Blooming ridiculous!

[whole diary]

[thefab442]

I am well aware of that, thankyou.

Others might not, and I think you are bit paranoid if everytime someone doesn't quote your post INCLUDING quotes you immediately assume they are trying to make you look stupid!

I assume there are one or two normal pax on here, that won't know the ins and outs of every timetable ever considered on this line!

[Lee]

I am well aware of that, thankyou.

Others might not, and I think you are bit paranoid if everytime someone doesn't quote your post INCLUDING quotes you immediately assume they are trying to make you look stupid!

I assume there are one or two normal pax on here, that won't know the ins and outs of every timetable ever considered on this line!

I am not going to give you the pleasure of telling you what I think of your latest obvious trolling attempt. I was pointing out that you didnt appear to have read what had been written before that, and I feel I was right to complain about being quoted out of context.

[grahame]

Others might not, and I think you are bit paranoid if everytime someone doesn't quote your post INCLUDING quotes you immediately assume they are trying to make you look stupid!

I assume there are one or two normal pax on here, that won't know the ins and outs of every timetable ever considered on this line!

HEY - I think this is starting to get a bit personal - and one of the few rules that we have around here is NOT to get personal.   Please restrain from personal attacks - they may be common on other forums but they are completely unacceptable here.

By the way - we are all pretty nromal people 

[Lee]

By the way, if people ever think that I have got the wrong end of the stick, please bear in mind that there are appropriate ways of putting your view across without resorting to personal attack. See example below :

Yes I know, I read it. The Train Fellow asked for an upgrade and was given one, as is allowed under the NRCC. I was just questioning why it was necessary to drag out the "keep out of my first class" soapbox on another thread when there's a perfectly adequate one already running. 

I think that miniman would agree that he has sometimes overstepped the mark, but I will say that he takes steps to moderate his posts when this is pointed out to him.

[tramway]

Is it ok if we could return to the main theme here.

I^ve sent Lee a few extracts from an RPC report from 2004 which seemed to make sense to me, and which outlined basic service provision around the Portsmouth/Cardiff corridor (Old Wessex basically)

Lee asked if I could expand on my earlier outline info, unfortunately as is the way of the world I^ve been side tracked into reading the myriad reports and plans that have been produced covering rail services around Wiltshire and the South West. I^ll have to return to the subject of capacity issues a bit later.

I^ve done this to see what other support there may have been officially for the type of service proposed in the RPC report, and I have extracted a few bits and pieces I^ve stumbled upon. Nothing as detailed as in the RPC reports but interesting nontheless.

The following is from the South West RPA dated May 2007
http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/wmssouthwestrpa

It draws on the Draft South West RSS^▸ (Regional Spatial Strategy) which identified Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCT^s), I^ve re-ordered the list from the report to place them into local rail route significance.

Bath
Trowbridge
Bristol
Salisbury

Chippenham
Swindon

Yeovil
Barnstaple
Dorchester
Taunton
Bournemouth
Exeter
Torbay
Bridgwater
Gloucester
Weston-super-Mare
Camborne/Pool/Redruth,
Falmouth/Penryn/Truro
Poole
Weymouth
Cheltenham
Plymouth

5.3.9   On each of the routes identified in the bold statement following paragraph 5.3.4 the train service frequency should be developed to support the growth of the SSCTs, and train capacities should be such as to avoid overcrowding for journeys from within the region to London and Birmingham. It will also be necessary to ensure consistent standards of service quality. This will include safer, more attractive stations, improved interchange facilities and services, and enhanced car parking capacity at stations.

From page 97 of the RPA

Objective
Strengthen the role of Bristol as the region^s main focus for economic growth.
Help meet all objectives by accommodating growth in rail demand.
Improve public transport accessibility around Bristol.

Options
Train lengthening, focusing initially on services to Bath/ Wiltshire and Severn Beach.

Delivery Issues
Additional rolling stock required. Funding would be needed for an earlier than planned roll-out of smartcard technology to railway stations around Bristol.

Potential Delivery Route.
Franchise Agreement.

Relies on the implementation plan from the outcomeof the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study which in turn comes from the SWARMMS findings in 2002, which assumes cascaded 165 stock, (para  5.80)


Wiltshire Local Transport Plan Appendix 4 para 6 -15,

   Further development of the Severn ^ Solent route as an important interregional link between the medium-sized towns along the corridor, including regular clock-face stopping patterns and faster journey times (my bold) (although the latter may be difficult to achieve with current national priorities on maintenance and investment). This should also include better connections with longer distance services and a clear policy for holding connections in the event of late running

The ^Western Wiltshire sustainable transport strategy^ and ^Wiltshire structure plan^ and LTP^▸ (Local Transport Plan)^s were to be honest a total waste of space wrt rail. WWDC^» (West Wiltshire District Council - about)^s web site is still congratulating Wessex on the improvements they made to the Trans Wilts service.

[Lee]

Is it ok if we could return to the main theme here.

Fine by me. Ive got some info on this that I will send you a bit later, tramway. Good to be working with you on this, by the way.

On the RPC report, it is interesting that the Jacobs Greater Western Franchise Replacement Outline Business Case Report considered, but rejected (unfairly in many people's view) the report's recommendations (Pages 153 & 154 of the link below.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/foi/responses/2006/september06/swindonwestburytrainsservice/greaterwesternoutlinebusines1103

The RPC proposals included :

- Hourly limited stop service between Cardiff and Portsmouth
- Hourly semi fast service between Bristol and Southampton
- Hourly stopping service Bristol to Frome, extended two hourly to Weymouth
- Two hourly Swindon to Westbury shuttle.

I know that tramway has more detail on this, so I will let him pick up on that.

On the South West RPA, here are a couple of relevant links, with input from tramway.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2221.msg5160#msg5160

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=299.msg799#msg799

[WashuChan]

As a user of the Portsmouth to Cardiff service line, I'm growing more and more annoyed with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (or as the locals now call it First Great Failurer) for the constant issues they have with their service. Each night after 7pm the service is usually delayed by 20-40 minutes because of staff being late for the train service to continue the journey. This of course delays other services behind it and delays me getting home from my job.

I've spent half an hour waiting for the 158 class that was next to the 450 SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service via Fareham because the driver had fallen asleep in Fratton's staff room. I've never seen anything like this from SWT or Southern (who to be honest are perhaps one of the more old school polite, friendly staff services I've ever been on) and don't see how FGW can get away with this.

The trains themselves are still bearing the sticks from the era when they were owned by Arriva trains, with the "arriva" part blanked out with biro! The seats themselves on the trains are either tatty or come away when they are sat on, the space for any one trying to sit on them, which is impressive in itself if the train isn't full again.

The carriages and toilets smell of urine on a regular basis, which gets even worse when its warm during the summer or when the heating on the trains is set to melt everyone alive. The toilets are rubbish, it would be easier and cleaner to stick my behind out of the windows, which we arent allowed to have open now, then sit on one.

The 158's in the current state that they are, that are running on the line (and the horrible backup 150's) have to go. I refuse to accept the rubbish excuses that I've been given from FGW rep's that the service isnt "popular" enough to warrant them having more then two coaches on the service. I've been all the way to Cardiff with the train FULL of people and back again three days later and can easily attest to each day it being full.

As you can tell, I'm a little bit of a grumpy sod 

[thefab442]

I've not had a chance to bash a refurbished 158 yet, but I agree the interior of some of them is disgusting. Back in January I had an unrefurbished 159/0 from BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to SAL, and yes it was a bit tatty, but it was decent enough and felt like a Palace on Wheels compared to some of the 158s you get - the blue seated ones (ex-Arriva?) are the worst IMO^▸ (in my opinion). Sadly, I seem to attract TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) units!


As for timetable I was doing, I have started but its damn complicated. Running fast and slow trains over the same distance is really hard to accomodate, as I've found when doing a timetable for the SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line), the fast train to Weymouth arrives only a few minutes before the previous hours' slow train!

[Lee]

Sadly, I seem to attract TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) units!

I went through a stage where I seemed to attract 150's.....

[Lee]

As for timetable I was doing, I have started but its damn complicated. Running fast and slow trains over the same distance is really hard to accomodate, as I've found when doing a timetable for the SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line), the fast train to Weymouth arrives only a few minutes before the previous hours' slow train!

tramway and I are working on similar stuff, and the offer to pool ideas and to reach a consensus still stands.

[Jez]

I've not had a chance to bash a refurbished 158 yet

Me neither although I dont use the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) local services much. When I did it was a ex TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) 158 or an ex Wessex one with the pink seats.

[devon_metro]

Put it this way: FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 158s are to the same standard as SWT^▸ (South West Trains) 159s apart from the blue interior.

They were even refurbed at the same place!

[158 Matt]

Yes, its rather disheartening to go onto that Announcement Archives site and hear things like:

Hate to go off topic, AND bump and old topic with my first post (really sorry btw ). But I simply must be linked to this site!

Thanks in advance!

Matt

[Btline]

Welcome to the forum 158 Matt.

You obviously did not realise that there is an introduction section of this forum though!