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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture Overseas / Re: Spain / Portugal power outage
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on: April 28, 2025, 22:13:07
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Managed to dodge any issues flying home from Spain flying from Girona to Stansted this afternoon. The lights and everything else briefly went out across the airport but didn’t affect the running of the airport at all.
Arrived at Stansted bang on time so thought all would be well getting home until the wretched rail network we have said ‘hold my beer’ with multiple points failures at Reading and Westbury messing up the journey home so a big delay repay claim will be going in tomorrow.
When it comes to travelling to and from the airport in future it will never be by train ever again. Messed up big time last November and again today. It will be by car.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: April 28, 2025, 07:12:41
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Asking in context - isn't that a Sunday issue? On Monday to Friday - 21:04 off Paddington to Plymouth making all three of these calls, and also later travel to Westbury available with a Swindon change (21:31 off Paddington) and even later via Bath Spa.
Not sure what you mean by a Sunday issue. Are you thinking about there being less demand because it’s a Sunday? A few years ago, I’d have said yes. Now a lot more people travel on Sundays and later in the evening. It stops at these stations Monday to Fridays, why not on Sundays? |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: April 27, 2025, 21:54:20
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And all the intermediate stops to Plymouth?
The 2100 Paddington to Exeter made extra stops to cover stations between Reading and Taunton: 21:00 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids due 23:11 will be diverted between Pewsey and Castle Cary.
It will call additionally at Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 12 minutes late.
This is due to the train making extra stops because a train was cancelled. I have often wondered why this train doesn’t stop at these stations anyway to give Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary a later train from London. 2000 does seem a little early these days. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: April 27, 2025, 10:20:23
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And the most useless train of the day award goes to: 20:00 London Paddington to Plymouth due 23:35 will be terminated at Reading.
It will no longer call at Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Plymouth.
This is due to a shortage of train crew. Let’s hope it gets reinstated as it’s the last train of the day from London to a lot of the above stations including Plymouth. |
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Journey by Journey / Heart of Wessex / Re: Weymouth - station, facilities, improvements, events and incidents - merged posts
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on: April 26, 2025, 13:59:20
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As mentioned above, the Super Snails aren’t returning to the beach this year: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4grege0e0zo A Super Snails ride, that has been a "much-loved" tourist attraction in a seaside town for nearly 25 years, will not return this summer.
Owner, Cesar Palucsis, says his business has suffered as a result of the decision.
Weymouth Town Council has merged pitches for attractions on the beach meaning the snails missed out, but says that stakeholders were invited to apply for a new licence.
The merged site will have seven rides from one company and will include trampolines, a balloon ride, a pirate coaster and a helter-skelter.
Mr Palucsis says people were saddened when they heard his ride had not been given a licence: "They brought their kids and second-generation kids and it carries on.
"We did have some people being upset seeing that there will not be a pitch for the snails.
"I tried to reassure people that we are trying to look forward, to make some way a pitch, or try to come to a conclusion with the council in a forward direction."
Owners at the resort have to apply for a seasonal contract to get a pitch on the beach from March to October.
A statement from Weymouth Town Council says the licenses expired in October and that "in November we contacted all stakeholders to make them aware of the tender renewal in the new year, and possible changes to attraction sites". |
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Driving licences and tests - ongoing discussion, merged topics
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on: April 25, 2025, 08:36:55
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Can't apply for a new re-test for ten days,fair enough.
But getting a new test date could take many weeks/months?
Yup and that’s the issue. To hear the words ‘I’m sorry to say you have not passed’ can mean a few months when you can next take a test. One of the issues I heard about a few months ago was automated bots buying up driving tests as soon as they become available that then get sold on, for a higher price of course, on unofficial apps and websites. I don’t know whether the government has done anything about it. So yes, you probably can get a driving test much sooner, but you’re going to be paying more for it. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2025
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on: April 21, 2025, 22:34:33
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Given that GWR▸ Twitter packs up and goes home at 1900 these days, what help/advice is available to travellers on a day when once again the decreptitude of the infrastructure between Reading & Paddington causes a complete meltdown?
Not defending GWR here, but I don’t think there was much advice they could offer. Almost the entire service far and wide across the GWR network was shot to pieces because of this major infrastructure failure this afternoon. Thoughts with the passengers and staff who are still stranded this evening. This really was a bad one on such a major travel day. |
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