Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| The London Underground art that tracks trains in real-time In "The Lighter Side" [370289/31354/30] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 13:18, 30th December 2025 |      |
| Re: Looe Branch Line - timetables, cancellations, engineering work, closures and incidents In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [370288/569/25] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:53, 30th December 2025 | |
An update, from the BBC:
Safety work closes Liskeard to Looe branch line
No flooding on the line at Sandplace railway station near Looe
The Liskeard to Looe branch line will be closed during New Year until the track can be safety checked by a team of specialised divers.
The branch line has been closed since Saturday 20th December because of floodwater although a replacement minibus service has been in operation.
The dive team arrived on site on Monday 22nd December but Network Rail said the water was still too deep and running too fast for the divers to be able to safely carry out the necessary inspections.
A Network Rail spokesperson said "The earliest that a dive team can attend the area again will be on Sunday 4 January. The line will remain closed until the divers have been able to check that it's safe to open."
Lesley Winfield has just moved with her family to Looe. "We were hoping to use the branch line but we've heard it's not that reliable and so he (her son) can't rely on it to get to his lectures so he has had to pay for accommodation and live there instead," she said. "It is very costly, a lot more costly than catching a train. If he needs to get to a lecture and he can't, he's scuppered really, so we can't take the risk," she said.
Looe resident Larry Shaw said "My son is coming down from Saltash tomorrow and he's had to make alternative arrangements. They've put public transport on to cover the trains but it's become a problem down here, you've only got to get a high tide and the tracks the first thing to flood. And it is Christmas so I don't think anybody would have been working," he said.
Cornwall Councillor for Looe East and Deviock Mark Gibbons said "The primary concern here is public safety we do have flooding on the line periodically and everybody is aware of this. The important thing to the people of Looe is not to try to blame when these things happen because obviously it's beyond our control but to make sure they are well managed and looked after as passengers and that businesses don't suffer," he said.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "The line was shut once the water levels reached the closure marks on the bridges and viaducts along the route in the early hours of Saturday morning (20th December). In order to reopen the line, specialist divers are required to inspect the lower part of the structures to ensure they haven't been affected by scour. We're sorry for the disruption to journeys. Road replacement transport is in place and passengers are advised to check with National Rail Enquiries or Great Western Railway for details of these alternative travel arrangements."
No flooding on the line at Sandplace railway station near Looe
The Liskeard to Looe branch line will be closed during New Year until the track can be safety checked by a team of specialised divers.
The branch line has been closed since Saturday 20th December because of floodwater although a replacement minibus service has been in operation.
The dive team arrived on site on Monday 22nd December but Network Rail said the water was still too deep and running too fast for the divers to be able to safely carry out the necessary inspections.
A Network Rail spokesperson said "The earliest that a dive team can attend the area again will be on Sunday 4 January. The line will remain closed until the divers have been able to check that it's safe to open."
Lesley Winfield has just moved with her family to Looe. "We were hoping to use the branch line but we've heard it's not that reliable and so he (her son) can't rely on it to get to his lectures so he has had to pay for accommodation and live there instead," she said. "It is very costly, a lot more costly than catching a train. If he needs to get to a lecture and he can't, he's scuppered really, so we can't take the risk," she said.
Looe resident Larry Shaw said "My son is coming down from Saltash tomorrow and he's had to make alternative arrangements. They've put public transport on to cover the trains but it's become a problem down here, you've only got to get a high tide and the tracks the first thing to flood. And it is Christmas so I don't think anybody would have been working," he said.
Cornwall Councillor for Looe East and Deviock Mark Gibbons said "The primary concern here is public safety we do have flooding on the line periodically and everybody is aware of this. The important thing to the people of Looe is not to try to blame when these things happen because obviously it's beyond our control but to make sure they are well managed and looked after as passengers and that businesses don't suffer," he said.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "The line was shut once the water levels reached the closure marks on the bridges and viaducts along the route in the early hours of Saturday morning (20th December). In order to reopen the line, specialist divers are required to inspect the lower part of the structures to ensure they haven't been affected by scour. We're sorry for the disruption to journeys. Road replacement transport is in place and passengers are advised to check with National Rail Enquiries or Great Western Railway for details of these alternative travel arrangements."
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2025 In "TransWilts line" [370287/29726/18] Posted by grahame at 12:36, 30th December 2025 | |
Just two cancellations across the whole GWR are as I write. No prizes for guessing where, or why!
2 Train Cancellations
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
| Re: Eurostar - merged posts, ongoing discussion topic In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [370286/26929/52] Posted by grahame at 12:34, 30th December 2025 | |
Not a day to be using Eurostar - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c93wkw37p0pt
Eurostar is telling passengers not to travel due to "major disruption" in the Channel Tunnel
It says there is a problem with the overhead power supply "and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle train"
"We regret that trains that can run are subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations," it adds - a number of services are already cancelled
Le Shuttle - which carries road vehicles and passengers through the tunnel - is also warning of disruption
It says there is a problem with the overhead power supply "and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle train"
"We regret that trains that can run are subject to severe delays and last-minute cancellations," it adds - a number of services are already cancelled
Le Shuttle - which carries road vehicles and passengers through the tunnel - is also warning of disruption
| Derailment of freight train at Audenshaw, Manchester - 6 September 2024 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [370285/31352/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:58, 30th December 2025 | |
From the BBC:
What caused a freight train to derail?
The train came off the tracks near Sidmouth Street in Audenshaw
A freight train derailed due to undetected "failed" screws on the track, an investigation has found.
The train came off the tracks near Sidmouth Street, in Audenshaw, Greater Manchester, on 6 September 2024.
The incident was caused by the failure of multiple screws, which caused the track to widen, an investigation and report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) concluded. The RAIB has made eight recommendations to prevent a similar incident in future.
Network Rail says it "fully accepts" the findings of the RAIB report and that repairs and safety work have been completed at the bridge.
At about 11:25 BST on the day of the derailment, the freight train came off the tracks as it crossed a bridge carrying the railway over a public footpath in Audenshaw. The derailment involved nine of the train's 24 fully laden wagons and led to extensive damage to the track, the bridge and some of the wagons.
No one was injured during the accident, but the railway at this location was closed for about eight weeks while repairs took place.
The derailment was caused by the failure of multiple screws
The railway tracks over the bridge were installed on a non-typical longitudinal bearer system (LBS), the report said.
The report concluded the derailment was caused by a "loss of track gauge restraint", which caused the distance between the tracks to widen and allowed the wagons' wheels to drop from the rails. This was traced back to the failure of multiple screws, the report said.
The investigation found the screws had suffered fatigue damage before the derailment. Inspection and maintenance records confirmed at least three previous screw failures, including one before 2020, in the same location. However, many records were unavailable and the lack of proper reporting and recording allowed these issues to go unaddressed, the RAIB found.
The investigation also found that those screws which had failed, or were failing before the passage of the train, had not been detected by Network Rail's inspection regime. This was because both the automated and manual inspection regimes were not capable of reliably detecting this type of failure.
The driver had two years' experience of working as a train driver and no issues were identified with how the train was being driven at the time of the incident, the RAIB said.
The RAIB makes eight recommendations, including "managing the competence" of staff who manage the tracks and ensuring better records of inspections and reporting of component failures.
"There were two underlying factors. Network Rail did not have effective processes for managing LBS assets, in regard to their design assurance, installation, inspection and maintenance," the RAIB said.
"The track team in the maintenance unit responsible for the LBS at this bridge had neither recorded, nor reported, previous screw failures, and this had not been identified nor corrected by Network Rail's assurance regime over a period of years."
Network Rail said it fully accepted the findings of the RAIB report. "Repairs and safety work at this bridge have been completed and Network Rail has also introduced enhanced inspection and maintenance regimes at similar locations across the region to remove any potential safety risks," a spokesperson said.
The train came off the tracks near Sidmouth Street in Audenshaw
A freight train derailed due to undetected "failed" screws on the track, an investigation has found.
The train came off the tracks near Sidmouth Street, in Audenshaw, Greater Manchester, on 6 September 2024.
The incident was caused by the failure of multiple screws, which caused the track to widen, an investigation and report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) concluded. The RAIB has made eight recommendations to prevent a similar incident in future.
Network Rail says it "fully accepts" the findings of the RAIB report and that repairs and safety work have been completed at the bridge.
At about 11:25 BST on the day of the derailment, the freight train came off the tracks as it crossed a bridge carrying the railway over a public footpath in Audenshaw. The derailment involved nine of the train's 24 fully laden wagons and led to extensive damage to the track, the bridge and some of the wagons.
No one was injured during the accident, but the railway at this location was closed for about eight weeks while repairs took place.
The derailment was caused by the failure of multiple screws
The railway tracks over the bridge were installed on a non-typical longitudinal bearer system (LBS), the report said.
The report concluded the derailment was caused by a "loss of track gauge restraint", which caused the distance between the tracks to widen and allowed the wagons' wheels to drop from the rails. This was traced back to the failure of multiple screws, the report said.
The investigation found the screws had suffered fatigue damage before the derailment. Inspection and maintenance records confirmed at least three previous screw failures, including one before 2020, in the same location. However, many records were unavailable and the lack of proper reporting and recording allowed these issues to go unaddressed, the RAIB found.
The investigation also found that those screws which had failed, or were failing before the passage of the train, had not been detected by Network Rail's inspection regime. This was because both the automated and manual inspection regimes were not capable of reliably detecting this type of failure.
The driver had two years' experience of working as a train driver and no issues were identified with how the train was being driven at the time of the incident, the RAIB said.
The RAIB makes eight recommendations, including "managing the competence" of staff who manage the tracks and ensuring better records of inspections and reporting of component failures.
"There were two underlying factors. Network Rail did not have effective processes for managing LBS assets, in regard to their design assurance, installation, inspection and maintenance," the RAIB said.
"The track team in the maintenance unit responsible for the LBS at this bridge had neither recorded, nor reported, previous screw failures, and this had not been identified nor corrected by Network Rail's assurance regime over a period of years."
Network Rail said it fully accepted the findings of the RAIB report. "Repairs and safety work at this bridge have been completed and Network Rail has also introduced enhanced inspection and maintenance regimes at similar locations across the region to remove any potential safety risks," a spokesperson said.
Further details and the full report are available on the RAIB website.
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [370284/29711/14] Posted by Worcester_Passenger at 11:35, 30th December 2025 | |
Tuesday December 30
Facilities on the 08:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 11:34.
Service full and standing. First class is declassified.
Last Updated:30/12/2025 10:42
Service full and standing. First class is declassified.
Last Updated:30/12/2025 10:42
| Re: Parallel lines - how the UK might have been IF ... In "The Lighter Side" [370280/31349/30] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 10:27, 30th December 2025 | |
How about this, from YouTube?
Caption is 'Ekota Express: Luxurious Train of Bangladesh Railway Leaving Dhaka Railway station'.
| Re: Parallel lines - how the UK might have been IF ... In "The Lighter Side" [370279/31349/30] Posted by Oxonhutch at 10:23, 30th December 2025 | |
Looks Indian: broad and metre gauges.
| Re: What is happening at Dilton Marsh? Key service reduction! In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [370277/31284/20] Posted by grahame at 09:56, 30th December 2025 | |
It was very unfortunate that we only heard back from GWR on this very close indeed to Christmas. It felt like a "send and run" email of the sort sent just before someone goes off on holiday, with the intent of the livid recipient cooling off, and opportunities gone, before there's a chance to answer.
While there remains a chance (being optimistic) that a resolution can be found for the return to work on 5th January, I'm not sharing the GWR letter and the WWRUG response in public, but I did want anyone reading here on the Coffee Shop's public boards to be aware that we're working on it.
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [370276/25368/42] Posted by grahame at 08:27, 30th December 2025 | |
UK: After speaking to a range of senior industry figures, almost all on condition of anonymity, @RailBusinessUK
can confirm widespread concern that significant investment is coming to an end after three decades of rail growth, with major implications
can confirm widespread concern that significant investment is coming to an end after three decades of rail growth, with major implications
I can confirm that.
Are YOU on Facebook? If so, please share my post at
https://www.facebook.com/Graham4Melksham/posts/247547707434387
https://twitter.com/Graham4Melksham/status/1456182278242066435
I have updated my Facebook handle at "Graham4Melksham" to reflect my stepping down as a Town Councillor and looking forward to 2026 - see https://grahamellis.uk/blog1825.html
Formerly "Graham Ellis, Melksham, Independent", I have changed the name of my Melksham Facebook page ready for 2026 to "Graham Ellis, a Melksham view" as that better reflects the present and future, rather than the past when I was the independent (unaffiliated) elected member of the Town Council.
| Re: Cornish delays In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [370275/28556/25] Posted by GBM at 08:26, 30th December 2025 | |
Really!
Alterations to services between Bere Alston and Gunnislake
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Bere Alston and Gunnislake the line is closed.
Train services running to and from these stations have been revised. Calstock and Gunnislake will not be served. Disruption is expected until 23:59 30/12.
| Re: Problems with Hitachi Intercity Express Trains - ongoing discussion since 2022 In "Across the West" [370274/24934/26] Posted by GBM at 08:22, 30th December 2025 | |
04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:36
Facilities on the 04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:36.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
06:16 Swansea to London Paddington due 09:24
Facilities on the 06:16 Swansea to London Paddington due 09:24.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10 to Bristol Parkway.
06:59 London Paddington to Paignton due 10:17
Facilities on the 06:59 London Paddington to Paignton due 10:17.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
10:20 Penzance to London Paddington due 15:38
Facilities on the 10:20 Penzance to London Paddington due 15:38.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
| Re: Delay Repay problem In "Fare's Fair" [370273/25363/4] Posted by GBM at 08:19, 30th December 2025 | |
Roger French (again) on Delay Repay at GWR
Virtually the last item on this months blog
GWR’s appalling customer service continues
https://busandtrainuser.com/2025/12/30/seen-around-40/
Sadly easyJet don’t do Delay Repay so no compensation for my delayed arrival in the Isle of Man mentioned earlier, but back on the tracks I wonder if GWR are aiming to mimic Ryanair’s notorious approach to poor customer service with its continued hassle-as-standard ‘built in’ for any Delay Repay claim that’s just slightly more complicated than a straight A to B one operator journey claim.
Readers will recall me reporting GWR cancelled my intended train from Paddington to Castle Cary on 20th November with passengers having to travel by another train to Reading where we boarded the curtailed train that left Reading over half an hour late.
...snip......continues.........
| Re: New Years honours - 2026 - "railway" people In "Who's who on Western railways" [370272/31350/2] Posted by TaplowGreen at 07:41, 30th December 2025 | |
.......................nothing for Mick Lynch after all his efforts?
| New Years honours - 2026 - "railway" people In "Who's who on Western railways" [370271/31350/2] Posted by grahame at 05:35, 30th December 2025 Already liked by Western Pathfinder | |
Congratulations to the following who appear in the New Years Honours list with a "Rail" connection in their citation
Robert David MCINTOSH
Managing Director, North West and Central, Network Rail. For Services to the Railway in the North of England.
William Chales JOHNSTON
Executive Director, Railway Mission. For services to the Rail Workforce.
Timothy Denning SPARROW
Founder, South East Communities Rail Partnership. For services to Community Railways.
Thomas Allan GILMOUR
Police Community Support Officer, British Transport Police. For services to Railway Safety
Carter Jack David GOODBY
People Business Partner, London North Eastern Railway. For services to Diversity and Inclusion
Mark Robert JONES
Customer Assistant, Southeastern. For services to Community Railway.
Andrew Kevin WINDASS
Senior Engineer, AGH Engineering Ltd. For services to Rail Engineering
Sonia Lynette HAZEL
Assurance and Controls Manager, HS2, Network Rail. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Rail Sector
Manjinger Singh KANG
Assurance and Controls Manager, HS2, Network Rail. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Rail Sector
| Parallel lines - how the UK might have been IF ... In "The Lighter Side" [370270/31349/30] Posted by grahame at 05:14, 30th December 2025 | |
IF ... Brunel's broad gauge had carried on in parallel to other gauges, with each new railway selecting the most appropriate of broad, standard and narrow. This example from Facebook - a still from a video which, darn it, scrolled away - help with location and attribution would be appreciated.
| Re: Micro Delays In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [370269/31341/20] Posted by Hafren at 23:24, 29th December 2025 | |
I knew frustrated typing on a phone would catch me out somewhere!
I tweeted (or whatever it is now) Southern for an explanation, but they told me it was because of emergency services dealing with an jncident. I assume something happened somewhere so it became the default explanation for the day, but doesn't add up here.
| Re: Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 - Dec 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [370268/31344/52] Posted by ChrisB at 21:33, 29th December 2025 | |
That is NOT an HST.....
| Re: Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 - Dec 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [370267/31344/52] Posted by grahame at 21:30, 29th December 2025 | |
Make of this as you will....it's ...
I reckon that looks very like an HST?
I reckon that looks very like an HST?
It does - it's the rescue train. I suspect getting people off to get them into ambulances once they got to a road.
Also from The Sun ... the accident train. And there are inside pics with some features that I would not expect in an HST / derivative
| Re: 16th August 2025 - Buses to Imber In "Buses and other ways to travel" [370266/29807/5] Posted by Clan Line at 21:26, 29th December 2025 | |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kppzkk7gyo
| Re: mansplaining - you are welcome to fill in other readers, even if I know already In "Introductions and chat" [370265/31348/1] Posted by Oxonhutch at 21:16, 29th December 2025 | |
Throughout my long and varied career, my best boss ever was a lady called Liesl. She was an engineer, not a geologist, and deferred to my knowledge on that subject - but what a boss! She managed the team - Both up and down (the former being the most important!) and all worked like a well oiled machine. Great boss - RIP Liesl.
Sadly, she died doing the one, and only, thing unique to her sex - childbirth. A real tragedy for everyone, especially her family.
| Re: Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 - Dec 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [370264/31344/52] Posted by ChrisB at 21:08, 29th December 2025 | |
Make of this as you will....it's the Mirror, via MSN
I reckon that looks very like an HST?
The other end of this train. Marked Interoceanic too.
| mansplaining - you are welcome to fill in other readers, even if I know already In "Introductions and chat" [370263/31348/1] Posted by grahame at 20:53, 29th December 2025 | |
"Mansplaining is a pejorative term meaning (usually a man) to explain something to a (usually) a woman in a condescending, overconfident, and often inaccurate or oversimplified manner without regard to her own expertise."
From LinkedIn
[Name redacted]
2nd Verified
Independent EU railway policy commentator, writer, campaigner
Visible to anyone on or off LinkedIn
Tip: if you're not a direct connection of mine on LinkedIn, maybe don't try explaining to me what I know. Perhaps if you're a second or third degree connection stop and ask yourself "what might Jon know already?"
And it is ALWAYS men.
2nd Verified
Independent EU railway policy commentator, writer, campaigner
Visible to anyone on or off LinkedIn
Tip: if you're not a direct connection of mine on LinkedIn, maybe don't try explaining to me what I know. Perhaps if you're a second or third degree connection stop and ask yourself "what might Jon know already?"
And it is ALWAYS men.
Oh dear!
Please feel free - on the Coffee Shop, or in my various posts on Facebook, to explain things. Sure, I may know already, but I may not. And your answers are not just for me - they are for the other members and guests too, and further clarification can help those other readers so much, as well as giving me an opportunity to clarify.
On the "Gender" thing - I was in the computer science / IT business when it was predominantly a male preserve. My course of about 50 undergrads included only 4 women, and on industrial and work placements, the women were the "punch girls" who did the data prep from coding sheets into punched cards and paper tape. I joined Tektronix after Uni, taking the role of software support for the British Isles, supporting 12 salesmen and perhaps the same number of hardware engineers who helped with installations; the hardware engineers were all men too.
I recall being asked by one of our salesmen to phone David Jennings, the technical director of a startup in Cambridge to go through his graphic terminal requirement and re-assure him that our product was an excellent fit for him. Phone rang, and answered by a female voice; I asked for David - "sorry, he's not in the office - can I help". "I've been specifically asked to speak with David, but maybe" and the lady was very clearly aware of the project and its technical needs, even if she was (wo)manning the phones. Conversation concluded with the me knowing this lady understood how our product fitted in. To conclude - report back to our salesman, I ask "Can I tell Brian who I've spoke to". "Oh - I'm Julie Blackwell". "And what's your position?". "I'm the Managing Director".
It was very much that way - the few women who were around / made it into the normally-male roles were breathtakingly good - they had to be to get there. When Lorraine joined the sales team, her colleagues were scoffing and suggesting she wouldn't last. Whenever I went on site to support her, I got ribald comments from certain other salesmen about her needing help, even though I spent just as much time with many of her male colleagues.
The software support role was unique in that it was both pre- and post-sales, and also it was regarded as not being totally a man's preserve. Indeed, my predecessor who was promoted to support other products was a lady. And, my goodness, going out on site - often to help a crusty old professor researching at a university, I got a sad look and "where's the nice Canadian Girl?" to which the answer was "sorry - you've got me" and I could see disappointment. I suspect that at I was about the same age as some of their students, they had no faith that I had the experience to do the job, but I don't recall any problems left unfixed on first visit. It's not age, it's not gender, and I didn't mind having thing manspalined to me based on my age. The very act of mansplaining helps the person being explained to come learn about the explainers - what they're thinking, and often helped point to the solution to the problem.
| Re: Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 - Dec 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [370262/31344/52] Posted by grahame at 18:17, 29th December 2025 | |
The suggestion / other pictures are that the train involved was NOT an HST; the presence of an HST in various picture probably because that was used as a rescue train to ferry people away from the crash site. No indication as yet of any cause - not that I would expect that quickly.
| Re: "On this day" - Master thread In "Railway History and related topics" [370261/25827/55] Posted by grahame at 18:01, 29th December 2025 | |
"No on this day events fo 29th December" - the lull after Christmas? I did a search and found the usual lists of people who were born or passed on this day, and of battle amd accidents with major fatalities. I also found:
1852 Emma Snodgrass is arrested in Boston for wearing trousers
1860 The first British seagoing ironclad warship, HMS Warrior, is launched
1876 11 passenger cars crash in a ravine near Ashtabula, Ohio, 92 die
1908 Patent granted for a 4-wheel automobile brake, Clintonville, Wisconsin
And for - today - 2025 - Regional Highlights:
* Pershore railway station installed solar-powered docks for foldable bikes to improve station connectivity.
* Greater Manchester's Bee Network froze tram and bus fares for 2026.
Finally, a couple of musical videos which are my taste, have railway content, and are guarantee to irritate anyone else in the room the second or third time you play them:
https://youtu.be/y6120QOlsfU
https://youtu.be/cD3QlR98--A
| Re: Micro Delays In "Portsmouth to Cardiff" [370260/31341/20] Posted by grahame at 17:39, 29th December 2025 | |
Shouldn't it be "To Be Decided"
