08:02 Frome - Bristol Parkway Service (A Rant)

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

I catch the 08:02 service from Frome now most days since starting a new job 5 weeks ago

I would say on most of the days i've caught it, this service has been late. This is incredibly irritating as I have a connecting bus service at 08:25 - admittedly a tight connection, but I have made it by a brisk walk! On the face of it though, it's not that tight a connection as the train is ment to arrive at 08:13 at Westbury which leaves ample time to walk to the bus stop!

This morning and yesterday morning the service was 20 minutes late upon arrival into Westbury. I am now ^15 lighter due to paying for a taxi. Admittedly my own choice as I could have waited for the 09:00 264 but decided against waiting in the cold and the rain for 35 minutes

So my question is, why is this train consistantly late?? and if this is going to be a regular occurance, would I be better off booking a contract taxi to work...?? (I get a significant discount with a certain firm )

Rant over

[SDS]

08:02 log
Headcode: 2D05 UID: P11851 26/10/2010 0640 Weymouth [WEY] to Bristol Parkway [BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains)]
This Train is operated by First Great Western.

    [Refresh]
Location    FD    Scheduled Arrival    Scheduled Departure    Expected Arrival    Expected Departure    Pl    Lateness    DR
Weymouth [WEY]             0640        0640    1    On time    
Upwey [UPW]        0645   0645   0644   0646    1   1    
DRCHJN        Pass   0651   Pass   No log              
Dorchester West [DCW]        0652   0653   0654   0655    1   2    
Maiden Newton [MDN]        0703   0705   No log   0708        3    
Chetnole [CNO]        0713   0713   No log   No log              
Yetminster [YET]        0716   0716   No log   No log              
Thornford [THO]        0718   0718   No log   No log              
Yeovil Pen Mill [YVP]        0726   0730   0731   0743   1   13    
Castle Cary [CLC^▸ (Castle Cary)]        0743   0744   0756   0758    3   14    
Bruton [BRU]        0749   0749   0802   0804    1   15    
ESTSOMJ        Pass   0755   Pass   0810        15    
BLBGJN        Pass   0759   Pass   0816        17    
Frome [FRO^» (Frome - next trains)]        0802   0802   0817   0819        17    
FROMNSB        Pass   0803   Pass   No log              
CLNKRDJ        Pass   0804   Pass   0821        17    
FRWDJN        Pass   0809   Pass   0824        15    
Westbury [WSB^» (Westbury - next trains)]        0813   0817   0827   0828    3   11    
HWKRJN        Pass   0818   Pass   No log              
Trowbridge [TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains)]        0822   0823   0833   0835        12    
BRDFDJN        Pass   0825   Pass   0837        12    
Bradford-on-Avon [BOA]        0828   0829   0840   No log    1   12    
Avoncliff [AVF]        0831   0831   No log   0846   1   15    
Freshford [FFD]        0834   0834   No log   0849   1   15    
BTHMPTJ        Pass   0842   Pass   0854        12    
Bath Spa [BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains)]        0845   0847   0900   0901    1   14    
Oldfield Park [OLF]        0849   0849   No log   0905        16    
Keynsham [KYN]        0856   0857   0912   0913        16    
NSMRSTJ        Pass   0902   Pass   0918        16    
BRSTLEJ        Pass   0903   Pass   No log              
Bristol Temple Meads [BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)]        0905   0910   0923   0925    1   15    
BRSTLEJ        Pass   0911   Pass   No log              
DRDAYSJ        Pass   0911   Pass   0927        16    
Lawrence Hill [LWH]        0913   0913   No log   No log    1         
Stapleton Road [SRD]        0915   0915   0930   0931    1   16    
STPLNAR        Pass   0917   Pass   0931        14    
Filton Abbey Wood [FIT]        0921   0922   0935   0936    2   14    
Bristol Parkway [BPW]        0928        0940         4   12    
    [Refresh]

This morning it was 11 late according to systems.
Lost time between Maiden Newton and Yeovil.

Without looking at TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) I cant give you an exact reason for the original lateness. I would guess the later delays would be due to the train having lost its slot on the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line).

[tramway]

Consistently late and always full and standing, it should really be 4 car from Westbury.

[dog box]

think you will find there is a speed restriction on the Weymouth line imposed due to condition of track also leaf fall season dosent help

[SDS]

Power failure at Yeovil pen mill (IE)
Non maintain of a flail strip (?) (JP)
Regulated (YO)
 signal failure (IA)
Regulated at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) (YA)

Sorry for codes will update codes later, rushing to post this.

[fatcontroller]

Consistently late and always full and standing, it should really be 4 car from Westbury.

It is a 4-car from Westbury

[tramway]

So that's where all the stock is going, the aliens are grabbing 2 of them between Westbury and Trowbridge as the 08.23ish d. TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains) is 2 cars AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) when (if) it turns up. It certainly still was according to a colleague who managed to squeeze on this morning.

Stopped using it many months ago.

[fatcontroller]

Sorry - that was me being dense.

It's the 0540 that's the 4-car from Westbury.

Apologies!

[eightf48544]

It's the 0540 that's the 4-car from Westbury.

Apologies!

You get up early in the West Country!

[thetrout]

think you will find there is a speed restriction on the Weymouth line imposed due to condition of track also leaf fall season dosent help

Thanks for this dog box

I seem to be plagued with delays on this route, another train that is normally a few minutes behind is the 17:28 Trowbridge - Weymouth service. But this doesn't normally affect me too much as I either take the bus to Frome as it takes me closer to where I live

As much is prefer trains, I may have to start taking the Bus to work... oh the delights of the 234.........

[SDS]

This trains delays seem to get dumped down to either a signal failure or non maintenance of a flail strip.
What the hell is a flail strip?

[inspector_blakey]

Appears to be something used in trimming back vegetation... http://www.gesgkft.hu/eng_railway_chemical_weed_control.html. So at a bit of a guess, maybe there was a yellow machine doing a spot of lineside topiary that expired and got in the way?

[bigdaz]

http://www.homegrowntimber.com/indexrailways.html

_{Edited by Inspector H Blakey to make the linky-winky work Apologies for the unusual frivolity, normal service will be resumed in the morning when i'm sober again}

[thetrout]

Not that I wish to go on about this... But the 18:28 Trowbridge - Weymouth was delayed by 45 minutes today Any other day I wouldn't have been bothered, it was the fact that it was COLD and RAINING!!

But that's not what I was concerned about... I was desperately trying to not make eye contact with the local pond life... who seemed to think that messing around with the Help Points, Cycling on the platform with their BMX bikes, smoking in the waiting shelters or trying to break the glass in the telephone box on Platform 2 was acceptable...

[JayMac]

If it's any consolation, thetrout, I had the unenviable displeasure of witnessing a hopeless drunk taking a p*ss no more than 10ft away from me at Montpelier this morning.

Now, going up to the end of the platform to micturate is just about acceptable, but to evacuate ones bladder in full view of a dozen or so people is, in my humble opinion, a tad unacceptable. Particularly as he decided not to face away from the gathered awaiting pax. At 10am as well!!!