Very interesting article. Seems to be a more detailed version of the more roads you build the more cars you get.

Its a bit vague on the public transport options though. Would more buses reduce car use although it seems to imply that the radial design means probably not.

I did read in an article about the building work that the new bridges actually provide pedestrian and cycle routes over the M25 which it implied didn't really exist before. Was there really no way to cross other than by driving on it?

It was probably the most popular request for gifts when most of my age group left over the last few years. BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News or BBC Weather. Most had to settle for a mug as the brollies were really meant to be for the on air talent to use so in short supply. There use to be a regular supply of branded pens, pencils, mugs, floppy disks etc when I started many years ago but cost cutting means they are no more.

You can still get a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) one though https://www.gwrsouvenirs.co.uk/GWR/p-GWR127

My first thought from that was why did I never get a branded waterproof when I had to go out stand in the rain

There use to be some umbrellas but they were much prized as leaving gifts so tended to be in short supply.

Well the boring answer is because you can. Improvements in connectivity mean no longer having to send a truck and bunch of engineers just so the reporter can stand in the rain.

Occasionally though there can be good reasons - the reporter and camera person are there anyway as they've been filming and can't get back to base in time, they can cover multiple outlets (think 5Live in Salford, Radio 4 and BBC1 in London and say Local radio) and occasionally because it lets you move cameras around in the studio and get other guests in and out of seats more easily.

Mainly though because you can 

Not really going to encourage people out of their cars though is it. Considering the governments (intermittent) enthusiasm for net zero and other things like ULEZ and low traffic zones you could argue that subsidising public transport is one of the better ways to achieve this. They're not exactly consistent though.

I don't think I've ever seen staff supervising the crossing. I was a bit surprised first time I used it as its not particularly well highlighted as a crossing or risk of passing trains. Might be the staff are needed only if a train crosses it which, again, I've never seen. Wheelchair access is possible but could be challenging if you're elderly or not overly fit because of the slopes.

Buses to get people to all the shiny new things listed above.

Rural bus services here (west wales) are almost none existent and where they do exist are one bus into town in the morning and another back out later in the afternoon. Makes a trip into the nearest town a day out rather an hour or two.

And good luck if you want to catch a connecting train.

I managed to miss the survey but would have gone for 'temporarily stopped travelling'.

I'm meant to travel from West Wales to various parts of the country a couple of times a month but I've given up. Apart from the knock-on effect of the day before and after the strike there also seem to be various local disputes/over time bans etc that mean reduced services. Services out of London Paddington which is probably my most frequent destination seem to be back to the good old days of infrastructure issues.

There also seems to be a lot less advance tickets and while work pays most of my travel costs I'm not convinced some tickets represent value for money so might as well use Teams or Zoom.

Approaching it from the other side the last ticket machine I used had a 'cheapest ticket' option without so far as I could see any explanation as to what the restrictions were. I assume it was a cheap day return but as it wasn't a regular journey I didn't know which trains I could use it on (or not).

It was about 7.30am but I don't know if the machine would sell me a ticket that I couldn't use on the next train?

What's happening with Annual Season tickets and the like? I've not renewed mine since lockdown but the online experience was poor when I last looked.

Just to add my recent personal experience I had to travel from Carmarthen to Cardiff and use the ticket machine. Ticket office was open but she was on a cigarette break and in no rush to come back 

The machines in Carmarthen were a lot smaller than the ones I was used to in Thames Valley and there weren't a lot of options. There was also no information that I could find about the limitations on the tickets available. There was a button that said 'buy cheapest ticket' but it didn't say what that was or which trains it was valid on. As I was coming back about 4PM I went for the open return which was probably the most expensive option.

Bit frustrating and I (perhaps unwarranted)consider myself reasonably familiar with tickets and technology but I would have appreciated the ticket office at that point. I'm not across all the different types of machines but these ones seemed quite limited.

Next time I guess I'll order online....

Its not a new problem. Since I've lived there there's been numerous consultations and a gradual push outwards of the restrictions.

When I first moved there the restrictions were a couple of streets away and when I left last year they were one street away with the suggestion that they would be extended again. I was about 15 mins walk from the station. Most of my neighbours didn't want restrictions as it causes problems for them and visitors but equally it gets annoying having someone park across your drive. The most popular suggestion seemed to be no parking at set times as permits just get messy.

All feels a bit academic as there was only parking enforcement on certain days and everyone seemed to know which ones it was

From The Times today (07/02/23). Not quite return fares but seems to be part of the new plans

Rail fares will fluctuate based on demand, in a similar way to airline tickets, under a trial to be announced by Mark Harper, the transport secretary.
Tickets on some London North Eastern Railway (LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about)) services will be more or less expensive depending on how many seats have been filled.
The Department for Transport believes so-called demand-based pricing will help manage capacity while also raising revenue.
Harper will also confirm plans to expand single leg pricing across the entire LNER network, which runs between London King’s Cross and Scotland via the east coast main line.
That means a single fare will always be half the cost of a return. Currently, many return fares only cost marginally more than singles.
For example, an off-peak single between Durham and London costs just £1 less than a return. LNER, a government-owned operator, has been testing single-leg pricing on some of its routes since 2020.
LNER has been testing single-leg pricing on some routes since 2020
LNER has been testing single-leg pricing on some routes since 2020
Despite previous reports, single-leg pricing will only be rolled out across the LNER services, not the entire rail network. If successful, it will be extended to other operators.
Harper will deliver the annual George Bradshaw address to rail industry leaders in central London this evening. Named after George Bradshaw, the publisher and cartographer celebrated for his combined railway guides and timetables, the address has emerged in the past decade as the flagship rail event of year bringing together leaders from across the industry
It will provide an update on the future of Great British Railways — a new public sector body to oversee Britain’s railways — as well as setting out how it will work alongside the private sector as “a guiding mind to co-ordinate the entire network”.
He is expected to say: “Today I am setting out the government’s long-term vision for the future of our railways.

“The industry’s road to recovery after Covid has been tough, with reform badly needed to win back that lost passenger revenue while putting customers first.

“Today’s announcement is the latest example of this government taking bold decisions and getting on with the job.

“Growing the economy is rightly one of the prime minister’s top five priorities, and the measures I announce today will unleash more competition, innovation and growth in an important sector of our economy.”
The Department for Transport is expected to be spared any changes in today’s mini-reshuffle by Rishi Sunak.
The trial of demand-based pricing is likely to raise concern among passenger groups.
An LNER Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) train at York station: currently an off-peak single between Durham and London costs just £1 less than a return
An LNER Azuma train at York station: currently an off-peak single between Durham and London costs just £1 less than a return
The practice, known as dynamic pricing, is widely used in the airline industry, with fares progressively increasing as more seats sell. Airlines have come under fire for massively inflating prices on school holiday dates and for major events, particularly overseas sporting finals.

Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Whichever ticket you buy, passengers are paying more for less under the Conservatives’ broken rail system.

“Thirteen years of failure has seen fares soar, more services than ever cancelled, while failing operators continue to be handed millions in taxpayers’ cash.

“The next Labour government will put passengers back at the heart of our railways, and build the infrastructure fit for the century ahead, unlocking jobs and growth.”

Most rail fares, including season tickets, will increase by up to 5.9 per cent from March 5.

Picked up by the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63819582

It will make my life much easier from Carmarthen but still not something I felt I needed.

Its not just Melksham though. I turned down a job that had fixed shifts because the trains from Twyford weren't reliable enough on week days and just couldn't do it at weekends. This was an 8am start so early but not unreasonably so. Saturdays were just about doable but not Sundays.

In a previous job I had a start at 06.45 in West London and if I relied on the timetable I was nearly always late so ended up leaving the house at silly o'clock. What I found surprising was just how packed the trains were at 05.30.

This was pre Crossrail so reliability should have improved but not sure about early starts.

Like Hafren I'm carless and relied on the trains and buses most of my life but now I'm reaching the point where its easier not to bother or get a lift. The strikes don't help of course at the moment.