Great Western Coffee Shop

Real time trains now has the first two days posted

Sunday http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/MKM/2014/05/18/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/MKM/2014/05/18/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt)

Monday http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/MKM/2014/05/19/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/MKM/2014/05/19/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt)

The Sunday morning Weymouth is there but at present it is only a connection into the Bristol-Weymouth service and not the earlier Westbury-Weymouth service extended back as was the case previously.

A shame that the much-requested change in times of the weekday 0849 Swindon-Westbury service back to 0836 hasnt materialised, despite assurances that it was being seriously looked at.

Oh well, perhaps it will get the attention it needs once normality returns to the rest of the network, where priority is understandably focussed elsewhere at present.

I understand that the train planners have indeed been up to there eyes in flood and storm related issues, and that' formed something of a backlog of more routine work. The backlog should not be taken as being permanent ... such issues now being worked through.

I am minded of warnings that you must have heard from a certain campaigning gentleman we all know ... where in September / October he was warning strongly that "rocking the boat" on TransWilts could lead the the improved service evaporating.  Clearly we're a very long way past that now, but by implication it means that things could move from what's being shown on Real Time trains.

Having just looked through the May to December 2014 National Rail timetables I must admit to being a little concerned that from 26 October -7 December Sunday trains are reduced to four each way on the TransWiltis. I hope that this is not a statement of intent for the future by FGW. Could it be a temporary change because of electrification? :-\

Welcome to the forum, Essex exile.

The line through Melksham does see regular use as a diversionary line for services to the South West, so I suspect (and hope) that this is the reason. As well as normal maintenance, electrification work is likely to increase the usage of the line for diversions, which will have an impact on the Transwilts service unfortunately.

As an example, at some point the line through Box is due to be closed for a period of weeks for electrification work, which is likely to result in the Transwilts service having to be replaced by buses. Unfortunate, but I understand that that the impact of regular diversions and the Box closure were known about when the new service was confirmed. 

Could some of the diverted trains not make the call at Melksham? If I recall correctly, I once travelled on a diverted London - S.Wales service which observed all the local stops between Swindon and Gloucester.

I don't think there are any HST stop boards for Melksham. That doesn't necessarily prevent a HST calling, but each would require a Special Stop Order. Then there's the issue of only being able to platform one full Mk3 coach.

There is also the added complication of bikes - you can't get a power car and a coach alongside the platform.  Again not a reason to prevent calls but another thing to bear in mind.

Welcome indeed to the forum. I noted your post a day or two back - and the welcome from others too; I would have come in on this one quicker but there's so much to say (hang on the hook of your question) that I've taken my time ...

Prior to last December when the TransWilts service was improved "for three years", with a requirement to provide evidence of success early enough within that period to ensure that mechanisms available for it to run beyond that perid were taken up, the question was asked "should we be waiting to try this out at a time when there's not going to be major disruption due to electrification". The answer was "we've waited long enough; we're confident that the service can succeed, and we accept that there will be some times when the service isn't able to run as we would like because of that engineering".

So there will be engineering-effected periods. Some weekends, perhaps a two week period next summer (august 2015), and that may turn out to be an incomplete list.

There are further issues that effect the services within the three years, and beyond that too. Some of our TransWilts services run to and from the Stroud Valley line - they're the old ones that we had prior to December 2013 and whilst they weren't a useful service in their own right, most of them do now provide very useful elements in the combined service.  But the Stroud Valley line has been closed for doubling quite a bit, and into the future the hourly trains are planned to be through from London to Cheltenham Spa all day, rather than alternating with local ones. In many ways that's good news, meaning that an inefficient unit use can be improved (75 minutes in 120 in the bay at Swindon wasn't exactly efficient) but it also leaves a gap as to what happens to linked TransWilts services.

Sunday services from the Stroud Valley and links to the TransWilts result in some rather erratic timings. Trains run in a pair northbound, a pair southbound, and a pair northbound again in the early evening - a timetable that's a bit odd and shows the evidence of how it's been built rather than being what's ideal for a Sunday.  I would *prefer* to see a Sunday service every 2 hours ... northbound every 2 hours from 08:49 to 12:49 and 15:49 to 19:49, and southbound an hour later (Melksham times) - however, 08:49 10:46 13:46 16:44 19:05 northbound and 09:52 12:07 15:17 17:54 20:19 southbound from October to December would be understandable.   You will, though, note that I've made that five trains not four, including the servive that starts on 18th May as it provides for a really clear passenger flow otherwise not catered for.  You'll see us pushing the marketing of that in coming weeks.

Taking a slighly longer term view, come the release of diesel trains from the Thames Valley and the clearance of them for use on the TransWilts, it seems probably that the 15x series of units will move out of the area and 16x units will take over. And that's when IEP comes in to Cheltenham.   Care is needed to ensure that eyes are kept on the ball of what's needed for commuter flows that have developed by that time; the lengthening of the train will be useful (we have reports of standing already on new trains) but we do need to ensure that the through trains to Chelteham don't simply get dropped, and that's where the November Sundays example could be a dangerous portent.

With the electrification, South West express times at Westbury will also change, and there may be a timetable recast at that end of the current TransWilts service too.  And that's when changes onward to Salisbury will be needed - a chance to sort out a current jumble of services into a Cardiff - Portsmouth service and a north-of-Westbury to Salisbury-perhaps-beyond service every hour.   Arriving into Westbury from the North, you'll have a train from Cardiff, a train from Bristol-perhaps-beyond and a train (perhaps even every hour?) from Swindon. The third onward train to be a Heart of Wessex service.

Long answer. Yes, concerned at just 4 each way on those Sundays (have asked for five ;-) ) but realistic in the need for engineering works and to ensure that changes as they happen work to move the service forward for the future.

Thanks to all for your responses. Clearly it's mostly wait and see! I do note that some trains between Paddington and the Southwest run via Swindon & Westbury  on those Sundays - I don't know about other weeks - so these take some of the paths.

From White Horse News (http://www.whitehorsenews.co.uk/blog/2014/05/06/improved-train-service-from-westbury/):

I think we concluded elsewhere that the problem in moving this train back was the MOD path from Didcot to Warminster - a "runs as required" which is hardly ever required.   Looking at Real Time Trains this morning, I notice that the path has gone from where it used to be, and is now somewhat later in the morning - copy attached.

Is this a permanent move of the path?   If so, a sign that the 08:49 may become an 08:36 in December?   Hope so  :D

I am currently on the 08:49 along with nine others (and a bike).

It would be nice if it was an off peak train too!

1 got off and 5 got on at Chippenham
3 got on and 6 got off at Melksham (I were there to meet Bob)
16/9

14:14 ex Westbury yesterday
8 on train into Melksham. 1 off and 7 on 15/8
10 off (and 1 on) at Chippenham.

Am I starting to note an increasing local (inter-urban) traffic?

I am also reminded when I see 'just' 15 passengers against an average target of 20 across all eight trains of just how peaky the peaks are.  This is a diagram that's getting old, but reminds us never the less

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/badtiming.jpg)

Possibly, and I've sensed that, but I'm not sure this particular observation demonstrates that. As an example back in February the service had 22 on board north of Melksham, so it may be the normal volatility in numbers which are fairly low.

Though I would agree that numbers at Melksham do seem to be on the increase. 7 boarding on a mid afternoon train is a decent number.  To reinforce this, looking at the four northbound services we've got stats for in June, and comparing them with the equivalent services on the 15th May (when all services were monitored), shows the following entries and exits (first number, 15th May, second number June)


0720   15, 14
1203     3,  8
1430     4,  8
1631     7, 15
Total    29, 45