Interesting additional weekend Bristol-London Pad services (late April 2011)

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

Yes the 0447 doesn't stop at Bath.  And runs via Parkway.

Its done that for at least 9 months - since I moved down in fact!

[XPT]

Yes the 0447 doesn't stop at Bath.  And runs via Parkway.

Its done that for at least 9 months - since I moved down in fact!

That 0447 service via Parkway has been running for ages.  At least over a year. Not really that interesting a service anyway. Stopping at Parkway, Swindon, Didcot, Reading, and London.

[rogerpatenall]

Is anyone else having difficulty accessing table 135 in the Forthcoming Timetable section of the National Rail electronic table? I get a 'page not found' message, altho all other tables open correctly. Have sent an email query which was acknowledged, but no explanation as to whether it is a general or specific to me glitch.

[JayMac]

Page 1 (of 4059!) of the forthcoming eNRT has the following message:

This download is provided as a draft of the Forthcoming Timetable.

Tables yet to be uploaded are:

11, 117, 130, 135, 135E, 218

Other tables may be subject to change.

The next update to this document will be Sunday 15 May 2011.

[XPT]

Am looking out every week for any upcoming services like these again.  So far still none on the horizon(up untill early June).  A shame that such services are so rare due to the rarity of major engineering works on the Taunton-Castle Cary line.  Last time was last year(2011), before that it was 2008.  So it looks like it won't be till 2014 till the next ones.  Only another 2 years wait!

Bring back the Bristol-London express services!

[XPT]

Well it's been a loooong time since we had these express services.  As mentioned they only appear to happen every THREE years!  Not sure yet if they'll be happening this year.  But hopefully within the next 3-4 weeks when booking during April is opened up, we'll find out if they're happening again this year.  Hope so!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Your consistent optimism is commendable, XPT! 

[Louis94]

6th-10th October and 13th-17th October are currently the next dates penciled in for a Castle Cary to Cogload Junction blockade for major track renewals. So potentially more fast services from Bristol.

[XPT]

Thank you Louis94.  Won't be April this year then, but October. Still another 9 months wait yet!  I shall keep those dates free in my diary for a return trip(or two) to London during those weekends.  Not gauranteed though any of these diverted services will include Bristol Temple Meads as scheduled station stops.  But we'll see come mid-late July when these journeys are bookable.  If not, I'll have to make a journey down to Taunton(from Bristol) first to be able to board these services!

Yes Chris from Nailsea, I am VERY keen about travelling on these special rare services!

[XPT]

Well the engineering work is taking place in October 2014.  However bad news for anyone hoping to do some non-stop journeys between Bristol and Reading.  Unlike back in 2008 and 2011 they're doing it a little differently this year.  Engineering works takes place on Weekdays only and not weekends.  With services to Devon and Cornwall running non-stop between Reading and Exeter St. Davids.  They won't be stopping at Bristol Temple Meads unfortunately. 

A 2 hour non-stop journey from Reading-Exeter via Bristol would be a pretty nice journey though.  But for those of us in Bristol you'll have to go out of your way a bit to do that, especially if you want to do the journey in both directions.  Doubt I'll be doing it though on a weekday.  A weekend would have been better.  Oh well so much for that!  Bit of a dissapointment after a 3 and a half year wait!