Recent content by kentrailman

Re stopping Bristol trains, it isn't just the actual "speed" it is the "within the carriage" issues of the stop itself. Leaving paddington, having nicely settled into a quiet part of the train to find five minutes later a crowd of people getting on turning what had been your carefully chosen bit...

As a very regular user of trains between Bristol and London who has already lost the "non stop" trains we briefly had before covid, I am fed up enough with nearly every train to Bristol stopping at Reading, Didcot , Swindon, Chippenham, Bath ..and to add Old Oak to that .. Let alone the issue of...

Re making more money ... If they had some sort of system to check tickets at the pier head before boarding the train, or at Esplanade on getting off it, I am sure it would pay for itself. Perhaps they could sell tickets at Portsmouth harbour as there is no time on arrival from ferry before...

Local press now reporting the line is to revert to an hourly service from tomorrow, Thursday 29th Feb "Until further notice" using only one out of the five trains.Island echo. Island line to run hourly service. The article says this is to save the trains for the summer ! Presumably reading the...

Bit of an odd ball question here. I am a frequent user of the GWR mainline, HS1, the South Western mainline and South Eastern. A few years ago when I used the Caledonian sleeper for the first time, I noticed a particular "whirring" type noise from the ? Track ? Wheels as it was travelling at...

I thought this would be a high up well used thread. Is there perhaps another post I missed ? Does anyone know what has caused the flooding ? An easily fixed burst pipe or something more long term and difficult to fix ?

What's the point of buying a ticket or for that matter having on train ticket checks at all, if all that happens when you don't buy one is usually not much. Having said that though, this evening I alighted at Folkestone west ( ungated ) to find about ten ticket inspectors and one policeman...

Yet again, a "fault with the signalling system in the Southall area" is causing issues today.

It certainly feels like you are on a commuter line when you travel to Bristol ; or as it invariably is, to Reading Didcot Swindon Chippenham Bath and finally Bristol. For a brief few weeks pre covid we got those nice non stop trains but it wasn't to last. Where did the stock that was used for...

Yes that would be a shame to lose our"secret" cheap fare that only comes up if you enter " via Eastbourne" or similar into search engine. E.g. Ramsgate to Portsmouth day return fare £86.40 but " via Barnham" is £25.80 but don't tell anyone .. Oops. Both road and rail on this route are terrible...

The local paper, Kent Online suggests " Talks have taken place between Kent and East Sussex County councils" https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/talk-over-direct-high-speed-trains-from-thanet-to-bournemout-287529/ Yes it would be a nice thing to have but !!!!!

Thank you that's good to know :)

A curveball question but does anyone know if you drive in and then immediately straight out of the SVR car park ( because it is full ) you will get a fine for "parking" if you didn't pay ? Or is there a grace period. I noticed the cameras and was hoping they would not charge for quick in and out...

The trick is to plan your journey around the few 12 coach trains ! See this recent thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/poor-performance-on-hs1.246246/

Oh wow yes so it does thank you :) I had never looked there before !