Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371893/31554/7] Posted by John D at 12:03, 31st January 2026 |      |
I can't place a "former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line". If anything, the one I'm thinking of on the Eastbourne Terrace side would be closer to the District line.
The Bakerloo never really had a surface building. There was a stairway facing Praed Street (opposite London Street) in Paddington Square, the stairway was a small building with oxblood type tiles along the side.
However that whole area has now been redeveloped and the massive Paddington District postal sorting office building was demolished and replaced by new office block with shops etc at subsurface level, possibly the whole thing connects (or soon will do) to Paddington station concourse (there were hoardings on the concourse across from platform 11 and 12 area when I was last there couple of weeks ago).
It would make sense there is a former Bakerloo ticket hall under the roadway of Paddington Square. Bakerloo now has a new entrance nearer South Wharf Street and a connecting passageway under the main station to Circle line station
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371892/25368/42] Posted by stuving at 11:15, 31st January 2026 | |
From RailUser Express ("RUX may be forwarded, or items copied") January 2026
RAILFUTURE WESSEX
Rf Wessex hopes that when every TOC in the south is operating under the GBR brand, some of the direct links that were lost with privatisation could be restored: Brighton - Southampton trains extended to Bournemouth; Waterloo – Salisbury to Bristol, and some Reading - Basingstoke shuttles to Salisbury. There must be many other examples around Britain, where direct connections could be restored once the accurate division of fares income is no longer an issue.
Rf Wessex hopes that when every TOC in the south is operating under the GBR brand, some of the direct links that were lost with privatisation could be restored: Brighton - Southampton trains extended to Bournemouth; Waterloo – Salisbury to Bristol, and some Reading - Basingstoke shuttles to Salisbury. There must be many other examples around Britain, where direct connections could be restored once the accurate division of fares income is no longer an issue.
That's based on a distinctly weird view of railway history. The partial privatisation of the railways happened decades before this, and DfT (which took this decision) was never privatised at all. In a way it represents the continuation of BR, particularly so as it edged into railway (micro)management over the years. And then during Covid, the top level of TOC management was renationalised - transferred back into DfT - leaving the TOCs with limited powers (and no cheque book). And, as noted in other posts, "duplication" (real or not) is likely to be created by separating regions/franchises/whatever, and be visible and then removed at a national level.
| Re: Train passengers missing out on £80 million a year in compensation In "Fare's Fair" [371891/31553/4] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 09:54, 31st January 2026 Already liked by ChrisB, PrestburyRoad | |
Where necessary we book our train tickets via the appropriate TOC website(s), we do not use The Trainline, and if it all goes wrong we obviously use the corresponding TOC Delay Repay (DR) facility. All of the TOC DR sites we have come across are, in my opinion, very easy to use. Some TOC's e.g. LNER have implemented Automatic DR for Advance Purchase tickets to make the process (sometimes) even easier.
We do however accept that these TOC DR websites have to be built in such a way as to discourage fraudulent claims, hence the requirement to provide what might seem like superfluous information.
I would suggest that if The Trainline think their refund mechanism is not fit for purpose they need to get their own house in order rather than expect the rail industry to fix it (being a private sector company has responsibilities as well as rights).
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371890/31554/7] Posted by TaplowGreen at 09:52, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Western Pathfinder, BBM | |
"Huge new Wetherspoons" is a phrase that should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who values real pubs, irrespective of location.
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371889/25368/42] Posted by Mark A at 08:24, 31st January 2026 | |
Also, thinking of the previously useful ~19:20 from Waterloo. Fast forward to 2026 and the closest Salisbury departure to that, on arrival, three carriages are detached - Gillingham, Templecombe, Sherbourne and Yeovil Junction get the benefit of those, while the three that could usefully serve Warminster, followed by the county town of Wiltshire, Bradford on Avon, Bath and Bristol are sent off to the depot. So, for that service, for once, there is the stock available and sitting around to cover the run to Bristol and return. (And the return wasn't a carrier of fresh air either.)
Mark
| Re: Epping Ongar Railway In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [371887/26356/47] Posted by grahame at 08:09, 31st January 2026 | |
A next-generation of opportunities ... where a battery electric train completes a route off-tourist-peak but on-commuter-peak ... bringing Ongar, Wallingford, Sheffield Park, Swanage, Alresford, Eythorne and Chinnor communities back to becoming integral players in the national network.
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371886/25368/42] Posted by CyclingSid at 07:31, 31st January 2026 | |
* Reading to Salisbury; I don't know. Start with a look at traffic levels between Basingstoke and Salisbury, and a look at the traffic levels across Basingstoke.
Reading to Salisbury direct still runs on Sundays.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371885/31552/43] Posted by grahame at 07:08, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
hyrax
?I had to look up what hyrox is (apparently a competition involving a run and using some exercise equipment), but I have actually seen a hyrax. They are small and furry - see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax.
Darned auto-correct!
Images shared under Creative Commons 4.0 licenses - Hyrox and Hyrax
From WikiPedia
Hyrox (stylized as HYROX) is an indoor fitness competition that combines 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) of running and 8 functional workout stations, alternating between running and functional exercises. It bills itself as "The World Series of Fitness Racing" and "A Sport for Everybody".
Hyraxes, also called dassies, are small, stout, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the family Procaviidae within the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Modern hyraxes are typically between 30 and 70 cm (12 and 28 in) in length and weigh between 2 and 5 kg (4 and 11 lb). They are superficially similar to marmots or over-large pikas but are much more closely related to elephants and sirenians.
| Re: OTD - 31st January (1953) - Loss of Princess Victoria off Stranraer In "Railway History and related topics" [371884/25958/55] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 06:43, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
I'm just giving this topic a gentle 'bump', on the anniversary.
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371883/31554/7] Posted by stuving at 01:23, 31st January 2026 | |
I can't place a "former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line". If anything, the one I'm thinking of on the Eastbourne Terrace side would be closer to the District line.
...or the Elizabeth Line! But the station plan dated July 2025 shows three big units as "coming soon" exactly there - between the gents' and the way through to the Elizabeth Line. As those are the only spaces implied to be vacant, I guess that is where it will be. From the picture, a new mezzanine will be inserted to increase floor space, but remove any "heritage" atmosphere.
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371881/31554/7] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 22:47, 30th January 2026 | |
I can't place a "former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line". If anything, the one I'm thinking of on the Eastbourne Terrace side would be closer to the District line.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371880/31552/43] Posted by eightonedee at 22:38, 30th January 2026 | |
hyrax
?I had to look up what hyrox is (apparently a competition involving a run and using some exercise equipment), but I have actually seen a hyrax. They are small and furry - see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371878/31552/43] Posted by Oxonhutch at 21:18, 30th January 2026 | |
Sounds like a number seven ...
I have to say, that if it was me in that loo (and I have been on the same stock) that the reason to door couldn't be opened would be because it was bent like a banana. I am not athletic by any means, but a transfer of bodily momentum would have been applied by myself after about 15 minutes. Is the door designed to survive an impact with the buffers at Euston?
| Fire halts West Coast Main Line trains from Euston In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371877/31555/51] Posted by ChrisB at 21:15, 30th January 2026 | |
From the BBC
Primrose Hill station up in smoke
A major rail line remains partially closed between Euston station and Watford Junction following a large fire in north London, affecting some services to cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.
About 70 firefighters tackled the blaze, which started at about 09:30 GMT at a commercial building on Regent's Park Road in Chalk Farm, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. It was brought under control by about 13:00.
Avanti West Coast has said that while some lines have reopened, "residual delays are expected due to congestion on the network", external with disruption expected for the rest of the day.
London Northwestern Railway services from Euston have resumed following an earlier suspension.
Network Rail has advised passengers due to travel from Euston to check the status of their journey.
Other train operators are accepting tickets for services affected by the disruption, according to Network Rail, with further details on its website.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Southern trains have resumed services between Clapham Junction and Watford Junction following earlier delays. Transport for London is not reporting any delays with Overground services that run through the affected area.
The LFB said there were no reports of any injuries but at the height of the blaze most of a neighbouring property was also alight. It said it received 27 calls from the public.
The ground floor was destroyed by the fire. Half of the roof of a neighbouring property was damaged by the fire. Seven people left another neighbouring building before the Brigade arrived. There are no reports of any injuries.
The fire is close to the site of a former hot yoga studio. The cause of the blaze is not known.
Avanti West Coast services to London were reportedly held at stations as far north as Warrington.
About 70 firefighters tackled the blaze, which started at about 09:30 GMT at a commercial building on Regent's Park Road in Chalk Farm, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. It was brought under control by about 13:00.
Avanti West Coast has said that while some lines have reopened, "residual delays are expected due to congestion on the network", external with disruption expected for the rest of the day.
London Northwestern Railway services from Euston have resumed following an earlier suspension.
Network Rail has advised passengers due to travel from Euston to check the status of their journey.
Other train operators are accepting tickets for services affected by the disruption, according to Network Rail, with further details on its website.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Southern trains have resumed services between Clapham Junction and Watford Junction following earlier delays. Transport for London is not reporting any delays with Overground services that run through the affected area.
The LFB said there were no reports of any injuries but at the height of the blaze most of a neighbouring property was also alight. It said it received 27 calls from the public.
The ground floor was destroyed by the fire. Half of the roof of a neighbouring property was damaged by the fire. Seven people left another neighbouring building before the Brigade arrived. There are no reports of any injuries.
The fire is close to the site of a former hot yoga studio. The cause of the blaze is not known.
Avanti West Coast services to London were reportedly held at stations as far north as Warrington.
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371876/31554/7] Posted by Oxonhutch at 21:15, 30th January 2026 | |
Bear and Bishop might take a beating.
And will we be still able to buy tickets from a human?
| Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371875/31554/7] Posted by ChrisB at 21:12, 30th January 2026 | |
From Evening Standard
JD Wetherspoon is planning to open a huge new pub at Paddington Station as it continues its expansion across London’s major transport hubs.
The proposed venue would occupy more than 3,600 sq ft across two floors, including a mezzanine level, and would take over three units in the station’s former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line.
If approved, it would be larger than the company’s recently opened Captain Flinders pub at Euston and slightly smaller than The Lion and The Unicorn at Waterloo.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The proposed venue would occupy more than 3,600 sq ft across two floors, including a mezzanine level, and would take over three units in the station’s former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line.
If approved, it would be larger than the company’s recently opened Captain Flinders pub at Euston and slightly smaller than The Lion and The Unicorn at Waterloo.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
| Train passengers missing out on £80 million a year in compensation In "Fare's Fair" [371874/31553/4] Posted by ChrisB at 21:08, 30th January 2026 | |
From the Independent
Train passengers are missing out on over £80 million annually in compensation for delayed journeys, a new analysis has revealed.
The shortfall has been blamed on an "unacceptable" claims processes.
Online ticket retailer Trainline, which produced the data, has called for rail reform that "focuses on what matters" to passengers.
While customers who purchase tickets directly through a train operator’s website or app can often access "one-click" compensation claims via the delay repay scheme for service disruptions, this streamlined process is unavailable to a significant portion of travellers.
Approximately one in four passengers, those who use independent ticket retailers such as Trainline, are instead forced to navigate more complicated and manual procedures to obtain their rightful payouts.
Trainline has launched a petition calling on the Government to enable “one click” claims to be made by all online ticket buyers.
The company’s chief executive Jody Ford said: “Six minutes of form-filling after a delayed train is unacceptable.
“With years of innovation and industry cooperation, we’ve made huge progress in simplifying ticket buying, but compensation must be just as easy when journeys are disrupted.
“Passengers want rail reform that focuses on what matters to them, and ‘one-click’ delay repay is a practical change the industry and Government can do together.”
A survey of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Trainline indicated 29 per cent of train passengers failed to claim disruption compensation they were entitled to last year.
Some 58% of claimants said their most recent application took at least six minutes to complete, while 43% described the process as frustrating and time-consuming.
Ben Plowden, chief executive of pressure group Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Making compensation easy and consistent would help rebuild confidence in the railway and show passengers that their time and money are valued.”
The Government is introducing widespread reforms of the rail industry, including simplifying ticketing.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said:“We are overhauling our railways and building back public trust so that passengers can rely on trains that run on time. But where there are delays, millions of passengers do successfully receive delay repay, with most publicly-owned operators offering a one-click service.
“Our reforms are also making ticketing simpler throughout your journey – from rolling out more contactless tech at stations and trialling pay-as-you-go fares, to making it simpler to claim delay repay, including through our upcoming GBR app.”
The Rail Delivery Group was approached for a comment.
Trainline commissioned research company YouGov to conduct the survey in December 2025.
The shortfall has been blamed on an "unacceptable" claims processes.
Online ticket retailer Trainline, which produced the data, has called for rail reform that "focuses on what matters" to passengers.
While customers who purchase tickets directly through a train operator’s website or app can often access "one-click" compensation claims via the delay repay scheme for service disruptions, this streamlined process is unavailable to a significant portion of travellers.
Approximately one in four passengers, those who use independent ticket retailers such as Trainline, are instead forced to navigate more complicated and manual procedures to obtain their rightful payouts.
Trainline has launched a petition calling on the Government to enable “one click” claims to be made by all online ticket buyers.
The company’s chief executive Jody Ford said: “Six minutes of form-filling after a delayed train is unacceptable.
“With years of innovation and industry cooperation, we’ve made huge progress in simplifying ticket buying, but compensation must be just as easy when journeys are disrupted.
“Passengers want rail reform that focuses on what matters to them, and ‘one-click’ delay repay is a practical change the industry and Government can do together.”
A survey of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Trainline indicated 29 per cent of train passengers failed to claim disruption compensation they were entitled to last year.
Some 58% of claimants said their most recent application took at least six minutes to complete, while 43% described the process as frustrating and time-consuming.
Ben Plowden, chief executive of pressure group Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Making compensation easy and consistent would help rebuild confidence in the railway and show passengers that their time and money are valued.”
The Government is introducing widespread reforms of the rail industry, including simplifying ticketing.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said:“We are overhauling our railways and building back public trust so that passengers can rely on trains that run on time. But where there are delays, millions of passengers do successfully receive delay repay, with most publicly-owned operators offering a one-click service.
“Our reforms are also making ticketing simpler throughout your journey – from rolling out more contactless tech at stations and trialling pay-as-you-go fares, to making it simpler to claim delay repay, including through our upcoming GBR app.”
The Rail Delivery Group was approached for a comment.
Trainline commissioned research company YouGov to conduct the survey in December 2025.
| Re: WSR50 28/03/2026 In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [371873/31550/47] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 20:39, 30th January 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Fond memories of those days. Quite early on - but after the line had extended a little - a friend and I got permission from the railway to camp on their land at Dunster and Stogumber as part of a Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition. They left the loos unlocked for us at Dunster, while at Stogumber we had the pleasure of meeting the lovely elderly couple living at the station house, who let us use their loo and water, and plied us with soft fruit from their garden. We also had a ride on the railway's asbestos-riddled and so now defunct DMU. Must head down there again this year for the celebrations.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371872/31552/43] Posted by JayMac at 20:29, 30th January 2026 | |
For almost two...?
So it wasn't a number one then?
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371871/31552/43] Posted by ChrisB at 20:26, 30th January 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Agree - the MSM seem to call all rail travellers "commuters" these days. They are wrong.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371870/31552/43] Posted by grahame at 20:04, 30th January 2026 Already liked by Ralph Ayres, Mark A | |
From YouTube/Birmingham Live
A commuter was [snip]
Keen athlete Robin was travelling down to take part in a hyrox open ladies event when her day was turned upside down.
It happened last Saturday (24 Jan) on CrossCountry rail service from Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly.
Keen athlete Robin was travelling down to take part in a hyrox open ladies event when her day was turned upside down.
It happened last Saturday (24 Jan) on CrossCountry rail service from Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly.
Dictionary
commuter
noun
a person who travels some distance to work on a regular basis.
noun
a person who travels some distance to work on a regular basis.
So she travels regularly to the hyrax open ladies event, which is a job of work for her ...
I am having a winge at Birmingham Live, not at the lady involved. To my mind she is not a commuter
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [371869/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 19:53, 30th January 2026 | |
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 20 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 3 to Swindon.
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 20 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 3 to Swindon.
Wow!
Not sure of that ...
20 minutes late confirmed - 3 carriages will be plenty, but I like the idea of an IET that terminates at Westbury and normally runs empty to Stoke Gifford running via Swindon and standing in for s broken local train. Sounds sensible.
How are they going to have a train calling at Melksham at 20:39 southbound then one at 20:41 northbound - I suspect the AI part of the system is AU (Artificial Unintelligence)
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [371868/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 19:35, 30th January 2026 | |
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 20 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 3 to Swindon.
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 20 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 3 to Swindon.
Wow!
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371867/25368/42] Posted by grahame at 19:15, 30th January 2026 | |
The reductions were nothing to do with ORCATS anyway, they were removed on request from the DfT about service duplication. There was no need for it & saved both units & staff time if removed. As the DfT is still looking to shave the budget, there is no chance of the duplications being reinstated IMHO
Another take: the service met a whole slew of different travel needs for people, was popular and well used, and as long as the railway doesn't introduce and develop this sort of service as part of addressing the glaring shortcomings of rail travel in the south west arising from the shortage of staff, rolling stock and infrastructure, it's relegating itself to a legacy transport mode.
Mark
Mark
There are different cases here and each of them may have a different best outcome
* I have watched with interest how south coast services from west of Southampton, which head up to(wards) London have or have not headed out along the south coast along to(wards) Brighton and remember discussions about some of the smaller and sparser served stations did or could have lost London service. If you can only justify one train per hour (and I don't know it enough to say if that's reasonable) then where and how far it should it go beyond Southampton is an interesting question. Or ... do you "flipflop' at Southampton when the stopper from the West alternates between carrying on via Fareham and via Winchester - every line / station served hourly but alternating which start / terminate Southampton and which go through.
* Bristol - Salisbury and Salisbury - London stoppers both use 15x trains and it is, frankly, hard to justify that six years ago a number of these were through trains and now they are disjoint and to the detriment of customer service.
* Reading to Salisbury; I don't know. Start with a look at traffic levels between Basingstoke and Salisbury, and a look at the traffic levels across Basingstoke.
| Re: Epping Ongar Railway In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [371866/26356/47] Posted by johnneyw at 18:04, 30th January 2026 Already liked by Oxonhutch, Mark A | |
The Epping Ongar heritage railway may have a view on this, after all, what sort of state would the line and stations be in if they had not taken over.? Just a thought though..... there's ex London Underground D stock converted to battery operation entering service not far away from there. Perhaps a little room for weekday/weekend partnership between TfL and the Epping Ongar Railway is in both parties future interest, especially if it means reinstating the line right back into Epping.
Meanwhile, back in the real world......
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [371865/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 18:03, 30th January 2026 | |
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Further Information
If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:30/01/2026 17:54
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Further Information
If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:30/01/2026 17:54
| Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371864/31552/43] Posted by ChrisB at 18:03, 30th January 2026 | |
From YouTube/Birmingham Live
A commuter was left traumatised after being trapped inside a train toilet for almost two hours, with firefighters eventually being called in to cut down the door.
Robin Smith experienced the rail journey from hell after a malfunctioning automatic door left her stuck inside the small loo.
The 35-year-old, who is severely claustrophobic, almost fainted twice during the shocking incident.
Keen athlete Robin was travelling down to take part in a hyrox open ladies event when her day was turned upside down.
It happened last Saturday (24 Jan) on CrossCountry rail service from Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly.
Robin Smith experienced the rail journey from hell after a malfunctioning automatic door left her stuck inside the small loo.
The 35-year-old, who is severely claustrophobic, almost fainted twice during the shocking incident.
Keen athlete Robin was travelling down to take part in a hyrox open ladies event when her day was turned upside down.
It happened last Saturday (24 Jan) on CrossCountry rail service from Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly.
Something oddly that was exdactly workshopped last year by the XC accessibility Panel.
