Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [361457/18719/26] Posted by bobm at 20:08, 11th May 2025 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea |      |
It has not been unknown for a rail replacement bus to hit a low bridge so while not mandated it might be prudent to ensure drivers know the route before being thrown in to cover extra journeys.
| Re: trainee drivers will be allowed to drive trains from age 18 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [361456/30247/51] Posted by ChrisB at 19:32, 11th May 2025 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea | |
From The Guardian
‘It’s an illogical job’: Why driving a train isn’t as cushy as it might seem
The rulebook is hefty, the hours are awful and the hurdles to becoming a train driver huge. But 18-year-olds can now apply
Few professions’ pay have aroused such incredulous ire as train drivers: earning an average of nearly £70,000 a year, going on strike to demand more, and they don’t even have to steer. But if it really is such a cushy number, why doesn’t Britain have enough drivers – and what does it take to join their ranks?
Driver shortages have become a leading cause of disruption on Britain’s railways; about seven out of eight “P-coded” cancellations, made the night before travel, are down to a missing driver.
Parts of the timetable still rely on drivers working voluntary overtime. Also looming is a potential mass exodus, with thousands of drivers recruited in boom years now approaching retirement.
That prompted the government to announce this week that it was changing the rules to allow 18-year-olds to start driving trains – two years younger than the current legal minimum.
But as recent job adverts for Northern Railway show, driving may not be quite the money for old rope that headlines sometimes imply. The training salary of £26,000 rises to £62,000 in three years; but the attributes required include “diligence and moral courage”, “zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol” and “exceptional concentration skills within a low-stimulus environment”, not to mention 3am starts.
Still, the Department for Transport wants at least 5,000 more drivers and hopes that gen Z will help them meet that target. According to the DfT, nearly half of qualified drivers are over the age of 50, while only 3% are under 30.
In the East Midlands Railway (EMR) training centre, at the back of Derby train station, the new recruits are typically later life career changers, including some who work in different roles in the railway.
“We have a lot of ex-police, ex-fire brigade, who tend to like the rules and regulations,” says Mark Letman, EMR’s lead operations training manager and himself ex-army. He oversees 50 to 60 trainees a year, starting with an 18-week intensive theory course on the drivers’ rulebook.
Tim Joyce, 53, is retraining after 30 years in the fire service. Of his new life, he says: “It’s similar in many ways – you have to learn the rules but ultimately be ready to apply them in the real world.”
He shows his copy of the rulebook, known as “the brick” or “the bible”: a hefty tome generously bookmarked with multicoloured labels. “These modules are up to 100 pages each and there are maybe 40 of them,” Joyce says.
Letman picks up the brick and counts through: “Twenty-one.”
Either way, it looks heavy for a driver to have to lug around every day. “He carries it between his ears,” Letman says, tapping his head with a look that suggests this Guardian correspondent will never be a train driver.The trainees have been through two rounds of interviews as well as psychometric tests – on which the failure rate alone is 60% to 70%. The exam on the rulebook requires a 90% score to pass and driver competency is checked every two years.
Drivers have to live near a depot and travel there and back when other public transport is probably unavailable. That means most are recruited locally – though in EMR’s case that can be London as well as Boston. Anita Bradfield, 60, is in training to work out of St Pancras, having already swapped a career in dancing to work for Network Rail as a mobile operations manager.
“I’d go out to assist drivers and be seeing them every day – I thought it’d be good to have a go!’ she says. “It’s a challenge and good learning. No day is ever the same.”
If the trainees pass the theory exam, they go on to what Letman calls the “traction phase”: learning the nuts and bolts of train driving in class and using a new £1.5m simulator. Only then are they sent to the depot with a mentor and instructors to rack up 200 hours of driving under instruction before being let loose alone with passengers. The whole process takes at least eight months.
Among the EMR trainees, Charlie Potts, at 22, is part of the more elusive demographic the industry is chasing, having decided after a geography and urban planning degree to listen to his old man. “My dad was a train driver – and he always talked it up.”
School leavers without such connections could now be persuaded, Letman says. “The good thing now is we can go into schools and say it could be a career now, for life.”
One of those trying the EMR simulators, though not yet aiming to switch jobs, was the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. “The driver shortage problem is a genuine problem across the UK,” she said. “Especially in parts of the country, strangely, where we’re trying hardest to improve services, like the north-east.”
The new age rules, Alexander said, were only “part of the puzzle” but could make a big difference. “Giving young people when they’re leaving school or college the ability to go straight into training to be a driver, instead of having to worry what they’re going to do for a couple of years, is really significant.”
The pandemic exacerbated the shortage of drivers: Covid-era regulations halted training and many drivers also sought a better work-life balance. Fewer passengers and lower fare revenue also left the government underwriting train companies, leaving a cash-strapped sector freezing pay.
Strikes ensued and a loss of goodwill persists. Much of the railway relies on rest-day working, or voluntary overtime, and in many places, drivers no longer fancy it. But there is still demand for jobs, Whelan says. “We’ve seen places like Wales recently advertise drivers’ jobs and they’ve been inundated.”
That could diversify the workforce, the industry hopes. According to Aslef, the train drivers union, the average entry age is 34, which Mick Whelan, the general secretary, says “concerns us massively”. Few women in particular, he says, want to change careers at that point in life.
So why can’t we recruit more? “It’s the hurdles,” Whelan says. “It’s an illogical job when you think about it, sitting in a little can, working at 120 miles an hour, relying on the infrastructure below you and pressing a little handle to stop at a point three miles away you can’t see. People keep making out if you drive a bus, drive a car, you can drive a train. You can’t.”
Aslef continues to campaign for what it calls “dignity at work”. While passenger carriages, air-conditioning and seats have been refurbished, drivers have sometimes been left in old cabs. Drivers also have to cope with sparse toilet facilities. In one tragic case in 2022, a driver was killed by another train after, accident investigators believe, stopping in a siding to urinate.
And, Whelan says, “People forget it’s shift work.
When you’re walking down a siding at 3.20am in the rain to get a train ready and it’s freezing cold, it’s not quite as pretty as when you’re rolling into a station in the sunlight.”
The rulebook is hefty, the hours are awful and the hurdles to becoming a train driver huge. But 18-year-olds can now apply
Few professions’ pay have aroused such incredulous ire as train drivers: earning an average of nearly £70,000 a year, going on strike to demand more, and they don’t even have to steer. But if it really is such a cushy number, why doesn’t Britain have enough drivers – and what does it take to join their ranks?
Driver shortages have become a leading cause of disruption on Britain’s railways; about seven out of eight “P-coded” cancellations, made the night before travel, are down to a missing driver.
Parts of the timetable still rely on drivers working voluntary overtime. Also looming is a potential mass exodus, with thousands of drivers recruited in boom years now approaching retirement.
That prompted the government to announce this week that it was changing the rules to allow 18-year-olds to start driving trains – two years younger than the current legal minimum.
But as recent job adverts for Northern Railway show, driving may not be quite the money for old rope that headlines sometimes imply. The training salary of £26,000 rises to £62,000 in three years; but the attributes required include “diligence and moral courage”, “zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol” and “exceptional concentration skills within a low-stimulus environment”, not to mention 3am starts.
Still, the Department for Transport wants at least 5,000 more drivers and hopes that gen Z will help them meet that target. According to the DfT, nearly half of qualified drivers are over the age of 50, while only 3% are under 30.
In the East Midlands Railway (EMR) training centre, at the back of Derby train station, the new recruits are typically later life career changers, including some who work in different roles in the railway.
“We have a lot of ex-police, ex-fire brigade, who tend to like the rules and regulations,” says Mark Letman, EMR’s lead operations training manager and himself ex-army. He oversees 50 to 60 trainees a year, starting with an 18-week intensive theory course on the drivers’ rulebook.
Tim Joyce, 53, is retraining after 30 years in the fire service. Of his new life, he says: “It’s similar in many ways – you have to learn the rules but ultimately be ready to apply them in the real world.”
He shows his copy of the rulebook, known as “the brick” or “the bible”: a hefty tome generously bookmarked with multicoloured labels. “These modules are up to 100 pages each and there are maybe 40 of them,” Joyce says.
Letman picks up the brick and counts through: “Twenty-one.”
Either way, it looks heavy for a driver to have to lug around every day. “He carries it between his ears,” Letman says, tapping his head with a look that suggests this Guardian correspondent will never be a train driver.The trainees have been through two rounds of interviews as well as psychometric tests – on which the failure rate alone is 60% to 70%. The exam on the rulebook requires a 90% score to pass and driver competency is checked every two years.
Drivers have to live near a depot and travel there and back when other public transport is probably unavailable. That means most are recruited locally – though in EMR’s case that can be London as well as Boston. Anita Bradfield, 60, is in training to work out of St Pancras, having already swapped a career in dancing to work for Network Rail as a mobile operations manager.
“I’d go out to assist drivers and be seeing them every day – I thought it’d be good to have a go!’ she says. “It’s a challenge and good learning. No day is ever the same.”
If the trainees pass the theory exam, they go on to what Letman calls the “traction phase”: learning the nuts and bolts of train driving in class and using a new £1.5m simulator. Only then are they sent to the depot with a mentor and instructors to rack up 200 hours of driving under instruction before being let loose alone with passengers. The whole process takes at least eight months.
Among the EMR trainees, Charlie Potts, at 22, is part of the more elusive demographic the industry is chasing, having decided after a geography and urban planning degree to listen to his old man. “My dad was a train driver – and he always talked it up.”
School leavers without such connections could now be persuaded, Letman says. “The good thing now is we can go into schools and say it could be a career now, for life.”
One of those trying the EMR simulators, though not yet aiming to switch jobs, was the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. “The driver shortage problem is a genuine problem across the UK,” she said. “Especially in parts of the country, strangely, where we’re trying hardest to improve services, like the north-east.”
The new age rules, Alexander said, were only “part of the puzzle” but could make a big difference. “Giving young people when they’re leaving school or college the ability to go straight into training to be a driver, instead of having to worry what they’re going to do for a couple of years, is really significant.”
The pandemic exacerbated the shortage of drivers: Covid-era regulations halted training and many drivers also sought a better work-life balance. Fewer passengers and lower fare revenue also left the government underwriting train companies, leaving a cash-strapped sector freezing pay.
Strikes ensued and a loss of goodwill persists. Much of the railway relies on rest-day working, or voluntary overtime, and in many places, drivers no longer fancy it. But there is still demand for jobs, Whelan says. “We’ve seen places like Wales recently advertise drivers’ jobs and they’ve been inundated.”
That could diversify the workforce, the industry hopes. According to Aslef, the train drivers union, the average entry age is 34, which Mick Whelan, the general secretary, says “concerns us massively”. Few women in particular, he says, want to change careers at that point in life.
So why can’t we recruit more? “It’s the hurdles,” Whelan says. “It’s an illogical job when you think about it, sitting in a little can, working at 120 miles an hour, relying on the infrastructure below you and pressing a little handle to stop at a point three miles away you can’t see. People keep making out if you drive a bus, drive a car, you can drive a train. You can’t.”
Aslef continues to campaign for what it calls “dignity at work”. While passenger carriages, air-conditioning and seats have been refurbished, drivers have sometimes been left in old cabs. Drivers also have to cope with sparse toilet facilities. In one tragic case in 2022, a driver was killed by another train after, accident investigators believe, stopping in a siding to urinate.
And, Whelan says, “People forget it’s shift work.
When you’re walking down a siding at 3.20am in the rain to get a train ready and it’s freezing cold, it’s not quite as pretty as when you’re rolling into a station in the sunlight.”
| Re: Arrest after rape and sexual assault of two girls at Digby & Sowton, 9 May 2025 In "Shorter journeys in Devon - Central, North and South" [361455/30254/24] Posted by ChrisB at 18:50, 11th May 2025 | |
Update from the BBC
Man charged with rape and sexual assault of girls
A man has been charged after a 16-year-old girl was raped and a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted.
Sonny Boyes, 19, from Exeter, has been charged with two offences of rape and three offences of sexual assault.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the incidents took place in the area of Digby and Sowton train station in Exeter between 20:45 and 22:00 BST on Friday.
Mr Boyes is due to appear at Exeter Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Det Insp Emma LeFort said specialist officers were supporting the girls.
"We continue to investigate the incidents and want to hear from anyone who was in the vicinity of Digby and Sowton railway station, or on a train passing through, between 20:45 and 22:00 on Friday," she added.
A man has been charged after a 16-year-old girl was raped and a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted.
Sonny Boyes, 19, from Exeter, has been charged with two offences of rape and three offences of sexual assault.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the incidents took place in the area of Digby and Sowton train station in Exeter between 20:45 and 22:00 BST on Friday.
Mr Boyes is due to appear at Exeter Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Det Insp Emma LeFort said specialist officers were supporting the girls.
"We continue to investigate the incidents and want to hear from anyone who was in the vicinity of Digby and Sowton railway station, or on a train passing through, between 20:45 and 22:00 on Friday," she added.
| Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [361454/18719/26] Posted by grahame at 18:03, 11th May 2025 | |
Might not be possible due to driver hours and route knowledge. I do wonder how many passengers this would impact and whether a taxi might be a better option
Does route knowledge apply to bus drivers? I can recall before the days of SatNav helping rail replacement bus drivers find the way.
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361453/30256/19] Posted by grahame at 18:01, 11th May 2025 | |
I may well walk further - but August at the earliest. Staring from Maiden Newton, it has to be provisional until very close or even the morning - weather and the train connection dependent. If the 06:32 is late, it holds me up 2 hours at Westbury. If it's cancelled the delay in theory is 4 hours. There are bus alternatives ... 8 O'lock walk start is fine, 10 O'Clock on a hot day is disappointing, Midday makes it a washout.
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361451/30256/19] Posted by bradshaw at 17:44, 11th May 2025 Already liked by PhilWakely | |
As I mentioned in a post, the R Frome has two parallel roads. One is the main road while the other involves tracks and minor roads. It passes a Roman aqueduct and Poundbury Camp on the way.
The map marks the route
Sadly the track bed on the Bridport branch is only accessible from Toller onwards. The walk to Toller may be best via road to Wynford Eagle and then footpath to Toller.
At Nettlecombe is the Marquis of Lorne for lunch. Let me know if you are going to do it.
At Bridport return by bus to Dorchester(X51) or Weymouth (X53 and X52 open top in summer) Each to a two hourly timetable.
| Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [361450/18719/26] Posted by nickswift99 at 17:41, 11th May 2025 | |
Might not be possible due to driver hours and route knowledge. I do wonder how many passengers this would impact and whether a taxi might be a better option
| Re: First Bus and FlixBus strike deal to expand services across South West In "Buses and other ways to travel" [361449/29456/5] Posted by ChrisB at 17:08, 11th May 2025 | |
Using the word incorrectly again though - to "commute" means travelling to/from work.
Bet their service doesn't run twice a day every day then.
| Re: Cable thefts leave thousands stranded on Spanish trains - May 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [361448/30244/52] Posted by TaplowGreen at 16:40, 11th May 2025 | |
Happened on the Elizabeth Line over the last few days too. Our travelling friends have been busy.
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361447/30256/19] Posted by froome at 15:04, 11th May 2025 | |
"City" of Chetnole?
Written tongue in cheek - but there have been smaller. Remember I am bilingual (American and English):
Maza – the former least populated city in the USA
At 8 square miles and a population of five (yes, five), Maza was both the least populated city in the USA and least densely populated city. The reason for the past tense is that, despite being founded way back in 1893, Maza’s city status was dissolved in 2002.
At 8 square miles and a population of five (yes, five), Maza was both the least populated city in the USA and least densely populated city. The reason for the past tense is that, despite being founded way back in 1893, Maza’s city status was dissolved in 2002.
City Dulas in Anglesey would be a good contender for our smallest 'city'.
| [otd] 13th May (1985) - Melksham Station re-opened In "TransWilts line" [361446/30262/18] Posted by grahame at 12:21, 11th May 2025 Already liked by PhilWakely, Timmer | |
Much of the old content is scattered around the archives.
We have moved forward from nothing to a service that provided for the specific flow of commuters from Melksham to Swindon to various experimental, thin, and unreliable services. Forty years!
The service remains thin and unreliable. We all acknowledge that - and look forward, let's say to the 50th anniversary, where it is appropriate and reliable. The very actions of improving the service and having a service that people can rely on will bring in more passengers, as will population growth, information provision, and local connectivity within Melksham.
| Re: HOW late is your public transport journey? In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [361443/29213/51] Posted by grahame at 11:07, 11th May 2025 | |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cql23xrwpgko
'Perpetual honeymoon' for stranded cruise ship couple married at sea
They should have been on a round-the-world cruise for the next three years - instead they were stranded in Belfast.
The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship was to depart from Northern Ireland last May, but issues with its rudder stocks meant its guests were marooned in the city for more than four months.
Shipmates Angela Harsanyi and Gian Perroni met while commuting daily from hotel accommodation to the ship, where they were allowed to work remotely during the day while repairs were carried out.
Behind schedule, and on the dry dock, the maintenance work was long enough for the pair of strangers to meet, fall in love and get engaged by the River Lagan.
They should have been on a round-the-world cruise for the next three years - instead they were stranded in Belfast.
The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship was to depart from Northern Ireland last May, but issues with its rudder stocks meant its guests were marooned in the city for more than four months.
Shipmates Angela Harsanyi and Gian Perroni met while commuting daily from hotel accommodation to the ship, where they were allowed to work remotely during the day while repairs were carried out.
Behind schedule, and on the dry dock, the maintenance work was long enough for the pair of strangers to meet, fall in love and get engaged by the River Lagan.
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361442/30256/19] Posted by TaplowGreen at 11:03, 11th May 2025 Already liked by grahame | |
"City" of Chetnole?
Written tongue in cheek - but there have been smaller. Remember I am bilingual (American and English):
Maza – the former least populated city in the USA
At 8 square miles and a population of five (yes, five), Maza was both the least populated city in the USA and least densely populated city. The reason for the past tense is that, despite being founded way back in 1893, Maza’s city status was dissolved in 2002.
At 8 square miles and a population of five (yes, five), Maza was both the least populated city in the USA and least densely populated city. The reason for the past tense is that, despite being founded way back in 1893, Maza’s city status was dissolved in 2002.
As a citizen of the throbbing metropolis of Taplow I understand.
| Re: 2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury In "TransWilts line" [361441/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 11:02, 11th May 2025 | |
I am getting confused ... and not risking any trains today!
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
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:11/05/2025 10:21
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
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:11/05/2025 10:21
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [361440/29711/14] Posted by Worcester_Passenger at 10:55, 11th May 2025 | |
Saturday May 11
1W37 18:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern : cancelled throughgout, "due to an issue with the train crew (TG)" [RTT].
| Re: First Bus and FlixBus strike deal to expand services across South West In "Buses and other ways to travel" [361439/29456/5] Posted by GBM at 10:49, 11th May 2025 | |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2821xdn4zo
A German travel company has added three connections in Cornwall as part of National Coach Week.
FlixBus said from May 15 passengers would be able to use its service to commute to and from Newquay, Truro and Penzance.
The company, which was founded in 2011, also has depots in Penryn, Plymouth and Exeter.
.....Continues............
| Re: Champion Reflections In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [361438/30259/47] Posted by GBM at 10:30, 11th May 2025 | |
Marvellous photos Phil,for which many thanks.
Champion is looking great and sounding marvellous,one slight concern was early on in the day she was dispensing large quantities of white smoke,from both exhausts ,enough to put the Chimney in Rome to shame !
However once fully warmed up and having been allowed to stretch her legs a bit normal service was restored and the usual mid grey Clag returned,hope to ride behind again before much longer.
Any chance of reflective tour washup please Western Pathfinder?Champion is looking great and sounding marvellous,one slight concern was early on in the day she was dispensing large quantities of white smoke,from both exhausts ,enough to put the Chimney in Rome to shame !
However once fully warmed up and having been allowed to stretch her legs a bit normal service was restored and the usual mid grey Clag returned,hope to ride behind again before much longer.
Would be interested to know your thoughts - too long/too expensive/etc.........
| Re: 2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury In "TransWilts line" [361437/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 10:09, 11th May 2025 | |
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:32
13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48
Additional 13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
The additional bus will no longer run as the train is now reinstated.
13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48
Additional 13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
The additional bus will no longer run as the train is now reinstated.
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361436/30256/19] Posted by grahame at 09:58, 11th May 2025 | |
"City" of Chetnole?
Written tongue in cheek - but there have been smaller. Remember I am bilingual (American and English):
Maza – the former least populated city in the USA
At 8 square miles and a population of five (yes, five), Maza was both the least populated city in the USA and least densely populated city. The reason for the past tense is that, despite being founded way back in 1893, Maza’s city status was dissolved in 2002.
At 8 square miles and a population of five (yes, five), Maza was both the least populated city in the USA and least densely populated city. The reason for the past tense is that, despite being founded way back in 1893, Maza’s city status was dissolved in 2002.
| Re: 2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury In "TransWilts line" [361435/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 09:51, 11th May 2025 | |
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:32
13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48.
Additional Information
For customers travelling between Swindon and Westbury taxis have been arranged to run from Swindon to Westbury at 13:32 calling Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge. For customers at these stations intending to travel beyond Westbury, the taxis will set you down at the station you require between Westbury and Weymouth, please inform the taxi driver. The taxis are from Bath Taxis Limited. Before getting in any taxi vehicle please check with the driver that they are working on behalf of GWR, the driver should not ask for payment.
13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 13:32 Swindon to Westbury due 14:48.
Additional Information
For customers travelling between Swindon and Westbury taxis have been arranged to run from Swindon to Westbury at 13:32 calling Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge. For customers at these stations intending to travel beyond Westbury, the taxis will set you down at the station you require between Westbury and Weymouth, please inform the taxi driver. The taxis are from Bath Taxis Limited. Before getting in any taxi vehicle please check with the driver that they are working on behalf of GWR, the driver should not ask for payment.
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361434/30256/19] Posted by TaplowGreen at 09:48, 11th May 2025 | |
Part 1
Friday 9th May 2025 ... 06:32 Melksham towards Southampton, change at Westbury (06:48 arrival to 06:50 departure) onto the train towards Weymouth. The risky change works, as I understand it "usually" does from regulars. You know who they are because they position themselves for a rapid sprint though the subway!
The train calls on request at Thornford (where we picked up three people), Yetminster (which we skipped) and Chetnole (where it stopped just to let me off.
The city of Chetnole is situated a few hundred yards from the station, which is set in the countryside. Makes sense really, as a railway station in the city itself and no-where near the railway would not make sense. More seriously, the station is a rare survivor of the major cull around 60 years ago, said to have been because of the narrow lanes making it hard to run replacement buses. These days, it's well kept though not wheel chair accessible, and I wonder if it much more use could be made of it by extending Chetnole (OK, it's a village really) toward the station - Cranbrook and Copplestone stile - and there are a handful of others in GWR territory where it has happened or there's obvious potential.
Friday 9th May 2025 ... 06:32 Melksham towards Southampton, change at Westbury (06:48 arrival to 06:50 departure) onto the train towards Weymouth. The risky change works, as I understand it "usually" does from regulars. You know who they are because they position themselves for a rapid sprint though the subway!
The train calls on request at Thornford (where we picked up three people), Yetminster (which we skipped) and Chetnole (where it stopped just to let me off.
The city of Chetnole is situated a few hundred yards from the station, which is set in the countryside. Makes sense really, as a railway station in the city itself and no-where near the railway would not make sense. More seriously, the station is a rare survivor of the major cull around 60 years ago, said to have been because of the narrow lanes making it hard to run replacement buses. These days, it's well kept though not wheel chair accessible, and I wonder if it much more use could be made of it by extending Chetnole (OK, it's a village really) toward the station - Cranbrook and Copplestone stile - and there are a handful of others in GWR territory where it has happened or there's obvious potential.
"City" of Chetnole?
| Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [361433/18719/26] Posted by grahame at 09:04, 11th May 2025 Already liked by Timmer | |
Extend the bus to Westbury if the trains not running? Or is that too much like common sense?
| Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics In "Heart of Wessex" [361432/30256/19] Posted by grahame at 09:02, 11th May 2025 | |
Given a station just out of the town/village, it can be rewarding to look for the pavement alongside the road that eased access to it - something that holds good even for long-vanished stations. That's something from which Chetnole doesn't benefit, mind - and even the village's 30 mph limit ends at the village boundary.
At Chetnole, you walk us the steps and though a gate direct onto the main carriageway a few yards from the blind bridge brow of the lane over the railway. Not ideal, and as I walked during the day I found that cars are far quieter ( to me at least ) than they used to be - a combination, perhaps, of engineering, electrics, and my own more limited hearing. BUT - care taken knowing these limitations and it's OK.
That was the site of Cattistock Halt, opposite is Cattistock Cricket Club where I spent many hours trying to play that game.
It looked to me as if that cricket pitch was sloping ... not a test match wicket?
If open the Fox and Hounds at Cattistock would have been the better choice. The Chalk and Cheese used to be called the Brewery Inn. One of three pubs open when I moved there in 1976, the others were the White Horse and the Castle. The latter had a terrace on to the river.
Not knowing the walk / paths, I stopped briefly at the Post Office and store in Cattistock for a can of coke which I drank in the bus shelter, secure in the knowledge that I was not depriving anyone who was waiting for the bus of a seat. And the proceeded to Maiden Newton so that opportunities to get lost, explore, etc were not lot in the need to catch the next train.
The only bus now is the school bus to Beaminster School. There was a regular run years ago running Dorchester, Maiden Newton to Evershot and Yeovil but that stopped some years ago.
I explored the option of walking the route in two halves, picking up a bus / dropping off from a bus on the A37. But there isn't one. Ironically, a coach full of what looked like work people rushed by as I crossed that road. It truly is a public transport desert!
Holywell or Evershot Tunnel was built at the behest of the land owner, Lord Ilchester. The WSWR would have preferred a cutting. Plans at Dorchester Record Office show that the north entrance of Evershot Tunnel needed the cuttings deepened and extended before opening of the line. The road over the tunnel at this point had to be diverted.
Like other Dorset rivers, the Frome has parallel roads on either side - the winter and summer ways. These form a circular walk to Evershot or to Rampisham.
Like other Dorset rivers, the Frome has parallel roads on either side - the winter and summer ways. These form a circular walk to Evershot or to Rampisham.
Fascinating - although I ended up tired at the end of the day, I really saw and learned a lot and the filling in information from members does so much to add to the picture. I may well look to walk from Maiden Newton onwards to Bridport later this summer. The walk to Dorchester more dubious - looks like a long way and perhaps mostly a road walk?
| Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion In "Across the West" [361431/18719/26] Posted by Timmer at 08:56, 11th May 2025 | |
Cancellations to services between Westbury and Warminster
Due to a shortage of train crew between Westbury and Warminster fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today. Due to a shortage of train crew, we won't be able to run as many trains between Westbury and Warminster as we would like. Planned engineering works are taking place between Warminster and Southampton Central so we already have rail replacement buses running between these stations. We may not be able to run trains to Warminster to meet with the rail replacement buses.
The best way to complete your journey if you're travelling between South Wales / Bristol / Bath and Southampton Central is to take the next available train to Reading. You can then change there for services towards Southampton Central or towards South Wales / Bristol / Bath depending on which direction you're travelling in. Don't worry, your tickets will be accepted at no extra cost on these routes.
To travel between Reading and Southampton Central, you will need to either use direct Cross Country services or GWR services between Reading and Basingstoke and then South Western Railway services between Basingstoke and Southampton Central. Your tickets will also be accepted on these services at no extra cost.
If you are travelling between South Wales / Bristol / Bath and Portsmouth, you should also travel via Reading. If you're travelling from South Wales / Bristol / Bath towards Portsmouth, you should take the first available train to Reading. You should then change at Reading for trains to Guildford. You should then change again at Guildford for South Western Railway services towards Portsmouth. If travelling in the other direction, you should take the first available South Western Railway service to Guildford and change there for trains towards Reading. You should then change at Reading for trains towards South Wales / Bristol / Bath. Don't worry, your tickets will be accepted at no extra cost on these routes.
Due to a shortage of train crew between Westbury and Warminster fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today. Due to a shortage of train crew, we won't be able to run as many trains between Westbury and Warminster as we would like. Planned engineering works are taking place between Warminster and Southampton Central so we already have rail replacement buses running between these stations. We may not be able to run trains to Warminster to meet with the rail replacement buses.
The best way to complete your journey if you're travelling between South Wales / Bristol / Bath and Southampton Central is to take the next available train to Reading. You can then change there for services towards Southampton Central or towards South Wales / Bristol / Bath depending on which direction you're travelling in. Don't worry, your tickets will be accepted at no extra cost on these routes.
To travel between Reading and Southampton Central, you will need to either use direct Cross Country services or GWR services between Reading and Basingstoke and then South Western Railway services between Basingstoke and Southampton Central. Your tickets will also be accepted on these services at no extra cost.
If you are travelling between South Wales / Bristol / Bath and Portsmouth, you should also travel via Reading. If you're travelling from South Wales / Bristol / Bath towards Portsmouth, you should take the first available train to Reading. You should then change at Reading for trains to Guildford. You should then change again at Guildford for South Western Railway services towards Portsmouth. If travelling in the other direction, you should take the first available South Western Railway service to Guildford and change there for trains towards Reading. You should then change at Reading for trains towards South Wales / Bristol / Bath. Don't worry, your tickets will be accepted at no extra cost on these routes.
| Re: Champion Reflections In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [361429/30259/47] Posted by Western Pathfinder at 08:29, 11th May 2025 Already liked by GBM, PhilWakely | |
Marvellous photos Phil,for which many thanks.
Champion is looking great and sounding marvellous,one slight concern was early on in the day she was dispensing large quantities of white smoke,from both exhausts ,enough to put the Chimney in Rome to shame !
However once fully warmed up and having been allowed to stretch her legs a bit normal service was restored and the usual mid grey Clag returned,hope to ride behind again before much longer.
| Re: 2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury In "TransWilts line" [361428/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 07:56, 11th May 2025 | |
10:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:03
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Now changed to
10:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:03
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46
13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:46 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Still cancelled for my station, then ...
