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28th Mar (1917)
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Train RunningCancelled
06:28 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
06:57 Swansea to London Paddington
07:28 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
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07:54 Looe to Liskeard
08:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
08:25 Okehampton to Exeter Central
08:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
08:30 Liskeard to Looe
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09:12 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
09:29 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
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09:36 Liskeard to Looe
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10:41 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
11:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
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11:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
11:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
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04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington
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06:18 Yeovil Pen Mill to Filton Abbey Wood
06:48 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
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07:25 Okehampton to Exeter Central
08:34 Exeter Central to Okehampton
09:35 Exeter Central to Okehampton
09:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
10:50 Penzance to Cardiff Central
Delayed
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
05:23 London Paddington to Swansea
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
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06:00 London Paddington to Penzance
06:38 Weymouth to Gloucester
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1  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Actual journey times much increased by complexity of fares. on: October 31, 2017, 07:39:59
A bit cheeky, but zero chance of any comeback from TOCs (Train Operating Company).

Also against the rules, isn''t it?   I didn't think advanced fares allowed for shorter journeys, though there's nothing against longer journeys by using them as part(s) of a split.

Updated guidance to rail staff is to not punish those ending short on Advance Purchase, unless there is clear unequivocal proof of an attempt to deprive a TOC of revenue.

Paying extra for a fare to Stratford but leaving the network at London Liverpool Street is hard to justify as fare evasion. 

You're still advocating purchase of a ticket with a clear intent to use it against the rules, notwithstanding any guidance that may have been issued to staff.  And moreover, you're suggesting that if you get delayed on the return to Paddington you could use that as an excuse as to why you should be let on a later train, when you haven't actually used the ticket properly and taken the journey from Stratford.

To my mind that is gaming the system unacceptably, and at the very least being very economic with the truth when having a discussion with rail staff at Paddington.  And I wouldn't do it.

No wonder ticket (and barrier staff) sometimes have a jaundiced view of people offering explanations as to why they are travelling without a ticket/want to board a train for which their ticket is not valid etc, etc.

It also reduces the cost of the overall ticket, and thus does deprive at least one transport operator (probably TfL» (Transport for London - about)) of some revenue, if as you say, it is only a couple of pounds more than a ticket to Paddington. Perfectly valid with a non-restricted ticket, but not an advanced ticket.
2  Journey by Journey / Wales local journeys / Re: Letting of the next franchise for trains in Wales on: October 30, 2017, 21:11:41
Alternatively they wish to concentrate their efforts on one or more up and coming franchise bids that they feel they have a better chance of winning or for which the rewards are higher.

The efforts involved in a bid, and the costs involved are very substantial. And there will be a limited capacity to take on multiple bids concurrently.

All these are of course pure speculation, and we will probably never know.  And even if Arriva do make some comment in due course, it may not be the whole reason.
3  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Actual journey times much increased by complexity of fares. on: October 28, 2017, 19:35:10
If I'm in London and returning on an advance ticket then I will typically leave at least an extra 20 minutes to get from the City to Paddington than if I am on a flexible ticket, just in case of delays. So in that sense, yes my journey time has been extended. As my rail ticket only covers me as far as Paddington, I've always presumed I couldn't use a delay on the tube as a valid excuse.

Those TOCs (Train Operating Company) that offer single fares only £1 cheaper than the return (eg Cross Country) make missing your booked train much more costly relatively speaking. In that sense GWR (Great Western Railway) is not too bad.
4  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Lack of Welsh signage on IET fleet on: October 28, 2017, 12:44:31


But Welsh medium schools are an indication of a number of young people who choose Welsh as their first language. There is of course more than one Welsh language television production company based in Cardiff. 

They are actually chosen by the parents (not the children) typically middle class, who believe their children will get a better primary education by choosing a Welsh language medium school. Most revert to English for the next stage, as the confidence doesn't extend to getting a decent education in the exams that matter.
5  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Lack of Welsh signage on IET fleet on: October 28, 2017, 11:41:07
Less than a handful I would suggest. Bear in mind that the largest proportion of those who say they can speak the language are in school or recently left school. Given the language is compulsory that is hardly surprising. How many bother to keep the language going is another matter, but it helps increase the figures and makes the language appear more meaningful than is actually the case.
6  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Lack of Welsh signage on IET fleet on: October 27, 2017, 09:25:57

Whist I agree with you with regards to South Wales (I would class this as the area south and east of the A465 road) where Welsh speaking is a minority activity, appearing to be favoured by a certain demographic trying to make a point (the Welsh they speak is also truly, truly weird). Take yourself off to Gwynedd or Anglesey, you'll find over 90% of residents speak first language Welsh, so dual language signage is arguably more significant up there. Similar levels of first language Welsh exist in many area of Powys, Ceredigion and north Pembrokeshire. It's not really a one size fits all concerning language in the little principality and there is still collective memory of a time when people were forced not to speak Welsh in schools, active anglicisation of place names and so on, which perhaps explains some of the sensitivity of this subject a little. But that digresses somewhat from the topic.

I would concur with these comments. In those areas where Welsh dominates it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask for bilingual signage.  But in South East Wales?  I am reminded of Switzerland where in German speaking parts of the country, there is no requirement to have French signage (and I presume vice versa).

7  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Lack of Welsh signage on IET fleet on: October 27, 2017, 09:14:28
the language is in decline

Is it? Granted I don't live there anymore, but I was under the impression that thanks to it being pushed quite a lot in schools, the language is actually increasing in use from what it was, especially amongst younger people.

And then of course you have the other bits of Wales where Welsh is the main language (as mentioned by chrisr_75).

Not at all. Despite all the money being thrown at it, it continues to decline as was very clear from the census. The results were accepted by all, even if the theories behind the decline differ.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-20701119
8  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Lack of Welsh signage on IET fleet on: October 26, 2017, 22:42:38
Despite a huge effort and money being thrown at it over the last 40 years, the language is in decline, and that's from a relatively low base. I grew up in Cardiff and you only had to look at which way all the tv aerials in the street were pointed (to the Mendip, not Wenvoe, transmitter) to know what people wanted.

I wonder do airlines into Cardiff Airport have bilingual announcements or literature on board?

99% of customers of these trains in Wales will at worst not care a jot and more likely be pleased to have not to have the language rammed down their throat to pander for a very vociferous minority. 

9  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Lack of Welsh signage on IET fleet on: October 26, 2017, 22:11:08
There are no bilingual signs on the HSTs (High Speed Train) or any other stock that GWR (Great Western Railway) runs into Wales currently, so it isn't a step backwards. (Maybe a couple of units show Caerdydd Canolog on matrix destinations on the front, but I can't say I've seen those recently either.)

If they don't want the new trains I'm sure there are enough other lines they can be used on and South Wales passengers can change at Bristol instead. 
10  Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Proposed timetable changes for Exeter to Waterloo train route on: October 26, 2017, 20:57:26
Why not run the proposed trains to/from Yeovil Junction, to/from Yeovil Pen Mill
That's a very valid question, given the recent use of the link for trains headed eastwards from Yeovil Junction and the closer proximity to the town itself.

I'm guessing it is probably an operational constraint.  Unless the unit overnights at Yeovil it will have had to come from somewhere, and fitting in its journey to Yeovil along the single track and passing places may preclude it having time to run up to Pen Mill and back and hit its slot for the journey down to Exeter. 

Nevertheless, it is a very positive improvement for passengers from Honiton into Exeter. (Less so from Yeovil as it appears to run only a few minutes behind an existing service but presumably then gets held on the way in a passing loop somewhere.)   
11  All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Woman is only passenger on holiday jet from Glasgow to Crete on: October 25, 2017, 20:30:51
Probably not as much of a story as you might imagine when you think about it. The last return flight will always be empty going out in the same way that the first flight out of the season is likely to be empty coming back. (That's assuming there's really only a one-way flow of passengers flying out of the UK (United Kingdom) on holiday.)  It'll be all built into the airline's business plan.
12  Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: Passenger Surveys - Melksham Station, October 2017 on: October 24, 2017, 21:44:41
That would imply annual passenger ons and offs for Melksham are currently running in the region of 85,000 to 90,000.
13  All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Train Operating Companies v Trade Unions dispute - ongoing discussion on: October 24, 2017, 21:28:08
Shouldn't cause as much disruption on Southern as their ASLEF» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) drivers have been offered a 28.5% payrise over 5 years...and their drivers are very much ASLEF. The RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) aren't happy...
Maybe not this time, but the agreement struck seems to suggest that a strike isn't one of the few "exceptional" reasons that can cause a train to run without a second person. Which could mean that once effective the strikes would again have more impact.
14  Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: Turbo Roll Out Expansion on: October 23, 2017, 08:00:07
The 0633 from Taunton was indeed a turbo this morning.
15  All across the Great Western territory / Diary - what's happening when? / Re: Chris Grayling answers Select Committee on electrification decisions on: October 22, 2017, 13:46:58

What about the extra platform at Parkway or the requadrification between Filton Jn and Dr Days Junction?  Is that not "around" Bristol?  There is more to bristol than Temple Meads. 
Those are already happening. Grayling was talking about future investment.
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