Great Western Coffee Shop

Bristol Parkway to Melksham this evening ...  I am offered 16:31 with 2 changes (Temple Meads and Chippenham) arrive 18:03. System fails to offer 17:03 with one change (Swindon, 17:28 to 17:36) arrive 18:03.  Odd / have I misread the timetable?

Minimum change time at Swindon is?

5 minutes.  You're OK to arrive from London at 17:29 for the 17:36 ...

There's no through fare "via Swindon". Did there use to be one?

Journey Planner will offer a two-ticket fare, but it's nearly twice the "via Bath" fare.

There have never been fares or permitted routes between stations in the Bristol area and Melksham, that allow travel from/via Bristol Parkway then via Swindon.

A glaring omission in my opinion. But there are revenue issues as Bristol to Swindon is more expensive than Bristol to Melksham. That said, there's nothing stopping GWR offering more expensive 'Any Permitted' fares and amending the Routeing Guide to allow travel via Swindon. Keeping the cheaper 'Via Bath' fares.

Agreed as it would be half an hour faster via Swindon.

But I have seen the journey planner report journeys where no through ticket is available (in grey) an am surprised it's not offered to me on this one (sound like Stuving found one though).  And in any case there are valid tickets available - Severn and Solent Rover, for example!

I don't think it does add multiple-ticket options if it has valid single-ticket ones. You have to ask for something not available at all, or tell it "via" somewhere so as to deny it any valid answers.

Very "silly" to make it so difficult for a journey that's quicker than the one offered, and involves one change not two.   Does it seem sensible to report it as an anomaly, or would a new fare create extra anomalies and complexities?

The new fare would have to be higher than the BRI-SWI fare. Do you really want that?

Yeah ... that's what I was thinking. But then it would not have to be as high as (BPW- SWI) + (SWI-MKM).   Will look later - far too concerned to watch the scenery as I've got away earlier that expected and an traveling a rare line on my way home!

My error - corrected BRI to BPW.   Agreed that BRI to MKM avoiding Bath Spa would be unusual to say the least.

I think the BRI-SWI fare is higher than the route you're using....

But would become allowed as a permitted route if Bristol Parkway to Melksham via Swindon was allowed. Both Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway share a common routeing point.

There are potential unintended consequences if this one faster journey from Bristol to Melksham becomes permitted. I can understand the logic of allowing it, but I'd also understand (although not agree) if GWR said no.

Would a ticket inspector even pick up on it being an invalid route? To look quickly it would look a logic route.

Tickets say "via Bath Spa", so they might.

Having said which, it was kinda difficult to get through and check tickets tonight - at least 110 on from Chippenham, 35 off and 6 on at Melksham - 116/41

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/ex_cpm_20170228.jpg)

It is, though, already permitted if you travel between Melksham and Cardiff via Swindon (change) and Bristol Parkway, and that comes with some very interesting side effect consequences.   I don't know what the answer is, and I really don't want the consequence of another fare on the TVM form Melksham to Bristol to confuse people.    Requires more thought before making constructive suggestions (if any) - I was just a bit surprised to find no price for the BPW - MKM journey this afternoon by the fastest route with the fewest changes!

I sense that numbers are levelling off on the 1736 as the overcrowding gets close to crush capacity? (35 standees would be at least 1 per metre down the aisle and 10 in each vestibule, which feels pretty close to the limit.)

Yes - fair comment. No room to grow.   Station duties taking far longer than they should ... at Chippenham while the train was re-arranged to get the prams and all the people on, and at Melksham as people had to get back past all the luggage and stuff. 

Growth continues on the 15:12 off Swindon ... but that's getting to be standing now too.  For the growth to continue, we really need an extra carriage; to some extent we can press upwards off peak but some of those extra passengers will want to come back peak.  As an alternative, running a 16:27 from Swindon - extension of the 16:24 arrival from Cheltenham Spa, and have it continue into the 17:11 Westbury to Warminster would relieve the pressure (also create a problem because the 15:30 from Paddington would catch it up before Chippenham though).