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13507
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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: Dilton Marsh improvements from May 2019
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on: June 13, 2019, 08:28:23
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Sadly, all the SWR» services have been removed from calling at Dilton Marsh from May.
Questions to be asked. I suspect your guesses are correct, but don't let's assume if we don't have to. Any answers, anyone? From a public post / reproduced with permission: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158715023484196&set=a.10153700771924196&type=3&theaterJust looking at train times from Warminster to Salsibury (fabulous service why can't some stop at Dilton Marsh). My reply ... SWR were planning to stop extra trains at Dilton Marsh from May but at the "last minute" those timetabled stops didn't appear. I don't know why this step towards a sensible / appropriate service that would fill significant gaps failed - a point I made at the RailFuture Severnside AGM▸ held at the hall in Dilton Marsh in early April; not sure if anyone has picked that up and followed it ... and a follow up from my original correspondent ... I am amazed at how often there is no sensible option to and from Dilton and wonder that they did all that work to build, in effect, a new station but without trains. IMHO▸ .... There is a community torch for someone to pick up ... |
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13508
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All across the Great Western territory / Introductions and chat / Great Britain Timetable and Working Timetable
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on: June 13, 2019, 08:17:13
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Why do we (still) have a public and an internal railway timetable with different times in them? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158715023484196&set=a.10153700771924196&type=3&theaterJust looking at train times from Warminster to Salsibury (fabulous service why can't some stop at Dilton Marsh).
It's now 18:20. In a rapidly changing world and a fairly linear system that is a train line, how on earth can they already be predicting that the 22:11 will be exactly 1 minute late. What do they know to say that? Has the driver said he will be one minute late back from his tea? Is the train actually coming from Manchester (or somewhere else 4 hours away) and it left a minute late with no chance of recovery?
Such precision planning is impressive. My answer There are two timetables - the Great Britain Timetable (GBTT▸ ) which the public see and the Working Timetable (WTT▸ ) which is the times that rail staff run trains to. Most of the time they are the same, but for the train that's at Warminster at just after ten past ten, they vary by two and a half minutes - GBTT 22:11; WTT 22:13.5 ... it actually left at 22:11.25 ;-) But WHY still maintain two timetables? If they did just one timetable, would this allow them more time to tailor and tune it better in the time saved?  |
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13509
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All across the Great Western territory / Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 / Re: How to turn around loss making rural lines?
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on: June 13, 2019, 07:55:26
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Run trains at times that people wish to travel, no more nonsense of two trains a day neither of which is at a useful time.
Use suitable rolling stock. This not be expensive, but no more standing on single car units whilst 2 or 3 car units are stored.
Ensure that trains connect with other trains and with buses.
The biggest saving IMHO▸ would some sensible relaxing of main line safety standards for lightly used branches.
I am not convinced that all the latest safety standards are actually needed for branch lines.
As an example, if an older type DMU▸ can safely carry passengers from Bishops Lydeared to Minehead, without TPWS▸ , OTMR▸ , CSR▸ and so on, why cant a similarly equipped but SLIGHTLY newer unit also carry passengers on a branch line ?
Single car units might be the most suitable though for lightly used lines, or whilst a service is building up traffic. I think that was the case for the Melksham line? Maybe it would never have got its improved service if it had to bear the cost of a longer train. I can't think of any line in the GWR▸ region has the nonsense of two trains a day (and I don't think there are any single car trains here any more) so are you talking in the past or about now? I suppose you would be happy for speed to be limited to 25mph like it is on preserved lines too? "Two trains per day lines" only exists on GWR on their service to Brighton, via Eastleigh, and from Filton Abbey Wood on the direct line to Keynsham. There are certain station stops where other trains are passing through but there are two each way (or less!!) calls. I don't see any of those lines / services generating a new economy based on Andrew Quine's Settle and Carlisle example, and they all have alternative operators or routing available. There are no longer single carriage trains on GWR; Celestial mentions the 1 car for Melksham - yes, they are great for trial services on their way up ... their predecessors were known as "Coffin Nails" because they became the last trains on so many lines before closure. There's a view at the DfT» ( ACoRP▸ Lincoln talk a couple of years back) that there is no future for single carriage trains - to make services have more sensible finances, they really need a wide enough flow at some time of day/week/month/year to require multiple carriages. They helped, for sure, for the TransWilts which quickly filled them on the way up. If they had not been available ... hypothetical but I suspect we could have won a 2 car from day one, but subject to stock being available as there was a real shortage at that point. £600k per annum up to £750k per annum to support for years 1 to 3 - yes, I think LSTF▸ would have stretched to that. Outside GWR ... there are other lines with just 2 services a day or less ... and indeed I have travelled a number of them (recently) so that I'm aware. |
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13510
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All across the Great Western territory / Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 / Re: How to turn around loss making rural lines?
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on: June 13, 2019, 07:31:08
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The original article highlights what I would describe as an extreme case - one of the prettiest lines through just about the most remote parts of England - and looked at applying the same lessons across a far wider range. But they overlook just how different lines are. They also seem to make an assumption that because most of the people seen on the train by most travellers are tourists that there's no local / social traffic, and also that the tourist traffic ie not price sensitive. The two national network examples I quotes are 12p and 17p per mile (and many people can get a 34% discount); the heritage examples are 42p per mile (UK▸ ) and 160p per file for the overseas one. You may have a better business - if you loose half your passengers at the higher fare, you still take more money, and you can run shorter trains too. What you do is hit the associated economy and your kill virtually all social use. As you do if you also remove the quieter trains.
I thought carefully before I posted the original article which failed to address the elephants in the room to the extent I see it as rather silly/provactive, and also dangersous as it may attract followers who don't appreciate why it would not work and indeed do collateral damage, and hw it would not extend well. I posted to allow people to see if they shared my thoughts, and to add comments that actually test it on our own little forum.
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13513
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All across the Great Western territory / Introductions and chat / Chatting with strangers on your journey to work
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on: June 12, 2019, 08:13:23
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From the BBC» Most people spend part of every day surrounded by strangers, whether on their daily commute, sitting in a park or cafe, or visiting the supermarket.
Yet many of us remain in self-imposed isolation, believing that reaching out to a stranger would make you both feel uncomfortable.
These beliefs may be unwarranted. In fact, our research suggests we may often underestimate the positive impact of connecting with others for both our own and others' wellbeing.
For example, having a conversation with a stranger on your way to work may leave you both feeling happier than you would think. |
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13514
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All across the Great Western territory / Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 / How to turn around loss making rural lines?
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on: June 12, 2019, 04:49:09
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https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/how-to-turn-around-loss-making-rural-rail-linesBy Adrian Quine ... "a Non-Executive Director of the Settle to Carlisle Development Company Ltd and the author of a submission to the Williams Rail Review on turning around loss making rural lines." From the north of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall loss-making rural railway lines are embedded in the landscape. Epitomised by slow, infrequent clapped out trains often carrying just a handful of passengers they wind their way from somewhere to nowhere. Inefficient, unappealing and ultimately underused it’s understandable why many question why such lines continue to be a ‘drain on the public purse’.
However, the reason for these lines survival is complex. Most of these routes are purely ‘social’; to even suggest closure would be political suicide. So successive governments have simply given up and have resorted to instructing franchise operators to provide the bare minimum level of service.
However, such a negative approach is short sighted. Private companies might run the services but with the regulatory brief so restrictive and narrow focused there is no ability for the companies to show entrepreneurial flair. If the state can’t or won’t make a go of it then it needs to allow the private sector – or at least a partnership between the two – to have a go.
Conventional wisdom dictates that rural lines are loss making basket cases. But such narrow focused ideology is to miss a trick. After three months of painstaking forensic analysis of the Settle to Carlisle route, what was widely assumed to be a loss making liability in fact turns out to make a small profit.
etc
Some pricing and timings to help inform discussion:Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu About 40 miles / 100 minutes each way / round trip price £125 approx Leeds to Carlisle About 125 miles / 165 minutes/ round trip fares £30.80 to £59.20 before railcards Fort William to Mallaig About 45 miles / 120 minutes / round trip fare by "Jacobite" £37.75 About 45 miles / 80 minutes / round trip fare £15 to £21.30 by other train
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13515
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Journey by Journey / Cross Country services / Re: Petition for more HSTs on Cross Country Services
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on: June 11, 2019, 13:58:20
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Throwing another stone into this pond ...
The newly configured fleet running GWR▸ Intercity services to the South West comprises trains of 2 lengths - 9 vehicle ones, and shorter (5 vehicle) ones which can run alone or coupled in pairs.
The fleet enhancement proposed in this thread for Cross Country services to the South West comprises trains of more of less 2 lengths - 9 vehicle ones, and shorter (5 or 4 vehicle ones) ones which can run alone or coupled in pairs.
It looks like this enhancement proposal in terms of mix of trains lengths and couplings would very much match what has just been done on the London trains, very much celebrating the growth of rail use by enhancing capacity using very much the same formula.
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