South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed

[whole diary]

[bobm]

(I have asked for a downloadable copy to share here)

Early version of the Hansard record of the debate is here.

[grahame]

(I have asked for a downloadable copy to share here)

Early version of the Hansard record of the debate is here.

Click on image for the video

[Mark A]

Much made of the figure 93% (i.e. SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) will return to running 93% of the previous service).

This omits... what should it be called... coverage?

The Bristol to Waterloo is a gross example in that as Graham says, this will be 0% 24/7.

But as someone from the Waterloo - Reading line has observed, they've lost a late train from London, seemingly permanently, so for the passengers needing to return at that time who previously used the train, this is also zero percent provision at that time of the day. (And on the matter of that late train, there's a sort of threshold effect where the last train to London supports an entire range of activities and when it goes, the people who used to use it are now the ones that either drive, or need to leave whatever event they've attended before the end. We've seen those people and we don't like to be those people, though it has to be said that for the people who can switch to using a hotel, this benefits the likes of Premier Inn...)

Perhaps the 24/7 figure for a line may be slightly reduced, but retreats from late or early morning services is a reduction to zero service levels at those times.

And it's the early and late trains that may load lightly, so the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) can put pressure on TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) to cut them on the same basis that people at the Trowbridge meeting heard about rather too often - to 'Save the taxpayer money'. (It has to be said that a few people glanced at each other, having thought all along that the taxpayer was themselves.)

And, of course... retreat from the margins and eventually, the centre becomes your new margin.

This is probably obvious to many people, but it doesn't make it less alarming that it's happening to parts of the railway network. Now in some ways that would be fine if the Bristol to Waterloo trains were in normal times  moribund but of course they've been shown to be anything but.

Mark

[grahame]

Sharing from my Facebook feed ...

I admit it - bit of a personal marker passed yesterday afternoon when we hit 3,521 signatures on the petition asking The Governement to "Continue to run through trains from Bristol to Waterloo via Trowbridge". It's now got over twice the number of signatures that the only petition I have ever created before did - and that's in about 2 weeks from initial publicity rather than the 3 months it took before. Far more signatures than I had anticipated - my hope was just to equal the previous number from many years ago. THANK YOU if you have signed already. EVERYone counts.

If you have not yet signed, please do so - at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/598397 . Maybe not a specific "Melksham" topic but very much a West Wilts one, and one - if we let the service cull go ahead without public consultation - would set a dangerous precedent.  It may happen anyway in spite of the screams of anguish, but at the least it will make "them" think next time. It is utter madness to be talking "Bus Back Better" and climate change, and at the same time deleting well used (yes, they are - THAT is why the petition has taken off!) trains.  Read more at http://waterloo.savethetrain.org.uk

Supporting image - a comparison of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service which continues, and the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) service which is set to finish on 10th December 2021 unless something changes late in the day.

[Mark A]

That's a really useful summary: can you sling a PDF version - with the text in it as text, please?

[grahame]

That's a really useful summary: can you sling a PDF version - with the text in it as text, please?

Should be at http://www.passenger.chat/cma.pdf

[grahame]

My thanks to Mark A for finding a signatures-by-day graph (here)



Also a graphic from the petition sight showing the geographic spread (here)



And that in numbers (my page from the .json feed) (here]



(Graphic shown above are as of the time of my posting; links will take you to current graphic whenever you view the page)

[grahame]

From my post at https://www.facebook.com/groups/221786714693792/posts/1795752640630517/ (it's the "Your Crap Railway Photos" group where you can post pictures not suitable for use elsewere), talking about the axing of the Bristol to Waterloo service.

A poster who's profile places him in London writes

The reason they're axing it is not a lot of people use it, if they axe it that frees up stock to be used on busier services and there are alternatives !

But a group member from the Bristol area tells him

That is utter rubbish! Nearly every one of them is at full seated capacity!

Rather confirms the fibbs that are being told out-of-area ... seat occupancy graphs displayed by Andrew Ardley on Wednesday last week (I have asked for but not received a copy of the slides) played with statistics.  They were meant to show a low seat occupancy.  Sadly for SWR^» (South Western Railway - about), I know what typical figures are and to me they were showing a reasonable pattern.  Data collected during the SWR strike too, I think, which was hardly going to encourage passengers.

[grahame]

More feedback - just an example

When I've used it, it's been crushed standing room only. I'll sign.

[Lee]

The petition has just reached 4000 signatures 

[grahame]

The petition has just reached 4000 signatures 

Yep, and 1000 in the Chippenham constituency (for Bradford-on-Avon Station) alone ... which should help arm my MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) in her question for an amended decision.

[Mark A]

Well exactly:

http://www.whitehorsenews.co.uk/blog/2021/10/26/the-community-is-not-going-to-take-rail-cuts/

Mark

[Clan Line]

Don't know if anyone has seen this ?

https://www.andrewmurrison.co.uk/sites/www.andrewmurrison.co.uk/files/2021-10/Letter%20to%20Rt%20Hon%20Grant%20Shapps%20MP%2C%20Secretary%20of%20State%20for%20the%20Department%20for%20Transport%2022.10.21.pdf

[grahame]

Don't know if anyone has seen this ?

Thanks - I have added a copy to the member's mirror at
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/am2gs_20211022.pdf

[grahame]

The petition has just reached 4000 signatures 

I am ... somewhat surprised ... by how it's continuing to grow today. Lee reported 4,000 just 4 hours ago - now at 4,109 and lots more signatures in the local constituencies.  A mixture of public messages on Facebook saying "I love this service" and "I didn't know about this service" which rather suggests an excellent marketing opportunity and better finances should we manage to save the trains.

So glad you have signed. We use these trains a lot. They go via Salisbury and Basingstoke to London Waterloo - right by the Embankment and the Royal Festival Hall (for concerts).... and cheaper than going to Paddington. It would be a crying shame to lose it.