Great Western Coffee Shop

As from Saturday, we're back to a marketable train service on the TransWilts - and indeed we move from famine to feast for the month of August.  With Chippenham->Bath and Trowbridge->Bath both closed, it's very difficult indeed to predict what sort of loadings we'll see on diverted Cardiff - Portsmouth services, and on that basis it's hard to know what to promote and what not.  However, we've taken an educated guess that people need to be told that the Weymouth Wizard's running from Swindon and Chippenham this year, as if they don't know about it they won't use it.

There are FGW / TransWilts / Heart of Wessex posters on display at major stations (i.e. Swindon, Chippenham ...).  And the main railway industry journey planner will offer the service just like any other train.  But it's 8 carriages on a line which otherwise has just 3 or 4, so it's probable it could do with a bit of further help.

In my TransWilts CRP role, I've let a few media and other contacts know about the service, and also done a bit of promotion on social media - Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/677100025723376 . And the management stats on that post tell me that it's reached 11,000 people, of whom 1,100 have responded in some way such as clicking through links or adding comments, with 100 sharing it with others (passing it on).   It's very hard to know how many of those actions will translate to "bums on seats", but there are certainly people talking about it, and certainly people saying "I am going".  We'll see.

To evaluate how it goes on the first day - to help tune following promotion - I'm planning to ride on the train from Swindon. Company / assistance in counting passengers and making sure everyone's happy (great role for those who've helped with counts and surveys in the past) welcome.   As a minimum, ride to Westbury ... as a maximum, share the day out.

Decent weather forecast for Saturday too.  Last time I went on a train to Weymouth I, having been there before, got the bus to the Swanage and rode on the steam railway there.  HST and steam on the same day!

My colleagues grahame and bobm have conjured up a very appealing day out there - but, unfortunately, I'm working. ::)

I feel your pain!  I only get 12 Saturdays off a year and then they get booked up for family events but hope to make at least one trip to Weymouth in August.

Ah!  I do have a Saturday off in August - annual leave!  (Probably best not let Mrs CfN know about that just yet.)  :P ::) :-X

Perhaps we should look to the more community based alternatives the Admin's day out:

https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/photos/a.402860103147371.1073741825.294993730600676/678433625590016