FGW saying that the evening train from Swindon is WITHDRAWN

[whole diary]

[grahame]

This is a copy of an email just sent to our FGW^▸ (First Great Western) reginal manager.

Xxxxxxx ... it appears that FGW and the National Rail folks are telling people that the 18:42 from Swindon to Westbury is WITHDRAWN from 10th December, leaving the 06:18 as the only service each day.    The online timetable via www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk offered me nothing for 17:00 on 12th, and the 06:18 (next morning) when I put in 18:00 as my desired departure time. So I phoned 08457 000 125 and selected the "train times" option ... ended up speaking with Jane at National Rail Enquiries.

She advised me for the evening peak to catch the 18:31, change at Bath (19:00 to 19:07) and Trowbridge (19:28 to 19:38) for a Melksham arrival at 19:47. She told me that was not a normal ticket route and I would have to buy two tickets for my journey.

I asked her if she had all the trains up on her screen, and she said that she did. She told me that the earlier one was 06:18 and the next one was 06:18 the next morning.  "What - nothing in the evening peak?".  She looked back at the week before and told me that the current 18:42 will no longer be running. "It looks like they have withdrawn that train".

The draft timetables I have seen refer to an 18:45, and I had understood from you and other that there were to be virtually no changes to services from December.  However, I am also aware that timetables have a habit of changing very late in the day - especially when there's bad news; it happened last year as I'm sure you recall.    So can you tell me:

a) Whether the service is indeed reduced to a single daily train

b) If there is still a train running at around 18:45, how you expect it to be used when your enquiry service are telling people that it doesn't exist / has been withdrawn?

[grahame]

Just got a VERY quick reply 

Fear not, this is NR^» (Network Rail - home page) failing to upload certain trains again - clearly they
did not learn from May, when a fair few services did not initially show. I
will get this sorted ASAP.  The correct times are shown in timetable files
on our website (www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=1930) and in
the printed pocket timetables (now available from stations), line of route
posters etc.

These are Westbury departures MF^▸ ((in timetables) Monday to Friday) 0702/1932, SO 0903/1504, SuO^▸ ((in timetables) Sunday only) 1705/1935;
and Swindon departures MF 0618/1845, SO 1529/2108, SuO 1831.

We have already started work scoping December 2008 and I can assure you
that the Swindon-Salisbury corridor is firmly on the agenda.  It is even
being referred to internally as 'TransWilts', proof that your efforts do
have an influence!