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 29/07/26 - TransWilts AGM
01/08/26 - Avoncliff to Weymouth day out
12/08/26 - Solar eclipse
15/08/26 - Imber Bus Day

On this day
11th Jul (1929)
Swindon Tramway closed (link)

Train RunningCancelled
11:20 Newquay to London Paddington
12:19 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
12:50 Penzance to Exeter St Davids
13:53 Paignton to Exmouth
14:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
14:01 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads
14:07 Taunton to Cardiff Central
14:20 London Paddington to Oxford
14:22 Exeter St Davids to Plymouth
14:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street
14:40 Paignton to Exmouth
14:47 Newquay to Par
14:58 Oxford to London Paddington
15:05 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
15:14 Exeter Central to Barnstaple
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
15:15 West Ealing to Greenford
15:18 Paignton to Exmouth
15:19 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
15:23 London Paddington to Oxford
15:25 Exmouth to Paignton
15:30 Greenford to West Ealing
15:34 Maidenhead to Marlow
15:45 West Ealing to Greenford
15:47 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
15:50 Penzance to Plymouth
15:58 Cardiff Central to Taunton
15:59 Oxford to London Paddington
16:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
16:00 Marlow to Maidenhead
16:00 Greenford to West Ealing
16:04 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
16:12 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth
16:13 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford
16:22 Par to Newquay
16:23 London Paddington to Oxford
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
16:26 Exmouth to Paignton
16:38 Plymouth to Penzance
16:39 Barnstaple to Exeter Central
16:46 Avonmouth to Weston-Super-Mare
16:47 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
16:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
16:55 Exmouth to Paignton
16:58 Cardiff Central to Taunton
17:00 Oxford to London Paddington
17:04 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
17:17 Paignton to Exmouth
17:23 London Paddington to Oxford
17:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
17:35 Swindon to Westbury
17:40 Newquay to Par
17:47 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
17:59 Oxford to London Paddington
18:08 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
18:10 Weston-Super-Mare to Severn Beach
18:18 Exeter Central to Barnstaple
18:19 Paignton to Exmouth
18:20 London Paddington to Oxford
18:34 Par to Newquay
18:35 Westbury to Swindon
18:57 Oxford to London Paddington
18:57 Exmouth to Paignton
19:30 Penzance to Plymouth
19:38 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington
19:38 Newquay to Par
19:42 Barnstaple to Exeter Central
19:44 Swindon to Westbury
19:59 Oxford to London Paddington
20:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
20:01 Severn Beach to Bristol Temple Meads
20:03 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
20:12 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth
20:32 Par to Newquay
20:46 Avonmouth to Bristol Temple Meads
20:53 Paignton to Exmouth
21:07 Exeter Central to Bristol Temple Meads
21:24 Newquay to Plymouth
21:50 Plymouth to Exeter St Davids
22:25 Exmouth to Exeter St Davids
22:50 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
23:06 Bristol Temple Meads to Frome
23:13 Exeter St Davids to Exmouth
23:28 London Paddington to Reading
23:50 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington
23:52 Exmouth to Exeter St Davids
Short Run
10:02 Pembroke Dock to London Paddington
10:02 London Paddington to Penzance
10:15 Penzance to London Paddington
12:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
12:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street
13:09 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
etc
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Author Topic: More than half of train travellers now use the railway for leisure  (Read 2433 times)
grahame
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« on: April 14, 2025, 07:04:13 »

From the Swindon Advertiser

Quote
More than half of train travellers now use the railway for leisure - according to new research.


Quote
The research for the Department for Transport found that 54 per cent of respondents travelled for leisure, while 30 per cent commuted for work or education, and 15 per cent travelled for business.

The railway is described as "the backbone of our economy" by rail minister Lord Peter Hendy, who highlighted how the network connects people nationwide.

He said: "This research shows thousands of passengers choose the train for their leisure travel.

I would hope that Peter Hendy already knew hw had a strong leisure customer base ... that the DfT» (Department for Transport - about)'s research told him and them a bit more than that.  Grin
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Mark A
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« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2025, 07:57:30 »

I will never not find 'Leisure' a particularly irritating word to apply to travel for personal needs - the more so if travel is presented as a simple dichotomy between 'Business' and 'Leisure'. It feels symptomatic of an industry that's being shackled.

Mark
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ChrisB
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« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2025, 08:00:26 »

Worse still - *all* of us being referred to as "commuters", whether business or leisure!
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eightonedee
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« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2025, 10:22:06 »

I don't object to being called a commuter - rather proud of the fact that I used the train as my default means of getting to work for over half my working life.

I agree though that dividing into "business" & "leisure" is wrong. Where does that leave travelling to medical appointments, collecting the car from being serviced, travelling to pick up a new door lock (perhaps shopping generally for those of us for whom it's a necessary chore rather than a pleasure!)? Or does much of my train use now fill the missing one per cent in those figures?

I would suggest that these figures might suggest there's room to increase the business/travel to work volume, with pressure on some to return to the office....
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2025, 21:12:10 »

From the Swindon Advertiser

Quote
More than half of train travellers now use the railway for leisure - according to new research.


Quote
The research for the Department for Transport found that 54 per cent of respondents travelled for leisure, while 30 per cent commuted for work or education, and 15 per cent travelled for business.

The railway is described as "the backbone of our economy" by rail minister Lord Peter Hendy, who highlighted how the network connects people nationwide.

He said: "This research shows thousands of passengers choose the train for their leisure travel.

I would hope that Peter Hendy already knew hw had a strong leisure customer base ... that the DfT» (Department for Transport - about)'s research told him and them a bit more than that.  Grin

I believe he's been somewhat distracted recently, although still in the driving seat.
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