Great Western Coffee Shop

The Newquay line will be closed for at least a week for emergency repairs because of ballast slipping near St Blazey.

Network Rail Media Centre ...

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/emergency-repairs-mean-newquay-line-will-be-closed-for-at-least-a-week

I *wish* that the railway industry would cease the practice, every time they use it, of mansplaining the word 'Ballast'. It turns their text into the written equivalent of cotton wool.

Mark

To be fair Mark, I'd guess that there are more general readers who assume "ballast" means weight in the bilge of a ship added for its stability, or an electrical component, than think of the aggregate upon which railway lines are usually laid. It's also used humorously to describe the extra fat you might carry if you are not careful with your diet. So if a passenger finds their way to this source to find out why their train is not running, I think it's fair enough to add the explanation.

Crumbs, there's one for a poll, but perhaps not for people who are members of this forum.

Mark

All sorts of polls - "should we encourage terms to be defines" and "what terms should we define".   You know:

Points - Places on the railway line where trains can be switched to go in two different directions

Train Crew - Staff members who travel on trains and allow the trains to run when they are available.

Platform - A raised level surface where people can board and leave trains when there is a track besides

Connection - A link from the getting off one piece of public transport to getting onto another that waits for the first one if it's delayed