Heart of Wessex Line - service issues (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[DaveHarries]

Should the new proposed stations at Langport/ Somerton and Wellington be built [.....]

All of those would be useful. Whether or not they materialise it is good to see Beeching being reversed.

Dave

[GEOFFTHROW]

HELLO,

Sometime last year I read an article in Somerset Live about the lost of the direct rail service between Yeovil and Taunton.
Today its a journey of about 40 mins. I suggested to Jaime Rockhill, Senior Strategic Planning Manager for Network Rail that the Cardiff to Taunton service could be extended to Weymouth via Castle Cary.
I worked out the through journey would be about 10 mins quicker if infrastructure changes at Castle Cary were possible. It will allow a through Taunton / Yeovil service and the opportunity to travel from South Dorset and change trains at Taunton were the level of service is good to Exeter St Davids and beyond.
My suggestion had been taken on board with the Dorset CMSP in mind and the possible implications/ constraints using the Western mainline route.

[WSW Frome]

I have been meaning to comment on this post for some time, so here are some thoughts.

HoW^‡(resolve) services should ideally become hourly but is the market demand really there? A more frequent service will presumably stimulate the market and generate new travel but it is a chicken and egg story just like at the re-opened Melksham. Historically (without checking) I doubt an hourly type of service was ever provided, except possibly Weymouth to Yeovil PM, at certain times of day.

Travel involving change of route at Yeovil Junction represents a similar story and very long-standing discussion point. Is the demand really there? Weymouth to Exeter might seem attractive but an alternative used by many currently is to change at Castle Cary. I have observed significant numbers opting for this and some easy connections exist. Journey times with a good connection might be faster than via Honiton. So this leaves travel options between Weymouth and Crewkerne, Axminster and Honiton. Others are also promoting eastbound journeys towards Salisbury and London. Axminster has a reasonable bus service from Bridport and Dorchester.

There was once a reasonable train service between the three Yeovil stations and I used this regularly in my wild mid-60s youth. Very few interchange passengers were observed then.

So in both cases the service has to be provided to stimulate the demand, which we hope is there to be met. An excellent proposition to aspire to these improvements.

On a more positive note, the Clifton Maybank Curve (seemingly now called Yeovil South by politicos?) has acquired a set of marker/survey pegs in recent months. So is this Network Rail carrying out some early survey work under the radar? Or do they simply mark out the line of some underground services? Here's hoping!   

[Trowres]

Dorchester West fared marginally better than Okehampton yesterday, with only 4 of 18 scheduled calls being made.

I believe that more than one issue was responsible. Perhaps someone could confirm that in addition to a "points failure" in the Dorchester vicinity, there was another between Bristol and Bath, and a further cancellation due to a train fault?

[bradshaw]

Here is the page from RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for Dorchester West yesterday
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:DCW/2024-11-21/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

There was a problem all over W Dorset once you got onto the hills. The A35 was blocked in a couple of places as was the A37. Even that hub of the universe, Crewkerne, and the A30 were affected.

[bradshaw]

Seven days on an the service affected by crew shortages again.

Journey check showing:

06:38 Weymouth to Gloucester due 10:02 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 19 minutes late. This is due to train crew being delayed.

07:33 Weymouth to Gloucester due 10:56 will be started from Westbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth due 16:27 will be terminated at Bristol Temple Meads.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:10 Gloucester to Weymouth due 18:27 will be terminated at Bristol Temple Meads.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[brooklea]

Seven days on an the service affected by crew shortages again.

Journey check showing:

06:38 Weymouth to Gloucester due 10:02 has been delayed at Weymouth and is now 19 minutes late. This is due to train crew being delayed.

07:33 Weymouth to Gloucester due 10:56 will be started from Westbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth due 16:27 will be terminated at Bristol Temple Meads.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:10 Gloucester to Weymouth due 18:27 will be terminated at Bristol Temple Meads.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

And also

09:09 Gloucester to Weymouth due 12:27 will be terminated at Westbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

13:28 Weymouth to Gloucester due 16:56 will be started from Westbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.