They're saying trains with 300 seats which puts it into 5-car Class 80x territory (302-326 seats), or perhaps the ex-TransPennine Mk5+loco (291 seats)?

Arriva's order of 9 new 'tri-mode' Hitachi units for their East Coast route might be part of the long-term plan, but even they aren't due in service until 2028.

Bit of both. The WSR is keeping it safe for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) by giving it a temporary home, but with permission to use it occasionally. The set in question has been stored at Minehead throughout the winter, but has just been moved to the siding in front of the signal box. Presumably to have it out of the way ready for the Steam Gala.

I would certainly remove the 'International' titles from Stratford, Ashford and Ebbsfleet unless Eurostar are serious about reinstating services there.

More locally, Wanborough should be renamed Flexford.

I would quite like to see a new station for Nansledan which is only going to continue growing towards the railway line. If it went on the new road between Nansledan and the A392, it could also serve the south/east end of Newquay quite nicely.

St Erth signal box can be 'switched out' which basically transfers the Penzance-St Erth and St Erth-Roskear sections into a Penzance-Roskear section. In the process of switching out, the signaller at St Erth has to clear all signals to allow a clear route through the station in either direction.

If we compare departure times to other modes of transport, there are similarities:

- A plane's departure time is when it is pulled back from the gate - not when the plane door (or gate door) shuts
- A ferry's departure time is when it leaves the dock or port, not when boarding closes

In terms of door closing times at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations, most dispatchers will start the procedure 30 seconds before the advertised departure time. The exception is a Voyager which really does need 40 seconds for a right time departure.

In terms of the Pewsey situation, I suspect that was simply human error on the Train Manager not checking the departure time before closing the doors. The train was 3 mins late leaving Frome, so it would have been easy to have incorrectly assumed the train was still late at Pewsey.

As Hafren rightly says, Platform on the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) are generally numbered with Platform 1 being on the down direction side.

There are of course a number of exceptions to this rule such as at Swindon, Oxford, Theale, Newbury Racecourse, Hungerford, Castle Cary, Lostwithiel and Penzance.

Not sure on that one I'm afraid, although even if it is next to the end of the platform, there's still plenty of room for extension.

They'll need to be beyond the platform in order to allow trains in and out while a longer train is stabled in the existing platform.

It appears the official name for the new parkway station at Okehampton is now Okehampton Interchange

https://dartmoorline.com/okehampton-interchange/

The fact that the title doesn't reveal the 'famous' person, means they aren't really that headline worthy and go for the click bait option instead. If it was a genuinely famous person, you would definitely want their name on your headline rather than saying 'a famous passenger'!

For the record, and to save everyone a click (I googled it rather than using that link) - it's Francis Bourgeois.

It's the 1203 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-PNZ service which is having a relief service provided for it 

It'll run non-stop from Paddington to Exeter St Davids (to pick up only) then non-stop to Plymouth before all the usual stops in Cornwall.

It's relief service departs at 1205 stopping at Reading (to pick up only), Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Plymouth.

A very sad event and my sympathies go to the Signaller's family and friends.

Most likely when Taunton-Cardiff services were covered by top'n'tail loco and MkII coaches. But it's definitely Weston-super-Mare.

As already mentioned, both sets are in temporary warm storage. Both are due to return at some stage.

WSR has been allowed to use one set over the weekend of 23/24 September. This will operate the 1000 and 1430 from Minehead, and the 1230 and 1635 from Bishops Lydeard on both days.