1A88 PNZ PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) being diverted via Yeovil , due to obstruction neat Taunton.
This starts from North Pole IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) depot to form 0635 from PAD.
HST^▸ (High Speed Train) or IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)?

The 1C78  ( 21/02 ) 11.03 PAD-PYM being diverted via Yeovil is now a IET.Confirmation through GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)

16th February 2019 for three weeks - closure for engineering work of Whiteball and Marley tunnels.

Whiteball tunnel is between Taunton and Tiverton
Marley tunnel is between Totnes and Ivybridge

No details of service changes in my hands at present - just an early heads up from reliable GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sources.

1C78  11.03 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to PYM  PAD-RDG^‡(resolve)-CLC^▸ (Castle Cary)-YVJ-Chard Junction-HON-EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains)-TOT-IVY-PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)
This information from Realtime Trains for th 21st Feb

I have pencilled in 9th February for a forum meet as by 16th it might be harder for people to make it.  Let's see how voting goes - we could do 9th in the West and 16th in the east if enough want to attend. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20342.0 .

Also concerned for TravelWatch SouthWest on 2nd March 2019.

Is anyone able to comment on the general pattern proposed?

Such as hourly - Paddington, Reading, Newbury, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton, Tiverton PW^▸ (Permanent Way), Exeter SD. Plus perhaps Pewsey and/or Frome calls every two hours. Differences may apply in the peaks with additional Berks and Hants calls??

All speculation on my part based on speculation I have previously read - but it might be useful to know where we are heading! West or East perhaps!

16th February 2019 for three weeks - closure for engineering work of Whiteball and Marley tunnels.

Whiteball tunnel is between Taunton and Tiverton
Marley tunnel is between Totnes and Ivybridge

No details of service changes in my hands at present - just an early heads up from reliable GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sources.

I have pencilled in 9th February for a forum meet as by 16th it might be harder for people to make it.  Let's see how voting goes - we could do 9th in the West and 16th in the east if enough want to attend. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20342.0 .

Also concerned for TravelWatch SouthWest on 2nd March 2019.

Book a seat on the 1C79   11.03 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - Plymouth for the 21/02 and the route that I was given was Reading,Castle Cary,Honiton,Exeter St.Davids & Newton Abbott.It is a 8 coach at the moment.

Torbay just want a train to get them to Exeter on the quickest route.

The South Devon Highway has made Torbay a commuter town for Exeter with thousands of homes built round the ring road and Edginswell near the planned Devon Metro station (no money to build it). The Devon Metro seems to have been put back, maybe until Exeter Depot (under construction) has been enlarged. No 158's yet but more 150/2's seem to have arrived. The train is slower than the car but difficult parking in Exeter makes the train viable.

Torbay is a misundrstood area. It is not full of retirees. It has the largest primary school in Devon at Oldway (700 pupils); Boys Grammar School, Girls Grammar school, and a mixed Grammar school. The continually expanding South Devon college with branches in Newton Abbot and Kingswear and links to Plymouth University. This has made the area attractive to families.


There are high tech companies (old employees of Nortel going it alone). The college, only half the site built, is building a new high tech centre as is the council constructing a high tech building (known as EPIC)  with up to 16 laboraties for small companies.

On the Nortel site is a Range store and a M&S food hall, and three other units,  under construction with free car parking and 300 hundred homes earmarked on the old Nortel car parks. Nortel used to employee 5000 people and when it closed it killed Paignton.

Unfortunately in the town centres the luddites have the upper hand and they are very run down.