I've been trying to dig out a pre-2004 timetable (ie before Wessex introduced their first Devon Metro timetable), but can't find one - I think it was six or seven trains in each direction called at Lapford.

Hi

I can't find much information exeter  Intermodal Freight Facility ans cranbook station

Guy

The first thing to say is that sorry, but you chose to take a risk on an unofficial connection (although I've never heard before of the station connection time also being applied to buses, I suppose it makes sense) and this time it didn't pay off. In that regard, you have no claim against FGW^▸ (First Great Western) at all. The argument of "yes but had the train been on time..." doesn't hold water - even if it had been you were cutting things extremely fine.

However if the conductor did behave as you described then that is inexcusable and as others have said above, you should write in to FGW giving full details of the train service as well as the name if he was wearing his badge. Experience has taught me though that the guards who lurk in the back cab, don't bother checking tickets and do everything they can to avoid having to deal with passengers can be outright hostile when anyone dares to knock on their door and ask for information or assistance. And are almost certainly not wearing their name badges either 

Interestingly though a leopard can sometimes change its spots, though whether voluntarily or under duress from management I'm not sure. There is one particular Swansea guard I'm thinking of who a few years ago would never emerge from coach A or F (depending on the direction of travel, of course!). Something must have changed because I've seen him working a few trains recently (yes, I am sure it's the same person, I have a near perfect memory for names and faces which sometimes is more trouble than it's worth, quite honestly) and he's been very thorough with ticket checks as well as personable and helpful with the punters. Obviously something changed, although I don't know what!

I've been to Banstaple a few times and the thing about Banstaple is that coming from the east it is much quicker to get the train to Tiverton and then be met by car for the journey to Barnstaple by road.  Many of the cars at the overfull P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) will be from Barnstaple.  However, IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), there is a decent express bus from Tiverton to Barnstaple.  Extending this bus to the station would give much better access to the railway for journeys West and if the first bus of the day connected with the train at Tiverton, a decent am arival time in London would be possible, earlier than catching the first am train out of Barnstaple and cheaper I assume to implement than staffing the branch line an hour earlier. 

I am not an expert on this area but it does seem that better bus/tain coordination could improve acess to a part of North Devon in need of economic development at low cost.

When visiting friends in Barnstaple (from Bath) my first though is to drive.  That woudl change if I could catch a train to Tiverton and connect to a fast bus, but having to go via Exeter, just tips teh balance away from public transport

I'm more thinking how much Network Rail would fine for doing a not to call..

Running Barnstaple to Axminster would be quite sensible, actually.

Oh - I have no doubt they have looked into it.   Yet from what you say ... if, somewhere in the country there's a crew who run the same train every day, they WOULD need to be checked.  The "early" from Pwthelli ... picking up schoolkids for Harlech, with Driver Jones, Fireman Evans and Guard Roberts every day as they live in Nefyn.

Id love to know what people expect to find in a case of luggage!  How ob earth do yu know which bag to pick out of the 20.

Even worse, if you found your bag wasmissing as you went to get off of the train.... how would you deal with it, as the train manager would be nowhere to be seen before the train left the station. 

Have you seen the "bus fleet" I am forced to travel on 

If that's your argument, then why should we try to accommodate physical disability? After all empty wheelchair spaces take up room where seats could be located, and delays can occur when trying to load or unload a wheelchair bound passenger. Staff costs could be reduced as you would need less people on hand to assist them, and in the case of blind passengers then FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could save lots of money not having to print out special Braille copies of its safety information. There would also be no need to spend money on hearing induction loops on platforms and at ticket offices, and trains would be so much easier to design if wheelchairs were banned.

The trouble is, so people actually believe that would be a sensible way forward. Fortunately for them (and those who have stated on here that elderly people should be left to their own devices, or rely on somebody driving them everywhere), FGW and the wider world cares a little bit more for their well-being.

Take the Great Malvern example, where you have a town with well over the average age per head of the population, and running a wider variety of through trains might indeed make business sense sometimes. I bet a hefty amount of revenue has been lost from elderly passengers who used to travel from the south coast, Hampshire, Berkshire or Oxfordshire to the north west or Scotland. A choice of direct train, even if it was only once or twice a day, has now been taken from them.

back to the question does anyone want a direct service or is this a pointless convo... people who live in or near barns please

they are doing alot of advertising on this line, including tarka walks i think the main problem with the line is the wait near barny to enter the single line section that you sometimes get.. 30 mins is the record for me