Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 11:55 28 Mar 2024
* Manhunt after stabbing in front of train passengers
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1992)
MOD Kineton tour, branch line society (*)

Train RunningCancelled
10:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
10:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
10:41 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
11:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
11:16 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
11:23 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
11:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
11:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
12:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
12:17 Westbury to Swindon
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
06:00 London Paddington to Penzance
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
09:30 Weymouth to Gloucester
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
10:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
10:55 Paignton to London Paddington
11:12 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
11:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:12 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
Delayed
08:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
08:48 London Paddington to Swansea
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
09:51 Warminster to Gloucester
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 12:07 Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 12:08:28 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[161] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[91] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[62] Return of the BRUTE?
[53] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[49] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[38] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 16
  Print  
Author Topic: First / MTR win South Western franchise 2017 - 2024, and CMA raises competition concerns (merged topic)  (Read 86963 times)
bradshaw
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1450



View Profile
« Reply #15 on: March 27, 2017, 11:09:42 »


GWR (Great Western Railway) MTR offering improved commuting at Exeter end, presumably linked to Devon Metro

However remember GWR franchise expires 2019, I believe

http://www.firstgroupplc.com/about-firstgroup/uk-rail/improving-south-western-railway.aspx
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #16 on: March 27, 2017, 11:13:24 »

It'll be good to see Platforms 4-6 at Reading being used to their full potential with up to seven trains departing from them per hour (comprising four Waterloo and three Redhill/Gatwicks), up from the current four.  Though that'll be a strain on the flat junction at Wokingham!
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #17 on: March 27, 2017, 11:21:55 »


GWR (Great Western Railway) MTR offering improved commuting at Exeter end, presumably linked to Devon Metro

However remember GWR franchise expires 2019, I believe

http://www.firstgroupplc.com/about-firstgroup/uk-rail/improving-south-western-railway.aspx

Is GWR MTR a typo, or did I miss something?

This has clearly been under planning for some time. The link to the Devon Metro is interesting, as that will hopefully be beefed up soon with cascaded stock. Also of interest to me (as I use it from time to time) is the Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo service. That will now follow routes used by First GWR. Is that likely to make for any changes?
Logged

Now, please!
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2017, 11:23:51 »

I wonder how the news will be met in South Hampshire?  Wink

For those newer to the forum, BNM is referring to the wonderful South Hampsire Rail Users' Group (SHRUG) who have been vehemently criticising everything SWT (South West Trains) have done for many years now, whilst seemingly pretending nothing good every happens and that neighbouring franchises Southern and GWR (Great Western Railway) can do little wrong!

Occasional discussions on the forum, including contributions from SHRUG 'Organiser' Denis Fryer, can be viewed here:  http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4949.0

They only have three options on where to go from here:  1)  They will quietly disband as there's no longer an agenda for them to pursue, 2) They will continue to exist only to pretend that many of the wrongs are now righted, 3) They will become a serious RUG» (Rail User Group - about) which will promote both the good things and campaign against the bad things, or 4) They will continue with their extremely critical views on the new franchise holder.

My money would not be on option 4.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #19 on: March 27, 2017, 11:28:36 »

Less shockingly, it reports that RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) is against the move.

DOO (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard))
Logged
chuffed
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1499


View Profile
« Reply #20 on: March 27, 2017, 11:31:31 »

Shouldn't that be DOO (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard))-DOO ??
Logged
ChrisB
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 12334


View Profile Email
« Reply #21 on: March 27, 2017, 11:49:27 »

The Evening Standard views this as a "shock" announcement, although it doesn't say why.

Poor journalism again - First are majority holders in this, so why say a take-over by the minority-holder??? very odd, because it isn't.

They seem to get it right in a foll up article on pax reactions
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2017, 12:12:45 »

That follow up seems to have been done by today's usual standard (small "s") method of reading Twitter. Some of the reactions are amusing:

Quote
Praise Jesus, whoever wins new franchise must be able to provide a better service right?
from @barrowboy77.

Quote
Can't say I'll be sad to see the back of South West Trains, peak time services to/from London truly are abysmal & only getting worse
from @forestcyclist

Quote
How is it South West Trains - which are quite good compared to Southern and Southeastern loose the franchise but Southern is STILL here?
- @BoroughOfTevan may not know the difference between "loose" and "lose", but the question is understandable.

Quote
Have you ever been on Chinese train? Efficient. On time. Cost effective. South West trains are about to become a treat compared to Southern
seems a little extreme in terms of optimism, but @Liam_Evans is hopeful.

Others find it disgusting that we are letting a foreign company run trains, and @Kristin1406 says:

Quote
Ah! Now we've sold South West trains to China. Power Stations, airports and now trains ALL in 6mths. What will be UK (United Kingdom) owned after #Article50

Time will tell.
Logged

Now, please!
paul7575
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5316


View Profile
« Reply #23 on: March 27, 2017, 12:16:02 »

Gone by 2018 will be 3+2 seating on Portsmouth Direct Line services.

It actually only says "fast services" will switch to 2+2.   SWT (South West Trains) could probably just about do that now if they adjusted the specific 444 and 450 operated diagrams, but the fast trains need the highest capacity.

But all in all there's some significant changes.   Squeezing in an extra fast Portsmouth to Southampton service will take much of the load off the Cardiffs, and something is going to operate from Portsmouth to Weymouth - I'd expect some major changes to the overall pattern, because I don't believe 3 tph all the way to Weymouth is needed all day...

Paul
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9809



View Profile
« Reply #24 on: March 27, 2017, 12:20:00 »

It'll be good to see Platforms 4-6 at Reading being used to their full potential with up to seven trains departing from them per hour (comprising four Waterloo and three Redhill/Gatwicks), up from the current four.  Though that'll be a strain on the flat junction at Wokingham!

In the days of slam door stock (hence longer dwell times) I am sure there used to be four London Waterloo services an hour - two running fast to Wokingham and two calling all stations.   There was certainly one North Downs service an hour as well - so that was five an hour and there were only two platforms at Reading (the old 4A and 4B).
Logged
Richard Fairhurst
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1204


View Profile Email
« Reply #25 on: March 27, 2017, 12:28:53 »

Yes, early 2000s I think (when I was commuting to Wokingham).
Logged
paul7575
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5316


View Profile
« Reply #26 on: March 27, 2017, 12:47:30 »


In the days of slam door stock (hence longer dwell times) I am sure there used to be four London Waterloo services an hour - two running fast to Wokingham and two calling all stations.   There was certainly one North Downs service an hour as well - so that was five an hour and there were only two platforms at Reading (the old 4A and 4B).

There were four Waterloo up until the 2004 major re-write. But 2 of the Reading trains were a bit slower as they ran via the Hounslow loop, in 2004 they were diverted away from the Reading line to provide the present 2 tph Weybridge through service.

Prior to that change Weybridge to Virginia Water (and on to reversal at Staines) was served by a single service per hour.

Paul
Logged
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2017, 13:03:39 »

Are you sure the service ran fast to Wokingham I thought Staines was the furthest non stop and then only in the peaks.

Wouldn't have thought there was enough trade even in the peaks to miss  Egham Ascot Martins Heron or Bracknell.

In the real old days the Windsors split at Staines for Weybridge and the Readings at Ascot for Aldershot reverse for Guildford?
Logged
Richard Fairhurst
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1204


View Profile Email
« Reply #28 on: March 27, 2017, 13:51:22 »

Fast from Reading to Wokingham, not from Waterloo to Wokingham!
Logged
JayMac
Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 18894



View Profile
« Reply #29 on: March 27, 2017, 14:22:13 »

Also of interest to me (as I use it from time to time) is the Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo service. That will now follow routes used by First GWR (Great Western Railway). Is that likely to make for any changes?

That will rather depend on the Service Level Commitment. Hopefully the status quo at least will be maintained with 3 services in each direction between Bristol TM(resolve) and Waterloo.
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 16
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page