Swindon -> Weymouth. Two views.

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I am reminded of two early days photos "As the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) sees it" with an empty platform and "As the passenger sees it" with a picture on the train that's sitting there.   This is from Yeovil this morning - the 08:45 Swindon to Weymouth awaiting the single line



3 car train. Each coach similar loading.  No doubt the local community groups that are helping promote this will get criticism from within the communities served along the lines of "Your marketing wasn't much good - we didn't hear about it until after it had finished".   I contend we have it right - we've only used limited tools to promote it on the grounds that we really don't want to create a problem with overcrowding.

[GBM]

Could a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) be used, (despite being phased out); or a 5 car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)?

[bobm]

No doubt the local community groups that are helping promote this will get criticism from within the communities served along the lines of "Your marketing wasn't much good - we didn't hear about it until after it had finished".   I contend we have it right - we've only used limited tools to promote it on the grounds that we really don't want to create a problem with overcrowding.

It is also hard to promote something when you have to include caveats like "Probably won't run on 22nd and 29th July due to industrial action."

[grahame]

It is also hard to promote something when you have to include caveats like "Probably won't run on 22nd and 29th July due to industrial action."

Indeed.

It dramatically lessens the ability to promote it as part of a "bread and butter" service which is really what we need (IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)) - helping bring in passengers to services across the board.   What we end up doing is promoting a series of specials.

The 1st, 8th and 15th July are safe from industrial action. 5th, 12th and 19th August are probably safe to promote.   Leaving 26th August and 2nd and 9th September for the moment - it would be a hostage to fortune to suggest later in the season to people.

[grahame]

Could a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) be used, (despite being phased out); or a 5 car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)?

In an ideal world, maybe.  But with the way things are, I would rather liaise marketing to fit the capacity provided rather than a riskier approach which needed unusual staff skills and route clearances for the line.

For next year though ... a 9 car IET off North Pole (can they un direct westward without going in to Paddington?) picking up perhaps at a couple of stations before Swindon then all stations to Weymouth to run on EVERY Saturday May to September (and not just those when there's no industrial action).

[bobm]

I think IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) coming off North Pole have to run into Paddington and reverse. 

[IndustryInsider]

They can reverse in one of the two Royal Oak reception lines outside Paddington.  A could, in theory, reverse behind one of the signals on the bi-di lines between North Pole and Paddington, though that blocks a main line for much longer than is ideal.

[TaplowGreen]

It is also hard to promote something when you have to include caveats like "Probably won't run on 22nd and 29th July due to industrial action."

The 1st, 8th and 15th July are safe from industrial action. 5th, 12th and 19th August are probably safe to promote.   Leaving 26th August and 2nd and 9th September for the moment - it would be a hostage to fortune to suggest later in the season to people.

Doesn't ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about)'s overtime ban cover 8 July? I would have thought this would have been one of the first services to be sacrificed in that scenario?

[grahame]

It is also hard to promote something when you have to include caveats like "Probably won't run on 22nd and 29th July due to industrial action."

The 1st, 8th and 15th July are safe from industrial action. 5th, 12th and 19th August are probably safe to promote.   Leaving 26th August and 2nd and 9th September for the moment - it would be a hostage to fortune to suggest later in the season to people.

Doesn't ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about)'s overtime ban cover 8 July? I would have thought this would have been one of the first services to be sacrificed in that scenario?

Not sure ... services to, from and through Melksham do seem to be just about the first to be sacrificed in ANY Scenario ....

[TaplowGreen]

It is also hard to promote something when you have to include caveats like "Probably won't run on 22nd and 29th July due to industrial action."

The 1st, 8th and 15th July are safe from industrial action. 5th, 12th and 19th August are probably safe to promote.   Leaving 26th August and 2nd and 9th September for the moment - it would be a hostage to fortune to suggest later in the season to people.

Doesn't ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about)'s overtime ban cover 8 July? I would have thought this would have been one of the first services to be sacrificed in that scenario?

Not sure ... services to, from and through Melksham do seem to be just about the first to be sacrificed in ANY Scenario ....

Looks like the 8th is included............although obviously as yet no idea/indication which services will be affected

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/industrial-action-july-20230625/

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, Sat 8th is affected.  Likely to be the most disrupted day of the week given the ‘elastic band’ is already stretched on Saturday’s.

[bobm]

Points failure at Taunton now.  There’s a train approaching Swindon from Taunton over two hours late.

[grahame]

Points failure at Taunton now.  There’s a train approaching Swindon from Taunton over two hours late.

Taking this w-a-y off topic, travelling around the last fortnight I have seen an unreliability that's been depressing. We're primarily a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) forum and as such it's that TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) we look at, but seeing Transport for Wales, South Western Railway and West Midlands Railway all failing to deliver in just 7 days of travel out of 15, from a multitude of causes.  Now because that's a multitude of causes, there's no easy fix though there might be a commonality of stretched resources across so many areas. 

Crew shortage - brake failure - points failure - lack of available platform - AC filling carriage with smoke - late running freight train - person hit by train.

Another sad commonality was the information systems which cope with what should be normal, but fail to cope and spew out incorrect information and generalised recorded platitudes when they could be usefully informing passengers in a more targeted way.    Typical example standing at Shrub Hill - cancellation of hourly WMT service to Dorridge is announced with a huge list of stations and a canned apology which to me sounded insincere and advice that you should wait an hour for the next train.   Then a different and human voice suggests caching the train in a few minutes to Foregate Street and changing there for just half an hour's delay.

[grahame]

The 1st, 8th and 15th July are safe from industrial action. 5th, 12th and 19th August are probably safe to promote.   Leaving 26th August and 2nd and 9th September for the moment - it would be a hostage to fortune to suggest later in the season to people.

Doesn't ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about)'s overtime ban cover 8 July? I would have thought this would have been one of the first services to be sacrificed in that scenario?

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway):

ASLEF (train drivers) has also announced a ban on overtime working from Mon 3 July to Sat 8 July. While we do not anticipate that this will have a major impact on our services,

Working on appropriate marketing

[ChrisB]

quote continued -

we'll be cancelling the sleeper all week from Sunday 2nd to Fri 8th....

pretty major for some people.