Has this always been a requirement?  When I did an overnight trip in 2002, the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (only intercity back then) stations were lit, Wessex were dark and Thames were lit.  This was before councils started switching off street lights overnight though so although I could not see the Wessex stations we passed through, I was still able to work out where we were.

About 20 years or so ago, when travelling on the Night Riviera most stations had their lights switched off when passing through in the early hours of the morning but recently I noticed that all stations now seen to be lit (although many towns now switch off street lights overnight).  Is everywhere now lit through the night or is lighting triggered by the approach of trains?

I remember 2+3 in the Wales & West 150/2s, these were converted to 2+2 when they were refurbished by Wessex Trains in 2002/3.

How many 18 year olds are going to have previous experience of the specific situations that need to be demonstrated at the competency based interview though?

I also see a far away land which a certain bear arrived at Paddington from.

It could also be Hayes instead of Hayes & Harlington although Hayes is of course the full name of a station that does not have trains from Paddington.

4.  Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.

Scotland does have eight cities now though since Dunfermline was given the status in 2022.  Had Elgin's bid been successful instead then maybe the trains would have been renamed Inter8City.

I seem to remember back in the 1990s Great Eastern Railway having the idea of using commuters as guards although it never came to anything.

I even remember being able to get Wales Today back then (this was north Taunton though so may not have been possible everywhere in the town).  Everyone seemed to have their aerials pointing towards Mendip but this may have been different elsewhere.

I remember getting Points West in Taunton rather than Spotlight.

AFAIK^▸ ('as far as I know') it's still AB from St Erth to the first stop signal controlled by Roskear Junction with a tail lamp camera provided to allow Train out of section to be sent once the train has cleared the section.

Unfortunately the Down Main from St Erth to Marazion did not become fully track circuited in the 1974 scheme, the 1974 Sectional Appendix says that for any train heading for Long Rock depot or No 1 siding, the guard must inform the Penzance signalman whether or not the train is complete with tail lamp.  I'm not sure why a tail lamp camera was never provided here since when St Erth was switched out late at night it could be quite a restrictive arrangement.

14 Glasgow Central.

You can head west from Stratford by three different routes and arrive at Liverpool Street but one of these is of course the London Underground Central line and all three will take you to different parts of Liverpool Street so this may well not count and definitely would not if it has to be three different directions out of the platforms.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-64965693

That won't be easy though since the WECA lacks the council tax precepting powers which the other combined authorities have.  It would appear that South Gloucestershire Council will not agree to the introduction of such powers.

No, it is part of the North Somerset Unitary Authority.