I wooden wish to add to any tree based puns.

I'd put pretty good money on the likelihood that was amongst the many suggestions made.

The NR^» (Network Rail - home page) link lists a few of the others that didn't quite make the final 4.....pity that' Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Leaf Machiney’ wasn't included.   

Thanks everyone for organising the session.  The new Zoom feature was a great addition.
The contents, I felt, were both thought provoking and enlightening....a mid afternoon well spent.
Thanks again.

JW

A successful interchange station tends to have substantial numbers of people standing at, or moving between, platforms.  The complete absence of cover on the bridge and very limited shelter on the platforms would make this a unpopular prospect with passengers in wet weather.

Did anyone submit a "Meet the Manager" question that relates to these issues, especially for the next timetable change?  Probably too much of a narrow local interest question for a region wide Q&A session....and I know that all the questions will be revealed tomorrow anyway.

Had a pootle around Cardiff yesterday taking in the Cardiff Bay line to have a look at progress on the upgrades there and take a few pics.
The new platforms, especially at Cardiff Bay itself, are quite generously proportioned but there's still space remaining for the 3rd platform planned for the "Cardiff Crossrail" tram from Cardiff Central station which is due to commence construction next year. 
The intermediate station is also progressing but there's no sign as yet of any electrification works going on that I could see from the train.
The car park on the south side of Central station station is where the tram platforms are to be located with the Bay and tram lines converging after taking a route through Callaghan Square.
Here's the photos that I took from the old bit of the Bay platform that's still in use.

Extra stock?  No.  Extra stop on a few suitable existing services was, I think, the idea.

I've just done Ashley Down to Cardiff Central today....the run back in under an hour, changing at Filton Abbey Wood...but could they squeeze in the occasional direct service I'm wondering.....that should significantly speed things up.

Will there be an upper limit to the number of members attending on Zoom after which the remainder can only follow the meeting session via the Coffee Shop?  I hope that the question makes sense!

From Rail magazine online:

'Islands’ of third-rail electric power are being assessed for the West of England line between Basingstoke and Exeter.

Network Rail and South Western Railway have been working for two years on plans to remove diesel trains on the long-distance route.

They have involved train manufacturers and rolling stock leasing companies in studies to fit battery power to either Class 450 Desiros or new Class 701 Arterio trains, able to recharge on sections of discontinuous third-rail track.o


You need to log on to their site to read the rest.

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/2024/09/26/discontinuous-third-rail-idea-for-west-of-england-line

Edit to add link.

We had a similar scenario with a 19 year old family member just the other day when I mentioned how people gave greater consideration to and placed greater value on, the pictures that they took when there were "rolls of film" which could take a week or more to get developed. 

8 looks like the front of Montpelier Station.  Trouble is, the challenge is more fiendish than that as working out the chronological order is something of a headscratcher.... especially after all the heady excitement of the Ashley Down Station opening.

As a footnote to my above post.  Strolling back from the station, I bumped into an old friend out for a morning jog.  It turns out that that her son lives near the station and is hopeful that it might help with his commute to Yate.

Quite a celebratory mood on the inaugural service to Ashley Down.  Big turnout too, hopefully eclipsing yesterday's political credit claiming exercise.
Here's a few pics that I took of arriving at Ashley Down and the crowd waiting for the return service to Temple Meads.