I am splitting this off into a separate thread. Growing evidence that suggests to me that systems are limiting the numbers who can travel, even when there is plenty of capacity available. This includes an insistance on reservations but such not being available from many
TVMs▸ (nor enforced) and what appears to be a declaration that services are fully booked - you need a reservation and none are available - and it turns out the trains are very thinly loaded.
I am all for avoiding overcrowding. I see little merit in continuing to make it a challenge to travel on quieter trains.
I wonder if this Increase in Pay as you go journeys is to be driven off the existing fares database.
The one that tried to tell me yesterday that the cheapest ticket I could buy for a return trip from Oxford to Newbury with a senior railcard leaving at 09.32 was £31.25 and only 3 tickets where left. This showed on my West Midland trains App and the National Rail Enquires App.
Further investigation found that this fare was the First class period off peak return available after 09:00 as is the Standard class day return at £9.60. Later trains showed the standard class fare.
As to why only 3 tickets where available is another mystery of the database.
I bought the £9.60 ticket and as I was already on the train I was aware that it conveyed standard and first class accomadation.
Looking at the same 2 Apps for tomorrow at 09:32 shows the correct standard class fare.
I have been trying to book a trip out tomorrow.
* Selected outbound train - AOK.
* Selected return train - AOK
* Told I must reserve seats
* Entered choices forward / table / window / quiet
... only then message comes up that no seats are available on "one of the trains selected" and suggests "try another"
Oh dear
- why did it offer me trains that there were no seats available on?
- why did it have me select the seat type before saying "nothing on one of these trains"?
- why didn't it tell me WHICH train was full even at that point so I knew which one to change?
I have tried various combinations and found nothing
I can't help wondering ..
- If the system is being intentionally customer unfriendly to put people off travelling
- Whether people will trust a new automated 'pay as you go system' if it's based on something as awkward as this
- Whether all the fare experts who have been working for their TOC▸ will be able to spend time sorting out the customer experience once they all become part of GBR▸ .
Last year, tried to book a ticket for immediate travel on the GWR▸ app. One way only involving two trains. App said no, you need a reservation but you can't have one. Fortunately the ticket machine was not as fussy and happily gave me a ticket for the same price. No reservation needed.
So ... my story yesterday.
The weather has been awful. Yesterday (Saturday) was forecast to be merely bad not awful - the best of a bad bunch, so on Friday I decided to plan a trip to Weymouth to update pictures. Saturday was also to be the first running for a number of years of a scheduled through service from Melksham to Weymouth at a time suitable for a day trip, and the first running of a later train back from Westbury that made getting back practical too.
I went online on Friday to book. Story quoted above. Booking system that took me through lots of options, and then failed to deliver. But my knoweldge suggested I might still be able to buy a walk-up ticket from the TVM, and further suggested that the trains might not be as busy as was made out. And
on the basis that I would replan or abort my trip if it got uncomforatbly crowded, I payed a princely £12.90 at the Melksham Station TVM just after 08:30 yesterday.
Management Summary
I did a number of breaks of journey along the way. No carriage I was in was remotely crowded - space enough to socially distance every single time. Chatting with one of the train managers (who had time to talk because the loading was so light!), the
TM‡ had been told by other that [those others] had trouble booking / been warned off too.
Detail
* Melksham to Maiden Newton
Two car 158, with perhaps 15 passengers in my carriage, most of who stayed on through Westbury where a further 2 cars from Bristol were joined on. On board autometed announcements ex Melksham suggested that the train was terminating at Westbury, but the TM took steps to ensure we kept informed as staff too sorted out what was happening. A few joiners along the way; judging by passengers waiting at Frome and at Pen Mill, other carriages probably got busier but I was at the front; don't know what the ex-Bristol carriages were like
* Maiden Newton to Weymouth
Four car (2 x Turbo) about 30 minutes behind - this is the train that had not stopped at the halts - the remenants of the "Weymouth Wizard". Perhaps 20 into Weymouth in my carriage - say 80 on the train as a whole which
DID» give a tight spot crowd for a minute or so on the narrow (inferior, uncanopied!) GWR platform at Weymouth
* Ferry Bridge Inn to Portland Heights
Bus - single decker, late lunch time. It's a service every 15 minutes. Row of seats to myself, but not many rows free. Just about right at the moment?
* Fortuneswell to Weymouth
Bus - doule decker, mid afternoon. Top deck to myself; perhaps half a dozen downstairs?
* Weymouth to Yeovil Pen Mill
16:10, 3 car turbo. In the front carriage with perhaps 15 people.
* Yeovil Pen Mill to Castle Cary
18:19 train (the 17:28 off Weymouth) which I expected to be packed - hence my plan to just ride 1 stop on it. 3 car turbo - and how wrong could I have been on loading? I don't think it was even into double figures in the carriage I was i - a "carrying fresh air" service.
* Castle Cary to Westbury
18:47 off
CLC▸ - 9 car
IET▸ . Just one other passenger in my carriage. Saw three staff - Train Manager and two operating the trolley. I may have been the only one off at Westbury, and didn't spot any joiners. Shouldn't say it, but at this part of the diagram 5 cars would have been more than adequate.
* Westbury to Trowbridge
Rail Replacement buses running from Salisbury, so this was a Westbury starter. 2 car turbo, just myself + 1 other in the carriage off Westbury. Noticable quite a number jointed at Trowbridge
* Trowbridge to Melksham
First running of the 20:05 (Saturdays) Westbury to Swindon, joined at 20:11 at Trowbridge. We have been calling for this later train for a very long time, but did no publicity for this first Saturday. 2 car 158 (THANK YOU - love the seats compared to the other trains I was on during the day. Couldn't believe it - as perhaps the busiest carriage of the day. A dozen people got off at Melksham. "Total journey" observation - all 12 completed their journey from Melksham station on foot. No cars collected from the car park, no ride-and-kiss pickups, no prebooked taxis, no cycles - off the train, collected from the racks, or collected from the hire point at the hub. No-one took the bus ... but then, there isn't one.
In summary and thoughts
1. A great day out ... few problems, no overcrowding but information and ticketing system over-engineered to put people off!
2. The staff on the ground continue to do a great job
3. Will the levelling up of GBR mean a decent platform for trains via Westbury as well as via Poole at Weymouth?
4. You have only to sit in a 158 for a few minutes to realise how much more comfortable it is
5. Early days but it looks like the Saturday evening train from Westbury to Swindon will be a great success; viewing the customer base, these did not look like seasonal passengers and it should run all year. As the train used then runs the the 21:20 (ish) all year Swindon to Westbury, it makes operational sense for it to carry on beyond September!
