Electrification Works in the Bath Spa area - Easter 2017

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

I'm confused? The extra service via Bath is only in peak times and will run fast from Chippenham, in addition to the 2tph that will normally operate on that route.

The other 'fast' service during the peak is first stop Bristol Parkway before continuing on to Cardiff, with none of the (extra) IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.) operating between Bristol Parkway and Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) during the peak hours.

Swindon - Chippenham - Bath will still have 2tph, all throughout the day, (with a 3rd between Chippenham and Bath in the peaks)

Concur.   What you describe is shown in diagrammatic form on page 7 of that GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) direct award brief for the 2018 IEP timetable. (If anyone still has a copy downloaded.)   In the peaks the 2 tph^▸ (trains per hour) that would normally go via Bristol Parkway to/from Temple Meads are altered and the paths are used for a third train via Bath and a third train to South Wales instead.

Paul

[bobm]

Tim your mention of Chippenham reminded me of something else that was mentioned last night I hadn't heard before.

Once the IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.) are in and there are four trains an hour between Bristol and London the proposal is one of the extras will run via Hullavington (which we knew) the other will call at Bath Spa and Chippenham and then fast to London. That was news to me.

Eh?   Kinda gives a problem for Chippenham - Swindon traffic - reduces it to hourly.   I can see that being popular.   But a good help in getting TransWilts up to hourly ;-)

Four trains an hour

1 via Hullavington
2 via Box (as now)
1 via Box but non stop after Chippenham (eastbound).  I take Paul's point this may be peak only - although that wasn't stated.

[grahame]

Thanks for the clarifications.   In the few minutes I had on the forum earlier, I misread Bob's post and added it to what was (it now sounds) a previous plan ...

Previous plan was 2 an hour via Hullavington with minimal stops east of Parkway and 2 an hour via Chippenham ... and I read it that one of the Chippenham trains was now non-stop from there to somewhere very much more to the east.  Hadn't realised that it was one of the via Hullavington services re-directed via Bath.  Sorry for any panic caused.

[IndustryInsider]

I hadn't realised there had been an alteration to the 2 via Box and two via Parkway original plan, so thanks for that update.

[Adelante_CCT]

Four trains an hour

1 via Hullavington
2 via Box (as now)
1 via Box but non stop after Chippenham (eastbound). 

If the plan has changed (which would deem electrifying Parkway to Temple Meads a bit pointless) then it would appear Chippenham - Bath - Bristol would in fact have 3tph throughout the day improving the level of service along this route (which is why we went off topic in the first place)

It would make it harder to timetable an even spread of services, but would certainly allow Chippenham and Bath passengers a quicker alternative to London throughout the day.

[paul7575]

The problem I have with service pattern definitions, is that I can easily understand the nice simple coloured lines in the direct award brief. 

But when I go to the SLC3a and SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment, or possibly SLC Rail (a consultancy firm), depending on context) 3b documents on the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) website, and try and make sense of the service patterns the way they define them there, it seems utterly confusing.   
  Which I suppose is what you'd expect once lawyers get involved...

Paul