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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: AQ11 - trivia questions in our region
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on: December 11, 2024, 11:55:53
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**Three GWR▸ stations which - though not terminii - you can only leave in one direction on a passenger train: Banbury, Basingstoke and Gatwick Airport. - Although I guess technically they are not GWR stations but stations GWR use and you can leave them in other directions with other TOC▸ 's. Maybe need to think again Ah, shows the great danger of trying to write quiz questions. All three of these you can leave from either end of the station having got on to a passenger train / agreed that the dark green GWR things only go from one end, but there are other train operators around ;-) Reading the question back, I was looking in our region - to avoid answers such as "Fort William". 2nd attempt - Coombe Junction Halt, Bere Alston, Okehampton. Is Okehampton a terminus and if it isn't what about Carmarthen? Maybe i am thinking to hard
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: AQ11 - trivia questions in our region
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on: December 11, 2024, 08:36:17
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**Three GWR▸ stations which - though not terminii - you can only leave in one direction on a passenger train: Banbury, Basingstoke and Gatwick Airport. - Although I guess technically they are not GWR stations but stations GWR use and you can leave them in other directions with other TOC▸ 's. Maybe need to think again
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: First Group has acquired Union Trains GWML Holdings Ltd.
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on: December 06, 2024, 09:26:07
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I am not yet convinced that Open Access operators are beneficial: 1) They do not cover the full costs of their services; their track access charges are lower than those of a Train Operating Company (TOC▸ ).
2) They cherry-pick routes. If that is not the case, why do all Open Access (OA) operators only run fast services to London? There are no commuter or cross-country services (e.g., Liverpool – Newcastle, Leicester - Manchester, Birmingham – Portsmouth).
3) Open Access reminds me of the early days of bus deregulation, where multiple operators offered cheap fares on the busiest routes. It was great at the time but disastrous in the long term.
4) The purpose of Great British Railways (GBR▸ ) is to simplify the railway structure and reunite train and track operations. Open Access separates them out again.
5) Another reason for GBR is fare simplification, but Open Access complicates the fare structure.
6) The presence of Open Access operators with contracted paths makes changing timetables difficult, as the East Coast Main Line (ECML▸ ) is currently experiencing, and they occupy valuable paths with short trains.
7) Are there enough paths between Reading and London for all these services? If not, which services will be cut?
8 ) Passengers from intermediate stations, where these trains won’t stop, will receive a poorer service.
9) Will non-Open Access fares (and especially those on routes where OA doesn’t run services) have to increase to cover the revenue loss to Open Access?
10) It would be ironic that GWR▸ would have drivers working on a Sunday with Lumo that they have single-handedly failed to manage over the last 20+ years with GWR.
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Journey by Journey / London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury / Shortage of 165 stock - 5/12/2024
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on: December 05, 2024, 11:35:23
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Looks like there as a shortage of suitable stock this morning as the following trains were cancelled: 0758 Oxford Didcot (from Banbury) 0834 Didcot Banbury 0700 Worcester to Didcot 0910 Didcot Oxford 0904 Oxford Didcot (from Banbury) 0938 Didcot Oxford 0934 Oxford Didcot These are all 165 worked, hopefully the introduction of class 175 to the west will allow more 165/166 to move back to Reading. Failing that can Chiltern loan GWR▸ a 165 (or take over the Didcot - Oxford service ) maybe this will be possible once GBR▸ is up and running
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: De-icer and empty trains to tackle snow disruption, North West England - November 2024
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on: November 21, 2024, 08:52:27
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Talking of snow, but in the South West:
Due to heavy snow between Crediton and Okehampton the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until 10:45 21/11. Impact: Train services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton via Crediton will be cancelled. Customer Advice: - We are sorry for the disruption to your journey this morning. - Heavy snow fall in the area between Crediton and Okehampton means we are currently unable to run trains along the line to Okehampton. - You are advised not to attempt to travel along this route at this time. The snow is also affecting the roads in the area and we are currently unable to provide replacement road transport. - We will update this message with more information when we have it.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: How would you like GWR to handle their inability to crew all trains timetabled?
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on: November 17, 2024, 16:48:26
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The concern is is that they don't appear to be doing anything, the management need to do some managing.
The following was a conversation I had today: my other half planned to catch a train to Oxford (from Didcot) tonight. Her friend had checked the train schedules earlier in the week and found no issues. Aware of the notoriously poor Sunday service, I suggested she check the current schedule, and, unsurprisingly, she had not. Upon checking, we found that there are no trains returning from Oxford after 21:30, with only replacement bus services at 23:05 and 00:05. The last train is too early and the bus services are too late (and take too long). Had I not prompted her to check, she would likely have been stranded in Oxford for an extended period (or more likely, she would have called me to pick her up). As a result, she opted to travel by car, representing a loss of revenue for the railway.
<Rant on> Given the above why would anybody choose to travel by train, if the management and employees don't seem to sort out this issue? Why don't the management, staff, and unions come together to at least reach a temporary agreement? Is the railway industry the most inept industry at undermining itself? <Rant off>
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