When I used to use the Severn Beach line for a couple of years up till November 2018 to commute to work from Redland, the northbound service due to depart Redland at 0813 was practically ALLWAYS a few minutes or more late every (week)day, which consequently made the southbound service due at 0819 a few minutes or more late!  I noted with interest the change to the Severn Beach timetable from the 15th December.  With the departures from Redland at that time of the morning, brought forward by 6/7 minutes.  But I note from walking past Redland station around that time every morning. that that northbound service is STILL running late pretty much every (week)day! 

Look at these examples from the past week...

Monday 23rd December - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/simple/RDA/2019-12-23/0800
Tuesday 24th December - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/simple/RDA/2019-12-24/0800
Friday 27th December - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/simple/RDA/2019-12-27/0800
Monday 30th December - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/simple/RDA/2019-12-30/0800

They might as well have just kept the Severn Beach timetable as it was!  Because at that time of the morning anyway, the services are actually running at very similar times to what they were pre the December timetable change!

I know that services on the Severn Beach line were frequently late before due to the double track bottle-neck between Temple Meads and Narroways Junction.  But I thought since that section was quadrupled back in November 2018, that this would improve punctuality on this line.  But it seems not!

Doesn't really effect me personally.  But just saying.

Thanks for the info as to why it was axed.  A shame as it was a nice service, even though I only ever used it once myself, just on the inaugural day of service and whilst it was priced at the extremely good value price of £10 single.  And even though I moaned about the price rising to £33 shortly after, that was/is still way cheaper than the normal First Great Western/GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) London-Bristol services at that sort of time of day.  And it was a nice alternate journey via Newbury instead of the usual route.

Interestingly though the similar service in the other direction in the mornings - the 0515 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington, still survives.  And at what I would call GOOD value at £21 for the cheapest advance single.  I must get a journey on that one one day!

I noticed a while ago when searching for this service again, that it no longer runs.  When and why was this service axed out of interest?

Hmm... maybe the conductor got things mixed up with the scheduled stop at Bath Spa, but that it is not a set down stop for northbound services.

The pick up only northbound and set down only southbound appears to be not strictly adhered to though.  I was on the XC service this evening that was scheduled to set down at Bath Spa at 1718.  I thought as it was approaching Bath Spa, even though this service is scheduled as set down only there, I bet a number of people will still get on.  And I noticed they did!  Even though the departure screens specific to that platform had SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) DOWN ONLY displayed, and there was a platform staff member there.   I suppose there's not much that can be done about that really, as some people will still know that that service will be stopping at Bristol Temple Meads so will board it!  And/or maybe that platform staff member mentioned to people they could get that service to Bristol. Not really a complaint, but just an observation. 

Will there be two new platforms at Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road?  Even though they would be on the fast lines and most of the time would not be used.

My journeys on them Monday-Wednesday this week have been OK and not any problems.  The 0800 service from Redland towards Bristol Temple Meads turning up pretty much on time.  And on the journey home, the 1729 from Stapleton Road arriving no more than about several minutes late.  On a side note though, yesterday evening when a rail replacement double decker bus turned up at 1729 I boarded it, and the driver helpfully mentioned that that was a service to Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Parkway.  So would have been the late running 1705 service.  Good job he mentioned that as otherwise I would have just assumed it was the 1729 to Clifton Down.

This morning though, not so good again.  Whist I know the 0800 service from Redland(the 0750 Clifton Down-Bristol Temple Meads) appears to be a reliable service, it does get me into work miles too early.  So I took a chance and waited for the later 0815 service.  Not a good idea!  As once again as I experienced before, the 0815 service did not turn up, nor the 0830 service!  From my experiences anyway, it seems both these scheduled services - the 0805 Clifton Down-Bristol Temple Meads and the 0820 Clifton Down-Bristol Temple Meads don't actually run atall every day! Crap!  I shouldn't have took that chance, and should have just got the 0800 service as normal.   Anyway, after waiting 40 minutes at that bus stop a bus finally turned up at 0850.  Traffic was ridiculously busy though.  Took about 15 minutes just to get down South Road and Zetland Road!(a distance of only about 1/4 mile for those not familiar with this area).  And further heavy traffic down Gloucester Road and through St. Pauls and St. Werburghs.  The scheduled 16 minute journey time of this service between Redland and Stapleton Road actually took about 35 minutes.

At least with the train services, it tells you on the National Rail website if any of the services are delayed(and with an estimate of how long) or cancelled.  Yet with these rail replacement bus services, they all just show as ON TIME, when they're not all ON TIME!

Only one more day left now of using these services tomorrow. 

Well put it this way.  At about 0918 I saw that very same bus and driver going up South Road(Redland) on a Bristol Temple Meads-Clifton Down service.  And then approx 0948 that very same bus and driver came back again, but failed to stop.  It wouldn't have been a Clifton Down-Temple Meads non-stopper, as that would have been the 0913 Avonmouth-Bristol Temple Meads service, calling Clifton Down 0930. I am therefore absolutely positive that that driver was driving the 0945 service(the 0935 Clifton Down-Bristol Temple Meads) from Redland.  And I await GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s response to this....

No, the driver of that service should have definitely stopped at that Redland rail replacement bus stop at that time.  That day, the 0900 service(calling at all stations) to Temple Meads didn't turn up.  Then after that there was supposed to be another service at 0945(calling at all stations), and the next service after that not till 1045(again an all stations service).  The 0945 service came round the corner from Redland Grove into South Road at about 0948.  I put my hand out, and the driver just shook his head and failed to stop!  And continued on down to Montpelier.   For the services, that run non-stop between Clifton Down and Bristol Temple Meads, they wouldn't run via(but not stopping at) Redland and Montpelier.  Anyway, I complained about that particular driver 10 days now.  I'm expecting to get a reply from GWR within the next 4 days.  Let's see what they have to say about it....

On a positive note. My experience of using the services on Friday was positive.  The 0800 from Redland to Bristol Temple Meads turned up just a minute or so late, which is nothing to complain about.  And the 1729 from Stapleton Road to Clifton Down turned up only about 7 minutes late, which isn't too bad. 

But not only were some of the drivers going the wrong way, one of them(at least anyway) when a person was waiting at the correct rail replacement bus stop and put their hand out to stop the bus - just shook his head at them and failed to stop!  Absolutely appalling and unacceptable. This should NOT be happening!  I'm still awaiting my reply from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) in reply to my complain about that particular lousy driver!

All the drivers should have been trained more intensively in my opinion.  The correct routes to take AND the correct bus stops to stop at.

No reports from me today about my experiences with these replacement bus services, as I was unwell and stayed at home!

But I did notice these two tweets to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Help today....



So more examples of at least some of the drivers of these services not being fully trained of the routes they have to take and the bus stops to stop at!  They should all have been trained in advance of the 3 weeks these services are running!

Surprisingly no problems for me today.  After the problems yesterday morning, I today waited for an earlier service - the 0800 from Redland.  Which surprisingly actually turned up and on time!   And then this evening, the 1729 service from Stapleton Road turned up on time too!(although maybe a chance it was actually the 1714 service running 15 minutes late). Incidentally, there was only TWO other people on this service when I boarded! I think a lot of people have given up using these rail replacement bus services! But no complaints from me today.  But let's see what it's like tomorrow and Friday!

Another update from me about my experiences with the replacement bus services this week.

Yesterday
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I didn't use them in the morning, as the scheduled departure times of 9am and 9:45 weren't that convenient when I had to start work at 10.  So I walked to town and got a 48A from there instead.

Upon leaving work, I got to the Stapleton Road station at just a few minutes before the expected 1729 service to Clifton Down.  Time was beginning to tick on past 1729 and I was thinking to myself "Oh god. Here we go again!  I'll be stuck here waiting half hour or more yet again!".  But thankfully at 1740 a Clifton Down service arrived, which I presume was the late running 1729 service(the 1709 from Bristol Temple Meads).  So only just under 15 minutes wait.  If it's like that every night for the remaining time of these rail replacement buses, then I can with that.

Today
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I had to start work at 9.  I could have waited for the 0830 service from Redland which would have got me to work on time(providing it turned up and on time).  But no, I didn't trust that that service would turn up on time or even turn up atall.  So I played it safe(so I thought anyway), and waited for the 0815 service instead.  Got to the bus stop at 0810.  And time was ticking on past the due time of that 0815 service.  Several minutes after 0815 I was thinking "Oh god. Here we go again! It doesn't look that 0815 service is going to turn up!!  Let's hope the 0830 turns up!".  I continued to wait.  Time was ticking on past 0830 and it didn't look that one was going to turn up either!  Another service was due at 0845.  So I continued to wait for that one.  And at 0849 just as I was beginning to think the 0845 service isn't going to turn up either, and was going to give up, walk to town and get a normal First Bus service to Stapleton Road instead, a bus finally turned up!  Which I was presume was the slightly delayed 0845 service(the 0835 from Clifton Down).  What happened to the services due at 0815 and 0830???  I asked the driver and he just said "No idea mate!". 

So although things seem to be better with the services heading home in the evenings, they seem to be hopeless and very unreliable in the peak morning times.   Tomorrow I shall trying waiting for the 0800 service!  I hope that turns up!  And if a bus hasn't turned up by about 0820, I'll have to give up, walk to Broadmead and get a normal First Bus from there instead. 

Me again with a further update.  And from my experience, things haven't settled down today!

I mentioned that Wednesday and Thursday I actually found no problems with the services I boarded.  They all turned up on time.  I did mention yesterday that the 0835 Clifton Down-Bristol Temple Meads it appeared I was the only person onboard for the whole service(unless anyone boarded at the final intermediate stop Lawrence Hill).  I was concerned that because I was the only person on that service yesterday, that I thought GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) wouldn't bother running this service today because of lack of passengers.  And guess what, I waited for it and it didn't turn up!

My journey home tonight was horrendous.  I got to the Stapleton Road bus stop at a few minutes before the 1759 service.  And the same problem as Monday and Tuesday but a bit worst.  The 1759 didn't turn up, the 1814 didn't turn up, and the 1829 didn't turn up on time.  Just as I was about to give up and get two normal First Bus services home instead, a bus finally turned up at 1840.  After being stuck at that bus stop waiting for 45 minutes!  Incidentally, I noticed that the 1805 Bristol Parkway service still hadn't turned up by then!  What happened to that? - service cancelled altogether or the driver went completely the wrong way again?!

These services are absolutely hopeless!

As mentioned I have complained in particular about that lousy driver on Tuesday morning that just shook his head at me and failed to stop for me to board.  And I'll have to wait nearly 2 weeks for a reply!  My gut feeling though is that because the Rail Replacement Bus Service bus stop toward Clifton Down is now in Redland Grove, rather than South Road where it used to be located - is that that driver probably thought that the Rail Replacement Bus Service bus stop towards Bristol Temple Meads was the nearest bus stop on the other side of Redland Grove, and wasn't informed that it's actually in South Road where the Rail Replacement Bus Service bus stop is clearly marked.  It's very clear by the looks of it that a lot of drivers have not been fully trained of the routes to take and the bus stops to stop at for these services.  This should have been done well in advance of these 3 weeks of Rail Replacement Bus Services! Either way, I'm still mad that that driver just shook his head at me and failed to stop. 

My journeys on these rail replacement buses yesterday and today were thankfully OK, compared to how dreadful they were on Monday and Tuesday.

Yesterday morning, after the 0900 service from Redland not turning up on Tuesday I played it safe by getting the 0830 service instead.  And thankfully that turned up on time.  No more than about 10 people on there though.  And the 1759 service from Stapleton Road towards Clifton Down actually turned up on time too, and no having to wait about for half hour again like the previous evenings.

Today I got the 0845 service from Redland(the 0835 Clifton Down-Bristol Temple Meads).  And unless any people got on at Lawrence Hill, I was the only person on this service!  I guess a lot of people are not bothering with these rail replacement bus services and traveling by alternate means instead, or they gave up after experiencing how bad it was at the start of the week?  And the 1759 service from Stapleton Road towards Clifton Down again thankfully turned up on time too.

I'll see what it's like tomorrow!

I have emailed GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to complain about that lousy driver on Tuesday who just shook his head at me and didn't stop when I put my hand out when waiting at the clearly marked Rail Replacement bus stop!  Will probably have to wait nearly 2 weeks for a reply!  Let's see what sort of reply I get to that.