WWRUG - 18th September 2024 - Bethesda Church Hall, Trowbridge

[whole diary]

[grahame]

West Wiltshire Rail User Group public meeting (free for paid up members, £2 on the door for guests who are very welcome indeed)

With so much happening over the last couple of months, we on the WWRUG^» (West Wiltshire Rail Users Group - about) committee left the setting of the agenda and speaker until quite close to the date to help ensure it's topical.   We look forward to welcoming Back Dan Okey, perhaps with colleagues, from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - 19:00 for 19:30, carriages at 21:15.

We are in the final throws of sorting out the talk title - "Where we are, and looking forward at the future of rail under the new government" is my suggestion but that may be tuned during this week.

[grahame]

A reminder and an update on the meeting

[bobm]

A reminder too, there’s engineering work on the TransWilts this week.  Although you can get TO the meeting by train from the Swindon direction, most services are replaced by buses.

[grahame]

A reminder too, there’s engineering work on the TransWilts this week.  Although you can get TO the meeting by train from the Swindon direction, most services are replaced by buses.

Rather than the 21:22 direct train (21:32 Melksham, 21:41 Chippenham, 21:58 Swindon) at a single fare of £9.40, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are offering a train at 21:18, with a change at Bath Spa to Chippenham at 22:27 and Swindon at 22:40 at a fare of £18.90 (that's right - 40 minutes later into Swindon and twice the price).   

There is also a bus at 22:22 for Melksham passengers, getting there at 22:37.  It carries on to Chippenham at 22:57 where there's a train connection on to Swindon, 23:20 arrival - and using that service the £9.40 fare is available.

I have already had five regular attendees at the WWRUG^» (West Wiltshire Rail Users Group - about) meeting making alternative plans which do not involve travelling with GWR - either coming by car, or giving the evening a miss - which rather shows that the "Rail replacement" services offered are not a suitable substitute as far as passengers are concerned.

[grahame]

A reminder too, there’s engineering work on the TransWilts this week. 

Sorry, Bob - I had to come in with a second follow up as a pedant ...

There are NOT engineering works on the TransWilts line.   There are engineering works on the Berks and Hants line between Westbury and Reading, and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) together have chosen - reasonably - to send West Country expresses though the TransWilts line, but not so reasonably withdrawing the services they are contracted to run in favour of buses which as you'll note run at very different times to the trains.

There IS a train at 21:11 from Trowbridge, 21:20 Melksham, 21:30 Chippenham, 21:43 at Swindon ... with just the small problem that it doesn't actually stop except of course at the important place of Swindon ... GWR and NR could so easily have saved themselves the bus at 22:22 ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

We are in the final throws of sorting out the talk title ...

I rather hope, grahame, that you are in the 'final throes', not final throws. 

While I would like to attend that meeting, from Nailsea & Backwell, I'm concerned at the apparent lack of any reliable return GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) journey. 

CfN 

[grahame]

We are in the final throws of sorting out the talk title ...

I rather hope, grahame, that you are in the 'final throes', not final throws. 

While I would like to attend that meeting, from Nailsea & Backwell, I'm concerned at the apparent lack of any reliable return GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) journey. 

CfN 

According to GWR, return trains at 21:18, 22:18 and 22:51 all have connection at Bristol Temple Meads to your home station.  Journey time 1 hour +- 6 minutes.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, grahame - that's all fine, then: see you in Trowbridge on Wednesday! 

[grahame]

Report from last night - really good to meet Daryn and catch up with Dan.  Learned a lot.





Daryn's slide set for the evening available (with permission) for members at
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/GWR2WWRUF_20240918.pdf