Warminster - first Sunday trains

[whole diary]

[grahame]

First Sunday trains ... 10:08 southbound and 10:49 northbound. Reports of up to 50 waiting for the 10:49 towards Bath, and a failure to have decent connections for a day out to Weymouth, to London, to Swindon.

Sunday morning trains have been improved elsewhere - are we getting to the stage that a Westbury starter should start back at Warminster at 08:48?

[Timmer]

Certainly something that needs to be looked at and could easily be done. Quite clear there is demand.

Talking of Weymouth, there was a time when there were three morning services to Weymouth on Summer Sundays with one starting back at Warminster returning there in the evening.

[John R]

I think you've answered your own question grahame.  Let's suppose you are a retail worker in Bath.  You have a season ticket, but bad luck if you actually want to use it on Sunday to get to work in times for the shops to open.

[ChrisB]

Possibly archaic requirements from Network Rail and closed for maintainabce until 10? We have the same problem between Oxford & north of

[grahame]

First Sunday trains ... 10:08 southbound and 10:49 northbound. Reports of up to 50 waiting for the 10:49 towards Bath, and a failure to have decent connections for a day out to Weymouth, to London, to Swindon.

Sunday morning trains have been improved elsewhere - are we getting to the stage that a Westbury starter should start back at Warminster at 08:48?

Confirmed that with my own eyes today - I was on the train that calls at 10:49 and I would estimate the number joining at around 50.  Speaking with one of them, she'd been near the TVM and said that most people were making day trips to shop in Bath "but with Sunday opening limited, that cuts out shopping time".   Not sure how much I would accept her "most", but certainly I can believe that was the most significant flow.

Confirms that the current first train northbound at 10:49 is archaically late - and note it was a 5 car formation, with people standing (yes, on a Sunday morning) after it had left Warminster.

[grahame]

Following up on an old thread ... from January, the 10:49 was no longer the first "train" northbound from Warminster on a Sunday - an 08:48 starter for Bristol introduced ... except it's initially been a bus.   A train today - not sure whether that's the first time (I suspect 2nd, 3rd or 4th) but have a report it just reached double figures.   Small start but not yet Easter, and promotion has been waiting for it to be steel on steel not rubber on Tarmac

Also a report of waiting passenger(s) on Dilton Marsh when it sailed though without stopping because it was one of thoe Turbo things ...