Great Western Coffee Shop

We always here about they try to keep passengers away from coach replacement services.

Saturday 26 september

Route Bristol Parkway to Southampton via Bath train/BUS/train/train

Route Bristol parkway to Southampton via Swindon with just two trains.

Bristol Parkway to Wiltshire (and beyond?) is not a valid route via Swindon, though travel via Swindon is valid from Wiltshire to South Wales (also travelling through Bristol Parkway).   That's even if the journey is faster via Swindon.

Who (for today / tomorrow) is recommending the routing involving the bus?   Really should be an exception offered today if anyone thinks "let's offer the passengers the best journey in the circumstances", but it's likely in the "too difficult" box.

GWR journey planner only offers via Swindon

Despite rumors to the contrary, Swindon is still geographically and ceremonially in Wiltshire.

Organisationally it's not ... please read my previous email as "Stations within the Wiltshire administration area".   You can tell it they are regarded as separate by the name of bodies such as the "Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership" and the "Swindon and Wiltshire history centre".


In some cases ... in others, it's the opposite.   If I were headed for Bristol Parkway in the next half hour, I would be advised:

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/tobpw20200926_1.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/tobpw20200926_2.jpg)

Where in practise I would advise catching that same 12:28, change just once at Swindon, and arrive at Parkway some 40 minutes earlier that the journey planner suggested.

Should I ask for a journey beyond Bristol Parkway, GWR's site is quite happy to route me via Swindon ...

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/tobpw20200926_3.jpg)

I wonder how social distancing is being enforced on rail replacement buses?

I should imagine they are at best able to be around 30% full, with lengthy gaps between them I can imagine some lively discussions with the driver if people are being turned away?

Not completely. It is still "Wiltshire Police", "Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service".

And GWR refers to the station as Swindon (Wilts). 

I got on a rail replacement double decker a few weeks back at the start of its journey. Two others boarded at the same time. There seemed to be signs on every seat downstairs saying Do Not Sit Here. Upstairs almost every seat had the same signs. I did not count how many available seats there were but it wasn't many. The two other men, who did not know each other, then decided to agree how in their view facemasks were useless and we were all being repressed by the government to wear them. Obviously they were not wearing masks although I think they were when they got on. I was sitting several rows in front of them with all the windows open and was glad I was only going one stop.

Reading buses operating at 50% full, with some services that are normally used by students being re-assigned as a school only bus, allowing 100% usage. Whether the same for coaches I dont know.

Most passengers would except what the various time table information services supply.

A couple of years ago I wanted to travel from BTM to Brighton.

First route BTM to london and then train from london to three bridges and then bus from three bridges to Brighton

second route BTM to reading and then reading to three bridges using two trains then bus from three bridges to Brighton

So I looked at the route along the coast BTM to Fareham by train and Fareham to Brighton by train
At one of the stations the person in charge of the train between fareham and Brighton announced
we will be delayed here GROAN
P/A announcement alight here for the fast non stop express train to Brighton
I did liked that person in charge of our orgional train.
Reminded me of the times stood at Swindon en route to London waiting for the red Dragon to appear and disapper
and the person in charge of the train announcing if you want a fast non stop train to London alight here at Swindon.