Diary Of A Reasonably Frequent Rail User

[whole diary]

[Bob_Blakey]

05/02/25-08/02/25 - A Few Days Away In (Mainly) Warwickshire
Daytime ‘touristy’ stuff and evening meet ups with our son who was at one of his Warwick Business School MBA on-site sessions - a useful occasional taxi service.

Tickets
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles DIG>RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context) £41.90
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles RDG>LMS^▸ (London Midland Scottish - 1923 to 1948) £23.40
2 x Senior Railcard Off Peak Day Returns WRW>BCS £26.10
2 x Senior Railcard Off Peak Day Returns LMS>SAV £11.70
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles LMS>RDG £27.00
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles RDG>DIG £41.90

Outward - 05/02/25
DIG 1114 (1120)>EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) 1124 (1129) : 2T15 EXM>PGN : 1 x 165/1 (3 Cars)
EXD 1143 (OT)>RDG 1349 (1350) : 1A81 PGN>PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) : 1 x 800/3 (9 Cars)
RDG 1415 (OT)>LMS 1514 (OT) : 1M50 BMH>MAN : 1 x 220 + 1 x 221 (8 Cars)

2T15 was delayed at TOP by 6 minutes, waiting for the late running 2F13 to clear the single line.
Lightly loaded. No ticket/railcard check.
1A81 was very lightly loaded - in our coach there were only 10 pax^▸ (passengers) on departure from EXD. Tickets but not railcards checked after departure from WSB^» (Westbury - next trains).
1M50 was very busy from RDG and, taking a leaf out of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) playbook, there was a PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) announcement apologising for the lack of catering in the front unit. Tickets & railcards checked. Following an on time arrival at LMS we took a (free for us) bus to the Leamington Shopping Park and then walked (10-15 minutes) to our chosen hotel - the Leamington Holiday Inn is not served by public transport.

06/02/25
Morning stroll + bus to Warwick Castle which unsurprisingly was very quiet. A very interesting visit with plentiful historical information although some parts of the estate were still closed it being winter.
On a cold but bright sunny day we walked to Warwick Railway Station - there is no direct bus service - and headed for Bicester Village as SWTSMBO^▸ (She Who Thinks She Must Be Obeyed (affectionate term for wife or female partner)) wished to have a look at the latest handbag offerings!
WRW 1314 (1315)>BCS 1351 (OT) : 1H45 BMO>MYB^▸ (London (Marylebone)) : 68015 + DVT^▸ (Driving Van Trailer (carriage) or Deep Vein Thrombosis, depending on context) (6 Cars)
A minor annoyance was the fact that our tickets had to be purchased separately from the Chiltern TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) because it did not allow the specification of multiple Senior Railcards in a single transaction. This was not the case with some other railcards such as 2-Together.
First trip on one of these Chiltern ‘push-pull’ trains; they are fitted out to a very high standard. Arrived at BCS on time and took the electric BV1 bus (National Bus Passes accepted) to the village. Even in winter you might expect the outlet to be full of PRC tourists but it was surprisingly quiet largely, I suspect, because of the parlous state of the domestic PRC economy.
Steps retraced to Leamington via the bus and
BCS 1627 (OT)>LMS 1659 (1658) : 1G43 MYB>BSW : 1 x 168/1 (4 Cars)
Tickets & railcards checked immediately after departure from BCS. We used the ‘Break Of Journey’  to alight at LMS rather than WRW.
Note that the two platforms at WRW are  currently isolated from each other while the subway is closed due to lift installation and getting to P2 from the town centre can take up to 10 minutes longer than usual.

07/02/25
LMS 0939 (OT)>SAV 1013 (OT) : 2D16 LMS>SAV : 1 x 168/3 (2 Cars)
Same issue with the Chiltern TVM at LMS re Railcards. Tickets & railcards checked immediately after departure from LMS - with 3 staff doing the necessary! Have the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) identified major levels of fare evasion on this route?
Average speed on the journey was a smidgeon under 27mph and the infrastructure apparently only permits a two hourly service I suspect to accommodate the hourly Worcester to Stratford-upon-Avon via Birmingham service. I wouldn’t mind betting that the train service to one of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’s principal visitor attractions could be significantly improved by reinstating the line between SAV and HYB given that it would reduce the rail distance between these two stations from 67 to 9 miles and allow the provision of a 'circular' service in both directions via Birmingham and Worcester.
We were mightily impressed with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust guides’ breadth of knowledge concerning the life and times of the great man and his family.
The return portion of our tickets were not used as we stopped in Stratford for dinner and returned to Leamington by car.

Return - 08/02/25
LMS 1138 (1143)>RDG 1242 (1250) : 1O12 MAN>BMH : 2 x 220 (8 Cars)
RDG 1301 (1303)>EXD 1505 (1504) : 1C81 PAD>EXD : 1 x 800/0 (5 Cars)
EXD 1518 (OT)>DIG 1531 (OT) : 2F22 PGN>EXM 1 x 165/1 (2 Cars)

1O12 was delayed after ADD^▸ (Automatic Dropping Device) and arrived at LMS 5 down. It was already very busy on arrival and pretty much full on departure. It lost more time passing KGS & XAN arriving into OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) 8 late where many pax alighted. Service did not make up any time and also arrived at RDG 8 late. The same platform - P7 - transfer to 1C81 was most welcome. Reservation data had not been uploaded to 1C81 and the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) explained that this was due to it being 5 cars rather than the scheduled 9 car unit. However all the RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) information available to me indicates that 1C81 is invariably only 5 cars. Tickets but not railcards checked. A female with four kids in tow, one in a pushchair, who subsequently alighted at PEW were politely removed from 1st class; the pushchair avec sprog was moved by one of the GWR staff while the passenger dealt with the other three ankle-biters. The service caught up time by WSB and ran to schedule for the remainder of the journey.
2F22 was well loaded - I am not sure two coaches is sufficient on a Saturday coming up to tea time - and a group of very loud Scouser CTCRM inmates received a b*llocking from a couple of travelling GWR staff over their behaviour. Well done them!

[ChrisB]

Same issue with the Chiltern TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) at LMS^▸ (London Midland Scottish - 1923 to 1948) re Railcards. Tickets & railcards checked immediately after departure from LMS - with 3 staff doing the necessary! Have the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) identified major levels of fare evasion on this route?

Err.....yup!!
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2025-02-11/chiltern-railways-recovers-12000-from-persistent-fare-dodger

[I'll post this in full on the Chiltern board too]

[Witham Bobby]

[SNIP]
I wouldn’t mind betting that the train service to one of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’s principal visitor attractions could be significantly improved by reinstating the line between SAV and HYB given that it would reduce the rail distance between these two stations from 67 to 9 miles and allow the provision of a 'circular' service in both directions via Birmingham and Worcester.
{SNIP]

a group of very loud Scouser CTCRM inmates received a b*llocking from a couple of travelling GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff over their behaviour. Well done them!

Significant obstructions, boith administrative and physical to be overcome if the line between Honeybourne and Stratford upon Avon were to be reinstated.

The layout at Honeybourne isn't right. 

Either have to reinstate the South Loop allowing trains from Oxford heading to Stratford upon Avon to swing off the OWW^▸ (Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton) line almost a mile to the east of Honeybourne station, before heading north towards Stratford, or reverse at Honeybourne North Junction, which is situated a short distance westwards of the Honeybourne platforms

Then there's the industrial estate at Long Marston, which has been built over the trackbed in the vicinity of the level crossing

Then the greenway cycle/footpath

Then the substantial road development at Stratford upon Avon, which has seen the trackbed converted to roads

One of the ideas floated at the time of the decision to cover the former REME Central Park at Long Marston was to reconnect Long Marston to Stratford upon Avon by railway or tramway.  These ideas have gone awfully quiet.  The housing development, desirable though it may be, is badly served by public transport, and the road links are awful.  These issues should have been sorted out properly before building started, rather than left as "ideas" that have little chance of being fulfilled now

I suppose reinstatement of some kind of service towards Honeybourne may be less unlikely than towards Stratford upon Avon

And as regards the Royal Marines personnel, my late dad, a former Royal Marine, would be spinning in his grave.  They are instructed very forcefully not to cause annoyance to civilians.  In his day, he would tell me, that if a marine was as much as overheard cussing, he'd be up on a charge without his feet touching the ground

[rogerw]

ill be travelling from Long Marston to Stratford on 22nd of this month on a railtour https://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-shakespearean-sonnet/,It is a long way round.

[Bob_Blakey]

02/05/25-07/05/25 - Grandson’s 1st Birthday Celebration In Yorkshire
Largely good train punctuality, but GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) seems to have given up on revenue protection.

Tickets
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles DIG>PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) £75.20 (£37.60 each)
2 x TfL^» (Transport for London - about) Underground Off Peak Singles PAD>KGX £5.60 (£2.80 each)
2 x Senior Railcard 1st Class Advance Singles KGX>WKF £78.00 (£39.00 each)
2 x Senior Railcard Anytime Day Singles WKF>PFM £5.40 (£2.70 each)
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles PFM>GRA £24.50 (£12.25 each)
2 x Senior Railcard Advance Singles GRA>DIG £48.60 (£24.30 each)

The GRA>DIG tickets obviously included the cross-London journeys.
PFM = Pontefract Monkhill, GRA = Grantham

Outward - 02/05/25
DIG 0943 (OT)>EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) 0955 (0958): 2T12 EXM>PGN : 1 x 166/2 (3 Cars)
EXD 1015 (1017)>PAD 1229 (1227) : 1A78 PNZ>PAD» : 2 x 802/0 (10 Cars)
TfL Circle Line PAD>KGX
KGX 1403 (OT)>WKF 1558 (OT) : 1D17 KGX>LDS : 1 x IC225 (9 Cars)
WKF 1642 (1648)>PFM 1705 (1710) : 2A23 LDS>KNO : 1 x 150/2 (2 Cars)

2T12 was delayed at EXC waiting for 2F11, which departed from EXD P3 rather than P1, to clear the line.
20 pax^▸ (passengers) boarded at DIG.
No ticket / railcard check.
Accessible toilet was OOS (according to the DIG PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System))
1A78 arrived at, and departed from, EXD 2 mins late.
It being the start of a Public Holiday weekend the train was well loaded.
It gradually lost time during the journey arriving at RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context) 6 down but, due to the 8 min dwell time there, left on time and, much to my amazement, reached PAD 2 mins early!
Catering facilities were as advertised but…
No ticket / railcard check - I don’t recall this having happened to me on a long distance GWR service before.
So given that the train terminated in PAD P9 any ne’er-do-well prepared to chance it could have made our journey gratis.
On 1D17 the LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) service was what we nearly always get - an on-time departure & arrival, full ticket / railcard check shortly after leaving KGX, and an excellent 1st class food / drink service.
2A23 left LDS 7 minutes late; as the incoming 2A18 was on time I guess this was most likely a crew change issue.
Surprisingly no ticket / railcard check on 2A23 - Northern are usually pretty hot on this.
The WKF>PFM trip feels very slow - the average speed is 25.1mph.
The connection at WKF to PFM isn’t great because Northern can only run LDS>KNO via Wakefield hourly as there is also an hourly LDS>KNO via Castleford service and the line through Pontefract carries freight & Grand Central trains.
PFM station needs some TLC^▸ (three letter code, or tender loving care, depending on context ); the footbridge is showing it's age and the main pedestrian access is a steep, narrow stairway. 

Return - 07/05/25
PFM 1245 (OT)>WKF 1309 (1310) : 2A12 KNO>LDS : 1 x 150/2 (2 Cars)
WKF 1328 (1331)>KGX 1530 (1526) : 1A31 LDS>KGX : 1 x IC225 (9 Cars)
TfL Hammersmith & City Line KGX>PAD
PAD 1635 (OT)>EXD 1902 (1900) : 1C89 PAD>PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) 2 x 802/0 (10 Cars)
EXD 1913 (OT)>DIG 1925 (OT) : 2F30 PGN>EXM : 1 x 166/2 (3 Cars)

Tickets, but not railcards, checked on 2A12.
Full ticket / railcard check on 1A31 after leaving Doncaster. Simon the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) spent quite a bit of time looking at our split tickets before deciding they were valid! He then moved on to the  two passengers behind us who he found were travelling on invalid Advances and told them politely but firmly that he was going to let it go this time - the tickets were for the train 30 minutes later - but under normal circumstances they would be required to purchase completely new tickets. LNER appear not to use formal Penalty Fares but give their TM’s the option of either charging the excess or making the passenger buy a brand new ticket.
No ticket / railcard checks on either GWR service.
I wasn’t aware that GWR did any train divides at EXD but 1C89 drops the rear unit in P6, this returning to PAD as 1A37, before continuing to PLY.

[Bob_Blakey]

01/06/2025 - A Day Out In Paignton For The Riviera Airshow
Pretty good work from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) despite challenging circumstances

Tickets
2 x Senior Railcard Off-Peak Day Returns DIG>PGN» £15.40 (£7.70 each)

Outward - 01/06/25
DIG 1013 (1015)>PGN 1125 (1147): 2T11 EXM>PGN : 1 x 166/2 (3 Cars)

We arrived at DIG to the sight of some 40-50 pax^▸ (passengers) waiting to board the train. The shape of things to come - the service was essentially full departing EXC, lost time to some extent at each stop due to the expected boarding issues, and eventually arrived at PGN 22 mins down. I noted that GWR staff were present at the normally unmanned DWW.
On arrival at PGN all pax had to walk to the southern end of P2 and then back along the station car park - to avoid platform crowding - into the clutches of GWR Revenue Protection. All tickets & railcards / passes were checked by a 1st line team and passengers presenting with issues were directed to a separate team for a chat.

Although we didn’t use the option - being comfortably ensconced in our seats on the stopper - it would have been possible to change at EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) onto 1C75 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)>PNZ and then swap at NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) to 2Z31 - a 9-Car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) - for the run down to PGN.

The airshow was very busy, well organised, and the sun was (mainly) shining. Happy days! 

Return - 01/06/25
PGN 1631 (OT)>NTA 1645 (OT) : 2Z40 PGN>NTA : 1 x 802/0 (5 Cars)
NTA 1654 (1657)>EXD 1713 (1716) : 1A90 PNZ>PAD : 2 x 800/0 (10 Cars)
(We had planned to catch 2F20 back to DIG but decided instead to use the buses to get home - free with our ‘Crusties’ passes - just in case that service was full)

At PGN all the normal entrances to P2, save one fully staffed for the use of disabled passengers, were locked shut and all pax were directed to the queueing corral at the south end of the car park. We were counted onto the platform when the train was ready and, once again, all tickets & passes were checked.
On departure 2Z40 was full with a small number of standees.