Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 06:15 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
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
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
06:24 Newbury to Bedwyn
06:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
07:00 Bedwyn to Newbury
07:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
07:49 Bedwyn to Newbury
08:13 Newbury to Bedwyn
08:46 Bedwyn to Newbury
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
Short Run
04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:23 Hereford to London Paddington
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:55 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:00 Bedwyn to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
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 29, 2024, 06:19:49 *
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
[82] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[76] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[74] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[67] Return of the BRUTE?
[57] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[46] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 [2]
  Print  
Author Topic: launch of national campaign promoting scenic and sustainable tourism by rail  (Read 13901 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2017, 14:30:13 »

Interesting concept. I agree about suitability of window spacing on current stock plus lineside vegetation.

Do I remember hearing that Mark Iid window pitch was designed to give everyone in first class a window?   

Quote
Remember a trip on the Festiniog a few years back, much of the way the view was obscured by large mature trees next to the line. Unfortunately probably not on their land.

Although I did notice a few years that the West Somerset had done some quite extensive tree clearing  on their land.

Disappointing how poor the view from the train was on the Fawley branch last weekend ...

Quote
Interesting comment from a friend of mine who has just come back from Scotland who remarked that they were surprised how busy Fort William to Mallaig was and that it was only a 2 car unit. A line that probably doesn't need promoting!

Quick arithmetic on passenger numbers and number of services ... each carriage averages just half as busy as the typical TransWilts train ... I would suggest that promotion may need guidance towards less popular trains / seasons.

Interesting that the Purbeck Line says it will run a commuter service from Wareham to Swanage from June 13th. Couldn't find Swanage on the National Rail Enquiries site. Does that mean that it is not 100% definite yet? Or will tickets only be sold through the Swanage Railway?

Final details are awaited; yes - it's running close to the wire, and this has not escaped the notice of the Purbeck line people who were just up-table from TransWilts at Waterloo yesterday!
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Adelante_CCT
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1314



View Profile
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2017, 17:52:28 »

Quote
Disappointing how poor the view from the train was on the Fawley branch last weekend ..

Hardly worth it for the odd railtour, I don't think the oil wagons are too fussed about having a nice view  Smiley
Logged
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2017, 18:31:26 »

Do I remember hearing that Mark Iid window pitch was designed to give everyone in first class a window?   

Wikipedia gives

The Mk1 TSO (The Stationary Office (now OPSI)) contains eight seating bays, three transverse entrance vestibules, and two toilets arranged either side of a central corridor leading to the gangway at one end. The eight bays are distributed along the coach in two saloons of four bays either side of the almost-central door vestibule (this is slightly offset towards one end by the presence of the toilets at the other end), and the saloon nearest to the toilets is further divided into two saloons of two bays each by a transverse partition. The bay spacing is 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), this being the standard for Mk1 Third / Second / Standard class, and identical to the compartment spacing in Mk1 side corridor stock.

All with tables!
 
Logged
Western Pathfinder
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1528



View Profile
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2017, 18:56:02 »

The joys and delights of being able to move when you were seated those were good days indeed. Undecided
Logged
trainer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1035


View Profile
« Reply #19 on: May 18, 2017, 22:47:52 »

Here is a link to the suggestion about Scotrail proposals.  It may well have been superseded now since I haven't heard anything recently.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scenic-trains-planned-for-new-scotrail-franchise-1-3194275
Logged
paul7575
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5316


View Profile
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2017, 11:27:57 »

To confirm Rhydgaled's earlier thoughts, it has definitely turned out Scotrail will just be using 158s on their scenic routes, with some minor modifications to seating alignment, catering and tables.   As always, the original spin was far greater than the actuality...

There are numerous mentions of 'scenic' in their franchise agreement here:  https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/2302/abellio-scotrail-redacted-franchise-agreement-web-version-revised-november-2016.pdf

Paul
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #21 on: May 19, 2017, 12:33:00 »

To confirm Rhydgaled's earlier thoughts, it has definitely turned out Scotrail will just be using 158s on their scenic routes, with some minor modifications to seating alignment, catering and tables.   As always, the original spin was far greater than the actuality...
Wasn't the plan to use 158s on the West Highland line dropped due to gauging issues or something similar?
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2017, 13:15:06 »

Two out of the three postcard pictures not identified earlier from the "Scenic Rail" series are on the lines out of Glasgow via Crainlarich ... so scenery is certainly a key element there. 

Noting the willingness of customers to pay premium rates for a good scenic trip, how about forming up some 2 + 5 HSTs (High Speed Train) - 2 x first, 1 x buffet, 2 x standard for the summer season.  In winter, run them as 2 + 3 (1 x first and 2 x standard), returning the buffet and extra first carriage to Glasgow and Edinburgh to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen services - the business trips which are too short to fly, and where the first class travellers probably are thinner on the ground during the summer.  Silly suggestion ... but then ...
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #23 on: May 21, 2017, 11:16:32 »

Quick arithmetic on passenger numbers and number of services ... each carriage averages just half as busy as the typical TransWilts train ... I would suggest that promotion may need guidance towards less popular trains / seasons.

Grahme would you care to elaborate on this formula, it seems a useful way of comparing services.

Noting the willingness of customers to pay premium rates for a good scenic trip, how about forming up some 2 + 5 HSTs (High Speed Train) - 2 x first, 1 x buffet, 2 x standard for the summer season.  In winter, run them as 2 + 3 (1 x first and 2 x standard), returning the buffet and extra first carriage to Glasgow and Edinburgh to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen services - the business trips which are too short to fly, and where the first class travellers probably are thinner on the ground during the summer.  Silly suggestion ... but then ...

Well the pocket rockets are coming to the West Country (2+5) I'm not sure what the seating plans are or whether they will have catering.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #24 on: May 21, 2017, 11:47:52 »

Quote
Quick arithmetic on passenger numbers and number of services ... each carriage averages just half as busy as the typical TransWilts train ... I would suggest that promotion may need guidance towards less popular trains / seasons.

Grahme would you care to elaborate on this formula, it seems a useful way of comparing services.

For the Mallaig line:

>>> 9418+492+1706+478+366+2762+7058+4332+86994
113606
>>> # ticketed journeys east of Fort William
...
>>> 50 * 6 * 4 * 2 * 2
4800
>>> # carriage runs on line (50 weeks, 6 days a week, 4 trains, 2 cars each, 2 ways)
...
>>> 113606 / 4800.0
23.667916666666667
>>> # passengers per carriage
...
>>> 86994 / 4800.0
18.12375
>>> # passengers per carriage in / out of Mallaig

Loading figure of 23.66 will be high due to people making an intermediate journey (i.e. not going to from or through Fort William) are double-counted with this algorithm.


For TransWilts:

>>> 50 * 6 * (18 + 6)
7200
>>> 245000 / 7200.0
34.02777777777778
>>>

245000 is the number of passengers on the Chippenham - Trowbridge section

For both Mallaig and TransWilts, I have taken 50 rather than 51 weeks and there are also some Sunday services not counted in the days.  They're in broad balance for both.

Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #25 on: May 22, 2017, 09:35:34 »

Thanks very interesting calculations. Might try it for Marlow but not sure how reliable passenger figures are as there are no ticket selling facilities there.

Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #26 on: May 22, 2017, 09:51:13 »

Thanks very interesting calculations. Might try it for Marlow but not sure how reliable passenger figures are as there are no ticket selling facilities there.

Passenger numbers from the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) are designed to take all ticketed journeys into account, wherever the tickets are bought, and include season ticket and rover data too.   That's why it takes so long from the end of the financial year in April for the data to be published.    Some of the rover and season ticket data has to be estimates, though, and no account is taken of journeys by people who get away without paying.

My method should give you an interesting result for the services into Marlow itself, based on Marlow passenger numbers.  It may be rather more wolly if you calculate for the whole branch, as it double counts intermediate traffic - do people from Cookham use it to of shopping in Marlow, for example.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #27 on: July 19, 2017, 11:38:19 »

It was only a matter of time....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/scenic-rail-postcards-Britain-set-of-6-/272762024649?hash=item3f81e232c9:g:3X4AAOSwX9FZIz-4

Not even the complete set of eight!
Logged
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]
  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