136/32454/55]
Posted by Mark A at 10:07, 4th September 2026
Already liked by 1st fan
 
OK, I'll bite. The APT was failed by a country that was in fundamentally unserious mode concerning the train and I suspect that many other aspects of railway travel benefitted from the research that produced it. Also, to engineer that tilt mechanism in a purely analogue way. If the trains running on the GWML now were a descendent of the ATP I suspect that everyone would be rather happier with the ambience of the passenger compartments than they are.

Mark

Re: Imber Bus Day - merged topics, ongoing events and discussion here
In "Buses and other ways to travel" [379135/17260/5]
Posted by CyclingSid at 10:00, 4th September 2026
Already liked by Mark A
 
British army told to stop non-essential training exercises to save money

Unfortunate timing with Trump reviewing the situation with the Falklands, followed by the Argentinians rising to the bait.

Re: Noble (?) failures
In "Railway History and related topics" [379133/32454/55]
Posted by CyclingSid at 09:51, 4th September 2026
 
Should this be titled like the recent awards; Ignoble failures?

 
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