Digital Doris can't count and fibs!

[whole diary]

[Alan Pettitt]

On Saturday 30th November 2013 I was waiting at Frome for the 1007 to Gloucester. According to the announcements the train was delayed by "an unusually large passenger flow" and that "this train has four coaches" which it usually has had recently. When I saw that the approaching train had only two coaches I made haste to the centre of the platform and just managed to board. The train was vastly overcrowded, very uncomfortable, and many passengers were left behind. I would submit that rather than the train being delayed by the passenger flow it was delayed by the short formation. Two extra carriages were waiting at Westbury to be attached, there were already quite a few passengers on board, and by the time we left it was pretty well filled from the overflow from the original unit. It was back to full and standing at Trowbridge. Would it not have been possible to have run the unit waiting at Westbury to Frome given that train and station staff were aware of the (potential) passenger numbers? While it might not cause too much inconvenience to be left behind where there is another train 20 minutes or so later, a two and a half hour wait for the next train is a little unreasonable if you happen to have just purchased a ticket. 

[JayMac]

To run the unit from Westbury to Frome and attach there to the service up from Weymouth would require 'calling on' signals at Frome station.

Fairly certain no such facility exists at Frome station.

[Alan Pettitt]

Yes, sorry, I forgot all about 'calling on' signals. It seemed like a bright idea whilst perfecting my sardine impressions on Saturday!
Anyway, I wish every success to all those involved in the new improved Trans Wilts on Sunday, have a good day, I'm sorry that I can't be there, but I look forward to a trip to Melksham one day next week.

[BandHcommuter]

Frome station has a rather sparse train service, particularly off-peak and at weekends, and demand is growing (not least driven by significant housing development within a short walk of the station in the last few years). As for the Sunday service, it is trapped in a timewarp from days when working and shopping on Sundays were relatively unusual activies with only about four trains a day each way. Overall the service provision has not changed significantly in the 25 or so years I've been living in the area, despite significant population growth and changes in employment patterns.

It's probably a difficult one to solve economically: Frome is naturally served by trains operating between Westbury and Weymouth, but it's probably difficult to make a case to increase the level of service on the route as a whole. Maybe there is scope for more services to run on parts of the route, however I guess that this might also require additional subsidy. I understand that some options were considered as part of the aborted Greater Western refranchising.

Regarding train formations, overcrowding is becoming more frequent, and is a real problem on days when there is a rugby match in Bath. When there are additional attractors such as the Christmas market, we see severe problems such as that experienced by Alan Pettitt. I realise that rolling stock is not a free resource, but I wonder if more can be done to lengthen trains off-peak and at weekends, using the additional coaches which are used in the peak (provided that this rolling stock can be in the right place at the right time)?

I think that bignosemac is correct that the operating arrangements at Frome do not currently allow for routine joining and splitting of trains. I remember once that a train was attached to another which had broken down in the platform, however the time taken to plan and undertake this manoeuvre suggested that special arrangements had to be made to allow it to happen.

[Worcester_Passenger]

As for the Sunday service, it is trapped in a timewarp from days when working and shopping on Sundays were relatively unusual activies with only about four trains a day each way.

This is a more general problem - all rail services are trapped in this timewarp.

[JayMac]

Frome should really be on the radar of campaigners for an improved service. A similar sized town in the neighbouring county has just got a much improved rail service.

Frome has the potential, if not already so, to be a major railhead for a very large catchment area. At the moment it is somewhat out on a limb, being only served by an infrequent service between Bristol and Weymouth. With a couple of token services to/from London.

With signalling (and available rolling stock - the perennial problem) there should be scope for an hourly Bristol<>Frome service. And/or Swindon<>Frome via TransWilts.

Ideally, the line to Radstock and Midsomer Norton should be reopened with a re-sited Frome station on North Parade to avoid reversals. That though is a pipe dream. A more frequent service to/from Westbury/Bath/Bristol/Swindon should be the immediate aim.

[BandHcommuter]

The other problem in making the case for additional trains at Frome is its proximity to Westbury. For those potential passengers who would drive to Frome station (particularly in the north of the catchment, Stonebridge etc.), once in the car you might as well make the twelve minutes drive to Westbury and benefit from the more frequent train service.

[JayMac]

And those without a car?

Buses aren't particularly good in that neck of the woods.

[Alan Pettitt]

I agree. I specifically gave up my car six years ago to use the train nearly every day, back then you could at least usually get on the said train! FGW^▸ (First Great Western) seem to be proud that HoW^‡(resolve) usage has increased (nearly doubled) but no extra trains. I make a point of never complaining to FGW staff because I think they do a fantastic job with the equipment available.

[JayMac]

Therein lies the problem. And it's not unique to Frome. Demand has outstripped the available rolling stock across the country. Maybe, just maybe, there is scope for a more frequent service on the Heart of Wessex Line, but rolling stock pressures may preclude this. What is immediately available* is going to TransWilts for that improved service. Then there's the possibility of the return of loco-hauled services between Cardiff and Taunton from December 2014. That'll free up another couple of DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), but I suspect they will be used to strengthen existing services rather than provide the opportunity to increase frequency.

*Nothing additional as far as I'm aware, just a change in diagrams. Although possibly an extra unit hired in from SWT^▸ (South West Trains). grahame?

[Super Guard]

I'm just guessing but perhaps poor Doris didn't realise there were only 2 coaches for part of the journey, as you mention there were 4 from Westbury onwards.

[Southern Stag]

The CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) does tend to get a bit confused where the formation is not the same throughout the journey, and quite often gets it wrong.

[John R]

Regarding train formations, overcrowding is becoming more frequent, and is a real problem on days when there is a rugby match in Bath. When there are additional attractors such as the Christmas market, we see severe problems such as that experienced by Alan Pettitt. I realise that rolling stock is not a free resource, but I wonder if more can be done to lengthen trains off-peak and at weekends, using the additional coaches which are used in the peak (provided that this rolling stock can be in the right place at the right time)?

I seem to recall that rolling stock was at a premium on Saturday, with the added draw of a rugby international in Cardiff, which would certainly have soaked up many spare dmu's.

[grahame]

A doubling of traffic doesn't necessarily mean that a doubling in provision (be it longer trains or more of them) is required; if the trains were previously half empty and the extra traffic fills them - good. And community rail in many areas is about doing (and having done successfully) that extra loading.  I know the HoW^‡(resolve) CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) has done very well in adding passengers; I don't know enough about the line to say with certainty if and when it passed the threshold of really needing more capacity, but clearly growth tends to happen on all services so that it does bring potential overcrowding issues on what were the busiest of trains already.  It may not be an accident that there is no Saturday northbound connection being provided in the early evening from Weymouth to Swindon even after 8th December, but it is there on the other 6 days of the week.

Frome and Melksham are of similar size and not too far from each other.  They could be said to have similar characters too.  Frome has 14 services per day towards Westbury, and station usage figures of 145,540 last year; Melksham had 2 services per day and station usage figures of 11,330.  The service count in one direction at Melksham rises to 8 from next week, and it will be interesting to see just how much passenger numbers rise there, and how quickly, in the direction of the Frome numbers.

I wouldn't argue with suggestions that an increase of trains from Frome (there are 4 or 5 significant gaps towards Westbury, taking that example) would go down well. Indeed it's probable that filling the gaps would bring significant extra traffic.  There is logic for Westbury terminators from the Trowbridge direction to carry on there if the timing is right. Logically, the coming of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), electrification timetable changes through Chippenham and Bath, and a new longer franchise are going to be the time to take a look at that and indeed at extending other Westbury terminators to Salisbury, or even being run by trains based there. That's not really what's happening from next weekend, though.

[BandHcommuter]

And those without a car?

Buses aren't particularly good in that neck of the woods.

They either walk/cycle/taxi to Frome station and make do with its relatively sparse train services, or they use one of the regular bus services to Bath or Trowbridge. My point was that for many passengers who access the railway by car, it's a short drive to another station with more trains. If Frome station had more trains with decent connections then these passengers (myself included) might be less inclined to drive to Westbury or Bath. But that's fairly speculative on my part