Great Western Coffee Shop

Picture the scene, mid afternoon on Friday.   The up "Royal Dutchy" calls at Platform 5 at Taunton at 15:26 before embarking on its sprint to Reading and London, dropping off crowds of people for the 15:33 semi-fast service for Castle Cary, Westbury, Pewsey and Newbury, all of whom have to go down the stairs or lift, through the subway, and up again onto the middle platform (3 and 4) for their onward service.    Lots of luggage, many people who aren't all that mobile ...

Why not have the Royal Dutchy call at platform 4 and provide a much more customer friendly (cross platform) interchange .... this is a major flow as the queues for the lifts (down and up) indicated!

I have made that change before and on a couple of occasions it has been cross-platform.  Not sure why it is arbitrary - is it at the whim of the Exeter signaller?

That's all right if the semi-fast service is a terminator in platform 3 before returning to 'the smoke', if not I do not think a service from the South West can be signalled into platform 3 from the Exeter direction.

The 1533 starts from Taunton.

I agree that cross platform interchange makes sense. There may be an operational reason at present why not, although I can't think of one.

Looking ahead to the new timetable from Monday 21st May, it appears, from RealTime Trains, that the up Royal Duchy will be calling at platform 4 at Taunton.

Could it be that the more important market for the Royal Duchy is the Taunton to Paddington customers, who can avoid the lifts/stairs/underpass to get from the car park via the ticket office to their fast train in platform 5, but would have to wait on the next-to-facilitylessness of the island if the train were to use platform 4?

Trains can be signalled into Platforms 2 to 5 from the West but only into Platforms 2 and 3 from the East.

And platforms 5 and 6 from the east. Reversing after coming from the west.  ;)

Yes, but thats cheating BNM.  The trains cannot shunt with passengers onboard..... ::)

I thought of that before I made the suggestion.  But I wasn't aware you could get from outside the station onto platform 5 without using the lift of stairs.  I know you can get onto platform 2 without using lift or stairs - I thought it was the only one?

I would agree concerning facilities on 5 v facilities on 4 though.  Perhaps it's part of the refreshment franchise agreement that through train must use that platform (and two fingers to passengers who are connecting!)

...and trains cannot access Platform 1 from either direction....  ;D

I thought I was the cynical one. I don't think Starbucks would have such control over railway operations!

As I said, from 21st May the up Royal Duchy is due to call platform 4.

Well, not too sure about that.  Platform 1 is accessible from the UP/DOWN RELIEF line at the East end, and although its not signalled for passenger movements as its classed as a siding, you could cheat and use BNMs 'shunting' excuse...... ::)

I was thinking of passenger trains only but, looking at Open Train Times map, do you mean west rather than east?

Ooops sorry - I misread the map on Nationalrail.co.uk, and thought that the ticket office and main car park was on the north - up - side of the track. Google maps suggests some station access on north side - is that right?

Whoops!  Time to spend a period sitting in the corner on the naughty stool..... Yes, meant to say from the West. ::) :P

The northern side access that I know of is through the lower level ticket hall / office and barriers - although there are no tracks to cross, use of a lift or stairs is required to platform 5, just as it is to platform 4 - the difference being you a few yards to walk the tracks to get to that lift and stair case.


I recall that historically all trains had to stop at Swindon for 10 minutes so that the refreshment folks could sell them refreshments, so there is a precedent.   And if I was looking to invest in a franchise, I would want some sort of assurance / guarantee that my landlord and other clients of his weren't going to make changes that would route the passing trade away!

I'm confused now. OP starts with a passenger friendly suggestion to make interchange easier. Then, when it's confirmed that's what is happening, you express concern that Starbucks might lose trade.  ???

I think Starbucks on platform 5 will survive despite potentially losing a bit of trade when the up Royal Duchy switches its call to P4. If the loss is too much, if they are concerned that Royal Duchy passengers won't get their caffeine fix, they can always lobby Network Rail for a small unit to be built on the island.  ;)

Not concern from me - an asking if Starbucks might be.

I don't think they'll be trembling in their boots in Seattle.  :P ;) ;D

It's not an obvious track arrangement, is it? We are used now to the practice of only installing the S&C needed for normal operation, and not valuing flexibility, but it's hard to see what normal operations it was built for. I mean, if P6 is for terminators to or from Bristolwards, why isn't is accessible off the Down Lines? There was a half-plan to do that ten years ago, but no sign of it in the last Route Study. And if all four through tracks need to be signalled in the Up direction, why are only two available the other way?

And as for the track names - if the third track south of the Up and Down Mains west of the station is called Down/Up Relief, and the P5 track is the Up Relief, why is there no path between them? Very odd, and hardly a Victorian hangover as it was only four-tracked less than 100 years ago.

The proprietor of the refreshment rooms at Swindon certainly did in the days of Isambard Kingdom...

...so there is a precedent.  ;D

Added in edit: Oops! I see that Grahame got there before me. It's these 10 minute pauses that throw the system...

Wonder if they will be "sleepless"?

An arrangement that IKB was none too pleased with apparently.

And, even if the Starbucks at Taunton station may lose out on a few Venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, double shot, decaf, no foam, extra hot, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with light whip and extra syrup orders, they are at least serving real coffee.

The 'coffee' in the Brunel era refreshment rooms at Swindon was of questionable quality. IKB complained to the proprietor about it: