Reported today that work is progress at St Erth station installing new train information screens.  Also noted Balfour Beattie has a large compound adjacent to the old dairy.  Roger wonders if it is in connection with the new park and ride scheme.

The viaduct at Liskeard is being re-decked during October 2011 and as consequence no  passenger trains will run serve the station.  The closure, which is from Saturday 22 October until Wednesday 26 October, will also affect the Looe branch. During this period of intense civil engineering a replacement bus service will operate between Par and Plymouth.

    This promotion will be running again this autumn from September 19, look out for publicity in stations and on-line. The promotion runs until 20 December 2011.

150 101, the first of a batch of the class, in Central Trains green livery, has been operating this day on the St Ives branch service.

Concerns have been expressed by Camborne Mayor Jeff Collins concerning the future of the ticket office at Camborne and indeed at several Cornish stations as the McNulty report suggests the closure of 675 station ticket offices as part of a package saving £ 1 Billion per year. However First Great Western has said there are no plans for any closures.

News received on 14 September 2011. Passengers on the Bristol to Weymouth route will soon have a say in how the line is run. Stations on the route include Bath, Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome, Yeovil Pen Mill, Maiden Newton and Dorchester. This route could be designated a Community Rail Service.

Passengers will have a direct involvement in the planning and running of services. The Department of Transport has arranged a consultation and has said the changes could come into effect by the end of 2011.

Reported at 17.33 on Thursday 8 September 2011: both up and down lines at Lostwithiel were blocked by a class 66 locomotive having derailed on the up loop points whilst running round its train. It is understood that only one axle was off the line. Single line working was established enabling FGW trains to pass by the incident and provide a limited service. Cross Country trains however terminated at Plymouth. All was clear by the following morning.

Due to a points failure at Penzance two or three services to the terminus were turned back at St Erth during the afternoon of Sunday 4 September 2011.

On Sunday 4 September 2011 70000 Britannia and 34067 Tangmere should have taken the Steam Dreams ACE to Newquay. However, due to the failure of Tangmere at Bridgewater this loco was left behind at Taunton. The train continued with 47500 leading 70000 Britannia to Par where 47500 ran round to the rear of the train to haul it back from Newquay. The train was some 3/4 hour late at Par.

On Tuesday 6 Sept 2011 the return run went according to plan. 'Britannia' heading the train 47500 with remaining on the rear from Newquay. 47500 subsequently pulled the complete train, with 70000 attached back from Okehampton, 70000 being detached at Exeter St Davids from whence it proceeded to the WSR. 47500 returned the train to London via the 'Southern'.