Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 19:15 05 May 2025
 
* Cable thefts leave thousands stranded on Spanish trains
- New Zealand airport to remove Hobbit-themed eagle sculptures after 12 years
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railway Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM
14/05/25 - West Wiltshire RUG

On this day
5th May (1975)
Closure of Bridport Branch (link)

Train RunningCancelled
16:18 London Paddington to Carmarthen
17:18 London Paddington to Swansea
17:49 Reading to Gatwick Airport
17:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
18:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
18:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
19:18 London Paddington to Swansea
06/05/25 04:59 Swansea to London Paddington
06/05/25 05:57 Swansea to London Paddington
06/05/25 06:54 Swansea to London Paddington
06/05/25 07:12 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 07:43 Swansea to London Paddington
06/05/25 08:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 09:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 09:49 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
06/05/25 10:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 10:41 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
06/05/25 11:16 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 11:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
06/05/25 12:13 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 12:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
06/05/25 13:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
06/05/25 14:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
Short Run
14:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
16:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
16:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
16:50 Penzance to Cardiff Central
17:10 Taunton to Cardiff Central
17:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
17:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
17:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
18:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
18:10 Taunton to Cardiff Central
18:18 Carmarthen to London Paddington
18:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
18:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
19:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
19:15 Taunton to Cardiff Central
19:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
19:28 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
20:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
20:20 Carmarthen to Bristol Parkway
20:24 Exmouth to Cardiff Central
20:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
20:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
06/05/25 05:40 Penzance to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 05:47 Exeter St Davids to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 05:53 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 05:58 Westbury to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 06:01 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 06:02 Bristol Parkway to Carmarthen
06/05/25 06:28 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 06:28 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
06/05/25 06:40 Penzance to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 06:42 Frome to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 06:44 Exeter St Davids to Cardiff Central
06/05/25 06:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
06/05/25 06:57 Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
etc
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 05, 2025, 19:25:06 *
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
[109] Closure of Bridport branch
[97] WW2 Spitfire emergency landing after losing power - May 2025
[79] Pilning Station - where are we, and looking at future options ...
[70] Taplow-Hassocks
[64] Major rail disruption after blaze close to tracks between Newp...
[41] April across the South West - May bank holiday quiz
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: How it used to be under British Rail  (Read 1096 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 43992



View Profile WWW Email
« on: October 27, 2018, 14:19:52 »

For those of you who hanker after the old days ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV2lmSDKvO8
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
SandTEngineer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3485


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2018, 14:53:58 »

For those of you who hanker after the old days ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV2lmSDKvO8

Yes, I know. Curled cheese sandwich and all that.....

But don't forget WCML (West Coast Main Line), ECML (East Coast Main Line) MML» (Midland Main Line. - about) Electrification, IC125, Eurostar, etc. etc.  It did a lot of good stuff as well, and speaking as a former BR (British Rail(ways)) employee, it did have lots of good dedicated staff working for it despite the outer image....
« Last Edit: October 27, 2018, 16:23:24 by SandTEngineer » Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5680



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2018, 12:01:48 »

Despite the negative images of the past, trains were in IMHO ('in my humble opinion') often better back in the good old days.

Many trains were longer than today.
Buffets were the norm on long distance services, and even on outer suburban commuter trains.
Restaurants were more numerous.
Fares were cheaper if compared to average incomes, and simpler.
Major stations were less cluttered with shops etc.

I also suspect that services were generally more reliable. Individual trains no doubt failed regularly, but were soon hauled or propelled out of the way. I don't recall closures of major London termini and advice not to travel being a feature back in the day.

Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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  
 
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 pageJump to Forum Home Page