The 17.18 has just left Swindon for Westbury, so perhaps staff made it to work after all!

1M83 has also overtaken it, and looks as though 1A35 is about to.

Light engine to Laira by the look of it: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O45223/2017/11/20/advanced

There seems to have been a problem with the up sleeper last night arriving at Plymouth 22 late and leaving 204 late:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P00049/2017/11/19/advanced

The last HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to Minehead was on 23rd Sept 2017 - the Cotswold Line Promotion Group's Cotswold Quantock Explorer.

Edit: I should just add that the special train was operated by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) who had kindly replaced a standard class coach with an additional 1st class coach at CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about)'s request.
Previous gauging issues on the WSR preventing a HST reaching Minehead in May had been resolved to enable the visit of Flying Scotsman in the summer.
Will we see another in-service HST at Minehead?

Shepton Mallet prison tours are run by Jailhouse Tours, who also operate tours at Gloucester and Shrewsbury prisons. I visited Gloucester prison earlier in the year, and found it to be most interesting.

https://www.jailhousetours.com/

If a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) power car fails the whole set of 8 coaches can often continue in service with the one power car working. The power car can then be repaired or replaced later at the depot. But if a 5 car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) set fails I wonder if it can continue in service? If not then we get yesterday's scenario with 5 coaches instead of 10. Can a 5 car IET on a 2 x 5 set be easily swapped in the same way as a HST power car?

1L51 10.55 Cardiff - Paddington reported on Facebook as being a 5 coach train (instead of 10).

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C29277/2017/11/07/advanced

Also cancelled between Cardiff and Newport:

Ambridge? (The Bull does a nice pint of Shires).

But she's not a passenger, she's a gardener! 
Apart from that I agree with your comments.

Yes that may well be the case. Out of interest I've attempted various bookings on several different days and I'm finding the same issue, ie the booking engine is providing seats at tables-for-four and tables-for-two in K & L, but no single window seats which I would prefer.


Yes the transition from HST to IET will have to be taken into account in the booking systems.

Many thanks Tim and ChrisB! I'll try that and see what I can book. 

I'm looking to book a weekday off-peak 1st class ticket for early December. I would prefer one of the single seats, however using GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on-line booking (and trying different preferences) I can only seem to reserve one of the 2 single seats facing each other (1 & 6 in coach L), or one of the seats in a group of 4 around a table. I have managed to book a single seat in the past, but without success now apparently.

Could it be that GWR have changed their allocation of seats, or perhaps there are more 1st advance bookings? Also is it possible to ask GWR if a specific seat is available rather than see what the booking engine gives you?

Thanks in advance (no pun intended!).

Also 800 004 named Isambard Kingdom Brunel / Sir Daniel Gooch, with more to follow I understand.

If GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) name an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) set "Y Cymro / The Welshman" and add dragon decals, that will at least match the current Welshness of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet.