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grahame
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« on: June 21, 2020, 10:25:23 » |
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So - what are the best / sensible public transport provisions for Melksham for the "New Normal"? ...
I'm doing this thought exercise for Melksham - hence posting in the board for the line through Melksham. Having said which, many of the first principles in this post apply wider, and examples in the following sections will ring true rather wider too.
Overall plan / thoughts. Some first principles.
Why are people looking to get around anyway? To get between places for essential appointments, for their own regular living, or for leisure trips. Definitions of "essential", "regular" and "leisure" likely to mean a variety of things, and good scope for trips for multiple purposes.
How are start and end points selected? Many journeys have a residence at one end which is selected for the longer term; transport options may be an element of that longer term choice, but it is then pretty fixed. The other end is likely to be much more variable, although regular journeys will be in a slow-changing pattern leading to the majority of public transport journeys repeating for years and new opportunities offered being slow in the uptake. Abstractions where a well used journey is improved upon may be much quicker.
Some journeys are elective and may or may not be made. Further, the choice of options is not only between the travel options, but may involve choices such as [work from home/go into office], [eat in / eat out] and [shop online / go to store].
The purpose of the journey may not always be only to "get to the other end". There are elements of pleasure and exercise in the travel itself.
As well as the journey itself, the facilities and immediate access at both ends influence the decisions, and the "first mile" and "final mile" between the access point and the ultimate journey end need to 'work' and be well facilitated; if not, that can put people off.
Easy to access information, prices to be paid, safety, comfort (both physical and emotional), having something to do during journey, time taken, fallbacks if plans change (whether due to personal changes or transport failures) are all considerations.
Where a journey from "A" to "C" involves a change at "B", facilities at "B" need to be appropriate, time at "B" kept to a suitable short period, and the certainly of the connection - especially on infrequent services - is key. Through journey information and ticketing also a big factor for some.
Availability of toilets, hand washing, and places to purchase food and eat (and perhaps smoke, change nappies, replace medical appliances, sleep) along the way on longer journeys will make a difference to the selection.
Element 1.1 - the Devizes / Melksham / Bath bus corridor
Element 1.2 - the Chippenham / Melksham / Trowbridge / Frome bus corridor
Element 1.3 - the Swindon / Chippenham / Melksham / Trowbridge / Westbury train
Element 1.4 - the Frome / Melksham / Marlborough / London express coach
Element 1.5 - Town bus services
Element 1.6 - Corsham and Bradford-on-Avon services
Element 1.7 - Bromham and Calne services
Element 2.1 - Demand responsive / specialist services
Element 2.2 - Taxis
Element 2.3 - Link
Element 3.1 - Self drive, car
Element 3.2 - Self drive, mobility scooter
Element 4.1 - Cycling
Element 5.1 - Walking
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2020, 10:28:59 » |
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Some specifics - In 1.1 the Melksham to Bath journey
** Service a year ago
* Faresaver x72, Bath to Devizes, about every 30 minutes (daytime Monday to Friday) and every hour (Saturday). No evening or Sunday service; limited service late afternoon PLUS
* First Bus D3, Bath to Melksham, about every 30 minutes, with evening and Sunday services at lower frequency and extended to Devizes. No Sunday evening service.
Analysis
Passenger numbers had been rising, but 4 buses per hour was an excess capacity and the D3 service (at least) was not meeting the commercial targets of its operator. The timetables and most of the ticketing was not co-ordinated so that 2 buses tended to run very close together, then a gap of almost half an hour, which lost the "turn up and go" opportunities. Buses back from Bath left from different stops. Routes differed giving useful 30 minute services on multiple roads.
** Service as planned from 5th April 2020
A 30 minute service operated by Faresaver, alternating between the two routes and renumbered "271" and "272". The 272 taking the more direct alternative in each case and extending on to Devizes. A third route (273) evenings and Sundays taking sections of each route such that the highest-traffic sections from each route 271 and 272 were covered.
Analysis
The new service looked good 'value' on paper (it still does) but because of factors outside the control of the operators did not start. Unshared route sections are reduced from 30 minute to hourly service (sad element), but evening and Sunday service are retained running every 2 hours with modest but welcome even-ing out around the switch from daytime to evening service at a busy interface time.
The new service will serve almost all of the established users, but can be run with a significant reduction in staff and vehicles from the previous services combined, giving it a much stronger business case.
** Service as run from 6th April 2020
Service every 2 hours (planned Sunday service - using route 273) with a single extra early morning service Monday to Saturday - for essential journeys only that could not be undertaken on foot, cycling, or by private car. No services on routes 271 or 272, leaving 9km of route mileage unserved. No outbound service from Market Place, Bear, or Broughton Road, but extra stop at King's Arms. Service ended early evening.
** Service as from mid May 2020
Monday to Saturday stepped up to every hour (Monday to Saturday, daytime only) and remained every 2 hours on Sunday. Still no 271 or 272 services. Service restores from Market Place, Bear and Broughton Road
** Service as from 15th June 2020
An extra journey (271) added into Bath starting at 06:45 from Tower Road, Melksham and returning from Bath Bus Station at 17:15. The morning service covers all 9km of the otherwise unserved route, the evening section 2 of the 4 sections.
Analysis
Usage of services since early April has been very limited indeed - a handful of passengers on buses at the busiest. That's been because of the rules making buses only available for essential journeys and with all but key businesses closed. There have also been instructions use cars if you have them available.
Although buses have been essential at normal times for school and shopping trips (remember that 20% of household don't have cars, and many more have fewer cars than drivers), school / college has been closed, lots of the older people for whom the bus would usually be essential are being supported by the Melksham Community Group.
Current service levels are adequate for the limited number of passengers, and an hourly service is just frequent enough to be generally useable. One bus a day before 7 a.m. and none back to some places is less than attractive, though it is accepted that people can walk from the 273 route - maximum walk in the Melksham area just over 1km.
The Melksham community team is doing an excellent job at helping people who cannot leave there homes, but answers to my question "how are you going to help them get out and about again" and notable by their absence. The Age Friendly logo selected by Age Friendly Melksham has just a symbol of a car for transport; although that's generic artwork, these factors do give concern as to who (if anyone) in our community has through about how to get people who perhaps cannot drive back out (and independent and getting exercise).
In a fast changing situation, it's a daunting task keeping information up to date. Enquiring about these buses a few days ahead and you get back an email "look at our website just before the weekend to find out". Information on stops is out of date (so has become wrong), or even plain wrong (never been right) ... if you are fool enough to wait for the 273 at some stops that say that the 273 calls, you'll be waiting for ever, and if you walk into town to get the Bath Bus from the King's Arms, as recommended, you'll find it hasn't stopped there since the town bridge re-opened. Silly stuff really, and until people are out and about again and looking to use the bus in numbers, not too many people will be mislead - but it does make me wonder.
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be
Really - the services should be the one registered from early April, or pretty close to that. A lot of good work was doing coming up with a sensible scheme that balanced getting people to use a more sustainable and healthy and less congested way than "everyone" driving.
What has changed is that it needs significant reassurance to the public, and marketing and correct information. And that as it builds up, it might need more support. The Age Friendly team, the bus operators, Wiltshire Council and Community Transport groups can and should step up to the mark to help with reassurance, marketing and information. It should not be happening for another few weeks, perhaps - but it certainly should be in preparation, and evidence of that is very thin on the ground.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2020, 11:35:10 » |
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Element 1.3 - the Swindon / Chippenham / Melksham / Trowbridge / Westbury train
** Service prior to March 2020
8 or 9 trains each way per day, Monday to Saturday, with a couple fewer on Sunday. A service that has grown in use over the years, but remains infrequent considering the lengths of journeys made to the extent that it puts much potential traffic off, and it ends too early in the evening (especially northbound on Saturdays) to be considered "all day, every day".
Analysis
Passenger journey numbers have risen from 3,000 per annum under previous (2 trains per day) service to 75,000 in latest published figures. Analysis suggests that numbers should rise to around 250,000 per annum bearing in mind the size of the catchment if / when / as frequency, length of day, and reliability issues have been permanently addressed.
** Service from late March 2020
7 trains each way per day, Monday to Saturday, Sunday service suspended.
Analysis
Removing ANY service from something that's already infrequent was going to cause elements of pain - HOWEVER the trains not running at present on weekdays are the ones most easily lost. Sensible call by GWR▸ .
The loss of all the Sunday trains has been unfortunate(!) as there has been a flow of working staff - some of whom have been required to work right through - on the early(ish) train to Swindon and back later in the day.
Although train times changed in many places during May, there were no changes at Melksham. No great surprise as we had lost far less services at the start of the lockdown than others.
** Service from early July 2020
I understand that a Sunday service will be restored. Assuming / anticipating the service returned will be those that have been most missed, that's good.
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be, and beyond
Plans are to have services back to the level they were at from last December by this December - and probably in September. Good - a lot of work had been done on those timetables.
An additional (final) Saturday Evening train from Westbury to Swindon was due to run this summer - at around 20:00 from Westbury, so that people can get home at the end of days out. This train has only been shown in the summer timetable, but should run all year (we got the Sunday morning service initially just in summer, so their is a precedent for building this to all year
An extra round trip in the evening - somewhat after 10 p.m. from Swindon - is included in the DA3 award, and (I understand) a further round trip at some point during the day too - details awaited. It would be advantageous to have extra calls at Melksham (northbound) at around 08:52 (in the 07:52 to 10:01 gap) and 17:41 (in the 16:41 to 18:55 gap) and southbound at 08:09 (in the 06:36 to 09:09 gap) and 17:01 (in the 15:39 to 18:01 gap). Logically - the late train 21:55 northbound and 23:01 southbound.
Beyond the DA3 contract and the services above, a stepping up to an hourly service all day, every day, joining on to services to Warminster, Salisbury, and then the Romsey 6 remains logical, with 2 way cross platform connection to MetroWest services on to / from Heart of Wessex via Frome at Westbury, and potential extensions from Swindon to Oxford. Such a service change would require capacity enhancements on the Chippenham to Trowbridge single line.
See also section 1.5 (to follow) - Melksham Town Bus, to be retimetabled/rerouted under "new normal" to call at station and connect with trains. Much work has been done on this; it needs to be updated to reflect changes in 1.1 so that it works well / knits in as a network with bus routes 271/2/3 new times.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2020, 13:16:35 » |
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Element 1.5 - Town bus services
** Service a year ago
Two vehicles Monday to Friday daytime - half hourly on town circuit route 14, with First D3 running a similar route as it cycles through the town though not diverting along local estate streets. Hourly on route 15 with. Some services carrying on also as "14" to Addison Road and Avon Road loops. No calls at stations. Buses also doing school runs. Both vehicles on single driver diagrams from Frome.
Analysis
Good, but once D3 was running the loop during the day, 4 buses one way and none the other o Queensway. No use made of Portal Road - Berryfield an out and back special. Station passenger numbers greatly grown; now perverse not to call there.
** Service during early lockdown
Single vehicle longer hourly route as normally runs on Saturday
Analysis
Sensible to have dropped to this - no schools, many people 'stuck' at home. However, does nothing to cure the lack of service to station, failure to use Portal Road, duplication of what is now 271 or 273
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be
Suggest modernisation to address issues above and generate new flows.
Hourly during day - 14A
Stn - Market - Spa Road - Queensway - Foresters - Sherwood - Methuen - Lowborne - Stn
via Snowberry Lane Roundabout for Spa Surgery. 271 provides reverse service.
Hourly during day - 14C (not school times)
Stn - Lowborne - Methuen - Sherwood - Foresters - Lowborne - Stn
a.m. Hourly - 15C
Stn - Market - Berryfield - Portal - Pathfinder - Snowberry - Skylark - Lowborne - Stn
p.m. Hourly - 15A
Stn - Lowborne - Skylark - Snowberry - Pathfinder - Portal - Berryfield - Market - Stn
15A and 15C via Pig and Whistle for early and late runs, via Sandridge Road during day
Hourly during day - 16 (not school times)
Stn - Southbrook - Dunch - Addison - Stn
Hourly during day - 17 (not school times)
Stn - Granville - Avon - (!) - Stn
Sainsbury and ASDA calls
- all station bound service 14 and 15 to call at The Bear and into ASDA if required.
- Buses onward to routes 16 and 17 pick up at Sainsbury's and ASDA.
- 15C (late morning) and 14A to call at ASDA and Sainsburys on way into Melksham
Still 2 vehicles - one becomes double-shifted. Extra cost of this to be met as per Dft bus service grants - extra £571,000 for Wiltshire for this year.
Here is how the train connections would work.
05:33 Swindon
* 06:36 Westbury
* 07:19 Swindon
* 07:52 Swindon
* 09:09 Westbury
+ 10:01 Swindon
+ 11:30 Westbury
+ 12:32 Swindon
+ 13:39 Westbury
+ 14:32 Swindon
* 15:39 Westbury
* 16:41 Swindon
* 18:01 Westbury
* 18:55 Swindon
19:16 Westbury
20:22 Swindon
21:10 Westbury
+ - standard pattern, a bus connection both ways
(both vehicles in daytime pattern)
* - bus connections / single vehicle route 15
(during these periods, school runs too for 2nd vehicle)
Analysis
* Takes away commercial (271) and 14 (supported) competition
* Provides New links to and from trains - now worth doing as there are more trains
* Maintains school and senior bus services
* reversing alternate 14s makes for shorter journeys into town
* Use of Portal Road improves Berryfield service and bring buses to employment area.
There is a strong case for a combined timetable publication for all Melksham bus services and a flat single fare of £1.50 for journeys wholly within Melksham Town and Melksham Without Parish, and for a bus pass at £40 (further figure research needed) per calendar month / transferrable within household.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2020, 13:41:06 » |
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Element 1.4 - the Frome / Melksham / Marlborough / London express coach
** Service to March 2020
A daily National Express Coach calling at Melksham at around 07:15 in the morning and running via Heathrow Airport to Victoria Coach Station, London. Arrive London around 10:45. Return journey around 18:00, to Melksham around 21:15.
Analysis
Useful service; some good prices available. Convenient single step journey. Ticket sales at TIC▸ have been a significant income for them. But - lack of roadside facilities for joining / leaving service makes it less than ideal to use with luggage, and journey is much slower that using a train. IF the timing is right for flights to / from Heathrow, best way there.
Some people love it.
Also much used from / to Sells Green which is in the Melksham Community Area
** Service from late March 2020
Suspended. Some National Express services will be running again from 1st July, but not this one.
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be
This has been a purely commercial service; it is not a local bus service, so no authority / controls with Wiltshire Council (though technically ENCTS▸ cards were valid as far as Newbury on Saturdays and Sundays, and back from there every day).
A returning service would be useful, but I haven't too much metrics / evidence to be able to properly suggest the future. At the risk of taking a guess, if this service return asa daily trip, the current trip times would be about right.
National Express (lecture by head of marketing, early March) are looking to concentrate on much improved bus stands / facilities in towns - which we very much need in Melksham. However, there's some doubt as the business case for that at one round trip per day.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2020, 13:58:39 » |
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Element 1.2 - the Chippenham / Melksham / Trowbridge / Frome bus corridor
** Service to March 2020
Monday to Friday - about every 30 minutes daytime, about every hour Saturday daytime, no service Sundays. Faresaver x34. Service thinner late afternoon. Last services around 6 p.m.
Two morning service call at Chippenham Station; the final 3 in the afternoon also call there.
Analysis
This service has been broadly unchanged since 2014; prior to that the route had competition from First Bus with service 234 at a similar daytime frequency, and with an evening service which also accepted returning train tickets.
Evening and Sunday services would be useful but would almost certainly not have been commercially profitable.
** Service to from March 2020
Reduced to hourly (Saturday Service) but now restored to pre-lockdown levels
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be
For service at intermediate locations - in particular Lacock and Hilperton evening and Sunday buses would be useful if the service is truly to support their full economies. All services calling at Chippenham Station, and interchangeable bus and train tickets would be to the advantage of both via improved overall frequency. Ah - dreams. Common sense suggestions, but not in line with the feelings of competition between road and rail on this corridor.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2020, 07:39:35 » |
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Element 1.6 - Corsham and Bradford-on-Avon services
** Service to March 2020
About five services per day on routes 68 and 69, also known as "zigzag". Corsham - Melksham - Holt - either Staverton (68) or Bradford-on-Avon (69) then Trowbridge. Different timetable on Saturday.
Analysis
Provides key services for relatively small numbers of passengers; there are significant numbers who travel between Melksham and Corsham and Bradford-on-Avon, but service levels are to low to attract (m)any from private cars or to build new journeys.
Services interwork with Corsham Town (10) and Trowbridge Town (68) and each journey is tailored to a specific current user group.
I have been especially alerted by the operator that these services are fixed and "cannot be changed" until 2022/23. I have been particularly told I don't understand the key nature of this service.
** Service from April 2020
Changed ... to 2 services each way per day, plus one short journey in one direction by another operator
** Service from mid June 2020
Changed ... back to previous timetable
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be
My suggestion is "leave alone".
Analysis
I am not convinced that the current service is ideal for the new normal - a number of questions in my mind and opportunities that I feel are worth looking at. However, interaction between these and other service in the Melksham area is limited and it makes sense to prioritise other activities over looking at zigzag improvements.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2020, 07:41:33 » |
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Element 1.7 - Bromham and Calne services
** Service to March 2020
A 5 day a week service by Buses of Swindon from Marlborough and Calne via Bromham and Melksham to Bath (and the Royal United Hospital). Single journey, passing Melksham mid morning towards Bath, and back early afternoon.
Analysis
Ideal for visitors to RUH and for bringing people from Calne and Bromham into Melksham for shopping. Uses a vehicle / driver between morning and afternoon school runs in Marlborough.
** Service from April 2020
Service withdrawn during lockdown
** Service for the "New Normal" whenever that might be
Buses of Swindon tell me that they have no indication of any return of this service.
Analysis
A returned service as it ran prior to April would attract the same passenger clientele. However, at one round trip per day, expansion of the customer base to other markets would be unlikely.
There used to be a regular bus service Trowbridge - Holt - Melksham - Bromham - Calne (every 2 hours - service 238) but I suspect there is no longer an immediate market, with all regular customers long since having changed life styles. There is logic for a links as and if people move back towards public transport, bearing in mind the relatively short distances between places in the same county with significant populations but poor links for none-drivers.
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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