Would most TMs^‡(resolve) really honour a connection from a railtour, super tm?

I'm a bit sceptical, but great customer service if they would.

From The Times of India:

Care to explain what 'other facts left of(f) a public forum' means, Toiletdriver?

And who have submitted written complaints to whom?

Your routeing question:

Using the Routeing Point(s) Identifier ('pink pages'), Chalwell's routeing points are Barking, Romford Group and Southend Group. For journeys to Salisbury all those points require route: LONDON. So to determine whether your ticket is valid via Westbury we need to look at the routeing permissions from LONDON to Salisbury.

Using the Routeing Guide Permitted Route Identifier ('yellow pages') for LONDON to Salisbury gives us Map LE only. This only allows journeys from Waterloo or Victoria (change at Clapham Junction) to Salisbury. So the answer is no, you cannot travel out of Paddington via Westbury unless you pay an off route excess.

Your SOU-VIC FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) validity:

Valid on any train scheduled 
to depart at or after 0930.   
                             
MORNING TRAVEL               
Travel is also allowed on the
following departures from the
stations listed:             
.
.
Southampton Central       0910
.
.

Now the evening restrictions are a bit weird. No restrictions out of Southampton or Victoria, but the full list of barred trains out of Paddington. Quite how you can travel out of Paddington on a 'SOUTHERN ONLY' ticket is beyond me!!!

I can perfectly understand that tt.

Pitching up at The 1st Class Lounge in Manchester in 2008, scruffy jeans and t-shirt, show a 1st Class All Line and told it was not valid. I didn't have access to the website, so had to go to the Virgin desk and ask them to look at their website. They refused, so I had to call Virgin Customer Services who confirmed my ticket was valid. I then had to wait while the CS Advisor placed a call to the lounge staff. Similar problems at New Street.

No apology from the sour-faced girl staffing the lounge when I finally let in. She did however cost her employer ^30 in rail vouchers after I complained.

Contrast that with Euston. Never had a problem there and the staff are fantastic, even serving you at your seat.

All 01/02 numbers are billed at the same rate these days regardless of distance. My reason for including the 01 number, is that most call providers (both landline and mobile) do not include 0845 numbers in their inclusive bundles.

The added bonus with that landline number is that you get straight through to the Customer Service queue, bypassing all the recorded stuff and options.

Running in the 2.30, so with a rail related name it will probably come in at half past three!

Ba-dum, tsssch. 

Er..... nearly zilch.

Unless you get a really sympathetic Train Manager. (I believe such a thing exists!!!)

The down Pullmans are, I believe, doing sufficient business to ensure they are retained. It makes sense to have both up Pullmans retained also, as they get the crew and stock from the base in Plymouth up to London.

Whilst the up Pullmans may be more lightly used, I guess it makes sense to have the crew working and bringing in some revenue, rather than riding up to London on the cushions.

I hope to do an up Pullman for lunch sometime in November, intending to report back here on the forum with a review of the food and service. I'll make some enquiries of the staff, when I use one of the 'ups', regarding Pullman provision pre- and post-Christmas. I do know that last Christmas the Pullmans didn't run between Christmas and new Year and I would suspect that this year they are unlikely to run during the Reading blockade.

You may be okay for Pullman dining on the 1803 on the 22nd/23rd. If you need an answer sooner then I suggest you e-mail or call FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Customer Service. If you do not have inclusive 0845 calls then the alternative number for FGW CS is 01752 675640.

Sorry, I may be missing something, but I cannot see the Dec 2010 - May 2011 timetable on FGWs website. The present timetable shows the 1200 from Plymouth as a Travelling Chef, but this is an error. The Pullman dining webpages list the services. If I am missing something obvious then could someone provide a link. Ta

From The Citizen (Gloucester):

Sort of related.....

I wonder if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) or ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) guards regularly ching pax travelling between Cheltenham and Gloucester with Off Peak Day Returns between 1530-1815? XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) set the CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) fare so their evening restriction applies.

Mind you, I bet XC guards don't bother to excess either. The SDR is a whole 10p more expensive!

Are you suggesting that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) is not a normal TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company), vacman? 

Your train will follow the same route to Paignton as any normal scheduled service. In fact it has to from Taunton onwards - there is no other way!

From Paignton to Kingswear (for Dartmouth) you will be travelling on the privately owned Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company line.

Not a lot to be said yet, I would suggest waiting until booking opens for your dates of travel.

However, can I just pick up on the point you made about one of the up Pullmans being withdrawn. Where have you got this information from? Not suggesting it's not true, but a verifiable source would be welcome.