Great Western Coffee Shop

A former rugby star has raised questions over rail travel for fans coming to Cardiff to watch a Rugby World Cup quarter final on 6 October 2007 (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6946758.stm

The game is scheduled to begin in the Millennium Stadium at 2000 BST but currently the last train from Cardiff to London will leave at 2030 BST.

Former England prop Victor Ubogu said the lack of services could be "chaotic" for fans basing themselves in London.

A First Great Western spokesman said extra trains were "being looked into"

Mr Ubogu claimed that Network Rail will not open the tracks to operate beyond their normal timetable.

A spokesperson for Network Rail denied the tracks would be closed but said that engineering works were planned to take place in Bristol and London on the night of Saturday 6 October and so any trains that did run would be diverted from the main line.

"If First Great Western want to run extra trains, I am sure we will speak to them and try to work something out,"

Mr Ubugo also claimed that he had appealed to First Great Western to lay on extra trains but they said it would not be possible.

A spokesman for First Great Western said they could not make any comment on whether extra train services would be laid on until they knew the extent of the engineering work on the line.

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said he would be writing to First Great Western.

More on this in the links below.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=transport-shock-for-rugby-world-cup-fans%26method=full%26objectid=19631239%26siteid=50082-name_page.html

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=rugby-rail-service-is-a-poor-advert-for-wales%26method=full%26objectid=19631130%26siteid=50082-name_page.html

Apparently , even a privately chartered train has been refused permission to return to London after the match.

A Cardiff MP says poor planning of rail services for rugby fans visiting the city threatens to damage the capital's reputation as a sporting destination (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6948462.stm

First Great Western says criticism over Rugby World Cup train services should be directed at tournament organisers (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6950256.stm

Whoever is to blame (and these days, assigning the blame seems to be a top priority) it does appear to be something of a screwup.  And yet don't I recall the FA cup final in Cardiff - or was it some other even - when the train service the evening after the match was curatiled because the crowds would have made it dangerous?  Or was I dreaming about that?   

Regardless of who it is to blame, it is silly that train services are not run 24hr a day between major cities.

I accept that it is not valid to run a 30 minute service from Cardiff to London 24x7, but it is also inconvenient that many routes only operate for between 12-18 hrs a day.

I'm just back from the USA where I have been travelling on the DC Metro, the NJ Transit, and Amtrak.  I have to say that there are a lot of things that I saw that make me greatly appreciate the positives of what we have here (given time I'll write about them).  However, I was struck over there with some of the early starts / late finished to services and thought how welcome that would be here.   Also their apparent ability to undertake major engineering works without closing the line down!

It was only a few years ago that there WAS a middle of the night train from South Wales up to London and back .... as I recall it ran to Maesteg of all places at one time. Pity that's gone; I wonder how much use a train (wouldn't need a 125 - "Just" a 158?) every 60 or 90 minutes through the night from Paddington to Swansea, via Bristol TM and making some intermediate stops beteeen Paddington and Reading, would get?
Would such a service require extra resources now that FGW are going to be doing middle-of-the-day servicing of some sets at St Philip's Marsh?

Just idle thoughts - quite prepeared to be told why it wouldn't work!

Rail watchdogs fear chaos after Wales^ Rugby World Cup match in Cardiff next month unless extra trains are provided to take fans home (link below.)
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=rail-watchdog-warns-of-japan-match-travel-chaos%26method=full%26objectid=19685255%26siteid=50082-name_page.html

But rail bosses say extra trains home for fans could affect commuters^ journeys to work the following morning.

Other last trains could be swamped by the crowds,  especially on the Valley Lines where four-coach trains are the maximum possible.

^There^s going to be very few services left to take a very large number of Welsh fans back home,^ said Simon Pickering , of Passenger Focus.

^We^ve contacted Arriva and the Welsh Assembly Government and asked them what plans they are potentially making for that."

^Arriva point out that they could do something but it would mean dismantling the next day^s train services. Rolling stock will not be where it^s meant to be the next morning. The WAG have to look at whether they want to ask Arriva to make provision for a special event which would impact on commuters the following morning.^

Arriva Trains Wales may have to consider the safety implications of large crowds of fans trying to board the last train of the day back home.

An ATW spokeswoman said, ^We^re intending to run additional late trains after that match, but there are issues that still need to be sorted out.^

Update from Ollie on this (link below.)
http://www.iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Extra trains will be laid on to ensure fans can get home following a Rugby World Cup quarter final in Cardiff (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6994885.stm

In a letter to Jenny Randerson AM , Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher said: "You will be pleased to hear that we have managed to accommodate the additional services that have been requested by First Great Western and Arriva Trains Wales."

"Following these requests, three extra services will run to London after the match on the evening of 6 October 2007."

It is not yet clear what times these trains will depart from Cardiff.

From the FGW Website :

Following detailed negotiations to cater for the Rugby World Cup Quarter Final late kick off on Saturday 6th October, First Great Western confirms that it will run three special Rugby trains to fans back to London from South Wales.

The trains will consist of locomotive hauled carriages that have been hired in. They will be leaving Cardiff at 2230, 2240, and 2300 on Saturday and arriving in London Paddington after 0100 on Sunday morning.

The trains will have up to 12 carriages and make stops en route.
 
As with most sporting fixtures, a controlled boarding system will operate to cater for the large numbers expected and to ensure their safety.

Given the length of the journey, the trains will be for seated travel only.

Train details:
^ Cardiff leaves at 2230 - arrives Paddington 0101 calls at Newport, Bristol Parkway, Swindon & Reading.

^ Cardiff leaves at 2240 - arrives Paddington 0118 calls at Newport, Bristol Parkway, Swindon, Didcot Parkway & Reading .

^ Cardiff leaves at 2300 - arrives Paddington 0131 calls at Newport, Bristol Parkway, Swindon & Reading.

Existing open return tickets will be honoured.

Customers wishing to travel are advised to arrive at the station as soon as possible in order to minimise delays and receive boarding cards.

First Great Western is also strengthening its local and regional services to add capacity for the event. This includes more carriages to the match and, back-up services to complement demand after the match - serving Swansea and Bristol Temple Meads.

Interesting, who's operating these extras and on whose safety case or is it a case of the safety case being thrown out of the window for this occasion ???

Maybe as passengers will require boarding cards then the service will strictly speaking be a charter for which EWS have a safety case for? just a thought.

As I have posted before, EWS operates by far the largest number of charter trains in England, Wales and Scotland, they move HMQ and POW and all their hangers on around in the family train.

Just another example of BARMY BRITAIN.