Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 19:15 28 Mar 2024
* Easter getaways hit by travel disruption
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Passengers pleaded with knifeman during attack
- Family anger at sentence on fatal crash driver, 19
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Formal end to carrying coffins by BR (link)

Train RunningCancelled
17:48 Reading to Gatwick Airport
17:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street
18:03 London Paddington to Penzance
18:08 London Paddington to Frome
Additional 18:25 Shalford to Reading
18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
18:51 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
18:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
19:23 Reading to Gatwick Airport
19:24 Newbury to Bedwyn
19:33 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
19:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
20:16 Frome to Westbury
20:49 Newbury to Bedwyn
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
21:16 Bedwyn to Newbury
21:53 Newbury to Bedwyn
22:25 Bedwyn to Newbury
22:47 Newbury to Bedwyn
Short Run
15:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
16:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
16:35 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:03 London Paddington to Penzance
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton
17:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury
17:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
18:18 Newbury to London Paddington
18:19 Reading to Gatwick Airport
18:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
18:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
18:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
19:04 Paignton to London Paddington
19:06 London Paddington to Bedwyn
19:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
20:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
20:42 Bedwyn to London Paddington
Delayed
13:59 Cardiff Central to Penzance
14:15 Penzance to London Paddington
16:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:15 Penzance to London Paddington
Additional 17:17 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
Additional 17:26 Castle Cary to Penzance
17:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 18:25 Shalford to Reading
19:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
19:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
etc
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 19:16:01 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[133] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[132] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[53] Return of the BRUTE?
[44] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[41] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[32] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Linked Events
  • TWCRP Santa Special train: December 05, 2010
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: TransWilts Community Rail Partnership - Santa Special train, 5 December 2010  (Read 6375 times)
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« on: September 11, 2010, 20:53:28 »

The TransWilts Community Rail Partnership are planning a Santa Special train, between Trowbridge and Swindon and back, on Sunday 5 December 2010.

This is only a provisional date at present (subject to clarification on engineering works, availability of train - and, indeed, whether Santa himself can spare the time!)

However: please do pencil in this date - further details will be posted here, as soon as they are available.

CfN.  Grin
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2010, 22:08:59 »

Tomorrow's the 12th time that Santa will have been on the Melksham train in 13 years, and I've just prepared an update / handout that'll fill some of the less regular users in about the service - where it is, what sorts of things in can be used for, and where it may be going ...

http://www.transwilts.org.uk/twnews_01_mkm.pdf
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2010, 17:44:18 »

Hmm.  Roll Eyes

With my apologies for the lack of any updates here in the meantime ... I can now report that the Santa Special, from Westbury to Swindon through Melksham this evening, is indeed rather 'special': it's an HST (High Speed Train)!

It's also a rather long story - I'll post more later.

CfN.  Wink Cheesy Grin
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18894



View Profile
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2010, 18:00:33 »

Wow! A HST (High Speed Train). You lucky people.  Cheesy
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
super tm
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 599


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2010, 18:01:42 »

I always thought santa would need something bigger than a 150 to deliver all his toys  Grin
Logged
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2010, 19:33:29 »

Not only - but also ... !  Shocked

The return journey for the 'Santa Special' was also an HST (High Speed Train) - and the FGW (First Great Western) staff really played a trump card, reserving the two front carriages in First Class exclusively for the Santa passengers!  Grin

Well done, and very grateful thanks to the FGW staff involved - Daphne deserves a 'special' mention here.

Further details to follow.

CfN.  Wink
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Sion Bretton
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 151



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2010, 19:52:42 »

And it was great for FGW (First Great Western) to lay on a 125 up and back
Logged
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2010, 19:59:20 »

Sorry: two topics on the same subject merged here. CfN.  Embarrassed
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2010, 22:07:29 »

For further details of the TransWilts 'Santa Special', please see an illustrated article by grahame.

I'm particularly sorry that I was unable to attend, in view of those unexpected (although ultimately very welcome) last-minute developments!

CfN.  Roll Eyes Shocked Grin
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2011, 22:47:13 »

From my e-mail, earlier this evening:

Quote
Hi Chris,

I know it is a little late but I have just come across the article regarding the Santa special that took place on 5th December 2010.

I would just like to say that the use of the 125 Hst train was a result of points failure that occurred at Thingley junction on that day, which meant that the Bristol to Swindon service was diverted via Westbury, as this train was out of course working it must have seemed practical to send this HST (High Speed Train) to Swindon via Melksham in order for the passengers that boarded at Bristol to continue their journey.
As the driver of the HST did not know the road the driver that was to work the 150 'santa special' was asked to pilot the HST driver over the route.

Well I am surprised that you say an HST has never before stopped at Melksham station and as I was the driver of the HST that day I was thrilled to be part of history in the making and also thrilled that the children has such a wonderful time, a mention must also go out to the HST train manager, Paul Normanton and to the Westbury driver who piloted me who's name I do not know.

Just goes to prove that despite trains running late or being diverted it can sometime pay off to other advantages.

Regards

An HSS (High Speed Services) driver

So, something very positive did indeed result from that initial disruption to the train service that evening!  Smiley
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page