13th October 1990

Bedford Bletchley Rail User's Association
???

Postponed from 6th October 1990 due to lack of train crews.

(B.B.R.U.A. Special Train No.11)

DMU's Used 4-car non-corridor set + 2-car set

Route :

DMU Route
4-car set Bedford - Ridgmont - Fenny Stratford - (via Bletchley Flyover) - Claydon LNE Jn - Bicester Town - Wolvercot Jn - Oxford
4-car + 2-car sets Oxford - Didcot North Jn - Foxhall Jn - Swindon - Wootton Bassett Jn - Chippenham - Bath Spa - North Somerset Jn - Bristol Temple Meads
4-car + 2-car sets Bristol Temple Meads [P13] (3) - (reverse of outward route) - Bedford

Notes :
(1) Originally booked to run on 6th October but moved a week later due to lack of train crews.
(2) Train was booked to leave Bedford at 8.15am but the stock was late arriving. Booked for a  3-car WR set plus a 2-car unit, only a 4-car non-corridor set was sent out. This resulted in "call of nature" issues and the train made a 20min stop at Oxford as a result. An on-board WR inspector also arranged for a 2-car set to be added at Oxford to ease the situation for the remainder of the journey. Arrival into Bristol was 20mins behind booked time.
(3) Booked departure time was 6.28pm however the departure boards showed 6.45pm and platform 3 - association officers were assured it would in fact depart from platform 7 but in the end it went from platform 13...at the wrongly advertised time as the later timings had been announced at Bath Spa and Swindon where passengers had been able to alight! Problems with the barriers at Bicester meant the train was running some 50mins late (to the original timings) by Fenny Stratford.

Source : Nigel Benning

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