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Title: Poor Planning Post by: autotank on February 13, 2009, 10:07:12 Wales vs England tomorrow at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. Probably one of the busiest days for the South Wales Main line and a chance for the rail industry to shine with a few extra trains. The journey time from London to Cardiff by HST is really quite quick when compared to the M4 and is a chance to impress those who don't usually travel by train.
But Netwrok Rail and FGW have other ideas: Quote Until approximately 1900 on Saturday 14 February 2009 services between London Paddington and Swansea will be diverted via an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Parkway with extended journey times. Some other alterations will apply on this route. Also due to the Wales v England Six Nations Rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, services on this route are expected to be very busy. Who on earth made this decision? A five year old could have advised against it. This isn't the first time this has happened - I remember exactly the same diversion a few years ago when Wales were playing Italy. I was forced to sit in the bike area on a packed HST whilst we went for a scenic tour round Bristol. Yet again the rail industry scores a massive own goal. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: IndustryInsider on February 13, 2009, 10:11:33 Yes, it is very silly sometimes. I believe the possessions often have to be booked so far ahead that it's too early to take such fixtures into account. I think I remember hearing that some of the possessions for the Reading upgrade have had to be booked already, way before the scope of the work has been defined to allow them to be used to maximum potential.
Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: grahame on February 13, 2009, 11:05:34 Yes, it is very silly sometimes. I believe the possessions often have to be booked so far ahead that it's too early to take such fixtures into account. ... I can believe it! There seem to be incredibly long lead times in planning ahead for the smallest of things. We asked early in January if we could get two extra 125 stops on one day only in May - that's 16 weeks notice. I had to chase up the answer about four weeks later, and the answer was "too late - sorry". And this was to stop at a station which is on a corner and has to be passed at reduced speed anyway, and for which a generous section time has been allowed. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: autotank on February 13, 2009, 11:23:09 Not really a good enough excuse in my book as the Six Nations happens every year! There are always at least 2 big matches (every other year 3) at Cardiff for which demand on FGW services will be high. They should simply make sure the Cardiff - London line is working normally on 8 weekends out of 52 around the tournament to avoid embarresment. The railways need to stop hiding behind bureaucracy and rules. Flexibility is also a word managers could do with learning about. It;s not as if there isn't work to be done elsewhere on the network this weekend!
Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: inspector_blakey on February 13, 2009, 12:55:19 Not a good weekend to try going anywhere really. I assume that diversion is up through Kemble and Stroud then back down rejoining the usual route at Standish Junc, just east of BPW?
After those diversions on Saturday, the GWML is then closed between DID - SWI all day Sunday with replacement buses and west-bound services diverted after Reading. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: moonrakerz on February 13, 2009, 14:10:07 You should consider yourself lucky that there are any trains at all.
I went to the Emirates Stadium a couple of years back to watch Arsenal play some minor team called Manchester Utd - or should I say I tried to - No trains on SilverLink (as was) feeding Highbury & Islington at all ! Arsenal have the biggest percentage of home fans traveling by public transport - this is how they are encouraged ! Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: simonw on February 13, 2009, 16:29:35 It would be interesting to know how many saturdays/sundays a year that this line is functioning normally.
It can't be many! I did comment a while back the BPW is a bus depot at weekends, not a train station, and the situation has not changed. What is NR doing that takes so long? Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: Tim on February 13, 2009, 16:55:31 The GWR changed the guage of over 100 miles of track in a single weekend. Sure they had loads of cheap labour and no H&S, but we have loads of modern plant to compensate.
Not sure why things take so long on the railways but it is true. The best example I can think of is LU taking 9 months to replace an escalator which could be installed in day or two if it was in a department store. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: devon_metro on February 13, 2009, 17:26:25 Not a good weekend to try going anywhere really. I assume that diversion is up through Kemble and Stroud then back down rejoining the usual route at Standish Junc, just east of BPW? After those diversions on Saturday, the GWML is then closed between DID - SWI all day Sunday with replacement buses and west-bound services diverted after Reading. No, Swindon - Wooten Basset Jn - Thingley Jn - Bathampton Jn - North Somerset Jn - Dr Days Jn - Filton Jn - Bristol Parkway Journey time 51 minutes (normally 25) Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: dog box on February 13, 2009, 17:36:57 Wales vs England tomorrow at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. Probably one of the busiest days for the South Wales Main line and a chance for the rail industry to shine with a few extra trains. The journey time from London to Cardiff by HST is really quite quick when compared to the M4 and is a chance to impress those who don't usually travel by train. But Netwrok Rail and FGW have other ideas: Quote Until approximately 1900 on Saturday 14 February 2009 services between London Paddington and Swansea will be diverted via an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Parkway with extended journey times. Some other alterations will apply on this route. Also due to the Wales v England Six Nations Rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, services on this route are expected to be very busy. Who on earth made this decision? A five year old could have advised against it. This isn't the first time this has happened - I remember exactly the same diversion a few years ago when Wales were playing Italy. I was forced to sit in the bike area on a packed HST whilst we went for a scenic tour round Bristol. Yet again the rail industry scores a massive own goal. How did you manage to ride in the bike area of an HST then,... as it is for the carriage of bikes and luggage only Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: inspector_blakey on February 13, 2009, 19:29:04 No, Swindon - Wooten Basset Jn - Thingley Jn - Bathampton Jn - North Somerset Jn - Dr Days Jn - Filton Jn - Bristol Parkway Journey time 51 minutes (normally 25) Aaah, that makes much more sense! So given the reversal at BPW there will be lots of sets running the wrong way round come Sunday then, unless they have fun driving set after set round the triangle at Landore on Saturday night! Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: Chris from Nailsea on February 13, 2009, 19:34:35 Yet again the rail industry scores a massive own goal. Erm ... 'penalty try', perhaps: different game! ;) :D ;D Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: welshman on February 13, 2009, 20:43:19 We don't care if the English don't come tomorrow anyway.
It's actually a Celtic plot to get more tickets for the match. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: simonw on February 13, 2009, 23:47:39 The reason why GWR could update over a 100 miles of track in one weekend in 1892 was because for several years they had been updating the track to allow dual - gauge.
It was a relatively simple job to remove the third rail to leave a standard gauge track. Whilst not trying to diminish GWR's achievement, the job was not a weekend wonder, but planned and implemented over a number of years. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: Chris from Nailsea on February 14, 2009, 00:17:54 Fair comment, simonw - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway#The_.22gauge_war.22
Quote Once the GWR was in control of the whole line from London to Penzance it set about converting the remaining broad gauge tracks. The last broad gauge service left Paddington station on Friday 20 May 1892; the following Monday trains from Penzance were operated by standard gauge locomotives. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: Timmer on February 14, 2009, 12:01:07 Aaah, that makes much more sense! Services from Paddington-South Wales will call at BPW. Services to Paddington will call at Patchway instead with bus link to BPW.So given the reversal at BPW there will be lots of sets running the wrong way round come Sunday then, unless they have fun driving set after set round the triangle at Landore on Saturday night! Revised Timetable: http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/FGW%201657%20Swansea_New%20Info.qxd.pdf With regards to Six Nations fixtures, these are made available well in advance. Even if Engineering work is planned even further in advance than that, Network Rail really should be a little more flexible in assisting TOCs when extra demand for services is required for events like major sporting fixtures, music festivals etc. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: eightf48544 on February 14, 2009, 12:15:15 The reason why GWR could update over a 100 miles of track in one weekend in 1892 was because for several years they had been updating the track to allow dual - gauge. It was a relatively simple job to remove the third rail to leave a standard gauge track. Whilst not trying to diminish GWR's achievement, the job was not a weekend wonder, but planned and implemented over a number of years. Plus of course they could mobilise cheap labourers in large numbers of to undertake the actual changeover. The interesting point is when did they do the preparation and did they have blockades and a large number of possessions to do the work? My feeling is that most of the preparation would have been done by the local PW gangs between trains. Did you know the LNER poineered a single line track relaying machine before the war? With all the mechanisation of PW work we don't seem to have progressed too much as we now have to close both lines to relay track. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: John R on February 14, 2009, 12:54:30 LIne problems at Didcot due to over-running engineering work today can't be helping shift the England fans westwards efficiently.
Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: devon_metro on February 14, 2009, 14:29:44 Its worth noting that initially the line was meant to be blocked at Didcot, resulting in diverts via Westbury which would have taken quite a bit longer.
Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: devon_metro on February 14, 2009, 14:32:37 Also,
FGW extended the 1130 Paddington - Bristol TM to Cardiff. FGW ran an extra 1235 Paddington - Cardiff relief of the 1245. In true fashion it left after the 1245. (1250 Paddington) Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: G.Uard on February 14, 2009, 14:45:02 Not a good weekend to try going anywhere really. I assume that diversion is up through Kemble and Stroud then back down rejoining the usual route at Standish Junc, just east of BPW? After those diversions on Saturday, the GWML is then closed between DID - SWI all day Sunday with replacement buses and west-bound services diverted after Reading. Sorry for the correction, but the junction east of Bristol Parkway, (Yate outskirts), is Westerleigh. This is where the Charfield line leaves the main Badminton Line. Standish is in the Stroud area, some miles to the north and is where the Swindon branch diverges from the Charfield Line. Title: Re: Poor Planning Post by: inspector_blakey on February 14, 2009, 15:08:31 Sorry, I always get my knickers in a twist with those two!
I really ought to know about Westerleigh junction given that it's only just down the road from my heritage railway activities... :-[ This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |