Great Western Coffee Shop

Interesting that Dom Joly took part, given the link below.
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/12/tidings-of-comfort-and-joy.html

I believe he is currently working on a consumer based TV series and one of his targets was...yes you've guessed it FGW! I suspect he got quite a bit of interesting footage this morning at BTM.

First Great Western insisted most of the passengers allowed through with their fake vouchers had already bought tickets.

Spokesman Adrian Ruck said: "So far here at Spa, 40 people who have shown their protest tickets have been allowed through - but they had already bought tickets.

"We have only had one person who has pushed through the barrier and we will decide whether they are to face prosecution.

Mr Ambrose, who this morning travelled from Bath to Bristol without paying for a ticket, said he wanted rail services in the South West taken away from FGW.

TV comedian Dom Joly took part in the protest at Bath station, which he was filming as part of a new show.

The funnyman had a heated confrontation with staff at the ticket barriers at Bristol Temple Meads along with More Trains Less Trains spokesman Peter Andrews, 58.

Mr Andrews eventually relented and produced his season ticket while Joly sneaked in through behind him.

Among those who travelled without paying was comedian Dom Joly, who, accompanied by a film crew, made the journey from Bath to Bristol with a fare strike ticket.

The BBc article (first link), says that FGW will not be prosecuting anyone but will be writing to the people whos names they took explaining how the service is being improved. 

Tim

I'm on the "names taken" list at Bristol Parkway. I gave my real name as I'm proud to have made a stand. However the FGW staff refused to show me a copy of their data protection policy when taking my personal details therefore if any prosecution is forthcoming I shall be writing a letter to the information commissioner which could potentially cause FGW to receive a heavy fine which will be a great deal more than any fine I receive.

The BBc article (first link), says that FGW will not be prosecuting anyone but will be writing to the people whos names they took explaining how the service is being improved. 

Tim

The question is what will they do to the "militants" such as myself from whom they took names?

The question is what will they do to the "militants" such as myself from whom they took names?

Logistical difficulties, though: the branch line to Princetown was dug up YEARS ago !  ;D ;D ;D

http://www.dartmoor-prison.co.uk/ (http://www.dartmoor-prison.co.uk/) (http://www.takeforum.com/brauntonpool/images/smiles/icon_cust_demonstration.gif)

It's clear that things aren't working. Government should renegotiate the franchise with First, and and give the company more and better trains, a framework for lower fares and strong targets for improving performance. If more investment is genuinely needed for First to meet these targets, it should be provided.

If the targets aren't met, the Government should end the contract with First. This would provide an opportunity to take the franchise back into the public sector - as suggested by local MPs - on a trial basis. This would give a value for money test of franchises, it would provide a benchmark of costs. It would also bring back some transparency and accountability.

If the Government doesn't take action, I expect there will be more and more fare strikes.

The More Trains Less Strain (MTLS) group has a publicly stated agenda of the re-nationalisation of the railways, despite this, we have listened to them and in 2007 we have delivered refreshed long distance and local trains with new interiors, better facilities and improved reliability as part of our ^200 million investment - the biggest investment of any train operator.

ITV Local News had a report on the Fare Strike plus one on all the stored coaches that could be loco-hauled (link below.)
http://www.itvlocal.com/west/news/

This included David Redgewell endorsing part of my West Fleet plan (link below.)
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1407.msg8181#msg8181

If you are reading this, thanks David!

An overview article of Fare Strike day can be found in the link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7212826.stm

And as for these "new carriages" on order? What are they going to be. I take it, they are not building some more 150, 153, 158, 165, 166 units (ie the ones that are needed). No, they are probably building mk5s which will replace mk3/4s, which will then be scrapped!

Absolute madness! And a waste of money.

The link below details where the 1,300 carriages (assuming they get built) are likely to be deployed.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/whitepapercm7176/railwphlsospecimen

Regarding the FGW area, the London-Reading corridor is battling it out with services in the Southeastern, Southern, South West Trains, Chiltern, London Midland, FCC, One and c2c areas for a share of around 900 extra coaches.

Bristol is battling it out with Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield for a share of around 50-80 carriages.

No, the only time FGW will get more carriages, is when London Midland get the 172s. The new carriages will be clapped out, but they'll be the only ones!

Department for tarmac:

*Get those carriages on the rails now.
*Don't bother wasting money "refurbishing" them. Leave the tables/buffets where they are.
*Get locos and DVTs and haul a rake of 5 coaches on the Worcester/Taunton and Cardiff/ Portsmouth line.
*Use the freed up carriages to strengthen local DMUs.
*Free up a 153 to work the TranWilts line.

Why not indeed? I have given it my best shot, but let's be clear on one thing :

FGW cant do it on their own. They will require help from the DfT, Network Rail and, quite possibly, local authorities as well.

What follows is a three-stage plan, inspired in large part by ideas from members of this forum. I have taken every factor that I know of into account, but there will undoubtably be things that I have missed. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you'd bear that in mind when reading it.

The plan is also dependent on FGW successfully resolving issues such as staffing and Swindon control.

STAGE ONE (December 2008-December 2010)

3 extra 2-coach Class 142 units (currently in storage) leased to bolster the capacity (and PR) gains made in Devon.

Key "Cross-Bristol" trains run using loco-hauled stock. This frees up units for use elsewhere, including a Class 153 unit for the extra Frome/TransWilts services contained in the link below. The loco-hauled services are gradually replaced by Class 150/1 units released by London Midland.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/jan08/salyeoswin2.xls

The proposed 40 minute frequency Severn Beach Line timetable is assumed to have been implemented in May 2008, as currently planned.

STAGE TWO (December 2010-Franchise End)

A radical overhaul of the franchise is implemented, as detailed in the link below.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/jan08/stage2.doc

STAGE THREE (Franchise End Or Life After FGW)

New rolling stock all round, with the "Cross-Bristol" specification based on the link below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=357.msg1034#msg1034

Now, I'm not naive enough to think that all of the above could necessarily be implemented exactly as I have set it out, but I do think that something close to it could be acheivable.

I'm on the "names taken" list at Bristol Parkway. I gave my real name as I'm proud to have made a stand. However the FGW staff refused to show me a copy of their data protection policy when taking my personal details therefore if any prosecution is forthcoming I shall be writing a letter to the information commissioner which could potentially cause FGW to receive a heavy fine which will be a great deal more than any fine I receive.

Do you ask a police officer for a copy of their data protection policy if you get pulled? different legislation for someone suspected of a crime, any autharised person on the railway can take a name and address of any person suspected of a byelaw offence, it is it's self byelaw 23!

The staff stated that they wanted my name so they could arrange for me to receive a copy of a letter explaining how First were aiming to improve the service. They didn't state that it was for any sort of prosecution. However as I don't trust FGW I asked for their data protection policy. You are quite right saying that they can take the name and address of a person suspected of a byelaw offence. However if they were to use this for anything other than legal proceedings (which is what they were saying) then said personal data would be governed by the data protection act and they should have complied with my request to see their policy.