According to Modern Railways, GWR has announced a plan to improve the situation.

https://www.modernrailways.com/article/gwr-revises-175-plans

Great Western Railway’s Alstom Class 175 trains must now each complete 1,000 miles of trouble-free running before they are cleared to enter revenue-earning service. At the time of writing, just two trains, Nos 175003/115, are in regular operation with the operator.

Speaking to Modern Railways, GWR Programme Director Barry Milsom explained that the fleet’s period in storage after Transport for Wales Rail replaced them with Class 197s has led to a series of unexpected problems, despite the units being refurbished at Wolverton Works.

Water ingress from corrosion in the trains’ roofs is said to be leaking into electrical equipment, with door operating system failures a major – but not the only – issue affecting the fleet. Engine and suspension air bag replacements have had to take place on some trains, and air-conditioning units are also being refurbished by Alstom and the wider supply chain before trains enter traffic.

Continues in link...

7. Passenger v Customer

5. What's the difference between reading (5a) and Reading (5b)?

But yet - if the reasons are all different, all the more of a nightmare to sort out.   Multiple problems, multiple fixes needed. I would not want to be the one trying to fix this - probably wouldn't have the ability - but then wouldn't command the sort of salary need for a problem solver either.

I do get to wondering if we have less innovative thinking to sort things out these days and more just "turn the wheels and gloss the paintwork"; whether that's a function of me becoming more cynical, of things getting harder for staff to do with more constraints on them, or a rather less or differently motivated approach by those involved.

Better late than never, as they say.

GWR "Excuse bingo" in full force today!

Part of a story?

Looks unfortunate - as I read it, that's the last train east from Exeter St David's?   Wouldn't have happened in the days that the services were through   al the way from Penzance to Bristol, but then in those days the performance figures for Bristol would have ended up worse with a late arrival.

Going slightly off topic,Trip advisor do the forums in alphabetical order,

just wish they would change it so if your in the U.K. its at the top, at the present time  the United Kingdom is at the bottom.

Further off topic e-bay use to have a system where you could push up your views on items you were selling.

But now views are counted as one user per item you are selling. 

09:03 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:27
09:03 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:27 will be terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par and Newquay.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

14:52 Newquay to London Paddington due 20:23
14:52 Newquay to London Paddington due 20:23 will be started from Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Newquay, Par, Liskeard and Saltash.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

07:07 Par to Newquay due 07:58

07:07 Par to Newquay due 07:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

07:38 Exeter St Davids to Okehampton due 08:16

07:38 Exeter St Davids to Okehampton due 08:16 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

13:39 Plymouth to Penzance due 15:40

13:39 Plymouth to Penzance due 15:40 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

2Z28 arrived at Exeter and they didn't hold 2M77 the Bristol connection 10 minutes and it went 1/2 minute early.

How to buy this ticket
Tickets cannot be purchased directly from ITA Software.
Provide this information to a travel agent to help them match the fares found.
Make sure to provide the exact booking and fare codes shown.
Fare for 1 adult
US$991.50
Changes to this ticket will incur a penalty fee.
This ticket is non-refundable.
Fare 1: Carrier OS NLY00DBO EWR to LON (rules)
Passenger type ADT, ONE-WAY fare, booking code N
Covers EWR-LHR (Premium Economy)                                            US$376.00
United States Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service                    US$5.60
US International Departure Tax (US)                                              US$23.40
US Passenger Facility Charge (XF)                                                  US$4.50
Carrier-imposed surcharge (YQ)                                                     US$560.00
Carrier-imposed surcharge (YR)                                                     US$22.00
Subtotal per passenger                                                                 US$991.50
Number of passengers
x1
Subtotal for 1 adult                                                                       US$991.50

Fare Construction (can be useful to travel agents)
EWR OS LON Q200.00 176.00NLY00DBO NUC 376.00 END ROE 1.00 XT 23.40US 5.60AY 560.00YQ 22.00YR 4.50XF EWR4.50
Total Airfare & Taxes
US$991.50

5a. reading is a skill we learn - before or at school for the majority of us in the UK these days - that sets us up for life's progress in modern society

5b. Reading is a town in Berkshire, and one of the biggest railway interchanges in the region. South Western Railway, Cross Country, Great Western and Transport for London all operate scheduled passenger trains there, and for most people travelling, who's operating the train you arrive on and the train you leave on is of little practical consequence.  You just need to know who's website to drill down into for things like delay/repay claims, and if you're travelling as a group whether you groupsave ticket is valid on this or that operator.

A milestone in electric railway preservation was achieved yesterday by the Class 507 Preservation Society – the first conversion of a preserved electric multiple unit to battery operation in Britain.

507001 successfully ran under its own power, without a third rail, in tests at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane works in Derby, paving the way for future operation on a heritage railway. This feat has been made possible thanks to the fitment of batteries inside the train’s driving cars. These batteries can power the train’s traction motors and compressor (which supplies air to the brakes), removing the need for a third rail power supply. This modification means the train can run under its own power on unelectrified railways, including the many heritage lines across the country.

On the afternoon of 1st September, the three-car train completed several test runs on the works’ internal railway lines. Over the course of three hours, it travelled a distance of 2.8 miles at speeds of up to 8 mph, all on a single charge.

Continues

Passed through their yesterday
I am intrigued how much use it will get and how much increased footfall there will be going the opposite way to normal at the station

The stop's already on Google maps, it looks to be about 160 yards from the new entrance. Given that this is Bristol Temple Meads, if we look at walking distances from the locations used to halt many of the shorter trains at the ends of the station platforms, they're about a 400 yard walk from the new location for the number 8 bus - about a 100 yard increase on the previous.

(Streetview of the stop's location is... bleak, but that's because in 2023 it was a building site, hopefully it's now tamed...)

Mark

Do I need to count the fingers?