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When Woking station was opened (originally called Woking Common), the nearest large town was Guildford (around 6 miles to the south). The main entrance was positioned on the south side of the station, as this was most convenient for those arriving by stagecoach from the main towns in west...

This is a clear warning shot across the bows to those striking this week: "You may find your current role is less secure than you previously thought." But I doubt it will change many minds...

Then I think we are in agreement. The part of the core which is fully loaded or close-to-fully loaded is much smaller than most people realise.

But not if you include the Network Grant - it was the worst performer among the intercity TOCs (per passenger mile).

Yes exactly. The majority of passengers using XC are making relatively short journeys. If the network were reduced to the core "X" through Birmingham, it wouldn't be much better, because this problem would still be there.

So what is the problem then? Why can't XC pay its way? If the loadings are as good as you claim, why does it require more subsidy than every other intercity franchise?

So what is the problem then. Why can't XC pay its way? Why does it require more subsidy than every other intercity franchise? 1655225078 Firstly I said "half empty" and not "empty"... Yes. I have been on XC services outside of the peaks - particularly on the Reading-Birmingham stretch, but on...

Isn't the problem with XC that each unit is full for around 40 minutes in the morning rush and 40 minutes in the evening rush, but for the rest of the day they are half empty? So, they provide a useful commuter service for flows like Oxford-Banbury, Bristol-Taunton, Derby-Birmingham etc, but...

Thanks Bald Rick, that's what I have heard too. Just to be clear, when you say "outside London", do you mean outside "Greater London" and/or outside the the travelcard zones? Has zone 2-5 to central London travel generally recovered more?

Is it true that it's the middle-distance commuters who have been the slowest to come back? (I often see this assertion bandied about, without any real backup.) In the south east for example, has travel from zones 2-6 into central London recovered more quickly than from stations just outside...

Buckinghamshire (High Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross) and Oxfordshire (Oxford and Bicester) are more important markets for Chiltern than the West Midlands.

Presumably if a guard or ticket inspector checks that you have tapped in (using a mobile scanner), then the system will have a better idea of which route you are taking and can adjust the fare accordingly.

Sorry, this is just wrong. I am not going to waste my time explaining this again. 1647019653 What on earth have they been doing if they haven't done a simulated fully loaded test yet? Haven't they been doing tests runs for over 18 months already?

Leaf fall is significant, of course it is, but there are many places on the network with similar gradients and which are also tree-lined. This is obvious if you read posts from others - yes the NDL has steep gradients, but nothing exceptional - yes it has trees lining it (but actually there are...

20 m tall trees lining the route make an insignificant contribution to the rail adhesion issues relative to the topography. The major cause is the difference in elevation between the top of the North Downs (consistently in the range 200 m - 220 m above Ordnance Datum in the 11 miles from...

And this excellent geographical description reveals the origins of the adhesion problems: - firstly the two rivers (Wey at Guildford and Mole at Dorking) which are a sources of mist and fog (the Anglo-Saxon name for the River Mole literally means "misty river") - secondly cold air forming at the...

"Dorking" used to be known as "Dorking North" and is sometimes referred to as "Dorking (Main)". "Oxford" could be renamed to "Oxford City" to distinguish it from "Oxford Parkway" "Aylesbury" could be renamed to "Aylesbury Town" to distinguish it from "Aylesbury Vale Parkway" "Warwick" could be...

I have no fixed timetable on either day and am therefore happy to take the trains with the cheapest ticket option.

Hi All, I would like to travel from Birmingham to York on Friday 8th April, returning on Sunday 10th April (2022). My departure time on the Friday is completely flexible, although I'd like to arrive in York by about 19:00 at the latest. My departure time on the Sunday is also flexible, but I...

I don't think this is correct, I'm afraid. The guards were based at Epsom and joined the trains there. The train operated DOO as far as Dorking and the guard was supposed to fulfil an OBS-type role (ticket checks etc) until then. From Dorking southwards, the guard took charge of the train as...