So why can't the British (Treasury, DfT, GBR, TOCs or whoever) learn from the continental examples, as opposed to the rubbish that is normally dished up in this country. I have recently had somebody from SWR admit that the bicycle provision on their new Arterio sets don't really work.

 
I remember listening to LW in BAOR. It somehow seemed more British than World Service, no doubt because of the familiar programs.

The inability to broadcast the 17:53 shipping forecast during the week is BS. If they got rid of all the "commercials" that now plague PM there would be adequate time.

 
hah! If we win this evening, the next one is 0100 on Monday morning July 6th.....so a 3am earliest finish, more likely 4am after extra time & penalties against Mexico in Mexico City.

 
Sensible rule of thumb is to take the first available train to the station of your connection & wait there rather than at your origin

 
I looked at the 6 & 7 timetables and I suspect that First have saved themselves a vehicle of each route (down from 2 buses to 1) for the half hourly service by turning at the Guildhall.

 

Yeah - got caught up in that.  09:48 off Paddington on time, 25 minutes down by Reading, 22 down (with a 25 minute connection) at Swindon, so I made Melksham on time.

Interesting, the GWR journey planner had suggested the 10:00 train and shorter change; had I followed their advice, I would have missed the connection ... next train 2 hours later.   Good job I know who things work and took the first available train off Paddington in an abundance of caution.

 

Disruption now pushed out to 1515..............if it starts disrupting people's plans to watch England play at 1700, the railway's reputation, already subterranean, is likely to sink even lower.

 
I like the German rules, especially the compulsory insurance.

 
Seeing the X76 in the city centre today, the slogan on the rear end 'Remember when you loved buses?' sitting uncomfortably above the dot matrix display's 'OUT OF SERVICE' reminded me of its weird stopping patterns (someone on this forum kindly explained the reason for that). It wasn't out of service and actually had one passenger aboard, but it's difficult for the ordinary passenger to tell that this bus is peculiar - for the stops that it misses, the timetables at the stops list it, as do the electronic passenger information screens. The bustimes web site, though, does know about its funny ways.

At the moment, given that the city's bus services are cut in half, even its single in-and-back trip would be useful to people using the bus in Bath and needing to get to or from the RUH, restrictions like this put me in mind of the UK canal systems' "Worcester Bar" (where the waters of the Birmingham canals and Worcester and Birmingham route were separated by a physical bar, forcing all cargoes to be transhipped before, eventually, commonsense prevailed.)

Mark


https://bustimes.org/services/x76-marlborough-ruh-bath-2

 

One of the lessons of being a member of this forum for many years is that DfT (and presumably, behind them, the Treasury) are the real decision makers, down to quite a low level of detail. It will be interesting to see how much latitude GBR will have to get on with managing things themselves. I expect that the high level of investment it requires will restrict its ability to do so.

 
Spoke too soon, back to diesels on the route today.

Mark

 
Germany's a useful comparison: e-scooters are legal, minimum age 14, compulsory insurance, type-approved machines to exclude ones with unsuitable electronics/mechanics, similar maximum speed to a pedal assist e-bike, two independent brakes, pavements prohibited. Why the UK's gone with open ended 'Trials' of hire e-scooters (with the occasional change of supplier, something that tends to remove more experienced riders from the system) and also overlooked private use served by a vigorous and diverse retail supply chain pushing a variety of less desirable machines I don't know.

Mark

P.S. Same goes for bike lights - you can buy a better sort of bike light just by checking before you purchase whether it would be legal to use it in Germany.

 

Luxembourg, then.  Tricked by the flag

 
I think this, and other similar incidents helps to put it into perspective

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgmdlypw97jo

 
..........can't blame the weather today!

Cancellations to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to a points failure between Reading and London Paddington fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed.

Disruption is expected until 13:15 01/07.

 
3.  Switzerland.  It's a well known tourist attraction - the name of which I can't remember. 

 
No - it states


which is correct. They are only completely banned in public places, but can be used privately with permission anywhere that is private land.

 
All the small detail in 6 looks very French, as only France can (Antibes).

 
He'll have problems making urgent statements in the House then.

 
Two correct so far

5. Germany (Aachen) - ChrisB
8. Belgium (Leuven) - eightonedee

Sorry - no. 1 is not the Netherlands.

 
5. Germany

 
My bid is for 1. to be Den Haag, Netherlands

 
Today Newquay 2 hour gap but looks like 175003 coming off training to take up the diagram. 175114, 175115, 175009, and a 150 working the HST diagrams. Paignton had a one gap and a later short form probably to fill the missing train.

 
And stopped Alliance Rail using them this year.

 
'Smoke' is famous now, I read.

Mark

 

That's fine, if that's the scrutiny/question. BUT this isn't - as has already been noted, they are on a wild goose chase about an extra signal that would NOT have made the slightest difference IN THIS case, as it would only have been effected on that fast first train, while the second slow train would not have passed it at all.

 

I’m sure many things will be put under scrutiny. 

Worth remembering that a similar speed rear end collision in the 1950s caused the second biggest rail disaster in British history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_and_Wealdstone_rail_crash

Appreciating that all incidents are different, and that there were far more passengers on the trains at Harrow, it just shows how far we have come in terms of crash worthiness design.  Had similar rolling stock to that at Harrow been involved they would have telescoped and/or folded like a pack of cards.

 
The quoted BBC article is incorrect in that it fails to state the use of e-scooters in the UK is completely banned except for the specified trial areas:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e-scooter-trials-guidance-for-users#trial-areas

 
In other countries, what happens if an e-scooter hits your car? No one is injured, but does the driver have to claim on their insurance - how does it work?

In fact what happens in this country if you're hit by a legal rented e-scooter - you claim on the rental company?

 
8 looks like Belgium