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Timmer
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« on: October 25, 2024, 07:17:08 » |
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Good that both rail and roadworks are being carried out during the school holidays but both at the same time and on the same route the rail replacement buses will be taking  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7ygdx3ldo Travellers can expect disruption on the West's rail lines and roads for several days as multiple improvement works begin.
Great Western Railway (GWR▸ ) is starting planned track renewal work around Bristol.
Works are planned between Bath Spa and Westbury on Sunday 27 October and between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads from Monday to Thursday 31 October, meaning no trains will run between those stations.
Long delays are also expected near the A4 Globe Roundabout between Bristol and Bath from Friday until 3 November due to temporary traffic lights.
On Sunday there will be trains between Bath, Bristol and Cardiff but with rail replacement services from Bath to the Wiltshire stations.
From Monday until Thursday, the line between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads will be closed and buses will replace trains.
GWR says there will be one train an hour between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads via an alternative route which does not call at Chippenham or Bath Spa.
There will also be one train an hour running to and from London Paddington as far as Bath Spa.
Rail disruption details:
Sunday 27 October
Trains will be running between:
Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads or Cardiff Central
Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour or Weymouth
Replacement buses are planned between:
Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge and Westbury
Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff* and Bradford-on-Avon
*buses stop in Westwood Village
Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October
Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will use an alternative route – not stopping at Chippenham or Bath Spa.
A reduced train service will be operating between London Paddington and Bath Spa via Chippenham.
Trains will also be running between:
Bath Spa and Westbury, Portsmouth Harbour or Weymouth
Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central, Gloucester or Worcester
Replacement buses are planned between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.
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John D
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« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2024, 17:28:01 » |
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And todays rail replacement of Bath-Westbury had a problem.
Stallard Street (outside Trowbridge station) was closed, and A363 Woodmarsh (the bus route between Trowbridge and Westbury) was also completely closed. Trowbridge had lots of big traffic queues around lunchtime today, Sunday
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Kempis
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« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2024, 22:21:37 » |
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I was caught up in this last week. It was evident that the rail replacement bus times hadn't taken sufficient account of the roadworks between Bristol and Bath.
On Thursday, I needed to travel from Bristol to Salisbury and back to collect the young Kempis from family. National Rail Enquiries offered an itinerary leaving Clifton Down at 10.00 and arriving at Salisbury at 12.32, including a bus between Bristol and Bath. But the bus was delayed by the works at the Globe roundabout noted in the BBC» report and missed the connecting train at Bath Spa. So I didn't arrive at Salisbury until 13.32.
I was met by the family at Salisbury station, and so we could have travelled straight back, but the 13.42 from Salisbury was cancelled. We took the 14.42, had to wait for the bus at Bath (the buses didn't seem to be running to schedule), were again held up by long delays approaching the Globe, and arrived at Clifton Down at 18.07.
So that was eight hours in all, on the train or waiting at stations, for a return journey that would normally take about two hours each way. At least we made it back in time for the young Kempis to go trick-or-treating.
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infoman
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« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2024, 06:47:07 » |
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Too late now to advise but could taking the service bus(339/349?) to temple meads incline an option?
Having said that,was the bus/s very busy?
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2024, 07:57:21 » |
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So that was eight hours in all, on the train or waiting at stations, for a return journey that would normally take about two hours each way. At least we made it back in time for the young Kempis to go trick-or-treating.
A cautionary tale ... but sadly a common situation. When services are running to timetable (I would say "normally" but I'm not so sure what is normal these days) the railway provides a fast and efficient way to get around - at least on the main section of your journey. It's not JUST the extra time that rail replacement transport takes, but the time required for interchanges and if trains are running at both ends to regular times, you're looking at falling back a cycle because they simply don't connect. Looking at Christmas at Westbury (and I use the word "Christmas" advisedly - 22nd January is NOT Christmas), I note that passengers passing through Frome are typically being given 25 minutes between the arrival of their incoming journey and the departure of the onward one. At least on a two-hourly service that's unlikely to miss, but it's an interesting balance choice between robustness and speed. `If anyone reading this has a coffee van they take around to summer fairs and fetes, there might be an opportunity  |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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Mark A
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« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2024, 08:38:19 » |
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Frome... station toilets? Does the building have any or will there be a need for something temporary. Last time I was there there was a need for something full stop.
Mark
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Mark A
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« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2024, 08:45:42 » |
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Ah... the 339? If that was the bus via Kelston to Bristol the service was withdrawn, which came as a bit of a surprise as it was hardly unused. I think there are connections to be made but not sure if even those run past Redfield into Bristol.
Mark
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grahame
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« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2024, 08:53:26 » |
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Frome... station toilets? Does the building have any or will there be a need for something temporary. Last time I was there there was a need for something full stop.
Mark
I am ... certain ... that the building has toilets. Staff work there in the ticket office at busy times, so there must be. Whether they are actually available to railway customers is another matter - witness the example of Weymouth where there are no available public loos even when the station is manned. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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WelshBluebird
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« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2024, 09:44:41 » |
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Too late now to advise but could taking the service bus(339/349?) to temple meads incline an option?
Having said that,was the bus/s very busy?
These days it would be the 39/x39, and given they would also get caught up in the traffic at the globe, and would take longer due to bus stops on the way, I don't think that would have helped. And I'd imagine you'd also get into murky territory with things like delay repay if you switch to a non railway provided bus. |
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WSW Frome
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« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2024, 17:08:31 » |
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A public toilet is available at Frome during ticket office hours, normally Mo-Fr mornings only. One has to request the key! However, I imagine (optimistically) the station will be staffed over longer hours during the disruption period.
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infoman
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« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2024, 17:59:49 » |
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Catching the service bus it was only a suggestion to catch a service bus.
If you were at Bath or Bristol at say 10:30am and the rail replacement was due to depart at say 11:00am
Bath would be easier to find out if there was a service bus before 11:00am,if the service bus was to leave at 10:35am,
you be 25 minutes in front of the rail replacement
Can I say I think that quite a few of us on here have free bus passes,
but would two pounds be a high price to pay if could get your onward connection at Bristol Temple Meads on time?
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2024, 21:01:10 » |
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Can I say I think that quite a few of us on here have free bus passes,
No, not me: not yet! |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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infoman
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« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2024, 04:53:56 » |
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Any one else want to volunteer and say they don't have a bus pass yet,but are due for one very soon.
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