Out and about, summer 2024, Severn, Solent and between

[whole diary]

[CyclingSid]

Can somebody tell me about the Inspection Train, which I also saw at Eastleigh on Saturday. Presumably not the same as a measurement train, and not the modern equivalent of what was used by senior management in days of yore.

[PhilWakely]

Can somebody tell me about the Inspection Train, which I also saw at Eastleigh on Saturday. Presumably not the same as a measurement train, and not the modern equivalent of what was used by senior management in days of yore.

you may be interested in this

[grahame]

A (belated) post from Sunday saw me headed just out of the FOSS^▸ (Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover) area (with an off peak day return beyond)









There remains a challenge in travelling - especially with multiple connecting trains - with copious cancellations:



And a very interesting log from my phone (which data I had not realised it was collecting) which gives away something of my lifestyle and shows how using public transport helps keep me fit with all the walking involved. 

[grahame]

From yesterday ... 8 trains and 1 bus
MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains) - TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains) - BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) - WOP - GMV
MVL - WOF - WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) - CNM^» (Cheltenham Spa - next trains) - BRI - BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains) - Bus

[Witham Bobby]

From yesterday ... 8 trains and 1 bus
MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains) - TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains) - BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) - WOP - GMV
MVL - WOF - WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) - CNM^» (Cheltenham Spa - next trains) - BRI - BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains) - Bus

I worked out where you were in the pictures, and then realised I didn't have to 

Apparently Wu City has the 7th best High Street in England.  Lord help the other 1,234 High Streets is all I can say (especially the urban devastation that is Evesham these days)

[grahame]

I worked out where you were in the pictures, and then realised I didn't have to 

Ah - but can you work out where I have been today?   2 changes outbound, 3 changes on the return, none of the five changes at the same place

[ray951]

Aren't those Woolston and Bitterne stations, both in Southampton.

[grahame]

Aren't those Woolston and Bitterne stations, both in Southampton.

They are - a visit to family in the area.   Train, Melksham to Woolston with changes at Westbury and Southampton Central, walking within the area around Woolston where I met family and to their home, and then onward to Bitterne Station. Return train changes at St Denys, Romsey and Trowbridge.  Two hours 20 minutes from Bitterne Station to walking in my front door.  Six trains and one bus.

[grahame]

Yesterday was the final day of my "Freedom of Severn and Solent" and in a last minute change to plans, I visited the Forest of Dean Railway before a short stop in Barry Island (extra fare from Cardiff) and a journey to Westbury to catch the returning summer Saturday train coming up from Weymouth to Swindon.   Nine journeys on National Rail services, five on the (same) steam train as I visited Parkend, Norchard, Lyndney Town and Lydney junction as well as plain old "Lydney".  Three trains that I was planning to catch cancelled, none late, one last minute scrambled platform change.

The crowds were out, more so in some places than others.  The operational staff right across, with the singular exception of the lady on the barrier in Gloucester who perhaps I rubbed up the wrong way, are wonderful and doing their best on a system that is not performing to the provision standards set for it. Enjoyable, but defensive / fall-back option planning and acceptance of where that option has to be used is (for my complex journeys) a necessity, and for "Joe Public" making more conventional journeys the whole thing is normally good, but still failing to deliver too often.

We are in times of great change - anticipated, announced, but we will see. We await the detail.  And we have very little passenger and potential passenger input and comprehension as we see those changes happen.   The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) does "consult" a great deal and we have a lot of "consultants" around. Good, but we can overthink things, and we can consult of issues in which the consultees have little knowledge or views, or time or interest even though it's there future.

Seated in a bay of seats with tables on the CrossCountry train from Gloucester to Cardiff, a young family joined me across the aisle. Dad had a bottle of beer, mum was looking after three children all under the age of 4, who were motoring around and who had not yet learned to keep their voices down or themselves to themselves.  Dad's mobile phone had run out of juice and there was no way to charge it on the 170, and at times he was clearly stressed and using language and exhibiting behaviour that were not a good example, with stress of the trip impacting him.  Kids had bubble blowers - two blue ones for the boys and  a pink one for the girl.  She was the older child and, I kid you not, at her very early age already looking out for her brothers.    The late teen who had been across the way rapidly moved when the family arrived, trolley came through, and they bought supplies from the palty offerings it had.

These are the people the train is for.  The baby, nappy being changed on the table.  The kids who joined me to enthrawled by the screen save of a bright pink ferry and then entertained with another picture show (And laptop angled to that mum could see the pictures too), a charge for their phone taken off my laptop (with care not to permit data transfer!) allowed Dad to sort out onward plans in Cardiff.

These children have every possibility of being really good people for our future, but neither they nor mum and dad are in a position - time, desire, knowledge - to help inform the future of the systems they are using.  But yet they are the people for whom the system is provided and the future generations that will be using it.

[TaplowGreen]

I'd hope that suitable nappy changing facilities are available on board trains in order to prevent the necessity to use a table which people may well be using for food etc?

If memory serves, (I am sure someone will keep me honest) GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) have such facilities on board?

[bobm]

They do - in the accessible toilets.   Not that I have tested them out....

[grahame]

I think I overlooked posting my tourist pics last night

[grahame]

I'd hope that suitable nappy changing facilities are available on board trains in order to prevent the necessity to use a table which people may well be using for food etc?

If memory serves, (I am sure someone will keep me honest) GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) have such facilities on board?

Yes, on an IET ... but this was a 170 and I don't know.

The family WAS of what I would describe as "good heart".  Mum, and Dad in his less stressed periods, were aware of the the safety and interaction of their children with those around them, and after making a shocking mess did more or less tidy up / clean up after themselves.  And the changing was padded underneath with a towel / mat.

As a generality, people and fellow passengers ARE good even if I / you might wonder at first look.   Much comes down to the attitude of approach.  I'm thinking of three seatings over the weekend - a family on holiday and not English speaking, occupying 3 of the four seats of a bay with themselves and one with their paraphanalia.   One of a young man sprawled into the second seat of an airline pair.  And one of the care taken on the 2 car Cardiff - Portsmouth on Saturday evening that was so packed that a young lady nearly passed out.