I can't make it, so I'd also like to hear a report back. I assume IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) members get a few week's notice of such events, but I only got the e-mail about this yesterday around 3:00.

There's an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) talk about the Hitachi Super Express Train at Swindon Steam Museum next Tuesday 11th - places are limited, registration is at https://localevents.theiet.org/register.php?event=4642fe

Details at
http://www.theiet.org/events/local/168517.cfm

===

About this event
The Hitachi Super Express Train is the new generation of high speed trains that will operate on the Great Western Main Line and other inter-city routes in Britain.  This talk will cover an introduction to Hitachi and to this major project with an overview of the train^s design, manufacturer, operation, maintenance and servicing.
Speaker
Alistair Dormer, Chief Executive Officer, Agility Trains (Hitachi)
Programme

18:30  Light refreshment
19:00  Lecture starts
20:30  Close
 
Joint Event with the IMechE Railway Group

===

The timetable link works in Chrome for me.

Event starts at 18:30 (probably light refreshments), talk starts 19:00. The event is free and open to all, but registration is required.

Details and registration link at http://www.theiet.org/local/uk/thames/oxon/evergreen-project.cfm

===

Evergreen 3 Project Free event

Lecture
Stephen Barker of Chiltern Railways will present a talk on the Evergreen 3 Project. Chiltern Railways is proposing to construct a new railway (including the reconstruction of an existing railway) between Bicester and Oxford.

Speaker(s)
Stephen Barker, Chiltern Railways
Date & Time
12 December 2012
18:30 - Registration
19:00 - Lecture
iCalendar Entry (What's this?)

Location
Oxford Brookes University
Headington Campus
Oxford, UK^▸ (United Kingdom)

Organiser
The IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) Oxfordshire Network

About this event
Chiltern Railways is proposing to construct a new railway (including the reconstruction of an existing railway) between Bicester and Oxford, together with the construction or reconstruction of stations at Bicester Town, Islip, Water Eaton and Oxford. These improvements will facilitate the operation of direct railway services between London Marylebone, High Wycombe, Bicester Town and Oxford.

The following topics will be covered:
Chiltern Railways ^ who we are, and why we are undertaking the project
Overview of the Bicester ^ Oxford scheme ^ what it is and what it aims to deliver
Development of the scheme
Details of the engineering features of the scheme
The Transport & Works Act Order process
Scheme challenges ^ with a particular focus on the ecological issues that we have had to deal with
Progress to date and programme going forward
Registration
Please complete the registration process to be part of this lecture.

===

Barriers were in place this evening, but not operational yet. (In fact, they might have been installed much earlier, as this evening was my first visit to the station since last Friday).

If you just need Windows to run mIRC, have you considered using a Windows Virtual Machine? The idea is you can use a free program such as VMWare Player or VirtualBox to install, and then run, Windows as a guest VM on the OS^▸ (Ordnance Survey) X host. You would need to have the install discs for Windows in order to do this. PM if this sounds useful and you need further info.

Cheers.

Interesting. Would that imply Wantage Road being re-opened? I work at Harwell, but I think I would only benefit from a stop at Steventon - a short cycle ride away from HSIC.


Moderator note: Edited to fix quote marks. bignosemac.

I'd better correct myself - it was the 16:25 from Didcot, not the 18:25, my usual train. It's been a long week...

I don't know if the trial is still on, but this evening's 18:25 ex Didcot stopped way past the bridge on platform 2. I don't mind the extra distance - it's nothing compared to my 2-mile walk home - but it does seem a bit pointless.

Hi Folks,
Most of my FGW^▸ (First Great Western) journeys are commuting Monday-Friday. I can either take a bus from Oxford city centre direct to my workplace (Harwell Labs), or a train Oxford-Didcot and a bus Didcot-Harwell. The train+bus option costs a lot more, and takes longer, but it's more comfortable overall, so that's my preference, especially with the A34 into Oxford getting clogged up so frequently (don't want to be held up on the way back home...)

I'm planning to take my bike on the train some days and cycle between Didcot and Harwell - just need to check which trains the gate staff at Oxford will allow me to take my bike on. I should mention, I find the staff at Oxford station to be most professional and pleasant.

Otherwise, my FGW use at weekends is mostly between Oxford and Gatwick on the way down to the seaside at Brighton, once or twice a month during the summer. I like trying to spot whether there are any foxes lying on the (shunting?) rails at Redhill, but haven't had any luck taking any pictures of them yet.

Cheers!

Original post moved to here:

http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/2007/05/serivce-culture-still-missing-on-the-railways/