Interesting about the HST's. Does this mean they will no longer be able to use other platforms? (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) didn't used to use other platforms that often for HST's but it did happen, and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) still have theirs too).

Would it be beyond possible for a short term timetable change, so that the (sometimes) Turbo operated services are no longer timetabled to stop at Avoncliff until the modifications have been done to all the units, but instead the 158 (or sometimes 150) operated services between Cardiff and the South Coast are timetabled to stop instead? I get that it would add a couple of minutes to the running time of those services, but surely that would be preferable to the current situation? At least some kind of timetable could be used by passengers then rather than the current "You'll get a train if you are lucky" situation?

I swear they are doing everything they can to put people off using their services. Just looking on Twitter now, the last two Swansea - Paddington services tonight are being cancelled, no buses or taxis being offered and hotel costs only "considered".

Travelled to Reading from Bath on Tuesday and pretty sure they switched to Electric at Didcot.

Note this is third hand info, but I was supposed to be travelling from Bath Spa to London on Friday and the train was cancelled due to trespassers on the line. This is one of the few Bath to London services that arrives having passed through the Weston Super Mare / Weston area and the cancellation was around Weston Super Mare. From what was said to one of my work colleagues by passengers who had been on that train (and had to get alternative transport to Bristol for the next London train), they "trespassers" were school children / friends / families trying to pay respects to the poor girl who died  on the Tuesday. Sounds incredibly stupid for them to be around the track where their friend was killed just a few days earlier - fair enough to pay respects but I thought something like that could have been organised alongside GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and done in a safe manor surely?

Seems like GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are using this as part of their social media talk! (For anywho can't or doesn't want to go to the Facebook link, its a speeded up cab view of the run).

https://www.facebook.com/gwruk/videos/10155136262406806/

Personally, at least in my experience, the replies have got worse since Ollie (who I believe is a member on this forum) left!

I think the two obvious things of later last services and more frequent services are what I would say. Things like a later service between Cardiff, Bristol and Bath, more frequent stopping services between Bristol and Bath (the peak service is actually pretty good but then it falls down to roughly hourly after that), a later London to Bristol via Bath service etc. Probably a pipe dream really but you can hope (and there is precedent for some of these things, e.g. the last London to Leicester service is 00:15, compared to 23:30 for the last London to Bristol service).

Won't that kind of thing be down to one fare being regulated and the other not? So the more restrictive ticket was probably at one point a fair bit cheaper.

Well yes, but that is because it is a TfL^» (Transport for London - about) services map, so of course it wouldn't show services operated by other companies!
If you want a map to show all services within London, then there is a separate map that does show that.

The thing is, it isn't just the NHS that can help. All of us can in our own way.
Talk to your friends, be there if they seem a bit down. Believe me (coming from "the other side"), it helps.
There is a reason why suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) - too often men find they can't talk about feelings / emotions with friends, that they just need to "man up" - but that exact attitude is what ends with men killing themselves.

Specifically about this weekend, I suspect that was because the actual timing of those replacement buses was not confirmed until Friday! Just two days before the date. Not great at all and I had a bit of a go at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) via Twitter and at Temple Meads over that. Really not good enough in my view.

As for the station itself, froome gives a pretty good overview!


To be fair, especially over the last 6 months, I don't think Oldfield could actually physically cope with any more commuters considering we have seen regular short formings and cancellations because GWR do not have enough stock or staff!

Well that and the fact that many people do not have contactless cards!

So I will actually only be about 40 minutes late travelling from Keynsham to Cardiff. Mainly thanks to local buses accepting train tickets (though the bus driver looked like he didn't have a clue what I was on about, but let me on anyway). Kind of surprised at the lack of information at Bristol temple meads. No announcements (manual or auto), no obvious signage or staff to advise passengers, no info about the shuttle service GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) twitter are saying is running (or any evidence of it), nothing.

They like to underplay things don't they! May be delayed or revised? They may want to look at the live departure boards that list the cancellations! (of course it was described the same last night, despite nothing stopping at Keynsham for several hours!).