It is the Midland Pullman.



(as seen at Swindon in 2021)

Refreshing in a way.  Reminded me of the days when almost all shops were regularly closed on a Sunday.   We all coped!  (Well Tony Hancock struggled)

Well that shattered the dream!

I think the work was first announced by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on Thursday afternoon.

All now re-instated.   Staff have been to site between Melksham and Bradford Junction and carried out repairs.   There were initially delays in finding staff, such have been the demands on permanent way staff over the last few days.

stagecoach West in Swindon were running a Saturday service on Good Friday.  That allowed me a solo trip out for the first time in a while with time in Cheltenham, Cirencester and Cricklade - all for £8.

Buses were well used but not uncomfortably full.  My first one, the 07:00 off Swindon, took healthy loads of workers to an industrial estate on the outskirts of town before then picking up more who looked to be on their way to work in Cirencester and again on the last leg to Cheltenham.    Coming back there were a good sprinkling of shoppers and day trippers like me.   There didn't seem to be that many using ENCTS^▸ (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) passes.

…and that’s before someone mentions E.coli in the water. 

https://www.railwaygazette.com/freight/gwr-delivers-shellfish-by-train/41725.article


This started amid much fanfare in 2015.   I don't know if the trial was extended but the courier mentioned in the article no longer appears to be operating and of course there aren't the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) with their guards vans.

I have my office ukdepartures board alternating between train times at the local station and the upcoming arrivals at my two nearest bus stops.

Of course before any of this can happen on the day, someone needs to find the will, the case, the budget and the time to program Melksham's station characteristics into the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) database so trains can stop there.   Perhaps find other stations with a similar issue and benefit from economies of scale?  Are there any others?

Glad Sunday 10th with graffiti isn’t the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) either.

..and the pie and cheese shops in Melton Mowbray.

Two for Tuesday - Platform 2 - Swindon.  Given only that and one other is in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), I'd be stumped with the rest.

And on the subject of both - looking at the pictures it seems the same unit went to both Waterloo and Euston - 802101.

Swindon.  (There is a lot of gardening to catch up on!)