Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 03:15 19 Mar 2024
- Potholes leave nations' roads at 'breaking point'
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 tomorrow - WWRUG AGM
23/03/24 - Trains restart - Minehead
02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber

No 'On This Day' events reported for 19th Mar

Train RunningDelayed
02:24 Reading to London Paddington
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 25/03 16:00 Easter Escape - to where?
Closed 2024-03-16 Should our rail network go cashless
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 19, 2024, 03:16:45 *
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
[99] Where would you recommend for an Easter Escape?
[99] More travels ... more looking at how others do it ...
[95] M25 motorway issue: a most illuminating Twitter thread.
[80] Briefing on forthcoming changes - from GWR on 14.3.2024
[51] Europeran Rail Timetable
[51] Improvements at three Berkshire stations
 
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: Return of public transport - how is YOUR town doing?  (Read 1807 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40644



View Profile WWW Email
« on: July 09, 2020, 08:52:34 »

As from next Monday ... for Melksham
* All commercial and supported local bus services will be back to "normal" timetables
* 85% of trains running - the handful that are missing are sensible ones to be missing too
* The daily National Express Coach remains suspended
* Trains are quiet and there is capacity to travel with social distancing and without knocking key workers off
* Buses are quiet and passengers are encouraged to use "any service they wish"
See http://www.mrug.org.uk/timetable.html and http://www/mrug.org.uk/coronavirus.html for our local details - pages which have been a bit of a moveable feast to keep up to date but may be stable after next Monday for a couple of months.

How do we compare to other towns?
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Robin Summerhill
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1145


View Profile Email
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2020, 11:06:19 »

There is a mixed picture here in Chippenham.

Most services are more or less back to normal. The two major exceptions are on routes 33 (Chippenham-Devizes) and 44 Chippenham town service.

The 33, probably for operational convenience, has seen its frequency doubled from 2-hourly to hourly. Previously there was a 2-hourly service via Sandy Lane and another 2-hourly service running between Calne and Devizes only. This latter service is now extended to and from Chippenham via Studley.

On a rather less positive note, the 44 continues to operate a Saturday service every day except Sunday when it doesn’t run anyway. This has the effect of there only being one bus after 1200 (at 1355) when the normal timetable provides for 5 (1205, 1305, 1405, 1450 and 1550. As this is the service I use most regularly Faresaver, suffice to say, were given the benefit of my observations in an email last Tuesday...

The reply I got (from a more senior individual at the company than the last time I contacted them) was well-reasoned and cited a lack of passengers on this route compared to the others that the company runs. From personal observation I have to agree with that but I do wonder whether the service currently being provided is part of that problem, especially that lack of afternoon buses.

The normal timetable has a first bus at 0935, then hourly from 1005 to 1405, then 1450 and 1550. The “emergency” timetable runs at 0845, 0925, 1025, 1145 and 1355. Having spent plenty enough years getting up at daft ‘o clock in the morning I have no intention of doing it now in retirement, so as far as I am concerned this precludes the use of the 0845 and usually the 0925. I doubt that I am alone, because not all pensioners employ themselves waking up the sparrows in the morning.

However, I am also old enough to remember the pre-Beeching service reductions on the railways, and the way that Bristol Omnibus Company reduced its lesser used services in the 1960s. In both cases there was a strong element of diminishing returns; whilst it is all very well, for example, withdrawing late evening services because too few people use them, this also has the effect of reducing demand earlier in the day as those “too few” passengers don’t travel outbound either. I therefore wonder whether the lack of afternoon services is not in itself contributing to poor passenger loadings.

Anyway I got the usual “we are monitoring the situation” thrust of a reply, with a suggestion that it might be possible for a service improvement after the schools break up as that would not require additional staffing.

We shall see. And I will be watching... Wink
Logged
CyclingSid
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1912


Hockley viaduct


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2020, 06:48:57 »

Reading Buses changed to a "near normal" service on July 6. Not sure when they restore a normal service. Some "rural" single deck services are doubled up (another one following) at some times to allow for social distancing.

Thinking about seeing how SWR» (South Western Railway - about) are doing tomorrow.
Logged
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2020, 10:31:24 »

Taplow Rail:

Crosrail have been running throughout regular as clockwork every 30 minutes. Station manned booking office closed TVM (Ticket Vending Machine).

A4 Bus

First Group  No 4 LHR Maidenhead every 30 minutes M F. Note be careful in Maidenhead Courney Busses also operate a Number 4 sometimes they share stops others they don't, so make sure you get the right stop. Information on bus stops is not very clear.

Courtney Bus 53 Bracknell Wexham Park Hospital every hour.

4 * No 15 Maidenhead Slough via Eton Wick. Odd times.

So everything is virually back to normal. Except for staiton booking office.

Logged
REVUpminster
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 533



View Profile Email
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2020, 12:14:39 »

Buses in Torbay are running to normal frequencies but do not seem that busy.

Two (there was 3) huge cruise ships are anchored in the bay with no passengers until the owners know what to do with them. Been there quite a few weeks.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/third-enormous-cruise-ship-onboard-4239989
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6432


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2020, 17:50:46 »

How do we compare to other towns?

Difficult to tell here. The service between Tiverton and its eponymous Parkway seems as bad as usual, although it seems fewer services are continuing to Exeter.
Logged

Now, please!
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