2345 is a sleeper, I think the post referenced the "last non sleeper train"

Last train Melksham to Carlisle 16:39, to Newcastle 18:53 (if you count an 01:35 arrival as 'same day') ... with 12 ticket journey sales year between Melksham and Carlisle, and 8 between Melksham and Newcastle, there's hardly a mass transit flow there that warrants timetable changes to suite!

Both those Sleeper trains from Euston allow seated passengers on Advance Purchase and regular tickets just like the rest of the day. Only differences are compulsory reservation if you are using a regular ticket, and no 2115 or 2345 on Saturdays.

What about the 2115 and 2345?

Travelling from Porto to Madrid, we took the only international train running from Portugal to Spain at present. Porto (San Bento) to Porto (Campagnha) on a suburban train, to Entrocamento on a high speed express running north to south in Portugal, then a railcar that runs just twice a day through desolate country to Badajoz in Spain.  We chose to stop there for 2 nights before carrying on to Madrid on the (again) twice daily express.

It worked for us, and I would recommend it for Interrailers.  You get to see a huge variety, but definitely more adventure travel than you'll get on an escorted tour - thank goodness.  Booking - interesting. Reservations needed on the main Porto to Entrocamento service, which we did in person.  Original passports and tickets on phone needed; the clerk insisted on both "real" and I had to go back to the hotel where Lisa was resting to get hers - pictures on the phone which had previously sufficed did not do so here.  The suburban train from the centre in Sao Bento to Campagnha is an easy 4 minutes, and even on that there are wonderful views down over the river. I recommend taking a train earlier than the one the journey planner defaults to - there were some suburban trains running late and the extra 15 minutes is re-assuring.

The express from Porto was crowded and left a few minutes late.  We "helped" some lost tourists who weren't aware of coach numbers our of our reserved seats in our very full carriage, and explained to them how to find the number of a carriage after their initial strong instance they were correctly seated. We then, somehow, found space for our backpack, case and Lisa's mobility aid in a carriage the looked like it had been designed with a view to posh business traveller use with limited luggage.  Works along the way slowed the train at times, and from an initial 10 minute delay we were 35 down by Entrocamento, and concerned at our 38 minute change.  A word with the train manager as he came through was re-assuring, though we know enough about these things to be aware that he COULD simply have said that to pass us on as a problem out of his hands.

Yes, we made the connection into the last train of the day into Spain - scheduled 13:36, actually left at around 13:45 or so and maintaining connections from Porto (our train) from the north and Lisbon from the south which arrived even after us.  A really old one carriage "railcar" from the bay in the north end of the platform, vintage 1955 and refurbished 2003 according to Wikipedia.  Very much a community train.  Started off "nesting" - Nearly Every Seat Taken - and thinned out along the way.   From being separated and in less than ideal seats, Lisa and I were able to join each other perhaps half an hour into the nearly-3-hour journey.  An old railcar, a low platform and a challenge for anyone to board, let alone us with a mobility aid.  If Lisa was chair-bound, it would have not been possible.

The countryside started along a sleepy river valley then onto dry higher ground, pausing at the occasional station to drop off a handful or people at each and pick up a very few more.  We passed the railcar coming the other way mid-journey and crept into the little bay platform at Badajoz, almost apologetic, on time at 17:26.  Staff on train polite and helpful; locals in Iberia seem to be aloof and very much "survival of the fittest" in boarding trains and grabbing even the priority seats. 

And so, Badajoz.   There's an 8 minute connection into the Madrid train which was sitting just across the platform, and the staff on that train - good on them - checked for connecting passengers.   There may have been one of two, but most of the handful still on the train from Portugal were going no further that evening, and we rolled out of the station and to our hotel.

Journey resumes - 36 hours later.  2 trains a day, Badajoz to Madrid, too early and too late to be convenient.  Up before the crack of dawn, no-one around except for a couple of street cleaners as we wheeled back up to the station, which is some distance from the city centre across the river and up a hill.  But then the station was crowded, awaiting the arrival of the train which turned around and left - with us on board - 10 minutes later at 07:21.  Renfe chap rushed to help us board; Lisa's folding chair comes as a surprise and we are getting use to panicking staff in Spain who see us and assume we need help.

Again, a journey over dry plains, this time at up to 199kms per hour.   Train was an older "Talgo" - seats looked good but were not the most comfortable for me.  Buffet car / counter provided a much needed cup of coffee and pack of peanuts, and a trolley came through in due course too - and so a largely uneventful run into Madrid, Midday arrival, and where we were able to check into our hotel early before grabbing a bite to eat.

Would I recommend the journey?  For observant and inquisitive travellers with time, yes.   I might look to add a stop at Entrocamento to see the railway museum there, and cut nights to just one in Badajoz if travelling solo.  Hotels - Mila Porto (Porto), Turia (Badajoz) and Howard Voel suites (Madrid) all recommended, as close (closEST in Badajoz!) to the station and with lifts.  If we had needed wheelchair access all the way - not an ideal journey.

As an after-comment, the dreadful rail accident in Spain at Urda happened as we left Porto; our journey was on the next "spoke" of the Spanish network into Madrid, and although we passed close to Toledo it did not affect our train.  We arrived at Atocha where both trains involved had started from.  As a terminal, it felt quiet; I have no idea how it is normally, mind.  Flags on buildings around at half mast, and our thoughts very much with those hurt, the families of those deceased and all the staff - emergency services and rail - involved.

Malaga-Madrid flight fares rocket to up to 400 euros. Passengers are calling for a cap on all fares for alternative modes of transport in the wake of rail tragedies such as the one in Urda.

It gives news that may be bad time to settle and fade. From https://davebusiek.substack.com/p/beware-the-friday-news-dump


And indeed I too have "got stuff out before the weekend".  Where the "Public Affairs" teams do this regularly, and fail to follow up even with people who write in the following week, I get to an uneasy feeling that it may be being done to try to minimised any need to deal with incoming consequential questions.

Some of us may know of the old Home Office buffer stores where emergency rations were stored. There was one outside Wallingford close to the station, another on the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton line at Hermitage (or was that a cold store) and another between Steventon and Grove, served by a siding off the GWR. The first two were retained for some years after rail services ceased, and on the site of the one at Wallingford is a very new housing estate.

When there was a firemen's strike decades ago, army fire engines known as Green Goddesses stored at Steventon were deployed. As I was cycling on the main road between Tilehurst and Pangbourne, a column of them came the other way.

Another MP obsessed with trains between London and the constituency. ...

The earliest date involved is a month away so is it really a problem if they won't see any responses until Monday? Sending that sort of comms out is very much the type of task I would have finished on a Friday to avoid overlooking it after a weekend off.

The online Political Dictionary says, “By releasing significant information on a Friday, individuals or organizations hope that the news will receive limited media coverage and public attention, allowing controversial or unfavorable news to go relatively unnoticed or fade quickly.”

I learned this lesson early in my reporting career ...

Hope for stranded canal boats with tunnel repair plan


Boaters on the last mile of the Kennet and Avon Canal have been left cut off from the rest of the canal network

A temporary repair could allow stranded canal boats to move again after a road tunnel over the waterway was damaged during roadworks.

The damage happened at the 200-year-old tunnel on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Bath, beneath the A36 Beckford Road.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is proposing a "temporary shield" to let boats pass safely while a permanent repair is designed.

The Canal and River Trust said the design was being worked on and the canal section and towpath would "remain closed until further notice".

Contractors broke through the tunnel's brick roof on 9 October while carrying out roadworks for the council.

The closure has cut off the final mile (about 1.96km) of the canal from the rest of the network, leaving boaters unable to continue their journeys.

The timing has added to the problem, with boaters who usually spend the summer on the River Avon moving onto the canal to avoid flooding.  Boats are now crowding into the short stretch, with no way out except back onto the river.

The tunnel and towpath have been closed on safety grounds since the damage, while a one-lane closure remains in place on Beckford Road.  The road restrictions have caused long queues and prompted safety concerns.

(BBC article continues)

Dear Graham
 
We wanted to make you aware of upcoming railway upgrade work in the Thames Valley which will affect all journeys to and from London Paddington in November and over the Christmas period.
 
Dolphin Junction in Slough carries more than 400 trains and 10,000 passengers every day, making it critical to the railway network in the Thames Valley and beyond. On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, and between Sunday 27 December and Sunday 3 January, we’ll be replacing the eastern side of the junction, installing track in a new layout using state-of-the-art components to support more reliable journeys to and from London Paddington.
 
During these periods, we’ll be keeping people moving, but passengers should plan ahead, allow extra time and check journey planners before travelling. When London Paddington is unavailable, passengers will still be able to get where they need to go, with alternative routes via London Euston, London Waterloo and London Marylebone, alongside TfL services across London and the Thames Valley. However, we are encouraging all passengers to plan ahead, allow extra time and check journey planners before travelling. Full details are available at GWR.com/Upgrade.
 
The majority of GWR services will start and finish at Reading, with long-distance services from South Wales and the West of England (Bristol area) diverted to London Euston. GWR’s Thames Valley branch line services will continue to operate, with the exception of the Greenford branch. Connections to central London will also be available via SWR services to London Waterloo and Chiltern Railways services to London Marylebone respectively.
 
Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services are also affected, starting again from New Year’s Eve. GWR services to and from London Paddington will resume as normal from Monday 4 January.
 
Journey planners are now up to date with travel information through to 4 January, allowing passengers to plan their Christmas and New Year journeys in advance.
 
Given the scale of the work, we would appreciate any help you can give to share this information with your networks, particularly the alternative routes available. Further information can be found at GWR.com/Upgrade and nationalrail.co.uk/dolphinjunction.
 
Thank you for your patience while we complete this important work to improve the reliability of the railway. Please do let us know if there’s anything else you need.
 
Best wishes,
Olivia & Heledd
 
Olivia Willett | Deputy Head of Public Affairs | Great Western Railway

Heledd Iolo | Senior Public Affairs Manager | Network Rail

Spain transport minister says he won't resign over high-speed rail disaster

Spain's transport minister says he won't resign over the high-speed rail collision that has left at least 69 people dead.

Óscar Puente told a news conference in Madrid he had "nothing to hide" while repeating the government's vow to get to the bottom of the disaster, saying many questions needed to be answered.  "My duty right now is not to talk about whether I should remain in my position, but to resolve the problem," Puente said.

The transport minister has been facing calls to step down in the aftermath of the tragedy, including from political rivals, a trade union and demonstrators who protested outside the transport ministry on Wednesday night.

Dozens were killed and many more injured when a state-operated Renfe high-speed train smashed into the back of another stationary train operated by the Iryo company near the town of Urda, in the central Toledo province, on Wednesday morning.

A preliminary report released by transport investigators late on Thursday found the Renfe train was travelling between 160km/h (99.4mph) and 200km/h when the collision occurred, causing its front carriage to become embedded in the tail of the stationary train.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said earlier on Friday that public trust in Spain's high-speed rail network had been broken and repeated it was "unacceptable" that there had been two similar tragedies within a year.


Image © AFP via Getty Images

In January a collision on the same Madrid-Seville route killed 46 people in Adamuz in southern Spain.

Wednesday's tragedy was one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history, and Spain's worst crash since 2013.

Puente said on Wednesday a computer failure at about 08:30 that morning led to the initial halt of six moving trains, including the two trains that subsequently collided.

Leaked audio recordings published in Spanish media revealed conversations between train drivers and a control centre just minutes before the crash.

Three audio recordings between Madrid's control centre and two train drivers appear to show that one high-speed train was given clearance to move even though another train had stalled on the track, about 25km (15 miles) ahead.

Puente had said that the decision to instruct the trains to move again, without any speed restrictions, was "inexplicable".

The leaking of the audio recordings has been criticised by some Spanish politicians, with Alberto Ibáñez, a member of Congress for the left-wing Sumar platform, writing on X that they were "despicable".

Meanwhile, Irene Montero - the prime ministerial candidate for the left-wing Podemos party - said responsibility for the crash should not be placed on one worker, adding that train drivers and experts have been warning against the liberalisation of the railway sector for years.

(BBC article continues)

Bristol then and now: Trams, barges and rugby

In the second of our interactive galleries showing how Bristol has changed over the years we head to the edge of what is now Castle Park and then up to the other side of the centre to see how the roads looked with trams on them.

Finally we take a trip back to the home of Bristol Rugby. Not the Memorial Stadium, but nearby.

Swipe left and right to reveal how each location has changed over the decades.

There remains much debate about a possible light rail or tram system returning to Bristol. Well as this picture from June 1935 shows, it is possible to have a tram network despite the many hills of Bristol.

In 1941 the trams stopped running. Now it's just cars and other vehicle trundling up Upper Maudlin Street, where these pictures were taken.

(BBC article continues)