13:19 Swindon to Westbury?

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

Train feeds appear to have an additional daytime service from Swindon to Westbury at 13:19 (13:47 at MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains)) from May.
The 12:47 off Swindon is still down as running and there doesn't appear to be any additional inbound working, is this additional train correct and if so why does it run and where does it come from?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C46233/2016/05/16/advanced

[grahame]

Train feeds appear to have an additional daytime service from Swindon to Westbury at 13:19 (13:47 at MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains)) from May.
The 12:47 off Swindon is still down as running and there doesn't appear to be any additional inbound working, is this additional train correct and if so why does it run and where does it come from?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C46233/2016/05/16/advanced

It appears to appear out of thin air on platform 1 at Swindon (previous service at the platform being a Cheltenham 125) ...
From Westbury, it heads up to Parkway then forms the "Parly" over the Rhubarb loop to Bath Spa.

Very interesting ... and caught me slightly by surprise.  Can't answer your "why" ... experience gives us a less sharp peak than we would have predicted, but two services 35 minutes apart in the middle of the day aren't exactly needed to relieve overcrowding.   [See edit below]

Now if it was a 16:19(ish) rather than 13:19 I could give you a VERY strong business case, taking the train off the arrival from Cheltenham (16:22 WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table)), and continuing it as the 17:11 Westbury to Warminster.  That would give us two slightly problems; the 16:21 Westbury to Swindon would probably need retiming to 16:14 to clear Thingley in good time.  And the other slight problem  with what to do with the train the currently forms that 17:11, which arrives in Westbury at 16:33 from Gloucester, and what stock to use for the 17:54 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa. Of course, a 17:04 Westbury to 17:48 Swindon would balance things very nicely!

[Edit to add] ... down-thread you'll find  a balancing Westbury - Swindon service, and taking this as a start to infill gaps and make use of idle time, it makes sense ... balance tips; extra 'between' round trips (and ones before start and after end of current service) make sense.

[The Tall Controller]

This train will probably not run come May as its been refused by Network Rail

[devon_metro]

Seems to be formed by the 12:20 Westbury - Swindon

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C46232/2016/05/16/advanced

[grahame]

Seems to be formed by the 12:20 Westbury - Swindon

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C46232/2016/05/16/advanced

Ah yes - hadn't spotted that before, and I *did* take a careful look.    As a round trip,  starting to move towards that infill of extra services in the 'betweens'    ... I was looking at some very interesting stats and trends from Bradford-on-Avon and seeing how the curve changed when the off peak service went up to every half hour.

Revision of previous comment ... with a round trip, marketable.    ... and yes please.

[phile]

Would appear to be worked by the unit off 2f97 08 50 ex Great Malvern due Westbury 11 36
and the utilising it's lay over time until working 2A17 14 38 to Bristol Parkway.   

[Adelante_CCT]

Seems to be formed by the 12:20 Westbury - Swindon

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C46232/2016/05/16/advanced

I can assure you (as Graham has posted above) that was not on the system when I started this thread

[John R]

This train will probably not run come May as its been refused by Network Rail

Both the workings are shown on the National Rail website if you put in the appropriate journey details. 

[phile]

The 1319 ex Swindon was on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) when the thread was started and so set minds wondering about an outward working.    However, the 1220 ex Westbury is now shown so all seems well now.

[John R]

Although the service is only around 30 after the previous one, it does reduce the previous 2 1/2 hour gap in the middle of the day to 2 hrs, so in that sense is also positive.

Though if an additional round trip is to be funded when stock is available (i.e. recognising the difficulties of doing it in the rush hour), I would have thought a later evening departure from Swindon might be a better bet. I'm sure it would increase loadings into Swindon in the late afternoon for evenings out, as well as making a return from further afield (e.g. London) more viable. 

[grahame]

This train will probably not run come May as its been refused by Network Rail

Fingers crossed - I understand that hurdle may have been overcome - and a motive step towards filling some of the gaps in the middle of the day;  we're not actually two hourly, we're a little less and that's in part to ensure that 'our' 153 is in the right place at the right time for both morning and evening peak.   So a move to fill the extended gaps is positive and will be (  ) promoted.

Though if an additional round trip is to be funded when stock is available (i.e. recognising the difficulties of doing it in the rush hour), I would have thought a later evening departure from Swindon might be a better bet. I'm sure it would increase loadings into Swindon in the late afternoon for evenings out, as well as making a return from further afield (e.g. London) more viable. 

Totally agreed, and a message that's being moved up so it's not below the radar.

Ironically come May, it looks like the last train at 20:12 becomes 20:06 off Swindon.  That means that it will reach Melksham at 20:32 rather than 20:38 - allowing passenger to catch the bus that passes the top of Station Approach at 20:39 and serves Melksham Forest, Queensway and Bowerhill - all residential areas across the town from the station.

[grahame]

It's running.   Started last week.   Promotion planned for next week 

The up train (12:20 Westbury to Swindon) today - 7th day of operation - 21 passengers into Melksham. 6 off, 1 on - 22/7

As we're looking to average 20 journeys per train on the Trowbridge section that's a pretty darned good start for a middle of the day service in its second week.   Nothing to indicate unusual flow today either, nor that any of the passengers were there to try it because it was new.

[Adelante_CCT]

Certainly encouraging to see passengers making use of the new service but.... How have the numbers been affected on the 11:47?

[grahame]

Certainly encouraging to see passengers making use of the new service but.... How have the numbers been affected on the 11:47?

Good question and my worry was that passengers / regulars would split. No evidence at all of that today; educated guess (but no better) that it's had little effect on the 11:47.