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1  Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Cancellations on forgotten main line on: Yesterday at 09:22:13
I was looking at most recent published figures, and cancellations for group EF13 South Wales - South Coast is 13.06%

https://www.gwr.com/-/media/gwr-sc-website/files/about-gwr/what-you-can-expect/our-performance/GWR-Periodic-Web-Report-P2510.pdf

Is it just me, or is over 1 in 8 trains cancelled a pretty abysmal statistic.

Punctuality at 61.17% is not great either.
2  All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Campaign for Better Transport - Campaign for lower fares on: February 02, 2025, 16:15:03
The Standard has picked this up too

Quote
Cap long-distance train fares to avoid ‘punitive pricing’ – campaigners

and indeed from the St Ives ticket machine last week, where my friend was fingerpoken unt buttonpushin





Not only are the fares ridiculous, but pricing options are bonkers, why is there a fare via London that is more than any permitted (its name suggests it's valid any route including London).  What is purpose of a more restricted ticket at a premium over an any ticket.

Unless I am missing something, someone has gone to the trouble of adding a fare that is pointless, as it is a subset of another fare.  Am I being dumb, or is this just crazy.
3  Journey by Journey / Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West / Re: The case for reinstating Oxford-Swindon-Bath‑Bristol rail services on: February 02, 2025, 08:29:29
Of course, Bristol to Milton Keynes with no changes would be easily possible as well.  One might say, the perfect use of an IET (Intercity Express Train)!

Or a 110mph EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) with batteries.

Anyone know what is happening to the surplus 350s (the 37 units 350 231-267) which are only 16 years old
4  Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Westbury - engineering works from 24th December 2024 for 30 days on: January 31, 2025, 16:47:28
The next phase of Westbury works (track consolidation etc) takes place this weekend.  But this time buses are also doing Trowbridge Bath (and trains Salisbury-Warminster

Replacement buses are planned via Westbury between:
Bath Spa and Frome
Bath Spa and Warminster
Chippenham and Frome

In addition, separate buses are also planned for stations between Bath Spa and Bradford-on-Avon.

Trains between London and the south west will stop at Frome instead of Westbury.
5  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: IEP seats in 2025 on: January 28, 2025, 22:21:00
My guess is the maintenance contract (courtesy of DfT» (Department for Transport - about)) with Hitachi allows it, either that or GWRs (Great Western Railway) legal team are not turning up at depot exit with a spirit level and measure, and saying the sag is excessive either side of solid bar.  (Do legal they ever turn up unannounced and actually check work meets maintenance contract standards to the millimetre, if not why not, getting away with only doing about 90% of a job defeats purpose of detailed contract spec, if there is a contract it should be enforced 100%, not they did some of it so it's ok)

Of course if the maintenance contract allows such worn things, what else are they allowing to be worn or unacceptable and not fixed (eg brake pads, faulty thermostats etc).   And yes I am sure I have walked through an IEP (Intercity Express Program / Project.) and different carriages are different temperatures)
6  All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Even I would fly with Ryanair for this !! on: January 27, 2025, 13:50:05
If you were to buy tickets for tomorrow, you could get an Advance Single for two for £196.80 from Looe to Crewe, with reserved seats between Liskeard and Crewe. This can be done simply by using the GWR (Great Western Railway) app, without the need for split tickets, railcards, or unusual routes.

A two-together Railcard costs £30 for the year and would save £60 for that trip.

But have to jump through hoops to get it, 2 photos etc, and not exactly available if you need it in few hours from some of the small stations on Looe branch.

It's not as if the rail industry automatically discounted the fare by potential saving for an occasional traveller.  All they have achieved is (very bad) publicity which suggests rail tickets are normally expensive, thus discouraging anyone (who doesn't normally use rail) from trying a rail journey.
7  Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Westbury - engineering works from 24th December 2024 for 30 days on: January 23, 2025, 16:58:32
Portsmouth - Cardiff should resume tomorrow (Friday)

.... but just for a day, as line is part suspended on Saturday & Sunday for Severn tunnel works.

I wonder if GWR (Great Western Railway) were consulted, and said yes to the timing of the works, interrupting just one day after reopening through service was deemed agreeable by GWR
8  Journey by Journey / Heart of Wessex / Re: Heart of Wessex - strategic mayoral authority proposed on: January 16, 2025, 23:07:48
BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole), which previously merged from its namesakes, has voted 43 to 12 (and 4 abstentions) to join the Heart of Wessex devolution group.   

It seemed joining the Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight proposal isn't happening.   
Historically (before 1974) Bournemouth and Christchurch were in Hampshire.

Dorset + Wilts + Somerset + BCP would comfortably reach Governments approx 1.5m population for devolved area, regardless of if Swindon chooses to join

9  Journey by Journey / London to the West / Re: Westminster Hall debate : Railway services to South West on: January 14, 2025, 18:59:53
Transcript of todays South West Rail debate held at Westminster

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-01-14/debates/06aad964-b9dc-4290-a86a-a1a65021410a/WestminsterHall
10  All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Eastern Airways to start Southend - Newquay service on: January 13, 2025, 13:30:02
Eastern Airways is to start a daily Southend - Newquay service

The following quote from Roger Hage, Commercial Director is probably of interest to forum readers :
“The speed of access to or from Greater London via the adjacent rail link offers an appealing option helping avoid the otherwise arduous alternates travel options to make that summer sunshine getaway, a few days by the coast, a city break, daytime business travel or simply making it to that big event.”

Says a lot when travelling from London to Cornwall via Essex is an option vs GWR (Great Western Railway) service.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2025/01/13/eastern-airways-to-launch-newquay-southend-service/
11  All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: Ryanair sues 'unruly' passenger over flight diversion on: January 10, 2025, 08:05:48
And Network Rail should get tough and recover all the compensation it pays out for bridge bashes too
12  Journey by Journey / London to the West / Westminster Hall debate : Railway services to South West on: January 10, 2025, 08:03:12
I see there is an upcoming (14th January) debate at Westminster.being opened by MP (Member of Parliament) for Newton Abbott on Railway Services in the South West.

Thought I would link it in case anyone is interested,  or any snippets of plans, or what way South West MPs expect the railway to progress get revealed.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0003/
13  Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Westbury - engineering works from 24th December 2024 for 30 days on: January 05, 2025, 10:55:27
It appears that Cardiff-Portsmouth will not have a disrupted weekend in 2025 until at least March

Westbury closure to Thur 23rd Jan
Severn Tunnel closure 25-26 Jan
Westbury 1-2 Feb
Portsmouth area 8-9 Feb and 15 to Fri 21 Feb
Salisbury 22-23 Feb
Fareham - Portsmouth 1-2 March
Warminster - Bath 8-9 March
Salisbury - Southampton 23 March

There might be more dates, but seems a very long disruption period, and indicates weekend leisure usage would appear to be apparently low priority
14  All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Worst major train stations for cancellations named - Dec 2024 on: December 20, 2024, 16:02:54
Manchester has 3 in the top (worst) 10

Bristol Temple Meads and Bath, both there, rather suggests our area is bit of a disaster area for train users too
15  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion on: December 19, 2024, 15:54:51
You clearly haven't read it. 

I have. Don't presume to tell me what I have and haven't done.

But do please help me out if I've missed something in the business plan about DfT» (Department for Transport - about) control of hiring of staff. I've attached the document to aid you.

I can also attache previous franchise agreements and service level commitments if you'd like. I've read those from start to finish too. I continue to await PROOF that the DfT are, and have in the past, been dictating to GWR (Great Western Railway) whether they can or can't hire sufficient staff to meet their obligations to provide the timetabled service.

These agreements and contracts generally get looked at by highly paid lawyers, only a muppet would agree to a business requirement that requires 50,000 hours annually of train crew (or whatever the figure is) and then agree to a staffing level that only covers about three quarters of the requirement.

You shouldn't work on assumption that because staff would work 60 hour weeks 100 years ago, then they will still so in mid 2020s when pay is higher and work-life balance expectation is completely different. Although GWR management don't seem to get this as I have seen the history argument (it used to be ok) used recently.
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