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26236
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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: Connections To/From London Paddington @ Swindon
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on: May 27, 2014, 20:48:43
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Missed the via Melksham train by 11 minutes. So despite the 11:45 being ontime leaving. 6 minutes change over time is looking like a bad idea if there isn't another service for at least an hour.
Yes ... I really wish that advance ticket connections and recommended connections were 10 minutes minimum at Swindon. Just toooo many are missing |
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26237
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All across the Great Western territory / Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 / Re: Dft seeks views proposed approach for securing next Great Western franchise
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on: May 27, 2014, 18:20:36
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They appear to have relaunched ... https://www.gov.uk/government/news/have-your-say-on-the-great-western-rail-franchise?
Have your say on the Great Western rail franchise
Organisation:
Department for Transport
Page history:Published 27 May 2014
Policy:Expanding and improving the rail network
Topics:Transport and UK▸ economy
Minister:Stephen Hammond MP▸
The network is set to be transformed over the next 5 years through a multi-billion pound programme of investment.
Passengers in the south-west are being asked for their views on the future of rail services across the region as the government considers how the Great Western franchise can best support the massive investment planned for the network.
Train services between London, Wales and many of the towns and cities of the south-west are set to be transformed through a multi-billion pound programme of investment, which will see extensive electrification of the Great Western route and the roll out of new state-of-the-art electric trains.
To ensure the franchise best meets the needs of passengers, a consultation has been launched to help decide how rail services will be managed over the next 5 years.
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said:
These are exciting times for the Great Western franchise. Extensive electrification, new state-of-the-art trains and the introduction of Crossrail services will deliver a world-class railway that improves services for passengers and drives economic growth.
To make sure we make the most of this massive investment we want to hear from anyone who has an interest in these vital routes. This is further proof of our commitment to put passengers at the heart of our franchising system.
The Great Western network is set for a series of major works over the next 5 years, including:
electrification of the Great Western Main Line from London to Wales and the Thames Valley lines as part of a ^7.5 billion upgrade of the network
the delivery of 369 new state-of-the-art carriages as part of the government^s ^5.7 billion Intercity Express Programme as well as an electric fleet for the Thames Valley lines
the introduction of new trains as part of the multi-billion pound Crossrail project
The Great Western franchise delivers 97 million passenger journeys annually and caters to commuters, business and leisure customers. High-speed trains service London, south Wales, the Cotswolds and the West Country as well as semi-fast services throughout the Thames and Kent
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26239
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Encouraging visitors to the South West - FGW campaign launches
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on: May 27, 2014, 13:26:42
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Having to provide alternative transport arrangements on the very frequent occasions when the sleeper doesn't use the TransWilts would not be particularly conducive to ensuring and retaining regular usage by passengers. Yep, flagged up in my post. I suspect that the big problem is the Sunday night train, which is also the least important because ... For the same reasons is why the Night Riviera doesn't stop for passengers at Swindon, Newbury, Westbury, Bristol, Yatton, Nailsea & Backwell, Bridgwater... all could have as much of a call on er.. calls as Melksham.
The call is for a late service from London although Cynthia's origin post looked at heading west. Swindon and Bristol already have the 23:30 - just 15 minutes ahead, so the sleeper would provide little extra. There's a pretty late Exeter train via Nailsea too. But the final Melksham train is a connection off the 19:00 - not 15 but 285 minutes earlier. I'm not sure that the sleeping pax would appreciate extra stops the 'wrong side' of 0230!
I always awake at Exeter & that's too early frankly...i'd be wuite happy for first stop after Reading to be Plymouth...
Yep, noted as a potential issue in my original post. Interesting you talk about waking at Exeter where there's an extended stop, rather than on the brief pause at Taunton. Perhaps you wouldn't notice another couple of quiet stops? I know I don't when on the (Caledonian) sleeper, but it's personal thing. Non-stop Reading to Plymouth is a bit of a red rag at the moment; faster journey times (get you to Plymouth at 4 a.m.?) in place of loosing intermediate traffic. Daytime there are very big flow indeed from Westbury to the west ... I was astonished at the crowds at about 19:30 on Sunday joining the Plymouth (or was in Penzance?) train. |
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26240
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Encouraging visitors to the South West - FGW campaign launches
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on: May 27, 2014, 06:03:10
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So are there no overnight trains to the west country, for folk who like to travel well and truly off peak?
23:45 from Paddington, 00:37 from Reading. Taunton at 02:35 ... Penzance at 07:53. It has a leisurely pace with pauses at Exeter and Plymouth for more that usual time to let passengers change trains. Logically it could be routed via Chippenham and Westbury and call (as required?) along the TransWilts on its way, very much like the Fort William sleeper (currently also operated by First) does at Ardlui, Corrour and Roy Bridge. As far as Chippenham, there's a train just a few minutes ahead from London - the 23:30; beyond there the current last service from Paddington is 21:00 to Melksham (by bus from Chippenham), 21:45 to Trowbridge, Westbury and Frome, and 20:35 to Castle Cary. Silly idea? Maybe, but some ideas that have looked silly in the past to certain people have come to pass. Issues to be considered .. need to divert train during engineering works, extra jolts waking sleeper passengers at more stops, need for stop boards at Melksham. Don't hold you breath waiting - that's dangerous; see here. |
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26243
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Traditional Bank Holiday quiz ...
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on: May 26, 2014, 17:05:39
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I think 5 is Westbury, but that isn't the difficult one, is it?
Yes, that's Westbury. Passengers waiting to board yesterday's 19:40 to Cheltenham Spa via Swindon. (lots of confusion amongst passengers looking for the train to Swindon since it was announced as "Cheltenham Spa via Melksham" ...) It's the one remaining picture - no. 7 - that may take a while to be worked out. On the other hand, we have quite a few members who use that station / go past that spot on a regular basis ... |
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26244
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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: Daytime Traffic on the TransWilts
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on: May 26, 2014, 17:00:43
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I'm going to revise my figures bearing in mind observations of numbers yesterday (Sunday - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14052.0 ), and an expectation that Sunday numbers at present are around average - they will rise in the summer (as some flows were missing yesterday) and they will fall in the winter. 252 "regular" weekday in year -> totals 92,988/25,956 (measured 15th May 2014) 52 Saturdays -> 21,840/11,180 (measured 17th May 2014) 52 Sundays -> 16,536/3,588 (measured 25th May 2014) 6 Bank Holidays -> 1,200/200 (estimated) Grand total (52 weeks / 362 days) -> 132,564/40,924 ... if the current pattern was repeated over a full year. First figure in each pair is the number of passenger journeys on Swindon - Westbury services on the Chippenham - Trowbridge section of the line (i.e. this number excludes incidental journeys from Swindon to Chippenham and from Trowbridge to Westbury, for which other services are available) Second figure is the number of passengers leaving or joining trains at Melksham station - the intermediate station between Chippenham and Trowbridge which is served only by trains on this line. In most years, a significantly number of passengers also used the Chippenham - Trowbridge section of line on long distance express trains diverted onto the line due to engineering works or operational incidents. These passengers are not counted in the number above. Where a volunteer has been travelling with the purpose of counting passenger numbers or otherwise evaluating the service, that volunteer has not been counted either. |
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26245
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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Handling of negative feedback
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on: May 26, 2014, 11:47:36
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Sad to see this as the 6th most read item on the Wiltshire Times web site ... http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/11230204.Trains_are_rubbish/?ref=mr... very curious report that doesn't quite jell as to my knowledge the only people who arrived at the station and left when they learned that the train was cancelled were in a car. I suspect that Mr and Mrs Colman drove from the nearby Portman Road and were too embarrassed to admit that in a letter to the editor. Having found that that train was cancelled and replaced by a taxi, and having planned it as a rail adventure, I can understand them simply driving on to Swindon. The cancellation / replacement of the first two round trips by buses on 18th was very unfortunate indeed - note also the negative feedback on the TransWilts Facebook page from, perhaps, an armchair critic who wasn't actually inconvenienced. I have taken the view (from the CRP▸ / Press and Publicity) viewpoint that electronic criticisms of this type should be answered in the same thread, but that printed pieces in the local newspapers should simply be left to fade out rather than stirring up controversy a week or two later after it's been forgotten. Positive stories placed instead  I could have answered fire with fire (like "if you found a road closed one day, would you swear never to use it again and say the the people who run the roads are rubbish") ... but there's no point in being provoked in public! |
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26246
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Traditional Bank Holiday quiz ...
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on: May 26, 2014, 11:27:00
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4. Dilton Marsh
Correct ... I was there yesterday afternoon; trains in both directions stopped during my visit, with five people getting off one of them and four off the other. I chatted with a couple of them, and their view is that the current services are sporadic and unhelpful in their time distribution and sources / destinations ... with attention given to these issues and changes to something more suitable, passenger numbers would grow dramatically. |
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26248
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Re: Mobile friendly site
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on: May 26, 2014, 10:10:36
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I am just discovering taptalk: http://tapatalk.com/I don't think it is supported here but are there any plans to do so, I belong to a number of forums and it certainly makes navigating round them easier. Chances are that it is not supported here and that there won't be a plugin for the rather mature software that we run (I've taken a quick look at the website and that's how they do it). I'm also not familiar with tapatalk and I don't think it's [yet?] got a significant number of users. I stand open to correction by other forum members on that, by the way. There have been some exchanges between the admins as to how / if we could take "mobile friendly" forward, looking in particular at the risks of damaging / effecting / disrupting the established experience, and of having the resources available (skills and time) to do it. Some experiments I did the other day have persuaded me that a different URL for a different mobile browsing (initially) experience may be possible, with a server login to write / test / update that experience available to a trusted volunteer with the right technical skills. By personal message, I'll bring this note to the attention of a couple of people; other well established technical member who could help are very welcome to contact me - but please note it's all a volunteer / no pay thing, and the work will purely be on the current version which may be dramatically changed in due course as described above. In reality, I'm going to suggest that won't be for at least 15 months. |
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26249
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Traditional Bank Holiday quiz ...
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on: May 26, 2014, 08:30:16
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2. is Melksham ("rubber town" as it used to be called by CB radio aficionados)
Correct - this is truly a traditional quiz, with a picture of Taunton and a picture of Melksham mandatory. Cooper Tires (formally Avon Tyres, still know as "The Avon") remains one of the largest employers in the town but now with just a shadow of its former workforce. Being on the same side of town as Melksham Station, business visitors have now been observed coming to this very road-centric type business on the new train service 3 is Waterloo
I'm sorry - it isn't  - it's going to be a tricky one is no. 3, as there are ranks of unused phones at quite a few stations these days ... |
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26250
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: The wrong direction
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on: May 26, 2014, 07:19:31
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I have heard a tale told of a traveller arriving at Paddington and wanting to get to Heathrow for a flight to Turkey. His request for assistance was misheard and hours later he arrived in Torquay.
In the days of occasional through trains to Brighton ... I know of a person waiting for hours at Leamington Spa for that train on the advise of station staff, while the train she wanted for Hatton kept arriving and leaving at the other side of the station. "I had a much stronger accent in those days" says my wife, who had just flown into Gatwick that morning ... |
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