The refurbished sets look smarter inside but seem to have significantly reduced legroom. They don't appear to have put in more seats so I wonder if the seat cushions are larger? Whilst legroom has never been overly generous I've found I need to sit right back to have any legroom at all.

This is however based purely on personal observation and refers to airline style seats only. If anyone has any facts and figures to hand feel free to correct me.

In relation to XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) specifically, there's a suggestion that in recent years long distance travellers have been deterred by even advance fares booked well in advance over long routes not being particularly great value. For example a quick check now shows if you wanted to travel from Newcastle to Exeter on Tues 21st March and back on Weds 22nd March after 1030 - two dates I picked on the basis they're pretty unremarkable AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) - the cheapest singles are £91.50 each way - a saving of £1.50 on the off-peak return fare. Which you can't use if you leave your start point before 0930 (although you can split your tickets). A similar check for Birmingham-Exeter the same day reveals the cheapest fares are £36.80 each way - about £20 less than the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) return, but I still wouldn't regard it as an absolute bargain.

This and the fact most XC services suffer from overcrowding at some point during their journey (given most weekday services run through one or other weekday peaks, Sunday services are regularly overcrowded and Saturday services can have very high demand depending on sporting fixtures) may have suppressed demand or caused other passengers to travel via London. XC services are still overcrowded, but more with commuters or passengers on shorter distance advance tickets.

Most other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) offer far better advance deals on a £ per mile basis although TBF^▸ (To Be Fair) this is also capacity based as it should be. Given XC hasn't got much capacity they can't offer particularly cheap tickets to start with - there's no incentive.

Anyway, if XC start offering cheaper longer distance fares, will this tempt more longer distance passengers to use their services and if so does that mean if you don't have a seat reservation on a 4 car Voyager, you'll be standing for the entirety of your journey (admittedly this isn't uncommon anyway)? Or will they increase all advance tickets and save the cheapest ones for services operated by HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) and doubled-up Voyagers?

Obviously I haven't used any stats so if anyone has any to refute my assertions feel free. To my mind however XC needs capacity increases as much as it needs cheaper longer distance tickets. I realise this topic has been done to death over the years and hopefully the intended changes in December 2017 will lead to improvements for the core of their network.

Having travelled yesterday from Axminster-Exeter after signalling problems at Wimbledon, the line seems to be pretty much at capacity for any kind of reliable service to run, due to the knock-on effect of every late running service. Particular pinch points are Tisbury loop, which appears to be used all day by every single service (and is in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside rather than at Tisbury due to BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) selling off the down platform in 1967 assuming the then 19 mile single line from Gillingham to Wilton would suffice- it didn't) and the still-existing 17 mile single line section from Chard Junction to Yeovil Junction. Certainly any attempt to run additional services from Exeter Central to Yeovil Junction is likely to need a loop at Crewkerne.

Once Cranbrook opens there aren't many other obvious candidates for reopening - but then not many lines have had four stations reopen since the 1960s (Cranbrook isn't an exact replacement for Broadclyst, but it's located very close by).   

I commented last year a 3 car 158 forming the 0839 (or equivalent) from Bristol was standing room only by Trowbridge and absolutely wedged from Yeovil. Despite repeated announcements about the following HST^▸ (High Speed Train) no-one seemed willing to wait for it. It seems not much has changed...

It would make more sense to run the HST earlier as people want to catch the 0839 to maximise time at the seaside, but it would probably require a significant re-write to the timetable. Apart from the problems identified above, it's restricted to 40mph between Dorchester and Yeovil, despite the fact the only speed differential sign is for a short section south of Maiden Newton of 60mph for MUs^▸ (Multiple Unit) and 35mph for everything else. I think this is due to the track in many places still being bullhead rail.

I went on the Weymouth Seaside Express in 2011 and I'm sure we were running at linespeed on that section (45mph Yeovil-Yetminster, mostly 75mph Yetminster-Dorchester). If a steam engine can run at 75 I'm not sure why an HST can't, but there's probably a good reason for it. It's noticeable the WSS is still timed slightly faster than the HST between Dorchester and Yeovil in either direction, except for Yeovil - Maiden Newton southbound, presumably due to the 1 in 51 climb to Evershot Tunnel.

I digress somewhat, but even if the 'all stations' became the 0909 it would appear difficult to change the timetable to allow an HST to run the earlier service. At least it runs the 'right' service out of Weymouth in the evening.

As long as the trains grow in length with patronage - it's a well-used line as it is. I believe there's a plan to use 2x150/2s once the Turbos are cascaded, which seems the optimum solution given platform lengths, the need for wide doors given the number of intermediate journeys and the need for gangway connections for revenue protection.

I was under the impression the ban is all year round but only advertised in the summer. Admittedly I'm not sure how necessary it would be on a grey drizzly November Saturday. I'd concur Yeovil is the largest 'contributor' to the ban, but Frome, Westbury and Trowbridge also seem to send a lot of people to the seaside who might aim to become merry during the day but aren't necessarily so on the train back.

So he got on the train with ^200 and a faulty card which he didn't want to use in a machine, to commute to Exeter even though he doesn't have a job, and he felt unwell after getting on board so had to go straight to the toilet. There's a ticket machine at Axminster and the ticket office would have been open at 11am on a Tuesday morning, so there were two opportunities to pay there. He lives in Axminster so presumably getting there in time to buy a ticket wouldn't have been affected by traffic jams given it's a small town.

Admittedly the Excess and Error isn't famed for its accuracy and there may be errors aplenty in there, but on the facts provided it does sound like a remarkable series of unfortunate coincidences!

I had exactly the same experience last year. I've also seen this in London - when leaving Norbiton after a game at AFC Wimbledon everyone piled onto the first train even though the next was minutes behind. The train lost time at every stop as everyone else tried to pile on, causing our train to be delayed and the following one to be delayed as well. If a logical approach was taken and people waited for the second quieter train, then if both could keep to time the second would have arrived before the first actually did.

But it seems people have a mentality of 'I must catch this train in case the next one doesn't turn up' at all costs. In fairness the Heart of Wessex line only has a frequent service in one direction only at certain times on summer Saturdays - the rest of the time waiting 2 hours is hardly desirable.

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) stops at fewer stations so acceleration isn't the main issue. The bigger problem is it's timed for 40mph between Yeovil and Dorchester whereas DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) can travel at full speed (60-75mph other than Yeovil-Yetminster which is 45mph for some reason). Curiously the speed signs don't have differentials for DMUs and other trains, apart from one just south of Maiden Newton which only applies for a very short distance. I did hope the engineering works earlier in the year would have upgraded the track, but it seems not.

A further example and rather more back on topic is on Sundays there are frequently only 2 trains an hour between Bath and Bristol with the Pompey-Cardiff 15 minutes ahead of the HST. On a number of Sunday afternoons between 3 and 5 over the last few years I've seen people left on the platform at Bath who couldn't fit on the train. Still, an 8 car HST arriving 10 minutes later which should be emptying out ahead of its final stop isn't the worst penalty for being left behind.

The worst overcrowding I've seen generally is between Cardiff and Bath - 3 carriages off-peak frequently isn't enough, but after Bath it usually quietens down.

Interesting to see the 'Weymouth Wizard' is back this summer - clearly it was felt the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was sufficiently successful to run it again.

https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/-/media/pdf/ticketsandtraintimes/traintimes/may%202015%20tt/gw1505c03web47243800.pdf?la=en

Be interesting to see whether during the Bathampton blockade in August the HST runs from Westbury or is replaced with 1 or more 15xs. Based on observation the biggest flows to Weymouth are from Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome and Yeovil (and the alcohol ban on the 2021 return seems to be for the 'benefit' of the denizens of the first and last named towns!), so the blockade may have some impact.

Disappointing to see it's still timed for 40mph between Yeovil and Dorchester (when I travelled on it last year the info screens confirmed it didn't exceed this speed). I hoped when the line was closed at the weekends earlier in the year it would allow the HSTs to travel at the maximum linespeed (varying from 45-75). It could conceivably knock 10-15 minutes off each journey. The speed boards don't indicate differential limits anyway other than a very short stretch south of Maiden Newton, but it seems the HSTs are limited to 40mph anyway.

Generally it seems TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) with a high proportion of commuters among their customers have a lower satisfaction rating. I assume this is because commuters tend to remember the bad journeys far better than the good ones, simply because if you rely on the train to get you to work you want to take it for granted the journey will be problem-free. And sometimes it isn't. Also there may be a degree of resentment at feeling trapped into having to use the train and being reliant on a specific TOC in order to get to work if there's no realistic alternative. Obviously this is more likely to apply to London commuters than elsewhere. (You could argue no-one 'needs' to live in Basingstoke or Reading and commute into London and they could change their lifestyle if it's that much of a problem but I doubt the average commuter would agree).

In comparison I'd imagine East Coast and Virgin have a smaller proportion of commuters (note the word 'proportion') as they don't run local services. Because it's more important to try to ensure as many people as possible get a seat on long distance journeys, their services are more aimed at providing a pleasant environment than Class 150s or Class 455s which are just designed to ferry people around swiftly. If people travel less regularly it's more likely they'll remember a pleasant journey.

Also outside of London, commuting into large cities on intercity services is doubtless a more pleasant experience. On FGW^▸ (First Great Western), commuting into Bristol from Chippenham is clearly going to be much less crowded than commuting in from Trowbridge or Weston-Super-Mare, particularly because a temporary reduction in carriages from 8 to 7 is less problematic than 3 to 2.

Obviously Crosscountry is a law unto itself as it doesn't go to London (so MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) don't use it much) and its largest fleet has 4 more seats than a 3 car class 159 (which also has first class)...

I will admit to having a certain bias having grown up near the route but there are a number of potential advantages to electrifying the whole of the Basingstoke-Exeter route over Newbury-Penzance.

1. You release 41 well-maintained class 158s and 159s which can work over various areas of the network - I'm sure Northern, ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) and Great Western could find a use for them. In comparison electrifying the Penzance route releases a large number of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) which unfortunately due to their age and suitability for express services only would surely be going to the scrapyard. It also allows all-electric working into Waterloo.

2. Basingstoke-Exeter is currently fairly self-contained, hence why the entire 15x could be released. If electrification can get past Salisbury, there wouldn't be any point stopping at Yeovil. The longest tunnels at Honiton and Buckhorn Weston are single track - the latter's already slewed down the middle, I suspect the former could be. This should allow for reasonable clearances. Admittedly it counts against redoubling the line later but both tunnels are on sections which are likely to be among the last to be redoubled as there are crossing points at the stations either side.

In comparison, there are political and infrastructural issues on the Penzance route. Whiteball and Somerton tunnels are both fairly lengthy and would probably need lowered floors. Whiteball was built for the broad gauge and might have more generous clearances, but Somerton wasn't. Then you have to look at how you can run electric trains on the sea wall (although I believe they manage in Ayrshire). Electrifying to Exeter only wouldn't be much use without bi-mode trains, which aren't without their doubters. Electrifying to Plymouth only would not go down well west of the Tamar, but with the numerous tunnels and viaducts on the Cornish main line, it probably wouldn't be cheap.

3. Basingstoke-Exeter is a route requiring rapid acceleration and good hill-climbing, along with the ability to split trains (and hence the need for gangway ends).  As I've said earlier, any attempt to reintroduce loco-hauled working would be a severely retrograde step given the failures of 42s, 47s and 50s. EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) would appear to give a significant advantage over diesel power. In comparison the Penzance route seems fine with fixed train formations and as many trains run non-stop between Reading and Taunton or Exeter, acceleration would seem less important over this part of the route than maintaining a high speed. (I do however accept it's more important west of Newton Abbot.)

Of course the main line is the Penzance route and since it's no doubt more profitable, this is probably a critical argument. Basingstoke-Exeter would still require 125 miles of electrification and whilst it serves an affluent area, Yeovil is the only town west of Salisbury of any real size and the station is a fair distance out of town.

But there's nothing wrong with a spot of blind optimism...

The linespeed of 85mph isn't too bad as the class 159s are limited to 90mph and I don't think there's any significant permanent speed restrictions anywhere between Wilton and Exeter Central. Given the need for corridor stock due to multiple unit working the 159s seem well suited. Whilst class 172/3s could replace them and make use of the 100mph available east of Worting Junction, there aren't enough of them to replace the 159s - and I doubt London Midland would be delighted in any case. History has proved locomotive hauled trains can't cope with the nature of the services operated - the 42s, 50s and 47s all failed - so 159s seem best suited for the job and I doubt an increase of 5mph in the speed limit would make any real difference to timings.

What would be useful infrastructure-wise to speed things up:

1. Extending the Tisbury loop eastwards to Dinton or even Wilton to create a dynamic loop. This loop is in almost constant use and requires 50% of trains to stop in the Wiltshire countryside. Extending it eastwards could allow trains to meet on the move and cut 5min of every journey. There was a military line until 1994 at Dinton extending a couple of miles so the trackbed should hopefully be preserved.

2. A loop at Crewkerne. Currently there's 17 miles of uninterrupted single track between Chard and Yeovil Junctions, which severely limits operating flexibility. Adding a loop here (and at Whimple), ideally a dynamic one, should increase the number of trains which can pass along the line at times of disruption. Admittedly this may need to be beyond the station given the limited room now available for a down platform to be instated.

In the mid-1990s after the introduction of the 159s, down journeys would normally take less than 3h 5min between Waterloo and Exeter Central, with some up journeys taking less than 3 hours. I'm fairly sure in the summer of 1995 there was a 1015 Saturday departure from Waterloo arriving at Exeter Central at 1301, calling a Yeovil Junc, Honiton and Axminster only west of Salisbury and taking just 2h 46 min - surely the fastest ever timetabled service on the line. I doubt that's possible with the current timetable but with some prudent double tracking in key locations it should be possible to get the journey time closer to 3 hours.

On the subject of cheap offers, Weymouth to Waterloo generally benefits from cheap offers and is a similar distance as from Axminster. However there's 10 carriages per hour to London rather than 3 or 6, and outside peak season my experience is there's usually plenty of room heading east until at least Bournemouth. Exeter-Salisbury trains at the weekend can be fairly busy from Yeovil eastwards and even with 6 carriages can be around 70-80% full before Salisbury (depending on the time of day).

Previously it was only Feniton-Exeter which was excluded - you could still use it from Honiton eastwards. From what I've heard the last offer on Jan/Feb weekends was too well used i.e. many trains were overcrowded which wouldn't otherwise be, so presumably it's been restricted to manage demand.

Weymouth-Waterloo is a similar length to Axminster-Waterloo (143 v 144) miles so it's still valid for a lengthy route. I assume the superior capacity on that line helps soak up the occasional travellers (2 x 4/5 car trains per hour v 1 x 3/6 cars) although an 8 coach train I caught from Basingstoke to Clapham Junction on Saturday 25th Jan at around 1130 was standing room only that day at a time I doubt it normally would be.

I believe there was a plan to increase speed limits by replacing the old jointed track with continuous welded rail when the line was intended to be closed for 2 weeks in November 2012.

Unfortunately the elements had other ideas and Network Rail's attention was quickly diverted to other nearby locations such as Cowley Bridge and Broom Crossing. I'm not sure if the intended works ever happened.

It seems Axminster has now reverted back to right hand running in the last month or two, as this has been the case on the 3 occasions I've used the station since the end of May. I'm not sure why - perhaps it costs more time and fuel to slow down to 50mph if running onto the left-hand track then accelerate before braking again for the station, than any fuel saving in allowing a higher speed for westbound trains approaching Honiton bank.

Despite the fact this is against the normal convention of left hand running none of my fellow passengers have appeared confused by the arrangement and the boards make clear what each train's destination is, so hopefully it isn't causing any problems.