Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
 No recent travel & transport from BBC stories as at 23:15 01 May 2025
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]		 03/05/25 - 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 (1928)
Inauguaral non stop "Flying Scotsman" London to Edinburgh (link)
Train RunningShort Run
21:31 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
•
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 08/05 09:07 Steam Excursion - or diesel excursion with a featured steam section?
Open to 07/05 09:27 Should train, bus and coach operators be required to accept cash
•
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
•
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
•
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
•
Train companiesSelect from:
GWR
SWR
XC
Chiltern
TfL
TfW
WMR
Southern
• Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple Meads • Bath Spa • Chippenham • Swindon • Didcot Parkway • Reading • London Paddington • Melksham
Exeter St Davids • Taunton • Westbury • Trowbridge • Bristol Parkway • Cardiff Central • Oxford • Cheltenham Spa • Birmingham New Street
May 01, 2025, 23:28:26 *
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
[127] Low passenger numbers due to train unreliability
[82] Steam excursion - except there's much more diesel than steam!
[65] Spain / Portugal power outage
[51] Brighton Belle - merged topics
[44] Cash payments for transport services
[43] "Save the Last Remaining British Rail Hovercraft from Destruct...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Great Western Coffee Shop > Sideshoots - associated subjects > The Lighter Side > 'Travelling by train offers a vivid insight into the British condition'
Pages: [1]
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: 'Travelling by train offers a vivid insight into the British condition'  (Read 1804 times)
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 19588



View Profile Email
« on: May 11, 2009, 21:35:33 »
For some amusing observations on the subjects of quiet carriages, missed connections and rather unfortunate claims to fame, by Brian Viner of the Independent, see http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-travelling-by-train-offers-a-vivid-insight-into-the-british-condition-1680322.html  Wink
Logged
William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2009, 22:18:30 »
That raised a smile!

It's a shame though that the article repeats all the tired old complaints about how unpunctual and unreliable our trains our: this is increasingly untrue. Just checked on FGW▸ (First Great Western)'s website and the "moving annual average" punctuality for the high speed services over the last 12 months is at 89.3%, with punctuality for the last four week period at 91.6%. Compared to the grim days of 2006/7, that's a massive improvement and one of which FGW and staff should be hugely proud!
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to:  

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 page • Jump to Forum Home Page