Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

Dave

Decided to run a query on my phone for trains between Waterloo and Exeter St. Davids for 22nd March departing at 1800.
1723 London Waterloo - Exeter St. Davids, arr. 2102 came up at £40.00 single with no change of train en-route.

The app I use is not one provided by an operator though.

Dave

Where I live we are unfortunately rife with these damn machines and too many people riding them on pavements (despite the hiring company's comments that they would do something about the large amount of pavement riding which takes place) often too fast. I know exactly what I would do with them.

Dave

Not quite: my parents went off to Oxford for the day and found, when they got back into Temple Meads at about 1630, that they could not get a train to Sea Mills because the bridge there was being checked over.

They obviously opened the line at some point because 2K54 (1810 Weston-s-Mare - Severn Beach) got through to Severn Beach but its return 2K57 (2001 Severn Beach - Bristol Temple Meads) is, as at 2130 still at Avonmouth from which it should have departed at 2010! The line is again closed from Shirehampton to Clifton Down as I write this and the Clifton Down turnback is again in use. Screenshot attached from OpenTrainTimes.

Online sources give tide as being due at 14.08m @ 2108hrs.

Dave

Edit @ 2210hrs: Just come back from Sea Mills where I noted that the high water mark was only about 1ft above the section of path that runs under the bridge on the station side. High tide forecast at 14.28m @ 0926 for Thursday morning (23rd February) according to https://www.tidetimes.org.uk/port-of-bristol-avonmouth-tide-times-20230223

I was saddened to read this on Facebook this morning. I only met Hector once and briefly at that as he was on his way elsewhere. RIP.

Dave

Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to make it even if I was a member. Hopefully somebody will do an online summary of what was said though and I hope somebody will ask when the Portway P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) station might open too (if it hasn't already done so by then).

Dave

Following on from a post on another forum it seems that, presumably as part of MetroWest improvements, there will be 2tph daytimes on Mondays to Saturdays from Oldfield Park and Keynsham. The services are not evenly spaced but it is still an improvement. See intended schedule on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for 24th May for Oldfield Park:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OLF/2023-05-24/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Dave

Indeed so but less trains down from Cardiff Central too as a result.

Another one I have just noticed.

1C36 (2202 London Paddington - Plymouth, via. Swindon & Bristol TM^‡(resolve), arr. 0217) is curtailed to Bristol Temple Meads arr. 2336. An additional service is shown which will be 1C66 (2348 Bristol Temple Meads - Exeter St. Davids, via. Weston-s-Mare, arr. 0116).

Dave

Not GWR related (sorry!) but the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Manchester Piccadilly services are shown as hourly with some running to / from Paignton.

Dave

Before I reply to the quote below I have heard from more than one source that Stagecoach have picked up at least four routes in the WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) retendering. These are, from what I understand:

- Portway Park & Ride
- Brislington Park & Ride
- Service 47 (Bristol - Yate, via. Emersons Green)
- Service 505 (Long Ashton Park & Ride - Southmead Hospital)

Of their existing routes - services 10, 11, 13, 462, 513, 514, 622, 663, 664 & 665 - I know not. Although it is true that some are being withdrawn there were, from what I could see on the list, replacements in the offing for some of those routes: see below.


Although this list is not good there were, from what I could tell, replacements in the pipeline for some of the routes in that list albeit under different route numbers. The list on the WECA minutes included the following routes:

517 (Chew Magna - Wells) (part replacement of 672?)
518 (Midsomer Norton - Radstock) - could be replacement for the 82 if it served Paulton.
519 (K'ham) (Chocolate Quarter - High St - Charlton Rd - Queens Rd - High St - Wellsway - Minsmere Rd - High St - Chocolate Quarter) (replacing 663-665?)
520 (Southmead - Longwell Green) (not sure about this one)
521 (Hengrove Park - Brislington) (probably combining 513, 514 & 516 into one route?)
522 (Brislington Park & Ride - Paulton - Odd Down Park & Ride) (replacing 178?)
523 (Brislington Circular) (probably part replacing 513 & 514?)
524 (Long Ashton Park & Ride - Hengrove Park, via. SBL) (new route)
525 (Emersons Green - Yate) (replacement of Service 86?)
526 (Chew Valley Link) (part replacement of 672?)
527 (Chew Magna - Bristol, Anchor Road) (part replacement of 672?)

I don't know if these are the planned DRT routes or whether they will materialise or who will run them though: the registrations will appear soon enough though and tell us who has won what and the final date for registratons to be with the TC^‡(resolve) to ensure a prompt start date was 20th January but I have not seen any registrations yet.

HTIOI,
Dave

Another speculative scheme which is nothing more than a pile of utter tripe (to put it more politely than I wish to). They just cannot bare the thought of a patch of land being used for anything other than buildings. Why not have a genuine improvement to the area by a bit of landscaping and planting (trees / flowers) on it instead of another hideous and unnecessary building.

Dave

Perhaps so-but getting rid of the last four letters might prove to be a pain in the RS.....

Dave

My thoughts also. If they are anything like Bristol City Council then nothing would surprise me at all. I like going to Oxford for work but given the impending disruption that this will cause I am glad I don't live there!

Dave

I don't know. This photo from the Wikipedia site - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newquay_railway_station#/media/File:GWR_150234_at_Newquay.jpg - shows the redundant platform on the right, minus track, and I am quite sure that is still there. The requirement would be for new signals as well as track. There are a few closures coming up on the line (19th, 20th & 27th November 2022 + 27th - 30th January 2023) so some work might be done then but who knows. They may even leave it until the middle of next year: I have heard on another forum that the commissioning work for this resignalling scheme will start 1st November 2023 and not finish until the end of the month so I hope to take my camera down there before then.

Dave

Hence the closure dates in the post above yours. I have been told on another forum that the commissioning of the new system will not take place until November 2023 though which should give me time for a final photo trip at some point. The boxes at Lostwithiel, Par and Truro will be abolished but St. Blazey will remain and Goonbarrow Junction will have its mechanical workings replaced with a new panel. I have also heard that Newquay station will go back to having two platforms as well.

Dave