Message from MTLS

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I also draw your attention to a quote by me in response to Insider :

I do , however , think that FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s decision to ask for a change to the Westbury - Swindon section of the SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) (granted by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) , in order to allow them to please Stroud Valley commuters (who already had an hourly service) at the expense of Melksham / TransWilts commuters (who had virtually no service) , while saving themselves having to use an extra unit , was not their finest hour and has earned them the mistrust of quite a few people on the ground.

Indeed - that action by First Great Western was the pits.   The specification from the DfT was dreadful enough was designed to provide a decent commuter trip into Swindon - 08:15 in, 17:45 out, but FGW extended that by 90 minutes (getting the DfT to modify the spec in the process) and making the day impractically long.  I know people who gave up working because of FGW.

P.S.  Then the remaining two trains get put on at silly times ... 06:18 off Swindon, back at 20:20 when the business case was much better for 08:30 off Swindon and 17:30 back ... and that would have tied in operationally with the other two trains.

[smokey]

For all those who point the Blame of the Mess that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) became at the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), just remember that FGW should have done their Homework and checked passenger loadings on former Wessex Operated trains.
They would have been able to correct the DfT's outdated figures, (never trust a body run by civil servants)

Whilst overcrowding occurs on many areas of FGW, it's the former Wessex Services that have seen the worse problems, 3 car trains cut to 2, or Train service cuts such as Melksham has seen.