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Author Topic: Two decades of the Coffee Shop.  (Read 1683 times)
grahame
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« on: December 30, 2020, 07:35:07 »

No - we are not twenty years old ... we're thirteen. Here are "December Past", "December Present" and "December Future" - extracts from articles that have been posted here, or could be posted in the future.  But can you tell me the year of those posts past, which was this present year and suggest the year that the others might be in the future?

Chat / think around all these years ... I'll let discussions run rather than coming back with too many confirmations too quickly ... running this today and tomorrow - i.e. up to the end of 2020.

1.
First we hear that SWT (South West Trains) are planning to close the travel Centre at Weymouth, now we read in today's Western Daily Press that Salisbury travel centre could also close. All so SWT can save money to pay their premium to run the franchise. Sad.

2.
A man has been arrested after police were told someone entered the driver's cab of an overnight train.  British Transport Police said they were called to Totnes station in Devon at 05:45 GMT after reports of an incident on the London-Penzance sleeper.  A man was also alleged to have climbed out of a train window and on to tracks before reboarding the service, which carried on, officers said.

3.
We're all looking forward to a Christmas that can be spent with family and friends. Trains are expected to be busy until 24th December with final trains in the early evening, and resuming from mid morning on 27th. We wish you all a great Christmas and wil be posting a resume of the great recovery towards our new normal in the year just passed.

4.
I don't normally report / notice short trains, but when only 2 northbound and 2 southbound run each day, you tend to notice cancellations to trains on three days in sucession.

5.
So, after a train "overshot" the platform at Pewsey in October this year and the event ended up on the Jeremy Vine show, a similar thing happened again yesterday evening on the 1733 from Paddington. This time the driver apparently just "forgot to stop"

6.
BUSES of Somerset has announced it is in talks to sell off Taunton Bus Station.  The potential buyer is believed to be Somerset West and Taunton Council, which already owns part of the Tower Street site, which could command a six-figure fee.  A member of the council not involved in the negotiations said the location off Castle Green could eventually be replaced by food and drink outlets and even a four-star hotel.

7.
Scientists, sports stars and business leaders have been named alongside unsung heroes from the charity and arts world in the New Year Honours list for Devon and Somerset. Gardeners, conservationists, carers and the region's railway chief also joined the annual roll call as the great and good were rewarded for their endeavours.  Fresh from the battle to keep flood-hit Westcountry rail lines open, First Great Western's regional manager in the West, Julian Crow, received the MBE.

8.
Preparations are underway for the "biggest changes to the fare system in a generation" on 2nd January next. The "Advance" ticket system which developed during Frachise days is withdrawn, and an extra tier of fares called shoulder is introduced for journeys on busy but not peak trains. VAT (Value Added Tax) is added to public transport fares at 5% on electric trains, and 20% (a zero carbon supplement) for travel on trains with diesel power. 

9.
A new six-metre high net has been installed to stop footballs being kicked onto the railway line at Totnes. The netting sits on top of the existing three-metre fencing surrounding the multi-use games area at Borough Park in the town.

10.
Crossrail opens as a through route next Monday with trains running from Shenfield to Reading and from Woolwich to Heathrow - initially both services every hour until signalling work is completed between Paddington and Royal Oak.

11.
Class 153c (Cycle) carriages are coming to the Western region of Rail Network (the new name for Network Rail). Attached to class 150 trains on the St Ives, Falmouth, Fowey, Newquay, Looe, Gunnislake, Torquay, Exmouth and Okehampton branches, they will connect with the Castle Class trains running hourly services out of Penzance to (alternating) Barnstaple and Frome, providing a cycling network to nearly all stations in the Western Peninsular SnTB. Crowd gathered in Pinhoe and Feniton to protest their exclusion from the scheme, and it's proposed to add a 153c to certain trains from Yeovil Junction to Exeter next year.

12.
I've heard that the All line rovers will be subject to new time restrictions come January. It apparently involves half a dozen TOCs (Train Operating Company) (NOT FGW (First Great Western)) and travel out of major hubs i.e. Euston, Birmingham etc.  before 10.00 weekdays. Is there anybody "in the know" who can shed more light on this?

13.
Plans are announced for battery electrification of the line from St Erth to St Ives. Fast charger units will be installed at both terminii, with converted motor luggage vans attached to both end ends of the train on alterate runs and dropped off for recharging on alternate round trips.

14.
Portishead to Cardiff services have been delayed by a further 18 months due to the discovery of a new variety of mushroom at Ashton Gate. Kew Gardens scientists said that it is very rare to discover new plants and fungi in the UK (United Kingdom).

15.
Well, I'm delighted to note that several services late evening now have a Maidenhead stop inserted.  Just in time for the rush of normal commuters who stay late after work for a few Christmas drinks with work colleagues.  Extra services now run at 22:18, 22:48 and 23:18 all taking just 26 minutes.  They're simply extra stops on existing Oxford services, and I'll keep an eye out as to how they cope capacity wise, but finally Maidenhead has a very good late evening service!

16.
As well reported in various media, Gatwick airport has been closed for over 24 hours due to illegal flying of drones near the runway.  The disruption is substantial and is likely to continue until Christmas, due to the backlog even if the airport reopens soon.  The armed forces have been called out to assist.

17.
Job description: We are looking for an excellent writer and communicator to join the speechwriting team at Department for Transport. Working closely with Ministers and the communications team, you will be responsible for drafting speeches and articles on a wide variety of transport issues for delivery at conferences, industry events and Parliamentary debates.

18.
Lochluichart could be included in a new technology trial in the Highlands which aims to reduce the cost and time associated with request stop stations. Passengers waiting to board a train will press a button on the platform, informing the train driver via the signalling system to stop.

19.
The 07:30 London Paddington to Penzance (via Bristol) is no more.  Swept away in the December 20xx timetable changes it is now a through service to Paignton.  It is a train I have been catching for more than 20 years initially from Reading but more recently from Swindon.  The Merchant Venturer has been taking me to Cornwall for meetings, holidays and even the odd day trip.

20.
A six-month trial for a rearranged commuter link bus, which will improve connections for south Oxfordshire rail passengers, will start next week.  From Monday, the 6.20pm bus from Goring & Streatley railway station to North and South Stoke and Wallingford will leave 20 minutes later, to make a connection with the 5.36pm train from London Paddington, after requests by rail users.
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froome
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« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2020, 13:25:15 »

I think both numbers 5 and 18 are from this year. I seem to remember reading about them both on the forum not that long ago (although of course I may have been just reading back through a thread that had started a previous year).
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2020, 13:53:49 »

I think both numbers 5 and 18 are from this year. I seem to remember reading about them both on the forum not that long ago (although of course I may have been just reading back through a thread that had started a previous year).

But then memory can play tricks with time ...

Each of the 20 items is a different year - December 2007 to December 2020 are represented by real items and can be placed exactly. Come the solution time, I will give links. Some things have happened multiple times, such as cancellations of almost trains for three days in a row from an already thin service.

The final six pieces of news are what we may find reported in December 2021 to December 2026, and if you can identify which six those are, you could have great fun guessing which year I thought they might apply to.
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eightonedee
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« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2020, 17:42:49 »

Quote
The final six pieces of news are what we may find reported in December 2021 to December 2026, and if you can identify which six those are, you could have great fun guessing which year I thought they might apply to.

So that's why there's no "Green Park Station opens for passengers" or "class 769s enter revenue earning service"!
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bobm
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« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2020, 21:09:59 »

One of the quotes is from me and I don?t know the year unless I look it up!
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PrestburyRoad
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« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2020, 04:23:57 »

10 (through running on Crossrail) is still in the future.  But when? - it's finger-in-air time - I guess 2022.
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grahame
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« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2020, 15:43:06 »

10 (through running on Crossrail) is still in the future.  But when? - it's finger-in-air time - I guess 2022.

That's how I had guessed it too ...

As an "end of year" type quiz, I'll now post the answers - with links back to the original article I quoted

In the order in the quiz:
1. 2007 - Closure, Weymouth travel centre
2. 2015 - Invasion of sleeper cab by passenger
3. 2021 - A great christmas visiting friends and families via busy trains
4. 2009 - Cancellations 3 days on the trot
5. 2016 - train overshoots platform at Pewsey
6. 2019 - selling off Taunton bus station
7. 2012 - Julian Crow, MBE
8. 2023 - biggest change in ticketing comes in on 2nd January
9. 2013 - high nets to keep footballs off line
10. 2022 - first crossrail through trains running
11. 2025 - Cycle carriages on branches connecting to Castle trains for the cyclists
12. 2010 - Restrictions on use of All line rovers
13. 2024 - Battery trains to St Ives
14. 2026 - 18 month delay in first train from Portishead
15. 2011 - Sorting out the Maidenhead peak
16. 2018 - Drones stop flights at Gatwick Airport
17. 2017 - Spin doctor needed for DfT» (Department for Transport - about)
18. 2020 - Button to ask trains to call at request stops
19. 2014 - Swindon to Penzance train diverted to Paignton
20. 2008 - Rearrangement of a bus to connect with trains

And in chronological order
1. 2007 - Closure, Weymouth travel centre
20. 2008 - Rearrangement of a bus to connect with trains
4. 2009 - Cancellations 3 days on the trot
12. 2010 - Restrictions on use of All line rovers
15. 2011 - Sorting out the Maidenhead peak
7. 2012 - Julian Crow, MBE
9. 2013 - high nets to keep footballs off line
19. 2014 - Swindon to Penzance train diverted to Paignton
2. 2015 - Invasion of sleeper cab by passenger
5. 2016 - train overshoots platform at Pewsey
17. 2017 - Spin doctor needed for DfT
16. 2018 - Drones stop flights at Gatwick Airport
6. 2019 - selling off Taunton bus station
18. 2020 - Button to ask trains to call at request stops
3. 2021 - A great christmas visiting friends and families via busy trains
10. 2022 - first crossrail through trains running
8. 2023 - biggest change in ticketing comes in on 2nd January
13. 2024 - Battery trains to St Ives
11. 2025 - Cycle carriages on branches connecting to Castle trains for the cyclists
14. 2026 - 18 month delay in first train from Portishead
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