Hi, last Thursday I had to go from Newton Abbot to Torquay, the train is not very useful for this as it's a long walk from both Torre and Torquay stations to the town centre and the service is infrequent so I decided to get the bus.  I could not believe the fare  when I got on though, ^4.50 torbayday ticket for a return journey.  This is almost double the train fare.  I would have got the train if it had not been for the long walk to the town centre.

The turn up and go fares from Swindon to Reading and Paddington are very expensive though and even more so since the Super Saver was scrapped in 2006.  I think there should be cheaper day return fares to Reading and Paddington but I know this is not very likely with the profit driven system we have now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7650013.stm

Geoff Hoon is the new Transport Secretary.

Note added by moderator - I Have split this topic off from the thread that's headlined with the departure of the previous incumbent - Ruth Kelly - which is at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3491.0 . Zoe - thanks for being first with the news here! - Graham

Were they not split into Intercity and Regional Railways at sectorisation?

Yes but the divisions were geographic and not business sectors?

Hi, does anyone know why there is no day return fair for this journey of just over 30 minutes?

Hi, is there any reason why even though FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are more than 2 years into the franchise, it's still effectively run as 3 companies (HSS^▸ (High Speed Services), London & Thames Valley and West) still based on the three franchises that were merged.  This does appear to be a leftover from the 1980s sectorisation policy.

There is one advantage of this policy though:  A 142 will never reach Paddington.

Yes, the Paddington to Plymouth trains should stop there but it's a long journey from Paddington to Penznace and so Penzance trains could do without the Tiverton Parkway and Totnes stops.  The Cornish Riviera at one time even used to run PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) - PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains).

The last time I had to get the bus they were running fast buses from NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains), all stations buses from NTA to EXD and fast buses from PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) to TVP.

Most of the time though if both trains are going to stop at Tiverton Parkway then it would be the same platfom at Taunton or even Exeter unless the train was terminating there.

Hi, is there the demand to stop almost every CrossCountry and First Great Western service at Tiverton Parkway and Totnes?  I know the stations are well used at times but both stations are only 15 minutes away from others and stopping there adds time to a long journey like Penzance to Paddington or Edinburgh.

So would you be allowed to give 2 at Dawlish Warren to run up to the signal or would you have to give 6 as the signal is too close to the platform?

In 1999/2000 I used the train every weekday from Teignmouth to Exeter and many times we ran up to the signal from the station and waited there to let the Golden Hind pass if it was running late.  In late 2000 or early 2001 though we started waiting in the platform for the signal to clear so was there a change of policy at some time?

So can you give 2 at Dawlish Warren if the signal at the end of the loop is red for another train to pass on the up main?

Hi, when I am in coach A I can hear the guard give 2 to the driver for RA and then the driver gives 2 back.  I then hear the guard give another 2 back to the driver.  Why does the guard give another 2 back to the driver?  On all other trains I have been on it's just 2 to the driver and 2 back to the guard.