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15211  Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: A bit of 'outside the box' thinking to avoid cancelling a service. on: February 24, 2010, 23:31:04
Incidentally, top marks to the Train Manager who gave clear information over the PA (Public Address) regarding the delay and the reasons why the train would reverse after BPW» (Bristol Parkway - next trains), using laymans terms. He then walked the train, answering pax questions about onward connections in South and West Wales.

A lady sat in front of me was concerned that she'd miss her connection to Milford Haven and subsequently face a 2 hour delay. I got chatting with her and learnt this was her first train journey for nearly 10 years. I offered advice with regard to claiming compensation and gave her a FGW (First Great Western) compo form that I happened to have on me.

As I left at BPW the TM(resolve) was still busy liaising with Control regarding arranging onward road transport for pax travelling beyond Swansea who were likely to miss their connections and face a 2 hour wait for their next service.

I'd like to pass on praise to FGW for this TMs sterling customer service, but I neglected to get his name (I was distracted by a brand spanking Class 70 parked at BPW - God, they're ugly Grin ). I've got the headcode for the service (1B40), but if anyone out there in coffeeshop land knows his name, then please PM me.... so much better to include a name in a praising e-mail.
15212  Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: A bit of 'outside the box' thinking to avoid cancelling a service. on: February 24, 2010, 23:12:18
I don't know what was the case with this particular service. The TM(resolve) was still doing his normal rounds between SWI» (Swindon - next trains) and BPW» (Bristol Parkway - next trains). Unsure as to whether another 'competent' person was up front, although there was a protracted staff meeting at the forward pointy end whilst we stood at SWI.
15213  All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: Cambridge Guided Busway - ongoing discussion and updates (merged topic) on: February 24, 2010, 22:46:56
Thanks for that link, Welshman.

From the comments, it appears that Cambridgeshire has a history of interesting, white elephant, public transport ideas.

Forget stringing up the knitting on the GWML (Great Western Main Line), lets revive this techology:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracked_Hovercraft

 Grin

15214  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Advance fares specific trains on: February 24, 2010, 22:28:24
National Rail Enquiries says:

Quote
If the ^Route^ also states ^and Connections^, travel is allowed on appropriate connecting trains where shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary.

Online purchases include an itinerary in the confirmation e-mail. Station purchases include a printed itinerary on a paper receipt, either on a till roll type piece of paper, or at the request of the passenger, printed out on a sheet of A4.
15215  Journey by Journey / London to the Cotswolds / Re: Trip report - Potters Bar to Worcester Foregate Street, 22/2/10 on: February 24, 2010, 21:55:09
I recall from reading one of the stickers in the vestibules of a 180 that Adelante is an actual Spanish word (something to do with progress or moving forward, I think) which would explain why there are other things named the same. Presumably this is because they were (I think...) at least partially built by Alst(h)om in Spain.

a^de^lan^te (adv.): forward, ahead.

Idiom: ^adelante!: come in!*, come on ahead!

*but come in quickly before the automatic door shuts on your trailing leg!
15216  Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: A bit of 'outside the box' thinking to avoid cancelling a service. on: February 24, 2010, 21:46:47
If AWS (Automatic Warning System) is duff it needs to be turned at the nearest opportunity. Obviously it wasn't considered convenient at Swindon. 

Or indeed even possible to turn at Swindon!
15217  Journey by Journey / London to the Cotswolds / Re: Trip report - Potters Bar to Worcester Foregate Street, 22/2/10 on: February 24, 2010, 18:59:01
We had a perfectly suitable fleet of 5 car Adelantes for just such services. Unfortunately FGW (First Great Western) got rid of them just as they started working properly!!

Off topic but Wikipedia says the name 'Adelante' was devised by FGW. However it is also the name of a Cuban and an Argentinian newspaper, a song by Sash! and and album and single tie-in from a Spanish 'Pop Idol' type reality show.
15218  Journey by Journey / London to the Cotswolds / Re: Trip report - Potters Bar to Worcester Foregate Street, 22/2/10 on: February 24, 2010, 17:50:08
 Roll Eyes Roll Eyes

Not sure I think the idea of splitting HST (High Speed Train)'s is anything more than pie in the sky. Far, far to many obstacles to overcome, conversion costs alone would be huge. Remote control cabling, auto-couplers, impact protection, lick of yellow paint, duplication of facilities in each half set (disabled, catering, TM(resolve) office) etc etc etc.
15219  Journey by Journey / London to Reading / Re: Ticket machines at Maidenhead? on: February 24, 2010, 17:33:13
I know it is still a case of the onus being on the passenger and this won't be a suitable answer for everyone, but if I find myself at a PF (Penalty Fare) station and the TVM (Ticket Vending Machine) is in one of it's 'cards/cash only' modes, I will take a picture of it (perhaps framed with my watch hand holding a newspaper - to prove the time/date!) to show any RPI (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) I might encounter en-route. I don't trust the revenue staff enough to believe that if they check that the machine is unable to retail all tickets in all payment methods, that the answer they get back will reflect reality. Is it not possible for a machine to be card/cash only and when checked remotely be shown as functioning normally. Like Inspector_blakey said, I'm also unsure just how robust the system is for remotely checking faults - what if the the banking system is down temporarily and by the time you are challenged and the machine is remotely checked, it is functioning normally again?
15220  Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / A bit of 'outside the box' thinking to avoid cancelling a service. on: February 24, 2010, 17:16:46
Today I travellled from Swindon to Bristol Parkway on the 1438 (1345 ex PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to Swansea) and we were delayed departing Swindon by 25 mins because the front power car had 'technical issues.'

Overhearing radio traffic between station staff and later confirmation by the TM(resolve), was that the front power car's AWS (Automatic Warning System) wasn't functioning correctly but we were given permission to proceed to BPW» (Bristol Parkway - next trains), I guess with just ATP (Automatic Train Protection).

To avoid cancelling the service, after BPW the train proceeded to Filton Abbey Wood where it reversed so that it could utilise the other power car for the remainder of the journey to Swansea. I'm assuming this was done because ATP isn't fitted on the line all the way to Swansea. Is this correct?

I wonder what happened to this HST (High Speed Train) at Swansea. Whether it was taken out of service or reversed again to continue with its diagram. Or even fixed!
15221  Journey by Journey / London to the Cotswolds / Re: Vandalism on: February 23, 2010, 17:49:18
Hear hear, a bit of restorative justice would not have gone amiss.

However I imagine there are all sorts of 'elf n safety reasons why the scrotes can't be punished in this way.
15222  Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: SVB line passengers complain they cannot pay fares (29/01/2010) on: February 23, 2010, 11:37:42
I start many a journey from SHH and have purchased tickets to many exotic locations beyond Bath Spa - often having to help the guard/ATE find the correct fare in Avantix (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains). I've also purchased multiple splits as well.

I guess it's my fault the the guards/ATEs aren't getting through the whole train!!!
15223  Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / SVB line passengers complain they cannot pay fares (29/01/2010) on: February 23, 2010, 01:57:56
From Bristol Evening Post:

An article from last month I've only just come across:

Quote
Passengers on the Severn Beach railway line into Bristol are fed up ^ because they cannot pay their fares. They say they want to support the service which has come close to being axed in the past. But the peak-time trains often get too busy and the journey times are too short for the conductors to check tickets or take fares.

Temple Meads is the only station on the line where passengers can buy tickets. Otherwise they have to get them from a conductor on the train.

First Great Western, which runs the service, says it has put on extra staff at busy periods and are also looking at putting in ticket machines at stations along the line.

Bristol's transport leader Dr Jon Rogers, a family GP who regularly uses the service to travel to Avonmouth, said he had complaints from people who use the line from Montpelier Station. He said: "It is something I have spoken to First Great Western about before and I shall do so again. The council is pleased to invest in our local railway services, but First Great Western has a duty to maximise the collection of fares so that this taxpayer subsidy is not wasted."

The council pays an annual ^450,000 subsidy so the train company can run half-hourly trains at peak times. During the past year, the number of passengers who use the line has increased by nearly a third. The number of passengers who get on the train at Severn Beach or Avonmouth are few but the carriages quickly fill up at the stations nearer Bristol. Many passengers hop on and off the train for just a few stops which means they are only on board for a matter of a few minutes. The train takes 29 minutes to travel from Avonmouth to Bristol Temple Meads, stopping at Shirehampton, Sea Mills, Clifton Down, Redland, Montpelier, Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill.

Paul Harrod, prospective Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West, who raised the issue with Dr Rogers, said he was getting an increasing number of complaints from commuters who regularly use the line. He said: "We all welcome the extra investment the council has put into the Severn Beach line so that a half-hourly service can be run. Yet no one wants to see a taxpayer subsidy continue indefinitely. First Great Western need to make every effort to collect fares ^ even when passengers are making journeys of just a few miles. It is a bizarre state of affairs when people are complaining about not being able to hand over money to a train company!"

First Great Western spokesman Dan Panes said: "The enormous success of the enhanced Severn Beach services has seen passenger numbers grow by up to 30 per cent on the line in the past year. Unfortunately this, coupled with the relatively short journey times on the route, makes it more difficult for our guards to check all tickets before the end of the journey.
"However, we've put on additional staff on peak services, and at some interim stations to make sure we can check the majority of tickets. We are actively looking to find funding for ticket machines at stations along the route, but these can be expensive and we need to be careful that the cost of machines does not outweigh the benefits."
15224  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: ATOC launches review of fares policy - Press release 22/02/2010 on: February 23, 2010, 01:36:19
Quote
^The fares system has recently been simplified........"

Has it really? Could've fooled me!
15225  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / ATOC launches review of fares policy - Press release 22/02/2010 on: February 23, 2010, 01:32:15
From ATOC» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here):

Quote
A review of future rail fares policy has been launched by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) on behalf of train companies.

The review will consider a range of issues to do with fares policy, such as the level and structure of fares, how fares are retailed and how information about fares is presented to customers.

A key issue is the balance of railway funding between the farepayer and the taxpayer. The Government^s stated aim is to move progressively to a position where up to 75% of the industry^s costs are funded by money raised from fares, compared with approximately 50% today.

Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of ATOC, said:
^The fares system has recently been simplified and fares have risen less in real terms than disposable income since privatisation, yet the level and structure of rail fares remain the focus of hotly-contested debate.

^The pressure on public spending means Government will need to take a hard look at funding for rail which in turn will have major implications for future fares policy.  That is why we think it is right to carry out our review now, so that train companies can help shape Government thinking on this important topic following the general election.^

ATOC will seek stakeholder views on the issues highlighted above and intends to publish a report setting out conclusions and potential recommendations during the summer.
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