9th September 2016

[whole diary]

[grahame]

West Wilts Rail User Group - next meeting 9th September 2016 (change of date).  Venue on this occasion is the Railway Inn, Westbury - just at the top of the station approach.

Good public transport availability from most directions into Westbury.   I'll be there [from Melksham]; if anyone needs a lift back, please let me know.

[grahame]

Here are the event details - for anyone on Facebook link [here]

[grahame]

Good public transport availability from most directions into Westbury.   I'll be there [from Melksham]; if anyone needs a lift back, please let me know.

Sorry - no lifts from Melksham.  Please use the train 

On Friday, 9th September - for one evening only (this year) an extra service will run from Westbury to Chippenham at 21:20, returning from Chippenham at 22:03 .  This is a practical feasibility test and demonstration of what could be done - a big thank you to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) for organising it.

Here is a realtime trains capture for Melksham for 9th September:



One of the significant remaining gaps on the TransWilts is the lack of a late(r) final train - which not only reduced journeys made during the evening, but also reduces corresponding outbound journeys earlier in the day.   By utilising a train on layover at Westbury from 21:12 to 22:32, connections can be provided in multiple directions into Westbury back to Melksham and Chippenham, and at Chippenham off the 20:45 from Paddington back to Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.

[Adelante_CCT]

By utilising a train on layover at Westbury from 21:12 to 22:32

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) suggests the train being used will be the inbound from Swindon, so the layover is from 20:49 onwards.


Is this service being run because of the meeting or is it a coincidence?

[ellendune]

What does it do at Chippenham?  I surely cannot sit in the platform 2 all that time or it will be in the way of a frieght train (assuming it runs).

[grahame]

There's a number of things coming together that evening; better to have them all happen coincide (so no coincidence).  The passenger timing up to Chippenham has some slack and could run a few minutes later, and the frieght has slack in it schedule and can get through ahead.   And I will recheck the layover at Westbury; there were two options on the table and if it uses the "TransWilts unit" need to tell people to switch at Trowbridge on the way back.

[Adelante_CCT]

The reason i say that is the 20:49 arrival appears to form 5Z90, which then forms 2Z90 to Chippenham

Can't see the freight being a problem (if running) as it's due to leave Westbury before the passenger service anyhow.

[John R]

I notice the extra trains are not yet shown in the journey planner, which will limit the number of passengers who could take advantage of the later service back from Swindon and London.

[grahame]

I notice the extra trains are not yet shown in the journey planner, which will limit the number of passengers who could take advantage of the later service back from Swindon and London.

Thanks John - that needs to be followed up.

[grahame]

I notice the extra trains are not yet shown in the journey planner, which will limit the number of passengers who could take advantage of the later service back from Swindon and London.

Thanks John - that needs to be followed up.

There now .... for example from Paddington:





If you're making a last minute decision, yes, please come along.   We do not expect every seat on the train to be taken!

[bobm]

I might be considered biased but I found it a very interesting talk and I learned some new facts I'd not heard before.

[John R]

And I'm very disappointed that work commitments meant I wasn't able to attend.  Most frustrating. 

[bobm]

The train was more about proving what can be done in the future. That said it certainly exceeded the 20 passengers per train average we seek for the other TW services.



The train provided a connection off the 20:45 from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads



The up train was actually 2Z90 but there's no Z on the Zifas

[John R]

Do you think/know if there were any passengers who weren't related to the evening's event , i.e. who saw that the journey could be made by checking the journey planner and may not even have known it was a one-off?

[grahame]

Do you think/know if there were any passengers who weren't related to the evening's event , i.e. who saw that the journey could be made by checking the journey planner and may not even have known it was a one-off?

Four to my knowledge.