Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 02:55 01 May 2025
 
- BBC Verify: How did rebels train to overthrow the President of Syria?
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 05/05/25 - Walk to Pilning
10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railway Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM

On this day
1st May (1851)
Great Exhibition opens (*)

Train RunningNo cancellations or delays
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
May 01, 2025, 02:59:55 *
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
[96] Cash payments for transport services
[85] Longer distance canal walks - public transport for one way sec...
[59] What and why - on the platform
[56] Delays because of a points failure between Bristol Parkway and...
[44] Experiences of a newcomer(?) to rail travel
[38] Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsew...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
  Home Help Search Calendar Login Register  
  Show Posts
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 44
1  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Ticket offices - changes afoot? on: April 09, 2025, 15:26:26
Note that GWR (Great Western Railway) are currently replacing STAR TIS (Ticket Issuing System, or Traction Interlock Switch, depending on context) with TTK, an inherently portable system.
I have a strong feeling the "Stations Change" programme is lurking in the background still.
2  All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Sink holes - a wider problem? on: February 20, 2025, 12:20:00
Another one - rather scary.  From the BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

(Article continues)

Quote
The cause of the sinkhole remains unclear, but experts at the British Geological Survey (BGS) say it could be caused by a burst water main.

When new properties are added (as it seems in the Godstone case) water companies can increase the pressure in the main which leads to burst pipes; something else to add to their ongoing charge sheet if that is the case.
3  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Uber credits on: February 05, 2025, 11:43:13
Had a £5 off my first train ticket booking promotion from Uber yesterday which I used. Booked a ticket for under that value and it needed me to authorise £0.00 before completion. Appreciate that's not using Uber credits, but seems like there is an issue if it wants the full amount.
4  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Senior Railcard - ongoing issues, merged posts on: January 09, 2025, 15:14:45
Rite of passage yesterday - the first time (in nearly 5 years) I forgot to "press" the Senior Railcard "button" on the ticket machine screen.....must be getting old and forgetful Embarrassed
You will be able to get the difference back if you haven't already made a claim in the previous 12 months. Supply evidence to the relevant TOC (Train Operating Company). There's an old MSE article here (doesn't look to be many offical TOC pages detailing this - but can confirm I have successfully got my money back in the past): https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2017/03/forgetful-railcard-users-now-able-to-claim-refunds-if-theyre-told-to-pay-full-fare/
5  Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: On the buses (Advent Quiz - day 14) on: December 14, 2024, 09:42:41
8. Portsmouth, The Hard Interchange.

There's a pub just around the corner where I had a really nice curry many moons ago, The George, but google says it's temporarily closed, unfortunately.
6  Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: SWR's new Class 701 trains on: November 30, 2024, 09:25:32
All 70 sets will be in service from tomorrow then? Fantastic. Oh wait...
I didn't realise there were actually 90 sets... so 20 more than I thought doing nothing.
7  Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: SWR's new Class 701 trains on: November 28, 2024, 16:48:03
All 70 sets will be in service from tomorrow then? Fantastic. Oh wait...
8  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: How would you like GWR to handle their inability to crew all trains timetabled? on: November 17, 2024, 10:21:57
I'm reminded of Covid era timetabling where frequency across routes were slashed, but were still subject to cancellations for all the other usual reasons creating even larger gaps between services. I've reluctantly voted to leave things as they are, but fully understand that this unreliability is driving (literally) people away, especially at weekends.
9  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Platform tickets on: November 10, 2024, 07:09:35
To allow for longer trains, the platforms were rebuilt earlier this century and extended right across the river with a new entrance on the south side.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qu7DpDenxYf8NCRcA ...which can be accessed down those steps; I vaguely remember a post of the forum about the lack of decent signage!
10  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Platform tickets on: November 09, 2024, 09:26:31
I do note your point, ChrisB - but 'walking along the platform' is still classed as 'travelling': see https://www.transport.gov.scot/active-travel/  Wink

Interestingly the illustrative image says "not valid for travel" - but is the image just the payment receipt and not the ticket?
It will depend on the TOC (Train Operating Company), so in the Blackfriar's case that is the ticket. I'd guess GWR (Great Western Railway) would have a similar format ticket to Blackfriars as they're still using STAR, but SWR» (South Western Railway - about) for example don't have that as a retail sundry and it needs to be done as a manual fare so would look more like a normal ticket.
11  Journey by Journey / North Downs Line / Re: Advert - take the train to Gatwick. ALL the way from home to Gatwick!! on: November 09, 2024, 09:15:43
Cancellations to services between Gatwick Airport and Reading

Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Gatwick Airport and Reading trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 19:00 08/11.

Customer Advice
Apologies to customers, some of our trains have broken down and we don't have enough trains in our GWR (Great Western Railway) fleet to operate a full service on the North Downs Line. Therefore some trains will be cancelled.
We obviously see the text in italic a fair bit, but I think that's the first time I've seen the part in bold. I reckon we could just use the bit in bold from now on as the part in italic is trotted out so much as to be implausible.
12  Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Unisex (?) toilets at Southampton Central. on: November 02, 2024, 07:19:44
Used the recently refurbished toilets at Waterloo, that having only been open a few months are already looking shabby with half the cubicles locked ‘out of order’.
Apparently the ones in The Sidings (the shopping centre downstairs) are in good nick (probably don't see much use)... if you have enough time to get down there of course.
13  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: GWR Smartcard - purchase non-season tickets? on: November 01, 2024, 11:24:59
It's worth downloading the National Rail Smartcard app from the App Store or Google Play, you can then check that the ticket has loaded and if it hasn't, it will allow you to try again.
14  Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Unisex (?) toilets at Southampton Central. on: October 31, 2024, 11:35:57
It helps if you're quite supple as well as the toilet roll is situated over your left shoulder!

Presumably some sort of anti-vandalism measure having it integrated into the back wall rather than a standalone fixture, but not user friendly.
15  All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Euston: a five point plan on: October 30, 2024, 11:32:01
I was trying to think of reasons why and thought you could probably get away with fewer staff checking tickets and turnaround cleaners with the current scrum. Set swaps can be last minute without turfing everyone off (though of course that still happens). Can't think of anything else.

In Virgin days they used to text you the platform number before it appeared on the departure board if you'd booked through them.
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 44
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 via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page