Fare Query - Digby & Sowton > Gatwick Airport Return - January 2016

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Thanks to all for your input - I will have a look at the 'via Southampton' and SVR options.

I am afraid that the final suggestion from TG cannot be considered because I hate long distance coach travel and would not use such services unless there was absolutely no alternative.

Good luck! 

Just a quick one on this Bob, I thought of you this morning when I got to Reading (en route to Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context)) and the Gatwick service was suspended due to a broken down train - the fallback being suggested was travelling to Paddington, across to Victoria and out again to Gatwick - perhaps worth bearing in mind for your trip - if the Reading-Gatwick service falls over, there are very few other options other than that being suggested this morning which adds a large amount of time to your trip.

[Bob_Blakey]

Well that was a damned close run thing! The up Paignton > Paddington service was delayed just east of Frome by an engineering work speed restriction - 'restricted' to the extent that the train was completely stopped for several minutes! - and arrived RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context) 10 minutes late at 1430. However some spirited sprinting by SWTSMBO^▸ (She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed (affectionate term for wife or female partner)) and yours truly allowed us to make the 1434 to Gatwick, as planned, with 2 minutes to spare. Credit to the Train Manager of 1A82 who, when asked, did his best to get a short hold on the Gatwick train (the response was 'GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Swindon control says No') but I am certain that some sort of message must have got through given that the 1O78 TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) was still on the platform looking back towards P7 as we approached.

On the plus side the booked GTW > DIG return journey yesterday ran perfectly - which is more than can be said for the preceding BA^» (British Airways - about) flight back from France that suffered a c. 60 minute delay largely because those muppets had overbooked it. They then tried to blame their online booking system.

And finally further credit to GWR for the provision of a pretty speedy WiFi service on all 4 sectors of the journey.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

Many thanks for that update on your rail travel adventure, Bob_Blakey! 

Purely for completeness, I've added SWTSMBO^▸ (She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed (affectionate term for wife or female partner)) to our 'acronyms/abbreviations' page.