Weekend Traffic

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Revisiting this thread ... a cold, dark November at Melksham. I was picking up a passenger off the 16:30 arrival from Swindon, and got to a near-deserted station at around 16:20 ... just one chap waiting.  But I've learned not to read too much into that;  another couple of people walked up, a "Kiss and Ride" person appeared from a car, and by the time the train arrived there were 4 to get on.  7 got off and - counting through the windows - there were around 30 passengers on the train as it left.  So that 37/11 ... or 85% over the third year (train average) target in the first year.

I'm now keeping my fingers crossed that I've left enough room for "real" passengers on 14th December when we have Santa around as an attraction ...

[grahame]

P.S. Also have a report from yesterday (Saturday) of the 13:48 at Melksham.  19 on when it arrived, and an extra 13 joined.  No note, alas, of numbers getting off so the best I can offer is 32+n/13+n where "n" is the number getting off at Melksham.  Pretty acceptable, even in the unlikely event of "n" being zero.

[grahame]

17:33 Melksham to Swindon.  -3 + 5 -> 32 ... 35/8.   That's the Folk Train next weekend.  Nice 150/2.   Noted no ticket check nor sign of the conductor / train manager, barriers open at Swindon.

[John R]

So nobody who boarded at Melksham had any opportunity to buy a ticket if they were finishing their journey at Swindon. That'll be good for the line's revenue.

[grahame]

So nobody who boarded at Melksham had any opportunity to buy a ticket if they were finishing their journey at Swindon. That'll be good for the line's revenue.

There were people going to Chippenham and to Swindon asking me "where to I buy my ticket" ... it's not a lack of wanting to pay.  But no-one else (just me) went up to the ticket desk in Swindon; a slightly surprised clerk when I asked for a Melksham to Swansea!

We're posting on a public area here - note for "Jo Public" reading this ... usually you do have to pay  - it just goes wrong occasionally.

[grahame]

First day back to full, scheduled service (We had 4 trains a day less during last week, and no less that 10 trains less yesterday - i did pop down to the station yesterday, and an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) went through ...

Today - 16:50, Melksham -> Swindon
22 on train arriving into Melksham, 1 off, 2 on -> 24/3
Not bad - more than the average we need in year 3, and there's another train just 40 mins behind (but then this is the first for three hours - Sunday afternoon timings are acknowledged to need a bit of a sort out!)
On my way to work, teaching Ruby with some Cucumber tomorrow!

The turn around at Swindon's quite brief on this service ... and I noted 19 people already on board at 17:23 for a 17:28 departure when I wandered over to catch the London Express

Help point at Melksham having communication problems yesterday (Saturday 3rd) and today (Sunday 4th) when I was at the station.

[PhilWakely]

First day back to full, scheduled service (We had 4 trains a day less during last week, and no less that 10 trains less yesterday - i did pop down to the station yesterday, and an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) went through ...

West of England services were routed between Westbury and Swindon yesterday because of a closure between Reading and Reading West

[grahame]

Even on a Sunday ... the 16:50 to Swindon.   27 on into Melksham 7 off and 3 on - makes 30/10. And, as the conductor reminds me, "quiet time of year".  Yeah, right - but this is the TransWilts!

7 or 8 off at Chippenham, 3 or 4 more on for the run to Swindon.  Just as I was noting in South Wales a couple of Sundays ago, it's not all traffic to the main end point - there's a lot of local traffic too.

[grahame]

Even on a Sunday ... the 16:50 to Swindon.   27 on into Melksham 7 off and 3 on - makes 30/10. And, as the conductor reminds me, "quiet time of year".  Yeah, right - but this is the TransWilts!

A Sunday 3 weeks later .... and there's a lighter side subject entitle "and the rain keeps pouring" so you can see how truly awful the weather has been today.  I was out walking the dogs and where we would normally meet up with two or three others, it was just us.   The 16:50 - 12 on into Melksham, 1 off, 1 on making it 13/3 and had we been simply "on target" not way over, those would have been good numbers.

Weather makes a huge difference at weekends - I think I saw 10:1 quoted as an extreme case ...

... mind, I think I learned where everyone was when I saw crowds pouring onto the 17:28 at Swindon to go back to Westbury.   From my count it left with 47 + crew on board ... out for the day's shopping??

[bobm]

... mind, I think I learned where everyone was when I saw crowds pouring onto the 17:28 at Swindon to go back to Westbury.   From my count it left with 47 + crew on board ... out for the day's shopping??

It also didn't start raining in Swindon until just before 1pm - so a few probably set out thinking it might stay dry.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Same here in Nailsea: it looked like being a fine day, until about midday - then it started p!ssing down. 

[grahame]

07:48 at Melksham this morning ... +5, -1 -> 13 - 14/6
6 or 7 got off at Chippenham, even more on.  And some comments at MRDG^» (Melksham Railway Development Group - about) last night about the service being sardined from Chippenham to Swindon when an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) had been held up.  Also a comment from someone else this morning that there had been a lot of Westbury -> Trowbridge local journeys.  Perhaps we should be counting some measure of this extra traffic on the ends?

Easy connection to Bristol train .. onwards to Taunton on the 08:45 (earlier than expected) and so a change to grab breakfast in the Coal Cellar, as our us usual Biddy's is closed for annual holidays.

[grahame]

16:49 at Melksham this evening 14 on, -9 + 9 -> 23/18

18:12 at Melksham this evening, 35 off, none on, about 40 remained on - 75/35

[grahame]

21:37 last night ... 9 on board through Melksham ... no-one left of joined the train.  9/0.

We had just been out for dinner near Melksham, and stopped at the station on the way back past - and I had commented a few minutes earlier how eariley quiet the roads were.  Yet the pub where we had eaten was busy and our hotel's full this weekend.

[grahame]

Some numbers for the 1746 Swindon-Westbury today (Good Friday)  35/10
Swindon. 30 on.
Chippenham. 6 off, 10 on. 34 travelling.
Melksham. 9 off, 1 on. 26 travelling.
Trowbridge. 11 off, 1 on. 16 for Westbury.

And the 11:13 to Westbury at Melksham .. +6 -0(?) = 31  31/6

Several questions on Facebook "is the 234 bus running today" answered with "no, but the train is" - and that's a stark reminder that public transport taking a day off is a marketing gift to its competitors!