See  https://www.passenger.chat/t30027.html and  https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/04-NathanSealey_Amey.pdf - next to last slide


Which is two trains calling at Melksham to both pick up and to drop off passengers in each direction - a service every 30 minutes.  It's what's needed for a true metro 'turn up and go' service.

 
I would appreciate some clarification of what the MP means by "two trains per hour through Melksham station"

a) We already get two trains an hour through Melksham station, sometimes more. The vast majority of them are however freight trains, the remainder mostly being IETs on diversion.

b) Did the MP's script writer actually mean him to say two trains an hour STOPPING at Melksham station? Because that would be very welcome indeed.

c) Of these theoretical two passenger trains an hour that we have now established not only pass through Melksham but may actually stop, do they stop to pick up AND put down passengers?

Disclaimer: I don't trust ANY MPs, so I'm not attempting to score political points here

 
An additional premium on top of the premium already offered for working days has been agreed from Monday 27th July for a year for drivers.

 
A decision https://bsky.app/profile/transportaction.bsky.social/post/3ltzatr2g6k2q

Sorry I haven't donated to The Guardian so don't have any more detail.

 
https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/timetables

There are cancellations/removals already in the journey planners (not minor IMO):

 

Much longer than that!

 

"A new platform at Westbury" (my highlighting)

I assume this actually means reinstating the old Platform 1. An article in Rail magazine in 2015 quoted a cost of £10.5 million to do this at that time. How much nowadays ?  I suppose we could claim that we are getting our own Wiltshire version of HS2.............at least as far as costings go !

 
Just to clarify - that's in total (ie. hourly services to Chippenham/Trowbridge), rather than in one specific direction (half-hourly)?

 
Several news articles are reporting that campaigners are stepping up their bid to unlock funding for Tavistock by playing the defence and housing cards, tying the project to the expansion of Devonport dockyard as part of the planned incease in defence spending , plus the plans for new housing and the issue of overcongested roads They are also arguing for a new station at Plympton and proposing a Tavistock-Ivybridge via Devonport and Plymouth metro-style service.
With the mid-Devon metro, Exeter has set a very good example of how existing railways can be successfully reconfigured around a regional hub. Bristol is doing the same. Cornwall, too, on a more modest scale. Fingers crossed that Plymouth can follow suit.

 
Cancellations to services between Reading and Newbury

Due to a fault with the signalling system the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until 08:30 16/07.
Train services between Reading and Newbury may be cancelled or delayed.

Customer Advice
Due to a fault with the signalling system, trains are currently suspended between Reading and Newbury.

 
Platform 3 at Reading is 125m, how long is the sleeper nowadays?

 
From our MP (Brian Mathew), posted 15th July 2025 on Facebook

 
Would the sleeper fit (including the inwards loco)?

 

6.35

 
How long is platform 3 in terms of coach-lengths?

 
From the BBC:

 

That's not quite what I was suggesting though ... the suggestion was for the sleeper services to terminate and stay resident in a quieter platform for a number of hours ... platform 3 may not be needed for reversal of Cross County trains until (?) what time for example, and in the evening to start from there.

 

Unless you are a very dedicated Janner, you might say the same about Plymouth on the down!

 

In the case of the Up sleeper I'm not sure being dumped off at Reading at 0430 and having to wait for services to start up in order to get to Paddington would really be a very attractive prospect?

 

In various other bits of research I'm doing, it's not unheard of for a sleeper service to terminate / start somewhere on the outskirts of a city, with passengers transferring in or out via other public transport in the area. Most notable is Halkali which is a ride of about 45 minutes into / out from Istanbul.    Perhaps it allows rather more space to be provided for / and for a longer load / unload time at a station that's out of town rather that resource hogging in the centre at the start / end of each day?  I am very tempted - and awaiting howls of protest - to suggest that Stirling might be an excellent hub for the Scottish sleepers, though still providing through carriages that call there during the night to/from far flung places such as Fort William, Inverness, Oban and Aberdeen.

 
Given the above and the reason given on Journeycheck as “a problem under investigation” I have visions of someone walking round Reading Traincare Depot scratching their head and saying “I’m sure there was a class 57 here somewhere.”

 
Home, on the last northbound train last night into Melksham - started from the old town in St Malo in the morning. Full(er) reports to follow during the next few days.   And final round of this year's Interrail pass starts in a few days.

 
Delays to services between West Ealing and Greenford

Due to a fault with the signalling system between West Ealing and Greenford all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations will be delayed. Disruption is expected until 07:45 15/07.

Customer Advice

Due to a fault with the signalling system between West Ealing and Greenford, the line is currently blocked.

 

There is no loco at Reading to work the empty sleeper set into Paddington, the same reason the sleeper terminated at Reading in the morning.

Last nights up sleeper from Penzance has a 57 on the rear to resolve that issue

 
Its that time of the year again and TFW have announced details of this years Royal Welsh show timetable.

It seems this year the service will run to Llandrindod according to RTT rather than Builth Road as usual.This is a good decision given the set gets stabled at Llandrindod anyway.

The service will run from Cardiff at 0659 on Monday/Wednesday/Thurs with an arrival at Builth Road at 0954 calling at Bridgend, Port Talbot and then appears to go via Neath (not calling) and Landore rather than the Swansea District Line, calling at Llanelli, Bynea and then all stations to Llandrindod. But on Tuesday there is an earlier departure from Cardiff at 0632 and according to RTT it will go via the district line calling at Bridgend, Port Talbot then Pontarddulais etc arriving in Builth Road a lot earlier.

Any guesses what might be booked for the service? Im guessing a 150 or a pair of 150s maybe if there are enough spare.

The usual HOWL services will also be running, I wonder if there will be capacity to add extra carriages. Obviously 197s are not cleared for the HOWL so it will have to be 153s and 150s.  Lets hope the service will be more reliable this year than other years.