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On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
15:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
15:28 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
15:50 Bedwyn to Newbury
15:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
16:15 Newbury to Bedwyn
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
16:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
17:24 Newbury to Bedwyn
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
18:04 Bedwyn to Newbury
18:26 Newbury to Bedwyn
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
18:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
19:02 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
19:24 Newbury to Bedwyn
19:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
20:49 Newbury to Bedwyn
21:16 Westbury to Swindon
21:16 Bedwyn to Newbury
21:53 Newbury to Bedwyn
22:25 Bedwyn to Newbury
22:30 Swindon to Westbury
22:47 Newbury to Bedwyn
Short Run
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
13:55 Paignton to London Paddington
14:36 London Paddington to Paignton
15:28 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
15:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
16:35 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:03 London Paddington to Penzance
17:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
18:03 London Paddington to Penzance
18:29 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
19:04 Paignton to London Paddington
19:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
20:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
21:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
23:17 Bedwyn to Reading
Delayed
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:20 Penzance to London Paddington
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:15 Penzance to London Paddington
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern
14:03 London Paddington to Penzance
14:15 Penzance to London Paddington
15:03 London Paddington to Penzance
15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
16:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:15 Penzance to London Paddington
17:29 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
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Author Topic: Swindon play off final no trains  (Read 14901 times)
TaplowGreen
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« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2015, 12:08:29 »

A report on BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today suggested that some supporters may decide to drive to Didcot Parkway to catch a train. Good luck to them, as most of the normal service will have been diverted away from there.  To be fair, the BBC did report that FGW (First Great Western) would be laying on road transport between Swindon and Reading.

.......I think the challenge will be sourcing sufficient road transport, but they do seem to be pulling out all the stops.
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didcotdean
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« Reply #16 on: May 13, 2015, 14:00:30 »

Indeed there is a measly one fast train and one slow per hour to London on that day from Oxford. Half what is generally provided when trains can't come from Swindon. There may be some DID» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)-RDG(resolve)-PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains) shuttles added.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2015, 14:07:08 by didcotdean » Logged
Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2015, 18:29:37 »

Indeed there is a measly one fast train and one slow per hour to London on that day from Oxford. Half what is generally provided when trains can't come from Swindon. There may be some DID» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)-RDG(resolve)-PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains) shuttles added.

Yes there is 1tph DID-RDG-PAD, down as a turbo (probably 5 car), wether anything extra is done for the Swindon Pax remains to be seen.
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bobm
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« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2015, 06:09:55 »

Seems fans of Swindon's opponents, Preston North End, will also have problems due to engineering work on the West Coast Mainline.

Ever so slightly embarrassing for Preston's sponsors ..... Virgin Trains.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2015, 06:59:17 »

Seems fans of Swindon's opponents, Preston North End, will also have problems due to engineering work on the West Coast Mainline.

Ever so slightly embarrassing for Preston's sponsors ..... Virgin Trains.

Pretty embarrassing situation for the railways all round I'd say.

.......well getting home from Wembley is no longer a worry for myself and other Plymouth Argyle fans after last night, but good luck to Wycombe who beat us, and also to Swindon Town/Preston - and good luck to their fans trying to travel to Wembley to support them!
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johoare
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« Reply #20 on: May 15, 2015, 07:18:37 »

I am actually going to this match as my brother supports Swindon.. It's also my very first ever football match.. Luckily I don't have to travel from Swindon and also live close enough to travel direct to Wembley from Wycombe or Beaconsfield (and there don't appear to be any engineering works on that line fortunately)  Grin
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grahame
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« Reply #21 on: May 15, 2015, 11:59:24 »

Pretty embarrassing situation for the railways all round I'd say.

I don't think the railways embarrass all that easily. But marketing wise it is unfortunate in the same way that the lack of trains on Boxing Day is, in that it shows how people can manage perfectly well without trains.

This is a huge game this year for both Preston and Swindon, but for one or other it's the portent of things to come - people will go to Wembley as perhaps this first support for the team and will likely start to follow whoever gets promoted.   What a pity their first trip will involve less than showcase services, as it will put many off just at the point they could be captured as regular passengers at the start of something.   However, the TOCs (Train Operating Company) have been dealt a limited hand and the potentially excellent marketing and extra business for the next year really won't effect the infrastructure provider who have limited capacity to zero at Swindon in the first place (for understandable reasons!)
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #22 on: May 15, 2015, 12:26:50 »

Pretty embarrassing situation for the railways all round I'd say.

I don't think the railways embarrass all that easily. But marketing wise it is unfortunate in the same way that the lack of trains on Boxing Day is, in that it shows how people can manage perfectly well without trains.

   However, the TOCs (Train Operating Company) have been dealt a limited hand and the potentially excellent marketing and extra business for the next year really won't effect the infrastructure provider who have limited capacity to zero at Swindon in the first place (for understandable reasons!)


True - they seem quite shameless!!! -I wonder what (if any) pressure FGW (First Great Western) have put on NR» (Network Rail - home page) over the Swindon issue, especially over the revenue they are likely to miss out on, and to what extent NR compensate TOCs in these circumstances?
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ellendune
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« Reply #23 on: May 15, 2015, 13:02:11 »

True - they seem quite shameless!!! -I wonder what (if any) pressure FGW (First Great Western) have put on NR» (Network Rail - home page) over the Swindon issue, especially over the revenue they are likely to miss out on, and to what extent NR compensate TOCs (Train Operating Company) in these circumstances?

They are between a rock and a hard place. I don't think you really understand how much postponing the works is likely to cost. The contractor will need compensating for:

  • hired plant that cannot be used elsewhere at such short notice;
  • personnel who cannot be deployed elsewhere at such short notice;
  • the costs of replanning the work to another time;
  • the costs of delaying the other work that depended on this work being completed on time (further plant and personnel costs as well).

In addition they would have to consider that:

  • specialist plant is not standing idle waiting for hire, it is allocated well in advance and may not be available at another time;
  • there is a shortage of key skilled personnel - especially signalling resources. Not using those resources will delay further stages of this project and potentially also other projects. The skills may not be available at the new time so the delay may be much further than just a few days.

The result would more than likely be further delays to the already delayed GW (Great Western) modernisation programme and a further increase in the already escalated cost.

If the extra business was going to be a few ^10's millions is might just be worth it.  I suspect the increased costs of the GW improvements programme would far outweigh any increased track access charges. 
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #24 on: May 15, 2015, 13:19:38 »

True - they seem quite shameless!!! -I wonder what (if any) pressure FGW (First Great Western) have put on NR» (Network Rail - home page) over the Swindon issue, especially over the revenue they are likely to miss out on, and to what extent NR compensate TOCs (Train Operating Company) in these circumstances?

They are between a rock and a hard place. I don't think you really understand how much postponing the works is likely to cost. The contractor will need compensating for:

  • hired plant that cannot be used elsewhere at such short notice;
  • personnel who cannot be deployed elsewhere at such short notice;
  • the costs of replanning the work to another time;
  • the costs of delaying the other work that depended on this work being completed on time (further plant and personnel costs as well).

In addition they would have to consider that:

  • specialist plant is not standing idle waiting for hire, it is allocated well in advance and may not be available at another time;
  • there is a shortage of key skilled personnel - especially signalling resources. Not using those resources will delay further stages of this project and potentially also other projects. The skills may not be available at the new time so the delay may be much further than just a few days.

The result would more than likely be further delays to the already delayed GW (Great Western) modernisation programme and a further increase in the already escalated cost.

If the extra business was going to be a few ^10's millions is might just be worth it.  I suspect the increased costs of the GW improvements programme would far outweigh any increased track access charges. 


An eminently fair explanation, and one which would be better received by thousands of frustrated Swindon fans than "The lines closed, there are replacement buses.....hopefully".............it will also be interesting to consider what effect the NR strike, now confirmed as 24hrs from 5pm 25th May will have?
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