 Show Posts
|
|
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 51
|
|
1
|
Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
|
on: December 19, 2024, 00:11:39
|
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton (supposedly) via Swindon this morning This service was cancelled between Westbury and Southampton Central due to a power supply problem
I wonder how many more we fail to pick up - this came to my attention later only because of the effect on a train later in the diagram The 12:17 Westbury - Swindon was cancelled due to a problem with the traction equipment. Its return, the 13:14 from Swindon, was also cancelled: unknown cause according to RTT» , or, if you prefer Journeycheck: congestion. |
|
|
|
|
3
|
All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rain event 24/11/24
|
on: November 26, 2024, 00:04:24
|
Flooding is still blocking the line between Bedwyn and Taunton, meaning there are no long-distance services between Devon & Cornwall and London Freight trains have been running between the Mendips, Westbury, Bedwyn and beyond since about 11:00 on 25th. OK, so Castle Cary-Taunton remains closed, but it would have been nice to have had some service for the intermediate stations, or even a message that Pewsey would have zero service all day, Monday. Apart from the quoted line above, most communications have referred to services between London Paddington and Penzance ... not a mention of Paignton. I note that with flooding at Lydney, TfW managed to put together a service as far as Chepstow. Perhaps over the border priorities are different? |
|
|
|
|
5
|
All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rain event 24/11/24
|
on: November 25, 2024, 12:30:48
|
I am pondering over the accuracy and tone of the messaging being provided about train services. This from an update 11:44 today: London Paddington - Swansea
Train services between London Paddington and South Wales are subject to severe disruption due to flooding. The level of disruption combined with shortages of train crew and planned engineering works means that GWR▸ are unable to guarantee that any journey on this route will remain feasible this evening and intending customers are strongly advised to amend their travel plans to travel today or Tuesday 26th November.
Trains are only running between London Paddington and Swindon, they are unable to divert via alternative routes as these are both closed by flooding. Great Western Railway are unable to offer alternative transport between Swindon and Bristol Parkway. You are advised not to attempt to travel along this route. The first paragraph is confusing and looks like the result of editing yesterday's text. The second paragraph is inaccurate as, at the time of the update, South Wales services were running in both directions via Chippenham. Bearing mind that conditions on the roads aren't exactly fun, with closures on the A36 (power lines down in addition to roadworks) and congestion on the A350 / A361, it might be an idea to (suitably nuanced) point out that trains on the Bristol-Southampton line are running a tolerably useful service. ( I was going to include the Melksham line (gasp) but at this moment the train's in the platform at Westbury, apparently waiting for a conductor). |
|
|
|
|
8
|
All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rain event 24/11/24
|
on: November 24, 2024, 23:30:22
|
It's been hard to keep up with events, but, trying to summarise the state towards the end of Sunday: - Line closed between Newton Abbot and Plymouth (flooding)
- Exeter-Barnstaple closed (trees)
- Exeter-Okehampton closed (trees)
- Plymouth-Gunnislake (trees)
- Taunton-Castle Cary closed (flooding)
- Weston SM - Bristol closed (flooding)
- Swindon-Bristol Parkway closed (flooding / landslip)
- Swindon-Chippenham closed (flooding both sides of Wootton Bassett Jn)
- Chippenham-Bath closed (flooding)
- Oxford-Worcester closed (flooding)- the 21:36 Paddington-Worcester reversed at Oxford and now planned to run via Swindon and Stroud
- Not sure about Westbury-Reading, although trains are unable to call at Newbury (flooding)
- Birmingham-Bristol blocked. Journeycheck says between Birmingham and Cheltenham (although a freight has just traversed this and maps suggest south of Standish Jn
- Lydney-Gloucester blocked (flooding)
- Great Malvern-Hereford blocked (flooding)
- Hereford-Abergavenny blocked (landslip)
Information gathered from Journeycheck / RTT» / Opentraintimes / Tiger. Not always logically consistent. |
|
|
|
|
10
|
All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Petition for mileage based fares
|
on: November 24, 2024, 12:52:45
|
The current confused system of "market-based" fares arrived in the 1970's when BR▸ started to try to fill off-peak capacity. Prior to that (and also subsequently for many years) the main offer on tickets was a normal or full fare ticket, or a cheap day return. I would hazard a guess that the single fare was around half the full return fare (please correct me if this was not so). BR did in fact taper longer distance fares to make them realistic (or affordable!). How this was done may be lost in the mists of time. Now all these fares had historic origins but very likely had some basis in being distance based.
...
Split ticketing is really nothing new either. I imagine many may remember having to purchase a series of cheap day returns at each of the relevant ticket offices. This was in order to make an extended day trip more affordable since cheap day returns were generally only available for up to 50 miles and for specific routes only.
Prior to the introduction of "Savers", and at least as late as 1982, the general offering seemed to be Standard Single / Return, Monthly Return, Weekend Return and Day Return, in decreasing order of price per mile. The day return didn't have a distance cap, either. Certainly, Newport-Newcastle was available in Feb 1982 (£27). I have a leaflet for an early form of Groupsave, back in 1977. The quoted fare from Newport to Newcastle (available Saturdays only) was £6.84  |
|
|
|
|
12
|
Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: First it was squirrels.....
|
on: November 23, 2024, 12:18:49
|
Continuing to widen the theme of weird messaging, this appeared on Journeycheck.com/greatwesternrailway today: Westbury: Staffing
Westbury station will be single staffed from now until the end of the day.
Additional Information
Please be prepared to assist with dispatch or self dispatch if necessary.
Last Updated:23/11/2024 11:00 |
|
|
|
|
13
|
Journey by Journey / Heart of Wessex / Heart of Wessex problems 21st November 2024
|
on: November 22, 2024, 11:14:27
|
|
Dorchester West fared marginally better than Okehampton yesterday, with only 4 of 18 scheduled calls being made.
I believe that more than one issue was responsible. Perhaps someone could confirm that in addition to a "points failure" in the Dorchester vicinity, there was another between Bristol and Bath, and a further cancellation due to a train fault?
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: First it was squirrels.....
|
on: November 19, 2024, 11:57:22
|
11:10 Weston-Super-Mare to Severn Beach due 12:23
11:10 Weston-Super-Mare to Severn Beach due 12:23 will be started from Bristol Temple Meads.
It will no longer call at Weston-Super-Mare, Weston Milton, Worle, Yatton, Nailsea & Backwell, Parson Street and Bedminster.
This is due to a fault with the electric third rail earlier today.
Last Updated:19/11/2024 10:18 |
|
|
|
|
