There tie ping could benifit from a bit of spill chucking, tho 

 


So it seems that trains can run on the Avoiding Lines, but not through the station on the Main

 
Cancellations to services at Frome
Due to a fault with the signalling system at Frome fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running through this station will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 10:00 01/04.
Customers at Frome heading towards Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington are advised to travel onwards to Westbury, where there is a shuttle train service operating between Westbury and Frome. The same advice applies to any customers at Frome looking to travel South towards Weymouth of Portsmouth.

 
Journey chech shows a Westbury -Frome shuttle is in place this morning, while the Weymouth services travel via the avoiding line
Sounds like a good idea

 
Due to a fault with the signalling system at Frome fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Impact:
Train services running through this station will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 07:30 01/04.
Customer Advice:
Due to a track circuit failure at Blatchbridge Junction , some trains from Frome maybe cancelled or delayed. GWR apologies for any delay to your journey today.
GWR apologises for an delay to your journey that this may cause you.
If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation.
https://www.gwr.com/help-and-support/refunds-and-compensation/delay-repay

ALSO problems between Swansea and Cardiff due a power supply issue.

 

My first thought on reading that was Frank Spencer ...

 
I like the phrase
I presume like when the other half asks where I am going on the bike, "I am following the front wheel". Potential for seeing some where different, or differently.

 
It does, and I'm trying to think of another example. Some of the over bridges on the line from Radstock are quality constructions too.

It's curious that if we count the moribund track on the line to Radstock, what was the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth railway network, despite its occasionally poorly sited stations, has retained track over practically its entire length.

I didn't realise that the Frome avoiding line was opened as late as 1933. It's not even seen its centenary, let alone any catenary.

Mark

 
I've never been to Frome on the train but riding alongside the old track still, more or less, in place, is one of the best aspects of that particular path.

 
Lots of routes have very poor track quality at the moment thanks to the extremely dry summer.

I can’t remember a time since the aftermath of the Hatfield crash and the ‘cyclic top’ chaos when there have been more TSR’s across the network.  It makes keeping time so much more difficult so is impacting on performance. 

And if there’s no TSR needed it’s a still a rocky and bumpy ride in places…though a good excuse to try and blame ‘the new trains’ for ride quality I suppose!

 
Accidentally cycled to Frome. Thankfully I'd checked the timetable, because after the 16:24, Frome has a 2 1/2 hour gap before the next train.

An hour before the train to Gloucester, there's one in the Weymouth direction, so a few people for that, after which Frome station, well maintained, spotless, was deserted. At one point, the sound of a train horn, nearby, suggested that something had just left the line from the quarry.

The cafe-in-a-shed across the road was closed (it's a tiny business, it closes at 3) and the bakery/food/drinks place had closed at three too, 'cos bakers are up early. Neither of the DIY sheds at the station has a cafe so a bit of a gap there given that the station approach if not the station itself remained busy as it's the location for a cluster of small businesses.

Cometh the hour, cometh the people and five minutes before the train was due the platform was reasonably busy, as was the train when it arrived.

The journey worked well, though not as well as returning from Avonmouth with a bike the other week. The Avonmouth train had a pretty flexible space for luggage and cycles. The Frome train was a 166, space for just 2 bikes and with a notice on the trains exterior to that effect. The official cycle capacity of 2 bikes was immediately full at Frome with myself and another who was heading for Trowbridge. The train's two bike cycle space was just too short for my bog standard touring bike, the other cycle person sat on the luggage rack and constrained his machine beneath that - and any more people travelling with bikes would have been testing whether the train manager had a pragmatic attitude to things.

Class 166s, even idling, are fantastically noisy from the platform, and Frome, with its overall roof, is a particularly good place to appreciate this aspect of their design. The racket they make isn't brilliant from within the train either it has to be said.

Once on the train, there was something that might have been a sobering continuation of something from the cycle ride. From Bath to Frome I'd used the Sustains path from Radstock much of which is on the old railway. Somehow, it shares the railway with the track, which has not been lifted, but after the weather of the last few years the installation is a monument to the flexibility of earthworks and indeed railway track. The track itself has in many places slowly moved itself - particularly to the inside of curves on embankments, where it now teeters on the edge of the earthwork. Turning to the cycle path surface, it appears to have been laid without a membrane beneath it - which can help mitigate earth movements - and the surface is in many places torn longitudinally as the earthwork has settled and spread. In the forty years or so since the line has seen a train, several of the under bridges now preserve the original trackbed levels while to either side the trackbed has dropped a few inches.

Which brings me back to the return on the train, and experiencing the same issue but on a live railway line. Between Westbury and Trowbridge there were a couple of places where the train rolled and spiralled noticeably giving the impression that we were on a piece of track with, thanks to this summer's heat and drought, a issue of subsidence and sideways displacement.

Mark

 
featured on ITV West on wednesday 9th March approx 18:18pm
available on plus one at 19:18pm

 

A little.  The Heart of Wessex CRP is changing after the retirement of Catherine Phillips. The subject of how any Community Rail activities on Weymouth - Westbury - Bristol that it was undertaking are continued and in what form, funded by whom and organised / administered by whom were discussed.   Attendees were invited from, I believe, the other CRPs who operate (anywhere) in Wiltshire, GWR, and local government interested parties.   Not a public meeting by any stretch of the imagination (quite an exclusive group?) so not added to the forum diaries. With no Catherine around, I'm not sure who represented ongoing HoW CRP interests for station groups, etc.

 
Ref Heart of Wessex

WEST DORSET WESTERN AREA TRANSPORT ACTION GROUP (WATAG)
Extract from September meeting

https://transportactiongroup.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/111-sept19.pdf

Does anyone know anything about this?

 

It does sounds that public transport use in and from Frome could be encouraged by the provision of better easy to understand data.  Elements of that have been provided in the past - but either decisions have been taken to discontinue so doing, or they have simply fallen by the wayside.  Not sure that it's anyone's "responsibility" or even that all transport operators would be required to co-operate; at least 2 train and 3 bus to my knowledge, and I may have overlooked some.


For the immediate request for this Saturday - thank you, but not enough time to produce anything. For the longer term (release for December 2019 timetable change??) would be useful to know what destinations are currently shown - whether it's been changed from the original a couple of years back.

On Frome buses - also note that the D2 changes from next Monday - with alternate buses going each way round Frome and known as D2A.   This has caused disquiet as certain timetable sources show D2 reduced from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes ... until the reader realises there's a new table D2A.

 
Hi All

I volunteer my services at the "Discover Frome Information Point" (ie tourist office run by Frome Town Council FTC) on certain days. There is currently no timetable summary for Frome available and we are obliged to hand out the B1 booklet. As many know this does have a BRI-WEY summary in the rear but as I advise my enquirers this is not the complete service from FRO which is only shown in the main table. Hardly user friendly but does show all the FRO extras.

FTC previously produced a summary leaflet for all BUS services from Frome but this has now been discontinued. So they will not be doing one for trains.

On the positive side there is indeed still a current A-Z table on display at FRO. This is a single poster size display. I will attempt a photo after my arrival on the anticipated 20.07 tomorrow and send it to Graham if it might be of use. I do a fairly regular trip from Leatherhead to FRO on many Thursdays but last time the FRO direct got cancelled (due to crew shortage!).

 

I'm not sure if there currently is - the issue of information for Frome station arose in the good old days when Catherine was the HoW CRO, I did the job on TransWilts, NR was station manager at Westbury and AM was in publicity at GWR; we got together to produce the first A-Z for Frome; a small station for such as sheet but one of a handful of special cases where it's logical.

I did wonder about seeing if there's still a sheet available - but scale is an issue and there never was a corresponding Z-A (there or anywhere).  Really something for the people who have taken over from all four names listed above to do, or decide that it's not a good use of their resource to do.

 
Is there an A-Z destination sheet(s) at Frome? If so, start off by taking a phone photo of it/them & using that data?

 

Totally agreed.  And sadly I could take a 20 minute automatic exercise forward into a whole day's project ....

Just quickly plotting sources and destinations is interesting ... shows what a presentation nightmare Frome is. The exercise is based on a fairly casual enquiry - I can take it further should it be further encouraged, otherwise I have plenty to do!   But IMHO, Frome does need a good local sheet - to include details at far end and at key stations for all services - Westbury, Trowbridge, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Yeovil Pen Mill, Dorchester West, Reading.

 
You could make it a lot more use by including arrival times at the destinations you have listed.

One of the most common queries is "I know what time I want to be where....but what time do I need to catch a train to get there then?"

 
Been mucking about ... http://www.passenger.chat/frometrains.pdf ... difficult bit is how to automatically cover intermediate stations!

 

Sounds like the Bradford-on-Avon sheet.  An excellent local timetable for that station.   

If I or someone had the time ... a black and white print on a pastel paper document could be produced - estimate volunteer work time 1 day - good thought that you lead me towards.   Problem to ensure accuracy.   Seen too many cases of inaccurate leaflets that are a laughing stock and worse, even with "E&OE" on them.

 

Grahame, when I showed you a A4 leaflet on yellow paper, black print, you said you had one. This was in connection with a previous statement regarding the non production of a Heart Of Wessex Line Guide this summer. Would that cover the request made to your goodself.

 
I have a request for a leaflet to hand out this Saturday to promote services from FROME.    It seems to be in B10, B1 and T7 from GWR and table 20 from SWR.   No Heart of Wessex line guide this year as I understand it.  Any suggestions?   Surely I have missed something!

 

Set booked to stable at Frome overnight. Unfortunately the set had to run empty back to Westbury sidings as Frome station was under an engineering possession. This would have been fine if the lines through Westbury weren't in another engineering possession all day Sunday!

 

Problem being lack of passenger facilities at Heywood Road Junction 


So that's "catch the train 77 minutes later" at Trowbridge.  But good on JourneyCheck for giving that specific information. What is the advise for people who would have started at 09:49 at Trowbridge?

TransWilts is bustituted again today - finishing off works at Westbury ... I would have hoped that 12 13 days would have been enough!

 
For the sake of completing the normal and wide destination list from Frome. The 17.24 FRO continues to WAT via WSB. The 15.06 FRO after arriving at Yeovil Pen Mill continues swiftly to the Junction and WAT. Another destination is SOU on Saturdays (06.49) and on many Bank Holiday Mondays!

For the anti-clockwise SWR services, the electronic systems tend to show the destination as WSB, when in fact they all continue to SAL or WAT. The services receive a new reporting number at WSB so never mind the customers!

The article in the "Frome Times" was a little strange. This may reflect journalistic licence or alternatively some aspect of the actual meeting held at Somerset County Council. Having participated in the Somerset Travel Consultation exercise, I noted that it contained some rather strange aspirations especially with budgets very constrained. For rail, priorities included some wilder re-openings and the "Race to the West" saving a very few minutes. However, there were other positives.

I hope to speak to the representatives from Frome Town Council to find out exactly what happened.

 
A very good analysis, grahame.  The service for Frome is a bit like the Severn Beach was in the Olden Days, where you had to work some pretty unusual hours to be able to commute. That got mended, but Frome might be a bit more awkward, being on that loop. All roads do not, alas, lead to Frome.

 
Incremental improvements are needed,  after all, Frome wasn’t built in a day...
 
Paul

 
I got somewhat carried away answering a Facebook post based on a Frome Times Article


I'm not sure whether Somerset County Council are the best or only people to lobby but anyhow I wrote:

On Monday, trains leave Frome with final destinations of London Paddington. Cardiff, Filton Abbey Wood, Weymouth, Bristol Temple Meads, Swindon, Warminster and Yeovil Pen Mill.  Trains arrive also from London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction, but there are no direct trains from Frome to either of those. Looking across a whole week (and at times that engineering works are not reducing train runs), there are also trains or from Bristol Parkway, Weston-super-mare, Gloucester, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street and Great Malvern. Ironically, the only place not served by a direct train whe it could be is the county town of Taunton.  Many of the services are slow. None of them is frequent.  And chances are that if there's an outbound one that suits you down to the ground, the return service won't be so perfect and you may need to change trains.   Fares are at best erratic - there are some excellent / sensible fares, and some that will make you squeal in horror - but it's not all that easy to see the wood for the trees, in other words to discover how you can change your plans a little to save a lot using the fares that the railway markets - so (in theory) wants you to use.

Is this situation right / appropriate for the residents and businesses of Frome, and for people wanting to visit the town?  If not, can it be improved? 

I live in Melksham and visit Frome from time to time - so I'm not unaquainted with the town, and travelling to and from there.  Melksham is broadly comparable in population to Frome but (can you believe) five years ago we had just two trains each way per day.   Miss the 07:20 to Swindon and the next train was 19:47, miss the 06:38 to Westbury and the next train was 19:15. We have managed to have our service improved - it must be admitted only up to about the level that Frome enjoys - but we are seriously talking with the parties involved in specifying and providing the service about the next steps. It can be done. Key for us has been singleness of purpose - we have been specific in routes and requests, and co-ordinated around the town. We have worked closely with our council even though they have been budget constrained and not always as rail aware as we would wish.  We have worked with other towns up and down the route and indeed beyond to help put forward united suggestion that mean that one train serves multiple flows - not all of them Melksham. And we now have an established track record of improvements on which to build further.

South Western Railway under its new franchise that started last year was required to report to the Department for Transport on what to do about the Yeovil to Bristol corridor - and they ran a consultation looking for inputs in January.  I hope you made your views known. But if not, don't worry; things don't change overnight and if the town gets consistently lined up behind enhancement proposals they have a better chance.  Do your groups all work with the Heart of Wessex CRP which has a mandate for your line and station?  Are you members of TravelWatch SouthWest - the region's campaign and partnership co-ordination group?  If not ... timing is perfect as their general meeting is next Saturday in Taunton. http://travelwatchsouthwest.org

---

Members thoughts here (and signups for Taunton  ) most welcome

 
It has.

Original problem caused by a freight or engineering train running through the points.

 

Thanks. My friend actually arrived ok with little delay, so I'm guessing this incident has been resolved.

 
If a train booked to call at Frome skips it via the avoider it will show as delayed between Blatchbridge and Clink Road junctions as the system "loses" the train when it diverts from its booked route.   It will also show as delayed if the system detects it hasn't moved for 10 minutes or so.  In the later case it stops the automated announcements going off every 60 seconds as another minute is added to the delay.

 
The current train running towards Westbury and Bath is just showing as delayed. However, I'm assuming once that train can get through, trains will run from Weymouth to Westbury missing out Frome without too much delay. A friend of mine is due on a later train this afternoon, so just checking if that is the case.

 
.....or in the case of the recent derailment in Long Rock Depot, what they don't do.....

 
From JourneyCheck:

Buses running from Frome to stations towards Weymouth. Love the explanation as to what a set of points does 

 
Yesterday we joined the 16.29 FRO-BRI at Frome on time. The train then stopped almost immediately at Frome North Junction. We were advised that there was a points problem at Clink Road and that the train would now reverse - all the way to East Somerset Goods Loop (at Witham Friary). This was done efficiently and we then set off for WSB directly arriving about 20 mins down. The train then proceeded fast to Bath arriving about 10 mins down. So all this was quite an efficient recovery. Passengers for Trowbridge and Bradford were catered for by the immediate following train. Avoncliff and Freshford passengers "may" not have fared so well.

Such a lengthy reversal always seems a bit bizarre but no doubt necessary to make a "permitted" signalled movement. Points failures on the Frome loop are not uncommon so why cannot the problem be "properly" fixed?? The immediate problem was fixed for later in the evening. Although this was a minor event it just adds to the raft of signalling problems occurring every day now.

 
Points to note are that some progress is already apparent in Frome. We have had an additional (all year) Sunday service for a while - in from WSB and out to BRI at around 11.40. The Summer Sunday service has started at Easter this year, ca 7 weeks earlier. Every little helps.

Frome Town Council have plans to improve access to the station mainly from Housing Developer-provided funds. This will mainly be improved pedestrian links/signs/crossings. Doubtful whether bus connections will be improved as most bus services are in decline in Frome and elsewhere. First did try extending the 234 service at the station for a while but that obviously did not work very well.

Improved timetabling, rolling stock availability and perhaps track layout improvements towards Clink Road Junction are the only likely ways forward. SW Trains may also provide more but they will wish to review after 1-2 seasons.

 
From the Frome Standard:

 
Nice idea, but how many people can you realistically get in a tractor? 

 
From the Frome Standard:

 
It seems that I cannot count. You are quite right stuving - my apologies.

 

Really? 1J99 is an HST that is timetabled to do Blatchbridge Jn to Clink Road Jn in 6^ minutes. It is, after all, less than two miles plus a stop. So the gain from doubling would be small.

If you were concerned about even that time, it might be because a train running late could cause another to wait on the main line. In that case surely you would be better advised to reinstate the other platform.

But that is where the historic status might rear up and bite you - you'd need a footbridge plus plus lifts for access (on both equality and safety grounds). I can only suggest making both platforms as long as the space available, which looks to be a 10-car IEP or thereabouts. Then you can put even an unsightly footbridge so far away it can't easily be seen at the same time as the station building.

 

Truth be told, I have absolutely no idea. But I vaguely recall some time ago that there were issues regarding the colour of the station building when it came to painting it...

I also agree with grahame that no Westbury bound trains between 09:35 and 15:01 on a winter Sunday is pathetic!

With regards to the 2 hour gaps in the timetable. I am very conscious of the bus services to Bath and Trowbridge of which there are 2 and 3 per hour retrospectively.

Faresaver run their X34 service to Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham upwards of every 30 minutes. It's a reliable and punctual service. However to Chippenham takes forever. Their 267 service is also hourly and takes around 40 minutes to complete the journey depending on traffic.

First Bus offer a 234 and 267 service both running hourly and taking slightly longer routes via Rode. Also a reliable and punctual service.

 

Does this cause much of a problem? I mean, OK, if English Heritage get involved they may ask NR to reinstate the broad guage tracks...

 
Been a long time writing this - writ before the reply from thetrout, hence some duplication?

Quoting for critical review ...


and


And that review:

I wouldn't care to say whether this is an early feasibility suggestion, something that's well researched, or indeed electioneering.  In my view, the current service at Frome is sparse; any town of over 20,000 in the BaNES / West Wilts / North Wilts / Mendip economic area with a station could really do with an hourly service, and a gap from 09:35 to 15:01 on winter Sundays is dire, with 2-hour gaps during the day on weekdays being something that could do with infilling up to an hourly service.   But I'm not convinced that an hourly service would need a second track.  An examination of upcoming timetables sees scheduled trains at 13:44, 14:03, 14:41, 14:50, 14:59, 15:31, 15:47 and 15:55 on Mondays to Fridays, and it would seem to my (perhaps simple) mind that it's trains not tracks through the station that are needed.

Here are some things which might allow dramatic improvements at Frome:
* Re-arranging other local Westbury terminators and local trains passing through Westbury to and from the south to provide a more even service and better stock use for everyone
* 2 extra trains each way per day with re-diagramming of South West trains, London to Yeovil
* Provision of additional carriages / trains
* Updating of signalling and layout between Frome and Clink Road Junction to avoid freight blockage pinch points
* Relay existing track at Westbury Station platform 0 to allow robustness of operation there
* Resignalling of onward routes beyond Westbury to allow better than 35 minute headway.

 
Agree mostly with all the timetable points here... But there are some considerations to be made in terms of the existing offering.


I could see this causing problems for 2 reasons.

the 19:06 Frome - Bristol Temple Meads train is booked to arrive at 19:00 and sit in the station for 6 minutes. This allows an UP London Paddington train the chance to overtake IIRC.

The 18:49 Frome - Weymouth is a peak time train from Bath Spa & Bristol Temple Meads and is usually a few minutes late...

This leaves the risk possible for an 18:31 arrival being say 10 minutes late. You then have another 2 trains, 1 each in opposite directions all wanting a path in Frome in addition to anything InterCity grade on the avoiding lines. So what do you do to prevent that 19:06 from hogging the UP line thus meaning the InterCity service needs to slow down or stop completely around the Witham Friary area?

We know that what should happen is allow the 19:06 into the station and get the 18:31 and 18:49s to sit at the signals in the branch lines... The 18:49 also connects at Castle Cary for an Exeter St Davids / Plymouth* train so delay to this is bad news for anyone wanting to go anywhere near Penzance

I don't think it's a silly idea. But I could see FGW having some justified concerns to the punctuality of their Long Distance services. Perhaps for the more insidious reasons that trains through Frome aren't well known for their timekeeping except a small handful of trains which are either on time or cancelled in full

 
What also doesn't help is Frome being one of the Oldest Railway Stations in the Country has made it a listed building.

I have personally met with Mr Warburton in Routes Youth Cafe and he does seem a rather switched on chap. However I feel he may have severely underestimated the requirements needed to double track Frome Station.

What would probably build the case for double track any renewal works taking place in the Westbury area which means the InterCity services would use Frome for bustitution to Westbury and continue forward to Pewsey/Newbury etc. This has been done before on several occasions - particularly Sundays and when points have failed in the Westbury Area.

So it can be done on 1 Track already however it takes 15 minutes for a HST to take the Frome Branch line and to call there. So the risks to punctuality must be considered. Not to mention we all know what Westbury Signallers are like... That also doesn't take into account the Stone Trains to Whatley via Frome North Junction. Finally the few trains that terminate and reverse there - or sit in the Platform for 10 minutes!

Don't get me wrong I'd love to see more services through Frome. But the current layout of the station offers little prospect; particularly for anything of InterCity standard.

There is also consideration for South West Trains to run services via Frome. Also very welcome and I hope FGW allow them to fill in the huge 3 hour service gaps in the timetable we have. Heck it might even open more journey oppertunities for FGW by passengers using SWT to Westbury / Castle Cary to connect to FGW from there... Albeit probably embarrassing FGW Oh and we then might have some genuine competition for rail travel.

I should also mention that the 2 current London Paddington trains from Frome per day take longer than the other options to change trains at Bath Spa, Swindon and/or Westbury.

But we still have the generation of Fromies who insist that changing trains from Diesel to Electric traction at Westbury or Newbury is too much trouble... Yet for 90% of journeys to London... We kinda have to do that anyway

All in all if SWT get permissions to run trains through Frome in addition to anything further that FGW apply to their existing offering... I would probably call this out as a bad thing due to the congestion that it would probably cause. However this very hypothetical disruption could build a solid case... But ultimately we need people to use the trains...

Finally... It's farcical that Avoncliff gets a better service than Frome does however

 
The prospective candidate for the Somerton & Frome seat David Warburton has been talking about the local railway.

http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/Candidate-raises-possibility-second-rail-line/story-26081873-detail/story.html?

 
Thanks for the reply I was looking for.  Cleared it up now.

 
Both Westbury and Gloucester drivers and guards both have booked work over the Melksham line.

 
They may sign it but not actually have booked worked over it, just in case of diversions etc.? Although there would probably need to be alot of route learning services to allow the other group to refresh their route knowledge if that was the case.

 
No, as ReWind said both Gloucester and Westbury depots have drivers that sign the route through Melksham.

 

Does that mean that Gloucester drivers are actually diagrammed to all services via Melksham rather than shared with Westbury ?

 
Yes, and if breaks are tight they'd be nothing stopping one of the Westbury drivers being rostered to bring the train off the depot and take it to Frome and back to Westbury to be relieved by the Gloucester driver to take it on to Swindon.  That's if there's any slack in the Westbury drivers allocations at that time of the morning of course.  I guess my point was that whilst shuffling round the guards and drivers is probably not an insurmountable task, it does need to be considered.

 
Westbury & Gloucester both sign the Melksham branch.

 
Do Gloucester crews work all the Trans-Wilts or are not Westbury involved at all.

 
Much appreciate that feedback and insight - I'm aware of the break issues in principle, but staff rotas are more difficult to deduce than train rotas so at best it's an educated guess.   Another guess (on that same rota) suggests to me that moving the 08:49 ex Swindon to 08:36 would also be a break issue  - pity, as that's another "small change, big improvement" candidate as it would make southbound commuting more attractive, and (as I'm posting in Heart of Wessex) also provide a connection onward to Frome and stations to Weymouth which would be greatly used in summer!

 
Frome is out on a limb a little bit, but my experience is that the little station provides plenty of passengers for each train, and plugging gaps in the service (such as that that will be plugged around the 2pm mark) only makes the station more attractive to its residents.  Minor tweaks leading to quick wins can be as important as more comprehensive changes sometimes!

The changes you suggest, sound, in principle, excellent ideas - especially the morning tweak.  Though that one would require an alteration to the drivers diagram (and maybe the guards as well?) as they are currently having their PNB (Physical Needs Break - in other words their break!) at the earlier time they would have to be taking the set off of Westbury depot.  That might not be too difficult to change, but it does show that it's not always as easy as just having a train and a path.

I've attached the relevant drivers diagram, so you can see what I mean:

 
The TransWilts timetable changes this May - a Monday to Friday run is extended to and from Frome (arrive 13:43, leave 14:04), and the Sunday TransWilts service is recast.   Both are excellent moves, both for the improvements they provide and showing an integrattion of the current trial service on the TransWilts with other services (the Sunday changes) and lines (the Monday to Friday extension).  See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15401.0 for more detailed post.

The question arises "so - can there be any other similiar gains" and I take a look at the possibility of starting the 07:33 from Westbury back at Frome at 07:23 - this would give an extra peak train from Frome in the 07:04 to 08:02 gap, and give an extra (connectional) arrival into Bristol at 08:29 - between the 08:06 and 09:06.   Coming the other way, extending the 17:36 from Swindon to give a Frome arrival at 18:31 would fill their 17:49 to 18:49 gap, giving an extra Bristol departure at 17:23 (by connection) between the 16:49 and 17:49.

A quick glance at the timetable shows the 17:36 from Swindon arriving into Westbury at 18:21, and an 18:32 departure back to Swindon.  However, this is the time of day at which the "unit switch" for the TransWilts service is made, so it is not the same train.

I'm straying a little out of my county asking this question, but there is a significant commuter flow from Frome to various places beyond Westbury, including some to Swindon, and a peak through train would, I suspect, generate extra traffic and use a unit that's available at the time.  What do others think? Is this a suggestion worth making, or a silly idea?

Edit to correct typo

 

Brilliant! Just as long as you ain't pronouncing 'Frome' to rhyme with the Italian capital. That annoys me.

I sent a snotty email to ITV Sport a few years ago, chastising their F1 team for constantly getting the pronunciation of Jenson Button's home town wrong.

 

Just for everyone's peace of mind I can confirm that both ends have indeed been painted - as witnessed today. 

 

These things take time.  Frome wasn't built in a day...

Paul

 
Now that the the station looks respectable again, do we finally have a Frome with a view?

 

<rant>
If the building had had no maintenance in 164 years, it would at best resemble a pile of compost by now.

Buildings that are properly maintained do not significantly deteriorate.

The problem here was that it had not been properly maintained. So rather than congratulating themselves on bringing a listed building back from the brink, maybe Network Rail should invest in some paint and procedures - much cheaper in the long run!
</rant>

 
[cynic]
Couldn't the Frome Standard have got their 'before' and 'after' pictures from the same end of the trainshed? Who's to say that the paint job encompasses both ends.
[/cynic]

 

 
From the Frome Standard:

 
From the Somerset Standard:

 
From the Frome Times:

 

And if I had the need and had to squat?

Sorry - its double standards

 
You're right super tm, I could have got the guard who was indeed at the front of the train. I'm probably a little OTT on the safety side of things (It's something i've had hammered into me since a young age, as my Dad is a Safety Director) and for that I apologise.

But I was more worried at the fact a stepped on some poor sod's foot as I couldn't see what I was doing properly - hence my comment

 
So by the sound of it the guard was in the front coach.  When he came to the back coach he found the lights had gone off so he turned them back on again.  If you feel this was a safety issue may I suggest next time you find the guard and tell them about it ?

 
I boared the 08:02 at Frome this morning. The train was on time

However it was a 2 car 158. Except the rear coach had no lighting... As Frome station has a canopy this made being able to see rather awkward. But this isn't my concern.

The 08:02 starts at Weymouth. So would have started it's journey during the hours of darkness (This morning it was still dark at 07:30 when I left home). Surely this is a safety issue?!

Interestingly enough I didn't think it was a train fault as you could see the light was on in the rear cab as you could see it shining through the bottom of the cab door as I got on. However when the guard who was at the front of the train came to the rear coach and completed a "Tickets from Frome" check, they switched on the lighting just before arrival into Westbury

 

Quite a few problems, incl cancellations on Fri steming from I've been told cable theft in the Tunnel Junction area.

 

An area of up to 5 metres from the running rail which is clear of foliage (so it doesn't "flail" any services passing through that area). This is distinct from "gauge", which (I believe) is more to do with hard structures.

Somehow, I wouldn't want to be flailed by a bridge. 

 
I can go one better than that one BNM i'm afraid...!

I was with my friend a couple of months back, we decided to go out to a nightclub in Bristol and catch the 05:30 back to Bath...! Whilst we were down near the Hippodrome (sp?) about 3:00AM having a veggie burger and chips We spotted a complete and utter fool dropping his trousers against a wall when he was less than 10 metres away from a Portaloo... Just what you want to see when you're eating...!

Some people... Jeez...

 
If it's any consolation, thetrout, I had the unenviable displeasure of witnessing a hopeless drunk taking a p*ss no more than 10ft away from me at Montpelier this morning.

Now, going up to the end of the platform to micturate is just about acceptable, but to evacuate ones bladder in full view of a dozen or so people is, in my humble opinion, a tad unacceptable. Particularly as he decided not to face away from the gathered awaiting pax. At 10am as well!!!

 
Not that I wish to go on about this... But the 18:28 Trowbridge - Weymouth was delayed by 45 minutes today Any other day I wouldn't have been bothered, it was the fact that it was COLD and RAINING!!

But that's not what I was concerned about... I was desperately trying to not make eye contact with the local pond life... who seemed to think that messing around with the Help Points, Cycling on the platform with their BMX bikes, smoking in the waiting shelters or trying to break the glass in the telephone box on Platform 2 was acceptable...

 
http://www.homegrowntimber.com/indexrailways.html

_{Edited by Inspector H Blakey to make the linky-winky work Apologies for the unusual frivolity, normal service will be resumed in the morning when i'm sober again}

 
Appears to be something used in trimming back vegetation... http://www.gesgkft.hu/eng_railway_chemical_weed_control.html. So at a bit of a guess, maybe there was a yellow machine doing a spot of lineside topiary that expired and got in the way?

 
This trains delays seem to get dumped down to either a signal failure or non maintenance of a flail strip.
What the hell is a flail strip?

 

Thanks for this dog box

I seem to be plagued with delays on this route, another train that is normally a few minutes behind is the 17:28 Trowbridge - Weymouth service. But this doesn't normally affect me too much as I either take the bus to Frome as it takes me closer to where I live

As much is prefer trains, I may have to start taking the Bus to work... oh the delights of the 234.........

 

You get up early in the West Country!

 
Sorry - that was me being dense.

It's the 0540 that's the 4-car from Westbury.

Apologies!

 
So that's where all the stock is going, the aliens are grabbing 2 of them between Westbury and Trowbridge as the 08.23ish d. TRO is 2 cars AFAIK when (if) it turns up. It certainly still was according to a colleague who managed to squeeze on this morning.

Stopped using it many months ago.

 

It is a 4-car from Westbury

 
Power failure at Yeovil pen mill (IE)
Non maintain of a flail strip (?) (JP)
Regulated (YO)
 signal failure (IA)
Regulated at BRI (YA)

Sorry for codes will update codes later, rushing to post this.

 
think you will find there is a speed restriction on the Weymouth line imposed due to condition of track also leaf fall season dosent help

 
Consistently late and always full and standing, it should really be 4 car from Westbury.

 
08:02 log
Headcode: 2D05 UID: P11851 26/10/2010 0640 Weymouth [WEY] to Bristol Parkway [BPW]
This Train is operated by First Great Western.

    [Refresh]
Location    FD    Scheduled Arrival    Scheduled Departure    Expected Arrival    Expected Departure    Pl    Lateness    DR
Weymouth [WEY]             0640        0640    1    On time    
Upwey [UPW]        0645   0645   0644   0646    1   1    
DRCHJN        Pass   0651   Pass   No log              
Dorchester West [DCW]        0652   0653   0654   0655    1   2    
Maiden Newton [MDN]        0703   0705   No log   0708        3    
Chetnole [CNO]        0713   0713   No log   No log              
Yetminster [YET]        0716   0716   No log   No log              
Thornford [THO]        0718   0718   No log   No log              
Yeovil Pen Mill [YVP]        0726   0730   0731   0743   1   13    
Castle Cary [CLC]        0743   0744   0756   0758    3   14    
Bruton [BRU]        0749   0749   0802   0804    1   15    
ESTSOMJ        Pass   0755   Pass   0810        15    
BLBGJN        Pass   0759   Pass   0816        17    
Frome [FRO]        0802   0802   0817   0819        17    
FROMNSB        Pass   0803   Pass   No log              
CLNKRDJ        Pass   0804   Pass   0821        17    
FRWDJN        Pass   0809   Pass   0824        15    
Westbury [WSB]        0813   0817   0827   0828    3   11    
HWKRJN        Pass   0818   Pass   No log              
Trowbridge [TRO]        0822   0823   0833   0835        12    
BRDFDJN        Pass   0825   Pass   0837        12    
Bradford-on-Avon [BOA]        0828   0829   0840   No log    1   12    
Avoncliff [AVF]        0831   0831   No log   0846   1   15    
Freshford [FFD]        0834   0834   No log   0849   1   15    
BTHMPTJ        Pass   0842   Pass   0854        12    
Bath Spa [BTH]        0845   0847   0900   0901    1   14    
Oldfield Park [OLF]        0849   0849   No log   0905        16    
Keynsham [KYN]        0856   0857   0912   0913        16    
NSMRSTJ        Pass   0902   Pass   0918        16    
BRSTLEJ        Pass   0903   Pass   No log              
Bristol Temple Meads [BRI]        0905   0910   0923   0925    1   15    
BRSTLEJ        Pass   0911   Pass   No log              
DRDAYSJ        Pass   0911   Pass   0927        16    
Lawrence Hill [LWH]        0913   0913   No log   No log    1         
Stapleton Road [SRD]        0915   0915   0930   0931    1   16    
STPLNAR        Pass   0917   Pass   0931        14    
Filton Abbey Wood [FIT]        0921   0922   0935   0936    2   14    
Bristol Parkway [BPW]        0928        0940         4   12    
    [Refresh]

This morning it was 11 late according to systems.
Lost time between Maiden Newton and Yeovil.

Without looking at TRUST I cant give you an exact reason for the original lateness. I would guess the later delays would be due to the train having lost its slot on the GWML.

 
I catch the 08:02 service from Frome now most days since starting a new job 5 weeks ago

I would say on most of the days i've caught it, this service has been late. This is incredibly irritating as I have a connecting bus service at 08:25 - admittedly a tight connection, but I have made it by a brisk walk! On the face of it though, it's not that tight a connection as the train is ment to arrive at 08:13 at Westbury which leaves ample time to walk to the bus stop!

This morning and yesterday morning the service was 20 minutes late upon arrival into Westbury. I am now ^15 lighter due to paying for a taxi. Admittedly my own choice as I could have waited for the 09:00 264 but decided against waiting in the cold and the rain for 35 minutes

So my question is, why is this train consistantly late?? and if this is going to be a regular occurance, would I be better off booking a contract taxi to work...?? (I get a significant discount with a certain firm )

Rant over

 
Also posters on the train would help as people might actually spot the offender whilst they are travelling (or at least discourage him from doing it again after seeing himself on a poster)!

 
i think there should be a group on facebook offering rewards, not saying that i personally would want a reward for passing on info but it would get peoples attention

 
Agreed, bignosemac - and I think it would be helpful if more local newspapers picked up these stories and published the details - and pictures - as well! 

 
A thought has occured to me. It's all well and good BTP putting these details on their website, but would it not be better, and perhaps more likely to identify the miscreants, if posters displaying these pictures were put up at stations along the routes where incidents are alledged to have happened?

 
From the BTP press release:

 
Hi, portwine, and a rather sombre welcome to this forum. 

Looking around other topics here, you will see that there are unfortunately many cases of people choosing to find their own peace in such a way.

As always in such incidents, our thoughts are with the train driver and crew, and the family and friends of the deceased.

Thank you for your comments.

 
Hi,
i was on this train. I'm still thinking about this person. i hope they have found peace.

 
Frome station is currently closed due to an earlier fatality.  It involved a Weymouth bound unit, which stuck a person near the station.  The train obviously came out of service, and road transport was provided to Weymouth.

 
 

Too many assumtions on my part there as it managed to get to Trowbridge, forgetting that it would probably miss out Frome altogether. I've not seen anything but is it the same today given the attrocious conditions.