Out of interest, does anyone know if there was ever a regular passenger service via the now-missing chord at Staverton? Would that open up useful options for local services?

Hmm.  From all that flint - somewhere in Suffolk? 

And for today ... the first train is replace by a bus because, as far as I can tell, the line is needed to run a more important West Country express that calls at Westbury, with engineering works closing the normal line through Pewsey. 

There is one at the moment providing a bed on one side and you have breakfast on the other side.

A railway station planned for an estate where some children have "never been on a train" could make a huge difference to young people's lives, local people have said.

The Woodchurch estate on Wirral is to be linked to the rail network as part of a £1.6bn investment scheme.

Staff at Fender Primary School said that despite the estate being only four miles from the seaside, some children had never been there.

Discussions around building a station to directly serve the estate have been going on for more than a decade. The exact location of a station is still to be confirmed, and it is expected to take until about 2030 for planning permission to be given. Once built, it would link the estate to Liverpool and Wrexham.

Emma Simms, a staff member at Fender school, said: "A lot of the children do not have the opportunities to leave the estate whether that is for days out or holidays. We have conversations with children who have never been on the trains."

Staff at the school said a new station would cut down on travel time, open up school, university and job opportunities, and give children more life experiences.

Sue Lee, who has lived in the area for 20 years, feels the new station would bring more value and investment to Woodchurch as well as open up opportunities. She said: "Just trying to get off the Wirral at all is a tricky one. You can but then you have to go to Birkenhead to get the train somewhere. This just enhances all your options." She said her daughter was an athlete and in the past, sometimes they had to get taxis to competitions because there were just no other options. "A lot of children do not get off the estate," she said. "If there is something right there it makes it a lot easier to go to places they might not necessarily go to." However, there's still some scepticism after years of promises.

Maureen Cain said: "It's a good place to live, it really is and I think it will be really uplifted." However, she said: "Until it happens, no one will be jumping for joy. I think people get fed up and think that until it happens, we aren't going to be happy about it."

Wirral councillor Jerry Williams, who grew up on the estate, said connectivity was one of the most important issues on the estate. The Labour councillor for Upton said there was "a degree of isolation on a lot of the estate" and "to have a station there is really going to transform things".

When the funding was announced, it was welcomed by top politicians in Wirral. Matthew Patrick, Wirral West's MP and former councillor for the area, said: "People here deserve good jobs, better transport links, stronger schools and great leisure services."

Not sure I recall the consultation from the Coffee Shop (or anywhere else) but certainly the press commented about it being consulted in London (or perhaps London and the South East) which perhaps wouldn't pick up the concerns of the long distance flows.   

I wonder if GWR or Eurostar responded to TfL's consultation - whether they were invited and their opinions on this. 

Press did comment that there was substantial negative response in the consultation but it's going ahead anyway.

Great Western Railway (GWR) start by saying the 205 bus service provides good opportunities for passengers arriving via rail at London Paddington Station, to make onward journeys to London Marylebone, Euston, Kings Cross, St Pancras and Liverpool Street stations via Bus (and vice versa).
They say they do not support the withdrawal of service 205. Giving multiple reasons

• GWR note London Underground / Elizabeth Line Services operate to / from Paddington to stations listed above. But highlight a selection of passengers will choose to make an interconnecting journey via bus (i.e., on the 205). There may be numerous reasons, including the interchange onto a ‘tube’ service seen as challenging due to stairs or perceived unfamiliar environment of the Underground system
• Passengers with mobility impairments, luggage, buggies, or wheelchair users may prefer to utilise the bus connection for ease. Noting the current 205 service operates door to door at street level between key London Rail Termini
• Underground stations and accessibility. A ramp to assist with boarding is still required at London Paddington and Kings Cross underground stations. Passengers with mobility impairments, luggage, buggies, or wheelchair users may prefer to utilise the bus connection for ease. Also GWR note that Euston Square Underground station is step free in the Westbound Direction only
• The also flag that HS2 construction work in the next decade, at Old Oak Common, will mean services diverted to London Euston frequently. Having multiple methods of transport available for passengers to make the interchange to /from Paddington/ Euston will reduce obstacles resulting from this engineering work
• Also noted is the role of the 205 when the London Underground / Elizabeth route is closed during service disruption and engineering work. GWR feel that if the proposal went ahead, connecting journeys between National Rail Stations would be more challenging, with multiple changes required either via bus or alternative London Underground routes (such as Bakerloo Line)
GWR conclude by repeating that retaining passenger choice of two modes of connection options (tube / bus) between London Paddington and other key London termini enables confidence and ease for the passenger. Especially in the event of service disruption to either tube or bus. They a bus connection to remain between London Paddington and various key London Termini currently served by bus 205.

Probably true. It has the shortest journey time by road, good roads as well, so you don’t need a lot of coaches….. which would be a struggle to source on a Sunday, and the majority of journeys will be end to end. 
 

TfL did put out a consultation - and I thought it got a mention somewhere in these pages about a year ago? Anyway, if didn't, I did hear about it & responded negatively, so the word was got out.

It's been suggested on another forum that Liskeard-Looe is often the first branch to be sacrificed on a Sunday when there is crew shortage as it's the easiest one to bustitute.

This is just a gentle reminder about our upcoming trip to Lydney this coming Saturday.

Saturday 21st June:  Trip to Lydney in order to celebrate the new hourly Transport for Wales (TfW) service .  We will catch a train from Temple Meads to Lydney, spend some quality time around there - before returning to Bristol in the afternoon.
Suggested trains:  Outwards: Bristol Temple Meads 09.28 to Lydney at 10.53, with  1 change at Severn Tunnel Junction
                                Return:       Lydney 16.08 to Temple Meads 17.17 or Lydney 17.08 to Temple Meads 18.17, with 1 change at Severn Tunnel Junction.
                                Cost:           Peak Day return   £19.10 or £12.70 with Railcard.

From the station you can walk down to the quay in Lydney Harbour - with its cafe, lovely views and its renowned standing stones.  There is the Cross Keys Inn in Lydney for lunch or , if you want, you can splash out by going on the Dean Forest Steam Railway to Parkend (with an advance price of £17.50 or £9.00 for under-18s) where you can have lunch at the Fountain Inn.  More information on this railway experience can be found at https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/.

High tide at Lydney Pier is around 5 pm and the tide rushes up dramatically in the two hours before; low tide is at about 11 am so plenty of time to observe the mud flats!

It's never been within GWR's control.  That was the whole point of privatisation! 

That is a superb question. 

"What do you think" ... I think (I know!!) that I don't know enough about what the future holds.  I can visualise good and bad scenarios; the question comes do we [just] wait and see or do we look to partner and persuade in what gets set up or not, and in what authority it has.

GWR had years to address this issue when it was in their control before the DfT tightened their grip. Instead of doing so they left it on the "too difficult" pile.

1.  Lessons were learnt a long time ago. 
2.  “7-day railway” discussions have been ongoing for sometime, unfortunately the DfT  won’t release any further funding to resolve the issue. They want to continue with the “cheap sticky plaster” fixes which we all know doesn’t work.

The issue isn’t with GWR. GWR run the operation as per the contract outlined by the DfT.  It’s for the DfT to sort.

Could it be that some GWR drivers / train manager are fathers too and we have a case of "More fathers than usual being required at home at the same time"

I understand the 30 is changing too and will provide a route as far as Euston from the current 205 stops too.

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55

17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.