May is proving an excellent month for new rail links. From Monday, direct trains between Bristol, Bath and Oxford are restored after 23 years. Passengers between these fine cities will enjoy smoother and faster journeys – except, oddly, on Sundays. The overseas tourists who have to default to the clunky change at Didcot Parkway may be surprised to learn that one reason is that train drivers do not have to work on Sundays.
I agree with GWR managing director Mark Hopwood, who says: “The economic and social benefits are clear, and we are confident that these new services demonstrate the value of rail in driving economic growth.”
