I too thought carefully but let it stay. In this case, where other normal rules like not naming operation staff clearly don't apply it was quite an easy decision; in other cases the decision might be more difficult and different too.

The lady across the way in the carriage on the Manchester to Plymouth train was trying out all the ring phones available on her phone this evening - finding the one she liked and had the most penetrating, attention-grabbing properties.    Can we call it the "noisy carriage" please!

The metrics of abstraction is an interesting one.   Certainly the significant flow from West Wilts to Chippenham and Swindon is well known - indeed you may have noticed over the years that connections at Bath have improved from random to much better, specifically to help. If you take these people off the train into Bath Spa, you allow traffic to grow further into Bath and Bristol too without needing extra carriages, so it's more of a shakeout / adjustment than a straight abstraction in a flat use service, and an overall increase in services out of West Wiltshire which is needed often when you real there's been 80% growth in 10 years.

If you look at  http://www.wellho.net/3641_.html you'll see the timings between Swindon and Trowbridge via various modes, and you'll note how attractive the train becomes compared to the car - that's the real competition and, assured of a lasting service (we are looking beyond 2017 already - talk last Saturday to 2025 and beyond) you'll also boost Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury as commuting towns - something which the various core strategies are planning for and anticipating.

I don't know of any "via Melksham" fares, so I don't see any significant loss of revenue.  In fact it was only a couple of years back that we persuaded the fare setters to change certain "Via Bath" fares into "via Trowbridge". That got us away from the quirk of 56 pound single on the direct trains from Swindon to Salsibury, but less that half of that on the longer route and with a change of trains at Bath Spa.  On the other hand, certain fares have been held down as an inexpensive gesture of mollification for very limited services, and I'm on record as actually encouraging some of these to rise to be less extremely cheap.  That helps make the economies of the line work and will be a brick - just one brick - in the strongly built service that we're moving towards.

I hope that helps fill you in; I'm aware that I've not addressed some of the aspects raised, and some of those will have to be "wait and see".   I've just got home from Manchester - too late for the last train at the moment, and I'm on the first train out in the morning headed for Patchway.

Edit to correct typo

In the immediacy of the one day, I agree.   Although I've seen the train and the likely passenger(s) would be from connections already in - in particular from the train into which the extra stop has put.   I also noted



Which basically shows a one minute loss over the Westbury - Salisbury section.  Not bad with an extra stop and may seem good value compared to running a second train.  On a scheduled / regular basis this would also give a practical Dilton Marsh to Salisbury journey for an evening out.

The line was singled from Swindon to Kemble in the 1960s (that's being reversed today) at the time the current Swindon Panel was being put in, and a document on that has been put on the panel web site:

http://www.swindonpanel.org.uk/documents/17/Staff%20Handout.pdf

Interestingly, it looks to me as if they were going to single beyond Kemble to Sapperton tunnel in the plans, with a loop at Kemble.   And that they were planning to save 120 staff ...

Also singled at the same time - TransWilts from Thingley to Bradford Junction, and the centre bay at Chippenham removed.  I wonder if those changes too will be reversed at a future date.

And there's a link on the recently updated TransWilts Community Rail Partnership's site too

http://atrebatia.info

(See also briefing documents, constitution and much more there for an update that's more technical)

Yesterday saw the launch of the "Connecting Wiltshire" web site - to help travellers to, from and within Wiltshire make the best of all their transport options, both current and forthcoming as the improvements under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund kick in.

Here's a link into the site

http://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/connecting-your-journeys/

If the FGW train is the best / most practical way for her to get from Bristol to London and she's not going to use it any more [because of ****], she's the one who will suffer the consequences.   Don't expect the remaining passengers on the 13:30 to be so saddened at her loss that they give up the train too, nor should  you expect FGW to shed too many tears, I'm afraid, Bidisha.

The public comments added on the Huffington Post site make interesting reading.

Oh dear 

but


Seems sensible ... and indeed I still can't help wondering if the Westbury - Salisbury - beyond sections still look a bit kludged in order to meet the various SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) specs and later changes south of Salisbury.  But that's something which really can't be sorted out without a significant and wide reaching timetable review which could have come with a new franchise, but can't come with the three year management contract.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10647002._/?


Now sure if we have covered this aspect before?

It was very close to the 7pm - I pulled into the car park at 18:50 and was on the platform by 19:02 - so my 18:55 is an estimate.  You have car park ticket machine, booking office door, booking and walk in those 12 minutes and I will not be asking.   I was more surprised that it's scheduled to close as early as 7 pm, and disappointed at insufficient information being available (an impractical "please enquire") between a 70 pound ticket and a 150 pound one.

As it's not the first time engineering works have overrun, presumably it is to a contingency plan, even though things will be frantic as it is implemented 

Thanks for those feedbacks - they rather confirm my view that some form of alternative transport as far as Melksham Station should have been offered - be it substitute bus or taxi - at no extra cost to the people who had already paid for transportation.   A seat on the scheduled bus about an hour later may have been sensible and acceptable too.  To only offer them the option to pay for a taxi themselves and reclaim really isn't right in the circumstances as told to me.

Again - qualified by "but I wasn't there" ... but strengthen by a very similar experience indeed that I had personally a few months back, and described on the forum.

It doesn't say at what time on Monday they'll return to normal  and it only says due to anyway ...

Into Bristol Parkway at 18:55, to buy a ticket and catch 19:09 to Manchester. Walk to ticket office but doors won't open.  Surely it doesn't close this early?   Chap walks up inside waves me away and locks the door.   Looks like it does close this early!

Go to ticket machine - I already know what I want and find it on the panel.  "Off Peak" I press and it says ...
"Please Enquire for Restrictions" But where can I ask - no staff to be seen anywhere!
"Valid via any permitted route" But isn't that tautlogy - surely every ticket is valid via the routes it's permitted on.

Why the heck not say "Valid on trains scheduled to leave after 09:30 on Monday to Friday and and time Saturday and Sunday", and "Valid on through trains, and also with changes of train at Birmingham New Street, Tamworth, Lichfield, Stafford and Crewe - also via Newport, Hereford and Shrewsbury".   Hmm - I suppose that's getting a bit complex and I'm answering my own question!