Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Some Site Statistics In "News, Help and Assistance" [380442/10588/29] Posted by eightonedee at 16:46, 4th October 2026 |      |
Perhaps when Grok, Claude and their mates scrape through our forum's site, they might help Vaishnavi Pandey at Secret London find some more appropriate pictures of Cullompton and Wellington for her next on-line article.
| Re: Celebrating 125 years of Reading Buses In "Buses and other ways to travel" [380441/32581/5] Posted by eightonedee at 16:30, 4th October 2026 | |
Thanks BobM.
I'm feeling old. It's mostly the older ones shown in these photos that I remember travelling on, including the trolleybus. Not the pre-war AEC the right in the 5th photo though!
| Re: Assaults on UK trains hit record high In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380440/32582/51] Posted by ChrisB at 16:16, 4th October 2026 | |
I think there's already a thread on this somewhere?
| Re: New Dorset transport vision for roads, rail and buses (3.10.2026) In "Heart of Wessex" [380439/32579/19] Posted by eightonedee at 16:15, 4th October 2026 | |
As someone who counted (in the broadest sense) as a "business " for a good part of my working life by virtue of having been a partner in a service providing professional practice, widening the area from which you can recruit potential candidates for jobs was undoubtedly a positive reason for supporting improvements to commication networks, whether public or otherwise. Going back to the thread about town or city High Streets that are flourishing or otherwise, I'd guess that those whose local employment markets are strong (particularly in town centres as opposed to out-of-town) have more flourishing high streets as there's a larger work force released onto them at either end of the working day and at lunchtime to spend their money there.
Good transport links help all kinds of businesses, those hoping to attract customers to buy their goods and services and those looking to recruit good staff.
| Assaults on UK trains hit record high In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [380438/32582/51] Posted by TaplowGreen at 16:14, 4th October 2026 | |
Interesting (as well as somewhat disturbing)
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/the-violence-is-off-the-scale-staff-and-passengers-at-risk-as-assaults-on-uk-trains-soar-to-record-high/ar-AA2dwZlV?ocid=socialshare
| Re: Celebrating 125 years of Reading Buses In "Buses and other ways to travel" [380437/32581/5] Posted by Mark A at 15:38, 4th October 2026 | |
Thanks: trolleybuses withdrawn from Teddington, May 1962, my sight of them in Reading may have been 1968.
| Re: Ideas for a day out? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380436/32559/31] Posted by grahame at 15:27, 4th October 2026 | |
I planned a day out in Taunton last Wednesday.
Definitely one to add to the "Overrun with cars from the station" list (IMHO, as mentioned). What was planned to be a day out ended up being an hour spent in the excellent (albeit very child-friendly, almost to the exclusion of anyone else) Somerset Museum. What might have become a second hour or so was curtailed by cries of "How much?!?" in the museum cafeteria, leading us to buying sandwiches from a supermarket on the way back to the station. No plans to return to Taunton any time soon.
Definitely one to add to the "Overrun with cars from the station" list (IMHO, as mentioned). What was planned to be a day out ended up being an hour spent in the excellent (albeit very child-friendly, almost to the exclusion of anyone else) Somerset Museum. What might have become a second hour or so was curtailed by cries of "How much?!?" in the museum cafeteria, leading us to buying sandwiches from a supermarket on the way back to the station. No plans to return to Taunton any time soon.
What a darned shame - TravelWatch on Friday would be worth coming, and just a few yards from the station
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line - Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury" [380435/31359/18] Posted by IndustryInsider at 15:19, 4th October 2026 | |
I've done the stats for services running through Melksham for this and last year, covering the first 9 months of the year.
Planned cancellations due to engineering works aren't included. Services that ran, but didn't call at Melksham (i.e. diverted via Bathampton) are included.
Data is attached, first data column is services planned to run, second is services that did run. The headline is an overall improvement of 1.67% for 2026 over 2025, but the weekday reliability has actually dropped slightly, but a large improvement at weekends more than made up for that in terms of the overall stats.
| Re: Celebrating 125 years of Reading Buses In "Buses and other ways to travel" [380434/32581/5] Posted by bobm at 14:59, 4th October 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
The trolleybuses were withdrawn in Reading in November 1968.
| Re: To 'stockpile food' is now our Government's official policy, apparently In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380433/32456/31] Posted by 1st fan at 14:53, 4th October 2026 | |
The PM has stated that iran is believed to be involved in the foiled attack at RAF Fairford.
It therefore appears that both russia and iran are waging a hybrid war against the UK .
Future attacks may affect supplies of food, fuel, and utility service. Stock up and be prepared !
It therefore appears that both russia and iran are waging a hybrid war against the UK .
Future attacks may affect supplies of food, fuel, and utility service. Stock up and be prepared !
We're headed out beyond public transport in this discussion - but then this IS `'The West but NOT trains in the West"
Personal thoughts and logic ...
* leaders the world over can gain a domestic "bounce" from an international war. Sometimes one has to wonder if part of the reason for the war being waged in a way and to the degree that it is ... is to get that domestic popularity bounce.
* where a number of countries club / co-operate together in a war, it is only going to be natural for the "enemy" to undertake activities to reduce / harm the effect on the war from / by the stooge countries. Natural but a potentially dangerous escalation. Supply chains have many branches and leaves in the modern world.
* Even at the distance we are from Fairford, we noted a significant increase in heavy aircraft flights going over where we live. We don't know what they are doing / where they are going and what they are doing when they get there, but we do note that is they are on military missions, they are probably directed by the US Department of War, which is the new name given by the US President to what used to be the Department of Defence.
If you want to know what is flying overhead you can use this site https://globe.adsbexchange.com/ and if you want to see just military press the U button at the top of the screen. Provided endless boredom relief during lockdown.
| Re: New Dorset transport vision for roads, rail and buses (3.10.2026) In "Heart of Wessex" [380432/32579/19] Posted by Mark A at 14:21, 4th October 2026 Already liked by IndustryInsider | |
The positives of increased commuting distances (increased job opportunities, broadening horizons) are balanced by negatives - the carbon footprint, the costs imposed on everyone when travel to work solely involves people travelling in private vehicles, a multitude of point to point journeys that are problematic to serve by public transport, and then people find themselves locked in to something that imposes costs on them whether financial or stress, and over which they have no control especially in an unstable economy. Thinking of the commute by car, many people enjoy that part of their day (though whether that can be said by someone lumbered with a travel to work from Maidstone to Croydon or a school run Mortlake to Battersea... perhaps not).
Good electric public transport can mitigate some of the negatives - even if poor urban design is then waiting in the wings to bite everyone in the bum. Also, Dorset... where do you start...?
| Re: Ideas for a day out? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380431/32559/31] Posted by Phil at 14:05, 4th October 2026 | |
I planned a day out in Taunton last Wednesday.
Definitely one to add to the "Overrun with cars from the station" list (IMHO, as mentioned). What was planned to be a day out ended up being an hour spent in the excellent (albeit very child-friendly, almost to the exclusion of anyone else) Somerset Museum. What might have become a second hour or so was curtailed by cries of "How much?!?" in the museum cafeteria, leading us to buying sandwiches from a supermarket on the way back to the station. No plans to return to Taunton any time soon.
| Re: Celebrating 125 years of Reading Buses In "Buses and other ways to travel" [380430/32581/5] Posted by Mark A at 13:53, 4th October 2026 | |
I'm recalling the parents on the road through Reading, heading for Bath, and me being surprised to see the sort of public transport we'd lost back in Teddington around 1962 soon after they moved there. Trolleybuses. The M4 Maidenhead to Swindon opened in 1971 so it would have been just prior to that.
| Re: Some Site Statistics In "News, Help and Assistance" [380429/10588/29] Posted by grahame at 13:47, 4th October 2026 | |
Following on from my analysis triggered by Mark A's thoughts on AI, I checked with Google Analytics as to what's got through - this for the last week:
| Re: Some Site Statistics In "News, Help and Assistance" [380428/10588/29] Posted by bobm at 13:28, 4th October 2026 Already liked by Mark A, eightonedee | |
I add to my intelligence on these pages and I am very much real. (Quiet at the back.
)| Re: Ideas for a day out? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380427/32559/31] Posted by REVUpminster at 13:27, 4th October 2026 | |
All the suggested place you could walk round on GoogleEarth.
| Celebrating 125 years of Reading Buses In "Buses and other ways to travel" [380426/32581/5] Posted by bobm at 13:04, 4th October 2026 Already liked by grahame, eightonedee | |
Today (4th October 2026) Reading Buses is marking the founding of the first motorised public transport in the town in 1901.
Many buses from throughout the years have been put on display in Broad Street. For some it is a return to familiar territory as the road used to be the main hub for town buses until it was pedestrianised in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before the advent of radio in the cabs an inspector used to be stationed in the road at 11pm to ensure all the last buses to the suburbs had arrived and passengers changed onto other buses. He would then blow his whistle and all the buses departed in a cloud of diesel fumes.
(I've driven this one in the past!)
(and this one!)
(I used to catch this one to school. Note the two queues to board. To the right was a Videmat machine which used to take a photo of the coins you dropped in the machine for your fare. Many children delighted in paying for their fare in halfpennies with the aim of getting the longest ticket!)
Several buses were running on former routes around the town. I saw the first one leave and there wasn't a seat to be had. Sadly I had to get back to work.
| Re: Some Site Statistics In "News, Help and Assistance" [380425/10588/29] Posted by Oxonhutch at 12:56, 4th October 2026 | |
I would have recently added to the Belgium numbers.
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [380424/11558/30] Posted by stuving at 12:53, 4th October 2026 | |
And today's BBC entry to the competition is a picture of ...
Rail route to close in half term for 'essential' works
A blue and yellow South Western Railway train approaching a station.
Buses will replace South Western Railway services between Staines and Windsor for seven days
A blue and yellow South Western Railway train approaching a station.
Buses will replace South Western Railway services between Staines and Windsor for seven days
The picture has this undeniably valid label attached to it: "A blue and yellow South Western Railway train approaching a station."
| Re: New Dorset transport vision for roads, rail and buses (3.10.2026) In "Heart of Wessex" [380423/32579/19] Posted by IndustryInsider at 12:49, 4th October 2026 | |
This quote leapt out as being outdated:
"For businesses, widening the area from which people can realistically commute is increasingly important when recruiting."
(Moved from where I'd originally posted it on the wrong thread...)
"For businesses, widening the area from which people can realistically commute is increasingly important when recruiting."
(Moved from where I'd originally posted it on the wrong thread...)
I thought it made no sense where you originally posted it.
But why is it outdated?
| Re: Some Site Statistics In "News, Help and Assistance" [380422/10588/29] Posted by grahame at 12:42, 4th October 2026 | |
Bluesky post with an observation on inappropriate behavior towards web servers, from the A.I. fraternity.
"Something AI is responsible for that doesn't get enough talk:
How, when it scrapes a website to illegally steal everything on it, it uses up a ton of its bandwidth allotment, crashing it or racking up massive fees for site owners."
https://bsky.app/profile/jametc.bsky.social/post/3mwzj56ep5s2m
"Something AI is responsible for that doesn't get enough talk:
How, when it scrapes a website to illegally steal everything on it, it uses up a ton of its bandwidth allotment, crashing it or racking up massive fees for site owners."
https://bsky.app/profile/jametc.bsky.social/post/3mwzj56ep5s2m
Indeed ... AI Scrapers add to the traffic. 178 countries have visited the Coffee Shop in the last 24 hours. Over 1000 requests from ...
1029 in Bangladesh
1075 in Turkey
1242 in India
1292 in Russia
1328 in Pakistan
1375 in Spain
1544 in Mexico
1777 in Vietnam
1801 in Canada
2392 in Argentina
2469 in Hong Kong
4827 in United Kingdom
5215 in South Africa
5746 in France
9027 in Brazil
9420 in Germany
23598 in Iran
25918 in Belgium
92146 in United States
1075 in Turkey
1242 in India
1292 in Russia
1328 in Pakistan
1375 in Spain
1544 in Mexico
1777 in Vietnam
1801 in Canada
2392 in Argentina
2469 in Hong Kong
4827 in United Kingdom
5215 in South Africa
5746 in France
9027 in Brazil
9420 in Germany
23598 in Iran
25918 in Belgium
92146 in United States
44,805 of the requests our system has noted as "dark" ... 46,479 from bots (and there is some intersection there) ... our systems (which ironically do use algorithms which learn, so could be regarded as artificial intelligence) are written to cope.
And those figures, by the way, are only for the Coffee Shop URLs on the worker server. Our receptionist rejects or answers lots without throubling the worker server. Our recptionist got 699,128 requests to Coffee Shop domains and passed on 210,340 of them.
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [380421/11558/30] Posted by johnneyw at 11:43, 4th October 2026 | |
Quite amusing that both of the incorrect photos depict cities already served by more than one railway station, some for over a century.
| Re: Some Site Statistics In "News, Help and Assistance" [380420/10588/29] Posted by Mark A at 11:42, 4th October 2026 | |
Bluesky post with an observation on inappropriate behavior towards web servers, from the A.I. fraternity.
"Something AI is responsible for that doesn't get enough talk:
How, when it scrapes a website to illegally steal everything on it, it uses up a ton of its bandwidth allotment, crashing it or racking up massive fees for site owners."
https://bsky.app/profile/jametc.bsky.social/post/3mwzj56ep5s2m
| Re: New Dorset transport vision for roads, rail and buses (3.10.2026) In "Heart of Wessex" [380419/32579/19] Posted by Mark A at 11:38, 4th October 2026 | |
This quote leapt out as being outdated:
"For businesses, widening the area from which people can realistically commute is increasingly important when recruiting."
(Moved from where I'd originally posted it on the wrong thread...)
| Re: 50th anniversary of the introduction of HST's on the route In "London to Swindon and Bristol" [380417/32580/10] Posted by grahame at 08:48, 4th October 2026 | |
Can it be? Yes, apparently.
A link to the promotional video in this Bluesky post.
https://bsky.app/profile/joebrownlondon.bsky.social/post/3mwzjbw2rtx2z
A link to the promotional video in this Bluesky post.
https://bsky.app/profile/joebrownlondon.bsky.social/post/3mwzjbw2rtx2z
The start of October seems to be a watershed for so many new innovations (well, they were at the time) and closures that are still missed / regretted to this day. I recall catching a train from Firsby to Lincoln full of holiday makers from Skeggy the summer before that line closed, and calling at already-derelict stations at places like Tumby Woodside where, already, "No passenger waits, no one departs, no one arrives" but at least that's not the case - as the song goes - from St Erth to St Ives.
Wonderful to see my data feeds "dripping" with the 2+7 HST run yesterday from Paddington to Swansea via Chippenham. Hope everyone had a good day.
| 50th anniversary of the introduction of HST's on the route In "London to Swindon and Bristol" [380416/32580/10] Posted by Mark A at 08:32, 4th October 2026 | |
Can it be? Yes, apparently.
A link to the promotional video in this Bluesky post.
https://bsky.app/profile/joebrownlondon.bsky.social/post/3mwzjbw2rtx2z
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [380415/11558/30] Posted by Red Squirrel at 08:25, 4th October 2026 Already liked by Mark A, grahame | |
Argh! Grahame clickbaited me into visiting F***book - again! I must be more careful.
| Re: Ideas for a day out? In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [380414/32559/31] Posted by rogerpatenall at 08:10, 4th October 2026 | |
Salisbury also featured in my travel plans for Friday 2nd.
Having given up on my regular trips to Castle Cary from Paddington prior to Covid, I decided for my 81st birthday (in July!) to travel 1st class to Cary on October 2nd, have lunch at The Creamery at the station, (which I remember as a milk factory)and return. Returns from Waterloo, 1st class, for two of us were £111 (good value, I thought). From Paddington it would have been well over £200 each. We got, in comfort and speed, to Salisbury where we were tipped out of the train. Easy decision to abort and return whence we came. No through trains back to Waterloo, so stopping services via Basingstoke.
I then spent the evening battling with the nightmare that is the TrainLine web site. With difficulty (I am not good with apps - at the school where I volunteer we say that the only app that matters is the reading lap) I got a refund for much of the journey, but not for for the outward (for one person) from Waterloo, as I had touched in on departure. I was unable to find any method of claiming for an 'abandoned journey'. First time I had used Trainline as I avoided them when they charged a fee. And now, not again!
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [380413/11558/30] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 07:30, 4th October 2026 | |
It wasn't until I read the original article that I realised the two images used were not of the two locations being discussed.
As to the actual places concerned I have never visited the one in Somerset and am pretty sure that only a completely deranged resident of, or visitor to, the Devonian Metropolis would be persuaded to describe it as a charming English countryside town.
| New Dorset transport vision for roads, rail and buses (3.10.2026) In "Heart of Wessex" [380412/32579/19] Posted by grahame at 07:28, 4th October 2026 | |
From the Dorset Echo
New Dorset transport vision for roads, rail and buses
A sweeping transport blueprint has set out a vision for Dorset's future, with a range of rail, road and public transport projects identified as priorities for investment over the next decade.
[snip]
Rail improvements form a key part of the strategy, with enhanced services on the Heart of Wessex Line among the highest-priority schemes.
The document says a series of infrastructure enhancements could pave the way for an hourly service on the route, improving connections across Dorset, Somerset and Bristol while increasing reliability and capacity for communities including Dorchester, Maiden Newton and Yetminster
The project would include a new passing loop between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill, a new platform at Westbury and signalling upgrades. No cost estimate or delivery timeline has yet been set.
Rail bosses have backed proposals to increase services on the line but acknowledged the scheme remains in its early stages.
A spokesperson for Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and Network Rail said: "The proposal is a key part of Network Rail's strategy for the region, providing the opportunity to improve transport for a growing community on the only north-south transport route in the area.
A sweeping transport blueprint has set out a vision for Dorset's future, with a range of rail, road and public transport projects identified as priorities for investment over the next decade.
[snip]
Rail improvements form a key part of the strategy, with enhanced services on the Heart of Wessex Line among the highest-priority schemes.
The document says a series of infrastructure enhancements could pave the way for an hourly service on the route, improving connections across Dorset, Somerset and Bristol while increasing reliability and capacity for communities including Dorchester, Maiden Newton and Yetminster
The project would include a new passing loop between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill, a new platform at Westbury and signalling upgrades. No cost estimate or delivery timeline has yet been set.
Rail bosses have backed proposals to increase services on the line but acknowledged the scheme remains in its early stages.
A spokesperson for Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and Network Rail said: "The proposal is a key part of Network Rail's strategy for the region, providing the opportunity to improve transport for a growing community on the only north-south transport route in the area.
Makes sense to put the service up to hourly, for which the extra loop is appropriate (as well as helping with diversions and other services running Castle Cary - Yeovil Junction. Also good to see Westbury 4th platform again on this project; it's case is made the stronger by looking at its use by extra services at Westbuty - stepping up to hourly to Swindon, to Weymouth, and from London (perhaps continuing to Taunton).
