Was the train on time
Five minutes or so late at Pewsey on the way up, but an ontime arrival in Paddington - so that's "on time" by the book. Smooth ride but seriously overcrowded with 'em standing in the aisles (and sitting on the floor in all the doorways) already when it got to Pewsey, so you can image wat it was like with another 30 or 40. I
was wondering just how overcrowded that service used to be when it was a 180, but I've checked and see it was ex Penzance, so it was probably always a 125.
Now to be fair, we were standing on a tube today too:
but at least that's for a lot shorter time and the design is intended to make standing comfortable - very awkward with the narrow gangways on a 125, with people trapsing up and down to the buffet.
Oh - for anyone who's not been to Pewsey, it's a small town with a population of around 5000 - but the station is the only one for miles and so it attracts a carpark full of drivers. The service runs about every 2 hours to / from London (one way), with westward train serving a variety of terminal destinations such as Frome, Exeter and Penzance.
Pewsey is a very useful rail head for those who have a car ...
For three of us on a Group Save 3, no railcards, the tickets we bought on the day cost us 19.15 each return to Paddington. The greener alternative that we wished to use - going from our local station - would have cost over 100 pounds each return (there are no cheap return tickets / savers available as there are no trains after the 07:17). Sorry - but there are times I have to put the cost to myself ahead of travelling the expensive route!
