There should be plenty of room on Santa's sleigh  for the conveyor belt after delivering all those presents the night before. However, whether Santa or his yellow coated, white helmeted, booted elves that moonlight for Network Rail will be in a fit enough state to do the work, after all the festive cheer, ( hic !) is another matter entirely !!!

Was asked 3 times for my ticket on the 1546 Gloucester to Weymouth service today. Once on leaving Gloucester...where there are now barriers, second time between Yate and Bristol Parkway and third just after leaving Filton Abbey Wood.

9. Worle Parkway

Here's the youtube link to 'Blackmail'

http://youtu.be/xrRZVCg31fE

Brilliant from a very young Michael Palin.

Don't forget that it is an amazing  ten years since the Severn Beach line made its way into the distinguished annals of Thomas Cooks Great  European Railway journeys ! Must be one the few lines yet to be graced by Mr Portaloos presence !

A very valid discussion and very sensitively raised by John R. It is something of a cliche to say if 'measures x y z prevent one poor soul from ending their life this way, it will have been worth it '. But, at what price ? How much will be  'enough'  and cue the inevitable outcry when these measures are found wanting. Is it solved by throwing yet more money at it ? A huge conundrum.
Graham you are quite right to draw attention to the dichotomy between fatalities on board today's trains and those occurring on the tracks. Are we patting ourselves on our backs about the former, and beating ourselves up about the latter ?

This week, the much vaunted X2 and X3 15 minute service has been reduced to 2 buses every half hour. Since Monday I have waited for almost 3 hours in total for what should be a bus every 15 minutes. Then 2 arrive together. Like PCSO's they seem to go around in pairs for protection !

Very good point. Ditch the X3 and replace it by a train(er). the sooner the better !

And there was me thinking OLDB meant Organists Love Deutsche Bahn.......

And London Gatwick in Sus sex. Makes me sound creepy Crawley...

And yet.... on Tuesday I travelled on the 1852 XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Peterbro to Brum via Leicester. Trolley did 2 complete runs up and down in that 90 minutes, was fully stocked and operated by a very professional young lady who welcomed passengers on and off in person at the stations....but despite all her efforts, very few were buying. With that degree of patronage, it is very hard to argue against removal of the trolley service.

We  could have celestory type coaches called Daddy Woodentop, Mummy Woodentop, Jenny Woodentop, Wllly Woodentop, Baby Woodentop, all joined by the 'spottiest dog you ever saw. If they were all wooden topped coaches we could drop the 'Wooden top' bit!
Staffed by Mrs Scrubbit in the buffet, San Scrubbit as the guard and Buttercup the Cow who could provide some mooooood moosic as we all chuffed along.

Always thought 'you rang me lady?' Parker was a moonlighting Sir Peter Parker back in the 70's........

I have a canvas wheelie bag which I bought for less than ^20 on line with the dimensions 50 X 40 X 20 printed very large into the fabric. It is robust light , and is just the job.. When i was at the bottom of the steps about to board the easyjet plane at La Rochelle I was called over .....and the look on the easyjet attendants face as I slowly turned the bag round, was priceless !.
Highly recommended!

I do hope one of your vinyl sticker operatives is not too enthusiastic about his/her job , and is named after a fragrant English tea, climber or floribunda....