Summer Sunday Service

[grahame]

Still awaiting final timings ... but this is a definite runner, and I'm estimating that I'm no more that 5 minutes out; we have departure times from Westbury and Swindon confirmed, and that train will call at all intermediate stations to pick up and drop off in both directions, but not precise calling times.

[bignosemac]

Looks good.

One thing I note however is Melksham folk being unnecessarily overcharged by what can only be a described as yet another ticketing anomaly.

For the London trips, why should the Super Off Peak Day Travelcard be £10 more than the Super Off Peak Return? A Zones 1-6 Travelcard on its own costs £8. If folks only need travel around the central London area (which is the norm when on a day out sightseeing or shopping) then that price can be further reduced by buying a seperate Zones 1-4 (£7.30) or Zones 1-2 (£6.60) from TfL on arrival in London.

The good folk of Westbury, Trowbridge, Chippenham etc aren't being overcharged like this. Their Super Off Peak Travelcards are around £5 more expensive than the Super Off Peak Return. That is true for nearly every flow on FGW where Super Off Peak tickets to London are available. Only the poor folk of Melksham are being ripped off. Makes me just a little mad. 

I wouldn't suggest buying the combined ticket to anyone travelling from Melksham.

In no way is this a criticism of the TWR leaflet. TWR can only advertise the fares that are in the public domain and it would become unwieldy and confusing to start listing all the legitimate ways money can be saved, but this one anomaly needs addressing. It is plain wrong for folks from Melksham to have to pay £10 more for the Travelcard product when corresponding tickets from surrounding stations are only around £5 more than the equivalent non Travelcard fare.

[Brucey]

In no way is this a criticism of the TWR leaflet. TWR can only advertise the fares that are in the public domain and it would become unwieldy and confusing to start listing all the legitimate ways money can be saved, but this one anomaly needs addressing.

Could be re-worded to something like:

Adult day return from Melksham £44.00
London travelcard bought in London £8.80 (all zones) / £6.60 (zones 1-2)

[bignosemac]

Er... £8.00 (Zones 1-6).

[Brucey]

The heat is affecting my brain

[super tm]

Interesting.  It appears that someone has set up a new route for melksham tickets.  There are now two options route swindon and route any permitted.  Why they felt the need to do this for a station which has so few services I dont know.


However they have omitted to set up the new route for the travelcard option.  So they only travelcard available is the route any permitted and hence why it is more expensive.  So if you are going route swindon then it will be cheaper to purchase the travelcard separately.

[chris from nailsea]

Hmm.   Conspiracy theory, or cock-up theory ...

[bignosemac]

I'd go for the latter.  Par for the course with the bonkers fares system we currently have.

Thanks for the reminder about the differing routes super tm. I missed that when sounding off earlier. Still bonkers though.....

[grahame]

I'm not sure that Swindon is a new route - the fares have always been slightly lower via Swindon than via Westbury.  But the comment about the travel card only being on the any route, so more expensive than buying separate tickets if you go both ways via Swindon is something to consider ... in the morning; it's been a long day.

[Trowres]

And what about the £21.60 quoted by the online journey planner for Melksham to Weymouth?

[smokey]

Hey Everyone, re fares and the mess that is the fare system.

Let's just admit There is NOTHING FAIR about UK train FARES

Let's not MISS the Bigger picture about this NEW train service, as I did earlier in this thread.

For 7 weeks somebody (or bodies) is/are doing something about the worse than dire train service that serves, (SORRY, fails to Serve) Melksham.

What is needed here is some good old fashioned encouragement to ensure the success of this trial train service.

Get positive about this and the local press will run with it,

It's too easy for this Summer Service to fail because of lack of advertising & NEGATIVE comments.

I for one hope to travel on it, will need to find a Hotel for 2 Nights, any Hotels in Melksham near the station that anyone can suggest (question for Lord Grahame).

Tis over 20 years since I've been south of Yeovil Pen Mill.

Will have to buy a NEW Bucket & Spade.

[grahame]

Hey Everyone, re fares and the mess that is the fare system.

Let's just admit There is NOTHING FAIR about UK train FARES

Let's not MISS the Bigger picture about this NEW train service, as I did earlier in this thread.

For 7 weeks somebody (or bodies) is/are doing something about the worse than dire train service that serves, (SORRY, fails to Serve) Melksham.

What is needed here is some good old fashioned encouragement to ensure the success of this trial train service.

Get positive about this and the local press will run with it,

It's too easy for this Summer Service to fail because of lack of advertising & NEGATIVE comments.

I for one hope to travel on it, will need to find a Hotel for 2 Nights, any Hotels in Melksham near the station that anyone can suggest (question for Lord Grahame).

Tis over 20 years since I've been south of Yeovil Pen Mill.

Will have to buy a NEW Bucket & Spade.

Smokey, I'm 110% with you.   The times have now been released onto the FGW ticketing system, and you should see quite a bit of local and wider publicity from now until the 28th August - the last day.

It is TREMENDOUS news.  Not only does it give the headline Weymouth trip - and from Swindon where we need to market it strongly - but it also gives Westbury / Trowbridge / Melksham a full Sunday out in London which hasn't been possible before, and we'll be pushing that.   And watch for other things too - anyone fancy train and bus / coach to see Stonehenge, Avebury, Devizes, and Marden Henge all in a day?

Accommodation - I would be delighted to offer accommodation at "Well House Manor" in Melksham at delegate rate - that's 72.00 per room per night (pair up / rooms are spacious twins) for a 2 night stay,  including superior continental breakfast. Enter "TransWilts" as your coupon code when booking (otherwise you would  be offered doubles for 95 pounds). Hotel site here and booking site here. Breakfast will be available early on the Sunday so that you can make either the 07:45 to Swindon or the 08:46 to Weymouth. We're about a mile from the station and can usually offer free pickup / dropoff. Nearer the station, you have Longhope Guest House and Bowden House; they're somewhat downmarket of us, but will probably offer you a better price.

On fares  The discussion's going on here on the more anoracky places so that we know what to tell people to ask for that's easy to understand and a fairish fare.  We want to encourage first time users, then have them come back for later trips too and tell their friends.   We don't want them p**sed off by the complexities and threats of penalties if they  don't understand the rules and make a mistake.

Why not make a long weekend of it - come to Melksham on the evening of Friday, 15th July - visit the Party in the Park and see the Carnival on Saturday, and have a trip to Weymouth on Sunday!

[smokey]

Seems Accommodation could be sorted thanks Grahame.

Now the Bucket & Spade?

[grahame]

Specific public thread that I can link to for WEYMOUTH trips posted at:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9044.0

LONDON trips to have a similar exercise done ...