Re: The picture of the One and Only entrance to Melksham Station, at least you can see it's an Entrance.
One Poor S** got off the Par-Newquay train at St Columb Road one night, he was STILL on the platform when the Train came back as the poor man was UNABLE to find the gate to leave the Station.

It's not Paris! does that help anyone, sorry got to go some bloke with a white coat has come to take.............................................................................

CrossCountry didn't remove their trains from the system - they're all showing as running today but they're not!
[/quote]

Wonder if that's Why NRES^▸ (National Rail Enquiry Service) told me there was a Train at 07.30 from Penzance to Newcastle on 25/12.

That simple Error should have a massive knock-on effect on XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) train preformance figures.

Wonder if it's Sour Grapes from the Pickle Man?
 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

For all the problems of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s, it's the excellent work of the "Coal Face" railwaymen and woman, that get the Trains to run, OFTEN on Time, it's a pity that Human nature is such that if your train is ON TIME 99 times out of 100, it's that once that gets remembered and talked about.
Railway staff are the Best, Happy New Year to them all and their Passengers.

Besides all the Problems of Short Formed Trains, Late Trains, Over-Crowded Trains, Missed Connections, OVER PRICED TICKETS and every shortcoming FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have, isn't the Real Pain in the **** the times that FGW CANCEL YOUR TRAIN, it's alright for FGW control sitting in their warm air con office to cancel trains without a thought, it's not them wanting to get to work or home, standing around in the cold and the wet.

So I say let's bring FGW to account let's list all the Cancelled Trains day by day during 2008, including those that Terminate short or start later, because part of the journey has still been cancelled.

To give an example the St Erth-St Ives Service was cancelled PM on Thursday 27th Dec 07 and AM on Friday 28th, but at 24 trains a day to St Ives and 24 back, that's 48 trains could be cancelled every day (M-F) on that Branch alone.

Now something sinister, I'm led to believe by Railway staff, that when FGW or any other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company), have problems with Staff, or Trains, as long as SERVICES ARE CANCELLED AT LEAST 24 HOURS before being due to run, such CANCELLED TRAINS ARE NOT TREATED AS CANCELLEDfor purposes of Passenger charter stats. Talk about cooking the books

So Mr Bloggs Waiting for the 06.04 from Alpha to Beta that DIDN'T show, Be happy your train was delisted 36 hours ago, so it DOESN'T MATTER

Let's see for REAL just how many trains ARE cancelled by FGW
YOU GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE, YOUR INPUT PLEASE
My only concern is from Jan 1st this  brill Coffee shop web site might go into Melt down.

SMOKEY

Sustrans, are building quite a network of Cycle routes, pity they don't maintain what they have.
The popular cycle route from Penzance along the Sea wall to Marazion is compacted ballast which works loose and is like riding a boneshaker!!
 
 In 1 accident a few years back some poor chap who came off his bike had a stitch or two put in his face, sorry I meant 200 odd stitches.

Sustrans is ANTI Rail but one good thing, WHEN the Chaps in WHITE COATS take over the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and it's REALISED that Rail is VERY GREEN, it will be a NICE EASY job toi convert ex railway cycle routes BACK to Railways.

Sorry that's not right. It's OVER 2 years since FGW^▸ (First Great Western) won the franchise, 2 YEARS in which FGW could work with the Unions and harmonised staff terms and conditions so that HST^▸ (High Speed Train) train crew could work local trains when needed and v/v.
Untill Harmonised FGW IS IN FACT STILLrun as 3 companies.
But then can you EXPECT FGW to do ANYTHING SENSIBLE

The bigger the franchise the better, BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) ran services a HELL of a LOT better than we get today.

Whilst 07.05 Ply-Penzance is suffering, I was in Plymouth from 05.00 till 09.00 on Monday 17th Dec and it Seemed MORE services were Cancelled than RAN.