Day 4 Thursday 14 December - we're geting there!

I was beginning to worry about what I was going to write about today. It was as if I had been transported back to last week, a time when the trains ran to timetable.

I got on the 0642 from Bath (on time), it arrived in Swindon (on time), I only had to hang around Platform 1 for about 10 mins, then I got on the 0718 (on time), and it arrive in Didcot (on time), then I only had to hang around another 10 mins before the 0754 showed up (early!). I arrived into Oxford on time. Amazing.

Brenda - I saw you today, on the 0755 into Didcot, peering out through one of the windows hoping that the 0754 was delayed so you could make the connection - but instead it left the platform and sat there for 2 mins taunting you all. This is a classic demonstration of how the train system is not integrated - even within one franchise! The 0754 from the Bristol/Bath/Chippenham/Swindon missed a potential connecting service by 1 min, so those passengers have to hang around Didcot for 30 mins for another service.

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Journey home was good too. Caught the 1621 from Oxford (on time ish), caught the 1656 from Didcot to Swindon (on time), got off at Swindon and back on the 1726 to Bath (on time).

The best bit of the journey was David T and I putting the 3 or 4 acedemic degrees we have between us to good use: we usually have 1 can of Kronenbourg each on the way home on a Thurs and/or Fri night (depending on how bad a day we've had). Well, what were we going to do now we had to get off the frist train after 20 mins - we didn't want to be carrying a can of beer around with the potential for spilling some of it! The genius plan, which I think was David's, was to share 1 can between Didcot and Swindon, and then open the other between Swindon and Bath. Sorted.

We were also treated to the luxury of being in Standard Class but sitting in a First Class carriage. What a treat. They are nice wide seats but they are awfully hard.

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Journey to work punctuality: 50 % (whopping!)
Journey home punctuality: 100 % (even better with beer)

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FGW alerts:
0644 WEY-CDF will start Westbury, road transport from WEY. (Good job they own the bus company as well, eh? Otherwise the season ticket might be even more expensive.)
0710 BRI-PAD is cancelled this morning
1830 PAD-BRI TM cancelled. Temporary shortage of rolling stock. Apologies.