The clank of the semaphore signal is a rare aural hangover from the Victorian age. Yet it’s still an essential, if anachronistic, part of our mainline railway system, for a few short years or even months longer at least. Express trains from Paddington on the main line between Llanelli and Carmarthen. west of Swansea, are… Continue reading
Posts tagged GWR
The great (rail) way west – to Pembrokeshire
Update – May 23rd, 2023. The holiday express is back. In 2020 through trains from Paddington to Tenby and Pembrokeshire were suspended. They were not re-introduced in 2021 or 2022, breaking a link which has endured with only a few gaps since the days of Queen Victoria. But this year, 2023, they are back. You can board a… Continue reading →
How upstart train company plans to speed the way to the west
When Britain’s railways were privatised in the 1990s, the plan was that passengers would benefit from competition. It didn’t really happen. 30 years on, and many major routes are still only served by one company. But, belatedly, that most traditional of market forces is beginning to assert itself. Independent company Grand Union proposes to take… Continue reading →