Great Western Coffee Shop

Tony Ambrose has challenged the Chancellor to spend a week travelling on Bristol's commuter trains (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=19499198

A few questions folks what actual journey does Mr Ambrose take every day??...was under the impression that it was Oldfield Park to BTM at peak times.
If it is does he actually expect it to be empty and get a seat for such a short journey?.......well people you all need to get about a bit and you can guarantee that every train going into a big city in peak times in this country when close to its destination is going to be loaded like the Bangalore Express!!!
 i know that the cardiff portsmouths need extra capacity but the commuter trains are the same everywhere

Maybe FGW should invite mr ambrose to run there servies for a week?

I'm sure he'd make do a lot worse than FGW currently are

If it's the 06:32 from Weymouth which I frequently get, then it's standing room only from Trowbridge and also sometimes from Westbury, giving passengers 40-50 minutes of standing in seriously cramped conditions. On more than one occasion last year people were unable to board at Bradford-on-Avon, Avoncliff and Freshford because there was no room! 

Overcrowding is going to happen on any commuter train, try Edinburgh-Glasgow in the peaks!

Would now be a good time to point out that Chancellor Alistair Darling was a former Transport Secretary, and someone who did his level best to defend the originally proposed franchise cuts?

Good point Lee!

The passenger charter copied from FGW site -

"5.2 Getting a seat
Whilst the purchase of a ticket does not guarantee a seat, we plan services so that customers boarding trains should be able to obtain a seat in normal circumstances. You should not have to stand on our trains during off peak times, and during peak times you should not normally have to stand for more than 20 minutes (or more than one station stop if this is longer)."

So even FGW think it's unreasonable to stand more than 20 mins, how ironic. 

Good point, maybe you should take this up with them? Make a log of every time you have to stand for a couple of weeks and make a passengers charter claim!!

Well when bidding for a franchise, you aren't going to see the truth.

Can you imagine First saying "Peak Trains will be crowded, passengers will have to stand like cattle for up to an hour or two, but to cut demand WE WILL HIKE UP FARES".

No you have to look through the SMOKE Screen to get to the Truth.

Out of interest (maybe devon metro can help) how are the 142's performing in terms of booked four cars actually being booked four cars? is there any more overcrowding? they seem to be quite reliable as you don't see many line incidents on the devon metro services.

The diagrams that are 4 car to Paignton have been performing when I am out and about, and they do proviede more capacity although I think Barnstaple has been neglected as any 4 cars from Exmouth seem to be split at Exeter SD

Personally, off peak, 4 car is too much, 2 car isn't enough. We should have got our hands on the 3 car 144s!

We "should" have "kept" our hands on the 158's! 142's are bearable but will be glad when we get our 150/1's to replace them!

Totally agree with Vacman we should have kept the 158 fleet.

When the 150's arrive do you imagine First will refurbish them to match the current fleet?

I believe they are booked to be refurbished.

(the ones we have now anyway)

When the next 10 or so arrive, i'd assume it'd just be coming towards the end of the refurbing process, so they could probably just go straight in and get done before delivery

I would say a good challenge, it^s not just the overcrowding, which is bad enough given the stock cuts from the Wessex fleet, but actually finding one running to actually travel on can be entertaining.

And on the subject of standing, the 06.04 off Trowbridge was cancelled this morning with the prospect of standing for 40 minutes waiting for the next service. Fortunately a replacement taxi took us to Bath to find the Swansea service was delayed and we waited a further 20 minutes for the Gloucester train which had come through Trowbridge.  >:( >:( >:(

Anyway a 2 hr journey to Filton today.

And it^s not just a peak commuting periods that there are problems, try getting on at Trowbridge at the weekend heading to Bath, one cancellation and it^s mayhem, peak weekday mornings are a doddle.

And why should it take complaints from passengers for FGW to give an adequate service, scrutiny and punishment when necessary from the regulator should be the mechanism.

It would also seem complete stupidity in a growing market to then start limiting availability of the one commodity you are trying to sell. If you are Cartier it may make business sense, but not to travel on hand me down 150/1^s.

I prefer the 150/1's to the 150/2's!

That 06.04 isn't normally canned however!

OK, we'll have the hand me down 150/1's in Devon as their so bad, and you can have the hand me down 142's!! All of a sudden 150/1's look like concorde!

[lighthearted]No, we're having 150/1's on Cornish branchlines you can have the 153's instead upcountry then if you can breathe when you get off be gratefull.[/lighthearted]

Why?

Busier services need bigger trains surely?

So St Ives and Falmouth aren't busy????

Is St Ives full and standing during winter?

And I challenge Mr Ambrose to try Clapham Junction to Waterloo in the morning rush and visa-versa in the evening.



On another note whats happened with his other main project, the stopping of the aircraft going to Bristol International Airport using the airspace over Bath. Is that on hold for a while? :-\ :-\ :-\

I can give you an update on that as I live in Bath under the flight path of planes heading to Bristol Intl Aiport and that is that planes are now banned from flying over Bath unless they have a good reason for doing so. They now fly to the north of the city before turning to make the final approach to the airport. Having said all that as I was posting this a plane bound for Bristol just flew over  ;D but the weather conditions are pretty rank at the moment with a lot of low cloud and drizzle so probably better to fly over clear space then over the heights of Lansdown which are covered in low cloud.

Whether this came about as a result of Mr Ambrose's campaign I dont know. Personally planes flying over Bath never bothered me, even at night, and as I say I live on the flight path. I can think of other noises that really do bother me and thats dogs barking constantly. Yes dogs bark fact of life but when it goes on and on its no joke and I know Im not alone in thinking this as its listed as one of the most annoying noises in today's society. And before I get any posts from dog owners, I have nothing against dogs or their owners as the vast majority are great pets. Its always just the very few who spoil it for others.

Apologies for going somewhat off topic here.

If the Right Honourable Alistair Darling (Chancellor) EVER DOES travel on a FGW service it would be more smoke screens.

The Right Honourable John "I'LL PUNCH YOUR LIGHTS OUT" Prescott (Deputy Prime Minister) took a ride in Cornwall on a busy Wessex Trains, Normally a Full and Standing two car 150 service, yet on the day of JP's trip it was a Four Car 158 fresh off depot and spotless.

Never before and never again was THAT train a 158 let alone 4 car.

I was one one today and it got very close upon leaving St Ives.