I've never seen it as anything more than security theatre: "Be scared! There could be dangerous people about! Never fear, BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) are here!"

"If you notice this notice, you will notice it's not worth noticing."

The Waterloo to Bristol services do similar, splitting at Basingstoke then Salisbury.

Didcot Dean's photos are quite scary!

SSE^‡(resolve) have now confirmed they, or their contractors, did miscalculate the radius of the risk area from debris. It was flying dust or chunks of concrete that caused the fire.
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17844787.didcot-power-station-demolition-debris-hit-power-cables/

I heard it might have been someone flying a drone too close to the pylons, presumably wanting to film the demolition. I don't know if there's any actual evidence for this though. Another possible cause given is arcing caused by dust clouds but this seems unlikely. Oscillation is probably the most likely cause.

Ed: Presumably there will be an inquiry by those who actually know and understand.

2x5s, or 2x anything, can increase specific carriage overloading and thus decrease comfort because of the limited ability to move carriages.

Experienced but still keen might be the best combination. Maybe.

τα μπροστινά τέσσερα καρότα για το Stafford

if Gogol Google is to be trusted.

I think they'd have known something was wrong...

I have a vague feeling I was aware of this. And elsewhere I've heard of old carriages being used as temporary – and occasionally even permanent – housing (not camping!) for railway employees in Poland right up to early 2000s.

On a different note, a couple of weekends ago I was camping (in a tent!) at a place which included an old goods wagon very nicely refurbished. Lovely site and the wagon looked quite cosy. Ex-Southern Railway, if the label I saw is to be believed: https://orchardgetaway.co.uk/avalon-carriage/

Also helps them sound up to date by saying you can download it to your phone. Though if I were to get one for my son, I'd get him the card version (this distinction might, by the way, be a clue as to why they've started saying "saver" to replace "railcard"?) because phones don't tend to last too long with him. But he's not quite old enough yet, so...

...this leads me on to a question, which is probably easily answered elsewhere but it's more pleasant to ask you lot now I'm here. Does the 50% discount for children up to 15 end on their 15th birthday or (the day before) their 16th? I presume it's the latter but... ?

I've never walked along Offa's Dyke (how long does it take from Chepstow to Beeches?) but can add my voice to those recommending the site. I've stayed there twice (once at the "Stonehenge") and can feel a plan coming on now... 

I'm trying to reconcile "First" with "reliable wi-fi".

Warmley?

Demolishing the parapet of an overbridge makes a change from getting stuck underneath, I suppose. Did the driver just lose control or was there another vehicle involved, I wonder?