Great Western Coffee Shop

Journey by Journey => Plymouth and Cornwall => Topic started by: Kernowman on August 12, 2021, 21:58:40



Title: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Kernowman on August 12, 2021, 21:58:40
From the GWR website:

To better serve customers for Falmouth Week and Boardmasters in
Newquay, we have made a number of changes to our train service.
Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 August
• All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1914 are replaced by buses
• 4 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
• On 11 August only, 0637 London Paddington to Penzance terminate at
Plymouth. This connects with an additional 0945 Plymouth to Penzance
• 0904 London Paddington to Plymouth no longer calls at Totnes
• 1004 London Paddington to Penzance terminate at Plymouth
• 1736 London Paddington to Plymouth does not run
• 1804 London Paddington to Penzance calls additionally at Castle Cary
• 1412 Paignton to London Paddington starts earlier from Paignton at 1336
• 1215 Penzance to London Paddington terminates at Plymouth. This connects
with an additional 1415 Plymouth to London Paddington
• 1615 Penzance to London Paddington starts at Par at 1717
• On 11 August only, Falmouth Town station is closed all day. Customers should
use Falmouth Docks instead
Friday 13 August
• All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1719 are replaced by buses
• 3 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
• 0904 London Paddington to Plymouth no longer calls at Totnes
• 1736 London Paddington to Plymouth does not run
• 1804 London Paddignton to Penzance calls additionally at Castle Cary
• 1412 Paignton to London Paddington starts earlier from Paignton at 1336
Monday 16 August
• All trains between Par and Newquay from 0712 to 2021 are replaced by buses
• Additional trains run from Newquay to London Paddington at 0835, 1032,
1231, 1419 and 1631. An additional train also runs to Plymouth at 1758
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0540 Plymouth to Penzance does not run
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
• 0637, 0804 and 1004 London Paddington to Penzance all terminate
at Plymouth
• 0712 Plymouth to Penzance is replaced by an additional 0715 train run by
CrossCountry and runs non-stop Plymouth to Liskeard
• 0815, 1015, 1215, 1415 and 1615 Penzance to London Paddington do not run.
Alternative services run from Penzance to Plymouth, where customers can
change into direct services to London Paddington
• 0945 Plymouth to Penzance runs additionally
• 1030 Penzance to Plymouth is an additional train run by CrossCountry
• 1225 Penzance to Par runs additionally
• 1404 Par to Penzance runs additionally
• 1515 Penzance to Plymouth departs at 1520 and terminates at Par
• 1615 Penzance to Plymouth runs additionally
Other service changes may be made at short notice


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: CyclingSid on August 13, 2021, 06:49:45
Which of these will accept boards???


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: TaplowGreen on August 13, 2021, 07:29:01
Which of these will accept boards???

It's a round figure  ::)


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: grahame on August 13, 2021, 09:33:06
Which of these will accept boards???

It's a round figure  ::)

Does it strike you as ironic that the usual trains running to Newquay, on which surfboards can be carried, are replaced by trains that they are not allowed onto for the main arrival and departure times for Boardmasters?


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: TaplowGreen on August 13, 2021, 09:43:58
Which of these will accept boards???

It's a round figure  ::)

Does it strike you as ironic that the usual trains running to Newquay, on which surfboards can be carried, are replaced by trains that they are not allowed onto for the main arrival and departure times for Boardmasters?

Ironic is one word for it.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Clan Line on August 13, 2021, 11:47:04
From the GWR website:

To better serve customers for Falmouth Week and Boardmasters in
Newquay, we have made a number of changes to our train service.


As soon as I read that I just knew what was to follow ...................just like my local Barclays........"to provide a better service, we are closing this branch".


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: eightonedee on August 13, 2021, 12:57:00
As the late Eric Morecambe would have said "it's the way you tell them"

This must take a prize for failing to communicate clearly. It starts by saying that they are trying to serve two popular events and then seems to largely be a list of cancellations!

How many would get no further than
Quote
All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1914 are replaced by buses
, assuming that the line has been closed, and you cannot get to Newquay by train?

Then there's 
Quote
4 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
. Extra above what? You have just told the confused punters that there are no trains between Par and Newquay. Presumably what they mean to say is that trains will be running all the way from Plymouth to Newquay instead of just starting at Par. For heaven's sake say so, and why not give the departure times as well. It looks like a classic case of railway industry mentality "ooh, no Newquay branch trains today" was clearly at the front of the mind of the person who put this together without giving a moment's thought to how what they had just written looks to the uninitiated in the context of a revised service. 

And presumably those trains will go back from Newquay to Plymouth? It's not clear, and not something either the infrequent or  experienced traveller could be confident about.

Then there's the confusing list of alterations between Penzance and Plymouth. Surely a simple statement that a number of through services to and from Penzance will be replaced by services between London and Plymouth and between Plymouth and Penzance might give some re-assurance to passengers that this is not a butchery of the time table.

And why are random announcements about a Paignton train and buses replacing trains to Gunnislake buried in the middle of these Boardmaster and Falmouth related changes? 


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Lee on August 13, 2021, 13:55:22
As the late Eric Morecambe would have said "it's the way you tell them" 

"We're running all the right trains, but not necessarily in the right order..."


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: grahame on August 13, 2021, 14:05:44
As the late Eric Morecambe would have said "it's the way you tell them" 

"We're running all the right trains, but not necessarily in the right order..."

Ah ... do you remember "We've only run half the trains today [one], but it was twice the normal length so I don't know what you're complaining about".     To note - historic; don't see that reason being seen as reasonable by the GWR team today!


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: eXPassenger on August 13, 2021, 14:20:10
As the late Eric Morecambe would have said "it's the way you tell them"

This must take a prize for failing to communicate clearly. It starts by saying that they are trying to serve two popular events and then seems to largely be a list of cancellations!

How many would get no further than
Quote
All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1914 are replaced by buses
, assuming that the line has been closed, and you cannot get to Newquay by train?

Then there's 
Quote
4 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
. Extra above what? You have just told the confused punters that there are no trains between Par and Newquay. Presumably what they mean to say is that trains will be running all the way from Plymouth to Newquay instead of just starting at Par. For heaven's sake say so, and why not give the departure times as well. It looks like a classic case of railway industry mentality "ooh, no Newquay branch trains today" was clearly at the front of the mind of the person who put this together without giving a moment's thought to how what they had just written looks to the uninitiated in the context of a revised service. 

And presumably those trains will go back from Newquay to Plymouth? It's not clear, and not something either the infrequent or  experienced traveller could be confident about.

Then there's the confusing list of alterations between Penzance and Plymouth. Surely a simple statement that a number of through services to and from Penzance will be replaced by services between London and Plymouth and between Plymouth and Penzance might give some re-assurance to passengers that this is not a butchery of the time table.

And why are random announcements about a Paignton train and buses replacing trains to Gunnislake buried in the middle of these Boardmaster and Falmouth related changes? 

That was my thought as well and I checked the wording on the GWR site in case the wording was a spoof.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: LiskeardRich on August 13, 2021, 15:58:30
As the late Eric Morecambe would have said "it's the way you tell them"

This must take a prize for failing to communicate clearly. It starts by saying that they are trying to serve two popular events and then seems to largely be a list of cancellations!

How many would get no further than
Quote
All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1914 are replaced by buses
, assuming that the line has been closed, and you cannot get to Newquay by train?

Then there's 
Quote
4 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
. Extra above what? You have just told the confused punters that there are no trains between Par and Newquay. Presumably what they mean to say is that trains will be running all the way from Plymouth to Newquay instead of just starting at Par. For heaven's sake say so, and why not give the departure times as well. It looks like a classic case of railway industry mentality "ooh, no Newquay branch trains today" was clearly at the front of the mind of the person who put this together without giving a moment's thought to how what they had just written looks to the uninitiated in the context of a revised service. 

And presumably those trains will go back from Newquay to Plymouth? It's not clear, and not something either the infrequent or  experienced traveller could be confident about.

Then there's the confusing list of alterations between Penzance and Plymouth. Surely a simple statement that a number of through services to and from Penzance will be replaced by services between London and Plymouth and between Plymouth and Penzance might give some re-assurance to passengers that this is not a butchery of the time table.

And why are random announcements about a Paignton train and buses replacing trains to Gunnislake buried in the middle of these Boardmaster and Falmouth related changes? 

Presumably the Plymouth to Newquay services aren’t serving the intermediate stations? So cancelled at those stations?


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: grahame on August 13, 2021, 16:47:35
It becomes clearer - for those of us who are used to reading operational stuff - via Real Time Trains.  For next Monday, for example:

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqy_20210816.jpg)

It looks like through London to Penzance trains are terminating for the most part at Plymouth, passengers having to transfer I suspect to 4 car trains which would normally be running Cardiff - Plymouth - Penzance services.   There's a couple of trains saved there with the cut back to Bristol at the moment.

I think that some of our members who feel that a five carriage train is too short for long distance journeys may be even less happy with a four car train, but in the great scheme of things those four carriage thingummies are quite nice.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: ellendune on August 13, 2021, 16:54:40
Is there some big event at Luxulyan next week?


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Kernowman on August 13, 2021, 18:06:43
Monday 16 August
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
The route will be interesting, I wonder if it's an amphibious bus?!

Btw for those interested, the Cornwall Railway Society website is reporting that the 06.20 Plymouth - Penzance and 09.25 Penzance - Edinburgh has been a Cross Country HST all week instead of the usual Voyager.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: grahame on August 13, 2021, 18:35:04
Monday 16 August
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
The route will be interesting, I wonder if it's an amphibious bus?!


Appears to be two buses - Plymouth to Calstock via Gunnislake and Plymouth to Bere Ferrers via Bere Alston, same in reverse.  Intermediate traffic probably light.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Trowres on August 13, 2021, 18:48:41
Friday:
Quote
• 1736 London Paddington to Plymouth does not run
• 1804 London Paddignton to Penzance calls additionally at Castle Cary

So Castle Cary has an additional stop in the 1804 in lieu of the cancelled train... but Pewsey and Westbury do not.

Never mind, there's the 1J93 Paddington-Frome... except that's also cancelled.
The best offer seems to be the 1C93 Paddington-Plymouth, which, surprisingly, stops at Hungerford and Bedwyn in addition to Pewsey and Westbury. (not a special for this week only).


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: LiskeardRich on August 13, 2021, 19:47:44
Monday 16 August
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
The route will be interesting, I wonder if it's an amphibious bus?!

Btw for those interested, the Cornwall Railway Society website is reporting that the 06.20 Plymouth - Penzance and 09.25 Penzance - Edinburgh has been a Cross Country HST all week instead of the usual Voyager.

Gunnislake is always 2 small buses. 1 for gunnislake and Calstock. The other for Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers. Oakleys coaches were covering the evening runs recently with  small Optare Solos


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Kernowman on August 17, 2021, 22:03:13
Monday 16 August
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
The route will be interesting, I wonder if it's an amphibious bus?!

Gunnislake is always 2 small buses. 1 for gunnislake and Calstock. The other for Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers. Oakleys coaches were covering the evening runs recently with  small Optare Solos
I'm wondering what happens with the Plymouth suburban stations, that the train would have called at?
The timings must be interesting (and presumably fairly longer than by train), Bere Ferrers to Plymouth is fairly circuitous in order to get over the River Tavy, likewise Calstock to Plymouth is fairly circuitous in order to get over the Tamar. I imagine you would need to bear that in mind especially if connecting into other services.

BTW re Boardmasters, the 10.32 Newquay to Paddington and 12.31 Newquay to Paddington were both 9 car IETs on Monday and apparently very well filled! I don't know about the 08.37, 14.19 or 16.20 NQY - PADs.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: LiskeardRich on August 17, 2021, 22:53:05
Monday 16 August
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
The route will be interesting, I wonder if it's an amphibious bus?!

Gunnislake is always 2 small buses. 1 for gunnislake and Calstock. The other for Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers. Oakleys coaches were covering the evening runs recently with  small Optare Solos
I'm wondering what happens with the Plymouth suburban stations, that the train would have called at?
The timings must be interesting (and presumably fairly longer than by train), Bere Ferrers to Plymouth is fairly circuitous in order to get over the River Tavy, likewise Calstock to Plymouth is fairly circuitous in order to get over the Tamar. I imagine you would need to bear that in mind especially if connecting into other services.

BTW re Boardmasters, the 10.32 Newquay to Paddington and 12.31 Newquay to Paddington were both 9 car IETs on Monday and apparently very well filled! I don't know about the 08.37, 14.19 or 16.20 NQY - PADs.

The buses don’t serve the suburban stations. Not sure if an alternative arrangement is made


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: grahame on August 18, 2021, 02:45:42
The buses don’t serve the suburban stations. Not sure if an alternative arrangement is made

Passenger numbers at Dockyard, Keyham and St Budeaux are very low and I doubt there are (m)any for those early trains / buses.  The outbound  train is express to St Budeaux Victoria Road anyway.  Inbound, the train has a historic use for people working in Plymouth including at the dockyard, but passenger number figures would suggest this is now little used for that purpose - OR there's a quirk in the data, for example with everyone using Plymouth tickets and leaving / joining short.

Devonport figures are higher; the big flow there is to and from schools ... so not August and not this early in the day.



Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Kernowman on August 23, 2021, 19:37:16
The buses don’t serve the suburban stations. Not sure if an alternative arrangement is made

Passenger numbers at Dockyard, Keyham and St Budeaux are very low and I doubt there are (m)any for those early trains / buses.  The outbound  train is express to St Budeaux Victoria Road anyway.  Inbound, the train has a historic use for people working in Plymouth including at the dockyard, but passenger number figures would suggest this is now little used for that purpose - OR there's a quirk in the data, for example with everyone using Plymouth tickets and leaving / joining short.

Devonport figures are higher; the big flow there is to and from schools ... so not August and not this early in the day.



I accept that footfall for the Plymouth suburban stations may not be that high, but surely if you cancel a train and say it's being replaced by a bus/buses, but don't tell people that the bus doesn't serve all the stations that the train would have, then surely that's a bit misleading, and could cause significant inconvenience?!


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: ellendune on August 23, 2021, 20:52:55
I see that Boardmasters is causing a massive spike in Covid numbers in Newquay! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323)


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: TaplowGreen on August 23, 2021, 21:11:17
I see that Boardmasters is causing a massive spike in Covid numbers in Newquay! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323)

Sadly, not at all surprising.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Timmer on August 23, 2021, 21:39:36
I think it’s across the board* with Devon and Cornwall having some of the highest covid rates in the UK. Can’t think why  ::)

*No pun intended  ;)


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: trainbuff on August 23, 2021, 23:44:01
I think it’s across the board* with Devon and Cornwall having some of the highest covid rates in the UK. Can’t think why  ::)

*No pun intended  ;)
Grockles and emmets? More people in confined area or at a festival and bound to happen. Even if double vaccinated one can still carry as much contagion of the Delta variant as anyone else


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: broadgage on August 24, 2021, 02:28:34
I see that Boardmasters is causing a massive spike in Covid numbers in Newquay! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323)

Sadly, not at all surprising.

We should all be thankful for the benevolence of GWR in limiting access to this event, by means of closing stations  and bustitution and in refusing to convey surfboards, thereby limiting the risks to innocent people.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: TaplowGreen on August 24, 2021, 06:50:43
I see that Boardmasters is causing a massive spike in Covid numbers in Newquay! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323)

Sadly, not at all surprising.

We should all be thankful for the benevolence of GWR in limiting access to this event, by means of closing stations  and bustitution and in refusing to convey surfboards, thereby limiting the risks to innocent people.

"Innocent" people?


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: GBM on August 24, 2021, 07:31:28
I see that Boardmasters is causing a massive spike in Covid numbers in Newquay! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323)
Part of the picture but not all.

Boardmasters was an outdoor festival, with PCR checks to enter, etc.
Newquay town is also over-run with visitors, going into indoor venues with no PCR checks.  Just a request to wear masks, and admissions open to all.
Nightclubs, pubs, shops, etc.
Falmouth & St Ives are also on a high since before the G7 (in case anyone is going to go that far back).
Too many people in too small a space.

Whilst the infection rates are very high, hospital admissions are way down fortunately.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: Clan Line on August 24, 2021, 16:31:35

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58318695


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: bradshaw on August 24, 2021, 16:42:13
The cases around us in West Dorset are now higher than they were in the January peak.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: LiskeardRich on August 25, 2021, 09:56:58
Let’s remember this time of year, and festivals in particular have always been a super spreader for viruses and sniffles. We’ve just got a high profile virus which aids the media agenda this year.
Infections may be high but nearly all with minor symptoms no worse than a cold or other viral infection. Hospitalisation and death rate is low. There is nothing really to report worse than any other year.


Title: Re: Boardmasters etc
Post by: ellendune on August 25, 2021, 10:41:29
Very optimistic.  High profile because there were 502 deaths with Covid mentioned on the death certificate in week ending 6th August in England. There were 875 excess deaths in the same week so no this is not just high profile it is killing people of all ages.  The covid dashboard indicates an average of 75 deaths per day.  Lets continue to take care of each other. 



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