At our 7th January meeting of forum members, it was decided to write up and submit a response to the consultation covering general (i.e. not local) topics and comments which are commonly held views that members would be happy to sign up to.
Please take a look at what is planned to be a final draft - been checked on the moderator board - and
if you wish to agree with the points raised and have your forum name added to the signatures, please like this post.http://gwr.passenger.chat/gwf_cs_20180209.pdfNotes:
1. If you are a "lurker" or visitor who would like to add your name, please email us ( info at firstgreatwestern dot info)
2. You are additionally very welcome to cut and paste from the response to use common wording in your own separate response to the consultation. I would expect that many forum members WILL be responding additionally either as individual members or on behalf of other stakeholders.
3. I am also correlating local inputs with a Wiltshire / TransWilts bias -
http://twcrp.info/support takes you to an overview document and will link you though to the consultation document, inputs you can share and further evidence.
This is a separate exercise to the main forum response - and "liking" this thread will not add your name to the local stuff I'm also working on.4. Please sign by 23:59 on Sunday, 18th February 2018 if you would like your forum name included on the signature list (edit to post made to add this cut off date).
Text below is pasted from the draft response (link above) for easy reference. Complete response includes details of what the Coffee Shop is
Question 1 - Objectives
Generally agree with the objectives. Add Objective to provide transport at times and to destinations required, and prioritise reliabiity (cancellations at any station) over strict timekeeping
Question 2 – Splitting the franchise
There is a strong general view that the franchise should not be split. There would be some support for a structure of management units within a single franchise.
Question 4 – Relationship between Train Operator and Network Rail
Passengers are looking to use rail services to travel and are not directy concerned with the relationship between the operator and the provider to the operator, save for wanting a set up that provides the end product effectively and without complexity to their journey.
Question 5 – Train frequency and length of day
Services should run as a minimum hourly serving all stations, in both directions, and from early in the morning through to late evening, seven days a week. It is generally accepted that there may be some exceptions to this general rule, but forum members feel that it is up to members from individual areas to make their own knowleadgable comments for their own areas.
Question 6 – New Stations
Forum members are generally supportive of new stations and accept that they may add a few minutes to journey time. They cannot see so many new stations being opened within the next 10 years that this timing becomes a problem. There is a need for new stations to be provided with an appropriate train service with enough capacity to handle current and growing traffic on the line.
Question 7 – Leaving out stops
Maintaining frequency at intermediate stations is more important than shaving a few minutes from schedules. There may be exceptions, but usually leaving the station skipped on some services with at least one train per hour each way
Question 8 – Direct (through train) provision
he thing that has come out time and again is the importance of end to end journeys where connections (train and bus) are involved – the total journey time, and the reliability of connections.
Where services abut end to end, they should be usefully joined up; 40% to 45% of business is lost at intermediate changes and so changes should be avoided where practical.
Question 12 – Rolling Stock
New stock where classes 143, 150, 153, 158, 165 and 166 run will be needed during franchise, with luggage space, corridor throughout and no 2 + 3 seating please. Please ensure that train capacity allows everyone who wishes to sit to have a seat in all but the most exceptional of cases.
Question 15 - Ticketing
Ticket Vending Machines to offer lowest fare/combination & be clear on route & timing restrictions
Any reasonable route to be acceptable for travel on tickets NOT marked as either “via xxx” or “not via xxx”. If you turn up at your starting station, reasonable routes should include whatever route will get you there soonest. That's in addition to any alternatives offered by the routing guide.
Question 16 – Community Rail
Passengers / members strongly support Community Rail as providing a voice from outside into promoting the passenger experience. The forum requests that direct award and franchise requirements be written in such a way a to provide a continuity of operations for partnerships.
Question 18 – Any other business
1. Customer service performance levels. There should be a target time for answering questions to customer services. Currently routine answers take a month, with many queries extending for a lot longer for our members. A monitored target, with an effective penalty clause in the direct award or franchise contract would help concentrate minds.
2. For the two years of direct award, forum members would like to see
a) Early morning to late evening service provision on all routes, stepping up to or towards hourly frequency as routine.
b) The opportunity of retimetablng to be taken to provide better journey opportunities, appropriate extra through journeys and much improved connections train to train and train to / from bus.
And finally
A big THANK YOU to our forum members for their inputs, and to the Department for Transport for inviting and considering our response.
Edit - 08:00, Feb 10 - spelling corrections and clarifications as suggested in the threadSignature list here (please add your like):
