It was standing room only when I boarded the 6:46 Trowbridge-Bristol service this morning due to early risers exiting the music festival (then going back to sleep on the train). Quite a few got off at Bath though and there were a few seats after that.

It didn't help that there were only 2 carriages; sometimes there are 3. I asked the train manager about this and he said he was somewhat surprised when he saw he'd only got a short formation today. He never knows what he's going to get. Perhaps they were saving the longer trains for when it gets even busier later?

06:43 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 08:44 will be diverted between Worcester Shrub Hill and Reading.
It has been delayed at Worcester Shrub Hill and is now 43 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.
Last Updated:30/06/2025 07:30

07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Didcot Parkway due 08:46 has been delayed at Worcester Shrub Hill and is now 17 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.
Last Updated:30/06/2025 07:18

07:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 10:02 is being delayed at Worcester Shrub Hill and is now expected to be 25 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.
Last Updated:30/06/2025 07:44

On 19th November 1945 the Lord President of the Council, Rt Hon H.S. Morrison, MP, announced the Government's intention to bring under national ownership railways, canals and long distance road haulage undertakings and to co-ordinate road passenger transport, docks and harbour undertakings with the national schemes.

Water could presumably delivered by drones ? Even a single 500ml bottle per drone trip would help, remembering that each drone should be able to make at least 20 trips an hour from say a nearby car park, and multiple drones could be used.

Enough water for train full of passengers could be delivered by helicopter. Place the bottles of water in a net slung under the machine, and lower this to the victims without landing.

Enough water for train full of passengers could be delivered by helicopter. Place the bottles of water in a net slung under the machine, and lower this to the victims without landing.

Water could presumably delivered by drones ? ...

What would be useful is a breakdown of that figure.

Trains cancelled in Cornwall due to herd of cows

All trains are cancelled between Liskeard and Looe



A large herd of cows on the railway in Cornwall has cancelled train services between Liskeard and Looe this afternoon (Sunday, June 29). The herd of cows was reported between Sandplace and Looe, suspending the Looe Branchline.

All trains running between Liskeard and Looe will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 5pm.

Great Western Railway said: "We apologise for the disruption to your journey today. A large herd of cows has been reported on the railway between Sandplace and Looe which means that the Looe Branchline is suspended.

"Rail replacement transport has been requested but not yet confirmed. During this disruption if you wish to use local buses as an alternative means of transport and the local bus is not accepting GWR tickets please purchase a ticket on the bus, keep it and send it, together with your train ticket, to us to claim for a refund."

Train service has since returned to normal.

Car crashes through railing near train tracks as 'obstruction' disrupts railway services



A reported obstruction has disrupted train services running between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa this afternoon (Sunday, June 29).

Trains running between the two stations, as well as Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, may be cancelled, delayed or diverted. The incident is expected to impact services until 4pm.

A video taken from a train passenger shows a car has crashed through railing near the train track in Keynsham, which is thought to be causing the obstruction.

Train service has now returned to normal.

As has been said elsewhere, GWR are a zombie franchise now, with little interest or motivation in making huge efforts in driving improvement......they are history shortly anyway.

I've seen examples elsewhere where pride & integrity have driven organisations to seek the very best for their customers right up until just before midnight, but that's never been the case in my experience on the railway, and as alluded to in previous posts on this thread, those currently in the boardroom will be more concerned with keeping those who can keep them there happy from here on in.

Euston Station has employed a new member of staff for the next few months, and his job is solely to see off pigeons.

Oscar the Harris's hawk will fly around Euston Station once a week to deter pigeons from building nests there.

Network Rail said pigeons had become a "persistent issue" at the station, often roosting, nesting, and feeding in areas used by passengers. It said Oscar provided a "humane solution" and added: "He doesn't harm the birds but acts as a natural deterrent."

The timings and locations of Oscar's flights over the next few months will vary, to ensure the raptor's presence is a deterrent for the pigeons, and therefore effective.

Using hawks to scare off pigeons isn't new though. Network Rail has used them before, including in 2018, when Aria the Harris's hawk was brought in to divert "sandwich-thieving pigeons" at Waterloo station.

Matt Ferguson, senior station interface manager for London Euston said: "We're always looking for innovative ways to improve the station environment for our passengers, and Oscar is already proving to be a valuable member of the team."  He added that they had already seen a "noticeable drop in pigeon activity" since Oscar started his role to help "keep the station cleaner and more welcoming for everyone".

Oscar's handler, falconer Adel Letchford, said: "Oscar has taken to Euston like a pro: cool, calm, and already ruffling a few pigeon feathers. It's brilliant to see how quickly he's made an impact, the pigeons are definitely getting the message and passengers seem to love spotting him on patrol!"

Yes - it's Oybin at the "top" of the narrow gauge steam railway from Zittau, visited 18th June.   Now - where was I yesterday?   These are two different stations ...

Woman given 'ASBO' after row over 'bus' parked on her drive

A woman who parked a double decker bus on her drive to turn it into a cafe is being forced to move it after complaints from neighbours. Wendy Salmon put the vehicle outside her home at the end of her leafy cul-de-sac in a Surrey street on a tempoary basis to renovate it.

But she has now been slapped with an 'ASBO' type order and told to remove it - after neighbours said it was 'ruining the ambience'. She has accused neighbours of 'rallying' the others on the street against her by complaining it was an eyesore.

And despite the council accepting she was 'not breaking any laws' she has been hit with a CPN, formerly known as an ASBO, and ordered to remove it by June 20 following a bitter two year legal battle. Mother-of-two Wendy, 55, who runs a pub, described the situation as 'ridiculous' and accused neighbours of being 'curtain twitchers' who 'act like they own the street.'

Not totally. I'm suggesting that the approach must be a very tempting one to many.  But it's more complex than that in that there are also many who it good faith are doing their very best in the circumstances.  If you accept my hypothesis that there are parties who are interested in having the whole thing very broken by, say, 2027 so they can make a massive popular improvement by 2029, you then have to ask how those who are trying to do their best in the meantime should act.  Both for the passengers now, and for the railways into the future.

In other words if I'm reading that right, to (just for example, and not exclusively) the MD of GWR, the perception is best keep your mouth shut & don't rock the boat if you wish to remain on the gravy train.

(Mixed metaphor I know, but seems appropriate!)

Scenario - you are looking to take over an organisation / setup and give it a new lease of life, and you want that new lease of life to be popular with your customers, especially when it comes to them reviewing what you've done in a couple of years.   Now - how can you make the *most* improvements?   The lower you can start, the biggest mess you have to clear up, the more improvements there are available for you to make and look good in the eyes of customers.

Should the existing workforce - the people who already run the organisation - be directly or indirectly in your pay, or wish to be employed or continue to have an active position in the future, they'll need to be very wary indeed about being critical of this rundown, won't they?   They'll even tell you there's no problem at the moment ...

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The above are some highly generalised thoughts, but I just wonder how much they might be applied to some of the things we see going on in the rail sector at the moment - looking at who and how the remaining TOCs work, on what various contrators within the sysme do, and how associated organisions like the ORR, Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and Partnerships - all majority funded by the organisation that is taking over the reins - might fit within those thoughts. Just a wonder - may there be a seed of truth in suggesting a linkage to the current appalling mess and a product which, certainly here in Melksham isn't fit for purpose at present?

... one could go to Bristol, leaving Weymouth at 4.30pm and returning from Bristol Temple Meads at 11.40 pm, giving one the opportunity to see a show at one of the city’s many theatres.

A colleague of mine who was a young man pre-war said it was thoroughly enjoyable experience for 2/6d.

Admittedly it’s only a small saving but if you had got your senior railcard added to your Oyster card, you would have saved a third on your trip from St Pancras to Paddington.

Scenario - you are looking to take over an organisation / setup and give it a new lease of life, and you want that new lease of life to be popular with your customers, especially when it comes to them reviewing what you've done in a couple of years.   Now - how can you make the *most* improvements?   The lower you can start, the biggest mess you have to clear up, the more improvements there are available for you to make and look good in the eyes of customers.

Should the existing workforce - the people who already run the organisation - be directly or indirectly in your pay, or wish to be employed or continue to have an active position in the future, they'll need to be very wary indeed about being critical of this rundown, won't they?   They'll even tell you there's no problem at the moment ...

---

The above are some highly generalised thoughts, but I just wonder how much they might be applied to some of the things we see going on in the rail sector at the moment - looking at who and how the remaining TOCs work, on what various contrators within the sysme do, and how associated organisions like the ORR, Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and Partnerships - all majority funded by the organisation that is taking over the reins - might fit within those thoughts. Just a wonder - may there be a seed of truth in suggesting a linkage to the current appalling mess and a product which, certainly here in Melksham isn't fit for purpose at present?