To the Guys and Gals who wonder that due to lack of blurriness in the photo that the train was actually moving, is all I can say is the OTMR^▸ (On Train Monitoring Recorder) download will or will not prove this, and yes a download will have been done.

Mess Room discussions have also indicated that station CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) is being looked at to see if the paper was being read further down the line.

Nothing has been done on the soundproofing of the cab.

except

The fitting of new outer cab doors and door seals in an attempt to eliminate wind noise.

The engines are quieter end of!

From a person who spends his working day sat in front of one of these engines I can confidently say NO WAY

Your having a laugh! Arriva are, as an employee, the last lot I would want to have it! From a passengers point of view they are probably one of the worst for the standard of customer service provided. Look at Arriva Trains Wales and Cross Country to see why.

Too many HEX running back and forth to the airport less than half full. 90% of High Speed Services get held up at airport junction which is 90% too many!

I have seen tags from this idiot on railway safety signs as far away as Hereford. Also Slough Maidenhead and Didct has a resident numby who goes as the name as Dock. Hope they dont come running to me when a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) hits them up the arse when carrying out this pointless pastime.

In the past we've been plagued with TEAR, CUT, FAULT, CK1 or CKONE

The best one I saw really sums this bunch of wallys up. He/She went by the name of THICK   

How do you work it out to be May 2016? The franchise commenced on the 1st April 2006 for a period of 7 years with the option of a three year extension. Therefore my caculations make the end as March 31st 2016!

I worked 1 of these and it was done well inside the 57 minutes stated. Non stop Reading and the first restrictive signal on Filton Bank. Passed Bristol around 11 early!

Good eh?

Odd!

I live in Bath which has First Somerset and Avon written on the side of its busses. And not so long back we had the yellow and green livery of Baderline adorning our streets.
Just prior the National Bus Company being split up the Bristol Omnibus became known just as Bristol operating within the city limits of the city with same name. Outside it was known as Bristol Country Bus. Privitisation brought about the Country Bus side of things under the Badgerline umbrella whilst the Bristol part of things were then known as Cityline and were seperate companies at privatisation. It was a little while after that a amalgation of the two took place although still run with seperate liveries etc, A little further along in time Mr Lockhead got together with Mr Smallwood and FirstBus (as it was called then) was born!

the term First Bus really annoys me. The phrase FirstBus went out years ago and was only used for a short time after Bagderline and Grampian Transport merged. When they progressed into the rail market they became known as Firstgroup up until to the present day.
However as the name First Great Western is a brand name the company is known as First Greater Western in Companies House. Likewise the Brand name of Firstgroup in Companies House is as we all know First

expect it was manned by staffed by staff employed by Railgourmet.

don't speak too soon. Didcot along with Slough are regular failed to call locations for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s. I am really surprised that this incident has made the news seeing as it wasn't the first and won't be the last. There are drivers that have missed statons Slough one of them more than once.

Funny, a driver who approached Didcot on the up main slowly because the signal was on only to max it when it came off made the comment " I wonder why all the punters started moving forward to the edge of the platform!"

TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) is required, and they are fitted! Not sure if the OTDR^▸ (On Train Data Recorder) is standard on these and as I have taken my name off the traction I don't get on 'em enough when at the Marsh lately to have noticed.

There is a memo going around re these dirty DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s. It all stems from the cold weather back along when the decision to isolated washers was made. Days and days of not washing has made the dirt stick to the bodysides so well that when put through those wash plants the brushes left most of it where it was.

There is a program of manual washes taking place and I in fact saw a 158 going through a scrub with some chaps armed with big buckets and brushes at the 'Marsh' last night!

Your living in cloud cookoo land! The goverment poke their nose into the running of the railay now more than when it was government owned. Don't matter who it is, Network Rail, First Great Western, Arriva, Virgin, any of them. Anything they do involving major amounts of money and the rail regulator needs to approve/disapprove.

Whoever is in charge should let the private companies run it as they see fit and judge the said private companies on what the have done right or wrong.