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Recent content by fandroid

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    SWR Waterloo - Exeter reduced service and the PRO: are SWR acting correctly?

    Recent rain has had almost zero impact down here in SWR territory, except that the grass that didn't die has become green again.
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    Cambridge South new station opening

    and unlike Cambridge North which can be very quiet between peak periods
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    Manchester Airport station upgrade

    Network Rail have announced the start of an upgrade to Manchester Airport station. £115m investment takes flight at Manchester Airport station https://share.google/pkhCHnzxQzWTbgluF The main components are: Platform lengthening Track layout changes Signalling renewals Do we understand what...
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    New mandatory ticket area sign at Birmingham Snow Hill

    As Trespass on the Railway is potentially a criminal matter, as opposed to the civil matter of "ordinary" trespass, is there statute or case law which defines what it actually means?
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    Two railcards for same person?

    Yep, I've got both a valid Senior Railcard and a Disabled Persons Railcard. The latter bought after the former for discounts on early morning weekday trips in the Southeast (once I'd been prescribed hearing aids). As Mcr Warrior says - only issue is that it's cost me an additional fee
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    Does the elevated price of diesel tilt economic business cases in favournof rail?

    It may well improve the viability of rail freight, even for diesel hauled trains. The impact of fuel cost per tonne moved must be a lot smaller for rail than it is for road transport.
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    West London Orbital Consultation

    Lack of proper interchanges is a disadvantage but the same could be said of the Suffragette Line (Gospel Oak to Barking). That is a highly successful line now with plenty of passengers throughout the day and justifies its electrification and increased service provision.
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    Cross-operator ticket acceptance announced (excluding East Midlands Railway, OAOs) when services are cancelled

    As the curtailing of WOE services at Basingstoke is not an uncommon phenomenon, SWR could do themselves and their WOE customers a favour by routinely adding in a stop at Basingstoke on the fast electric service from Winchester whenever the former happens. It follows the WOE diesels through the...
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    Getting the most out of the new Alstom units for TPE?

    The 444s are nice comfortable long distance commuting trains but that seat total is gained at the expense of holiday and weekend travellers who bring along children in buggies and large items of luggage. They also have seating in long saloons with narrower doors in separate vestibules at each end.
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    Trivia. Stations which are busier at the weekends than in the week.

    I've been on full and standing trains to Bristol from London on a summer Saturday which have almost emptied at Bath. The passengers didn't seem to be sports fans of any kind. It's an amazingly popular leisure destination.
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    Face & hand scans at Eurostar terminals?

    My experience at St Pancras earlier this month was that it was only slightly more of a hassle than before EES was introduced. That was first thing on a Saturday when two trains leave a few minutes apart. So quite crowded. The Eurostar staff sent UK passport holders through the e-gates and there...
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    Last trains to be put into a non-GBR livery, and hence/also the last trains to be put into the GBR livery?

    As a regular customer of SWR I rather like the current livery. It's really quite smart and simple and has the look of a modern electric railway. Basing a new design on colours that only accidentally came together due to a political act in 1707 seems daft to me. I've nothing against the union...
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    Unpopular opinion: IETs are perfectly fine, for the most part.

    I'm generally happy with them, except for the seats, especially the GWR ones. What annoys me is that such a fundamentally bad design should have ever made it to production, and even then, that the contractual arrangements were so poor that immediate replacement at the manufacturer's expense...
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    Getting passengers to spread out along the platform

    German trains got a mention. I haven't ever been on one that split. I imagine that is such an unusual happening that it's no surprise that passengers rush about in confusion. What DB used to do (and I think in some places still do) was provide a printed notice somewhere mid platform which...
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    Reporting a rough ride as a passenger

    I'd go along with the notion that the OP experienced Worting junction. I know it well and brace myself when we're on the flyover. There really should be an announcement, as anyone standing or walking can be thrown off balance by the rapid sideways movement.

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