Ah, BMT and PSN then!

PST is Prestonpans, but you've got me with BED and BTM, and going via the Edinburgh suburbs seems like an eccentric diversion...

(Please - use real station names!)

From the Conservative party, as per earlier postings, Claire Perry.

Absolutely. Though reliability aside, I'm not sure they're an improvement over the 180s. (Reliability remains to be seen...!)

A 2-coach train with 4 bike spaces, vs the new 5-coach trains with 2 bike spaces? Are GWR just making it up as they go along these days?

It's the worst of both worlds. The same trains are running on intercity services (like London-Penzance) without a full buffet, as well as on outer-commuter services (like London-Oxford) where they waste 20 seats worth of space on an unnecessary kitchen.

I'd (naturally!) agree. I suspect GWR would argue that though the 9.41 was cancelled, I could have caught the 10.08 instead, which as a sub-1 hour delay wouldn't be eligible for compensation. That would have pushed my 10.30 meeting in Reading later, so I'd have to return later... and therefore buy an Anytime Return to catch the evening peak. Pretty much damned either way!

Spotted this at 08.19 this morning. Just enough time to jump on the bike and get down to Charlbury station to catch the train the hour before. @GWRHelp informs me that no, I'm not eligible for a refund of the difference between the SVR I needed to buy, and the CDR I would have bought had the train been running... 

GET for Groupe EuroTunnel, apparently...

Our two-year old has identified no 6 as "Tom train!".

I'm not sure that was the answer you were looking for though. 

There were both: some via London, some via the North Downs. All chronicled in remarkable detail at http://www.1s76.com/ .

0825 from Worcester to Paddington today was a 9-car - first one I’ve encountered on the line.

The following HST made an additional stop at Shipton (and was standing room only by Oxford).

That, at least, is something. The horrid experience on CrossCountry where unreserved passengers can be turfed out of their seat mid-journey, or the "ggf freigeben" equivalent on DB, adds needless stress to a journey.

That said, GWR offering same-day advances just reinforces my impression that they are just not very good at doing yield management through walk-ups, as the Cotswold fare changes demonstrated.