Great Western Coffee Shop

At the recent Passenger Focus meeting Alison Forster (for what its worth now) stated that the 142 pacers would be used doubled up and provide more seats per journey than a class 150 sprinter. With the proven unreliability of these units how many times will the services be short formed ???

On that note , I am told that Andrew Griffiths & Keith Walton are fed up with FOSBR's "negative attitude" regarding the constant Severn Beach line cancellations and broken promises regarding provision of the 40 minute frequency service.

Apparently AG & KW are saying that the train crews support their view on this.

By the way the post I started this thread with was the text of an e-mail I received and I reproduced it in its entirety to start off this thread.

Also I have been involved with MTLS but their campaign seems to have gone 'cold' at the moment.

FARE STRIKE SPREAD TO BRISTOL AREA ?

The rail campaign group FOSBR will discuss whether to lead a fare strike in the Bristol area at its AGM on Saturday 12 January. If members give this the go ahead, FOSBR will organise a public meeting near Temple Meads Station with a speaker from More Trains Less Strain aimed at spreading the fare strike throughout the Bristol area.

Fare increases, the erosion of the service between Severn Beach and BTM and delay on the Portishead passenger line (reopening) are issues in the Bristol travel to work area. The Severn Beach line had a record 27 cancellations in a single week leading up to Christmas, (Evening Post 31 Dec 07)

FOSBR applaud Kerry McCarthy MP's move to get the issue of rail in the Bristol area onto the parliamentary agenda.

Julie Boston 08 January 2008

The number of passenger journeys on buses in Bristol has dropped by 1 million every year since 2003.[1][1]

Meanwhile, the number of people travelling by local rail has increased in the Greater Bristol area by 19.4% since 2004.[2][2]

[1][1] Council^s Physical Environment Scrutiny Commission agenda 6/3/07.

[1][2] West of England rail survey 2006.

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) campaigns for improved train services throughout Bristol.

Our current focus is on the Half Hour Train campaign for improved frequency on the Severn Beach line and reduced cancellations.

Contact us at 17, Belmont Road, Bristol, BS6 5AW or email severnbeach@hotmail.com. www.fosbr.org.uk

A reopened Ashton Gate will also improve capacity in Temple Meads by allowing local trains to continue through and turn back at Ashton Gate. Laying the foundations for reopening the Portishead Line to passengers.

Several comments here:-

Firstly, would it require an additional diagram? If so, can't see it is justified when compared with other uses you might put a set to. (Cue Graham....)

Finally, I'm sure some sort of signalling/track changes would be involved, if it wasn't to completely screw up the freight service, as unless I'm mistaken, once past Ashton Jn a train will completely block the section all the way down to Portbury.   

So, nice try, FOSBR but I can't see this one working.

Related Link:
http://www.iworkforfgw.com/railblog/index.php?month=july08#1307082320

Saturday 11 October    FOSBR meeting   6 ^ 8pm

The transport, economic and environmental case for a publicly owned railway will be made by Bristol RMT Regional Secretary, Alex Gordon, and Bristol branch ASLEF secretary, Bernard Kennedy. This will be followed by plans to make a 10 minute film * showing the local network and the people who are making it happen.  The meeting is open to the public.

To get to there, walk from Temple Meads Station down Approach Rd to metal rail on right, Great Western Staff Club, then down steps to the lobby.

Hmm.

To be fair, on a couple of occasions recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see a 'conductor/guard' move purposefully forward through the length of the train, and start their ticket inspection from the front of the front carriage - catching some passengers out, I believe!  ::)

It seems to be somewhat hit-and-miss, and dependent largely on the staff concerned. I do not use the SVB branch often but on the occasions I have recently (all off-peak, it must be said) the conductors have been very efficient. Their job must be made somewhat easier now by the simplified fares (which I think are largely in multiples of ^1 or 50p).

From my regular journeys on high-speed services and the Bristol - Keynsham - Bath locals I recognize plenty of the staff by sight and can now generally tell whether I'll get a ticket check or not as soon as I see the conductor who's working that service. This suggests to me that the same staff, day after day, must fail to pay in any revenue from their Avantix machines. I can only speculate about why this is not dealt with: because of issues with staff contracts (I would hazard a guess that some ex-BR staff probably are not required by their terms of employment to undertake commercial duties), a lack of management will to deal with the problem or would the RMT kick off if guards were being disciplined for failing to collect revenue?

some ex-BR staff probably are not required by their terms of employment to undertake commercial duties),

I never tire of looking at the mural at Stapleton Road, it's great. I always seem to "find" something new every time I look at it. And notice how it's almost completely graffiti-free even after being there for some time!

Campaigners fighting to improve local railway services are to lobby Network Rail bosses when they meet to discuss future transport plans for Bristol.

Network Rail (NR) propose the minimum service needed on the Severn Beach line is hourly.

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) disputes this, claiming (NR) has used 2007 figures which do not show increases in passengers since then.

FOSBR will also meet local councillors and MPs to discuss the issues.

The group claims Network Rail has rejected the Greater Bristol Metro project which would offer a half-hourly service cross-city from Weston to Yate.

The proposal has the support of the West of England Partnership which has included it within its bid for government transport funding.

"People want a good local train service," said Rob Dixon of FOSBR. "We need to invest in rail schemes like Portishead, the Greater Bristol Metro, doubling the track between Clifton Down and Montpelier and increasing the number of tracks on the mainline."

FOSBR is also calling for the line from Temple Meads to Parkway, which is currently two tracks, to be widened to allow more services to be run.

In a statement Network Rail said: "Network Rail shares the aspiration to grow and improve the railway and welcomes opportunities to achieve that. Any proposals have to go through the formal process of consultation with the wider industry, which include train operators and local authorities. The wider industry will have to agree the feasibility of the proposals put forward before they are included in the 10-year strategy."

Network Rail today has received accolades from the local user group, Friends of Suburban Bristol Railway, for its efforts in improving the Severn Beach branch line.

Trains going northbound on the Severn Beach branch line can now terminate at or turn back from Clifton to Bristol Temple Meads.

This improvement promises a more reliable service for passengers travelling on the busiest part of the branch line.

It also spells an opportunity for more trains to run between these stations, accommodating the industry^s aspiration to boost capacity on this line in the future.

Jointly funded by Network Rail and the Bristol City Council, the scheme aims to reduce the delays by enabling services between Clifton ^ Bristol Temple Meads to continue to run when the rest of the branch line is congested or has failed.

Work was carried out by Network Rail to install a new signal equipment near Clifton Down. Depending on further study on time-table modelling, this enhanced capability could enable four trains to run per hour.

Mike Gallop, principal programme sponsor for Network Rail, said: ^We are honoured to receive this recognition from Friends of Suburban Bristol Railway.  Schemes like this are critical to improving service performance as the daily operation of the railway becomes more robust.  Around 75% of the passenger journeys made on the Severn Beach branch line are between Clifton ^ Bristol Temple Meads and this line is an important link for them.  We are really pleased to see a little of our effort will go a long way for passengers.^

Besides this, Network Rail has also renewed life-expired tracks between Montpelier Tunnel and Avonmouth Dock Junction as well as at Narroways Hill Junction.  These efforts have significantly improved the reliability of the infrastructure on the line.

The railway in Great Western is one of the top ten best performing routes with an annual average of 92.4% of trains arriving on time every day.

Rail industry is growing and needs investment

I am writing on behalf of Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) in response to the announcement by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond that the Government is to review the provision of new carriages.

FOSBR is concerned about this and the likelihood that cuts to the transport budget are likely to fall disproportionately on rail, which is a more environmentally-friendly form of transport.

The Government has said it does not offer value for money because costs have increased and that new carriages may no longer be needed because of the recession.

The point about value for money has some basis in fact. Ever since the rail network was privatised, train companies have had to hire carriages at great expense from rolling stock companies. Our rail network costs more to run and maintain than those of other European countries because of the structures imposed by privatisation.

Under the previous government, the Department for Transport told train companies like First Great Western how many and what type of carriages they could hire. The Conservatives said before the election they would stop the department interfering with such details. We hope this review is not a sign this interference is continuing.

FOSBR understands the government is reviewing its spending in view of the financial crisis but believes it is vital that they invest for the future. FOSBR is concerned that Bristol needs investment in our railway and cuts will stop this from happening. For too long Bristol has been the poor relation when it comes to spending on the railways, and investment such as re-signalling has been repeatedly postponed. We are also concerned that cuts will lead to cuts in services, with fewer trains stopping at local stations.

Network Rail recently produced their 10-year strategy for our region. In this they said that demand in the Bristol area has not been affected by the recession.

Instead, demand is still rising at faster levels than expected. From 1994 to 2005, passenger numbers at Bristol area stations more than doubled and they have increased by a third again since then. It is predicted that they will increase by at least another 30 per cent in the next 10 years.

First Great Western are already short of trains. Network Rail said it is vital trains are lengthened on the routes through Bristol from Cardiff to Portsmouth and from Gloucester to Weymouth as these are already crowded.

FOSBR asks that our councillors and MPs put pressure on the government to ensure Bristol gets what it already needs and does not stay the poor relation in terms of transport.

Rob Dixon,

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways,

Lawrence Hill.

Can FoSBR organise more of these events? Perhaps on a daily basis to tie-in with when I use the Severn Beach Line. Reason I ask is FGW managed to rustle up a 3 car Class 158 for the Seaside Express on Sun 18th!

Never travelled in such luxury on the SVB line before.  ;) ;D

That's why I was travelling on a very crowded 2 car 158 Pompey service then! ::)

LET'S be honest, groups of people who get together to talk about trains have developed a general reputation for a certain type of geekiness. All those trainspotters scribbling down engine numbers in notepads, or "age of steam" history bores who know the difference between Class A six-wheel switchers and a Class C eight-wheel switchers, without counting the wheels.

But the Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) has never been that kind of group. Far from concerning themselves with the self-imposed autism of pointless rail-based facts and figures collecting, since its inception in 1995 FOSBR has been a vibrantly radical movement that has battled for the rights of commuters across the city.

When it seemed to many rail chiefs that suburban lines had become a sort of quaint anachronism ^ an unnecessary relic of a pre-car-oriented past ^ the good folk of FOSBR could see the future potential in the lines.

"We were ahead of the Green movement in recognising the need to get people out of their cars and back on to trains," explains spokesman Rob Dixon.

Born out of a couple of dozen passionate voices calling for a halt in the demise of the Severn Beach commuter line, FOSBR has now swelled into a powerful lobby group, with more than 200 members and a broad agenda to improve rail usage and protect and develop commuter lines.

Last night this small army of radical commuters gathered together for a party at the La Ruca Cafe in Gloucester Road, to celebrate 15 years of passionate campaigning.

"We've achieved a lot over the years. Passenger numbers on the suburban Bristol lines have more than doubled since 1995, but there's still a lot to do," Rob says. "We're so far behind other comparable cities across the country. We need to catch up with cities like Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, where commuters in the outlaying suburbs know they can walk to their local train station and enjoy good, reliable half-hourly services into the centre of their city."

FOSBR was born at 7.30am on Monday, September 25, 1995, with a rush-hour protest at the reduction of the commuter services from Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach.

"We encouraged people to meet on Avonmouth station with bikes and buggies to show that a bus was no substitute for a train," Rob says. It was the start of months of similar protests, that eventually led to a subsidy being found for the line. Bristol City Council subsidised the line until 2007 when an hourly minimum service was included in the rail franchise," he says.

"Following that we campaigned energetically for half-hourly services, targeting the city council's budget in 2006/7. Councillors of all parties voted to invest money in extra trains in order to provide an improved service ^ a train approximately every 45 minutes during the day ^ for three years. This started in May 2008 and has resulted in a 60 per cent ticket sale increase, which proves that if the service is reliable and regular, commuters will be prepared to leave their cars at home."

But the members' resolve remains determined to keep pushing for improvements to the city's commuter service ^ driving change forward like a legion of little shunting engines.

"Every time a suburban train runs in the Bristol area it is a victory for FOSBR," says member Teresa McGill. "Recently FOSBR has been campaigning to ensure this service continues. We have successfully lobbied MPs and council officials across the South West region to include rail schemes in their bid for government funding for transport projects. This year our campaign to include local rail schemes was mentioned in Network Rail's regional strategy and resulted in a review of the service on the Severn Beach line and proposals for an additional service from Avonmouth to Bath. We have put pressure on the West of England Partnership to take steps to reopen the freight line from Avonmouth to Bristol Parkway to passengers, and to ensure the half-hourly service at stations that they have promised in the local transport plan. We regularly meet with the Severnside Community Rail Partnership, the council and train operator First Great Western to discuss the future of the line and our ideas."

So what drives these determined campaigners?

"I think everyone has their own individual reason for continuing the fight," Rob says. "I was simply a regular rail commuter who wanted to see an improvement in services."

As well as campaigning for investment and against cuts, FOSBR has promoted the local rail network in various ways.

"These days, we're not just about campaigning against the demise of the services, now we also actively try to promote rail usage among the public," Rob says. "We give out thousands of timetables every year, have stalls at local events, and publicise the suburban railway lines through special events such as trips to the seaside. Our golden goals are to achieve half-hourly services to all Bristol stations, see the reopening of the line to Portishead and from Avonmouth to Parkway, and lobby for the introduction of four tracks ^ rather than the current two ^ from Temple Meads to Filton."

Who knows? Perhaps in the next 15 years, the good folk of FOSBR will be on track to achieve their remaining golden goals.

● For more information about FOSBR, visit the website at fosbr.org.uk. (http://fosbr.org.uk/)