Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 02:15 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaways hit by travel disruption
- 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
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningDelayed
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance
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, 02:25:40 *
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
[98] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[97] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[86] Return of the BRUTE?
[74] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[53] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[23] 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]
  Print  
Author Topic: Any larks out there??  (Read 3258 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« on: November 30, 2017, 05:23:44 »

With all the various consultations out there, and a look at the whole Southampton - Salisbury - Westbury - Swindon corridor under way, can anyone tell me about early morning loading between Salisbury and Westbury?

This morning, I note:

Quote
05:24 Westbury to Salisbury due 05:55
Facilities on the 05:24 Westbury to Salisbury due 05:55.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.
Last Updated:30/11/2017 05:03

Quote
05:49 Westbury to Portsmouth Harbour due 07:44
Facilities on the 05:49 Westbury to Portsmouth Harbour due 07:44.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.
Last Updated:30/11/2017 05:03

Quote
06:02 Salisbury to Westbury due 06:33
Facilities on the 06:02 Salisbury to Westbury due 06:33.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 7.
Last Updated:30/11/2017 05:02

Apart perhaps from the 06:53 Southampton to Portsmouth section of the 05:49 Westbury to Portsmouth Harbour, I don't see any problem with these trains at their new length - from the very few times I have been around at Westbury that early in the morning, passengers have been sparse and (frankly) I suspect a 153 (single carriage) would suffice.

Please follow up with any early morning thoughts / comments!
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
BandHcommuter
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 180


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2017, 05:56:19 »

I have travelled in the past on both the 0524 and 0549 from Westbury as far as Salisbury, and indeed they are lightly loaded as one might expect. I would guess that the capacity of these trains is driven more by the expected loadings later in their circuits when they hit the morning peak. The 0524, when it terminates at Salisbury, attaches to a couple of SWT (South West Trains) trains to bring back to Westbury on the 0602 (and then there are various bits of detaching and shunting at Westbury). It looks as though not only is the GW (Great Western) train short by a coach, but one of the SW trains is not being attached? This might cause problems later on.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2017, 06:33:17 »

I have travelled in the past on both the 0524 and 0549 from Westbury as far as Salisbury, and indeed they are lightly loaded as one might expect. I would guess that the capacity of these trains is driven more by the expected loadings later in their circuits when they hit the morning peak. The 0524, when it terminates at Salisbury, attaches to a couple of SWT (South West Trains) trains to bring back to Westbury on the 0602 (and then there are various bits of detaching and shunting at Westbury). It looks as though not only is the GW (Great Western) train short by a coach, but one of the SW trains is not being attached? This might cause problems later on.

Many thanks for that - it was my guess and reading too of the very early loadings; good to have confirmation.

Indeed those same trains will get very much busier - or overbusy - later on their diagrams. But with consultations ongoing on SWR» (South Western Railway - about) changes and GWR (Great Western Railway) changes relating in part to the corridor study that's due to initially report to the DfT» (Department for Transport - about) tomorrow, the diagrams could very likely change in the future.   Certainly the attachment of a SWR unit to the 06:02 from Salisbury is not something that's planned to be long term - in fact it was a stop gap when introduced and it's turned out to be a much longer gap that's been stopped than was expected!
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
RA
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 201


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2017, 19:25:52 »

The 05:24 service normally has only a handful of people on from Westbury, with a few more from Warminster. The majority of the users change at Salisbury for the service to Waterloo. It is run more for the return working. As it runs down with a full crew on board, it makes sense to run it in service rather than as empty stock. The return 06:02 service is much better patronised, especially from Warminster. Normally into double figures joining at Dilton Marsh. It connects nicely at Westbury into the 06:38 service for Bath, Bristol and Filton commuting. I believe a couple of Dilton Marsh passengers catch the 06:40 service from Westbury for stations to Portsmouth, as this is effectively the first opportunity for southbound travel from Dilton Marsh (permitted by an easement which allows Dilton Marsh passengers to circulate via Westbury or Warminster as appropriate).

Until recently, the train was booked for a two car class 150. At Salisbury, a hired in 158 attached. On arrival at Westbury, the 150 would form the 06:46 service to Weymouth with the 158 shunting to form the 07:04 service to Cheltenham, via Melksham. However, at present an extra 158 is due to be on hire each day, with two class 158 units booked to attach at Salisbury. This has led to some diagram reshuffling. A 3 car 158 is now booked for the 05:24 service to Salisbury as when it arrives back at Westbury it runs empty to Warminster at 06:53, forms the 07:23 Warminster to Great Malvern service which in turn becomes the 10:48 Great Malvern to Brighton service, both requiring a 3 car 158 unit. The second hired in 158 unit forms the 06:46 Weymouth service, with the other forming the usual Cheltenham service. Unfortunately, SWR» (South Western Railway - about) have been unable to provide the second 158 on several occasions this week, leading to more short notice reshuffling.
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]
  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