Great Western Coffee Shop

18 months ago I posted about my intention to make use of the All Line Rover ticket to celebrate my 65th birthday. Unfortunately that didn't work out, mainly due to too many commitments leading to time constraints, but it is still my intention to do so in the near future, to have a good look round Britain and get to know some of the rail network I've never seen.

However, one reason why I've not gone ahead so far is that the last 18 months seem to have been particularly badly affected by combinations of line closures for weeks on end; many other partial closures or detours caused by maintenance or electrification; numerous cancellations for many reasons, especially lack of crew and faulty trains or track; and strikes in many TOCs. And not to mention many services that do run being subject to serious delays.

Obviously there will never be a time when a 100% UK wide service is likely to run, but I would prefer a little more certainty that most services will run and reasonably on time before committing to a considerable expenditure.

So this is a genuine question. If you were looking into the next 2 years, can you see any time when the general level of service is likely to be improved sufficiently to encourage someone like me to commit myself to spending the money on this?

In terms of actual timing, I would avoid August, due to the school holidays, and mid winter, but would otherwise be willing to travel at any other time from February to November.

My personal preference for going on an ALR trip is June.   Fair chance of decent weather, children are still at school so accommodation prices are lower and less crowded trains.   Early July is a possibility but most Scottish schools have broken up by then.

As to how to avoid engineering work.... I am not so sure!

Unless you want to visit somewhere specific that is likely to be affected by works, for example Great Yarmouth in late October, then as long as you plan a little defensively (sensible even when times are better) then I see no reason why you couldn’t go for it now to be honest.

You can look at threads on the forum and get a bit of a false impression about how bad it is, but with a Rover you have the ability and flexibility to adapt your journey plans on the fly in most instances.

I’ve made several Rover style days of travel using the staff facilities afforded to me this year and haven’t really come unstuck so far - the worst being a last minute GWR evening cancellation from Cheltenham which meant a one hour late arrival home.

Agree - anytime from next week to before half-term looks good - accommodation prices are dropping like a stone over the next few weeks & you've still got the daylight....otherwise as bobm says, next June, after half-term....

I'd suggest going sometime between 1923 and 1937, otherwise quite frankly as much as I love rail travel, I'd probably take a coach tour nowadays if service reliability was paramount.

I have one planned for early October and am fairly confident about it (except the 0830 Sunday train from Trowbridge to Swindon).  However I am avoiding Northern and GTR.  I also have backstop arrangements for those services about which I have less confidence.

Getting better ... perhaps because we keep reminding GWR that this train is getting busier and used year round by people who have no other way of getting to work  ;D ;D -