New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion

[whole diary]

[grahame]

No ticket checks and at at Oxford the exit gates near the footbridge were open so no revenue check on whole outbound journey.

I can understand your concern at that - but yet is there a need to check tickets on every journey? A random sprinkling of tickets checks should deter unpaid travel and you will find that very much the way it's done across many countries. Because people who will be inclined to try for a free journey don't know which trains / checks will be on, they will tend to minimise the risks they take and pay, anyway, for services on which it turns out there are no checks.  It just "feels" wrong when you buy a ticket and it's never checked.

Another thought / question - was your ticket checked during the return journey?  Noting that (and I'm using Melksham which is my knowledge point) Melksham to Oxford off peak day return is £20.80  and Oxford to Melksham super off peak single is £18.60 - if I manage to defraud the railway on the way up, all I'm saving is £2.20 when I get my ticket to come back - not worth the risk.

I would love to see - I think - stronger but occasional enforcement - however, the complexity of the current fare system that even the staff don't always understand has me worried about enforcing on people who have made a mistake and broken the rules.

[John D]

No was just a sunny day, but our split tickets were mix of off peak day returns and anytime day returns.  So no real control of volumes sold.

Incidently we had to stand Bath-BoA^▸ (Bradford-on-Avon station) on return because it was just a 3car turbo with people already standing when it arrived at Bath, and was very busy with rugby fans as match had recently ended at Bath.  And yes had one of those pointless counted place reservations that basically get you a bit of standing space.

More a case of weekend leisure journeys can see more passengers when good weather is forecast, but GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) doesn't have sufficient stock to lengthen trains.

[IndustryInsider]

Thought I would give my experience of using the service (early October).  Travelled from Bradford on Avon (change at Bath), ticket split at Chippenham

Bit of scrum at Bath, reservations not working (train manager said not programmed)...
The destination displays also displaying Reading.   Apparently since announcing the service in January haven't yet found time to add the route to train computers !

The latest database update (that included added Melksham to the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Operation) station list) included generic headcodes for these services, so if the journey and reservations don't load the destination and calling points should now display and announce properly - provided the Driver or TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) enters them.

[Mark A]

Thanks. That rather shows how capacity-constrained the railways are, that a one day a week service can be reinstated after a gap of some years and promptly fills standard class in a 5 carriage IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) full and standing. It's dire, the cost of the infrastructure that could be bringing in far more income but there's often not the capacity in the trains or the variety of services to attract and carry an increase in passenger numbers.

Mark

[grahame]

Thanks. That rather shows how capacity-constrained the railways are, that a one day a week service can be reinstated after a gap of some years and promptly fills standard class in a 5 carriage IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) full and standing. It's dire, the cost of the infrastructure that could be bringing in far more income but there's often not the capacity in the trains or the variety of services to attract and carry an increase in passenger numbers.

Mark

The really interesting thing with infrastructure limits is that the running of a 9 car IET rather than a 5 car one, or a 5 car train rather than a 3 car one (BTH^▸ (Bath Spa station) to BOA) would make very little difference indeed to the number of trains that could pass over the line, or the number of train drivers and train managers needed,   For sure, there aren't enough trains available on lease to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to run full length, there may not be enough siding to park them at night or staff to service them, and I AM aware that a long train has to run at reduced speed for longer when going through junctions and around corners - but it could be done.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Though even SDO^▸ (Selective Door Operation) isn’t a panacea - the reason we apparently have never had 2x5 IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) on the Cotswold Line, despite expensive platform lengthening, is platform-end signal siting.

[grahame]

12:03 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:12
12:03 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:14 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 16:31
15:14 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 16:31 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

From my inbox

Have GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) produced a leaflet which deals specifically with the Saturday Bristol - Oxford?

I don't see anything ... but wonder if anyone else has?

[ChrisB]

Not that I've seen around the Oxford area.

I would doubt it as timetables don't appear in racks anymore

[grahame]

 

12:02 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:12
15:18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 16:29
17:12 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:27

28/12/24 17:12 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:27 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
We are sorry that this service is cancelled today due to a shortage of train crew. Alternative services are available by changing trains at Didcot Parkway or Reading.

[Mark A]

Whew, nearly went to Oxford to collect something heavy.

"Changing at Reading", eh?

Mark

[grahame]

10:18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 11:27

10:18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 11:27 has been delayed at Chippenham and is now 8 minutes late.
This is due to congestion.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 5.

Not a problem  ... good that it's running ... right through to May ..

[grahame]

From the Western Gateway SubNational Transport Body

https://westerngatewaystb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/31921-The-case-for-reinstating-rail-services-Oxford-Bristol.pdf

The case for reinstating Oxford-Swindon-Bath‑Bristol rail services

Quick, affordable and transformational change for the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) economy and transport system

At a glance:

There is a quick, affordable and simple opportunity to reinstate direct rail services between Oxford and Swindon, Bath and Bristol.

Building on the current – highly popular – trial service on Saturdays the new service would provide an all day, every day hourly service.

Journey times between Oxford and Bristol would be a less than an hour and a quarter, and between Oxford and Swindon just over half an hour.

New daily, hourly services will better connect high-performing, knowledge‑intensive sectors and universities at the heart of the Government’s new industrial strategy, together with some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

The scheme would add help maximise the value of investments elsewhere, most notably East West Rail (making it possible, as early as 2026, to travel between Bristol and Milton Keynes with only one change) and MetroWest.

This opportunity does not require capital investment
– the necessary infrastructure is already there. Instead, it requires commitment to fund the operational costs of the new service (ie, train crew, fuel, network access costs, and rolling stock lease cost).

Our ask to government: To specify the service in future timetables and commit to fund its additional operational costs (with the expectation that the service is likely to generate more revenue than it will cost).

[ChrisB]

I'm sure there is one - and a thread already to post it in?

[IndustryInsider]

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 - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan))!